Most recent paper

CNS Neurosci Ther. 2026 Sep;32(9):e71140. doi: 10.1002/cns.71140.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is associated with altered spontaneous brain activity on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). However, MRI studies usually overlook the potential effects of postural change. This study characterized posture-related alterations in spontaneous brain activity in CSVD patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one CSVD patients and 30 normal controls (NCs) underwent multi-position MRI, including upright and supine rs-fMRI. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated, and supine-upright differences (Δ) were derived. Mixed-design ANOVA assessed group, position, and interaction effects. Within-group and between-group differences were examined, followed by cognition-related analyses.

RESULTS: The main effect of posture on ReHo was observed in frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices and deep gray nuclei. In the upright position, CSVD patients had higher ReHo in the right anterior cingulate gyrus than NCs, which was associated with worse global cognitive function and a higher composite CSVD score. CSVD patients also exhibited widespread posture-related ReHo alterations. Regression analyses demonstrated that ΔReHo in the left hippocampus was positively associated with memory function, whereas ΔReHo in the right putamen and left calcarine cortex was associated with the composite CSVD score.

CONCLUSION: Upright imaging and upright-supine comparison may help unmask latent posture-related ReHo abnormalities in patients with CSVD.

PMID:42706799 | DOI:10.1002/cns.71140

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2026 Aug 29;81:101804. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2026.101804. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The interval from the fetal period through infancy is critical for the formation and reorganization of large-scale functional brain networks. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) requires no task performance and provides a means of characterizing whole-brain functional organization during this interval. This narrative review synthesizes human rs-fMRI evidence on typical functional network development, prematurity-related differences, associations with maternal and early caregiving environments, and links between early functional connectivity and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcomes. Overall, early functional network development shows a degree of hierarchical organization: primary sensorimotor systems show relatively stable organization earlier, whereas higher-order association systems undergo more prolonged refinement. Local specialization and cross-network integration overlap, with patterns varying by connection distance, brain region, and individual. We further examine associations of prematurity, maternal psychological and social environments, metabolic and immune status, substance and environmental chemical exposures, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experiences, and early sensory and social interactions with functional network differences. We also summarize prospective evidence relating fetal, neonatal, and infant connectivity features to later motor, language, cognitive, and socioemotional outcomes, as well as autism spectrum disorder-related risk measures. These findings suggest that early functional connectivity may contain information about developmental vulnerability before behavioral or clinical features become apparent. Finally, we discuss methodological challenges related to scan state (sleep or wakefulness), head motion, brain parcellation, and analytical pipelines, and consider how multisite longitudinal studies, standardized data acquisition, and independent-cohort validation could improve reproducibility and support future clinical translation.

PMID:42705061 | DOI:10.1016/j.dcn.2026.101804

Cereb Cortex. 2026 Sep 1;36(9):bhag121. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhag121.

ABSTRACT

Intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) index the temporal decay of neural activity and form a hierarchy from fast sensorimotor to slow transmodal regions. Although altered INTs have been reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it remains unclear whether this hierarchical organization is preserved and how individual variability along it relates to sensory traits. Using resting-state fMRI from 182 participants (67 ASD, 115 typically developed controls [TDC]), we estimated INTs from the autocorrelation half-life and averaged them across four runs. The cortical INT hierarchy was preserved in ASD, with comparable sensorimotor-to-transmodal organization across groups. Regions operating at longer timescales exhibited relative prolongation in ASD, with effect size increasing along the hierarchy. However, no statistically significant group differences were identified at any spatial resolution examined. To characterize individual INT profiles relative to a TDC-derived template, we decomposed each participant's profile into global shift, hierarchical scaling, and residual deviation components. Global shifts and hierarchical scaling were associated with demographic variation (primarily sex) rather than diagnosis, whereas residual deviations showed a modest association with sensory traits characterized by reduced sensory registration. These findings indicate that large-scale temporal organization is largely preserved in ASD, while individual-specific deviations from this hierarchy may underlie variability in sensory experience.

PMID:42704258 | DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhag121

Ann Neurol. 2026 Sep 7. doi: 10.1002/ana.78355. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (C9RE) is the most frequent genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although structural alterations have been reported decades before symptom onset, the longitudinal evolution of socioemotional network dysfunction in premanifest C9RE carriers remains poorly understood.

METHODS: In this multimodal 2-year longitudinal study, we examined 21 premanifest C9RE carriers and 24 controls using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-state, and task-based functional MRI (fMRI), and multivariate pattern analysis. Participants completed facial emotion processing tasks during fMRI scanning, alongside behavioral assessments. We assessed regional activation, network connectivity, and voxel-wise structural integrity at baseline and follow up.

RESULTS: At baseline, premanifest C9RE carriers showed reduced emotion recognition efficiency, accompanied by bilateral thalamic atrophy, decreased activation in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, and increased activation in the posterior cerebellum, along with altered multivoxel activity patterns in the anterior cingulate and posterior cerebellum. Resting-state fMRI revealed decreased functional connectivity involving the thalamus, anterior, and posterior cingulate cortex. Longitudinal analyses indicated declining emotion-evoked responses in the posterior cingulate cortex and cerebellum, alongside further thalamic volume loss, whereas functional connectivity showed no significant change over time. Despite these progressive neural alterations, behavioral performance remained stable.

INTERPRETATION: Socioemotional circuit dysfunction emerges early in C9RE carriers and progresses over time, preceding overt clinical symptoms. Functional imaging, especially task-based fMRI combined with multivariate pattern analysis, captures early circuit-level alterations that may serve as sensitive biomarkers for premanifest neurodegeneration. ANN NEUROL 2026.

PMID:42703939 | DOI:10.1002/ana.78355

Ageing Res Rev. 2026 Sep 6:103357. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2026.103357. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Brain regions are organized into large-scale networks through dynamic functional connections that support sensorimotor and cognitive processes across the lifespan. Age-related disruptions of these functional systems are associated with cognitive and motor decline and increased risk of neurocognitive disorders. A growing body of evidence suggests that structured physical training can modulate resting-state functional connectivity within these networks, offering a potential neuroprotective strategy. However, the relative efficacy of different training modalities, and the mechanisms by which simultaneous cognitive loading during motor training may confer neuroplastic benefits, remain incompletely characterized. This narrative review critically integrates evidence on network-level changes following cardiorespiratory, resistance and balance training, cognitive stimulation, and combined motor-cognitive interventions (with exergames (i.e., interactive physical and/or motor-cognitive exercises to control traditional or extended reality games) and mind-body practices) in older adults. We critically appraise evidence strength across three methodological tiers: direct neuroimaging (i.e., rs-fMRI), indirect measures (i.e., EEG and fNIRS), and conceptual frameworks, and apply this hierarchy to critically evaluate the guided-plasticity facilitation framework, a working hypothesis proposing synergistic neuroplastic effects when motor and cognitive demands overlap, for which direct neuroimaging support in humans remains limited. Key methodological gaps are identified: scarcity of direct comparison trials, inadequate dose-matching, limited long-term data, and near-absence of dynamic functional connectivity analyses. We outline research priorities to advance a mechanistic, individualized understanding of experience-dependent brain network plasticity in aging and neurocognitive disorders and propose network-level biomarkers as a candidate direction for future personalized training prescriptions. We also outline a prospective precision-medicine framework for exercise prescription in neurocognitive disorders, noting that prospective validation studies are needed before network-level biomarkers can inform clinical decision-making.

PMID:42702295 | DOI:10.1016/j.arr.2026.103357

Nat Sci Sleep. 2026 Sep 1;18:628716. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S628716. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

Insomnia disorder is increasingly linked to abnormalities in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). We systematically synthesized rs-fMRI studies published from January 2020 to July 2025 to characterize disorder-related connectivity patterns and methodological limitations. Twenty-four study reports met the eligibility criteria; reported sample sizes summed to 1,229 participants with insomnia disorder and 1,077 healthy controls, although some cohorts may overlap across publications. Alterations involved the default mode, salience, executive-control, emotion, and sensorimotor systems and sleep-wake regulatory hubs, including the thalamus and hypothalamus. The overall pattern is compatible with hyperarousal, but both increased and decreased connectivity were reported; diagnostic definitions, sex, symptom severity and duration, medication exposure, acquisition conditions, and seed-based versus data-driven analyses may moderate direction and magnitude. A formal study-level appraisal with the JBI analytical cross-sectional checklist identified predominantly low risk or some concerns, most often related to confounding control. Because all included comparisons were cross-sectional, rsFC alterations cannot be interpreted as causes rather than consequences or correlates of insomnia. Methodological heterogeneity precluded quantitative pooling. Standardized phenotyping, medication control, acquisition and preprocessing, preregistered longitudinal studies, and external validation are required before connectivity markers can be used clinically.

PMID:42701814 | PMC:PMC13546042 | DOI:10.2147/NSS.S628716

Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2026 Sep 1;16(9):688. doi: 10.21037/qims-2026-1-0438. Epub 2026 Jul 29.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The brain is highly sensitive to oxygen supply; however, it remains unclear whether chronic hypoxia resulting from disease or environmental exposure leads to similar or distinct patterns of brain adaptation. This study aimed to characterize and compare the structural and functional brain changes associated with chronic hypoxia induced by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high-altitude residence.

METHODS: A total of 110 participants were enrolled in the study, including 20 patients with COPD (aged 45-65 years) and 30 matched controls, as well as 30 high-altitude residents (aged 35-50 years, altitude >2,800 m for >30 years) and 30 matched low-altitude controls. Structural brain assessment was performed using three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted imaging, with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis conducted via statistical parametric mapping. Functional evaluation was performed using regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis with the Data Processing and Analysis of Brain Imaging (DPABI) toolkit based on resting-state blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) data. Group comparisons were performed using two-sample t-tests, with statistical significance set at P<0.05.

RESULTS: Patients with COPD exhibited reduced gray matter volume in eight regions, predominantly located in emotion- and cognition-related regions, including the Temporal_inf_R (cluster size =194, t=3.50), Rectus_R (cluster size =145, t=3.72), ParaHippocampal_L (cluster size =158, t=3.68), and Insula_R (cluster size =201, t=4.38). The high-altitude residents showed gray matter changes primarily in visual regions, including the Cuneus_L (cluster size =162, t=2.79) and Occipital_Mid_L (cluster size =140, t=-2.82). ReHo analysis revealed increased ReHo in the bilateral caudate (R: cluster size =125, t=2.99; L: cluster size =89, t=2.34) and decreased ReHo in the Lingual_R (cluster size =94, t=-4.93) and Precuneus_R (cluster size =92, t=-4.78) in the COPD patients, while the high-altitude residents showed increased ReHo in the bilateral supplementary motor area (R: cluster size =164, t=3.80; L: cluster size =144, t=3.48) and decreased ReHo in the Precuneus_R (cluster size =82, t=-4.08). No significant differences in age or education were observed between the groups; however, the hemoglobin and oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels differed significantly between the groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that COPD and high-altitude residence are associated with distinct structural brain changes, affecting emotion- and cognition-related regions in patients with COPD and visual regions in high-altitude residents, despite broadly similar functional (ReHo) alterations in motor and visual areas. These findings highlight the differential vulnerability of brain regions to distinct types of chronic hypoxia.

PMID:42701633 | PMC:PMC13545640 | DOI:10.21037/qims-2026-1-0438

Neuroimage. 2026 Sep 5:122201. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122201. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Directed forgetting (DF) refers to the goal-directed modulation of memory, typically manifested as superior memory for information cued to be remembered (TBR) compared to information cued to be forgotten (TBF). Although prior studies have emphasized task-evoked neural mechanisms of DF, it remains unclear whether intrinsic brain network organization contributes to individual differences in memory control. The present study examined whether resting-state functional connectivity within and between the default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN) predicts individual differences in DF performance. Forty-seven healthy college students (31 females; aged 18-28 years) underwent resting-state fMRI scanning and completed an item-method DF task. Behavioral results showed significantly better recognition for TBR than TBF items, confirming a DF effect. Connectivity analyses revealed that, 1) stronger within-DMN connectivity centered on the right precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (pCun/PCC) was associated with better memory for TBR items and a larger DF effect. 2) Stronger within-FPN connectivity, especially between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and bilateral inferior parietal lobule, predicted poorer memory for TBF items. 3) Moreover, stronger anticorrelation between the FPN and mnemonic regions was associated with better memory for TBR items, poorer memory for TBF items, and a larger DF effect. These findings suggest that DF depends on dissociable but coordinated intrinsic network properties supporting selective remembering, active forgetting, and functional segregation between mnemonic and control systems.

PMID:42700851 | DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122201

J Affect Disord. 2026 Sep 5:122474. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122474. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are frequently misdiagnosed, while most neuroimaging studies have focused on single illness stages rather than the entire disease course. This study applied Gaussian mixture model (GMM) clustering to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) features across depressive episode, partial remission, and complete remission stages to model the stage related differences of differential patterns between the two affective disorders.

METHODS: A total of 254 participants (109 BD and 145 MDD) aged 15-50 years underwent rs-fMRI scanning. Rs-fMRI data were preprocessed using DPABI, and dynamic fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (dfALFF) was calculated. Based on dfALFF features, Gaussian mixture model (GMM) unsupervised clustering was applied to cluster the two affective disorders across different illness stages, followed by clustering performance analysis of stage related differences, feature importance analysis, and construction of connection curves for the two affective disorders.

RESULTS: Clustering accuracies during depressive episode, partial remission, and complete remission stages were 71.83%, 70.69%, and 53.42%, respectively. Discriminative brain regions during depressive episode and partial remission stages mainly involved frontal, temporal, parietal, limbic, cerebellar, subcortical, and occipital regions. No meaningful discriminative brain regions were identified during complete remission because BD and MDD could not be effectively distinguished.

CONCLUSIONS: Brain functional patterns are distinguishable during depressive episodes and partial remission but become indistinguishable during complete remission. This study simulated differential diagnostic model patterns across disease course for two disorders, offering a novel perspective.

PMID:42700777 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2026.122474

Epilepsia Open. 2026 Sep 5. doi: 10.1002/epi4.70315. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTC) are associated with significant morbidity and an elevated risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The cerebellum has been implicated in modulating the frequency and severity of tonic-clonic seizures. The present study aimed to identify alterations in cerebellar functional connectivity (FC) associated with susceptibility to FBTC in individuals diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

METHODS: This prospective study involved the recruitment of 30 patients with unilateral TLE, who were classified into two groups: active FBTC (≥1 FBTC in the past year) and inactive FBTC (ongoing focal seizures but no FBTC within the past year, and in some cases no lifetime history), each consisting of 15 patients. Additionally, 20 demographically matched control subjects were included. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and high-resolution T1-weighted imaging were utilised. FC analysis was performed using the CONN toolbox, with a focus on cerebellar and subcortical regions. Group comparisons were executed using Kruskal-Wallis tests, followed by post hoc pairwise analyses.

RESULTS: The findings indicated that FC between the posterior vermis and lateral cerebellar lobules (Crus I/II) bilaterally were significantly lower in the active FBTC group compared to healthy controls. In comparison to the inactive group, the active FBTC group exhibited significantly lower FC with the contralateral Crus I and Crus II. In comparison to controls, the TLE groups exhibited lower FC between the posterior vermis and the mediodorsal and pulvinar thalamic nuclei as well as between the flocculonodular lobe and mesial temporal structures (hippocampus, parahippocampus, and amygdala).

SIGNIFICANCE: The results demonstrate impaired intracerebellar FC, particularly between the posterior vermis and lateral cerebellar lobules, in individuals with active FBTC, thereby supporting the hypothesis that the cerebellum has a regulatory role in modulating susceptibility to tonic-clonic seizures.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures are severe seizures that start in one brain region and spread to both sides of the brain. In this study, people with temporal lobe epilepsy who had recent tonic-clonic seizures showed reduced communication between the posterior vermis and lateral cerebellar regions. Alterations in other cerebellar connections with the thalamus and temporal lobe were related to temporal lobe epilepsy itself. These findings suggest that cerebellar networks may influence vulnerability to tonic-clonic seizure spread and may be relevant to future sudden unexpected death in epilepsy risk research.

PMID:42700150 | DOI:10.1002/epi4.70315

Imaging Neurosci (Camb). 2026 Sep 3;4:IMAG.a.1354. doi: 10.1162/IMAG.a.1354. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of awake macaque monkeys holds promise for advancing our understanding of primate brain organization, including humans. However, estimating functional connectivity in awake animals is challenging due to the limited duration of imaging sessions and the relatively low sensitivity to neural activity. To overcome these challenges, we developed a 24-channel 3T receive radiofrequency (RF) coil optimized for parallel imaging of awake macaques. This enabled the acquisition of cross-plane and in-plane accelerated ferumoxytol-weighted resting-state fMRI. The Human Connectome Project-style data processing pipelines were adapted to address the unique preprocessing demands of cerebral blood volume-weighted (CBVw) imaging, including motion correction, functional-to-structural image co-registration, and training a multi-run independent component analysis-based X-noiseifier (ICA-FIX) classifier for removal of structured artifacts. Our CBVw fMRI approach resulted in an elevated contrast-to-noise ratio compared with blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) imaging in anesthetized macaques. However, structured imaging artifacts still contributed more variance to the functional timeseries than neural activity. By applying the ICA-FIX classifier, we achieved highly reproducible parcellated functional connectivity at the single-subject level, with test-retest matrix correlations and subject identification accuracy comparable with those observed in humans. At the group level, we identified dense functional networks with spatial features homologous to those observed in humans. The developed RF receive coil, image acquisition protocols, and data analysis pipelines are publicly available, providing the broader scientific community with tools to leverage these advances for further research.

PMID:42699021 | PMC:PMC13543443 | DOI:10.1162/IMAG.a.1354

Front Psychiatry. 2026 Aug 21;17:1897625. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1897625. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a chronic, relapsing condition with substantial clinical burden, yet its neurobiological basis remains incompletely understood, particularly in the socially vulnerable populations most affected in real-world clinical settings. Existing neuroimaging evidence is fragmented across imaging modalities and derived largely from samples that underrepresent sustained adversity and polysubstance use. We used multimodal MRI to characterize structural and functional brain alterations in a clinically representative CUD sample.

METHODS: Seventy-two individuals with chronic cocaine use and 53 healthy controls underwent structural MRI and resting-state fMRI on a 3T scanner. Surface-based morphometry included cortical thickness, surface-based volume, and local gyrification index (a measure of the complexity of cortical folding), together with subfield-level volumetry of the hippocampus and amygdala. Functional connectivity was assessed using edge-wise general linear models. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and relevant covariates, with correction for multiple comparisons using cluster-wise and false discovery rate procedures.

RESULTS: CUD was associated with widespread cortical abnormalities, marked by reduced thickness and surface-based volume predominantly in prefrontal, temporal, and parietal cortices, with the strongest effects in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule. Local gyrification index alterations were more focal and confined to frontal regions. No total hippocampal or amygdalar volume differences survived false discovery rate correction, although exploratory subfield analyses suggested localized increases in the hippocampal head, hippocampus-amygdala transition area, and corticoamygdaloid transition region. Functional connectome analysis identified four significant inter-network alterations: one hypoconnectivity between the left somatomotor network and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and three hyperconnectivities between right somatomotor regions and medial frontal salience/ventral attention nodes.

CONCLUSIONS: CUD is characterized by a predominantly prefrontal-centered cortical structural phenotype accompanied by selective frontal network dysconnectivity. The functional findings suggest a reweighting of large-scale networks favoring salience-driven action over prefrontal regulatory control, consistent with incentive-sensitization models of addiction. Observed in a treatment-seeking sample representative of real-world clinical populations, these results support frontal systems as a core locus of vulnerability in CUD and point to candidate targets for circuit-based intervention.

PMID:42698832 | PMC:PMC13542897 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1897625

CNS Neurosci Ther. 2026 Sep;32(9):e71147. doi: 10.1002/cns.71147.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dynamic analysis of resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) offers a novel approach to differentiate Parkinson's disease (PD) from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) by capturing temporal features of brain network activity, which may shed light on the mechanisms underlying non-motor symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize differences in brain dynamics between PD and PSP using dynamic brain metrics, evaluate their exploratory discriminative performance, and investigate associations with non-motor symptoms.

METHODS: Sixty-nine healthy controls, 82 PD patients, and 29 PSP patients underwent standardized clinical assessment and rs-fMRI. Hidden Markov models extracted temporal features including fraction occurrence (FO), dwell time, and transition probability. These metrics were used for group comparisons, correlation analyses, and machine learning classification.

RESULTS: PD and PSP showed opposite trends in fraction occurrence of unimodal network-dominant states. Compared to PD and controls, PSP exhibited prolonged duration in the dorsal attention and limbic network (DAN&LIM) state and increased occurrence in the dorsal attention and frontoparietal control network (DAN&FPCN) state. Reduced unimodal state occupancy correlated with cognitive decline in both groups, while increased DAN&LIM and unimodal persistence linked to worse mood and sleep disturbances in PSP. Machine learning with these metrics achieved moderate accuracy in differentiating PD from PSP.

CONCLUSIONS: Temporal features of brain network dynamics may provide candidate imaging markers for distinguishing PD and PSP while offering mechanistic insights into non-motor symptomatology. However, their diagnostic applicability requires validation in independent external multicenter cohorts.

PMID:42698292 | DOI:10.1002/cns.71147

Andrology. 2026 Sep 4. doi: 10.1111/andr.70374. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The brain plays a critical role in premature ejaculation (PE), but the specific regions involved remain unclear. This study aimed to identify functional brain network alterations in PE-like rats and investigate the modulatory effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at SP6.

METHODS: Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into PE-like (n = 8) and control (n = 8) groups based on ejaculation frequency (EF). Copulatory behavior (EF, ejaculation latency [EL]), resting-state fMRI, and plasma norepinephrine (NE) were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks of daily EA at SP6. Functional brain networks were constructed using graph theory, and nodal measures were compared between groups.

RESULTS: PE-like rats exhibited significantly shortened EL and elevated plasma NE. Global network measures did not differ between groups. However, PE-like rats showed: (1) decreased nodal strength and betweenness centrality in hypothalamus; (2) decreased betweenness centrality in retrosplenial granular cortex zone a/postsubiculum; (3) increased clustering coefficient and global efficiency in RSD/RSGa; (4) decreased local efficiency in primary somatosensory and dorsal thalamic nucleus. EF and NE were negatively associated with dorsal thalamic nucleus local efficiency, while EL was negatively associated with hypothalamus strength and betweenness centrality. EA treatment significantly reduced EF and NE, prolonged EL, and normalized most nodal abnormalities; the improvement in dorsal thalamic nucleus local efficiency survived FDR correction.

CONCLUSION: PE-like behavior in rats is associated with specific nodal alterations in hypothalamus, thalamus, and somatosensory cortex, alongside elevated NE. EA at SP6 was associated with partial normalization of these abnormalities, suggesting potential neuromodulatory mechanisms for PE, though causal relationships require further investigation.

PMID:42698290 | DOI:10.1111/andr.70374

Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2026 Sep 1;152:108966. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2026.108966. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging evidence suggests that the pathological alterations associated with blepharospasm (BSP) are not confined to a single brain region but involve large-scale brain networks. However, the higher-order interactions among connections within these networks remain poorly understood. This study proposes to use an edge-centric analytical approach combined with motif analysis to characterize abnormalities in information flow and functional integration in BSP brain networks.

METHODS: Resting-state fMRI data were collected from 102 patients with BSP and 160 healthy controls (HCs). An edge-centric analytical framework was constructed and integrated with triadic motif analysis to characterize higher-order interaction patterns among connections within brain networks.

RESULTS: In BSP patients, normalized entropy in the precuneus and network-level entropy in the cognitive control and default mode networks were significantly increased, with precuneus entropy positively correlated with symptom severity. BSP patients also showed stronger community similarity between the left caudate and supplementary motor area (SMA). Motif analysis revealed that, when the left caudate was the reference node, closed-loop motifs were over-expressed and negatively correlated with disease duration, whereas forked motifs were under-expressed. When the SMA was the second reference node, both closed-loop and forked motifs were over-expressed, with forked motifs positively correlated with disease duration, while L-shaped motifs were under-expressed.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to use edge functional connectivity combined with motif analysis to reveal abnormal higher-order interactions within the caudate-SMA-motor control circuit in patients with BSP, and it provides new perspectives for targeted circuit-based neuromodulation interventions.

PMID:42696885 | DOI:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2026.108966

Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2026 Sep 4:nsag074. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsag074. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

When we think about the start of a successful close relationship, we often imagine two people independently evaluating each other. But what if how much we like someone depends on how much we think they like us? In the current study, we asked how social feedback changes how one thinks about potential romantic partners, as well as how often one thinks about them. We hypothesized that the mentalizing network would play a role in both of these processes. During an fMRI scan, participants watched dating profile videos of eight different target individuals, both before and after receiving social feedback from the target. We found that neural representations in the mentalizing network changed most in response to social feedback that was incongruent with one's initial evaluation, likely because romantic interest in another person is at least partially based on what one believes that other person is thinking. In addition, during a resting-state scan, reactivation frequency in the TPJ increased in response to congruent feedback. Considered together, these results demonstrate that the desire to be aligned with another person motivates both how and how often one thinks about that person, thus highlighting the importance of others' social evaluations in our own.

PMID:42696418 | DOI:10.1093/scan/nsag074

NMR Biomed. 2026 Oct;39(10):e70391. doi: 10.1002/nbm.70391.

ABSTRACT

Multimodal anomaly maps can reveal distributed structural and functional connectivity deviations in glioma, but resting-state functional connectivity also reflects scan-day motion, vigilance, symptoms, seizures, and medication exposure. We propose prespecifying whether the target is tumor-associated alteration, all-cause patient-state deviation, or prognosis; recording a compact clinical-state vector; auditing state leakage and repeatability; and externally validating incremental clinical value before patient-level use.

PMID:42695556 | DOI:10.1002/nbm.70391

J Integr Neurosci. 2026 Aug 26;25(8):50729. doi: 10.31083/JIN50729.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Extensive neuroimaging abnormalities in multiple brain regions constitute the neural basis of preterm infants (PTIs). However, the function of the brain and its spatial coupling with brain structure remain unknown, leaving a considerable gap in understanding the neural mechanism underlying atypical neurodevelopment in PTIs.

METHODS: Combining structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 14 PTIs and 14 term infants (TEIs), we quantified gray matter volume (GMV) via voxel-based morphometry, estimated intrinsic timescales from fMRI signals via autocorrelation function (ACF) analysis, and further assessed spatial structure-function coupling across individuals.

RESULTS: PTIs exhibited GMV alterations in multiple brain regions encompassing high-order cortical and subcortical regions (p < 0.001, corrected by family-wise error (FWE)), which were significantly associated with clinical variables such as gestational age (R = 0.716, p < 0.0001), postnatal age (R = -0.698, p < 0.0001) and birth weight (R = 0.727, p < 0.0001). Alterations in intrinsic timescales were revealed at both the spatial distribution (voxel-level p < 0.001, Gaussian random field (GRF)-corrected p < 0.05) and local regional levels, highlighting functional alterations of the medial frontal gyrus in PTIs (voxel-level p < 0.001, GRF-corrected p < 0.05). Furthermore, alterations in spatial structure-function coupling were also found in both high-order cortical and subcortical regions, with ACF decay in these regions significantly correlated with serum iron levels (R = -0.664, p = 0.0096) in PTIs.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that preterm birth-related neurodevelopmental alterations may be associated with differences in the coordination between brain structure and function, which could be related to variations in neurobehavioral outcomes, and indicate that neuroimaging may provide useful insights into early neurodevelopmental differences in PTIs.

PMID:42695254 | DOI:10.31083/JIN50729

Alpha Psychiatry. 2026 Jul 15;27(4):50313. doi: 10.31083/AP50313. eCollection 2026 Aug.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adolescent depression necessitates the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Temporal interference stimulation (TIS) is a promising noninvasive neuromodulation technique capable of modulating deep-brain circuits; however, its feasibility in adolescent populations has not yet been established. This open-label pilot study evaluated the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of a five-day TIS protocol targeting the right amygdala in adolescents with depression. Clinical outcomes and neuroimaging findings were assessed as exploratory, hypothesis-generating objectives.

METHODS: Twelve adolescents with depression received five consecutive daily sessions of TIS (2000 Hz carrier frequency with a 100 Hz difference frequency; 20 min/day) targeting the right amygdala. Feasibility was evaluated on the basis of tolerability and adherence rates. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA-14), and the THINC-integrated tool (THINC-it) at baseline, post-treatment, and at one-week and four-week follow-up assessments. Exploratory resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed to investigate neuromodulatory effects.

RESULTS: Nine participants completed the study, corresponding to a completion rate of 75%, with a tolerability rate of 100%. No device-related adverse events were reported. Trends toward improvement were observed in depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and subjective cognitive functioning. From baseline to post-treatment, HAMD-17 and HAMA-14 scores decreased by 52.0% and 56.7%, respectively, and these improvements were maintained at the four-week follow-up, with a 53.3% reduction in depression severity. Exploratory fMRI analyses demonstrated acute increases in functional connectivity between the right amygdala and sensorimotor cortical regions during the first stimulation session.

CONCLUSIONS: A five-day course of right amygdala-targeted TIS was feasible, safe, and well tolerated in adolescents with depression. The observed improvements in depressive and anxiety symptoms, together with acute alterations in amygdala-cortical functional connectivity, provide hypothesis-generating signals that warrant further investigation in rigorously designed sham-controlled trials. However, given the open-label and uncontrolled nature of the study, these improvements cannot be causally attributed to the intervention.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been registered on https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (registration number: No: NCT06452849; registration link: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06452849).

PMID:42694557 | PMC:PMC13539988 | DOI:10.31083/AP50313

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026 Aug 20;17:1913085. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1913085. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) is increasingly recognized as a condition associated with subtle cognitive, functional, and clinical alterations, despite the absence of overt hypercortisolism. Its impact on brain function, sleep quality, and mood, however, remains incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this observational, cross-sectional study was to investigate cognitive performance, sleep quality, mood, and structural and functional brain alterations in patients with MACS compared with those with non-functioning adrenal tumors (NFAT).

PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight patients with adrenal incidentalomas were enrolled, including 28 patients with MACS and 20 with NFAT, all without clinical signs of overt hypercortisolism at study entry.

METHODS: Participants had a confirmed failure to suppress cortisol on 1 mg of dexamethasone and underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing, sleep quality assessment (PSQI), mood evaluation (BDI-II), and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including structural imaging, voxel-based morphometry, and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI).

RESULTS: Compared with patients with NFAT, those with MACS exhibited slightly lower Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and poorer delayed verbal recall, both negatively correlated with serum cortisol levels. Patients with MACS also showed significantly poorer sleep quality, with MACS status and female sex emerging as independent predictors. No group differences were observed in depressive symptoms. Resting-state fMRI revealed altered hippocampal connectivity in MACS, with reduced connectivity with the caudate nucleus and increased connectivity with mesial occipital regions. Voxel-based morphometry showed no structural differences between groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Even mild, clinically silent cortisol excess can be associated with subtle cognitive alterations, impaired sleep, and early functional connectivity changes, despite preserved brain morphology. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether these alterations progress over time and whether they improve with targeted treatment.

PMID:42694206 | PMC:PMC13538016 | DOI:10.3389/fendo.2026.1913085