Most recent paper
Investigating Brain Functional Connectivity and Its Correlation With Cognitive Dysfunction in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients via Resting-State fMRI
Brain Behav. 2025 Oct;15(10):e70947. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70947.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the brain functional connectivity and its association with cognitive function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).
METHODS: A total of 64 CKD patients were enrolled and divided into two groups based on their dependence on dialysis: dialysis-dependent CKD (DD-CKD) group (n = 38) and non-dialysis-dependent CKD (NDD-CKD) group (n = 26). A total of 43 healthy controls (NC) were also recruited and matched for age and sex. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). MRI scans were conducted on a 3.0T Magnetom Skyra scanner equipped with a 32-channel phased array head coil. Data analysis was performed using the Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI (DPARSF) and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software.
RESULTS: Cognitive scores (MMSE and MoCA) were significantly lower in both CKD groups compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001), with DD-CKD patients exhibiting worse cognitive performance than NDD-CKD patients (p < 0.05). Laboratory parameters also differed: compared with DD-CKD, NDD-CKD patients had significantly lower levels of protein, creatinine, calcium, and phosphate (all p < 0.05). Network-based statistical analysis revealed reduced functional connectivity in both CKD groups relative to controls (p < 0.05). NDD-CKD patients showed disruptions mainly in the frontal-insular and occipital networks, whereas DD-CKD patients exhibited more extensive alterations involving frontoparietal, cingulate, and visual regions. Correlation analysis further showed that connectivity reductions in key regions-including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and parietal association areas-were negatively associated with renal function indicators such as serum creatinine and urea nitrogen (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Resting-state fMRI effectively reflects alterations in brain functional connectivity in CKD patients and is associated with cognitive performance. Notably, DD-CKD patients showed more extensive network disruptions and more severe cognitive impairment.
PMID:41069337 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70947
From risk to chronicity: genetic and neuroimaging insights into the evolving patterns of spontaneous brain activity in schizophrenia
Psychol Med. 2025 Oct 10;55:e306. doi: 10.1017/S0033291725102006.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia progresses through high-risk, first-episode, and chronic stages, each associated with altered spontaneous brain activity. Resting state functional MRI studies highlight these changes, but inconsistencies persist, and the genetic basis remains unclear.
METHODS: A neuroimaging meta-analysis was conducted to assess spontaneous brain activity alterations in each schizophrenia stage. The largest available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for schizophrenia (N = 53,386 cases, 77,258 controls) were used, followed by Hi-C-coupled multimarker analysis of genomic annotation (H-MAGMA) to identify schizophrenia-associated genes. Transcriptome-neuroimaging association and gene prioritization analyses were performed to identify genes consistently linked to brain activity alterations. Biological relevance was explored by functional enrichment.
RESULTS: Fifty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, covering the high-risk (Nhigh-risk = 409, Ncontrol = 475), first-episode (Ncase = 1842, Ncontrol = 1735), and chronic (Ncase = 1242, Ncontrol = 1300) stages. High-risk stage showed reduced brain activity in the right median cingulate and paracingulate gyri. First-episode stage revealed increased activity in the right putamen and decreased activity in the left gyrus rectus and right postcentral gyrus. Chronic stage showed heightened activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and reduced activity in the superior occipital gyrus and right postcentral gyrus. Across all stages, 199 genes were consistently linked to brain activity changes, involved in biological processes such as nervous system development, synaptic transmission, and synaptic plasticity.
CONCLUSIONS: Brain activity alterations across schizophrenia stages and genes consistently associated with these changes highlight their potential as universal biomarkers and therapeutic targets for schizophrenia.
PMID:41069013 | DOI:10.1017/S0033291725102006