Most recent paper

Brain Behav. 2025 Mar;15(3):e70415. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70415.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroimaging characteristics of eczema-induced pruritus with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).

METHODS: A total of 42 patients with eczema were recruited in the PE group, and 42 healthy participants were included in the HC group. The Visual Analogue Score (VAS), 12-Item Pruritus Severity Scale (12-PSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were recorded in the PE group. The different values of fraction amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) were compared after rs-fMRI scanning.

RESULTS: Compared with the HC group, the fALFF values of the left precentral gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, left supplementary motor area (SMA), and left midcingulate cortex in the PE group were increased. The FC values between the left precentral gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral hippocampus, and left inferior occipital gyrus in the PE group were decreased. The FC values between left SMA and bilateral superior temporal gyrus in the PE group were decreased. The 12-PSS score was positively correlated with fALFF value of the left precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus.

CONCLUSION: Pruritus caused increased spontaneous activity in given cerebral regions, involving the perception of itch, control of scratching movements, and expression of itch-related emotions. Meanwhile, there is a correlation between fALFF values of given cerebral regions and clinical scales, which provided potential neurobiological markers for the future study of pruritus.

PMID:40123167 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70415

J Affect Disord. 2025 Mar 21:S0165-0327(25)00453-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.104. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is marked by intense fear of social situations and negative evaluation. This study investigated neural effects of SAD-specific imagery scripts and their relationships with Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE).

METHODS: Thirty-six SAD and 32 healthy controls underwent four five-minute fMRI runs: anxiety-provoking imagery, rest, relaxing imagery, and rest. The order of imageries was counterbalanced. Functional connectivity analysis and connectome-based predictive modeling with respect to BFNE were performed using six seed regions, including the bilateral amygdala, left hypothalamus, bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), left ventromedial PFC (VMPFC), and left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC).

RESULTS: Group × task interaction effects were found in connectivity of left amygdala-right cerebellum, left PCC-bilateral superior frontal gyrus, and left PCC-right posterior middle temporal gyrus, and group × engagement effects were discovered in left hypothalamus-bilateral DMPFC and left VMPFC-right DMPFC couplings. Group × task × engagement interactions highlighted aberrant functional connections of right amygdala-left VMPFC, DMPFC-left DLPFC, and left VMPFC-bilateral supplementary motor area in SAD. Patterns of connectivity predicted the BFNE scores in various segments of imagery conditions.

LIMITATIONS: Patient's medication, physiological measures were not considered. Noisy nature of fMRI could have interfered participants from focusing.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed disrupted functional connections associated with emotion dysregulation and overly self-referent thinking in SAD. Markedly, patients showed maladaptive responses related to relaxation-inducing blocks, challenging the expected relaxation response. Overall findings emphasized inappropriate engagements of various processes in relaxing circumstances that do not overtly involve social anxiety to be associated with symptomatology.

PMID:40122256 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.104

J Affect Disord. 2025 Mar 21:S0165-0327(25)00469-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.121. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Brooding is a critical symptom and prognostic factor of major depressive disorder (MDD), which involves passively dwelling on self-referential dysphoria and related abstractions. The neurobiology of brooding remains under characterized. We aimed to elucidate neural dynamics underlying brooding, and explore their responses to neurofeedback intervention in MDD.

METHODS: We investigated functional MRI (fMRI) dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) in 36 MDD subjects and 26 healthy controls (HCs) during rest and brooding. Rest was measured before and after fMRI neurofeedback (MDD-active/sham: n = 18/18, HC-active/sham: n = 13/13). Baseline brooding severity was recorded using Ruminative Response Scale - Brooding subscale (RRS-B).

RESULTS: Four recurrent dFNC states were identified. Measures of time spent were not significantly different between MDD and HC for any of these states during brooding or rest. RRS-B scores in MDD showed significant negative correlation with measures of time spent in dFNC state 3 during brooding (r = -0.4, p = 0.002, FDR-significant). This state comprises strong connections spanning several brain systems involved in sensory, attentional and cognitive processing. Time spent in this anti-brooding dFNC state significantly increased following neurofeedback only in the MDD active group (z = -2.09, FWE-p = 0.034).

LIMITATIONS: The sample size was small and imbalanced between groups. Brooding condition was not examined post-neurofeedback.

CONCLUSION: We identified a densely connected anti-brooding dFNC brain state in MDD. MDD subjects spent significantly longer time in this state after active neurofeedback intervention, highlighting neurofeedback's potential for modulating dysfunctional brain dynamics to treat MDD.

PMID:40122254 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.121

Behav Brain Res. 2025 Mar 20:115546. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115546. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Overt narcissism is a stable personality trait in which individuals maintain a relatively positive self-image through self-improvement. Previous studies have suggested that examining the neurobiological processes behind personality could help to understand the mechanism by which the personality acts as a risk or protective factor. However, there is a lack of research investigating the neural mechanisms underlying the influence of overt narcissism on negative physical self (NPS). This study evaluated the resting state brain activity (fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, fALFF) and connectivity (functional connectivity, FC) of 1647 college students. Whole brain correlation analysis showed that overt narcissism was positively correlated with fALFF in the left insula, left precentral gyrus (PreCG) and bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG). Moreover, overt narcissism exhibited a significant positive correlation with the right STG-PreCG connectivity, and also was significantly positively correlated with FC between the left STG and posterior cingulate gyrus, the left orbitofrontal cortex, the right inferior frontal gyrus and the right thalamus. The results of mediating analysis showed that fALFF in the left PreCG and the right STG-PreCG connectivity partially mediated the effects of overt narcissism on general and facial appearance of NPS, respectively. This study constructed a model (i.e., overt narcissism→brain regions/FC→NPS), providing neurobiological evidence for the relationship between overt narcissism and NPS.

PMID:40120946 | DOI:10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115546

Nutrition. 2025 Feb 25;134:112730. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2025.112730. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The ketogenic diet (KD) is an effective alternative therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). However, there are no established predictors for KD effectiveness. We aimed to investigate the impact of 12 months of KD therapy (KDT) on brain connectivity, as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and its correlation with seizure control, behavioral/mood alterations, and parental stress.

METHODS: Children with DRE were enrolled in this single-center, prospective cohort study from February 2020 to October 2021. They were divided into a control group and a KDT group. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Parental Stress Index (PSI) were administered to parents at the initiation of KDT (T0) and at 12 months (T1). Resting-state fMRI was performed at T0 and at 6 months of KDT. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in the change of CBCL/PSI scores, and brain connectivity metrics after KDT, and the secondary outcome involved measuring their correlation with seizure reduction rates.

RESULTS: Twenty-two patients with DRE were enrolled. We had 13 patients in the control group and 9 in the KDT group. Our data revealed that 12 months of KDT can reduce monthly seizure frequency. Several subscales of CBCL T-scores were higher at T0 compared with the control group, then becoming comparable at T1. The PSI scores from 'mothers' reports reduced after receiving KDT. The changes in node assortativity (ΔAssortativity) were positively correlated with behavioral problems and negatively with seizure reduction rates in the KD group.

CONCLUSIONS: Twelve months of KDT can reduce monthly seizure frequency and improve mood/behavioral disturbances in patients with DRE. Furthermore, KDT could relieve primary caregivers' stress. A lower ΔAssortativity value was associated with better behavioral outcomes and greater seizure reduction. The ΔAssortativity value in fMRI may be a crucial predictor for the effectiveness of KDT.

PMID:40120198 | DOI:10.1016/j.nut.2025.112730

Cereb Cortex. 2025 Mar 6;35(3):bhaf062. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhaf062.

ABSTRACT

Failure to manage emotional withdrawal symptoms can exacerbate relapse to methamphetamine use. Understanding the neuro-mechanisms underlying methamphetamine overuse and the associated emotional withdrawal symptoms is crucial for developing effective clinical strategies. This study aimed to investigate the distinct functional contributions of fine-scale gyro-sulcal signaling in the psychopathology of patients with methamphetamine use disorder and its associations with emotional symptoms. We recruited 48 male abstinent methamphetamine use disorders and 48 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, obtaining their resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data along with scores on anxiety and depressive symptoms. The proposed deep learning model, a spatio-temporal graph convolutional network utilizing gyro-sulcal subdivisions, achieved the highest average classification accuracy in distinguishing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of methamphetamine use disorders from healthy controls. Within this model, nodes in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, and the habitual and executive control networks, contributed most significantly to the classification. Additionally, emotional symptom scores were negatively correlated with the sum of negative functional connectivity in the right caudal anterior cingulate sulcus and the functional connectivity between the left putamen and pallidum in methamphetamine use disorders. These findings provide novel insights into the differential functions of gyral and sulcal regions, enhancing our understanding of the neuro-mechanisms underlying methamphetamine use disorders.

PMID:40120102 | DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhaf062

J Neurol. 2025 Mar 22;272(4):281. doi: 10.1007/s00415-025-13018-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Musician's dystonia is the most common form of focal task-specific dystonia and is suggested to be the result of dysfunctional communication among sensory-motor networks. Thus far, few functional connectivity studies have investigated musician's dystonia specifically, leaving its exact pathophysiological mechanisms unclear. The goal of this study was to verify connectivity findings from other task-specific dystonias on a large sample of musician's hand dystonia patients and to analyze associations with possible adverse childhood experiences, a suggested risk factor for dystonia.

METHODS: Forty professional musicians suffering from musician's hand dystonia and a matched control group of healthy musicians underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and answered the childhood trauma questionnaire. Using a seed-to-whole brain approach, functional connectivity alterations between motor cortices, the prefrontal cortex, the basal ganglia and the thalamus were analyzed.

RESULTS: Musician's dystonia patients showed increased functional connectivity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with the putamen and the pallidum, especially in right-side affected patients. Patients further displayed increased connectivity of the left thalamus and the right lateral premotor cortex. No associations between functional connectivity, duration of disorder and childhood adversity were observed.

CONCLUSION: The findings are consistent with previous research, highlighting the pathophysiological importance of the basal ganglia. Altered resting-state functional connectivity may reflect underlying neuroplastic changes in musicians with dystonia that lead to an altered flow of information, disrupting movement inhibition. Involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal and premotor cortices further suggests that motor disturbances occur in the early planning phase of a movement. The findings indicate that a holistic re-training approach with and without the instrument could be beneficial for regaining motor control.

PMID:40119933 | DOI:10.1007/s00415-025-13018-y

Commun Biol. 2025 Mar 21;8(1):473. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-07928-w.

ABSTRACT

Head motion during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can influence the identification of brain differences as well as early diagnosis and precise MRI-based interventions for ASD. This study aims to address head motion issues in resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data by comparing various correction methods. Specifically, we evaluate the independent component analysis-based automatic removal of motion artifacts (ICA-AROMA) against traditional preprocessing pipelines, including head motion realignment parameters and global signal regression (GSR). Our dataset consisted of 306 participants, including 148 individuals with ASD and 158 participants with typical development (TD). We find that ICA-AROMA, particularly when combined with GSR and physiological noise correction, outperformed other strategies in differentiating ASD from TD participants based on functional connectivity (FC) analyses. The correlation of quality control with functional connectivity (QC-FC) is statistically significant in proportion and distance after applying each denoising pipeline. The mean FC between groups is significant for Yeo's 17-Network in each denoising strategy. ICA-AROMA head motion correction outperformed other strategies, revealing more significant FC networks and distinct brain regions linked to the posterior cingulate cortex and postcentral gyrus. This suggests ICA-AROMA enhances fMRI preprocessing, aiding ASD diagnosis and biomarker development.

PMID:40118993 | DOI:10.1038/s42003-025-07928-w

Brain Imaging Behav. 2025 Mar 21. doi: 10.1007/s11682-025-00997-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To explore the structural and functional changes of Cerebellar Subregion in patients with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) patients and its clinical significance by using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging, so as to further explore the specific role of the cerebellum in PBD. This study included 48 pediatric patients with bipolar disorder (PBD) in the depressive phase from the outpatient clinic of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. 22 healthy controls (HCs) matched for gender, age, handedness and education level were chosen from the community as the control group. All subjects underwent 3.0T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans and completed clinical scales, including the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). The cerebellum was categorized into 34 distinct subregions (R17, L17) based on SUIT and designated as seed points to perform whole-brain functional connectivity (FC). Group differences in categorical variables were assessed using the chi-square test, while continuous variables were compared employing the two-sample t-test. Correlations between FC and clinical parameters were analyzed for differential brain intervals. Compared with HCs, PBD patients in the depressive phase showed reduced FC between the left cerebellar lobules I-IV and the occipital inferior lobe (Occipital_Inf_L), cerebellar vermis VIIIa, and VIIIb; decreased FC between cerebellar cerebellar vermis VI and the frontal inferior orbital gyrus (Frontal_Inf_Orb_L), as well as the right cerebellar Crus 1; reduced FC between the left cerebellar Crus I and the dentate nucleus; decreased FC between cerebellar vermis VIIIa and the left superior frontal gyrus; reduced FC between the right cerebellar lobule IX and the right lingual gyrus; lowered FC between the left dentate and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the left lingual gyrus; FC between the left fastigial nucleus and the right cerebellar X decreased. Depressive phase of PBD patients exhibit altered functional connectivity within various subregions of the cerebellum, suggesting that the cerebellum is involved in central neural reorganization in PBD, which may be instructive for the understanding of central mechanisms and its future diagnostic and therapeutic target development.

PMID:40117108 | DOI:10.1007/s11682-025-00997-9

Acta Neuropsychiatr. 2025 Mar 21:1-32. doi: 10.1017/neu.2025.9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: New developments in neuro-navigation and machine learning have allowed for personalized approaches to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to treat various neuropsychiatric disorders. One specific approach, known as the Cingulum Framework, identifies individualized brain parcellations from resting state fMRI based on a machine-learning algorithm. Theta burst stimulation, a more rapid form of rTMS, is then delivered for 25 sessions, 5 per day, over 5 days consecutively or spaced out over 10 days. Preliminary studies have documented this approach for various neurological and psychiatric ailments. However, the safety and tolerability of this approach is unclear.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 165 unique patients (202 Target Sets) treated with this personalized approach between January 2020 to December 2023.

RESULTS: Common side effects included fatigue (102/202, 50%), local muscle twitching (89/202, 43%), headaches (49/202, 23%), and discomfort (31/202, 17%), all transient. The top 10 unique parcellations commonly found in the Target Sets included L8av (52%), LPGs (28%), LTe1m (21%), RTe1m (18%), LPFM (17%), Ls6-8 (13%), Rs6-8 (9%), L46 (7%), L1 (6%), and L6v (6%). Fatigue was most common in Target Sets that contained R6v (6/6, 100%) and L8c (5/5, 100%). Muscle twitches were most common in Target Sets that contained RTGv (5/5, 100%) and LTGv (4/4, 100%).

CONCLUSION: These side effects were all transient and well-tolerated. No serious side effects were recorded. Results suggested that individualized, connectome-guided rTMS is safe and contain side effect profiles similar to other TMS approaches reported in the literature.

PMID:40116602 | DOI:10.1017/neu.2025.9

Front Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 6;16:1479283. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1479283. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The Attention Training Technique (ATT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention in Metacogntive Therapy (MCT) and aims at reducing maladaptive processes by strengthening attentional flexibility. ATT has demonstrated efficacy in treating depression on a clinical level. Here, we evaluated ATT at the neural level. We examined functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN).

METHOD: 48 individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 51 healthy controls (HC) participated in a resting-state (rs) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment. The participants received either one week of ATT or a sham intervention. Rs-fMRI scans before and after treatment were compared using seed-to-voxel analysis.

RESULTS: The 2x2x2 analysis did not reach significance. Nevertheless, a resting-state connectivity effect was found on the basis of a posttest at the second measurement time point in MDD. After one week, MDD patients who had received ATT intervention presented lower functional connectivity between the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the bilateral middle frontal gyrus (MFG) as well as between the right PCC and the left MFG compared to the MDD patients in the sham group. In HC we observed higher rsFC in spatially close but not the same brain regions under the same experimental condition.

CONCLUSION: We found a first hint of a change at the neural level on the basis of ATT. Whether the changes in rsFC found here indicate an improvement in the flexible shift of attentional focus due to ATT needs to be investigated in further research paradigms. Further experiments have to show whether this change in functional connectivity can be used as a specific outcome measure of ATT treatment.

PMID:40115647 | PMC:PMC11922856 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1479283

Eur J Neurosci. 2025 Mar;61(6):e70082. doi: 10.1111/ejn.70082.

ABSTRACT

Human social functioning is thought to rely on the action observation network (AON) and the mentalizing system (MS). It is debated whether AON and MS are functionally separate or if they interact. To this end, we combined resting-state connectivity with task-based fMRI to characterize the functional connectome within and between these systems. In detail, we computed resting-state connectivity within and between the AON and MS using single subject-defined regions of interest (ROIs). Our results showed a positive coupling between ROIs within each system and negative coupling between the two systems, supporting the existence of two independent networks at rest. Still, two regions (pSTS, aIFG) showed hybrid coupling, connecting with regions of both systems, suggesting that they might mediate cross-network communication. This characterization of the interplay between MS and AON in the healthy brain might provide the starting point to further investigate aberrant "connectivity" fingerprints associated with neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by impairments in social cognition.

PMID:40114360 | DOI:10.1111/ejn.70082

Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 21;15(1):9711. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-94790-9.

ABSTRACT

Anxiety symptoms occur more frequently during adolescence and early adulthood, increasing the risk of future anxiety disorders. Neuroscientific research on anxiety has primarily focused on adulthood, employing mostly univariate approaches, discounting large-scale alterations of the brain. Indeed adolescents with trait anxiety may display similar abnormalities shown by adults in brain regions ascribed to the default mode network, associated with self-referential thinking and rumination-related processes. The present study aims to explore resting-state connectivity patterns associated with trait anxiety in a large sample of young individuals. We analyzed the rs-fMRI images of 1263 adolescents (mean age 20.55 years) and their scores on anxiety trait. A significant association between trait anxiety and resting-state functional connectivity in two networks was found, with some regions overlapping with the default mode network, such as the cingulate gyrus, the middle temporal gyri and the precuneus. Of note, the higher the trait anxiety, the lower the connectivity within both networks, suggesting abnormal self-referential processing, awareness, and emotion regulation abilities in adolescents with high anxiety trait. These findings provided a better understanding of the association between trait anxiety and brain rs-functional connectivity, and may pave the way for the development of potential biomarkers in adolescents with anxiety.

PMID:40114036 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-94790-9

Sci Data. 2025 Mar 20;12(1):466. doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-04828-w.

ABSTRACT

The dataset investigates the neural correlates of appetite in people living with motor neuron disease (plwMND) compared to non-neurodegenerative disease controls. Thirty-six plwMND and twenty-three controls underwent two fMRI sessions: one in a fasted state and one postprandial. Participants viewed visual stimuli of non-food items, low-calorie foods, and high-calorie foods in a randomised block design. Imaging data included T1w, T2w, and task-based and resting-state fMRI scans, and measures are complemented by subjective appetite questionnaires and anthropometric measures. This dataset is unique for its inclusion of functional imaging across prandial states, offering insights into the neural mechanisms of appetite regulation in patients with MND. Researchers can explore various aspects of the data, including the functional responses to food stimuli and their associations with clinical and appetite measures. The data, deposited in OpenNeuro, follows the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) standard, ensuring compatibility and reproducibility for future research. This comprehensive dataset provides a resource for studying the central mechanisms of appetite regulation in MND.

PMID:40113810 | DOI:10.1038/s41597-025-04828-w

Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 20;15(1):9636. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-91465-3.

ABSTRACT

Cocaine-use disorder (CUD) affects both structure and function of the brain. A triple network model of large-scale brain networks has been useful for identifying aberrant resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) associated with mental health disorders including addiction. The present study investigated differences between people with CUD vs. controls (CONs) and whether putative differences were associated with drug-use outcomes. Participants with CUD (n = 38) and CONs (n = 34) completed a resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Participants with CUD completed several mental health measures and participated in an 8-week, drug-use outcomes phase. A classification framework based on the triple network model was built, and triple networks (salience [SN], executive control [ECN], default mode [DMN]) and subcortical (striatum [ST], hippocampus/amygdala) regions were identified with the algorithm of group-information-guided independent components analysis (GIG-ICA) and subsequent support-vector machines. This classifier achieved 77.1% accuracy, 73.8% sensitivity, and 80.0% specificity, with an area under the curve of 0.87 for distinguishing CUD vs. CON. The two groups differed in SN-anterior DMN (aDMN) and ECN-aDMN rsFC, with the CUD group exhibiting stronger rsFC compared to CONs. They also differed in rsFC between several subcortical and triple networks, with CUD generally showing a lack of rsFC. Within the CUD group, ST-aDMN and ST-rECN rsFC were associated with differential drug-use outcomes. Exploratory results suggested SN-aDMN rsFC was associated with anxiety symptoms. These results add to the growing literature showing aberrant triple network and subcortical rsFC associated with substance use disorders. They suggest the aDMN specifically may underlie important differences between people with CUD and CONs and may be a potential target for intervention.

PMID:40113802 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-91465-3

Brain Res. 2025 Mar 18:149586. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2025.149586. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate alterations in brain activity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes and explore the relationship between altered regions and neuropsychological performances.

METHODS: A total of 36 patients with Type 2 Diabetes and 40 age- and education-matched healthy controls were recruited for this case-control study. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Resting-state fMRI) and neuropsychological tests. The neuropsychological scales included the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Shape Trajectory Test B (STT-B), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), and Boston Naming Test (BNT), Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT), Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) were used to assess differences in spontaneous regional brain activity. For functional connectivity (FC) analyses, the differences identified among the groups were selected as seed regions. Then, the correlations between neuropsychological scale scores (AVLT, HAMA, HAMD, STT-B, BNT, and SDMT) and ALFF/ReHo values were specifically analyzed in the focal regions that exhibited significant alterations between the T2DM and control groups, as detailed in Tables 2 and 3.

RESULTS: Patients with Type 2 Diabetes exhibited significantly higher ALFF values in the superior lobe of the cerebellum, specifically in the left cerebellar crus I (Cerebellum_Crus I_L), left cerebellar lobule VI (Cerebellum_6_L), and left cerebellar lobule IV-V (Cerebellum_4_5_L). Additionally, they exhibited elevated ReHo values in the Cerebellum_Crus I_L and Cerebellum_6_L. The findings were statistically significant with a family-wise error-corrected, cluster-level p-value of less than 0.05. However, the FC analysis was not significant. AVLT scores were significantly lower in the diabetes group. The correlation analysis demonstrated a negative association between ALFF values of the Cerebellum_6_L and AVLT scores (R2 = 0.1375, P < 0.001). The ReHo values within the Cerebellum_6_L also exhibited a negative association with AVLT scores (R2 = 0.0937, P = 0.007).

CONCLUSION: Patients with Type 2 Diabetes showed abnormal neural activities in diverse cerebellar regions mainly related to cognitive functions. This provides supplementary information to deepen our insight into the neural mechanisms by which Type 2 Diabetes affects the functional activity of the brain's posterior circulation, as well as the potential association of these changes with cognitive impairment.

PMID:40113193 | DOI:10.1016/j.brainres.2025.149586

Brain Res. 2025 Mar 18:149576. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2025.149576. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact of basal ganglia network asymmetry on motor function in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), functional connectivity and network asymmetry were analyzed in 15 non-demented PD patients and 15 healthy controls. Sixteen basal ganglia substructures, including the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus, were selected for a unified analysis of variance framework to evaluate inter-hemispheric connectivity differences. After spatial preprocessing, regions of interest were defined, and time-series data were extracted for functional connectivity and network asymmetry analysis. The results revealed significant alterations in the functional connectivity of the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens (NAc) in PD patients. Notably, the absence of intra-network asymmetry in the left NAc and bilateral amygdala correlated with motor dysfunction, likely due to overactivity of the inhibitory indirect pathway. Furthermore, pronounced asymmetry in the left putamen and right frontal gyrus suggested a compensatory neural mechanism supporting motor performance. These findings highlight the critical role of basal ganglia network asymmetry in the pathophysiology of PD. The identified asymmetry characteristics may serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and disease progression monitoring, offering new directions for targeted therapeutic interventions.

PMID:40113192 | DOI:10.1016/j.brainres.2025.149576

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2025 Mar 12;73:101551. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101551. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The human cerebral cortex contains groups of areas that support sensory, motor, cognitive, and affective functions, often categorized into functional networks. These networks show stronger internal and weaker external functional connectivity (FC), with FC profiles more similar within the same network. Previous studies have shown these networks develop from nascent forms before birth to their mature, adult-like structures in childhood. However, these analyses often rely on adult functional network definitions. This study assesses the potential misidentification of infant functional networks when using adult models and explores the consequences and possible solutions to this problem. Our findings suggest that although adult networks only marginally describe infant FC organization better than chance, misidentification is primarily driven by specific areas. Restricting functional networks to areas with adult-like network clustering revealed consistent within-network FC across scans and throughout development. These areas are also near locations with low network identity variability. Our results highlight the implications of using adult networks for infants and offer guidance for selecting and utilizing functional network models based on research questions and scenarios.

PMID:40112680 | DOI:10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101551

PLoS One. 2025 Mar 20;20(3):e0319925. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319925. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated neural correlates of switching between task-processing and periods of rest in a conventional ON-OFF block-design in patients with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) and healthy controls. It has been proposed that auditory hallucinations are a failure of top-down control of bottom-up perceptual processes which could be due to aberrant up- and down regulation of brain networks. A version of the Eriksen Flanker task was used to assess cognitive flexibility and conflict control. BOLD fMRI with alternating blocks of task engagement and rest was collected using a 3T MR scanner. The objective of the study was to explore how patients would dynamically modulate relevant brain networks in response to shifting environmental demands, while transitioning from a resting state to active task-processing. Analysis of performance data found significant behavioral effects between the groups, where AVH patients performed the Flanker task significantly less accurately and with longer reaction times (RTs) than the healthy control group, indicating that AVH patients displayed reduced top-down guided conflict control. A network connectivity analysis of the fMRI data showed that both groups recruited similar networks related to task-present and task-absent conditions. However, the controls displayed increased network variability across task-present and task-absent conditions. This would indicate that the controls were better at switching between networks and conditions when demands changed from task-present to task-absent, with the consequence that they would perform the Flanker task better than the AVH patients.

PMID:40112006 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0319925

Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Mar;21(3):e70061. doi: 10.1002/alz.70061.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD) through genetic mutations can result in near complete expression of the disease. Tracking AD pathology development in an ADAD cohort of Presenilin-1 (PSEN1) E280A carriers' mutation has allowed us to observe incipient tau tangles accumulation as early as 6 years prior to symptom onset.

METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans were acquired in a group of PSEN1 carriers (n = 32) and non-carrier family members (n = 35). We applied connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) to examine the relationship between the participant's functional connectome and their respective tau/amyloid-β levels and cognitive scores (word list recall).

RESULTS: CPM models strongly predicted tau concentrations and cognitive scores within the carrier group. The connectivity patterns between the temporal cortex, default mode network, and other memory networks were the most informative of tau burden.

DISCUSSION: These results indicate that resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods can complement PET methods in early detection and monitoring of disease progression in ADAD.

HIGHLIGHTS: Connectivity-based predictive modeling of tau and amyloid-β in ADAD carriers. Strong predictions for tau deposition; weaker predictions for amyloid-β. Cognitive scores for memory and mental state are predicted strongly. Connectivity between IPL, DAN, DMN, temporal cortex most predictive.

PMID:40110659 | DOI:10.1002/alz.70061