Most recent paper

J Psychiatr Res. 2025 Mar 6;184:395-404. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.055. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID) a profound incongruity between the physical body and the desired, i.e., amputated body, often leads to a desire for limb amputation. Virtual reality (VR) and multisensory stimulation paradigms provide powerful tools to create the experience of being embodied in an amputated body. Here we investigate the impact of such an experience on neural and subjective responses in 18 individuals with BID and 18 controls. We used both task-based and resting-state MRI before and after participants played an immersive virtual game in an amputated body corresponding to their desired bodily shape and mimicking their movements. The task-based fMRI assessed neural activity when viewing images of the body in the desired versus the undesired state. Individuals with BID reported higher sense of ownership and control over the virtual body. Task-based fMRI showed increased pre-VR activity in the right superior parietal lobule (rSPL), right angular gyrus, and right supplementary motor area in the BID group, normalizing after VR exposure. Resting-state fMRI showed reduced connectivity in the rSPL, visuo-occipital areas, fronto-parietal, and fronto-striatal mirror and limb system networks, also normalizing post-VR. Additionally, there was a normalization in the pattern of increased connectivity of cortico-striatal tracts connecting the rSPL and the pars orbitalis of the right inferior frontal gyrus with the nucleus accumbens. Our findings suggest that virtual embodiment effectively modulates BID-related neural networks, offering a safe, cost-effective intervention for BID and highlights VR's potential in exploring the complex interaction between body and self, with potential implications for similar psychiatric conditions.

PMID:40090220 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.055

Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 15;15(1):81. doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03303-9.

ABSTRACT

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet the inaccurate selection of stimulation sites may constrain its efficacy. This study aimed to identify novel NIBS targets for ADHD by integrating meta-analytic findings with cross-dataset validation of functional connectivity patterns. A meta-analysis including 124 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies was first conducted to delineate critical brain regions associated with ADHD, which were defined as regions of interest (ROIs). Subsequently, functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed using resting-state fMRI data from two independent databases comprising 116 patients with ADHD. Surface brain regions exhibiting consistent FC patterns with the ADHD-related ROIs across both datasets were identified as candidate NIBS targets. These targets were then translated to scalp-level stimulation sites using the 10-20 system and continuous proportional coordinates (CPC). Key regions mapped to the scalp included the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area (SMA), and pre-SMA. These findings propose a set of precise stimulation location for NIBS interventions in ADHD, potentially broadening the scope of neuromodulation strategies for this disorder. The study emphasized the utility of cross-dataset functional connectivity analysis in refining NIBS target selection and highlights novel brain targets that warrant further investigation in clinical trials.

PMID:40089469 | DOI:10.1038/s41398-025-03303-9

Neuropsychologia. 2025 Mar 13:109124. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109124. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Virtual reality (VR) technology has received considerable attention over the last few years, with applications in many performance domains including training of sports-related mental and motor skills. The exact psychological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying potential VR training effects in athletes, however, remain largely unknown. The present longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) case study reports behavioral and neuroanatomical effects of VR soccer (a.k.a. football) heading training in a male adult amateur player. The study was conducted over 8 weeks, starting with a pre-test, followed by a 4-week VR training phase, during which weekly fMRI assessments and the first behavioral post-test were conducted. After an additional 4-week retention phase, the final fMRI assessment and the second behavioral post-test were conducted. Substantial improvement in real-life heading performance was accompanied by both structural and functional neuroanatomical changes. The comparison of the T1-weighted images revealed an increase in GM volume in the left thalamus and an increase in WM volume in the bilateral cerebellum. Furthermore, the analysis of the surface images showed an increase in cortical thickness in the right insula, left inferior temporal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left lingual gyrus, left posterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex. The seed-based correlation analyses of the resting-state fMRI data revealed manifold increases in functional connectivity within and between important brain networks. This study contributes to the growing literature on VR training in athletes and provides the world's first evidence on fundamental neurobiological mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity related to VR training effects in sports.

PMID:40089102 | DOI:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109124

Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 14;15(1):8853. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-92849-1.

ABSTRACT

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder characterized with considerable individual variability in clinical manifestations which may correspond to brain alterations including the default mode network (DMN). This study analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 796 MDD patients and 823 healthy controls (HC) to investigate individual variability in functional connectivity (IVFC) between the DMN and 108 non-DMN regions. We aimed to identify MDD-related IVFC abnormalities and their clinical relevance, alongside exploring gene expression correlations. The results revealed similar spatial patterns of IVFC within the DMN in both groups, yet significantly increased IVFC values in MDD patients were observed in regions such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, fusiform gyrus, and occipital cortex. Notably, the mean IVFC in the DMN and fusiform gyrus was positively correlated with Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) scores in MDD patients. Gene expression analyses explained 47.0% of the variance in MDD-related IVFC alterations, with the most associated genes enriched in processes including membrane potential regulation, head development, synaptic transmission, and dopaminergic synapse. These findings highlight the clinical importance of IVFC variability in the DMN and suggest its potential role as a biomarker in MDD.

PMID:40087380 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-92849-1

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 12:111326. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111326. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Maladaptive brain plasticity has been reported in chronic pain (CP) conditions, though it remains unclear if there are common alterations across pathologies. Therefore, we systematically synthesized literature comparing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in CP patients and healthy controls (HC), and meta-analyzed data whenever applicable. Separate meta-analyses were performed for each method - (fractional) amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF, ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), seed-based connectivity (according to the seed) and independent component analysis (according to the network). In qualitative synthesis, sensory-discriminative pain processing - thalamus, insula, temporal and sensory cortices - and cognitive and emotional processing - cingulate, prefrontal and parietal cortices and precuneus - regions concentrated CP/HC differences. Meta-analyses revealed decreased ALFF and increased ReHo in the precuneus, increased fALFF in the left posterior insula and disrupted within- and cross-network connectivity of default mode network (DMN) nodes, as well as altered connectivity in top-down pain modulation pathways. Specifically, it showed decreased anterior and increased posterior components' representation within DMN, enhanced connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC, part of the DMN) and anterior insula (part of the salience network), and decreased mPFC connectivity with the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG). Collectively, results suggest that CP disrupts the natural functional organization of the brain, particularly impacting DMN nodes (mPFC and precuneus), insula and top-town pain modulation circuits.

PMID:40086716 | DOI:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111326

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2025 Mar 4;73:101541. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101541. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Adolescence is a key period for the maturation of cognitive control during which cortical circuitry is refined through processes such as synaptic pruning, but how these refinements modulate local functional dynamics to support cognition remains only partially characterized. Here, we used data from a longitudinal, adolescent cohort (N = 134 individuals ages 10-31 years, N = 202 total sessions) that completed MRI scans at ultra-high field (7 Tesla). We used resting state fMRI data to compute surface-based regional homogeneity (ReHo)-a measure of time-dependent correlations in fMRI activity between a vertex and its immediate neighbors-as an index of local functional connectivity across the cortex. We found widespread decreases in ReHo, suggesting increasing heterogeneity and specialization of functional circuits through adolescence. Decreases in ReHo included a spatial component which overlapped with sensorimotor and cingulo-opercular networks, in which ReHo decreases were associated with developmental stabilization of working memory performance. We show that decreases in ReHo are associated with higher intrinsic coding dimensionality, demonstrating how functional specialization of these circuits may confer computational benefits by facilitating increased capacity for encoding information. These results suggest a remodeling of cortical activity in adolescence through which local functional circuits become increasingly specialized, higher-dimensional, and more capable of supporting adult-like cognitive functioning.

PMID:40086409 | DOI:10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101541

Imaging Neurosci (Camb). 2024 May 10;2:1-20. doi: 10.1162/imag_a_00165. eCollection 2024 May 1.

ABSTRACT

The precise network topology of functional brain systems is highly specific to individuals and undergoes dramatic changes during critical periods of development. Large amounts of high-quality resting state data are required to investigate these individual differences, but are difficult to obtain in early infancy. Using the template matching method, we generated a set of infant network templates to use as priors for individualized functional resting-state network mapping in two independent neonatal datasets with extended acquisition of resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data. We show that template matching detects all major adult resting-state networks in individual infants and that the topology of these resting-state network maps is individual-specific. Interestingly, there was no plateau in within-subject network map similarity with up to 25 minutes of resting-state data, suggesting that the amount and/or quality of infant data required to achieve stable or high-precision network maps is higher than adults. These findings are a critical step towards personalized precision functional brain mapping in infants, which opens new avenues for clinical applicability of resting-state fMRI and potential for robust prediction of how early functional connectivity patterns relate to subsequent behavioral phenotypes and health outcomes.

PMID:40083644 | PMC:PMC11899874 | DOI:10.1162/imag_a_00165

J Obstet Gynaecol. 2025 Dec;45(1):2472767. doi: 10.1080/01443615.2025.2472767. Epub 2025 Mar 14.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic pelvic pain is a substantial clinical challenge that profoundly impacts quality of life for many women. The Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) is a novel mind-body intervention designed to attenuate emotional arousal of distressing thoughts and pain. This study evaluated functional connectivity changes in key areas of the brain in patients with chronic pelvic pain receiving the NET intervention. The goal was to assess whether the NET intervention was associated with functional connectivity (FC) changes in the brain related to reductions in emotional distress and pain, particularly in the limbic areas, sensory/pain regions, and cerebellum.

METHODS: This is a prospectively designed study that included twenty-six patients with a diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain who were randomised to either the NET intervention or a waitlist control. To evaluate the primary outcome of neurophysiological effects, all participants received resting state functional blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) before and after the NET intervention or waitlist control period. Pain, mood, anxiety, and quality of life also were assessed.

RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the NET group demonstrated significant improvements in pain interference and pain intensity, and in emotional measures such anxiety and depression. Functional connectivity in the NET group compared to controls, was significantly decreased in the amygdala, cerebellum, and postcentral gyrus. There were also significant correlations between FC changes and changes in clinical measures.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is an initial step towards describing a neurological signature of reducing emotional distress in women with chronic pelvic pain. Specifically, FC changes between the cerebellum and the amygdala and sensory areas appears to be associated with a reduction in pain and the effects of that pain. Future, larger clinical trials are warranted to further evaluate these mechanisms and NET as a potential therapeutic intervention in patients with chronic pelvic pain.

PMID:40083279 | DOI:10.1080/01443615.2025.2472767

Biostatistics. 2024 Dec 31;26(1):kxaf004. doi: 10.1093/biostatistics/kxaf004.

ABSTRACT

This study introduces a mediation analysis framework when the mediator is a graph. A Gaussian covariance graph model is assumed for graph presentation. Causal estimands and assumptions are discussed under this presentation. With a covariance matrix as the mediator, a low-rank representation is introduced and parametric mediation models are considered under the structural equation modeling framework. Assuming Gaussian random errors, likelihood-based estimators are introduced to simultaneously identify the low-rank representation and causal parameters. An efficient computational algorithm is proposed and asymptotic properties of the estimators are investigated. Via simulation studies, the performance of the proposed approach is evaluated. Applying to a resting-state fMRI study, a brain network is identified within which functional connectivity mediates the sex difference in the performance of a motor task.

PMID:40083191 | DOI:10.1093/biostatistics/kxaf004

Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025 Mar 13. doi: 10.1038/s41386-025-02083-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Individual differences in brain intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) and reactivity to nicotine cues are linked to variability in clinical outcomes in nicotine dependence. However, the relative contributions and potential interdependencies of these brain imaging-derived phenotypes in the context of craving and nicotine dependence are unclear. Moreover, it is unknown whether these relationships differ in individuals who smoke versus vape nicotine. To investigate these questions, eighty-six individuals who use nicotine daily (n = 67 smoking, n = 19 vaping) completed either a smoking or vaping cue-reactivity task and a resting-state scan during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Validating the efficacy of the smoking and vaping tasks, both cohorts displayed robust reactivity to nicotine versus neutral cues in the default mode network (DMN) and the anterior insula (AI), a primary node of the salience network (SN), which did not habituate over time. In the smoking and vaping groups, lower prefrontal reactivity to nicotine versus neutral cues and greater resting-state FC between nodes of the SN and DMN were associated with higher cue-induced craving. Moreover, we found that the former partially mediated the latter, suggesting a mechanism in which high resting SN-DMN connectivity increases craving susceptibility partly via a constraining effect on regulatory prefrontal reactivity to cues. These relationships were not impacted by group, suggesting that links between brain function and craving are similar regardless of smoking or vaping nicotine.

PMID:40082646 | DOI:10.1038/s41386-025-02083-6

Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 13;15(1):80. doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03301-x.

ABSTRACT

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) involves fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance, impacting quality of life. Early life adversities (ELA) are recognized as risk factors for SAD. Previous research indicated inconsistent alterations in resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in SAD, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and precuneus. This study investigated the interaction between SAD and ELA at the RSFC level. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted on 120 participants (aged 19-48). Four groups were formed: low/ high ELA controls (n = 49, n = 22) and low/ high ELA SAD participants (n = 30, n = 19). Seed-based correlation analyses (SCA) and multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) were applied. A network in which ELA moderates the neural correlates of SAD during the resting state was identified, involving key nodes like the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, and an area in the calcarine fissure/precuneus. Five distinct interaction patterns of SAD and ELA were observed, showcasing opposite RSFC patterns in individuals with SAD based on ELA experience. Results remained significant when controlled for general anxiety and depression measures. Emotional aspects of ELA played a significant role in these interactions. These findings stress the necessity of considering primarily emotional ELA as covariate in neuroimaging studies investigating SAD and potentially also other psychiatric disorders, addressing inconsistencies in prior research. The left middle frontal gyrus emerges as a link in the SAD-ELA interaction during resting state and anxiety-relevant stimulation. Longitudinal studies, starting from childhood, are needed to understand ELA's impact on brain function and to identify potential neuromarkers for SAD predisposition post-ELA exposure.

PMID:40082409 | DOI:10.1038/s41398-025-03301-x

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2025 Mar 13. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A8612. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) accounts for approximately 20% of epilepsy cases. Characterized by generalized spike-wave discharge, IGE is increasingly recognized as a network disorder with potential metabolic underpinnings. This study leverages the advantages of simultaneous PET/MRI, which enables the concurrent acquisition of MRI and PET data, to integrate structural connectivity (SC), functional connectivity (FC), and glucose metabolism into a unified framework. This study aims to elucidate the multimodal abnormalities of the neocortex in IGE, to analyze the correlations between these abnormalities and clinical presentations, and to investigate the interactions among different imaging modalities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with IGE and 34 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Simultaneous PET/MRI scans were performed, incorporating DTI, resting-state fMRI, and [18F]FDG-PET. DTI generated a neocortical connectivity blueprint, while resting-state fMRI provided a whole-brain connectivity matrix. [18F]FDG-PET data were processed to obtain standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs). Multivariate distance matrix regression was used to identify abnormal neocortical regions in SC and FC. Differences in SUVRs were identified by using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. Statistical analyses, including t tests, linear models, mediation analysis, and Pearson correlations, were conducted to compare values of each technique between groups and explore relationships with clinical features.

RESULTS: SC abnormalities were primarily found in the limbic (40% of all abnormal neocortical regions) and visual networks (31%), while FC abnormalities were mostly in the default mode network (DMN, 45%). Metabolic abnormalities were predominantly in the frontoparietal (26%) and somatomotor (22%) networks. SC in the limbic was positively correlated with onset age, while seizure frequency was negative correlated with DMN FC and positively correlated with frontoparietal metabolism. Mediation analysis showed that DMN FC mediated the relationship between limbic SC and frontoparietal and somatomotor metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS: A multimodal approach reveals distinct and interrelated abnormalities in IGE, with different modalities reflecting various aspects of the disease, thus enhancing our understanding of its complex mechanisms. This integrative analysis could inform more effective treatments.

PMID:40081849 | DOI:10.3174/ajnr.A8612

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2025 Mar 12:ajnr.A8737. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A8737. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study evaluated preoperative alterations and postoperative reorganization of the joint language-memory network (LMN) from the perspective of resting-state functional and structural connectivity in Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Graph theory and machine learning approaches were employed to explore automatic lateralization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resting-state fMRI and DTI data were obtained from 20 healthy subjects and 35 patients with TLE. Functional and structural connectivity were calculated within the LMN before and after temporal lobectomy. ANOVA was performed to identify significant connectivity differences between groups. Four local graph measures were extracted from functional and structural connectivity matrices. Standard feature selection techniques and genetic algorithm (GA) methods were applied to select the optimal features. Subsequently, the K-nearest neighbor, support vector machine (SVM), Naive Bayes, and logistic regression classification methods were used to classify healthy controls (HCs) and pre-surgical TLE groups, as well as pre-surgical left TLE (LTLE) and right TLE (RTLE) groups. Also, relationships between psychological scores and the selected features were evaluated using a linear regression method.

RESULTS: The results demonstrated increased functional and decreased structural connectivity in TLE patients before surgery. After surgery, significant connections revealed reduced functional connectivity and increased structural connectivity in TLE patients. Functional analysis identified the left parahippocampal region in LTLE and the right temporal regions in RTLE as key areas. Structural connectivity analysis showed that memory-related areas in the bilateral occipital region and the left language-related area were the origins of alterations. The GA method achieved the highest classification performance using SVM for fMRI and DTI graph measures, with accuracy rates of 97% and 88% for distinguishing LTLE from RTLE, and 93% and 87% for distinguishing TLE from HC, respectively. Moreover, a significant relationship was observed between the best-selected features and memory-assisted cognitive tests.

CONCLUSIONS: Pre-surgical functional hyperconnectivity and post-surgical hypoconnectivity and also newly observed bilateral postsurgical structural connectivity, highlighting functional and structural alterations in the LMN network. Additionally, the study underscores the potential of machine learning for TLE diagnosis and lateralization. A limited sample size, particularly in the postsurgical group was one of the constraints of this study.

ABBREVIATIONS: TLE=Temporal lobe epilepsy; LMN=Language-memory network; GA=Genetic algorithm; HC=Healthy controls; LTLE=Left TLE; RTLE=Right TLE; AUC=Area under the curve.

PMID:40081848 | DOI:10.3174/ajnr.A8737

J Affect Disord. 2025 Mar 11:S0165-0327(25)00395-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.057. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) exhibit overlapping depressive symptoms, complicating their differentiation in clinical practice. Traditional neuroimaging studies have focused on specific regions of interest, but few have employed whole-brain analyses like regional homogeneity (ReHo). This study aims to differentiate MDD from BD by identifying key brain regions with abnormal ReHo and using advanced machine learning techniques to improve diagnostic accuracy.

METHODS: A total of 63 BD patients, 65 MDD patients, and 70 healthy controls were recruited from the Shanghai Mental Health Center. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was used to analyze ReHo across the brain. We applied Support Vector Machine (SVM) and SVM-Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE), a robust machine learning model known for its high precision in feature selection and classification, to identify critical brain regions that could serve as biomarkers for distinguishing BD from MDD. SVM-RFE allows for the recursive removal of non-informative features, enhancing the model's ability to accurately classify patients. Correlations between ReHo values and clinical scores were also evaluated.

RESULTS: ReHo analysis revealed significant differences in several brain regions. The study results revealed that, compared to healthy controls, both BD and MDD patients exhibited reduced ReHo in the superior parietal gyrus. Additionally, MDD patients showed decreased ReHo values in the Right Lenticular nucleus, putamen (PUT.R), Right Angular gyrus (ANG.R), and Left Superior occipital gyrus (SOG.L). Compared to the MDD group, BD patients exhibited increased ReHo values in the Left Inferior occipital gyrus (IOG.L). In BD patients only, the reduction in ReHo values in the right superior parietal gyrus and the right angular gyrus was positively correlated with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores. SVM-RFE identified the IOG.L, SOG.L, and PUT.R as the most critical features, achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.872, with high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing BD from MDD.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that BD and MDD patients exhibit distinct patterns of regional brain activity, particularly in the occipital and parietal regions. The combination of ReHo analysis and SVM-RFE provides a powerful approach for identifying potential biomarkers, with the left inferior occipital gyrus, left superior occipital gyrus, and right putamen emerging as key differentiating regions. These findings offer valuable insights for improving the diagnostic accuracy between BD and MDD, contributing to more targeted treatment strategies.

PMID:40081596 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.057

Brain Res Bull. 2025 Mar 11:111294. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111294. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown abnormal functional connectivity (FC) of the insula (INS) in patients with musculoskeletal pain (MSP). However, there is a lack of consistency in previous studies, which is an obstacle to understanding the underlying neuropathology of MSP.

METHOD: Seven databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and Chongqing VIP, were systematically searched from inception to 15 May 2024. The meta-analysis of the aberrant INS-based FC in MSP patients was performed using the anisotropic effect-size signed differential mapping (AES-SDM).

RESULTS: A total of eleven neuroimaging studies with 276 patients and 253 HCs were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicate that MSP patients have increased FC between INS and the right median cingulate gyri, right inferior frontal gyrus, right paracentral lobule, and right supplementary motor area, and decreased FC between INS and the left precuneus and left angular gyrus. Heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis showed that most of the results of INS-based FC were highly reproducible and robust. Meta-regression analysis showed that revealed a negative association between the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and the reduction in FC between the INS and the left precuneus.

CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis reveals that patients with MSP show abnormal FC between the INS and multiple brain regions, which are involved in emotional, cognitive, sensory, visuospatial and motor regulation of pain. These findings provide important insights into the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of musculoskeletal disorders.

PMID:40081505 | DOI:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111294

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2025 Mar 6;73:101543. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101543. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Adolescence is a period of growth in cognitive performance and functioning. Recently, data-driven measures of brain-age gap, which can index cognitive decline in older populations, have been utilized in adolescent data with mixed findings. Instead of using a data-driven approach, here we assess the maturation status of the brain functional landscape in early adolescence by directly comparing an individual's resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) to the canonical early-life and adulthood communities. Specifically, we hypothesized that the degree to which a youth's connectome is better captured by adult networks compared to infant/toddler networks is predictive of their cognitive development. To test this hypothesis across individuals and longitudinally, we utilized the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study at baseline (9-10 years; n = 6469) and 2-year-follow-up (Y2: 11-12 years; n = 5060). Adjusted for demographic factors, our anchored rsFC score (AFC) was associated with better task performance both across and within participants. AFC was related to age and aging across youth, and change in AFC statistically mediated the age-related change in task performance. In conclusion, we showed that a model-fitting-free index of the brain at rest that is anchored to both adult and baby connectivity landscapes predicts cognitive performance and development in youth.

PMID:40080996 | DOI:10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101543

Brain Behav. 2025 Mar;15(3):e70414. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70414.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The pathophysiological mechanism of migraine is still not clear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in effective connectivity (EC) in the brain functional network underlying migraine and its association with clinical measures of migraine.

BACKGROUND: Fifty patients with episodic migraine without aura (MwoA) and 48 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. Spontaneous activity in the brain was evaluated using the degree centrality (DC) method, and the brain regions with obvious signal differences between the two groups were taken as seed points for whole brain Granger causality analysis (GCA) analysis. The values of the brain regions with differences in DC and GCA were extracted and correlated with clinical measures of migraine.

RESULTS: Compared to the HCs, the MwoA patients showed decreased DC in the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and increased DC in the right precuneus and exhibited significantly decreased EC from the left ITG to the left inferior parietal gyrus and right inferior occipital gyrus (IOG) as well as significantly increased EC from the left postcentral gyrus and left cerebellum posterior lobe to the left ITG. Moreover, decreased EC from the left thalamus to the right precuneus was found in the MwoA patients compared to the HCs. The DC values in the right precuneus were significantly negatively correlated with the duration of headache. Additionally, we found a significantly positive correlation between the Migraine Disability Assessment questionnaire score and the EC from the left ITG to the right IOG, as well as between the intensity of headache and the EC from the left thalamus to the right precuneus.

CONCLUSIONS: This study found changes in the EC of the brain functional network underlying migraine and their associations with migraine-related parameters. These findings are helpful for understanding the pathophysiological mechanism in migraine patients.

PMID:40079637 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70414

J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2025 Mar 13:271678X251325399. doi: 10.1177/0271678X251325399. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and cerebral pulsatility (CP) are important indicators of cerebrovascular health, which are associated with physical activity (PA). While sex differences influence the impact of PA on cerebrovascular health, sex-specific effects of PA intensity and dose on CP and CVR remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the sex-specific effects of self-reported PA dose and intensity on CVR and CP. The Human Connectome Project - Aging dataset was used, including 626 participants (350 females, 276 males) aged 36-85. The effect of menopausal status was also assessed. Resting state fMRI data was used to estimate both CVR and CP. Weekly self-reported PA was quantified as metabolic equivalent of task. Females presented a unique non-linear relationship between relative CVR and total PA in the cerebral cortex. Females and menopausal subgroups revealed negative linear relationships with total and walking PA in occipital and cingulate regions. Males exhibited negative linear relationships between total and vigorous PA and CVR in parietal and cingulate regions. Postmenopausal females showed greater reductions across more regions in CP than other groups. Overall, males and females appear to benefit from different amounts and intensities of PA, with menopause status influencing the effect of PA on cerebrovascular health.

PMID:40079560 | DOI:10.1177/0271678X251325399

Brain Connect. 2025 Mar 12. doi: 10.1089/brain.2024.0056. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: The brain's complex functionality emerges from network interactions that go beyond dyadic connections, with higher-order interactions significantly contributing to this complexity. Homotopic functional connectivity (HoFC) is a key neurophysiological characteristic of the human brain, reflecting synchronized activity between corresponding regions in the brain's hemispheres. Materials and Methods: Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project, we evaluate dyadic and higher-order interactions of three functional connectivity (FC) parameterizations-bivariate correlation, partial correlation, and tangent space embedding-in their effectiveness at capturing HoFC through the inter-hemispheric analogy test. Results: Higher-order feature vectors are generated through node2vec, a random walk-based node embedding technique applied to FC networks. Our results show that higher-order feature vectors derived from partial correlation most effectively represent HoFC, while tangent space embedding performs best for dyadic interactions. Discussion: These findings validate HoFC and underscore the importance of the FC construction method in capturing intrinsic characteristics of the human brain.

PMID:40079154 | DOI:10.1089/brain.2024.0056

Front Neurosci. 2025 Feb 26;19:1519870. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1519870. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In aviation, exceptional visual perception is crucial for pilots to monitor flight instruments and respond swiftly to deviations, as well as make rapid judgments regarding environmental changes, ensuring aviation safety. However, existing research on pilots' visual perception has predominantly focused on behavioral observations, with limited exploration of the neurophysiological mechanisms involved.

METHODS: This study aimed to investigate the brain activity associated with the visual perception capabilities of flight cadets. Data were collected from 25 flying cadets and 24 ground students under two conditions: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging session conducted in 2022 and a change-detection task. The data were analyzed using RESTplus software.

RESULTS: The analysis revealed that degree centrality values in the right precuneus and left lingual gyrus showed significantly positive correlations with task reaction time and accuracy, respectively, in the pilot group. These brain regions were found to be significantly associated with the visual perception abilities of the pilots.

DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that alterations in the left precuneus and right lingual gyrus in pilots are linked to their visual perception capabilities, which may play a crucial role in mission performance. These results provide a foundation for improving flight training programs and selecting suitable flight trainees based on neurophysiological markers of visual perception.

PMID:40078710 | PMC:PMC11897578 | DOI:10.3389/fnins.2025.1519870