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Asian J Psychiatr. 2025 Nov 6;114:104764. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104764. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Alterations in resting-state brain activity in bipolar disorder (BD) and their pharmacological response remain unclear. This study investigated dynamic local brain activity, assessed the discriminative ability of dALFF and dReHo, and explored related transcriptomic correlates.

METHODS: Resting-state fMRI and clinical data were obtained from 77 BD patients (with 38 completing the 3-month follow-up) and 83 healthy controls (HC). Dynamic local metrics (dALFF and dReho) were computed to quantify brain activity variability. Support vector machine (SVM) models were used for group classification and treatment-response prediction. Neuroimaging-transcriptomic associations were evaluated using gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas.

RESULTS: Baseline, BD patients showed decreased dReho in the right calcarine gyrus and decreased dALFF in the left superior and middle frontal gyri, alongside increased dALFF in the right hippocampus, corrected by Gaussian Random Field theory, with voxel-level significance set at p < 0.001 and cluster-level significance at p < 0.05. However, no significant alterations were observed following pharmacological treatment. The SVM models demonstrated moderate discriminative performance (AUC_dALFF = 0.83; AUC_dReho = 0.71). Cross-sample transcriptomic analyses identified 171 and 240 genes, after Bonferroni correction, that were potentially correlated with dReHo and dALFF variability, respectively, and were enriched in broad synaptic and immune-related pathways.

CONCLUSION: In summary, altered dALFF and dReHo patterns may represent neuroimaging markers of BD, reflecting disrupted dynamic brain activity. Neuroimaging-transcriptomic associations offer molecular insights into BD pathophysiology. However, findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the modest sample size, follow-up attrition, and lack of external validation.

PMID:41207165 | DOI:10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104764

Neuroimage. 2025 Nov 6:121567. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121567. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: GABAergic dysfunction contributes to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This study examines excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance, specifically GABA deficits in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and their link to anhedonia and cognitive impairment in MDD. It also investigates alterations in the coupling between local E/I activity and functional connectivity (FC) within the triple network.

METHODS: We included 41 medication-naïve MDD patients and 33 healthy controls (HCs). Participants underwent Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) and cognitive assessments. GABA+/Cr, Glx, and GABA+/Glx ratios were measured in the left DLPFC using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were analyzed via independent component analysis (ICA), identifying five major brain networks.

RESULTS: Female MDD patients exhibited reduced GABA+/Cr in the left DLPFC (p = 0.021). GABA+/Cr negatively correlated with SHAPS scores (r = -0.33, p = 0.04) and Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B) completion times (r = -0.36, p = 0.03) in MDD patients. HCs showed positive correlations between GABA+/Cr and FC within the LECN (r = 0.41, p = 0.02) and between the LECN-dDMN (r = 0.39, p = 0.03) and LECN-pSN (r = 0.46, p = 0.01); these correlations were absent in the MDD group.

CONCLUSIONS: Female patients with MDD exhibit a specific reduction in GABA levels in the left DLPFC. Furthermore, these lower GABA levels are associated with increased anhedonia and poorer executive function. Critically, the neurochemical coupling between GABA and large-scale brain networks is also disrupted in MDD.

PMID:41205935 | DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121567

Behav Brain Res. 2025 Nov 6:115922. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115922. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique that shows promise in treating disorders such as depression and insomnia. Previous studies have mainly focused on disease-specific populations, making it difficult to distinguish taVNS-induced neural changes from disease-related confounding factors. To investigate its immediate effects, we recruited 24 healthy males and randomly assigned them to a taVNS group (n=12) or a sham group (n=12). The taVNS group received 30minutes of stimulation, while the sham group received a brief initial stimulation (<15seconds) followed by device placement without power. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were acquired pre- and post-taVNS. The paired sample t-test in the taVNS group showed reduced regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the left precentral gyrus (Precentral_L) (conventional frequency band) and left postcentral gyrus (Postcentral_L) (slow 4 frequency band). Functional connectivity (FC) analysis based on peak ReHo coordinates showed that the FC between Precentral_L and the right fusiform gyrus (Fusiform_R) (conventional band and slow band 4) and the right calcarine cortex (Calcarine_R) (slow band 5) was weakened, and the FC between the left Postcentral_L and the Postcentral_L (conventional band), the Fusiform_R and the left cuneus (Cuneus_L) (slow band 4), and the Postcentral_L (slow band 5) was weakened. No significant differences were observed between the groups. These findings suggest that taVNS modulates neural activity in different frequency bands in healthy individuals, providing insights into its regulatory mechanisms and facilitating future applications in cognitive enhancement and targeted brain stimulation.

PMID:41205626 | DOI:10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115922

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2025 Nov 4;355:112082. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112082. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Altered functional connectivity in several functional networks has been found in people with psychosis, especially in the default mode (DMN), salience (SAL) and central executive (CEN) networks. Functional connectivity in people with psychosis is influenced by traumatic life experiences. Trauma histories typical of people with psychosis are associated with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD), but no studies have explored whether post-traumatic sequelae contribute to functional dysconnectivity in people with psychosis.

METHODS: Using resting-state fMRI, we compared two groups meeting diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorders (N = 106); one group additionally met ICD-11 criteria for comorbid cPTSD, whereas the other did not. We assessed between-group differences in functional connectivity between 15 pre-defined regions of the DMN, SAL and CEN. Post-hoc correlations were used to test whether intra- and/or inter-network connectivity related to cPTSD symptom severity in the comorbid cPTSD group.

RESULTS: The comorbid cPTSD group demonstrated significantly lower functional connectivity within the DMN, SAL and CEN, as well as increased negative connectivity between the SAL and CEN. The control group showed significantly decreased connectivity of the DMN with the SAL and CEN. PTSD symptoms correlated positively with intra-SAL connectivity and DMN-SAL dysconnectivity, whereas DSOs correlated positively with intra-SAL dysconnectivity and reduced DMN-CEN connectivity.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings broadly align with the tripartite network model explaining psychopathology in terms of DMN, SAL and CEN dysconnectivity. Intra-network dysconnectivity in subgroups of people with psychosis may relate to post-traumatic sequelae, whereas inter-network dysconnectivity may be more central in trauma-unrelated psychoses.

PMID:41205287 | DOI:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112082

Neuroimage. 2025 Nov 6:121573. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121573. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Prismatic adaptation (PA) is a visuomotor procedure using prismatic lenses to induce a temporary shift of visuomotor coordinates. It relies on a brain network which includes the anterior and posterior cerebellum and parietal regions, such as the intraparietal sulcus and the posterior parietal cortex. Lesions in these parietal areas are often associated with the presence of Optic Ataxia (OA), a disorder of visually guided reaching movements. Studies report contrasting results concerning the effects of PA in OA patients, whereby some fail in adapting to prisms and others show preserved adaptation. Here, we describe behavioural and neurofunctional changes in a left hemisphere stroke patient with OA who completed ten sessions of leftward PA as part of her cognitive rehabilitation. After the treatment, reaching improved with the contralesional hand in the ipsilesional hemifield. Moreover, resting-state fMRI measures of network dispersion applied to low-dimensional functional gradients revealed marked hemispheric asymmetry, with greater reorganization in the left hemisphere involving an increase in network segregation in left attentional and somatosensory networks, alongside higher intra-hemispheric network dispersion. Conversely, inter-hemispheric dispersion decreased, particularly between attentive and somatosensory-motor networks. Dynamic edge-centric analysis showed reduced entropy in the visual network and increased entropy in the dorsal attention and control networks. These entropy shifts, reflective of nodal diversity in functional co-fluctuations, correlated with direct structural disconnections. Conversely, static gradient-based reorganization was significantly associated with indirect structural disconnection profiles. To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring changes at the behavioural and neurofunctional level in an OA patient following repetitive sessions of PA, highlighting complementary contributions of static and dynamic functional neuroimaging features in capturing possible mechanisms of functional reorganization.

PMID:41205934 | DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121573

World Neurosurg. 2025 Nov 6:124599. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2025.124599. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aimed to identify consistent alterations in local spontaneous brain activity in patients with CSM by synthesizing findings from rs-fMRI studies and to explore potential neural mechanisms underlying this condition.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted for studies published up to March 2025 that utilized ReHo, ALFF, or fALFF to investigate resting-state brain activity alterations in CSM. Coordinates of brain regions exhibiting differential local spontaneous brain activity in CSM patients compared to healthy controls were extracted from the included studies. A meta-analysis was subsequently performed using SDM software. This study protocol was registered prospectively with PROSPERO(ID: CRD42025640418) RESULTS: Eight studies, encompassing 252 CSM patients (122 males, 130 females) and 230 healthy controls (109 males, 121 females), met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that, compared to healthy controls, CSM patients exhibited significantly increased local spontaneous brain activity in the Frontal_Sup_Medial_R and Cingulum_Mid_R. Conversely, decreased activity was observed in the Lingual_R, Paracentral_Lobule_L, Rolandic_Oper_R, and Postcentral_L. Furthermore, meta-regression analysis indicated a positive correlation between JOA scores and activity in the right medial superior frontal gyrus, and negative correlations with activity in the right postcentral gyrus and right central operculum.

CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis confirms consistent patterns of altered local spontaneous brain function in specific regions among patients with CSM, which potentially correlate with their clinical symptoms. These findings provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of CSM, thereby informing future clinical research and the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

PMID:41205862 | DOI:10.1016/j.wneu.2025.124599

Hum Brain Mapp. 2025 Nov;46(16):e70400. doi: 10.1002/hbm.70400.

ABSTRACT

Emotion regulation relies on the flexible coordination of neural networks involved in strategy selection and implementation. While previous studies have focused on task-related brain activity, the role of intrinsic, resting-state connectivity in shaping regulatory tendency in strategy selection and capacity in strategy implementation remains less well understood. Using spectral Dynamic Causal Modeling (spDCM) of resting-state fMRI data, we examined how effective connectivity within four emotion-related brain networks predicts individual differences in the capacity to implement and the tendency to select reappraisal versus distraction for high-intensity emotional stimuli. Forty healthy adults completed two emotion regulation tasks and a 10-min resting-state fMRI scan. We found that distinct and partially overlapping network dynamics predicted both strategy-specific regulation capacity and reappraisal tendency. Notably, the fronto-parietal and parieto-limbic networks were central to both capacity and tendency. In addition, fronto-lateral and limbic networks significantly contributed to the prediction of strategy-specific measures: Reappraisal capacity was associated with broader and more inhibitory connectivity, whereas distraction capacity was related to more localized and mixed excitatory/inhibitory connectivity patterns. Crucially, the connections most predictive of distraction and reappraisal capacity were distinct rather than shared, underscoring the importance of strategy-specific neural adaptations. These findings suggest that intrinsic brain network configurations influence the individual capacity to implement specific strategies and the tendency to select one strategy over the other.

PMID:41204880 | DOI:10.1002/hbm.70400

Hum Brain Mapp. 2025 Nov;46(16):e70406. doi: 10.1002/hbm.70406.

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by brain accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aß, simplified as A for the AD biological model) and tau (T) proteins, with Aß emerging first. However, a significant proportion of individuals exhibit discordant biomarkers' profiles, such as elevated phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181) with normal Aß42 from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), posing diagnostic and mechanistic challenges. This study investigated whether functional and structural brain connectivity can distinguish individuals with discordant CSF profiles (A-T+) from those with concordant patterns (A+T+), hypothesizing that distinct connectivity patterns may reflect early divergent pathophysiological processes. Data from cognitively unimpaired or mildly impaired individuals in the ADNI3 repository were analyzed, selecting those with resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) and/or diffusion MRI (dMRI) within 18 months of CSF testing for Aß and p-tau181. Participants were grouped into A-T+ or A+T+ groups. Structural and functional connectivity gradients were generated for each participant and summarized using a Euclidean distance measure from reference gradient templates derived from cognitively unimpaired individuals without pathology (A-T-). We applied linear mixed models and analysis of variance to assess connectivity-based gradient differences between A-T+ and A+T+ groups, adjusting for relevant variables. Classification analyzes using logistic regression and support vector machine, along with feature importance via the Boruta algorithm, evaluated the discriminative power of gradient connectivity profiles. Multimodal integration was performed using partial least square canonical analysis (PLSC), and relationships between gradients and cognition were assessed via UMAP-based dimensionality reduction and bootstrapped linear regressions. Results were compared with a classical network analysis examining within- and between-network connectivity differences. Among 424 participants, n = 67 were classified as A-T+, n = 106 as A+T+, and n = 56 as cognitively healthy A-T-. The remaining 195 participants (n = 86 A+T+ and n = 109 cognitively impaired A-T-) were not included. A-T+ individuals (age = 75 ± 8.2) exhibited less cognitive impairment but greater functional connectivity gradients' distance to the reference templates (false discovery rate-corrected p < 0.05) in the temporo-occipital axis compared to A+T+ (age = 76.1 ± 7.7). Structural connectivity differences were not significant. FC-based models classified A-T+ and A+T+ with good accuracy (AUC = 0.77), loading on the same temporo-occipital regions, unlike SC (AUC = 0.52). The posterior brain involvement in A-T+ was confirmed by PLSC analyzes. A+T+ individuals showed a significant relation between cognitive scores and functional connectivity, primarily mapping the default mode network (DMN). A shift was observed in relation to executive functions and functional connectivity in A-T+. Discordant CSF profiles (A-T+) exhibit distinct functional connectivity patterns, particularly in posterior brain regions, compared to concordant CSF patterns (A+T+), which are characterized by a significant cognitive-DMN connectivity association. These results suggest that CSF p-tau181 accumulation in the absence of Aß42 may be associated with specific functional trajectories, suggesting specific pathophysiological patterns.

PMID:41204877 | DOI:10.1002/hbm.70406

Br J Anaesth. 2025 Nov 6:S0007-0912(25)00666-X. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.016. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pain is a universal experience, yet sex differences in acute pain perception remain unclear. Here, we examined sex-specific brain responses to acute pain evoked by tail clamping in rats.

METHODS: A suitable isoflurane concentration for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was identified to ensure sedation without suppressing nociceptive responsiveness. rs-fMRI was performed to assess sex differences in brain activity and functional connectivity during acute pain, with control groups receiving touch stimulation or isoflurane-only exposure to identify pain-specific activation. The fMRI findings were validated using immunofluorescence staining of sex-specifically activated brain regions and spinal cord and corresponding dorsal root ganglia.

RESULTS: Acute pain significantly altered brain functional networks in both sexes. Female rats exhibited increased brain activity in the left cerebellar vermis, whereas males showed higher activity in the left secondary motor cortex (M2), extending into the left hindlimb (S1HL) and barrel field (S1BF) regions of the primary somatosensory cortex, a pattern distinct from non-nociceptive conditions. Functional connectivity revealed weak connections between the cerebellar vermis and somatosensory-motor cortex (M2, S1HL, and S1BF) in both sexes. Within the somatosensory-motor cortex, females showed strongest connectivity between S1HL and M2 (R=0.66), whereas males showed it between S1HL and S1BF (R=0.87). Immunostaining confirmed increased c-Fos and Egr-1 expression in sex-specific activated brain regions and in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion.

CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the activity and functional connectivity of the cerebellar vermis and somatosensory-motor cortex appear to contribute to sex differences in pain perception in rodents.

PMID:41203470 | DOI:10.1016/j.bja.2025.09.016

Neuromodulation. 2025 Nov 6:S1094-7159(25)01042-6. doi: 10.1016/j.neurom.2025.09.316. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) may be enhanced through individualized targeting in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Recent clinical trials have used TMS targeting based on the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) or right anterior insula (rAI) functional connectivity. However, the repeatability of such individual targeting may present significant challenges for feasibility. We aimed to compare the repeatability of the novel depression core network model-based (CNM) target maps with the sgACC functional connectivity-based and the rAI effective connectivity-based target maps. We further tested whether using a movie stimulus increases the feasibility of individualized functional connectivity-based targeting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a final sample of 31 patients with treatment-resistant MDD, the repeatability of the target maps was computed as the within-subject spatial correlation among imaging sessions in the DLPFC. Repeatability was compared across the connectivity models. Furthermore, repeatability, head movement, and subjective alertness and comfortableness during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were compared between movie and resting-state acquisition.

RESULTS: The CNM functional connectivity-based DLPFC target maps were more repeatable than the sgACC- or rAI-based target maps when using a movie stimulus. In particular, the cingulo-opercular seeds from the CNM produced target maps with high repeatability in both resting-state and movie stimulus conditions. Compared with the resting-state, the movie stimulus reduced head movement during fMRI but did not enhance repeatability at a statistically significant level.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support future investigations of multiseed functional connectivity targeting methods, including those focused on the cingulo-opercular regions. These findings also encourage further research on the use of engaging naturalistic stimuli to enhance the feasibility of individualized TMS targeting.

PMID:41201398 | DOI:10.1016/j.neurom.2025.09.316

J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2025 Nov 7. doi: 10.1111/jpm.70057. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Progress in neuroimaging research has provided insight into the neurobiological mechanism underlying depression, specifically motivational anhedonia, which compromises patients' ability to initiate goal-directed action. Breit et al. formerly, using the same cohort versus controls; correlations with reduced motivation were observed within superiority SLF and precuneus and authors emphasized that such results should pave the way to biomarkers in drug grounded development.

OBJECTIVE: This paper seeks to cross-fertilise neurobiological understandings of motivational anhedonia with novel therapeutic approaches, specifically showcasing how the confluence of rapid tele-psychotherapy with single-session music therapy (RTP-SSMT) represents a neurobiologically informed and scalable intervention for depressive disorders.

CONTENT: Building on literature from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state fMRI, this review discusses the involvement of reduced local correlation in the precuneus-a key hub within DMN related to self-referential processing and rumination-coordinated with white matter alterations in the SLF connecting parietal and frontal cortices. It is suggested that RTP-SSMT may act to trigger dopaminergic reward pathways, re-normalize motivational circuits and augment behavioral activation tenets with a brief and technologically-driven approach. This paper also considers policy implications for incorporating creative-arts-based tele-therapies within stepped-care mental health services.

IMPLICATIONS: The proposed model highlights how musically driven treatments have the potential to increase access, cultural appropriateness, and motivational engagement with mental health interventions. It urges clinicians and policymakers to consider evidence-informed, neurobiologically targeted interventions to enhance treatment adherence and provide psychotherapy more broadly in clinical and community settings.

CONCLUSION: Integrating brain imaging results with new therapeutic concepts offers an opportunity for precision mental health care. Implementation of RTP-SSMT in mental health practice could revolutionize psychiatric treatment infrastructure for depression by integrating neuroscience, clinical innovation and policy to treat motivational anhedonia more effectively.

PMID:41200905 | DOI:10.1111/jpm.70057

Imaging Neurosci (Camb). 2025 Nov 4;3:IMAG.a.983. doi: 10.1162/IMAG.a.983. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

The combination of electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at ultra-high field (7 Tesla) offers appealing new possibilities to probe human brain function non-invasively with high coverage, millisecond temporal precision and sub-millimeter spatial precision, unraveling cortical layers and small subcortical structures. Unfortunately, this technique has remained largely inaccessible at 7T, due to prohibitive cross-modal interference effects and physical constraints. Here, we developed a first-of-its-kind EEG-fMRI acquisition framework on a clinical 7T system combining key improvements from previous research: compact EEG transmission to reduce artifact incidence, reference sensors for artifact correction, and adapted leads for compatibility with a dense radiofrequency receive array allowing state-of-the-art fMRI sensitivity and acceleration. Two implementations were tested: one using an EEG cap adapted in-house, and another using a recently designed prototype from an industrial manufacturer, intended to be further developed into a commercial device accessible to the broader community. A comprehensive evaluation in humans showed that simultaneous acquisitions, including sub-millimeter fMRI resolution, could be conducted without detectable safety issues or major practical constraints. The EEG exerted relatively mild perturbations on fMRI quality (6-11% loss in temporal SNR), without measurably affecting the detection of resting-state networks and visual responses. The artifacts induced on EEG could be corrected to a degree where the spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics were comparable with outside recordings, and hallmark features such as resting-state alpha and eyes-closing alpha modulation could be clearly detected. Altogether, these findings indicate excellent prospects for neuroimaging applications, which can leverage the unique possibilities achievable at 7T.

PMID:41200234 | PMC:PMC12587055 | DOI:10.1162/IMAG.a.983

Psychoradiology. 2025 Sep 23;5:kkaf026. doi: 10.1093/psyrad/kkaf026. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Molecular imaging plays a key role in advancing understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the conceptual structure of this interdisciplinary field remains poorly mapped from a bibliometric perspective. The objective of this study was to explore the intellectual structure and thematic development of research on molecular imaging applied to neuropsychiatric disorders using co-citation network analysis.

METHODS: A bibliometric co-citation analysis was conducted using data retrieved from Scopus. A targeted search strategy identified articles from 2014 to 2023 focused on MRS, fMRI, PET, and SPECT in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders. Bibliographic data were exported, and cited references were analyzed using VOSviewer. A manually curated thesaurus was applied to unify variant citations and reduce duplication. Co-citation networks were generated, and thematic clusters were identified and interpreted based on total link strength and citation density.

RESULTS: The co-citation network included 51 documents and revealed six major thematic clusters encompassing automated anatomical labeling and brain segmentation, functional and structural connectivity, affective neuroscience, clinical biomarkers, and methodological standardization. Notable references included foundational works on resting-state functional connectivity, motion correction, and diagnostic criteria for neuropsychiatric disorders. The clustering structure highlighted the convergence of radiology, neuroscience, and psychiatry around shared methodological tools and conceptual frameworks.

CONCLUSION: Co-citation analysis revealed a well-defined and maturing intellectual landscape in molecular imaging applied to neuropsychiatry. The identified clusters represent distinct yet interconnected research lines, reflecting methodological innovation and translational potential. These findings offer a roadmap for future research, emphasizing methodological rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and clinical applicability.

PMID:41200096 | PMC:PMC12586992 | DOI:10.1093/psyrad/kkaf026

Psychoradiology. 2025 Oct 13;5:kkaf027. doi: 10.1093/psyrad/kkaf027. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The thalamo-prefrontal white matter (WM) pathway, a core structural element of the frontal-limbic system disrupted in premenstrual syndrome (PMS), remains poorly understood.

METHODS: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), functional MRI (fMRI), and serum cytokine levels were collected from 41 PMS participants and 51 healthy controls (HCs), all diagnosed using the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) scale. Bilateral thalamic-frontal WM pathways-the anterior thalamic radiations (ATRs)-were reconstructed using probabilistic fiber tracking. Two-sample tests examined group differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) within bilateral ATRs. Spearman correlations assessed associations among these MRI metrics, inflammatory cytokines, and DRSP scores. Machine learning models further evaluated the diagnostic and predictive utility of left ATR features combined with inflammatory cytokines.

RESULTS: Compared to HCs, PMS patients exhibited increased MD, AD, RD, and ALFF values in the left ATR, as well as elevated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels. Correlation analysis revealed that these MRI alterations in the left ATR and TNF-α levels were linked to DRSP scores. Additionally, the machine learning models constructed using the optimal feature subset, involved in MD, AD and ALFF of left ATR as well as TNF-α, demonstrated robust performance in diagnosing PMS and predicting DRSP scores.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest altered thalamo-frontal WM connectivity and elevated TNF-α in PMS. The left ATR may serve as a biomarker of PMS neuro-mechanisms when combined with multi-MRI and inflammation metrics.

PMID:41200094 | PMC:PMC12586991 | DOI:10.1093/psyrad/kkaf027

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2025 Nov 6. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A8881. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Visual disturbance is a major complication in nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) due to chiasmal compression. While neuroimaging studies have established brain dysfunction in visually impaired patients from chiasmal compression, the brain dynamic features of spontaneous activity and functional connectivity remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study aims to explore changes in temporal variability of spontaneous activity and connectivity in visually impaired patients with NFPA by resting-state functional MRI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients with NFPA with visual impairment and 36 healthy controls were recruited and underwent resting-state fMRI scans. Dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analyses were performed to assess temporal variability in brain activity and interregional communication. Associations between altered dALFF/dFC and the severity and duration of chiasmal compression, as well as visual field defect severity (quantified by mean deviation), were further evaluated.

RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, patients with a nonfunctioning pituitary exhibited significantly reduced dALFF in the right lingual gyrus (LING) and bilateral calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex (CAL). Additionally, patients showed a significant reduction in dFC between the right LING and the bilateral precuneus. Our exploratory correlation analyses revealed that the altered dALFF values in the bilateral CAL and right LING were positively correlated with chiasmal volume, and the altered dALFF in the left CAL was negatively correlated with suprasellar extension distance. Additionally, the altered dALFF values in the bilateral CAL were positively correlated with mean deviation.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with NFPA with visual impairment exhibited decreased temporal variability in brain activity and functional connectivity within visual-related regions, offering new insights into the neuropathologic mechanisms underlying visual disturbance in nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma.

PMID:41198225 | DOI:10.3174/ajnr.A8881

Med Image Anal. 2025 Nov 2;107(Pt B):103861. doi: 10.1016/j.media.2025.103861. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a crucial tool in neuroscience for capturing dynamic brain activity across spatial and temporal dimensions. However, fMRI data are high-dimensional, spatiotemporal interdependent, and often noisy, posing significant challenges for representing brain functions and associated applications. To effectively extract spatiotemporal features from fMRI data and map functional brain networks, this study proposes a novel 3D Masked Autoencoder architecture integrated with Spatiotemporal Transformers (MAE-ST). The proposed framework leverages self-supervised learning through partial data masking, enabling efficient spatial feature extraction while mitigating dependence on labeled datasets and enhancing noise robustness. In the MAE-ST encoder, visual transformer (ViT) module and temporal transformer module are employed to extract fMRI spatial features and temporal features respectively, and then the decoder reconstructs fMRI sequence with latent variables that are output by the encoder. After training, the latent variables can be regarded as the temporal features of fMRI data, which are used to estimate functional brain networks by regression analysis. Comprehensive experimental results on HCP task fMRI datasets and ADHD-200 resting state fMRI datasets demonstrated that the proposed MAE-ST model achieves superior performance in mapping both task-evoked networks and resting state networks, compared with the latest deep learning models and traditional methods. Moreover, we construct a classification pipeline based on the MAE-ST model and apply it on ADHD-200 dataset. The MAE-ST model here is used to construct data-driven brain atlas and calculate functional connectivity for classification study. The results indicated that the proposed classification pipeline outperforms several existing methods that used predefined atlases, further demonstrated the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed MAE-ST model. This work highlights the potential of combining masked autoencoders with Transformers for handling global feature extraction in both spatial and temporal dimensions of 4D fMRI data, offering a new framework for functional brain network modeling and brain disorder identification.

PMID:41197226 | DOI:10.1016/j.media.2025.103861

Psoriasis (Auckl). 2025 Oct 31;15:535-543. doi: 10.2147/PTT.S554255. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) drives psoriasis and central nervous system neuroinflammation, but clinical research on whether IL-17A-targeted biotherapy modulates brain activity to improve neuropsychiatric outcomes in psoriasis is lacking. This study aims to investigate brain functional changes, cognitive impairment, and the effects of IL-17A monoclonal antibody therapy in psoriasis vulgaris.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Regular secukinumab treatment. Meanwhile, 20 healthy controls (HCs) matched in age and gender were enrolled. The patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before treatment and 48 weeks after treatment. The healthy controls also had fMRI scans. It assessed clinical data, cognition/neuropsych status (MoCA, SDS, SAS), disease severity/quality of Life (PASI/DLQI), and brain function via rs-fMRI (ALFF/ReHo).

RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, the psoriasis vulgaris patients showed increased ALFF in the frontal lobe, as well as increased frontal ReHo. The treatment group showed signal recovery in some brain regions. Patients before treatment had lower MoCA scores vs controls (P < 0.001)) and higher SAS/SDS scores (SAS, P < 0.0001; SDS, P < 0.05). Patients after treatment showed higher MoCA scores vs before treated (P < 0.05), similar to controls, with lower SAS scores (P < 0.0001) and reduced PASI/DLQI (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: Psoriasis is associated with brain dysfunction and neuropsychiatric symptoms. IL-17A antibody therapy improves skin symptoms, restores brain function, and alleviates neuropsychiatric issues vs untreated patients, supporting multidimensional treatment.

PMID:41195091 | PMC:PMC12584804 | DOI:10.2147/PTT.S554255

Brain Commun. 2025 Oct 14;7(6):fcaf399. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaf399. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

The entorhinal cortex is one of the earliest sites of tau tangle deposition in Alzheimer's disease. Existing connectome studies focus on tau propagation along direct, first-order connections between brain regions, overlooking multi-step, higher-order connections that contribute to the spread of pathology in the brain. We propose a novel quantitative integration of graph theory-based stepwise connectivity with low-dimensional connectome gradient space, which reflects the brain's hierarchical organization. This allows us to elucidate multi-step connectivity between the entorhinal cortex (seed region) and the rest of the brain along the major axes of functional and structural brain organization. In this study, we included 213 participants from the Translational Biomarkers in Aging and Dementia (103 amyloid-negative cognitively normal, 35 amyloid-positive cognitively normal, and 75 cognitively impaired) with diffusion-weighted MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and 18F-MK6240 tau-PET. Through the novel integration between stepwise connectivity and connectome gradients, we observed hypoconnectivity from the entorhinal cortex to the transmodal end of the functional gradient and to the posterior end of the structural gradient. On the other hand, multi-step connections from the entorhinal cortex showed increased connectivity toward both unimodal (e.g. somatomotor) and transmodal (e.g. frontoparietal) networks of the functional gradient as well as anterior ends of the structural gradient, potentially initiating new paths for tau spread. Finally, tau-connectivity correlations shifted spatially within connectome gradient space, moving from the highest-order (default mode network/limbic) cognitive system of the functional gradient in the preclinical stage (amyloid-positive cognitively normal) to the second-highest order (frontoparietal) system in the clinical stage (cognitively impaired). In conclusion, we demonstrate widespread network reorganization of both direct and indirect, multi-step connections that are associated with patterns of tau spread in Alzheimer's disease.

PMID:41194888 | PMC:PMC12585350 | DOI:10.1093/braincomms/fcaf399

Brain Behav. 2025 Nov;15(11):e70975. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70975.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) technology to explore the characteristics of brain functional activity in migraine patients without aura (MwoA) in middle and high altitude areas during interictal periods through two analysis methods, the regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF).

METHODS: This study was a prospective research that included 41 patients with MwoA in the interictal phase, who visited the Department of Neurology at Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital between January 2023 and January 2024. 39 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age and sex were also recruited.

RESULTS: Compared with HCs group, the ALFF values of right superior temporal gyrus and the right hippocampus in MwoA group at mid-to-high altitude were decreased (voxel level p < 0.001, cluster level p < 0.05, Gaussian random field, GRF corrected). The ReHo values of bilateral rectus gyrus and left cerebellum in MwoA group at mid-to-high altitude were significantly increased, while the ReHo values of left cingulate gyrus, bilateral precuneus and bilateral supplementary motor area were significantly decreased (voxel level p < 0.001, cluster level p < 0.05, GRF corrected). The correlation analysis showed that the duration of disease in MwoA group was negatively correlated with the z-ALFF value of the right hippocampus(r = -0.56, p = 0.004, Bonferroni correction). The HIT-6 score was negatively correlated with the z-ALFF value of the right superior temporal gyrus (r = -0.48, p = 0.001, Bonferroni correction). The SDS score was negatively correlated with the bilateral precuneus z-ReHo values (r = -0.42, p = 0.03, L; r = -0.46, p = 0.01, R, Bonferroni correction).

CONCLUSION: Several brain regions in MwoA patients from mid-to-high altitude areas exhibit abnormal spontaneous neural activity through ALFF and ReHo assessments. These brain regions are closely associated with pain processing, cognitive functions, motor control, attention, and emotional regulation. The functional abnormalities in these regions may be relevant to the pathophysiology of MwoA.

PMID:41194470 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70975

Magn Reson Imaging. 2025 Nov 3:110556. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2025.110556. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To develop a comprehensive reconstruction pipeline that simultaneously addresses 2D Nyquist and aliasing artifacts in echo-planar imaging (EPI) data acquired using various schemes, including single-shot, multi-shot, parallel, and multi-band EPI.

METHODS: We introduce a novel 2D Nyquist artifact correction method that extends our previously reported phase-search reconstruction approach. A series of phase-corrected images are generated using a range of candidate phase values, and the corresponding coil sensitivity profiles are compared with known profiles to estimate an optimal 2D Nyquist phase correction map. In addition, we propose an integrated reconstruction procedure that corrects aliasing artifacts arising from 2D Nyquist effects, shot-to-shot motion-induced phase variations, and both in-plane and through-plane acceleration schemes. The proposed methods were evaluated using resting-state fMRI data from 30 healthy volunteers.

RESULTS: The proposed method substantially reduced residual artifacts in EPI data, as measured by the ghost-to-signal ratio. The resulting default-mode network maps showed improved correspondence with known reference networks compared to those obtained using conventional 1D Nyquist artifact correction methods.

CONCLUSION: The developed reconstruction pipeline effectively corrects multiple sources of aliasing artifacts in EPI data, offering improved image quality and functional sensitivity across a wide range of EPI acquisition schemes.

PMID:41192812 | DOI:10.1016/j.mri.2025.110556