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Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2025 Oct 1;15(10):9362-9374. doi: 10.21037/qims-24-1843. Epub 2025 Sep 16.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The neural mechanisms associated with age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and their broader implications for brain function remain incompletely understood. This study explored the dynamic network reconfiguration in ARHL using dynamic graph theory and multilayer network analysis.

METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments were conducted on 62 patients with ARHL and 58 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age (≥60 years), sex (ARHL: 32 males, 30 females; HCs: 30 males and 28 females), and education level (all at least 8 years). Cognitive performance was comprehensively assessed in both groups with a battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Dynamic brain functional networks were analyzed via graph theory to investigate local and global network metrics. Multilayer network analysis was employed to identify changes in global brain network exchanges in ARHL. Spearman correlation analysis was used to calculate the relationship between functional MRI data and cognitive scores.

RESULTS: No demographic differences were observed between patients with ARHL and HCs (P>0.05). However, patients with ARHL exhibited significantly poorer pure-tone audiometry results (P<0.001) and inferior performance on both Trail Making Test-B and Complex Figure Test delayed tests (P<0.05). The ARHL group exhibited reduced local efficiency (P=0.01) and increased node efficiency (P=0.00054). Significant differences in network-switching rates were observed in the left orbital middle frontal gyrus (P=0.006), right frontal orbital inferior (P=0.032), right olfactory cortex (P=0.010), left medial superior frontal gyrus (P=0.045), right middle occipital gyrus (P=0.021), right superior parietal gyrus (P=0.008), left inferior parietal lobule (P=0.034), right caudate nucleus (P=0.020), left globus pallidus (P=0.007), and left superior temporal pole (TPOsup.L) (P=0.022). The network-switching rate of the left TPOsup in the ARHL group was positively correlated with cognitive scores (r=0.270; P=0.034).

CONCLUSIONS: Based on dynamic graph theory and multilayer network analysis, abnormal dynamic network reconfiguration in patients with ARHL were revealed, with reduced network-switching rates in several brain regions. These findings highlight the functional significance of network-switching rates and provide new insights into the neural mechanisms associated with ARHL.

PMID:41081212 | PMC:PMC12514650 | DOI:10.21037/qims-24-1843

Imaging Neurosci (Camb). 2025 Oct 9;3:IMAG.a.918. doi: 10.1162/IMAG.a.918. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of premature mortality among people with epilepsy. Evidence from witnessed and monitored SUDEP cases indicates seizure-induced cardiovascular and respiratory failures; yet, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. SUDEP occurs often during the night and early morning hours, suggesting that sleep or circadian rhythm-induced changes in physiology contribute to the fatal event. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) studies have found altered functional connectivity between brain structures involved in cardiorespiratory regulation in later SUDEP cases and in individuals at high risk of SUDEP. However, those connectivity findings have not been related to changes in cardiovascular or respiratory patterns. Here, we compared fMRI patterns of brain connectivity associated with regular and irregular cardiorespiratory rhythms in SUDEP cases with those of living epilepsy patients of varying SUDEP risk and healthy controls. We analysed resting-state fMRI data from 98 patients with epilepsy (9 who subsequently succumbed to SUDEP, 43 categorized as low SUDEP risk (no tonic-clonic seizures (TCS) in the year preceding the fMRI scan), and 46 as high SUDEP risk (>3 TCS in the year preceding the scan)), and 25 healthy controls. The global signal amplitude (GSA), defined as the moving standard deviation of the fMRI global signal, was used to identify periods with regular ("low state") and irregular ("high state") cardiorespiratory rhythms. Correlation maps were derived from seeds in 12 regions with a key role in autonomic or respiratory regulation for the low and high states. Following principal component analysis, component weights were compared between the groups. We found widespread alterations in connectivity of precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex in epilepsy compared with controls in the low state (regular cardiorespiratory activity). In the low state, and to a lesser degree in the high state, reduced anterior insula connectivity (mainly with anterior and posterior cingulate cortex) in epilepsy appeared, relative to healthy controls. For SUDEP cases, the insula connectivity differences were inversely related to the interval between the fMRI scan and death. The findings suggest that anterior insula connectivity measures may provide a biomarker of SUDEP risk. The neural correlates of autonomic brain structural activity associated with different cardiorespiratory rhythms may shed light on the mechanisms underlying the fatal event in SUDEP.

PMID:41079767 | PMC:PMC12511790 | DOI:10.1162/IMAG.a.918

Front Neurosci. 2025 Sep 26;19:1645903. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1645903. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Functional stability within brain networks, particularly the sensorimotor network (SMN), is crucial for coherent motor control. Temporal Interference (TI) stimulation offers a non-invasive method to modulate deep brain structures like the striatum, yet its impact on dynamic functional stability across motor networks remains largely unexplored.

METHODS: Twenty-six healthy male participants separately underwent TI stimulation and Sham stimulation in a crossover, double-blind, randomized controlled trial with counterbalanced protocol. resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was acquired before and during the stimulation. A total of 20 min TI stimulation (10 mA, Δf = 20 Hz) was applied to the right striatum using personalized electrode montages optimized. Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) was computed using a sliding-window approach. Voxel-wise functional stability across the whole brain was quantified by Kendall's concordance coefficient of voxel-to-voxel dFC. Seed-based dFC variability in the right striatum was measured as the standard deviation of dFC across windows.

RESULTS: (1) Functional stability: TI stimulation significantly decreased functional stability in bilateral SMA regions (predominantly SMA proper, with parts of pre-SMA) compared to Sham and baseline conditions (P < 0.01). (2) Dynamic functional connectivity: TI stimulation reduced dFC variability between the right striatum and left SMA region (predominantly SMA proper, with parts of pre-SMA) compared to baseline (P < 0.01). (3) Safety: No adverse cognitive effects or side effects were observed, with good blinding effectiveness maintained throughout the study.

CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that TI stimulation targeting the striatum effectively modulates sensorimotor network stability and dFC variability within the cortico-striatal pathway, highlighting its potential as a non-invasive neuromodulation approach for motor network disorders.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: [www.chictr.org.cn;], identifier [ChiCTR2500098699].

PMID:41079480 | PMC:PMC12511026 | DOI:10.3389/fnins.2025.1645903

Pediatr Res. 2025 Oct 11. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04460-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Alterations in dynamic brain functional connectivity (dFC) have been observed in epilepsy, few studies have directly compared the dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) patterns between patients with self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) and those with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE). This study aimed to explore differences in dFNC between these two epilepsy types and investigate how these patterns relate to clinical features.

METHODS: Resting-state functional MRI data were collected from 34 SeLECTS patients, 22 CAE patients, and 32 healthy controls. Independent component analysis (ICA) was combined with a sliding-window technique to examine characteristics of dynamic FNC, including state transitions, connectivity strength, and temporal properties.

RESULTS: Three recurring dFNC states were identified. SeLECTS patients spent significantly more time in a highly flexible state characterized by strong network integration, whereas CAE patients more frequently occupied a state marked by weak inter-network connectivity. Furthermore, SeLECTS patients showed greater variability in dFNC states over time. Certain clinical factors-particularly seizure frequency-were found to correlate with specific dFNC states, most notably in the SeLECTS group.

CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights distinct dynamic connectivity patterns between SeLECTS and CAE patients, suggesting that these two epilepsy types involve different network-level mechanisms. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of epilepsy subtypes and may inform future diagnostic and treatment strategies.

IMPACT: This study identifies distinct dFNC patterns in two common childhood epilepsies: SeLECTS and CAE. It demonstrates the value of dynamic resting-state brain network analysis in pediatric epilepsy. These findings provide new neuroimaging biomarkers for early classification of epilepsy subtypes. Results may contribute to the development of personalized diagnosis and treatment strategies in children with epilepsy.

PMID:41076473 | DOI:10.1038/s41390-025-04460-9

J Affect Disord. 2025 Oct 9:120396. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120396. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) at risk for bipolar disorder (BD) may represent a distinct subtype within the mood disorder spectrum. However, the neurocognitive and neurofunctional characteristics of this group remain underexplored.

METHODS: Resting-state fMRI and cognitive assessments were obtained from currently depressed participants. BD risk factors were identified by Hypomania Checklist-32 (HCL-32) scores ≥14 and/or a first-degree family history of BD. 139 BD, 181 MDD+ (with BD risk), and 138 MDD- (without BD risk) patients were identified. Neuroimaging analyses included the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and seed-based functional connectivity (FC). Correlational analyses were conducted to explore the relationships among clinical characteristics, neuroimaging indices, and cognitive performance.

RESULTS: Compared to MDD-, MDD+ demonstrated increased ALFF in the right postcentral gyrus and stronger intra-regional and inter-regional FC with the left supramarginal gyrus. Relative to BD, MDD+ showed reduced ALFF in the left putamen and weakened FC between with the right precuneus. MDD+ also outperformed both MDD- and BD in processing speed and cognitive flexibility. In MDD+, ALFF in the left putamen correlated with processing speed. In BD, ALFF in the left cuneus correlated positively with mania severity and negatively with family history. However, brain-behavior associations did not survive correction for multiple comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS: MDD+ demonstrated distinct cognitive and neural patterns, supporting the notion of a unique depressive subtype. These findings emphasize the importance of refined phenotyping to facilitate early recognition and personalized treatment strategies.

PMID:41076154 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.120396

J Affect Disord. 2025 Oct 9:120406. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120406. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and relapsing condition. This study aims to investigate alterations in structural-functional connectivity (SC-FC) coupling in patients with MDD and their associations with clinical profiles, particularly with episode status.

METHODS: SC-FC coupling was calculated from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected in 124 patients with MDD and 97 healthy controls (HCs). Primary analysis focused on group-level differences in SC-FC coupling between MDD and HCs, and its correlations with clinical symptom severity. Secondary analysis aimed to detect SC-FC coupling differences between first-episode MDD (fMDD, n = 77) and recurrent MDD (rMDD, n = 52) subgroups.

RESULTS: Compared with HCs, patients exhibited increased SC-FC coupling in the left orbital gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG), bilateral inferior parietal lobule, bilateral postcentral gyrus and left insula, which mainly located at the default mode network (DMN), somatomotor network (SMN), frontoparietal network (FPN), and dorsal lateral attention network (DAN). The increased SC-FC coupling of the left orbital gyrus was correlated with more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms. Meanwhile, specific alterations were identified in rMDD with increased SC-FC coupling in the rSTG.

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the general increased SC-FC coupling in MDD, mainly involves the SMN and DMN. A specific alteration pattern of SC-FC coupling in rSTG was identified among MDD with different episode status. These results may shed light on the neuropathological basis of MDD and potential biological markers for predicting its recurrence.

PMID:41076152 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.120406

Neuroimage. 2025 Oct 9:121520. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121520. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Vividness of visual imagery varies considerably across individuals, yet its neural underpinnings remain unclear. As emphasized in recent debates, a key controversy is whether early sensory architecture explains imagery or whether it is explained by interactions of high-level visual and fronto-parietal areas. This study examined how individual differences in imagery vividness, measured via the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ-2), relate to intrinsic brain network organization using graph theory applied to structural and functional connectomes from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI; n=525) and resting-state fMRI (n=556). Connectivity was assessed in an imagery-specific network and three canonical resting-state networks: occipital, salience, and default mode. In functional connectivity analyses, vividness correlated positively with local efficiency in the left fusiform gyrus, a high-level visual region implicated in integrative imagery processes. In structural connectivity analyses, higher vividness was associated with greater local efficiency and clustering in the occipital network, suggesting that vivid imagery depends on well-segregated low-level visual networks. Additionally, greater global efficiency in the right insular cortex-a key salience network hub-was linked to vividness, indicating that efficient salience-driven control may stabilize internal imagery. Multivariate analysis found that no single factor explained imagery better than a combined model, with the fusiform imagery node (FIN) as the strongest single predictor, while other structural factors contributed to the best overall model. These findings reconcile competing accounts of imagery by demonstrating that vivid imagery emerges from the interplay between sensory-based structural networks, salience-based regulatory hubs, and higher-order visual integration.

PMID:41076035 | DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121520

Hum Brain Mapp. 2025 Oct 1;46(14):e70352. doi: 10.1002/hbm.70352.

ABSTRACT

Neuromodulation of subcortical network hubs by pharmacologic, electrical, or ultrasonic stimulation is a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). However, optimal subcortical targets for therapeutic stimulation are not well established. Here, we leveraged 7 Tesla resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data from 168 healthy subjects from the Human Connectome Project to map the subcortical connectivity of six canonical cortical networks that modulate higher-order cognition and function: the default mode, executive control, salience, dorsal attention, visual, and somatomotor networks. Based on spatiotemporally overlapped networks generated by the Nadam-Accelerated SCAlable and Robust (NASCAR) tensor decomposition method, our goal was to identify subcortical hubs that are functionally connected to multiple cortical networks. We found that the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the midbrain and the central lateral and parafascicular nuclei of the thalamus-regions that have historically been targeted by neuromodulatory therapies to restore consciousness-are subcortical hubs widely connected to multiple cortical networks. Further, we identified a subcortical hub in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum that overlapped with multiple reticular and extrareticular arousal nuclei and that encompassed a well-established "hot spot" for coma-causing brainstem lesions. Multiple hubs within the brainstem arousal nuclei and thalamic intralaminar nuclei were functionally connected to both the default mode and salience networks, emphasizing the importance of these cortical networks in integrative subcortico-cortical signaling. Additional subcortical connectivity hubs were observed within the caudate head, putamen, amygdala, hippocampus, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, regions classically associated with modulation of cognition, behavior, and sensorimotor function. Collectively, these results suggest that multiple subcortical hubs in the brainstem tegmentum, thalamus, basal ganglia, and medial temporal lobe modulate cortical function in the human brain. Our findings strengthen the evidence for targeting subcortical hubs in the VTA, thalamic intralaminar nuclei, and pontomesencephalic tegmentum to restore consciousness in patients with DoC. We release the subcortical connectivity maps to support ongoing efforts at therapeutic neuromodulation of consciousness.

PMID:41074653 | DOI:10.1002/hbm.70352

J Integr Neurosci. 2025 Sep 23;24(9):38071. doi: 10.31083/JIN38071.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pharmacological treatment for adolescent depression is limited in safety and efficacy. Acupuncture treatment for depression has been endorsed by the World Health Organization. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and mechanisms of acupuncture in treating adolescent depression.

METHODS: An 4-week clinical trial was conducted from February 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024 at three hospitals. Patients aged 12 to 18 years were divided into three treatment groups: Manual acupuncture (MA), antidepressants (ADM), or acupuncture combined with antidepressants (MA+ADM). The 24-item Hamilton Depression scale (HAMD-24) scores, serum neurotransmitters levels, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) data were assessed at baseline (week 0) and after treatment (week 4).

RESULTS: After a 4-week intervention, both the MA and MA+ADM groups showed significant improvement in HAMD-24 scores. The MA+ADM group experienced more improvement, particularly in addressing somatization and sleep disorders. The study revealed that acupuncture increased serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), kynurenic acid, dopamine noradrenaline, adrenaline, L-histidine, and picolinic acid in adolescents with depression. Acupuncture was also found to regulate the excitability of depression-related brain regions (frontal lobe, caudate nucleus, anterior cingulate, and paracingulate gyri) and the functional connectivity of depression-related circuits (limbic-cortical-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuit and hate circuit). Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between week 0 and week 4 HAMD-24 scores and up-regulated serum levels of 5-HT and dopamine. Scores were positively associated with increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity values.

CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture improves adolescents' depressive mood and sleep quality and alleviates somatic symptoms by modulating neurotransmitters levels and brain activity.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: No: ChiCTR2200056171. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=151197.

PMID:41074408 | DOI:10.31083/JIN38071

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2025 Oct 1;354:112075. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112075. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Excoriation disorder (ExD), or skin picking disorder, is a chronic body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) that leads to severe tissue damage, disfigurement, and psychological distress. Despite its prevalence, the neurobiological etiology of ExD remains poorly understood, hindering early diagnosis and intervention. This systematic review synthesizes findings from neuroimaging studies reporting on neural correlates of ExD. A comprehensive search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science identified 18 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Across 784 ExD participants and 530 controls, consistent patterns emerged in brain regions related to sensorimotor inhibition, habit formation, and perceptual-affective interaction. Structural MRI showed smaller volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and cerebellum, but increased size of nucleus accumbens, associated in previous studies with deficient inhibitory control. Task-related fMRI showed increased activation in frontal and parietal regions but diminished engagement of posterior cerebellar-prefrontal circuits during sensorimotor coordination, and amplified insula and amygdala responses to aversive stimuli. Resting-state fMRI linked ExD symptom severity with reduced supplementary motor and prefrontal connectivity. The findings consistently point to deviation in networks subserving sensorimotor-emotional integration, one of the earliest stages of brain-behavior development. A hypothesis of ExD as a developmental disorder is suggested, guiding future research to early markers of detection and prevention.

PMID:41072268 | DOI:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112075

Front Neurosci. 2025 Sep 24;19:1647538. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1647538. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine changes in brain functional activity following acupuncture treatment for acute Bell's palsy (BP) and to investigate the potential central regulatory mechanisms involved.

METHODS: A total of 55 patients with acute Bell's facial paralysis (within 1-7 days of onset) were enrolled in the patient group, while 48 individuals without the condition were included as the healthy control group. The patient group received acupuncture therapy at EX-HN16 (Qianzheng), SJ17 (Yifeng), ST2 (Sibai), GB14 (Yangbai), EX-HN4 (Yuyao), SI18 (Quanliao), ST6 (Jiache), ST4 (Dicang), ST8 (Touwei), and bilateral LI4 (Hegu) points on the affected side. Each session lasted 30 min and was administered three times a week (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday) until day 28 of the disease course. The patient group underwent fMRI scans, House-Brackmann (H-B) grading, Sunnybrook scale evaluation, and facial disability index (FDI) assessment both prior to the initial treatment and on the 28th day. The healthy group received a single fMRI scan after enrollment. MATLAB R2017 software was used to calculate the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) in patients before and after treatment, as well as in healthy controls.

RESULTS: Following treatment, the patient group showed significant improvements in H-B, Sunnybrook, and FDI scores compared to pretreatment levels (P < 0.05), with an overall effective rate of 96.4% (53/55). Prior to treatment, compared to healthy controls, patients exhibited decreased fALFF in the right posterior cingulate gyrus, increased fALFF in the right postcentral gyrus, left and right middle frontal gyri, and increased ReHo in the left precentral gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus. After treatment, when compared to healthy controls, patients showed decreased fALFF in the left and right medial superior frontal gyri, and increased fALFF in the right postcentral gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and bilateral lingual gyri, and increased ReHo in the right precentral gyrus, bilateral transverse temporal gyri, right lingual gyrus, and right thalamus, and decreased ReHo in the right middle frontal gyrus. Relative to pretreatment values, patients displayed decreased fALFF in the left medial superior frontal gyrus and increased fALFF in the left precentral gyrus. Additionally, ReHo decreased the right and left medial superior frontal gyri, while it increased in the right inferior parietal angular gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and left superior parietal gyrus.

CONCLUSION: Acupuncture demonstrates a clear therapeutic effect on acute BP and contribute to clinical symptom improvement. Marked differences in brain functional activity were observed between patients and healthy individuals. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture may be linked to its ability to facilitate functional reorganization in brain regions associated with sensation, movement, and emotion.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.chictr.org.cn/searchproj.html? title=&officialname=&subjectid=&regstatus=&regno=ChiCTR2200065223& secondaryid=&applier=&studyleader=&createyear=&sponsor=&secsponsor= &sourceofspends=&studyailment=&studyailmentcode=&studytype=&study stage=&studydesign=&recruitmentstatus=&gender=&agreetosign=&measure= &country=&province=&city=&institution=&institutionlevel=&intercode=& ethicalcommitteesanction=&whetherpublic=&minstudyexecutetime=&maxstudy executetime=&btngo=btn, identifier ChiCTR2200065223.

PMID:41069516 | PMC:PMC12504244 | DOI:10.3389/fnins.2025.1647538

Nat Ment Health. 2025;3(10):1276-1290. doi: 10.1038/s44220-025-00503-6. Epub 2025 Sep 23.

ABSTRACT

Persisting symptoms after concussion (PSaC) represent a complex and poorly understood neuropsychiatric phenomenon with limited treatment options. Neural network dysfunction has been associated with PSaC, and neuromodulation, particularly repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, may be a promising intervention. However, neuroimaging findings have been inconsistent, limiting understanding of underlying network dysfunction. We aimed to identify a core neural network associated with PSaC and explore whether this network could yield candidate cortical targets for neuromodulation at the individual level. We hypothesized that differences in network disruption would be evident between individuals with high versus low symptom burden in PSaC. Here we show that a convergent multi-analytic approach combining symptom-activation maps generated from existing fMRI datasets, systematic review of resting-state fMRI studies of PSaC, and network-based meta-analysis of coordinates derived from these studies co-localize to the salience network in high symptom burden PSaC. Using Human Connectome Project data, we mapped this network to cortical regions that could serve as individualized targets for neuromodulation. This aligns with current clinical models of PSaC and may present a new direction for network-based therapy.

PMID:41069366 | PMC:PMC12504115 | DOI:10.1038/s44220-025-00503-6

Brain Behav. 2025 Oct;15(10):e70947. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70947.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the brain functional connectivity and its association with cognitive function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).

METHODS: A total of 64 CKD patients were enrolled and divided into two groups based on their dependence on dialysis: dialysis-dependent CKD (DD-CKD) group (n = 38) and non-dialysis-dependent CKD (NDD-CKD) group (n = 26). A total of 43 healthy controls (NC) were also recruited and matched for age and sex. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). MRI scans were conducted on a 3.0T Magnetom Skyra scanner equipped with a 32-channel phased array head coil. Data analysis was performed using the Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI (DPARSF) and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software.

RESULTS: Cognitive scores (MMSE and MoCA) were significantly lower in both CKD groups compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001), with DD-CKD patients exhibiting worse cognitive performance than NDD-CKD patients (p < 0.05). Laboratory parameters also differed: compared with DD-CKD, NDD-CKD patients had significantly lower levels of protein, creatinine, calcium, and phosphate (all p < 0.05). Network-based statistical analysis revealed reduced functional connectivity in both CKD groups relative to controls (p < 0.05). NDD-CKD patients showed disruptions mainly in the frontal-insular and occipital networks, whereas DD-CKD patients exhibited more extensive alterations involving frontoparietal, cingulate, and visual regions. Correlation analysis further showed that connectivity reductions in key regions-including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and parietal association areas-were negatively associated with renal function indicators such as serum creatinine and urea nitrogen (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Resting-state fMRI effectively reflects alterations in brain functional connectivity in CKD patients and is associated with cognitive performance. Notably, DD-CKD patients showed more extensive network disruptions and more severe cognitive impairment.

PMID:41069337 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70947

Psychol Med. 2025 Oct 10;55:e306. doi: 10.1017/S0033291725102006.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia progresses through high-risk, first-episode, and chronic stages, each associated with altered spontaneous brain activity. Resting state functional MRI studies highlight these changes, but inconsistencies persist, and the genetic basis remains unclear.

METHODS: A neuroimaging meta-analysis was conducted to assess spontaneous brain activity alterations in each schizophrenia stage. The largest available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for schizophrenia (N = 53,386 cases, 77,258 controls) were used, followed by Hi-C-coupled multimarker analysis of genomic annotation (H-MAGMA) to identify schizophrenia-associated genes. Transcriptome-neuroimaging association and gene prioritization analyses were performed to identify genes consistently linked to brain activity alterations. Biological relevance was explored by functional enrichment.

RESULTS: Fifty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, covering the high-risk (Nhigh-risk = 409, Ncontrol = 475), first-episode (Ncase = 1842, Ncontrol = 1735), and chronic (Ncase = 1242, Ncontrol = 1300) stages. High-risk stage showed reduced brain activity in the right median cingulate and paracingulate gyri. First-episode stage revealed increased activity in the right putamen and decreased activity in the left gyrus rectus and right postcentral gyrus. Chronic stage showed heightened activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and reduced activity in the superior occipital gyrus and right postcentral gyrus. Across all stages, 199 genes were consistently linked to brain activity changes, involved in biological processes such as nervous system development, synaptic transmission, and synaptic plasticity.

CONCLUSIONS: Brain activity alterations across schizophrenia stages and genes consistently associated with these changes highlight their potential as universal biomarkers and therapeutic targets for schizophrenia.

PMID:41069013 | DOI:10.1017/S0033291725102006

BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Oct 9;25(1):960. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07363-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although abnormal amygdala functional connectivity (FC) has been reported in schizophrenia, most studies have treated the amygdala as a single structure. This study aimed to explore the association between amygdala subregional FC and anhedonia in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES).

METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted in 31 FES patients (including 11 drug-naïve) and 33 matched healthy controls (HCs). Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and anhedonia was evaluated via the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS). Whole-brain FC analyses of amygdala subregions were performed, followed by group comparisons and correlation analyses with anhedonia scores.

RESULT: Compared to HCs, FES patients showed significantly reduced FC between specific amygdala subregions and cortical regions, particularly within the frontal, temporal, parietal, and limbic lobes (P < 0.05, GRF correction). Anhedonia severity was positively correlated with altered FC in the centromedial (CM) subregion of the amygdala (AMY_CM), especially with the supplementary motor area (SMA) and paracentral lobule (PLG). Notably, the association between right AMY_CM and right SMA FC and anhedonia remained significant after adjusting for clinical symptom severity (r = 0.46, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: FES patients exhibit disrupted FC between amygdala subregions and cortical areas, with specific patterns linked to anhedonia. These findings suggest that anhedonia may be associated with a potential neurobiological marker independent of general clinical symptoms and may be indicative of amygdala-cortical dysconnectivity in schizophrenia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Data used for this analysis came from case-control studies.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable. (April 2018 through March 2021).

PMID:41068675 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-025-07363-5

Brain Res Bull. 2025 Oct 7:111576. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111576. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The central mechanisms of intravesical electrical stimulation (IVES) were explored in a rat model of detrusor underactivity (DU) induced by bilateral pelvic nerve crush (bPNC). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to evaluate regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC).

METHODS: Eighteen female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to sham, bPNC, or IVES groups. The IVES group received 20-minute daily stimulations for 20 days after bPNC. Following treatment, rs-fMRI, cystometry, and immunofluorescence staining for ΔFosB (neuronal activity marker) and GAP43 (axonal plasticity marker) were performed.

RESULTS: Compared with bPNC rats, IVES significantly reduced maximum cystometric capacity and post-void residual volume, and increased detrusor pressure variation during voiding. The bPNC group had higher bladder capacity, increased filling-phase pressure variation, and lower voiding pressure than the sham group. Compared to sham and IVES rats, bPNC rats showed reduced ReHo in the right striatum and periaqueductal gray (PAG). FC between the right striatum and bilateral somatosensory cortex, and between the right PAG and left cerebellum, was weaker in bPNC rats. ΔFosB expression in the right striatum and PAG was higher in bPNC rats than in sham and IVES groups.

CONCLUSIONS: IVES may improve DU via modulation of neuronal activity in the right striatum and PAG and enhancing FC between the right striatum and somatosensory cortex, and between the right PAG and left cerebellum.

PMID:41067445 | DOI:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111576

BMC Pediatr. 2025 Oct 9;25(1):790. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-06196-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common clinical developmental disorder. Aerobic exercise effectively improves the inhibition function of ADHD children, but its intervention mechanism is not clear yet. This study aimed to explore the brain mechanisms of aerobic exercise improving inhibitory function in children with ADHD.

METHODS: 20 school-age children with ADHD were studied. Before and after swimming exercise three times a week for 8 weeks, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and Flanker task tests were performed respectively. fMRI analysis focused on the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG), and the whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) was calculated based on rIFG. Paired t-test was used to analyze the FC value and the behavioral results of the Flanker task. And the correlations between the FC and the behavioral changes before and after swimming exercise were analyzed.

RESULTS: This study found that the brain regions with significant differences in rIFG-based FC values included rIFG, right inferior parietal lobule, and cerebellum posterior lobe. The response time after exercise was significantly shorter than that before exercise, while the accuracy after exercise was higher than before. And, the FC changes within rIFG were negatively correlated with the response time changes and positively correlated with the accuracy changes of the Flanker task.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the FC within rIFG and the FC between rIFG and right inferior parietal lobule are related to the improvement of inhibition function in ADHD children.

PMID:41068640 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-025-06196-1

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2025 Oct 9:ajnr.A9030. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A9030. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study investigated dynamic cerebellar networks in post-stroke aphasia patients using resting-state fMRI. We examined intra-cerebellar and cerebellar-cortical dynamic functional connectivity quantified their temporal properties and graph-theoretical topology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-seven right-handed patients with post-stroke aphasia and 79 healthy controls underwent underwent 3T resting-state functional MRI. Dynamic cerebellar functional networks were constructed using the Seitzman-27 cerebellar atlas. A sliding-window approach (30 TR window, 1 TR step) was applied, followed by k-means clustering to identify distinct connectivity states. Graph-theoretical analyses were performed to quantify state-specific network topology. Variability of dynamic functional connectivity between cerebellar and cortical regions was calculated. Partial correlation analyses were conducted to examine relationships between dynamic network measures, lesion volume, and language and cognitive function.

RESULTS: Two cerebellar dynamic functional connectivity states were identified in post-stroke aphasia: a predominant segregated state (78.93%) with widespread reductions in connectivity and decreased clustering coefficient (d = -1.29), characteristic path length (d = -0.62), and Local Efficiency (d = -1.11), but higher Global Efficiency (d = 1.06); and a less frequent integrated state (21.07%) with enhanced connectivity and higher Clustering Coefficient (d = 0.57) and Characteristic Path Length (d = 0.70), but diminished Global Efficiency (d = -1.25) and small-worldness (d = -0.92), small-world index (d = -0.89). Post-stroke aphasia showed reduced variability of dynamic functional connectivity between cerebellar and cortical regions involved in language and cognition (Gaussian random field correction, voxel-level p < 0.001, cluster-level p < 0.05). Lesion volume negatively correlated with Aphasia Quotient, Repetition, Memory, Executive Function, and Attention (p < 0.05). State-specific network metrics and variability measures were associated with language and cognitive performance independently of lesion volume.

CONCLUSIONS: Post-stroke aphasia patients exhibited a segregated cerebellar state with reduced intra-cerebellar connectivity and efficiency, and an integrated state with enhanced connectivity and small-world properties, together with reduced variability in cerebellar-cortical connections to language-and cognition-related regions. These state-specific network alterations were linked to distinct behavioral domains independently of lesion volume, highlighting a dissociation between structural constraints and dynamic, lesion-independent plasticity.

ABBREVIATIONS: PSA = Post-Stroke Aphasia; DFC = Dynamic Functional Connectivity; FPN = Frontoparietal Network; DMN = Default Mode Network; SMN = Somatomotor Network; Eloc = Local Efficiency; Eg = Global Efficiency; Lp = Characteristic Path Length; DAN = Dorsal Attention Network; FDR = False Discovery Rate.

PMID:41067912 | DOI:10.3174/ajnr.A9030

J Cogn Neurosci. 2025 Oct 3:1-20. doi: 10.1162/JOCN.a.2396. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Complex cognition, such as creativity, relies on cognitive integration of various component processes (e.g., memory, attention, and imagery). Yet, current methods cannot fully capture how the brain integrates cognitive processes during complex tasks. Previous research suggests that communication between functionally dissimilar regions might underlie cognitive integration, allowing for complex cognition. Here, we provide a formal test of this notion using task-based fMRI (n = 28) to assess functional connectivity (FC) among sets of regions ("levels") varying in their functional dissimilarity (defined by differences in resting-state FC profiles) across five tasks hypothesized to vary in cognitive complexity. Each task involved conceptual association and/or idea generation. We found that as task complexity increased, task-FC between regions with greater functional dissimilarity also increased, and the strength of this linear trend positively predicted the relative complexity of tasks. Thus, more complex tasks recruited greater interactions between functionally dissimilar regions. Furthermore, this effect was primarily driven by the default mode and frontoparietal control networks, especially connector hubs within these networks. Task-FC at the highest functional dissimilarity levels was mostly related to metaphor production and bi-association (involving integrating two concepts), followed by generating novel object uses and uncommon association (involving expanding one concept), and was least related to common association (thus, this task was the least complex). Altogether, task-FC across functional dissimilarity levels robustly tracked the cognitive complexity of tasks, supporting the validity of this neural feature for measuring cognitive complexity in a continuous manner and for data-driven tests of theorized differences in task complexity.

PMID:41066703 | DOI:10.1162/JOCN.a.2396

Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Oct 6;15(1):356. doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03584-0.

ABSTRACT

The multidimensional nature of schizophrenia requires a comprehensive exploration of the functional and structural brain networks. While prior research has provided valuable insights into these aspects, our study goes a step further to investigate the reconfiguration of the hierarchy of brain dynamics, which can help understand how brain regions interact and coordinate in schizophrenia. We applied an innovative thermodynamic framework, which allows for a quantification of the degree of functional hierarchical organisation by analysing resting state fMRI-data. Our findings reveal increased hierarchical organisation at the whole-brain level and within specific resting-state networks in individuals with schizophrenia, which correlated with negative symptoms, positive formal thought disorder and apathy. Moreover, using a machine learning approach, we showed that hierarchy measures allow a robust diagnostic separation between healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. Thus, our findings provide new insights into the nature of functional connectivity anomalies in schizophrenia, suggesting that they could be caused by the breakdown of the functional orchestration of brain dynamics.

PMID:41053029 | PMC:PMC12501247 | DOI:10.1038/s41398-025-03584-0