Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112140
Fangfang Huang , Shuai Ren , Yuan Huang , Yuqi Chen , MingZhu Wang , Xiaoyi Chang , Kaile Liu , Siying Guo , Xingnuo Liu
The investigation of neuroimaging abnormalities of young adults with subclinical social anxiety will contribute to understand the brain mechanism of social anxiety during developing on early stage. In this study, we recruited twenty-six young adults with subclinical social anxiety and matched healthy controls to examine their resting-state brain functional changes reflected by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), functional connectivity (FC) and effective connectivity (EC). Mediating effect models were used to investigate the mediation of brain functional alterations between gray matter structure and social anxiety. Subjects with subclinical social anxiety exhibited increased ALFF in the left superior occipital gyrus (SOG), heightened FC between the left SOG and the right orbital part inferior frontal gyrus, decreased EC from the left SOG to bilateral postcentral gyrus (PCG), and increased EC from bilateral PCG and the right precuneus to the left SOG. A complete mediating effect of gray matter volume in the left SOG on subclinical social anxiety through ALFF in the left SOG was observed. In conclusion, dysfunction of the left SOG plays an important role in subclinical social anxiety. Additionally, the spontaneous neural hyperactivities in the left SOG function on social anxiety as a complete mediation of gray matter structure.
{"title":"Dysfunction of the superior occipital gyrus in individuals with subclinical social anxiety and its mediating effect on gray matter structure","authors":"Fangfang Huang , Shuai Ren , Yuan Huang , Yuqi Chen , MingZhu Wang , Xiaoyi Chang , Kaile Liu , Siying Guo , Xingnuo Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The investigation of neuroimaging abnormalities of young adults with subclinical social anxiety will contribute to understand the brain mechanism of social anxiety during developing on early stage. In this study, we recruited twenty-six young adults with subclinical social anxiety and matched healthy controls to examine their resting-state brain functional changes reflected by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), functional connectivity (FC) and effective connectivity (EC). Mediating effect models were used to investigate the mediation of brain functional alterations between gray matter structure and social anxiety. Subjects with subclinical social anxiety exhibited increased ALFF in the left superior occipital gyrus (SOG), heightened FC between the left SOG and the right orbital part inferior frontal gyrus, decreased EC from the left SOG to bilateral postcentral gyrus (PCG), and increased EC from bilateral PCG and the right precuneus to the left SOG. A complete mediating effect of gray matter volume in the left SOG on subclinical social anxiety through ALFF in the left SOG was observed. In conclusion, dysfunction of the left SOG plays an important role in subclinical social anxiety. Additionally, the spontaneous neural hyperactivities in the left SOG function on social anxiety as a complete mediation of gray matter structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-03DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112136
Jingqi Jiang , Shu Cui , Jun Wang , Pengfei Zhang , Yang Liu , Liang Zhou , Zhuo Wang , Fei Jia , Zheng Cheng , Hao Li , Laiyang Ma , Jing Zhang
Major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently co-occurs with chronic pain, yet the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. This study employed a two-sample bidirectional mendelian randomization (MR) design to investigate the causal relationship between MDD and nine prevalent pain phenotypes, focusing on the mediating role of macro- and micro-structural brain changes. We selected 57 brain regions as potential mediators based on prior literature and performed a two-step MR mediation analysis, using multiple methods (IVW, MR-Egger, weighted median, MR-RAPS) to ensure robustness. Results showed MDD had a causal effect on all pain phenotypes (all pFDR < 0.05) with no reverse causality. MDD specifically reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in the right insular cortex (pFDR = 0.02), with no significant effects in other regions. This GMV in the right insular cortex reduction mediated approximately 13.89% of MDD’s total effect on temporomandibular disorder (TMD)-related pain, although the direct association between right insular GMV and TMD-related pain did not survive multiple-testing correction (pFDR = 0.07). These findings provide evidence for a unidirectional causal link from MDD to pain and suggest right insular cortex GMV may be a partial mediator for TMD-related pain, highlighting a potential therapeutic target for MDD-related pain conditions.
{"title":"Unraveling the neural underpinnings of major depressive disorder and pain: A mendelian randomization study and mediation analysis","authors":"Jingqi Jiang , Shu Cui , Jun Wang , Pengfei Zhang , Yang Liu , Liang Zhou , Zhuo Wang , Fei Jia , Zheng Cheng , Hao Li , Laiyang Ma , Jing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently co-occurs with chronic pain, yet the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. This study employed a two-sample bidirectional mendelian randomization (MR) design to investigate the causal relationship between MDD and nine prevalent pain phenotypes, focusing on the mediating role of macro- and micro-structural brain changes. We selected 57 brain regions as potential mediators based on prior literature and performed a two-step MR mediation analysis, using multiple methods (IVW, MR-Egger, weighted median, MR-RAPS) to ensure robustness. Results showed MDD had a causal effect on all pain phenotypes (all <em>p<sub>FDR</sub></em> < 0.05) with no reverse causality. MDD specifically reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in the right insular cortex (<em>p<sub>FDR</sub></em> = 0.02), with no significant effects in other regions. This GMV in the right insular cortex reduction mediated approximately 13.89% of MDD’s total effect on temporomandibular disorder (TMD)-related pain, although the direct association between right insular GMV and TMD-related pain did not survive multiple-testing correction (<em>p<sub>FDR</sub></em> = 0.07). These findings provide evidence for a unidirectional causal link from MDD to pain and suggest right insular cortex GMV may be a partial mediator for TMD-related pain, highlighting a potential therapeutic target for MDD-related pain conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112136"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112134
Mugdha Tendulkar , Dr.Reshma Tendulkar
Schizophrenia being a major psychiatric disorder comprises of dominant neurodevelopmental corroborations; still there are inadequate markers which reveal the brain vulnerability. Recognition of such neurodevelopmental correlates linked with schizophrenia is a major hindrance observed in today’s era. It presents itself as a major hurdle as it necessitates comprehending the early brain alterations hinting towards vulnerability of brain parenchyma towards disorders. One such correlate being cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), has been frequently linked with schizophrenia. The primary obstacle in the management of psychological disorders is the significantly delayed diagnosis because of the societal stigma and the preconceived notions about these diseases.
This narrative review encompasses recent studies from 2018–2025 extracting high yield neuroimaging, molecular, genetic data to meticulously explain the association between enlarged CSP and schizophrenia, to critically appraise the clinical potential of enlarged cavum septum pellucidum as a neurodevelopmental liability marker as well as for incorporating them with multimodal artificial intelligence models rather than predicting or diagnosing schizophrenia at patient level.
This review is first to amalgamate extensive volumetric, meta-analyses as well as genetic data to highlight the role of CSP as a correlation risk marker from other non-specific parameters, aiding in better management of patients.
{"title":"Enlarged cavum septum pellucidum & increased incidence of schizophrenia: Narrative review for neurodevelopmental correlate","authors":"Mugdha Tendulkar , Dr.Reshma Tendulkar","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Schizophrenia being a major psychiatric disorder comprises of dominant neurodevelopmental corroborations; still there are inadequate markers which reveal the brain vulnerability. Recognition of such neurodevelopmental correlates linked with schizophrenia is a major hindrance observed in today’s era. It presents itself as a major hurdle as it necessitates comprehending the early brain alterations hinting towards vulnerability of brain parenchyma towards disorders. One such correlate being cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), has been frequently linked with schizophrenia. The primary obstacle in the management of psychological disorders is the significantly delayed diagnosis because of the societal stigma and the preconceived notions about these diseases.</div><div>This narrative review encompasses recent studies from 2018–2025 extracting high yield neuroimaging, molecular, genetic data to meticulously explain the association between enlarged CSP and schizophrenia, to critically appraise the clinical potential of enlarged cavum septum pellucidum as a neurodevelopmental liability marker as well as for incorporating them with multimodal artificial intelligence models rather than predicting or diagnosing schizophrenia at patient level.</div><div>This review is first to amalgamate extensive volumetric, meta-analyses as well as genetic data to highlight the role of CSP as a correlation risk marker from other non-specific parameters, aiding in better management of patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112134"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145918313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112119
Liping Qi , Zi-Qian Shi , Yan-Zhi Liu , Jing-Wen Ni , Yong-Zhong Lin
Background
Cognitive impairment is a core non-motor feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to: (1) assess PD patients’ performance on the color-word Stroop task and characterize task-related neural activity; (2) develop PD diagnostic models using task-based functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) features to link neuroimaging mechanisms with clinical translation.
Methods
Sixty-one participants (29 PD patients, 32 healthy controls [HC]) completed the Stroop task during fNIRS recording. Cerebral hemodynamic and brain network analyses were performed, and a two-way ANCOVA examined group (PD vs. HC) and task (congruent vs. incongruent stimuli) effects, adjusted for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Machine learning frameworks were applied to construct diagnostic models using task-based fNIRS features.
Results
PD patients showed significantly higher omission rates than HC across both Stroop conditions, alongside enhanced dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontal eye field activation, and increased prefrontal interhemispheric functional connectivity. Logistic regression outperformed other models, achieving comparable accuracy with fewer features.
Conclusion
These findings advance our understanding of PD-related cognitive impairment and provide a framework for developing non-invasive, objective diagnostic tools.
背景：认知障碍是帕金森病（PD）的核心非运动特征。本研究旨在：(1)评估PD患者在色字Stroop任务中的表现，并对任务相关的神经活动进行表征；(2)利用基于任务的功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）特征建立PD诊断模型，将神经影像学机制与临床转化联系起来。方法：61名参与者（29名PD患者，32名健康对照[HC]）在fNIRS记录期间完成Stroop任务。进行脑血流动力学和脑网络分析，并进行双向ANCOVA检查组（PD vs. HC）和任务（一致vs.不一致刺激）效应，并根据迷你精神状态检查（MMSE）和蒙特利尔认知评估（MoCA）进行调整。应用机器学习框架构建基于任务的fNIRS特征的诊断模型。结果：在两种Stroop条件下，PD患者的遗漏率明显高于HC，同时增强了背外侧前额叶皮层和额叶眼野的激活，并增加了前额叶半球间功能连接。逻辑回归优于其他模型，用更少的特征实现了相当的准确性。结论：这些发现促进了我们对pd相关认知障碍的理解，并为开发非侵入性、客观的诊断工具提供了框架。
{"title":"Cerebral hemodynamics and functional connectivity in the stroop test in Parkinson’s disease patients: A machine learning approach to fNIRS features","authors":"Liping Qi , Zi-Qian Shi , Yan-Zhi Liu , Jing-Wen Ni , Yong-Zhong Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cognitive impairment is a core non-motor feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to: (1) assess PD patients’ performance on the color-word Stroop task and characterize task-related neural activity; (2) develop PD diagnostic models using task-based functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) features to link neuroimaging mechanisms with clinical translation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Sixty-one participants (29 PD patients, 32 healthy controls [HC]) completed the Stroop task during fNIRS recording. Cerebral hemodynamic and brain network analyses were performed, and a two-way ANCOVA examined group (PD vs. HC) and task (congruent vs. incongruent stimuli) effects, adjusted for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Machine learning frameworks were applied to construct diagnostic models using task-based fNIRS features.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PD patients showed significantly higher omission rates than HC across both Stroop conditions, alongside enhanced dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontal eye field activation, and increased prefrontal interhemispheric functional connectivity. Logistic regression outperformed other models, achieving comparable accuracy with fewer features.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings advance our understanding of PD-related cognitive impairment and provide a framework for developing non-invasive, objective diagnostic tools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112119"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145912802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112131
Xuhui Lin , Lu Tang , Zhao Hu
Aim
This study sought to explore the causal link between 206 tractography-derived white matter connectivity metrics in the brain and the risk of nine psychiatric disorders, employing a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
Method
Summary datasets of 9 psychiatric disorders including anxiety disorder, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), major depressive disorder (MDD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome(TS), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and cannabis use disorder (CUD) were used. MR analyses were performed using the inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, MR-Egger, MR-PRESSO, and MR-robust adjusted profile score (MR-RAPS) method.
Results
Forward MR analysis showed that the left-hemisphere dorsal attention network to the right-hemisphere limbic network connectome was causally associated with a 32 % higher risk of anxiety disorder [odds ratio(OR) = 1.32; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.16, 1.51). Reverse MR analysis indicated that AD was associated with a 7 % higher risk for the left-hemisphere limbic network to the right-hemisphere control network connectome(OR = 1.07; 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.10).
Conclusions
Our MR analysis reveals causal relationships between brain white matter structural connectivity and psychiatric disorders, advancing our knowledge of the neural mechanisms that contribute to psychiatric disorders and providing evidence for targeted interventions in psychiatric treatment.
{"title":"Causal relationship between tractography-based brain white matter structural connectome and risk of psychiatric disorders: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study","authors":"Xuhui Lin , Lu Tang , Zhao Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112131","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112131","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><div>This study sought to explore the causal link between 206 tractography-derived white matter connectivity metrics in the brain and the risk of nine psychiatric disorders, employing a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Summary datasets of 9 psychiatric disorders including anxiety disorder, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), major depressive disorder (MDD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome(TS), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and cannabis use disorder (CUD) were used. MR analyses were performed using the inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, MR-Egger, MR-PRESSO, and MR-robust adjusted profile score (MR-RAPS) method.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Forward MR analysis showed that the left-hemisphere dorsal attention network to the right-hemisphere limbic network connectome was causally associated with a 32 % higher risk of anxiety disorder [odds ratio(OR) = 1.32; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.16, 1.51). Reverse MR analysis indicated that AD was associated with a 7 % higher risk for the left-hemisphere limbic network to the right-hemisphere control network connectome(OR = 1.07; 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.10).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our MR analysis reveals causal relationships between brain white matter structural connectivity and psychiatric disorders, advancing our knowledge of the neural mechanisms that contribute to psychiatric disorders and providing evidence for targeted interventions in psychiatric treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112131"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145886451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Structural and functional alterations of the hippocampus have been reported to be associated with prodromal symptoms of psychotic disorders in individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS), as well as with the pathophysiology and symptomatology of psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia (SZ).
Methods
In this study, 3-tesla 3D MRI scans were obtained from 81 SZ patients, 56 individuals with ARMS, and 90 healthy controls. We evaluated hippocampal surface morphology using large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping and conducted cluster-wise comparisons of the hippocampal surfaces across the groups.
Results
A common surface expansion in the right cornu ammonis (CA)3 was observed in SZ and ARMS groups compared to healthy subjects. In SZ patients, additional surface expansions were noted in the right CA1, hippocampal tail, and presubiculum. A higher dosage of antipsychotic medication was associated with surface compression in the bilateral hippocampal tail.
Conclusion
Common hippocampal surface alterations may underlie vulnerability to psychosis. Further surface expansions may be associated with the manifestation of overt psychotic symptoms. Such surface changes may be affected by antipsychotic medications.
{"title":"Altered hippocampal shape morphology in schizophrenia and at-risk mental state","authors":"Yoichiro Takayanagi , Dominic Padova , Can Ceritoglu , Daiki Sasabayashi , Shimako Nishiyama , Haruko Kobayashi , Kazumi Sakamoto , Mizuho Takayanagi , Kyo Noguchi , Noa Tsujii , Michio Suzuki , J. Tilak Ratnanather , Tsutomu Takahashi","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Structural and functional alterations of the hippocampus have been reported to be associated with prodromal symptoms of psychotic disorders in individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS), as well as with the pathophysiology and symptomatology of psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia (SZ).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, 3-tesla 3D MRI scans were obtained from 81 SZ patients, 56 individuals with ARMS, and 90 healthy controls. We evaluated hippocampal surface morphology using large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping and conducted cluster-wise comparisons of the hippocampal surfaces across the groups.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A common surface expansion in the right cornu ammonis (CA)3 was observed in SZ and ARMS groups compared to healthy subjects. In SZ patients, additional surface expansions were noted in the right CA1, hippocampal tail, and presubiculum. A higher dosage of antipsychotic medication was associated with surface compression in the bilateral hippocampal tail.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Common hippocampal surface alterations may underlie vulnerability to psychosis. Further surface expansions may be associated with the manifestation of overt psychotic symptoms. Such surface changes may be affected by antipsychotic medications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112130"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145886472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112118
Can Liu , Tong Zhu , Mingke Liu , Mingmeng Huang , Yuting Jiang , Yijia Zou , Zixuan Cheng , Jingwen Liu , Yu Zhang , Yuhang Yang , Jingbo Zhang , Kewei He , Du Lei , Liangbo Hu
Background
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common women’s psychological health issue. While studies have identified regional functional abnormalities, the global functional topological alterations associated with PPD remain to be fully characterized. This study aims to investigate the alteration of functional topological properties in PPD patients.
Methods
Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was acquired from 30 PPD patients, 23 healthy pregnant women (HPW), and 26 healthy non-pregnant women (HC). Functional brain networks were constructed using inter-regional Pearson’s correlation coefficient and analyzed via graph theory. Machine learning was applied to the functional connectome to distinguish PPD from HPW.
Results
Compared to HC and HPW, the PPD group showed a shift toward a more regularized network topology in functional brain network. In comparison with HC, PPD had altered topological properties mainly in the salience network (SN, e.g., left insula) and associated subcortical regions (e.g., amygdala), while HPW exhibited functional differences mainly within the default mode network (DMN). Abnormal regions (e.g., pallidum, precuneus) between PPD and HPW correlated with depression severity. Combining machine learning with functional connectivity metrics predicted PPD with 88 % accuracy.
Conclusion
Pregnancy may alter the functional connectome in DMN, and postpartum depression may disrupt the connectivity in SN. The insula and precuneus are critical for identifying PPD and HPW. These findings suggest that functional connectome alterations are clinical significant and may facilitate the timely clinical detection of PPD.
{"title":"Disrupted brain connectivity in postpartum depression: Insights from resting-state fMRI and machine learning","authors":"Can Liu , Tong Zhu , Mingke Liu , Mingmeng Huang , Yuting Jiang , Yijia Zou , Zixuan Cheng , Jingwen Liu , Yu Zhang , Yuhang Yang , Jingbo Zhang , Kewei He , Du Lei , Liangbo Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common women’s psychological health issue. While studies have identified regional functional abnormalities, the global functional topological alterations associated with PPD remain to be fully characterized. This study aims to investigate the alteration of functional topological properties in PPD patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was acquired from 30 PPD patients, 23 healthy pregnant women (HPW), and 26 healthy non-pregnant women (HC). Functional brain networks were constructed using inter-regional Pearson’s correlation coefficient and analyzed via graph theory. Machine learning was applied to the functional connectome to distinguish PPD from HPW.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared to HC and HPW, the PPD group showed a shift toward a more regularized network topology in functional brain network. In comparison with HC, PPD had altered topological properties mainly in the salience network (SN, e.g., left insula) and associated subcortical regions (e.g., amygdala), while HPW exhibited functional differences mainly within the default mode network (DMN). Abnormal regions (e.g., pallidum, precuneus) between PPD and HPW correlated with depression severity. Combining machine learning with functional connectivity metrics predicted PPD with 88 % accuracy.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Pregnancy may alter the functional connectome in DMN, and postpartum depression may disrupt the connectivity in SN. The insula and precuneus are critical for identifying PPD and HPW. These findings suggest that functional connectome alterations are clinical significant and may facilitate the timely clinical detection of PPD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112118"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112121
Rubén Romero-Marín , Davide Cappon , Javier Solana-Sánchez , David Bartrés-Faz , Álvaro Pascual-Leone , Gabriele Cattaneo
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and disabling condition with high rates of treatment resistance. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), has emerged as a promising option for individuals unresponsive to pharmacotherapy. However, many patients still fail to achieve meaningful improvement, underscoring the need for reliable biomarkers of treatment response. Electroencephalography (EEG) and combined TMS-EEG are increasingly explored as predictive tools because they index cortical excitability, connectivity and neuroplasticity. In this systematic review, we synthesize evidence from 18 high-quality studies evaluating EEG and TMS-EEG biomarkers of NIBS outcomes in MDD. Resting-state EEG studies highlight the relevance of spectral power alterations, frontal alpha asymmetry and connectivity measures, whereas TMS-EEG work emphasizes TMS-evoked potentials, particularly N100 and N45 components, in forecasting clinical response. Although results are encouraging, methodological heterogeneity, modest sample sizes and divergent stimulation protocols limit immediate clinical implementation. Nonetheless, converging findings indicate that pre-treatment EEG and TMS-EEG assessments can support a precision-medicine approach by informing target selection and stimulation parameters. Systematic integration of these neurophysiological markers could enhance personalization of NIBS, increase response rates and advance the development of mechanism-based interventions for depression across diverse patient profiles and clinical settings worldwide.
{"title":"EEG biomarkers for a precision-medicine approach to noninvasive brain stimulation for major depressive disorder","authors":"Rubén Romero-Marín , Davide Cappon , Javier Solana-Sánchez , David Bartrés-Faz , Álvaro Pascual-Leone , Gabriele Cattaneo","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and disabling condition with high rates of treatment resistance. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), has emerged as a promising option for individuals unresponsive to pharmacotherapy. However, many patients still fail to achieve meaningful improvement, underscoring the need for reliable biomarkers of treatment response. Electroencephalography (EEG) and combined TMS-EEG are increasingly explored as predictive tools because they index cortical excitability, connectivity and neuroplasticity. In this systematic review, we synthesize evidence from 18 high-quality studies evaluating EEG and TMS-EEG biomarkers of NIBS outcomes in MDD. Resting-state EEG studies highlight the relevance of spectral power alterations, frontal alpha asymmetry and connectivity measures, whereas TMS-EEG work emphasizes TMS-evoked potentials, particularly N100 and N45 components, in forecasting clinical response. Although results are encouraging, methodological heterogeneity, modest sample sizes and divergent stimulation protocols limit immediate clinical implementation. Nonetheless, converging findings indicate that pre-treatment EEG and TMS-EEG assessments can support a precision-medicine approach by informing target selection and stimulation parameters. Systematic integration of these neurophysiological markers could enhance personalization of NIBS, increase response rates and advance the development of mechanism-based interventions for depression across diverse patient profiles and clinical settings worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112121"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145886455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112132
Ernesta Panarello , Francesco Monaco , Annarita Vignapiano , Benedetta Di Gruttola , Stefania Landi , Emanuela Ferrara , Raffaele Malvone , Stefania Palermo , Valeria Di Stefano , Martina D’Angelo , Giulio Corrivetti , Luca Steardo Jr
Background
Eating disorders (EDs), particularly Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), are complex psychiatric conditions marked by alterations in cognition, emotional regulation, and interoception. Accumulating evidence suggests that these behavioral features are underpinned by structural and functional brain abnormalities.
Objective
This systematic review aims to synthesize recent neuroimaging findings, particularly resting-state functional MRI and functional connectivity studies on cognitive and neural alterations in eating disorders (EDs).
Methods
Following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42025648023), we systematically searched PubMed and APA PsycINFO for studies published between 2014 and 2024. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria and were assessed for quality and risk of bias using GRADE, RoB 2.0, and ROBINS-I tools. The included studies investigated both adolescent and adult populations, allowing consideration of developmental and illness stage–related aspects.
Results
Altered brain activity and connectivity patterns were consistently reported in individuals with AN and BN, particularly in the cortico-striatal-thalamic system (CSTS), default mode network (DMN), and interhemispheric circuits. Cognitive flexibility deficits were associated with abnormal neural activation despite preserved behavioral performance, suggesting compensatory mechanisms. Insular dysfunction persisted after weight restoration, and altered responses to reward and social cues were linked to symptom persistence.
Conclusion
EDs are underpinned by widespread neural dysregulation involving not only circuits traditionally associated with food intake and reward, but also higher-order large-scale networks supporting cognitive control, interoception, self-referential processing, and emotion regulation. Multimodal neuroimaging studies underscore the necessity for individualized, neurobiologically informed interventions targeting the cognitive control, affect regulation, and reward processing deficits characteristic of EDs. Findings across adolescent and adult samples highlight both state-dependent and potentially developmentally mediated neural alterations, underscoring the relevance of large-scale network connectivity across illness stages.
{"title":"Beyond behavior: neural and cognitive alterations in eating disorders–a systematic review","authors":"Ernesta Panarello , Francesco Monaco , Annarita Vignapiano , Benedetta Di Gruttola , Stefania Landi , Emanuela Ferrara , Raffaele Malvone , Stefania Palermo , Valeria Di Stefano , Martina D’Angelo , Giulio Corrivetti , Luca Steardo Jr","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112132","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112132","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Eating disorders (EDs), particularly Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), are complex psychiatric conditions marked by alterations in cognition, emotional regulation, and interoception. Accumulating evidence suggests that these behavioral features are underpinned by structural and functional brain abnormalities.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This systematic review aims to synthesize recent neuroimaging findings, particularly resting-state functional MRI and functional connectivity studies on cognitive and neural alterations in eating disorders (EDs).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42025648023), we systematically searched PubMed and APA PsycINFO for studies published between 2014 and 2024. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria and were assessed for quality and risk of bias using GRADE, RoB 2.0, and ROBINS-I tools. The included studies investigated both adolescent and adult populations, allowing consideration of developmental and illness stage–related aspects.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Altered brain activity and connectivity patterns were consistently reported in individuals with AN and BN, particularly in the cortico-striatal-thalamic system (CSTS), default mode network (DMN), and interhemispheric circuits. Cognitive flexibility deficits were associated with abnormal neural activation despite preserved behavioral performance, suggesting compensatory mechanisms. Insular dysfunction persisted after weight restoration, and altered responses to reward and social cues were linked to symptom persistence.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>EDs are underpinned by widespread neural dysregulation involving not only circuits traditionally associated with food intake and reward, but also higher-order large-scale networks supporting cognitive control, interoception, self-referential processing, and emotion regulation. Multimodal neuroimaging studies underscore the necessity for individualized, neurobiologically informed interventions targeting the cognitive control, affect regulation, and reward processing deficits characteristic of EDs. Findings across adolescent and adult samples highlight both state-dependent and potentially developmentally mediated neural alterations, underscoring the relevance of large-scale network connectivity across illness stages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112132"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145918342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112135
Qinnaer Bolatijiang , Shaohong Zou , Chengji Wang , Jianliang Zhang , Zhiyuan Chen , Longyuan Zhang
Objective
This study utilizes proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) imaging to analyze neuro-metabolic alterations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) of adolescents with bipolar depression (BD-Dep) and verbal auditory hallucinations (AVHs).
Methods
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 47 untreated adolescent BD-Dep patients within 30 days, between January 2024 and August 2025. Comprehensive clinical data were collected for all patients, including gender, age, age of onset, years of education, and the presence of suicidal or self-harming behaviors. Patients were divided into two groups: an AVH group (P3 score >3, n = 24) and a non-hallucination group (P3 score ≤3, n = 23), based on PANSS P3 scores and the presence of AVHs. Both groups underwent 1H-MRS scanning of the vmPFC to compare the ratios of N-acetyl aspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr), choline/creatine (Cho/Cr), myo-inositol/creatine (mI/Cr), glutamate/creatine (Glu/Cr), and NAA/Cho.
Results
The comparison of Cho/Cr ratios between the two groups—0.685 (0.653, 0.748) versus 0.600 (0.530, 0.650)—revealed a statistically significant difference (Z = 3.346, P = 0.001, <0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in the NAA/Cr, mI/Cr, and Glu/Cr ratios between the two groups.
Conclusion
Adolescent BD-Dep patients with AVHs exhibit elevated Cho/Cr ratios. These biochemical metabolic changes in the vmPFC may be associated with the occurrence of AVHs in these patients.
目的利用质子磁共振波谱（1H-MRS）成像技术分析青少年双相抑郁（BD-Dep）和言语幻听（AVHs）患者腹内侧前额叶皮层（vmPFC）的神经代谢变化。方法回顾性分析2024年1月至2025年8月期间47例未经治疗的青春期BD-Dep患者30天内的临床资料。收集所有患者的综合临床资料，包括性别、年龄、发病年龄、受教育年限、是否有自杀或自残行为。根据PANSS P3评分及AVH是否存在将患者分为AVH组（P3评分≤3，n = 24）和无幻觉组（P3评分≤3，n = 23）。两组均对vmPFC进行1H-MRS扫描，比较n -乙酰天冬氨酸/肌酸（NAA/Cr）、胆碱/肌酸（Cho/Cr）、肌醇/肌酸（mI/Cr）、谷氨酸/肌酸（Glu/Cr）和NAA/Cho的比值。结果两组患者Cho/Cr比值分别为0.685（0.653,0.748）和0.600(0.530,0.650)，差异有统计学意义（Z = 3.346, P = 0.001, <0.05）。两组间NAA/Cr、mI/Cr、Glu/Cr比值无统计学差异。结论青少年bd - deep AVHs患者Cho/Cr比值升高。这些vmPFC的生化代谢变化可能与这些患者中AVHs的发生有关。
{"title":"Brain biochemical metabolism using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in adolescents bipolar depression with verbal auditory hallucinations","authors":"Qinnaer Bolatijiang , Shaohong Zou , Chengji Wang , Jianliang Zhang , Zhiyuan Chen , Longyuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pscychresns.2025.112135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study utilizes proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (<sup>1</sup>H-MRS) imaging to analyze neuro-metabolic alterations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) of adolescents with bipolar depression (BD-Dep) and verbal auditory hallucinations (AVHs).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective analysis was conducted on 47 untreated adolescent BD-Dep patients within 30 days, between January 2024 and August 2025. Comprehensive clinical data were collected for all patients, including gender, age, age of onset, years of education, and the presence of suicidal or self-harming behaviors. Patients were divided into two groups: an AVH group (P3 score >3, <em>n</em> = 24) and a non-hallucination group (P3 score ≤3, <em>n</em> = 23), based on PANSS P3 scores and the presence of AVHs. Both groups underwent <sup>1</sup>H-MRS scanning of the vmPFC to compare the ratios of N-acetyl aspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr), choline/creatine (Cho/Cr), myo-inositol/creatine (mI/Cr), glutamate/creatine (Glu/Cr), and NAA/Cho.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The comparison of Cho/Cr ratios between the two groups—0.685 (0.653, 0.748) versus 0.600 (0.530, 0.650)—revealed a statistically significant difference (<em>Z</em> = 3.346, <em>P</em> = 0.001, <0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in the NAA/Cr, mI/Cr, and Glu/Cr ratios between the two groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Adolescent BD-Dep patients with AVHs exhibit elevated Cho/Cr ratios. These biochemical metabolic changes in the vmPFC may be associated with the occurrence of AVHs in these patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20776,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 112135"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145886471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号