Most recent paper

Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 26;15(1):96. doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03327-1.

ABSTRACT

The relationship between brain asymmetry and inattention, and their heritability is not well understood. Utilizing advanced neuroimaging, we examined brain asymmetry with data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD; n = 8943; 9-10 y) and the Human Connectome Project (HCP) cohorts (n = 1033; 5-100 y). Data-driven metrics from resting-state fMRI and morphometrics revealed reproducible and stable brain asymmetry patterns across the lifespan. In children, high levels of inattention were highly heritable (61%) and linked to reduced leftward asymmetry of functional connectivity in the dorsal posterior superior temporal sulcus (dpSTS), a region interconnected with a left-lateralized language network. However, reduced dpSTS asymmetry had low heritability (16%) and was associated with lower cognitive performance suggesting that non-genetic factors, such as those mediating cognitive performance, might underlie its association with dpSTS asymmetry. Interventions that enhance cognition might help optimize brain function and reduce inattention.

PMID:40140344 | DOI:10.1038/s41398-025-03327-1

Neurobiol Aging. 2025 Mar 17;150:157-171. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a long preclinical stage during which molecular markers of amyloid beta and tau pathology rise, but there is minimal neurodegeneration or cognitive decline. Previous literature suggests that measures of brain function might be more sensitive to neuropathologic burden during the preclinical stage of AD than conventional measures of macrostructure, such as cortical thickness. Among studies that used resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) acquisitions with Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) contrast, most employed connectivity-based analytic approaches. Consequently, little is known about the effects of amyloid and tau pathology on amplitude of intrinsic BOLD signal fluctuations. To address this knowledge gap, we characterized the effects of preclinical and prodromal AD on the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) of the BOLD signal both at the whole-brain level and at a more granular level focused on subregions of the medial temporal lobe. We observed reduced ALFF in both preclinical and prodromal AD. In preclinical AD, amyloid positivity was associated with a spatially diffuse ALFF reduction in the frontal, medial parietal, and lateral temporal association cortices. In contrast, tau pathology was negatively associated with ALFF in the entorhinal cortex. These ALFF effects were observed in the absence of observable macrostructural changes in preclinical AD and remained after adjusting for structural atrophy in prodromal AD, indicating that ALFF offers additional sensitivity to early disease processes beyond what is provided by traditional structural imaging biomarkers of neurodegeneration. We conclude that ALFF may be a promising imaging-based biomarker in preclinical AD.

PMID:40138942 | DOI:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.007

Brain Behav. 2025 Mar;15(3):e70440. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70440.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The nucleus accumbens (NAc), an important component of the reward circuit, is believed to play an indispensable role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to explore alterations in the functional connectivity (FC) of NAc subregions in AD patients and to explore their associations with neuropsychological profiles.

METHODS: Total 45 AD patients and 41 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for this study. Four subregions of the NAc were used as regions of interest for whole-brain FC analysis. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between the changed FC of brain regions with significant differences and neuropsychological profiles.

RESULTS: Compared with HCs, decreased FC was observed between NAc subregions and regions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), precuneus (PCUN), insula (INS), cerebellum 8, and putamen in AD patients (Gaussian random field [GRF] corrected, voxel-level p < 0.001, cluster-level p < 0.05). Furthermore, the FC between the left core and left PCUN was correlated with the score of the auditory verbal learning test immediate recall task in AD patients (r = 0.441, p = 0.003, Bonferroni corrected).

CONCLUSION: Disruptions in connectivity between the NAc subregions and important cognitive-related areas may be related to the cognitive deficits observed in AD patients, especially episodic memory function.

PMID:40135639 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70440

Brain Behav. 2025 Mar;15(3):e70434. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70434.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to investigate cognitive function changes in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients and healthy controls (HCs), and to elucidate the potential mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cognitive function of 34 patients with TN and 30 HCs was evaluated. Afterward, we calculated the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC). These metrics were correlated with cognitive performance using the Spearman correlation analysis.

RESULTS: Patients with TN exhibited diminished cognitive performance compared to HCs. Increased mean ALFF (mALFF) levels were detected in the right temporal pole, superior temporal gyrus, and right insula in individuals with TN. These increases were negatively correlated with cognitive function. In contrast, decreased mALFF values were observed in the right lingual gyrus, bilateral calcarine, and left middle occipital gyrus, which were associated with improved cognitive function. Increased DC values were found in various areas, such as the right temporal pole, superior temporal gyrus, right opercular inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus, left supplementary motor area, left anterior cingulum, and right middle cingulum in individuals with TN. These values negatively correlated with cognitive performance.

CONCLUSION: TN patients exhibited impairments in multiple cognitive areas, such as attention, memory, executive function, visual perception and executive ability, information processing speed, and motor speed. The metrics ALFF and DC exhibited alterations in TN patients, suggesting that cognitive impairments may be linked to decreased functional activity in specific brain regions. Concurrently, certain cerebral regions may exhibit increased functional activity as a compensatory response to cognitive deficits. These findings hold significant theoretical value and clinical application potential, providing novel methodologies and perspectives for early diagnosis, personalized treatment, and efficacy evaluation. Such advancements are poised to enhance the overall treatment outcomes and quality of life for TN patients.

PMID:40135636 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70434

Commun Biol. 2025 Mar 25;8(1):488. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-07876-5.

ABSTRACT

Neuronal hyperexcitation affects memory and neural processing across the Alzheimer's disease (AD) cognitive continuum. Levetiracetam, an antiepileptic, shows promise in improving cognitive impairment by restoring the neural excitation/inhibition balance in AD patients. We previously identified a hyper-excitable phenotype in cognitively unimpaired female APOE-ε4 carriers relative to male counterparts cross-sectionally. This sex difference lacks longitudinal validation; however, clarifying the vulnerability of female ε4-carriers could better inform antiepileptic treatment efficacy. Here, we investigated this sex-by-ε4 interaction using a longitudinal design. We used resting-state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging collected longitudinally from 106 participants who were cognitively unimpaired for at least one scan event but may have been assessed to have clinical dementia ratings corresponding to early mild cognitive impairment over time. By including scan events where participants transitioned to mild cognitive impairment, we modeled the trajectory of the whole-brain excitation-inhibition ratio throughout the preclinical cognitively healthy continuum and extended to early impairment. A linear mixed model revealed a significant three-way interaction among sex, ε4-status, and time, with female ε4-carriers showing a significant hyper-excitable trajectory. These findings suggest a possible pathway for preventative therapy targeting preclinical hyperexcitation in female ε4-carriers.

PMID:40133608 | DOI:10.1038/s42003-025-07876-5

Neurol Sci. 2025 Mar 26. doi: 10.1007/s10072-025-08106-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study utilizes resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and graph theory analysis to identify key brain regions in vestibular migraine (VM), explore their associations with clinical symptoms, and examine the role of these functional network hubs in the pathophysiology of VM, offering novel insights and a theoretical basis for understanding its neural mechanisms and improving its clinical diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS: We enrolled patients diagnosed with VM, individuals with Migraine without Aura (MwoA), and healthy control subjects, collecting both clinical and sociodemographic data alongside MRI data. Employing graph theory analysis, we focused on identifying critical hub nodes and networks within VM patients, using metrics like degree, betweenness centrality, and eigenvector centrality for our analysis.

RESULTS: The study included 30 VM patients, 28 MwoA subjects, and 31 healthy controls. Analysis of rich-club coefficients across different levels of network sparsity indicated significantly lower normalized rich-club coefficients for VM and MwoA groups compared to healthy controls at a 65% sparsity threshold, particularly within a node degree range of 91 to 94. Notably, the temporal lobes, limbic system, and frontal lobes were predominant regions for rich-club nodes in the VM group, with significant increases in centrality metrics observed in the right posterior parahippocampal gyrus. These metrics in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus showed a positive correlation with the intensity, duration, and progression of headache episodes in VM patients.

CONCLUSIONS: In vestibular migraine patients, critical hub nodes such as the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus are identified, potentially associated with emotional regulation, pain perception, and the memory of pain.

PMID:40133587 | DOI:10.1007/s10072-025-08106-w

Brain Topogr. 2025 Mar 25;38(3):38. doi: 10.1007/s10548-025-01112-3.

ABSTRACT

Negative symptoms represent pervasive symptoms in schizophrenia (SZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Empirical findings suggest that disrupted striatal function contributes significantly to negative symptoms. However, the changes in striatal functional connectivity in relation to these negative symptoms, in the transdiagnostic context, remain unclear. The present study aimed to capture the shared neural mechanisms underlying negative symptoms in SZ and MDD. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 60 patients with SZ and MDD (33 with SZ and 27 with MDD) exhibiting predominant negative symptoms, and 52 healthy controls (HC). Negative symptoms and hedonic capacity were assessed using the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS), respectively. Signal extraction for time series from 12 subregions of the striatum was carried out to examine the group differences in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between striatal subregions and the whole brain. We observed significantly decreased rsFC between the right dorsal rostral putamen (DRP) and the right pallidum, the bilateral rostral putamen and the contralateral putamen, as well as between the dorsal caudal putamen and the right middle frontal gyrus in both patients with SZ and MDD. The right DRP-right pallidum rsFC was positively correlated with the level of negative symptoms in SZ. However, patients with SZ showed increased rsFC between the dorsal striatum and the left precentral gyrus, the right middle temporal gyrus, and the right lingual gyrus compared with those with MDD. Our findings expand on the understanding that reduced putaminal rsFC contributes to negative symptoms in both SZ and MDD. Abnormal functional connectivity of the putamen may represent a partially common neural substrate for negative symptoms in SZ and MDD, supporting that the comparable clinical manifestations between the two disorders are underpinned by partly shared mechanisms, as proposed by the transdiagnostic Research Domain Criteria.

PMID:40131502 | DOI:10.1007/s10548-025-01112-3

Environ Health Perspect. 2025 Mar 25. doi: 10.1289/EHP14525. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Traffic-related exposures, such as air pollution and noise, show long-term associations with brain alterations in children and adolescents. The associations with functional connectivity have been studied using static approaches of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) (i.e., average connectivity between regions across the scanning session).

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to investigate the long-term association of traffic air pollution and noise during pregnancy and childhood with functional connectivity across adolescence using a dynamic approach, which captures different connectivity patterns across the scanning session.

METHODS: We used data from the Generation R population-based birth cohort. We estimated levels of 14 air pollutants and traffic noise at home addresses during pregnancy and childhood. We acquired rs-fMRI data at the age-10 and age-14 visits. We included participants with rs-fMRI data in at least one visit and either air pollution data (n=3,588) or noise data (n=2,642). We used k-means clustering to identify 5 connectivity patterns, called 'states', that reoccur over time and across subjects and visits. We calculated the mean time spent in each state for each participant and visit. We performed multi- and single-pollutant mixed effects models adjusted for socioeconomic and lifestyle variables, including the individual as random effect to test the associations between the exposures and the mean time spent in each state.

RESULTS: Exposure to nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM), and road-traffic noise was related to differences in the time spent in the connectivity states, both in the multi- and single-pollutant models. For instance, higher PMCOARSE (PM2.5-PM10) during pregnancy and higher noise during childhood were associated with more time spent in a state in which the default-mode network, related to self-referential processes and mind-wandering, shows high connectivity.

DISCUSSION: Traffic-related exposures might be related to long-term alterations in brain functional network organization in adolescents. Further research should explore the potential impact of these differences on cognition and psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14525.

PMID:40131185 | DOI:10.1289/EHP14525

J Oral Facial Pain Headache. 2025 Mar;39(1):148-156. doi: 10.22514/jofph.2025.015. Epub 2025 Mar 12.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to examine alterations in the brain's spontaneous activity during rest in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) affecting different sides of the face.

METHODS: We included 30 cases each of right-sided TN (R_TN), left-sided TN (L_TN), and healthy controls (HC). We analyzed changes in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) values between L_TN and R_TN groups in comparison to HC. We also explored relationships between disease duration, visual analog scale scores, and ALFF/ReHo values in significant brain regions.

RESULTS: Relative to HC, L_TN exhibited increased ALFF values in the left superior temporal gyrus and reduced values in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus. Elevated ReHo values were observed in the left cerebellar Crus2 region, while decreased values were identified in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus and left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus. In R_TN, ALFF values increased in the left precentral gyrus and decreased in the right middle frontal gyrus; ReHo values remained unchanged. Correlation analysis indicated positive associations between disease duration and ALFF value of left superior temporal gyrus, as well as ReHo value of left cerebellar Crus2 region in L_TN.

CONCLUSIONS: This research indicated that both left and right TN patients exhibited changes in spontaneous brain activity during rest. These alterations predominantly occurred contralateral to the pain. These identified brain regions are implicated in pain perception, regulation, and emotional processing, suggesting their relevance to the modulation and adaptive changes of the human brain in response to trigeminal neuralgia.

PMID:40129433 | DOI:10.22514/jofph.2025.015

Behav Brain Funct. 2025 Mar 24;21(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s12993-025-00272-3.

ABSTRACT

Neuroplasticity, a phenomenon present throughout the lifespan, is thought to be influenced by physical training. However, the relationship between neuroplastic differences and attentional abilities remains unclear. This study explored the differences in brain function and attentional abilities between professional football athletes and novices, and further investigated the relationship between the two. To address this question, we included 49 football athletes and 63 novices in our study, collecting data on resting-state functional connectivity and Attention Network Test (ANT). Behavioral results from the ANT indicated that football experts had superior orienting attention but weaker alerting functions compared to novices, with no difference in executive control attention. fMRI results revealed that football experts exhibited higher fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF) values in the bilateral anterior cerebellar lobes, bilateral insula, and left superior temporal gyrus. Functional connectivity analysis showed increased connectivity between the left anterior cerebellar lobe and various cortical regions, including the right supramarginal gyrus, left precuneus, left superior frontal gyrus, bilateral posterior cerebellar lobes, and bilateral precentral gyri in experts compared to novices. More importantly, in the expert group but not in novice group, functional connectivity differences significantly predicted attentional orienting scores. Graph theoretical analysis showed that experts exhibited higher betweenness centrality and node efficiency in the right cerebellar lobule III (Cerebelum_3_R) node. Our findings demonstrate that long-term professional football training may significantly affect neuroplasticity and attentional functions. Importantly, our analysis reveals a substantive connection between these two aspects, suggesting that the integration of neuroplastic and attentional changes is likely mediated by cerebellar-cortical connectivity.

PMID:40128842 | DOI:10.1186/s12993-025-00272-3

Pediatr Res. 2025 Mar 24. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04003-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adolescents with varied growth hormone (GH) levels exhibit height discrepancies. This study investigated the association of height and GH on structural-functional connectivity (SC-FC) coupling within brains of growth hormone deficiency (GHD), idiopathic short stature (ISS), and healthy controls (HC).

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 79 GHD, 88 ISS, and 37 HC subjects was performed, incorporating clinical, behavioral assessments, and multimodal brain MRI data. SC-FC coupling matrices were derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Group comparisons used ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests, while partial correlation assessed correlations of hormone levels and cognitive scores.

RESULTS: Both short-statured groups (GHD and ISS) displayed reduced hormone levels, cognitive behavioral scores, and SC-FC coupling in primary sensory regions (visual (VIS) and sensorimotor network (SMN)) compared to HC. Bilateral SMN showed the highest intra-network variability amongst all groups. GHD exhibited greater inter-network SC-FC coupling variability than ISS, with HC showing the least. A negative correlation between peak GH levels and SC-FC coupling across multiple networks was observed exclusively in GHD.

CONCLUSION: Height and GH distinctly influenced brain structure-function coupling in children with short stature. Reduced SC-FC coupling in primary sensory regions highlights their vulnerability to developmental variations.

IMPACT: The study demonstrates that height and growth hormone (GH) levels have distinct impacts on brain structure-function coupling (SC-FC) in children with short stature, with primary sensory regions (e.g., visual and sensorimotor networks) being particularly vulnerable. The findings highlight the susceptibility of primary sensory brain regions to developmental variations and suggest that GH plays a critical role in modulating brain connectivity, particularly in the GHD group. The study underscores the importance of early intervention for children with GHD, as reduced SC-FC coupling in primary sensory regions may correlate with cognitive and behavioral outcomes.

PMID:40128591 | DOI:10.1038/s41390-025-04003-2

Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 24;15(1):10116. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-95000-2.

ABSTRACT

Osteocalcin (OCN) is an endocrine hormone that signals in the periphery, regulating male fertility, energy expenditure and glucose homeostasis. It can also cross the blood-brain-barrier and act on the brain via receptors GPR37 and GPR158. In the brain, OCN influences neurotransmitter synthesis of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. OCN's function is related to cognitive and memory performance and lack of OCN is associated with anxiety and depression-like behavior in mice. We used multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including pharmacological MRI and resting state functional MRI, along with gene expression data for Gpr37 and Gpr158 to investigate the physiological effects of intravenously administered OCN on the wild type mouse brain. We found four core brain regions (brainstem, limbic output, association cortex, and basal ganglia) that are highly relevant in all three analytical modalities (i.e. pharmacological, resting state MRI and gene expression) and play therefore a major role in mediating OCN's effect in the brain. This study provides the first imaging data of the physiological impact of OCN on the mouse brain, suggesting its potential role in modulating brain function and its relevance as a candidate for further investigation in anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairments.

PMID:40128223 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-95000-2

Brain Res Bull. 2025 Mar 22:111312. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111312. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the changes in intrinsic brain activity (IBA) among individuals with Broca aphasia (BA) after a stroke.

METHODS: We collected information from 60 participants. The participants were categorized into four groups according to language (Uyghur and Chinese) and BA status (BA and healthy): Uyghur aphasia patients (UA), Uyghur healthy control subjects (UH), Chinese aphasia patients (CA), and Chinese healthy control subjects (CH). Each group comprised 15 individuals. The shifting dynamics and concordance of regional IBA indices were examined via sliding time-window analysis. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted with the IBA indices to test for regions with interactions between language and BA status. Partial correlation analysis was employed to evaluate the relationships between various indices and language behaviors.

RESULTS: Participants with head motion exceeding 3mm translation or 3° rotation were excluded, leaving 9, 12, 13, and 15 participants in the UA, CA, UH, and CH groups, respectively. Seven IBA indices were activated in 16 brain regions in the four groups. In detail, two-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between language and BA status in four IBA dynamic indices (amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), Regional homogeneity (ReHo), degree centrality (DC), and functional connectivity (FC)) in 11 brain regions (P < 0.000). For the other three dynamic indices (fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC), and Global signal connectivity (GSCorr)), no interaction was observed among the four groups. However, the main effect analysis of the BA state demonstrated significant differences across a total of six brain regions (P < 0.000). The concordance alterations in fALFF, ReHo, VMHC, DC, and GSCorr in the right calcarine fissure and the surrounding cortex were significantly lower in CA than in CH (P = 0.000), significantly higher in UA than in CA (P = 0.025), and significantly lower in UH than CH (P = 0.000).

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, alterations in IBA dynamics and concordance were observed in individuals from UA, UH, CA, and CH. These findings suggest that the IBA dynamic index varies across brain regions of BA patients with different local languages, providing a novel perspective for investigating brain alterations by analyzing temporal dynamics using rs-fMRI data.

PMID:40127726 | DOI:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111312

Psychol Med. 2025 Mar 24;55:e91. doi: 10.1017/S0033291724003131.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Because pediatric anxiety disorders precede the onset of many other problems, successful prediction of response to the first-line treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), could have a major impact. This study evaluates whether structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging can predict post-CBT anxiety symptoms.

METHODS: Two datasets were studied: (A) one consisted of n = 54 subjects with an anxiety diagnosis, who received 12 weeks of CBT, and (B) one consisted of n = 15 subjects treated for 8 weeks. Connectome predictive modeling (CPM) was used to predict treatment response, as assessed with the PARS. The main analysis included network edges positively correlated with treatment outcome and age, sex, and baseline anxiety severity as predictors. Results from alternative models and analyses are also presented. Model assessments utilized 1000 bootstraps, resulting in a 95% CI for R2, r, and mean absolute error (MAE).

RESULTS: The main model showed a MAE of approximately 3.5 (95% CI: [3.1-3.8]) points, an R2 of 0.08 [-0.14-0.26], and an r of 0.38 [0.24-0.511]. When testing this model in the left-out sample (B), the results were similar, with an MAE of 3.4 [2.8-4.7], R2-0.65 [-2.29-0.16], and r of 0.4 [0.24-0.54]. The anatomical metrics showed a similar pattern, where models rendered overall low R2.

CONCLUSIONS: The analysis showed that models based on earlier promising results failed to predict clinical outcomes. Despite the small sample size, this study does not support the extensive use of CPM to predict outcomes in pediatric anxiety.

PMID:40125734 | DOI:10.1017/S0033291724003131

Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2025 Mar 24:e70029. doi: 10.1111/nmo.70029. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with psychological stress and anxiety. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown differences in brain function between patients with CD and healthy controls (HC). This study aimed to compare the neural correlates of anxiety inindividuals with CD relative to HC, using resting-state fMRI data.

METHODS: Participants filled in the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a validated tool for measuring anxiety, and underwent an MRI acquisition, including both structural and functional sequences, to identify brain regions associated with anxiety scores.

RESULTS: Seventeen patients with CD and eighteen HC matched for age, education, and sex participated in the study. No significant group differences emerged in the STAI scores. However, resting-state fMRI analysis revealed distinct patterns of functional connectivity associated with anxiety scores for the two study groups. Among CD group, greater STAI scores correlated with increased functional connectivity, whereas, in HC, they correlated with decreased functional connectivity. Significant clusters were found in brain regions belonging to specific resting-state networks (RSNs): (a) Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC, within the Default Mode Network), (b) left Middle Frontal Gyrus (within the Left Fronto-Parietal Network), and (c) PCC and right Superior Temporal Gyrus (within the Dorsal Attention Network).

CONCLUSION: The differential association between functional connectivity and STAI scores observed for CD and HC participants was located in areas within self-referential (Default Mode Network) and cognitive (Left Fronto-Parietal Network and Dorsal Attention Network) RSNs. Our findings suggest that maladaptive/dysfunctional processing of negative emotions and visceral sensitivity may occur in patients with CD.

PMID:40125714 | DOI:10.1111/nmo.70029

Nat Sci Sleep. 2025 Mar 18;17:475-487. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S499702. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sleep deprivation is known to impair cognitive performance, particularly inhibitory control, which is crucial for goal-directed behavior. While extended recovery sleep is the ideal solution, the fast-paced demands of modern life often make this impractical. Brief daytime naps have emerged as a potential countermeasure, but the neural mechanisms underlying their restorative effects remain underexplored.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 30-minute daytime nap on brain activation patterns and cognitive performance following sleep deprivation. We used task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how naps modulate brain regions involved in inhibitory control.

METHODS: Forty-five participants completed a dual-choice Oddball task under three conditions: Resting Wakefulness (RW), Sleep Deprivation (SD), and Post-Nap (Nap). Reaction times (RT), accuracy, and brain activation patterns were measured and analyzed across these states. Task-related brain activation was examined using fMRI, focusing on regions involved in the frontoparietal and default mode networks (DMN).

RESULTS: Sleep deprivation significantly impaired inhibitory control, as reflected by slower RTs and reduced accuracy. A 30-minute nap partially restored cognitive performance, with RTs and accuracy showing intermediate improvement between RW and SD. Neuroimaging data revealed that the nap restored positive activation in the prefrontal cortex, occipital lobes, and middle frontal regions, which had been significantly reduced during SD. Furthermore, the nap enhanced negative activation in the middle temporal gyrus and cingulate gyrus, regions associated with the DMN, reducing cognitive interference from irrelevant stimuli.

CONCLUSION: Daytime naps significantly mitigate the cognitive deficits induced by SD through two primary mechanisms: (1) enhancing positive activation in task-relevant brain regions and (2) increasing negative activation in areas involved in the DMN. These findings provide novel insights into the neural basis of nap-induced cognitive recovery, underscoring the value of naps as an effective intervention to restore inhibitory control following SD.

PMID:40124581 | PMC:PMC11929420 | DOI:10.2147/NSS.S499702

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

ABSTRACT

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

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

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

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

PMID:40123167 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.70415

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

ABSTRACT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABSTRACT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABSTRACT

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

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