It has been argued that the human brain,as an information-processing machine,operates near a phase transition point in a non-equilibrium state,where it violates detailed balance leading to entropy production.Thus,the ...It has been argued that the human brain,as an information-processing machine,operates near a phase transition point in a non-equilibrium state,where it violates detailed balance leading to entropy production.Thus,the assessment of irreversibility in brain networks can provide valuable insights into their non-equilibrium properties.In this study,we utilized an open-source whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)dataset from both resting and task states to evaluate the irreversibility of large-scale human brain networks.Our analysis revealed that the brain networks exhibited significant irreversibility,violating detailed balance,and generating entropy.Notably,both physical and cognitive tasks increased the extent of this violation compared to the resting state.Regardless of the state(rest or task),interactions between pairs of brain regions were the primary contributors to this irreversibility.Moreover,we observed that as global synchrony increased within brain networks,so did irreversibility.The first derivative of irreversibility with respect to synchronization peaked near the phase transition point,characterized by the moderate mean synchronization and maximized synchronization entropy of blood oxygenation level-dependent(BOLD)signals.These findings deepen our understanding of the non-equilibrium dynamics of large-scale brain networks,particularly in relation to their phase transition behaviors,and may have potential clinical applications for brain disorders.展开更多
BACKGROUND Successful aging(SA)refers to the ability to maintain high levels of physical,cognitive,psychological,and social engagement in old age,with high cognitive function being the key to achieving SA.AIM To explo...BACKGROUND Successful aging(SA)refers to the ability to maintain high levels of physical,cognitive,psychological,and social engagement in old age,with high cognitive function being the key to achieving SA.AIM To explore the potential characteristics of the brain network and functional connectivity(FC)of SA.METHODS Twenty-six SA individuals and 47 usual aging individuals were recruited from community-dwelling elderly,which were taken the magnetic resonance imaging scan and the global cognitive function assessment by Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE).The resting state-functional magnetic resonance imaging data were preprocessed by DPABISurf,and the brain functional network was conducted by DPABINet.The support vector machine model was constructed with altered functional connectivities to evaluate the identification value of SA.RESULTS The results found that the 6 inter-network FCs of 5 brain networks were significantly altered and related to MMSE performance.The FC of the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus and right angular gyrus was mostly increased and positively related to MMSE score,and the FC of the right supramarginal gyrus and right temporal pole:Middle temporal gyrus was the only one decreased and negatively related to MMSE score.All 17 significantly altered FCs of SA were taken into the support vector machine model,and the area under the curve was 0.895.CONCLUSION The identification of key brain networks and FC of SA could help us better understand the brain mechanism and further explore neuroimaging biomarkers of SA.展开更多
Distinct brain remodeling has been found after different nerve reconstruction strategies,including motor representation of the affected limb.However,differences among reconstruction strategies at the brain network lev...Distinct brain remodeling has been found after different nerve reconstruction strategies,including motor representation of the affected limb.However,differences among reconstruction strategies at the brain network level have not been elucidated.This study aimed to explore intranetwork changes related to altered peripheral neural pathways after different nerve reconstruction surgeries,including nerve repair,endto-end nerve transfer,and end-to-side nerve transfer.Sprague–Dawley rats underwent complete left brachial plexus transection and were divided into four equal groups of eight:no nerve repair,grafted nerve repair,phrenic nerve end-to-end transfer,and end-to-side transfer with a graft sutured to the anterior upper trunk.Resting-state brain functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained 7 months after surgery.The independent component analysis algorithm was utilized to identify group-level network components of interest and extract resting-state functional connectivity values of each voxel within the component.Alterations in intra-network resting-state functional connectivity were compared among the groups.Target muscle reinnervation was assessed by behavioral observation(elbow flexion)and electromyography.The results showed that alterations in the sensorimotor and interoception networks were mostly related to changes in the peripheral neural pathway.Nerve repair was related to enhanced connectivity within the sensorimotor network,while end-to-side nerve transfer might be more beneficial for restoring control over the affected limb by the original motor representation.The thalamic-cortical pathway was enhanced within the interoception network after nerve repair and end-to-end nerve transfer.Brain areas related to cognition and emotion were enhanced after end-to-side nerve transfer.Our study revealed important brain networks related to different nerve reconstructions.These networks may be potential targets for enhancing motor recovery.展开更多
Objective Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing neurocognitive performance in Alzheimer’s disease(AD),but the neurobiological mechanisms linking synaptic pathology,n...Objective Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing neurocognitive performance in Alzheimer’s disease(AD),but the neurobiological mechanisms linking synaptic pathology,neural oscillatory dynamics,and brain network reorganization remain unclear.This investigation seeks to systematically evaluate the therapeutic potential of rTMS as a non-invasive neuromodulatory intervention through a multimodal framework integrating clinical assessments,molecular profiling,and neurophysiological monitoring.Methods In this prospective double-blind trial,12 AD patients underwent a 14-day protocol of 20 Hz rTMS,with comprehensive multimodal assessments performed pre-and postintervention.Cognitive functioning was quantified using the mini-mental state examination(MMSE)and Montreal cognitive assessment(MOCA),while daily living capacities and neuropsychiatric profiles were respectively evaluated through the activities of daily living(ADL)scale and combined neuropsychiatric inventory(NPI)-Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD).Peripheral blood biomarkers,specifically Aβ1-40 and phosphorylated tau(p-tau181),were analyzed to investigate the effects of rTMS on molecular metabolism.Spectral power analysis was employed to investigate rTMS-induced modulations of neural rhythms in AD patients,while brain network analyses incorporating topological properties were conducted to examine stimulus-driven network reorganization.Furthermore,systematic assessment of correlations between cognitive scale scores,blood biomarkers,and network characteristics was performed to elucidate cross-modal therapeutic associations.Results Clinically,MMSE and MOCA scores improved significantly(P<0.05).Biomarker showed that Aβ1-40 level increased(P<0.05),contrasting with p-tau181 reduction.Moreover,the levels of Aβ1-40 were positively correlated with MMSE and MOCA scores.Post-intervention analyses revealed significant modulations in oscillatory power,characterized by pronounced reductions in delta(P<0.05)and theta bands(P<0.05),while concurrent enhancements were observed in alpha,beta,and gamma band activities(all P<0.05).Network analysis revealed frequency-specific reorganization:clustering coefficients were significantly decreased in delta,theta,and alpha bands(P<0.05),while global efficiency improvement was exclusively detected in the delta band(P<0.05).The alpha band demonstrated concurrent increases in average nodal degree(P<0.05)and characteristic path length reduction(P<0.05).Further research findings indicate that the changes in the clinical scale HAMD scores before and after rTMS stimulation are negatively correlated with the changes in the blood biomarkers Aβ1-40 and p-tau181.Additionally,the changes in the clinical scales MMSE and MoCA scores were negatively correlated with the changes in the node degree of the alpha frequency band and negatively correlated with the clustering coefficient of the delta frequency band.However,the changes in MMSE scores are positively correlated with the changes in global efficiency of both the delta and alpha frequency bands.Conclusion 20 Hz rTMS targeting dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(DLPFC)significantly improves cognitive function and enhances the metabolic clearance ofβ-amyloid and tau proteins in AD patients.This neurotherapeutic effect is mechanistically associated with rTMS-mediated frequency-selective neuromodulation,which enhances the connectivity of oscillatory networks through improved neuronal synchronization and optimized topological organization of functional brain networks.These findings not only support the efficacy of rTMS as an adjunctive therapy for AD but also underscore the importance of employing multiple assessment methods—including clinical scales,blood biomarkers,and EEG——in understanding and monitoring the progression of AD.This research provides a significant theoretical foundation and empirical evidence for further exploration of rTMS applications in AD treatment.展开更多
Epilepsy can be defined as a dysfunction of the brain network,and each type of epilepsy involves different brain-network changes that are implicated diffe rently in the control and propagation of interictal or ictal d...Epilepsy can be defined as a dysfunction of the brain network,and each type of epilepsy involves different brain-network changes that are implicated diffe rently in the control and propagation of interictal or ictal discharges.Gaining more detailed information on brain network alterations can help us to further understand the mechanisms of epilepsy and pave the way for brain network-based precise therapeutic approaches in clinical practice.An increasing number of advanced neuroimaging techniques and electrophysiological techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tra ctography,diffusion kurtosis imaging-based fiber tractography,fiber ball imagingbased tra ctography,electroencephalography,functional magnetic resonance imaging,magnetoencephalography,positron emission tomography,molecular imaging,and functional ultrasound imaging have been extensively used to delineate epileptic networks.In this review,we summarize the relevant neuroimaging and neuroelectrophysiological techniques for assessing structural and functional brain networks in patients with epilepsy,and extensively analyze the imaging mechanisms,advantages,limitations,and clinical application ranges of each technique.A greater focus on emerging advanced technologies,new data analysis software,a combination of multiple techniques,and the construction of personalized virtual epilepsy models can provide a theoretical basis to better understand the brain network mechanisms of epilepsy and make surgical decisions.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To analyze part of the mechanism of electroacupuncture on Sishencong(EX-HN1) for strokerelated sleep disorders(SSD) and post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI). METHODS: Using a randomized controlled trial(R...OBJECTIVE: To analyze part of the mechanism of electroacupuncture on Sishencong(EX-HN1) for strokerelated sleep disorders(SSD) and post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI). METHODS: Using a randomized controlled trial(RCT) design, 72 patients were assigned to the electroacupuncture(EA) group or the sham acupuncture(SA) group. A healthy control(HC) group was also included. Both groups were given routine rehabilitation treatment. Then, patients in the EA group were given additional electroacupuncture at Sishencong(EX_HN1). Meanwhile, patients in the SA group were given a flat-head needle sham/placebo treatment placed at the bilateral Jianyu (LI15) and Binao(LI14) line midpoints and the Jianyu(LI15) and Jianzhen(SI9) line midpoints. Before and after treatment, scales were collected and analyzed. In the second phase of the study, some subjects from the EA group were selected for functional magnetic resonance imaging(f MRI) data acquisition and comparative analysis with the HC group using a non-RCT design. RESULTS: The EA group performed better than the SA group on the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI), Montreal cognitive assessment basic(Mo CA_B), selfrating anxiety scale(SAS), and self-rating depression scale(SDS). Analysis of the f MRI showed that lowfrequency(2 Hz) electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong(EX_HN1) can restrain frontal sup medial right(SFGmed.R), precuneus right(PCUN.R), and posterior cingulate cortex right(PCC.R) and enhance angular left(ANG.L), parietal inf left(IPL.L) and occipital mid left(MOG.L). The functional connectivity(FC) of SFGmed.R was positively correlated with PSQI. Electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong(EX_HN1) can reduce the side efficiency of the whole brain connection with the Thalamus.L, Hippocampus.L, and Occipital.Mid.L. CONCLUSIONS: Low frequency(2 Hz) electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong(EX_HN1) can simultaneously improve sleep quality, negative emotions, and cognitive functions, the first two of which may be related to SFGmed.R restraint. Electroacupuncture can make some brain areas approach the physiological bias state, which is characterized by dominant hemispheric enhancement and non-dominant hemispheric weakening. The reduced whole brain connection side efficiency with some key nodes of the brain net may relate to sleep quality improvements in SSD patients.展开更多
Neuroimaging has opened new opportunities to study the neural correlates of consciousness, and provided additional information concerning diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic interventions in patients with disorders ...Neuroimaging has opened new opportunities to study the neural correlates of consciousness, and provided additional information concerning diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic interventions in patients with disorders of consciousness. Here, we aim to review neuroimaging studies in chronic disorders of consciousness from the viewpoint of the brain network, focusing on positron emission tomogra- phy, functional MRI, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, electrophysiology, and diffusion MRI. To accelerate basic research on disorders of consciousness and provide a panoramic view of unconsciousness, we propose that it is urgent to integrate different techniques at various spatiotemporal scales, and to merge fragmented findings into a uniform "Brainnetome" (Brain-net-ome) research framework.展开更多
Delirium is a severe acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that commonly occurs in the elderly and is considered an independent risk factor for later dementia.However,given its inherent complexity,few animal models of delir...Delirium is a severe acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that commonly occurs in the elderly and is considered an independent risk factor for later dementia.However,given its inherent complexity,few animal models of delirium have been established and the mechanism underlying the onset of delirium remains elusive.Here,we conducted a comparison of three mouse models of delirium induced by clinically relevant risk factors,including anesthesia with surgery(AS),systemic inflammation,and neurotransmission modulation.We found that both bacterial lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and cholinergic receptor antagonist scopolamine(Scop)induction reduced neuronal activities in the delirium-related brain network,with the latter presenting a similar pattern of reduction as found in delirium patients.Consistently,Scop injection resulted in reversible cognitive impairment with hyperactive behavior.No loss of cholinergic neurons was found with treatment,but hippocampal synaptic functions were affected.These findings provide further clues regarding the mechanism underlying delirium onset and demonstrate the successful application of the Scop injection model in mimicking delirium-like phenotypes in mice.展开更多
Functional magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used to investigate the effects of acupuncture on neural activity. However, most functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have focused on acute changes in bra...Functional magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used to investigate the effects of acupuncture on neural activity. However, most functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have focused on acute changes in brain activation induced by acupuncture. Thus, the time course of the therapeutic effects of acupuncture remains unclear. In this study, 32 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment were randomly divided into two groups, where they received either Tiaoshen Yizhi acupuncture or sham acupoint acupuncture. The needles were either twirled at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints, including Sishencong(EX-HN1), Yintang(EX-HN3), Neiguan(PC6), Taixi(KI3), Fenglong(ST40), and Taichong(LR3), or at related sham acupoints at a depth of approximately 15 mm, an angle of ± 60°, and a rate of approximately 120 times per minute. Acupuncture was conducted for 4 consecutive weeks, five times per week, on weekdays. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging indicated that connections between cognition-related regions such as the insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, inferior parietal lobule, and anterior cingulate cortex increased after acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints. The insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus acted as central brain hubs. Patients in the Tiaoshen Yizhi group exhibited improved cognitive performance after acupuncture. In the sham acupoint acupuncture group, connections between brain regions were dispersed, and we found no differences in cognitive function following the treatment. These results indicate that acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints can regulate brain networks by increasing connectivity between cognition-related regions, thereby improving cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.展开更多
Because functional magnetic resonance imaging can be used for dynamic observation of functional cortical changes after brain injuries, we followed up functional magnetic resonance imaging manifestations of a language-...Because functional magnetic resonance imaging can be used for dynamic observation of functional cortical changes after brain injuries, we followed up functional magnetic resonance imaging manifestations of a language-related brain network in a low-grade glioma patient. Disease progression and therapy during a 3-year period were followed up at different time points: before and after reoperation, after radiation therapy, and 1 year after irradiation. During the whole 3-year follow-up period, the patient exhibited no neurological deficits while functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed different topologies of the language-related brain network. During disease progression and after irradiation, the language-related brain network was extended or completely transferred to the nondominant (right) hemisphere. In addition, after reoperation and 1 year after irradiation, language areas were primarily found in the language dominant (left) hemisphere. Our results suggest a high level of adaptability of the language-related cortical network of the bilateral hemispheres in this low-grade glioma patient.展开更多
Although the relationship between anesthesia and consciousness has been investigated for decades, our understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms of anesthesia and consciousness remains rudimentary, which limits...Although the relationship between anesthesia and consciousness has been investigated for decades, our understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms of anesthesia and consciousness remains rudimentary, which limits the development of systems for anesthesia monitoring and consciousness evaluation. Moreover, the current practices for anesthesia monitoring are mainly based on methods that do not provide adequate information and may present obstacles to the precise application of anesthesia. Most recently, there has been a growing trend to utilize brain network analysis to reveal the mechanisms of anesthesia, with the aim of providing novel insights to promote practical application. This review summarizes recent research on brain network studies of anesthesia, and compares the underlying neural mechanisms of consciousness and anesthesia along with the neural signs and measures of the distinct aspects of neural activity. Using the theory of cortical fragmentation as a starting point, we introduce important methods and research involving connectivity and network analysis. We demonstrate that whole-brain multimodal network data can provide important supplementary clinical information. More importantly, this review posits that brain network methods, if simplified, will likely play an important role in improving the current clinical anesthesia monitoring systems.展开更多
Neuroscience studies have demonstrated that functional differences in human brains between males and females might result in their cognitive and psychological distinctions. To investigate sex differences in resting-st...Neuroscience studies have demonstrated that functional differences in human brains between males and females might result in their cognitive and psychological distinctions. To investigate sex differences in resting-state functional networks for children, the functional brain networks of two groups including boys and girls were reconstructed by functional connectivity with significant between-group differences respectively based on two brain atlases, and then the reconstructed functional networks were compared from the viewpoint of small-world properties. The functional brain networks of the two groups both displayed topological properties of the small-world network based on different brain atlases but exhibited some sex differences in certain measures. Specifically, for the automated anatomical labeling atlas, compared with girls, boys showed stronger small-world properties and higher ability of local information processing in brain networks;for the Harvard Oxford Atlas, the shortest path length of boys increased, indicating poorer performance in both global information transmission and resistance to the random attack.展开更多
Functional brain network (FBN) measures based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, has become important biomarkers for early diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcomes in neurological diseases, suc...Functional brain network (FBN) measures based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, has become important biomarkers for early diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcomes in neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) and its prodromal state (<em>i</em>.<em>e</em>., Mild cognitive impairment, MCI). In the past decades, researchers have developed numbers of approaches for FBN estimation, including Pearson’s correction (PC), sparse representation (SR), and so on. Despite their popularity and wide applications in current studies, most of the approaches for FBN estimation only consider the dependency between the measured blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) time series, but ignore the spatial relationships between pairs of brain regions. In practice, the strength of functional connection between brain regions will decrease as their distance increases. Inspired by this, we proposed a new approach for FBN estimation based on the assumption that the closer brain regions tend to share stronger relationships or similarities. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conduct experiments on a public dataset to identify the patients with MCIs from health controls (HCs) using the estimated FBNs. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach yields statistically significant improvement in seven performance metrics over using the baseline methods.展开更多
Functional brain networks (FBN) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have become an important tool for exploring underlying organization patterns in the brain, which can provide an ob...Functional brain networks (FBN) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have become an important tool for exploring underlying organization patterns in the brain, which can provide an objective basis for brain disorders such as autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Due to its importance, researchers have proposed a number of FBN estimation methods. However, most existing methods only model a type of functional connection relationship between brain regions-of-interest (ROIs), such as partial correlation or full correlation, which is difficult to fully capture the subtle connections among ROIs since these connections are extremely complex. Motivated by the multi-view learning, in this study we propose a novel Consistent and Specific Multi-view FBNs Fusion (CSMF) approach. Concretely, we first construct multi-view FBNs (i.e., multiple types of FBNs modelling various relationships among ROIs), and then these FBNs are decomposed into a consistent representation matrix and their own specific matrices which capture their common and unique information, respectively. Lastly, to obtain a better brain representation, it is fusing the consistent and specific representation matrices in the latent representation spaces of FBNs, but not directly fusing the original FBNs. This potentially makes it more easily to find the comprehensively brain connections. The experimental results of ASD identification on the ABIDE datasets validate the effectiveness of our proposed method compared to several state-of-the-art methods. Our proposed CSMF method achieved 72.8% and 76.67% classification performance on the ABIDE dataset.展开更多
Functional brain networks (FBNs) provide a potential way for understanding the brain organizational patterns and diagnosing neurological diseases. Due to its importance, many FBN construction methods have been propose...Functional brain networks (FBNs) provide a potential way for understanding the brain organizational patterns and diagnosing neurological diseases. Due to its importance, many FBN construction methods have been proposed currently, including the low-order Pearson’s correlation (PC) and sparse representation (SR), as well as the high-order functional connection (HoFC). However, most existing methods usually ignore the information of topological structures of FBN, such as low-rank structure which can reduce the noise and improve modularity to enhance the stability of networks. In this paper, we propose a novel method for improving the estimated FBNs utilizing matrix factorization (MF). More specifically, we firstly construct FBNs based on three traditional methods, including PC, SR, and HoFC. Then, we reduce the rank of these FBNs via MF model for estimating FBN with low-rank structure. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, experiments have been conducted to identify the subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from norm controls (NCs) using the estimated FBNs. The results on Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset and Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) dataset demonstrate that the classification performances achieved by our proposed method are better than the selected baseline methods.展开更多
The launch of the Brain Network Disorders journal marks a pivotal moment in neuroscience,addressing the urgent need to unravel the brain’s complex network functions.The brain orchestrates cognitive,emotional,and beha...The launch of the Brain Network Disorders journal marks a pivotal moment in neuroscience,addressing the urgent need to unravel the brain’s complex network functions.The brain orchestrates cognitive,emotional,and behavioral processes,yet its underlying mechanisms—especially how it transitions between health and disease—remain elusive due to the intricate connectivity of its networks.1,2 This journal aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration,bridging gaps across neurology,computational neuroscience,molecular biology,and clinical research.By focusing on how brain network dynamics influence both physiological and pathological states,we aim to fundamentally reshape our understanding of brain function and disease.展开更多
1.Introduction.This perspective highlights the need for a specialized publication dedicated to neuropsychiatric disorders,collectively termed“dysconnectivity syndromes.”These conditions,including dementia-Alzheimer...1.Introduction.This perspective highlights the need for a specialized publication dedicated to neuropsychiatric disorders,collectively termed“dysconnectivity syndromes.”These conditions,including dementia-Alzheimer’s disease(AD),schizophrenia,and autism spectrum disorders,result from failures in interconnected physiological systems and neural circuits rather than isolated lesions.The proposed Brain Network Disorders(BND)journal aims to promote innovative paradigms for understanding these complex brain disorders by applying general systems theory and complexity sciences.The aim is to broaden the traditional conceptualization of these diseases by stressing the multifactorial roots of these disorders where the focus is on the dynamic interactions among several influences and the failure of multiple overlapping nets that drive clinical manifestations。展开更多
Emotion and executive control are often conceptualized as two distinct modes of human brain functioning.Little,however,is known about how the dynamic organization of large-scale functional brain networks that support ...Emotion and executive control are often conceptualized as two distinct modes of human brain functioning.Little,however,is known about how the dynamic organization of large-scale functional brain networks that support flexible emotion processing and executive control,especially their interactions.The amygdala and prefrontal systems have long been thought to play crucial roles in these processes.Recent advances in human neuroimaging studies have begun to delineate functional organization principles among the large-scale brain networks underlying emotion,executive control,and their interactions.Here,we propose a dynamic brain network model to account for interactive competition between emotion and executive control by reviewing recent resting-state and task-related neuroimaging studies using network-based approaches.In this model,dynamic interactions among the executive control network,the salience network,the default mode network,and sensorimotor networks enable dynamic processes of emotion and support flexible executive control of multiple processes;neural oscillations across multiple frequency bands and the locus coeruleus−norepinephrine pathway serve as communicational mechanisms underlying dynamic synergy among large-scale functional brain networks.This model has important implications for understanding how the dynamic organization of complex brain systems and networks empowers flexible cognitive and affective functions.展开更多
Dementias such as Alzheimer disease(AD)and mild cognitive impairment(MCI)lead to problems with memory,language,and daily activities resulting from damage to neurons in the brain.Given the irreversibility of this neuro...Dementias such as Alzheimer disease(AD)and mild cognitive impairment(MCI)lead to problems with memory,language,and daily activities resulting from damage to neurons in the brain.Given the irreversibility of this neuronal damage,it is crucial to find a biomarker to distinguish individuals with these diseases from healthy people.In this study,we construct a brain function network based on electroencephalography data to study changes in AD and MCI patients.Using a graph-theoretical approach,we examine connectivity features and explore their contributions to dementia recognition at edge,node,and network levels.We find that connectivity is reduced in AD and MCI patients compared with healthy controls.We also find that the edge-level features give the best performance when machine learning models are used to recognize dementia.The results of feature selection identify the top 50 ranked edge-level features constituting an optimal subset,which is mainly connected with the frontal nodes.A threshold analysis reveals that the performance of edge-level features is more sensitive to the threshold for the connection strength than that of node-and network-level features.In addition,edge-level features with a threshold of 0 provide the most effective dementia recognition.The K-nearest neighbors(KNN)machine learning model achieves the highest accuracy of 0.978 with the optimal subset when the threshold is 0.Visualization of edge-level features suggests that there are more long connections linking the frontal region with the occipital and parietal regions in AD and MCI patients compared with healthy controls.Our codes are publicly available at https://github.com/Debbie-85/eeg-connectivity.展开更多
Patients with mild traumatic brain injury have a diverse clinical presentation,and the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood.Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive technique that has been widely u...Patients with mild traumatic brain injury have a diverse clinical presentation,and the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood.Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive technique that has been widely utilized to investigate neuro biological markers after mild traumatic brain injury.This approach has emerged as a promising tool for investigating the pathogenesis of mild traumatic brain injury.G raph theory is a quantitative method of analyzing complex networks that has been widely used to study changes in brain structure and function.However,most previous mild traumatic brain injury studies using graph theory have focused on specific populations,with limited exploration of simultaneous abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity.Given that mild traumatic brain injury is the most common type of traumatic brain injury encounte red in clinical practice,further investigation of the patient characteristics and evolution of structural and functional connectivity is critical.In the present study,we explored whether abnormal structural and functional connectivity in the acute phase could serve as indicators of longitudinal changes in imaging data and cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.In this longitudinal study,we enrolled 46 patients with mild traumatic brain injury who were assessed within 2 wee ks of injury,as well as 36 healthy controls.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging data were acquired for graph theoretical network analysis.In the acute phase,patients with mild traumatic brain injury demonstrated reduced structural connectivity in the dorsal attention network.More than 3 months of followup data revealed signs of recovery in structural and functional connectivity,as well as cognitive function,in 22 out of the 46 patients.Furthermore,better cognitive function was associated with more efficient networks.Finally,our data indicated that small-worldness in the acute stage could serve as a predictor of longitudinal changes in connectivity in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.These findings highlight the importance of integrating structural and functional connectivity in unde rstanding the occurrence and evolution of mild traumatic brain injury.Additionally,exploratory analysis based on subnetworks could serve a predictive function in the prognosis of patients with mild traumatic brain injury.展开更多
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant Nos.lzujbky-2021-62 and lzujbky-2024-jdzx06)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12247101)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province,China(Grant Nos.22JR5RA389 and 23JRRA1740)the‘111 Center’Fund(Grant No.B20063).
文摘It has been argued that the human brain,as an information-processing machine,operates near a phase transition point in a non-equilibrium state,where it violates detailed balance leading to entropy production.Thus,the assessment of irreversibility in brain networks can provide valuable insights into their non-equilibrium properties.In this study,we utilized an open-source whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)dataset from both resting and task states to evaluate the irreversibility of large-scale human brain networks.Our analysis revealed that the brain networks exhibited significant irreversibility,violating detailed balance,and generating entropy.Notably,both physical and cognitive tasks increased the extent of this violation compared to the resting state.Regardless of the state(rest or task),interactions between pairs of brain regions were the primary contributors to this irreversibility.Moreover,we observed that as global synchrony increased within brain networks,so did irreversibility.The first derivative of irreversibility with respect to synchronization peaked near the phase transition point,characterized by the moderate mean synchronization and maximized synchronization entropy of blood oxygenation level-dependent(BOLD)signals.These findings deepen our understanding of the non-equilibrium dynamics of large-scale brain networks,particularly in relation to their phase transition behaviors,and may have potential clinical applications for brain disorders.
基金Supported by the Wuxi Municipal Health Commission Major Project,No.Z202107。
文摘BACKGROUND Successful aging(SA)refers to the ability to maintain high levels of physical,cognitive,psychological,and social engagement in old age,with high cognitive function being the key to achieving SA.AIM To explore the potential characteristics of the brain network and functional connectivity(FC)of SA.METHODS Twenty-six SA individuals and 47 usual aging individuals were recruited from community-dwelling elderly,which were taken the magnetic resonance imaging scan and the global cognitive function assessment by Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE).The resting state-functional magnetic resonance imaging data were preprocessed by DPABISurf,and the brain functional network was conducted by DPABINet.The support vector machine model was constructed with altered functional connectivities to evaluate the identification value of SA.RESULTS The results found that the 6 inter-network FCs of 5 brain networks were significantly altered and related to MMSE performance.The FC of the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus and right angular gyrus was mostly increased and positively related to MMSE score,and the FC of the right supramarginal gyrus and right temporal pole:Middle temporal gyrus was the only one decreased and negatively related to MMSE score.All 17 significantly altered FCs of SA were taken into the support vector machine model,and the area under the curve was 0.895.CONCLUSION The identification of key brain networks and FC of SA could help us better understand the brain mechanism and further explore neuroimaging biomarkers of SA.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.81871836(to MZ),82172554(to XH),and 81802249(to XH),81902301(to JW)the National Key R&D Program of China,Nos.2018YFC2001600(to JX)and 2018YFC2001604(to JX)+3 种基金Shanghai Rising Star Program,No.19QA1409000(to MZ)Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning,No.2018YQ02(to MZ)Shanghai Youth Top Talent Development PlanShanghai“Rising Stars of Medical Talent”Youth Development Program,No.RY411.19.01.10(to XH)。
文摘Distinct brain remodeling has been found after different nerve reconstruction strategies,including motor representation of the affected limb.However,differences among reconstruction strategies at the brain network level have not been elucidated.This study aimed to explore intranetwork changes related to altered peripheral neural pathways after different nerve reconstruction surgeries,including nerve repair,endto-end nerve transfer,and end-to-side nerve transfer.Sprague–Dawley rats underwent complete left brachial plexus transection and were divided into four equal groups of eight:no nerve repair,grafted nerve repair,phrenic nerve end-to-end transfer,and end-to-side transfer with a graft sutured to the anterior upper trunk.Resting-state brain functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained 7 months after surgery.The independent component analysis algorithm was utilized to identify group-level network components of interest and extract resting-state functional connectivity values of each voxel within the component.Alterations in intra-network resting-state functional connectivity were compared among the groups.Target muscle reinnervation was assessed by behavioral observation(elbow flexion)and electromyography.The results showed that alterations in the sensorimotor and interoception networks were mostly related to changes in the peripheral neural pathway.Nerve repair was related to enhanced connectivity within the sensorimotor network,while end-to-side nerve transfer might be more beneficial for restoring control over the affected limb by the original motor representation.The thalamic-cortical pathway was enhanced within the interoception network after nerve repair and end-to-end nerve transfer.Brain areas related to cognition and emotion were enhanced after end-to-side nerve transfer.Our study revealed important brain networks related to different nerve reconstructions.These networks may be potential targets for enhancing motor recovery.
文摘Objective Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing neurocognitive performance in Alzheimer’s disease(AD),but the neurobiological mechanisms linking synaptic pathology,neural oscillatory dynamics,and brain network reorganization remain unclear.This investigation seeks to systematically evaluate the therapeutic potential of rTMS as a non-invasive neuromodulatory intervention through a multimodal framework integrating clinical assessments,molecular profiling,and neurophysiological monitoring.Methods In this prospective double-blind trial,12 AD patients underwent a 14-day protocol of 20 Hz rTMS,with comprehensive multimodal assessments performed pre-and postintervention.Cognitive functioning was quantified using the mini-mental state examination(MMSE)and Montreal cognitive assessment(MOCA),while daily living capacities and neuropsychiatric profiles were respectively evaluated through the activities of daily living(ADL)scale and combined neuropsychiatric inventory(NPI)-Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD).Peripheral blood biomarkers,specifically Aβ1-40 and phosphorylated tau(p-tau181),were analyzed to investigate the effects of rTMS on molecular metabolism.Spectral power analysis was employed to investigate rTMS-induced modulations of neural rhythms in AD patients,while brain network analyses incorporating topological properties were conducted to examine stimulus-driven network reorganization.Furthermore,systematic assessment of correlations between cognitive scale scores,blood biomarkers,and network characteristics was performed to elucidate cross-modal therapeutic associations.Results Clinically,MMSE and MOCA scores improved significantly(P<0.05).Biomarker showed that Aβ1-40 level increased(P<0.05),contrasting with p-tau181 reduction.Moreover,the levels of Aβ1-40 were positively correlated with MMSE and MOCA scores.Post-intervention analyses revealed significant modulations in oscillatory power,characterized by pronounced reductions in delta(P<0.05)and theta bands(P<0.05),while concurrent enhancements were observed in alpha,beta,and gamma band activities(all P<0.05).Network analysis revealed frequency-specific reorganization:clustering coefficients were significantly decreased in delta,theta,and alpha bands(P<0.05),while global efficiency improvement was exclusively detected in the delta band(P<0.05).The alpha band demonstrated concurrent increases in average nodal degree(P<0.05)and characteristic path length reduction(P<0.05).Further research findings indicate that the changes in the clinical scale HAMD scores before and after rTMS stimulation are negatively correlated with the changes in the blood biomarkers Aβ1-40 and p-tau181.Additionally,the changes in the clinical scales MMSE and MoCA scores were negatively correlated with the changes in the node degree of the alpha frequency band and negatively correlated with the clustering coefficient of the delta frequency band.However,the changes in MMSE scores are positively correlated with the changes in global efficiency of both the delta and alpha frequency bands.Conclusion 20 Hz rTMS targeting dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(DLPFC)significantly improves cognitive function and enhances the metabolic clearance ofβ-amyloid and tau proteins in AD patients.This neurotherapeutic effect is mechanistically associated with rTMS-mediated frequency-selective neuromodulation,which enhances the connectivity of oscillatory networks through improved neuronal synchronization and optimized topological organization of functional brain networks.These findings not only support the efficacy of rTMS as an adjunctive therapy for AD but also underscore the importance of employing multiple assessment methods—including clinical scales,blood biomarkers,and EEG——in understanding and monitoring the progression of AD.This research provides a significant theoretical foundation and empirical evidence for further exploration of rTMS applications in AD treatment.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province of China,Nos.2022NSFSC1545 (to YG),2022NSFSC1387 (to ZF)the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing of China,Nos.CSTB2022NSCQ-LZX0038,cstc2021ycjh-bgzxm0035 (both to XT)+3 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82001378 (to XT)the Joint Project of Chongqing Health Commission and Science and Technology Bureau,No.2023QNXM009 (to XT)the Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Education Commission of China,No.KJQN202200435 (to XT)the Chongqing Talents:Exceptional Young Talents Project,No.CQYC202005014 (to XT)。
文摘Epilepsy can be defined as a dysfunction of the brain network,and each type of epilepsy involves different brain-network changes that are implicated diffe rently in the control and propagation of interictal or ictal discharges.Gaining more detailed information on brain network alterations can help us to further understand the mechanisms of epilepsy and pave the way for brain network-based precise therapeutic approaches in clinical practice.An increasing number of advanced neuroimaging techniques and electrophysiological techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tra ctography,diffusion kurtosis imaging-based fiber tractography,fiber ball imagingbased tra ctography,electroencephalography,functional magnetic resonance imaging,magnetoencephalography,positron emission tomography,molecular imaging,and functional ultrasound imaging have been extensively used to delineate epileptic networks.In this review,we summarize the relevant neuroimaging and neuroelectrophysiological techniques for assessing structural and functional brain networks in patients with epilepsy,and extensively analyze the imaging mechanisms,advantages,limitations,and clinical application ranges of each technique.A greater focus on emerging advanced technologies,new data analysis software,a combination of multiple techniques,and the construction of personalized virtual epilepsy models can provide a theoretical basis to better understand the brain network mechanisms of epilepsy and make surgical decisions.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China Project:the Study of Central Mechanism of Electroacupuncture on Sishencong (EX-HN1) Improving Sleep Architecture and Neurocognitive Function Using Electroencephalogram-Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (No. 81774426)Major Scientific Research Project of Wuxi Health Commission:Clinical Study of Intelligent Hand Rehabilitation Training System for Nerve Function Reconstruction of Patients with Hand Dysfunction after Cerebral Infarction (No. Z202121)。
文摘OBJECTIVE: To analyze part of the mechanism of electroacupuncture on Sishencong(EX-HN1) for strokerelated sleep disorders(SSD) and post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI). METHODS: Using a randomized controlled trial(RCT) design, 72 patients were assigned to the electroacupuncture(EA) group or the sham acupuncture(SA) group. A healthy control(HC) group was also included. Both groups were given routine rehabilitation treatment. Then, patients in the EA group were given additional electroacupuncture at Sishencong(EX_HN1). Meanwhile, patients in the SA group were given a flat-head needle sham/placebo treatment placed at the bilateral Jianyu (LI15) and Binao(LI14) line midpoints and the Jianyu(LI15) and Jianzhen(SI9) line midpoints. Before and after treatment, scales were collected and analyzed. In the second phase of the study, some subjects from the EA group were selected for functional magnetic resonance imaging(f MRI) data acquisition and comparative analysis with the HC group using a non-RCT design. RESULTS: The EA group performed better than the SA group on the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI), Montreal cognitive assessment basic(Mo CA_B), selfrating anxiety scale(SAS), and self-rating depression scale(SDS). Analysis of the f MRI showed that lowfrequency(2 Hz) electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong(EX_HN1) can restrain frontal sup medial right(SFGmed.R), precuneus right(PCUN.R), and posterior cingulate cortex right(PCC.R) and enhance angular left(ANG.L), parietal inf left(IPL.L) and occipital mid left(MOG.L). The functional connectivity(FC) of SFGmed.R was positively correlated with PSQI. Electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong(EX_HN1) can reduce the side efficiency of the whole brain connection with the Thalamus.L, Hippocampus.L, and Occipital.Mid.L. CONCLUSIONS: Low frequency(2 Hz) electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong(EX_HN1) can simultaneously improve sleep quality, negative emotions, and cognitive functions, the first two of which may be related to SFGmed.R restraint. Electroacupuncture can make some brain areas approach the physiological bias state, which is characterized by dominant hemispheric enhancement and non-dominant hemispheric weakening. The reduced whole brain connection side efficiency with some key nodes of the brain net may relate to sleep quality improvements in SSD patients.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81471380,31771076,81501550,91432302,31620103905,and 81501179)the Science Frontier Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(QYZDJSSW-SMC019)+4 种基金National Key R&D Program of China(2017YFA0105203,2017YFB1002502)Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission(Z161100000216152,Z161100000216139,Z171100000117002,and Z161100000516165)the Shenzhen Peacock Plan(KQTD2015033016104926)the Guangdong Pearl River Talents Plan(2016ZT06S220)Youth Innovation Promotion Association,CAS,China
文摘Neuroimaging has opened new opportunities to study the neural correlates of consciousness, and provided additional information concerning diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic interventions in patients with disorders of consciousness. Here, we aim to review neuroimaging studies in chronic disorders of consciousness from the viewpoint of the brain network, focusing on positron emission tomogra- phy, functional MRI, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, electrophysiology, and diffusion MRI. To accelerate basic research on disorders of consciousness and provide a panoramic view of unconsciousness, we propose that it is urgent to integrate different techniques at various spatiotemporal scales, and to merge fragmented findings into a uniform "Brainnetome" (Brain-net-ome) research framework.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82071191,82001129)Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province(2022NSFSC1509)+1 种基金National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics of West China Hospital(Z2021LC001)West China Hospital 1.3.5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence(ZYYC20009)。
文摘Delirium is a severe acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that commonly occurs in the elderly and is considered an independent risk factor for later dementia.However,given its inherent complexity,few animal models of delirium have been established and the mechanism underlying the onset of delirium remains elusive.Here,we conducted a comparison of three mouse models of delirium induced by clinically relevant risk factors,including anesthesia with surgery(AS),systemic inflammation,and neurotransmission modulation.We found that both bacterial lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and cholinergic receptor antagonist scopolamine(Scop)induction reduced neuronal activities in the delirium-related brain network,with the latter presenting a similar pattern of reduction as found in delirium patients.Consistently,Scop injection resulted in reversible cognitive impairment with hyperactive behavior.No loss of cholinergic neurons was found with treatment,but hippocampal synaptic functions were affected.These findings provide further clues regarding the mechanism underlying delirium onset and demonstrate the successful application of the Scop injection model in mimicking delirium-like phenotypes in mice.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81173354a grant from the Science and Technology Plan Project of Guangdong Province of China,No.2013B021800099a grant from the Science and Technology Plan Project of Shenzhen City of China,No.JCYJ20150402152005642
文摘Functional magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used to investigate the effects of acupuncture on neural activity. However, most functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have focused on acute changes in brain activation induced by acupuncture. Thus, the time course of the therapeutic effects of acupuncture remains unclear. In this study, 32 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment were randomly divided into two groups, where they received either Tiaoshen Yizhi acupuncture or sham acupoint acupuncture. The needles were either twirled at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints, including Sishencong(EX-HN1), Yintang(EX-HN3), Neiguan(PC6), Taixi(KI3), Fenglong(ST40), and Taichong(LR3), or at related sham acupoints at a depth of approximately 15 mm, an angle of ± 60°, and a rate of approximately 120 times per minute. Acupuncture was conducted for 4 consecutive weeks, five times per week, on weekdays. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging indicated that connections between cognition-related regions such as the insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, inferior parietal lobule, and anterior cingulate cortex increased after acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints. The insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus acted as central brain hubs. Patients in the Tiaoshen Yizhi group exhibited improved cognitive performance after acupuncture. In the sham acupoint acupuncture group, connections between brain regions were dispersed, and we found no differences in cognitive function following the treatment. These results indicate that acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints can regulate brain networks by increasing connectivity between cognition-related regions, thereby improving cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
文摘Because functional magnetic resonance imaging can be used for dynamic observation of functional cortical changes after brain injuries, we followed up functional magnetic resonance imaging manifestations of a language-related brain network in a low-grade glioma patient. Disease progression and therapy during a 3-year period were followed up at different time points: before and after reoperation, after radiation therapy, and 1 year after irradiation. During the whole 3-year follow-up period, the patient exhibited no neurological deficits while functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed different topologies of the language-related brain network. During disease progression and after irradiation, the language-related brain network was extended or completely transferred to the nondominant (right) hemisphere. In addition, after reoperation and 1 year after irradiation, language areas were primarily found in the language dominant (left) hemisphere. Our results suggest a high level of adaptability of the language-related cortical network of the bilateral hemispheres in this low-grade glioma patient.
基金supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(LGF19H090023)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81801785 and 82172056)+5 种基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFC1711800)the Key Research and Development Program of Shanxi(2020ZDLSF04-03)This work was partly supported by the grants from the Zhejiang Lab(2019KE0AD01 and 2021KE0AB04)the Zhejiang University Global Partnership Fund(100000-11320)the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project(2021SHZDZX0100)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
文摘Although the relationship between anesthesia and consciousness has been investigated for decades, our understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms of anesthesia and consciousness remains rudimentary, which limits the development of systems for anesthesia monitoring and consciousness evaluation. Moreover, the current practices for anesthesia monitoring are mainly based on methods that do not provide adequate information and may present obstacles to the precise application of anesthesia. Most recently, there has been a growing trend to utilize brain network analysis to reveal the mechanisms of anesthesia, with the aim of providing novel insights to promote practical application. This review summarizes recent research on brain network studies of anesthesia, and compares the underlying neural mechanisms of consciousness and anesthesia along with the neural signs and measures of the distinct aspects of neural activity. Using the theory of cortical fragmentation as a starting point, we introduce important methods and research involving connectivity and network analysis. We demonstrate that whole-brain multimodal network data can provide important supplementary clinical information. More importantly, this review posits that brain network methods, if simplified, will likely play an important role in improving the current clinical anesthesia monitoring systems.
文摘Neuroscience studies have demonstrated that functional differences in human brains between males and females might result in their cognitive and psychological distinctions. To investigate sex differences in resting-state functional networks for children, the functional brain networks of two groups including boys and girls were reconstructed by functional connectivity with significant between-group differences respectively based on two brain atlases, and then the reconstructed functional networks were compared from the viewpoint of small-world properties. The functional brain networks of the two groups both displayed topological properties of the small-world network based on different brain atlases but exhibited some sex differences in certain measures. Specifically, for the automated anatomical labeling atlas, compared with girls, boys showed stronger small-world properties and higher ability of local information processing in brain networks;for the Harvard Oxford Atlas, the shortest path length of boys increased, indicating poorer performance in both global information transmission and resistance to the random attack.
文摘Functional brain network (FBN) measures based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, has become important biomarkers for early diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcomes in neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) and its prodromal state (<em>i</em>.<em>e</em>., Mild cognitive impairment, MCI). In the past decades, researchers have developed numbers of approaches for FBN estimation, including Pearson’s correction (PC), sparse representation (SR), and so on. Despite their popularity and wide applications in current studies, most of the approaches for FBN estimation only consider the dependency between the measured blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) time series, but ignore the spatial relationships between pairs of brain regions. In practice, the strength of functional connection between brain regions will decrease as their distance increases. Inspired by this, we proposed a new approach for FBN estimation based on the assumption that the closer brain regions tend to share stronger relationships or similarities. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conduct experiments on a public dataset to identify the patients with MCIs from health controls (HCs) using the estimated FBNs. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach yields statistically significant improvement in seven performance metrics over using the baseline methods.
文摘Functional brain networks (FBN) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have become an important tool for exploring underlying organization patterns in the brain, which can provide an objective basis for brain disorders such as autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Due to its importance, researchers have proposed a number of FBN estimation methods. However, most existing methods only model a type of functional connection relationship between brain regions-of-interest (ROIs), such as partial correlation or full correlation, which is difficult to fully capture the subtle connections among ROIs since these connections are extremely complex. Motivated by the multi-view learning, in this study we propose a novel Consistent and Specific Multi-view FBNs Fusion (CSMF) approach. Concretely, we first construct multi-view FBNs (i.e., multiple types of FBNs modelling various relationships among ROIs), and then these FBNs are decomposed into a consistent representation matrix and their own specific matrices which capture their common and unique information, respectively. Lastly, to obtain a better brain representation, it is fusing the consistent and specific representation matrices in the latent representation spaces of FBNs, but not directly fusing the original FBNs. This potentially makes it more easily to find the comprehensively brain connections. The experimental results of ASD identification on the ABIDE datasets validate the effectiveness of our proposed method compared to several state-of-the-art methods. Our proposed CSMF method achieved 72.8% and 76.67% classification performance on the ABIDE dataset.
文摘Functional brain networks (FBNs) provide a potential way for understanding the brain organizational patterns and diagnosing neurological diseases. Due to its importance, many FBN construction methods have been proposed currently, including the low-order Pearson’s correlation (PC) and sparse representation (SR), as well as the high-order functional connection (HoFC). However, most existing methods usually ignore the information of topological structures of FBN, such as low-rank structure which can reduce the noise and improve modularity to enhance the stability of networks. In this paper, we propose a novel method for improving the estimated FBNs utilizing matrix factorization (MF). More specifically, we firstly construct FBNs based on three traditional methods, including PC, SR, and HoFC. Then, we reduce the rank of these FBNs via MF model for estimating FBN with low-rank structure. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, experiments have been conducted to identify the subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from norm controls (NCs) using the estimated FBNs. The results on Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset and Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) dataset demonstrate that the classification performances achieved by our proposed method are better than the selected baseline methods.
文摘The launch of the Brain Network Disorders journal marks a pivotal moment in neuroscience,addressing the urgent need to unravel the brain’s complex network functions.The brain orchestrates cognitive,emotional,and behavioral processes,yet its underlying mechanisms—especially how it transitions between health and disease—remain elusive due to the intricate connectivity of its networks.1,2 This journal aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration,bridging gaps across neurology,computational neuroscience,molecular biology,and clinical research.By focusing on how brain network dynamics influence both physiological and pathological states,we aim to fundamentally reshape our understanding of brain function and disease.
基金CLARA project is jointly funded by the European Union and Czech Republic under EU’s Horizon Europe Framework Program(grant agreement No.Editorial Brain Network Disorders 1(2025)3-65101136607).
文摘1.Introduction.This perspective highlights the need for a specialized publication dedicated to neuropsychiatric disorders,collectively termed“dysconnectivity syndromes.”These conditions,including dementia-Alzheimer’s disease(AD),schizophrenia,and autism spectrum disorders,result from failures in interconnected physiological systems and neural circuits rather than isolated lesions.The proposed Brain Network Disorders(BND)journal aims to promote innovative paradigms for understanding these complex brain disorders by applying general systems theory and complexity sciences.The aim is to broaden the traditional conceptualization of these diseases by stressing the multifactorial roots of these disorders where the focus is on the dynamic interactions among several influences and the failure of multiple overlapping nets that drive clinical manifestations。
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31920103009,32371104,and 32130045)the Major Project of National Social Science Foundation(20&ZD153)the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions(2023SHIBS0003).
文摘Emotion and executive control are often conceptualized as two distinct modes of human brain functioning.Little,however,is known about how the dynamic organization of large-scale functional brain networks that support flexible emotion processing and executive control,especially their interactions.The amygdala and prefrontal systems have long been thought to play crucial roles in these processes.Recent advances in human neuroimaging studies have begun to delineate functional organization principles among the large-scale brain networks underlying emotion,executive control,and their interactions.Here,we propose a dynamic brain network model to account for interactive competition between emotion and executive control by reviewing recent resting-state and task-related neuroimaging studies using network-based approaches.In this model,dynamic interactions among the executive control network,the salience network,the default mode network,and sensorimotor networks enable dynamic processes of emotion and support flexible executive control of multiple processes;neural oscillations across multiple frequency bands and the locus coeruleus−norepinephrine pathway serve as communicational mechanisms underlying dynamic synergy among large-scale functional brain networks.This model has important implications for understanding how the dynamic organization of complex brain systems and networks empowers flexible cognitive and affective functions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.62071451,62331025,and U21A20447)the National Key Research and Development Project(Grant No.2021YFC3002204)the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(Grant No.2019-I2M-5-019).
文摘Dementias such as Alzheimer disease(AD)and mild cognitive impairment(MCI)lead to problems with memory,language,and daily activities resulting from damage to neurons in the brain.Given the irreversibility of this neuronal damage,it is crucial to find a biomarker to distinguish individuals with these diseases from healthy people.In this study,we construct a brain function network based on electroencephalography data to study changes in AD and MCI patients.Using a graph-theoretical approach,we examine connectivity features and explore their contributions to dementia recognition at edge,node,and network levels.We find that connectivity is reduced in AD and MCI patients compared with healthy controls.We also find that the edge-level features give the best performance when machine learning models are used to recognize dementia.The results of feature selection identify the top 50 ranked edge-level features constituting an optimal subset,which is mainly connected with the frontal nodes.A threshold analysis reveals that the performance of edge-level features is more sensitive to the threshold for the connection strength than that of node-and network-level features.In addition,edge-level features with a threshold of 0 provide the most effective dementia recognition.The K-nearest neighbors(KNN)machine learning model achieves the highest accuracy of 0.978 with the optimal subset when the threshold is 0.Visualization of edge-level features suggests that there are more long connections linking the frontal region with the occipital and parietal regions in AD and MCI patients compared with healthy controls.Our codes are publicly available at https://github.com/Debbie-85/eeg-connectivity.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.81671671(to JL),61971451(to JL),U22A2034(to XK),62177047(to XK)the National Defense Science and Technology Collaborative Innovation Major Project of Central South University,No.2021gfcx05(to JL)+6 种基金Clinical Research Cen terfor Medical Imaging of Hunan Province,No.2020SK4001(to JL)Key Emergency Project of Pneumonia Epidemic of Novel Coronavirus Infection of Hu nan Province,No.2020SK3006(to JL)Innovative Special Construction Foundation of Hunan Province,No.2019SK2131(to JL)the Science and Technology lnnovation Program of Hunan Province,Nos.2021RC4016(to JL),2021SK53503(to ML)Scientific Research Program of Hunan Commission of Health,No.202209044797(to JL)Central South University Research Program of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies,No.2023Q YJC020(to XK)the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province,No.2022JJ30814(to ML)。
文摘Patients with mild traumatic brain injury have a diverse clinical presentation,and the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood.Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive technique that has been widely utilized to investigate neuro biological markers after mild traumatic brain injury.This approach has emerged as a promising tool for investigating the pathogenesis of mild traumatic brain injury.G raph theory is a quantitative method of analyzing complex networks that has been widely used to study changes in brain structure and function.However,most previous mild traumatic brain injury studies using graph theory have focused on specific populations,with limited exploration of simultaneous abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity.Given that mild traumatic brain injury is the most common type of traumatic brain injury encounte red in clinical practice,further investigation of the patient characteristics and evolution of structural and functional connectivity is critical.In the present study,we explored whether abnormal structural and functional connectivity in the acute phase could serve as indicators of longitudinal changes in imaging data and cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.In this longitudinal study,we enrolled 46 patients with mild traumatic brain injury who were assessed within 2 wee ks of injury,as well as 36 healthy controls.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging data were acquired for graph theoretical network analysis.In the acute phase,patients with mild traumatic brain injury demonstrated reduced structural connectivity in the dorsal attention network.More than 3 months of followup data revealed signs of recovery in structural and functional connectivity,as well as cognitive function,in 22 out of the 46 patients.Furthermore,better cognitive function was associated with more efficient networks.Finally,our data indicated that small-worldness in the acute stage could serve as a predictor of longitudinal changes in connectivity in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.These findings highlight the importance of integrating structural and functional connectivity in unde rstanding the occurrence and evolution of mild traumatic brain injury.Additionally,exploratory analysis based on subnetworks could serve a predictive function in the prognosis of patients with mild traumatic brain injury.