NeuroImage最新文献

{"title":"Neural sleep signatures in major depressive disorder: Altered oscillatory and aperiodic components","authors":"Christian A. Mikutta ,&nbsp;Kristoffer D. Fehér ,&nbsp;Pauline Henckaerts ,&nbsp;Elisabeth Hertenstein ,&nbsp;Carlotta L. Schneider ,&nbsp;Dieter Riemann ,&nbsp;Bernd Feige ,&nbsp;Christoph Nissen","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121788","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121788","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study aimed to extend prior work on sleep as a window into the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), incorporating recent advances in characterizing oscillatory and non-oscillatory brain activity during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. We specifically tested the hypotheses of reduced coupling between slow oscillations (SO) and sleep spindles, quantified by the modulation index (MI), and a shift toward excitatory activity, reflected in a flattened spectral slope compared to healthy controls.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Polysomnography/EEG data were analyzed from 14 medication-free patients with MDD (age 38.7 ± 11.4 years) and 14 healthy controls (age 38.8 ± 11.5 years). Both groups showed a predominance of male participants (13 men, 1 woman per group), limiting the assessment of sex-specific effects. SO-spindle coupling was quantified via the modulation index (MI). The aperiodic spectral slope (1–45 Hz) was estimated during NREM and REM sleep.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Patients with MDD exhibited significantly reduced SO-spindle coupling and a flattened spectral slope across NREM and REM sleep compared to controls. MDD patients showed a reduced spindle density. Standard polysomnographic parameters did not differ between the groups in the current sample</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>This study provides the first evidence that MDD is characterized by reduced slow oscillation-spindle coupling and a flattened spectral slope during sleep. These alterations suggest attenuated thalamocortical coordination and may represent a mechanistic link between sleep physiology and clinical symptoms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121788"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146156212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A three-stage neurocognitive model of facial age processing: Evidence from ERP, oscillatory dynamics, and functional connectivity","authors":"Wenjuan Xing ,&nbsp;Kepan Gao ,&nbsp;Yuejia Luo ,&nbsp;Shangfeng Han","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Facial age serves as a socially salient cue that shapes impression formation and social cognition, yet its neurocognitive mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to establish a three-stage model for facial age processing: structural encoding, prototype matching, and affective evaluation. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) during age judgments of faces from four age groups (10, 30, 50, and 70 years) and combined event-related potential (ERP) analyses (component-based and mass-univariate), time-frequency analysis, and functional connectivity. ERPs showed stage-specific age effects: older faces evoked larger N170 amplitudes, reduced P2 responses, and enhanced late positive potentials (LPP). Mass-univariate analysis (MUA) further confirmed these effects, identifying three significant time bands (70–168 ms, 228–286 ms, and 342–800 ms) over occipital and temporo-occipital sensors, with strongest differentiation for the oldest versus younger faces. Time-frequency analysis revealed increased theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha (8–13 Hz) power during early encoding (∼100–200 ms), accompanied by widespread theta/alpha phase-based connectivity, indicating global coordination for initial age encoding. During prototype matching (∼200–300 ms), only local theta activity remained, suggesting localized processing without large-scale network engagement. The late stage (&gt;300 ms) was indexed by LPP modulations, reflecting age-related affective processing. Overall, facial age processing shows a dynamic shift from early global coordination to later localized processing, providing a mechanistic account of how the brain extracts age information from faces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121808"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146202313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Motor imagery EEG signal classification using minimally random convolutional kernel transform and hybrid deep learning","authors":"Jamal Hwaidi ,&nbsp;Mohamed Chahine Ghanem","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121816","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121816","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The brain-computer interface (BCI) establishes a non-muscle channel that enables direct communication between the human body and an external device. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a popular non-invasive technique for recording brain signals. It is critical to process and comprehend the hidden patterns linked to a specific cognitive or motor task, for instance, measured through the motor imagery brain-computer interface (MI-BCI). A significant challenge is presented by classifying motor imagery-based electroencephalogram (MI-EEG) tasks, given that EEG signals exhibit nonstationarity, time-variance, and individual diversity. Achieving good classification accuracy is also challenging due to the increasing number of classes and the inherent variability among individuals. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel method for classifying EEG motor imagery signals that efficiently extracts features using the Minimally Random Convolutional Kernel Transform (MiniRocket). A linear classifier then utilises the extracted features for activity recognition. Furthermore, a novel deep learning model based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) architecture was proposed and demonstrated to serve as a baseline. The classification via MiniRocket’s features achieved higher performance than the best deep learning models at a lower computational cost. PhysioNet and BCI Comp IV 2a datasets were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed approaches. Using PhysioNet, the proposed models achieved mean accuracy values of 98.63% and 98.06%, respectively, for the MiniRocket and CNN-LSTM. With the BCI-CompIV-2a dataset, proposed models achieved mean accuracy values of 92.57% and 92.32%, respectively. The findings demonstrate that the proposed approach can significantly enhance motor imagery EEG accuracy and provide new insights into the feature extraction and classification of MI-EEG. An additional future direction is non-additive electrode-source fusion (Choquet-integral/coalition formulations) to improve robustness under low-SNR EEG and inter-subject variability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121816"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146258643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human frontopolar cortex plays a causal role in decomposing high-dimensional information during decision making","authors":"Chun-Kit Law ,&nbsp;Nicole H.L. Wong ,&nbsp;Jing Jun Wong ,&nbsp;Evelyn Y.H. Huang ,&nbsp;Rongjun Yu ,&nbsp;Bolton K.H. Chau","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121758","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121758","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humans navigate in complex environments with abundant information. However, it is unclear how the human brain involves specific mechanisms to extract meaningful features from high-dimensional information to guide adaptive decision making. Here, we focused on investigating the causal role of the lateral frontopolar cortex (FPl), an area uniquely evolved in the human brain, in decomposing high-dimensional choice information. This was achieved via three experiments that collectively involved transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), task-based fMRI, and computational modelling. First, we found that disrupting FPl using TMS with a continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) protocol impaired decision making with high-dimensional, but not low-dimensional, information. Second, we developed a computational model that arbitrates between a multi-feature decomposition mechanism and a simple heuristic. This model aided explaining that the FPl-TMS effect was attributed to diminished capabilities in multi-feature decomposition. Finally, fMRI data revealed stronger intrinsic FPl signals were related to greater tendency of employing multi-feature decomposition. Together, our results suggest a causal role of FPl in extracting decision-related features from high-dimensional information.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121758"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146113896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alteration in the dynamics of ipsilateral cerebellar fluctuations and its association with balance performance in recreational athletes with chronic ankle instability: A cross-sectional study of resting-state fMRI","authors":"Songlin Xiao ,&nbsp;Chuyi Zhang ,&nbsp;Bin Shen ,&nbsp;Zhen Xu ,&nbsp;Junhong Zhou ,&nbsp;Weijie Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121772","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121772","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is not only associated with those peripheral neuromuscular impairments but also with the functional changes in the supraspinal regions. Nevertheless, the characteristics of the cortical elements in CAI remain poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the dynamics of resting-state BOLD and ankle-related functional performance in recreational athletes with CAI, as well as explore the associations between neural fluctuations and ankle functional performance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This cross-sectional design study recruited 82 participants, comprising 41 active recreational athletes with CAI (CAI group) and 41 active recreational athletes without CAI (Control group). Data on joint position sense, one-leg standing balance, and resting-state <em>f</em>MRI were collected from both groups. A two-sample <em>t</em>-test was used to determine the difference in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo) between the two groups. Linear regression analysis evaluated the associations between functional performance and dynamics of resting-state BOLD in the two groups.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with control group, athletes with CAI had lower ALFF values in the bilateral supplementary motor area and reduced ReHo values in the right precentral gyrus and postcentral gyrus, while higher ALFF and ReHo values in the right cerebellum. Moreover, athletes with CAI had lower fALFF values in the left superior frontal gyrus and the right superior frontal gyrus than controls. The sway velocities of center of pressure in the one-leg standing with eyes closed condition were negatively associated with ALFF and ReHo values in the right cerebellum cluster.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Athletes with severely right-sided CAI had different neural fluctuations compared with controls. Elevated ALFF and ReHo values in the right cerebellum cluster were associated with balance control, suggesting that high ipsilateral cerebellar activity and homogeneity may compensate for balance control in athletes with CAI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121772"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preserved temporal hierarchy but frequency-specific alterations in dynamical regimes of EEG microstate multimers during reversible unconsciousness","authors":"Chun-Yan Wang ,&nbsp;Dong-Dong Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121781","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121781","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Employing a spectral analysis framework based on Chaos Game Representation (CGR), we investigated the multimer-based dynamics of EEG microstates across broadband and canonical frequency bands during reversible unconsciousness (anesthesia and sleep). Robust periodic components consistently emerged within microstate sequences across theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands, persisting across distinct states of consciousness. Converging evidence from both deconstruction via surrogate data and reconstruction via a hierarchical generative model demonstrates that the multimer structure, along with the conditional duration distribution, constitutes the underlying mechanism of microstate periodicity. Furthermore, we show that temporal smoothing abolishes these intrinsic periodic components. Most notably, during both deep sedation and N3 sleep, the beta band microstate sequence exhibited a consistent increase in peak power and a decrease in center frequency, resulting in highly characteristic patterns in the CGR spectra. To dissect the structural basis of these periodicities, we developed a data-driven algorithm to extract multimers and calculate their metrics. We identified distinct, frequency-dependent alterations in multimer dynamics during reversible unconsciousness, suggesting that the transition to unconsciousness marks a shift towards specific dynamical regimes. Collectively, our findings confirm that microstate sequences exhibit precise temporal orchestration. By elucidating the generative mechanisms of microstate periodicity and establishing a multimer-based analytical framework, this study provides a solid methodological foundation for investigating higher-order temporal structures, while offering promising neurophysiological biomarkers for consciousness assessment and novel insights into the temporal organization of large-scale neural dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121781"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gestational age-specific DTI templates of the neonatal brain: Application in preterm developmental study","authors":"Xiaochen Jiang ,&nbsp;Mengyi Wang ,&nbsp;Ying Liu ,&nbsp;Tianhao Zhang ,&nbsp;Guangjuan Mao ,&nbsp;Qi Zhou ,&nbsp;Shilun Zhao ,&nbsp;Baoci Shan ,&nbsp;Xuetao Mu ,&nbsp;Binbin Nie","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to significant differences in brain volume, morphology, and white matter integrity among neonates of varying gestational ages, using a single full-term template for preterm analysis inevitably introduces analytical errors. To address this, we aimed to develop gestational-age-specific stereotaxic DTI templates using retrospective diffusion MRI scans from 161 neonates acquired between August 2021 and January 2024. The cohort was stratified into four WHO-defined subgroups: extremely preterm (<em>n</em> = 31), very preterm (<em>n</em> = 29), moderate to late preterm (<em>n</em> = 28), and full-term (<em>n</em> = 73). Templates were constructed via iterative registration, with corresponding atlases transformed from JHU space and manually corrected. Quantitative evaluation using the Jacobian determinant and standard deviation revealed that our age-specific templates demonstrated significantly lower deformation magnitude and registration error compared to a standard full-term template. When applied to investigate developmental differences, we observed progressively more extensive fractional anisotropy reductions from moderate-to-late to extremely preterm neonates. Notably, commissural fibers, particularly the corpus callosum body (0.194 ± 0.005 in extremely preterm vs. 0.230 ± 0.003 in full-term, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), exhibited significant developmental gradients. Consequently, these constructed gestational-age-specific DTI templates offer a robust tool to improve the accuracy of morbidity risk predictions and facilitate multicenter studies of preterm neonates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121811"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146207450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"SEEG dynamic tractography–based spike source localization is useful across diverse brain regions and etiologies","authors":"Takumi Mitsuhashi ,&nbsp;Hiroharu Suzuki ,&nbsp;Kazuki Nishioka ,&nbsp;Kazuki Nomura ,&nbsp;Tetsuya Ueda ,&nbsp;Madoka Nakajima ,&nbsp;Hidenori Sugano ,&nbsp;Yasushi Iimura ,&nbsp;Akihide Kondo","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121768","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121768","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To extend dynamic tractography–based spike source localization to stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) and to test whether estimated spike sources (ESSs) and their resection relate to postoperative seizure outcomes across diverse epileptogenic regions and etiologies.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We studied 24 patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who underwent SEEG followed by focal resection or disconnection. For each patient, 100 interictal spikes were analyzed using Morlet wavelet time–frequency transformation (20–70 Hz). Electrode contacts showing significant broadband amplitude augmentation within 50 ms were defined as spike propagation sites. Diffusion MRI tractography generated streamlines from these sites according to observed propagation latencies. ESSs for each spike were defined as the centers of gravity of streamline endpoints. We defined the ESS resection ratio as the proportion of ESSs included within the resected or disconnected area on postoperative MRI and tested whether it was correlated with seizure outcome (ILAE class) and resection volume. Dynamic tractography visualized spike propagation from ESSs to propagation sites through white-matter pathways.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The median (IQR) ESS resection ratio was 75.0% (37.9–85.9). In unilateral cases (<em>n</em> = 18), a higher ESS resection ratio correlated with better outcomes (ρ = −0.51, <em>p</em> = 0.033), irrespective of resection volume. Dynamic tractography successfully visualized physiologically plausible spike propagation. Across 164 tracts, the median (IQR) propagation velocity was 0.99 mm/ms (0.49–1.46).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>SEEG dynamic tractography enables localization of spike sources beyond the limits of electrode sampling and visualization of their propagation along white-matter pathways. The extent of ESS removal predicted favorable outcomes—particularly in unilateral cases—suggesting potential utility as a biomarker of the epileptogenic zone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121768"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146100325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural signatures of context-dependent trust: How strategic interaction and social value orientation shape prosocial decisions","authors":"Yan Wu ,&nbsp;Davood Bayat ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Zahra Shahraki Pour ,&nbsp;Frank Krueger","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121778","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121778","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trust is a cornerstone of human cooperation, yet it unfolds differently depending on who we interact with and under what circumstances. Understanding how the brain integrates social traits and contextual demands is key to explaining why we sometimes choose to trust—and sometimes refrain. Although prior studies have identified neural regions involved in trust, it remains unclear how dispositional factors, such as Social Value Orientation (SVO), interact with the strategic context of the decision. Few experiments have jointly manipulated both partner characteristics and game structure, limiting our understanding of how context-dependent trust is represented in the brain. This study examined how partner SVO and game context jointly shape trust behavior and its neural correlates. Thirty-one adults completed a multi-game fMRI paradigm, acting as trustors in the Trust Game (TG), which involves reciprocity, and the Tripled Dictator Game (TDG), assessing altruism. Partner SVOs ranged from aggressive to altruistic. Behaviorally, participants transferred more with prosocial partners, particularly in the TG, and this tendency was strongest among individuals who were themselves more prosocial, indicating that personal dispositions amplify sensitivity to cooperative partners in strategic contexts. Neurally, activity in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex increased with higher amount sent during the TG, and regions involved in social cognition, such as the right angular gyrus, reflected how the brain distinguishes cooperative from selfish partners depending on whether trust requires reciprocity. In conclusion, strategic context dynamically modulates both the behavioral expression and neural representation of trust, showing how social preferences and situational demands jointly guide prosocial decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121778"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146132741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Right DLPFC stimulation reveals context-dependent regulation of competing motives in third-party fairness decisions","authors":"Rongrong Chen ,&nbsp;Jiwen Chen ,&nbsp;Yu Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoqin Mai","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) plays a crucial role in fairness-related decision-making, yet it remains unclear whether its role reflects a fairness-promoting mechanism or a broader control process that regulates competing motivations. Here, we combined noninvasive brain stimulation with a third-party ultimatum game to examine how modulating rDLPFC excitability influences fairness decisions in which fairness-related considerations and concern for others differ in relative salience. Ninety healthy female university students (mean age 20.92 ± 2.35) decided whether to accept or reject offers on behalf of university students or charity recipients across three inequality conditions (advantageous, disadvantageous, and equal). Behavioral analyses revealed context-dependent effects of rDLPFC stimulation. Compared with the sham condition, anodal stimulation increased acceptance of advantageous inequality offers for university students (<em>β</em> = 1.27, <em>P</em> = 0.002) but decreased acceptance for charity recipients (<em>β</em> = −1.77, <em>P</em> = 0.003), with no significant effects in disadvantageous or equality conditions. Subjective emotion and fairness ratings followed similar patterns, and mediation analyses indicated that emotion partially mediated the influence of stimulation on choice. These findings support a domain-general account, indicating that the rDLPFC flexibly regulates dominant motivational tendencies depending on social context. Overall, the study demonstrates the adaptive role of the rDLPFC in integrating fairness norms with competing social motives during decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19299,"journal":{"name":"NeuroImage","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121798"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146195144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}