Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging最新文献

{"title":"Neural Patterns for Empathic Versus Subjective Fear in Classifying Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder","authors":"Yanmiao Yang,&nbsp;Xiaodong Zhang,&nbsp;Kun Fu,&nbsp;Qi Liu,&nbsp;Xiaolei Xu,&nbsp;Yuanshu Chen,&nbsp;Xinqi Zhou,&nbsp;Keith M. Kendrick,&nbsp;Dezhong Yao,&nbsp;Benjamin Becker,&nbsp;Weihua Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.11.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.11.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Fear processing is multifaceted, involving dissociable neural and computational pathways that vary depending on its source and context. However, modality-specific fear processing, such as empathic versus subjective fear, remains poorly understood. Moreover, the role of these distinctions in clarifying the high comorbidity between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) has been understudied.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In the current study, we combined functional magnetic resonance imaging with multivariate pattern analysis to develop two neurofunctional models: one for empathic fear (face-induced empathic fear signature [FEFS], <em>n</em> = 81) and another for subjective fear (scene-induced subjective fear signature [SSFS], <em>n</em> = 81) evoked by visual stimuli. After validating these models in the independent cohorts (dynamic stimuli: <em>n</em> = 28), we generalized them to distinguish GAD and MDD during facial emotional-processing (<em>n</em> = 80) and pain empathy (<em>n</em> = 87) tasks.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our findings revealed that both models engaged distributed brain systems, including cortical regions (e.g., prefrontal, cingulate, insula, and parietal cortices) and subcortical areas (e.g., thalamus and amygdala). Crucially, we identified distinct functional profiles: FEFS-predominant regions were linked to execution, whereas SSFS-predominant regions mapped onto emotion processing. Notably, compared with SSFS, FEFS consistently discriminated between GAD and MDD during both fearful expression and affective pain empathy processing.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings demonstrate modality-specific processing of subjective and empathic fear, revealing distinct empathy-related neural signatures that may serve as potential biomarkers for differentiating GAD and MDD, offering new insights into their neurobiological distinctions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 7","pages":"Pages 790-801"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145696337","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":"Predicting Repetitive Negative Thinking in Daily Life: Insights From Brain-Based Graph-Theoretical Predictive Modeling","authors":"Martino Schettino,&nbsp;Rotem Dan,&nbsp;Chiara Parrillo,&nbsp;Federico Giove,&nbsp;Antonio Napolitano,&nbsp;Cristina Ottaviani,&nbsp;Diego A. Pizzagalli","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.09.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.09.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Abnormalities in the functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks, including the default mode network (DMN), salience network, frontoparietal network (FPN), and limbic network, have been implicated in repetitive negative thinking (RNT), a construct characterized by persistent and intrusive thoughts. However, the potential of these large-scale network abnormalities for predicting RNT in daily life remains underexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We leveraged brain-based graph-theoretical predictive modeling (GPM) to predict daily-life RNT in 54 individuals. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired during 1) resting state and 2) an RNT-induced state. RNT severity and its momentary fluctuations were assessed using ecological momentary assessments (EMAs).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>GPM identified key functional organizational properties of the DMN, FPN, and limbic networks that differentially predicted the severity and fluctuations of RNT and its specific clinical features (intrusiveness, repetitiveness, RNT-related anxiety). Specifically, the centrality of the medial prefrontal cortex (DMN) predicted EMA fluctuations of intrusiveness and severity of anxiety. Conversely, the strength and centrality of the orbitofrontal cortex (part of the limbic network) predicted EMA fluctuations of repetitiveness, and the segregation of the temporal pole (limbic network) predicted overall severity of RNT. Last, fluctuations in total RNT were predicted from the strength of the orbitofrontal cortex (limbic network) and segregation of the posterior mid-cingulate cortex (FPN). Notably, RNT was better predicted from daily-life prospective assessments than from laboratory-assessed clinical questionnaires.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings highlight the utility of GPM for predicting the emergence of daily-life RNT and suggest specific network-level attributes (e.g., centrality, segregation) underlying RNT and its clinical features.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 7","pages":"Pages 853-863"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145214760","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":"Guide for Authors","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S2451-9022(26)00166-7","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S2451-9022(26)00166-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 7","pages":"Pages A5-A11"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148559008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Negative Affective Traits Moderate Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Memory","authors":"Marko Živanović,&nbsp;Jovana Bjekić,&nbsp;Carlo Miniussi,&nbsp;Walter Paulus,&nbsp;Saša R. Filipović","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.10.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.10.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The cognitive effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) show substantial interindividual variability, emphasizing the need to identify moderators of responsiveness, with negative affectivity as a potential factor influencing both cognitive performance and tDCS outcomes. Here, we examine whether and how negative affectivity (depressiveness, anxiety, and stress level), conceptualized as both transient states and stable traits, moderates the effects of tDCS on working memory (WM) and associative memory (AM).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We pooled data from 6 sham-controlled experiments involving 144 healthy young adults (351 tDCS sessions) using within-subject crossover designs. Participants completed WM and AM tasks following active anodal tDCS or sham, as well as the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) before each session.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Trait-level, but not state-level, negative affectivity moderated WM. Individuals with higher levels of depression, anxiety, or stress demonstrated greater tDCS-induced WM gains. tDCS-induced AM benefits were consistent and unaffected by affective traits or states.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Negative affectivity may shape individual susceptibility to tDCS, increasing the potential for stimulation-induced improvement on tasks requiring significant executive control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 7","pages":"Pages 864-874"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145423603","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":"Hierarchical Brain Dynamics Associated With Remission From Major Depression Across Diverse Therapeutic Modalities","authors":"Kazushi Shinagawa,&nbsp;Jinichi Hirano,&nbsp;Yuki Kobayashi,&nbsp;Atsuo Nakagawa,&nbsp;Satoshi Umeda,&nbsp;Kei Kamiya,&nbsp;Yuri Terasawa,&nbsp;Junya Matsumoto,&nbsp;Takamasa Noda,&nbsp;Yusuke Kyuragi,&nbsp;Taro Suwa,&nbsp;Fumitoshi Kodaka,&nbsp;Kazuyuki Nakagome,&nbsp;Toshiya Murai,&nbsp;Masaru Mimura,&nbsp;Hiroyuki Uchida,&nbsp;Nariko Katayama","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.12.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.12.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder marked by disrupted brain dynamics. However, the neural mechanisms underlying remission remain poorly understood, particularly regarding common neural markers across diverse therapeutic interventions. Emerging evidence suggests that temporal brain dynamics and their hierarchical organization, referred to as metastates, serve as sensitive markers of individual variability across cognitive functions. In this study, we evaluated whether metastate dynamics derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) differed according to remission status across pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and neuromodulation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This multicenter observational study with 370 participants included 229 individuals with depression and 141 healthy control participants. The depression cohort comprised individuals undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy (<em>n</em> = 92), pharmacotherapy (<em>n</em> = 59), electroconvulsive therapy (<em>n</em> = 50), and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (<em>n</em> = 28). rs-fMRI data were analyzed to derive metastate dynamics, and comparisons were made according to remission status across treatment modalities.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Two distinct metastates were identified, one associated with higher-order cognitive brain regions and another linked to sensory and motor systems. Participants who achieved remission exhibited greater predictability in transitions between brain states within metastates, supporting higher-order cognitive functions. This altered transition pattern was accompanied by alterations in the anticorrelation between the default mode and executive function networks, which may underlie the increased predictability.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Remission from MDD may involve a reorganization of hierarchical brain dynamics—particularly in systems supporting cognitive control—and may offer a potential treatment modality–independent biomarker of remission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 7","pages":"Pages 812-823"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145919219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Roles of Delayed Cortical Maturation and Lower Anticipatory Reward Activation in Predicting Addictive Screen Use in Youth","authors":"Katie J. Paige,&nbsp;Mike Angstadt,&nbsp;Meghan E. Martz,&nbsp;Luke W. Hyde,&nbsp;Mary M. Heitzeg,&nbsp;Chandra Sripada,&nbsp;Omid Kardan","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2026.03.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2026.03.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Addictive screen use (ASU), above and beyond screen time, has been linked to significant mental health risks. Yet little is known about the neural risk factors that may associate with ASU. We examined 2 neurodevelopmental factors—cognitive control and reward—highlighted in substance use research and their links to ASU.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We utilized resting-state and monetary incentive delay (MID) task functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study at baseline (Y0; ages 9–10 years) to predict addictive videogaming, addictive social media use, addictive phone use, and a composite measure of ASU at year 2 follow-up (Y2; ages 11–12 years). Cortical connectomic maturation was operationalized as distance from early life and proximity to adult functional networks in an individual connectome to potentially index cognitive control development. This was also supplemented by assessing cognitive task performance. Nucleus accumbens (NAc) activation in anticipation of reward in the MID task was used to assess reward processing.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Above and beyond total screen time and attention problems, lower connectomic maturation at Y0 associated with Y2 higher ASU composite and addictive videogaming. Analyses including task performance indicated that cortical maturation was associated with both ASU and task performance, but we did not find cognitive task performance to be directly related to ASU. Additionally, lower NAc anticipatory reward activation at Y0 was very weakly associated with higher Y2 ASU.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Delayed cortical network maturation and, to a lesser extent, lower anticipatory reward activation in 9-to-10-year-old children may be associated with ASU in early adolescence, above and beyond parent-reported attention problems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 7","pages":"Pages 824-832"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13075549/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147576932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Individualized Subcortical Functional Brain Organization Is Related to Diagnosis, Symptoms, and Behavior in Major Depressive Disorder","authors":"Poorvi Keshava ,&nbsp;Ruby M. Potash ,&nbsp;Shane W. Walsh ,&nbsp;Diego A. Pizzagalli ,&nbsp;Matthew D. Sacchet","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2026.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2026.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Individualized brain systems mapping is a recently developed method for understanding person-specific functional brain organization using human functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Abnormal structure and function in the subcortex have previously been implicated in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the systems-level functional organization of the subcortex in MDD has yet to be investigated. Moreover, almost all prior studies of brain systems in MDD have used group-level functional brain mapping that assumes organizational homogeneity across individuals.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, the functional systems organization of the subcortex was mapped in individuals with MDD (<em>n</em> = 288, 67% female) and healthy control participants (<em>n</em> = 40, 63% female). Individualized subcortical system metrics were then related to psychiatric diagnosis and symptoms and related behavioral measures. We evaluated hypothesis-driven comparisons in the size of subcortical systems’ representation of the control, default, affective, and salience systems.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Results include significant differences between participants with depression and healthy participants in subcortical control system representation (<em>z</em> = 2.77, <em>p</em> = .006, <em>d</em> = 0.46). Specifically, in the MDD group, the control system was more represented in the thalamus (<em>z</em> = 2.99, <em>p</em> = .003, <em>d</em> = 0.51). Total subcortical control system representation was associated with behavioral indices of cognitive control (i.e., A-not-B total correct response; <em>r</em> = 0.13, <em>p</em> = .029).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Taken together, these findings provide the first evidence that mental illness is related to individualized subcortical system representation and thus provide new insight for neural models of MDD and related neuropsychiatric conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 6","pages":"Pages 719-727"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146000179","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":"Thalamic Nuclear Volumes in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: From Adolescence to Middle-Age Twenty Years Later","authors":"Adolf Pfefferbaum ,&nbsp;Edith V. Sullivan ,&nbsp;Manojkumar Saranathan ,&nbsp;Kilian M. Pohl ,&nbsp;Amanda Bischoff-Grethe ,&nbsp;Susan A. Stoner ,&nbsp;Edward P. Riley","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Midline orofacial and brain structures, including the multinucleated thalamus, may be differentially sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure and vulnerable to accelerated aging.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Two sets of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data separated by 20 years are reported for control individuals, individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and nondysmorphic individuals with heavy fetal alcohol exposure (FAE). MRI1 included 179 participants, with 69 participants reassessed at MRI2. Segmentation produced estimates of bilateral thalamic volume and 10 bilateral nuclei, which were aggregated into anterior, ventral, posterior, and medial volumes. Differences were assessed with and without correction for intracranial volume (ICV).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>MRI1 revealed stepwise group differences in ICV, total thalamic volume, and anterior and ventral regions uncorrected for ICV, where control &gt; FAE &gt; FAS. Corrected for ICV, the smaller volumes persisted in the anterior and ventral regions, although differences between the FAE and FAS groups were attenuated. Nuclei volumes were selectively smaller in the alcohol-exposed groups than in the control group even after controlling for ICV. Longitudinally, thalamic volumes typically declined over time, maintaining the stepwise effects and with little evidence for accelerated decline in the FAE or FAS groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These novel data revealed stable deficits in thalamic nuclei of the groups with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. After 20 years, the deficits persisted but without accelerated age-related decline and following the same aging pattern as control individuals. Despite parallel aging functions in all groups, ICV adjustment yielded volume deficits localized to the anterior and ventral thalamic nuclei, differing from patterns in the remaining thalamic nuclei and cortical brain structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 6","pages":"Pages 668-687"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144014977","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":"Dynamic and Static Resting-State Functional Connectivity of Canonical Networks in Military and Civilian Populations With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and/or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury","authors":"Alexandra K. Dwulit ,&nbsp;Delin Sun ,&nbsp;Courtney C. Haswell ,&nbsp;Ahmed Hussain ,&nbsp;Emily L. Dennis ,&nbsp;Elisabeth A. Wilde ,&nbsp;Mary R. Newsome ,&nbsp;David F. Tate ,&nbsp;William C. Walker ,&nbsp;Chadi G. Abdallah ,&nbsp;Christopher L. Averill ,&nbsp;Jennifer Urbano Blackford ,&nbsp;Bunmi O. Olatunji ,&nbsp;Anthony King ,&nbsp;Israel Liberzon ,&nbsp;Michael Angstadt ,&nbsp;Ivan Rektor ,&nbsp;Pavel Říha ,&nbsp;Markéta Nečasová ,&nbsp;Monika Fňašková ,&nbsp;Rajendra A. Morey","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are associated with alterations in the functional connectome, specifically in canonical resting-state networks including the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), and salience network (SN). Comorbid PTSD+TBI is linked to worse functional outcomes, but little is known about effects on the functional connectome.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We investigated brain phenotypes from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging associated with PTSD (<em>n</em> = 326), mTBI (<em>n</em> = 448), and comorbid PTSD+mTBI (<em>n</em> = 289) in military veterans and civilians (<em>N</em> = 1526) from the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis)-TBI and ENIGMA-PTSD studies. We examined static functional connectivity (FC) and dynamic functional connectivity (DFC), which we quantified both as variability in FC (VFC) over time and as dwell time in recurring FC states identified through clustering. Analysis of covariance was followed by post hoc linear regression analysis to test main and interaction effects of diagnosis on FC metrics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We found a significant (false discovery rate–corrected <em>p</em> &lt; .05) interaction of diagnosis × age on VFC. Older participants with comorbid PTSD+mTBI had greater VFC within the SN, between the SN and CEN, and between the SN and DMN than older control participants. Compared with control participants, comorbid participants had significantly greater dwell time in an externally focused state. Participants in the comorbid and mTBI groups had greater dwell time in a moderate-connectivity transition state than control participants.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>DFC related to the SN revealed distinct brain network patterns across diagnostic groups, with participants with comorbid PTSD+mTBI showing age- and anxiety-related effects. Older comorbid participants had heightened hypervigilance and reduced network segregation. PTSD and anxiety may synergistically worsen network instability, while mTBI reflects more rigid, disconnected states, highlighting DFC as a sensitive marker of neuropsychiatric comorbidity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 6","pages":"Pages 634-646"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144982418","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":"Reduced Gray-White Matter Contrast in Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in World Trade Center Responders","authors":"Juin W. Zhou ,&nbsp;Chuan Huang ,&nbsp;Paul Vaska ,&nbsp;Stephanie Santiago-Michels ,&nbsp;Alissa Barber ,&nbsp;Melissa A. Carr ,&nbsp;Frank D. Mann ,&nbsp;Pei-Fen Kuan ,&nbsp;Roberto Lucchini ,&nbsp;Roman Kotov ,&nbsp;Sean A.P. Clouston ,&nbsp;Benjamin J. Luft","doi":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.10.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.10.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Following the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC), many people experienced severe trauma and 23% of WTC responders developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesized that gray-white matter contrast (GWC) would be different in participants with PTSD compared with demographically matched trauma-exposed control participants with no history of PTSD.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>T1-weighted structural images for 99 WTC responders collected on a 3T Siemen’s magnetic resonance imaging scanner were retrieved and segmented to measure global, regional, and voxelwise GWC. Group-level analyses adjusted for the false discovery rate (FDR) (FDR = .05). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was reported. To determine correlates of PTSD, we also measured PTSD symptom severity and several putative neuroimaging measures linked to PTSD including cortical fractal dimensions, cortical free water fraction, characteristic path length, and cerebral/cerebellar cortical thickness.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>WTC responders with PTSD exhibited reduced cerebral GWC globally (<em>d</em> = 0.47, SE = 0.20, <em>p</em> = 0.022), while vertexwise results showed focal differences (FDR &lt; .05) in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. Among participants with PTSD, analyses identified correlations that passed FDR correction linking GWC with overall PTSD symptom severity (ρ = −0.24) that were strongest when examining re-experiencing symptom severity (ρ = −0.28) and when examining GWC in the pars triangularis (ρ = −0.37). GWC was not associated with cortical fractal dimension, cortical free water fraction, characteristic path length, or cerebral/cerebellar cortical thickness.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Results support emerging research suggesting that PTSD is associated with changes to intracortical health. If replicated, changes in GWC might provide novel treatment targets and could help to support diagnosis in research studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54231,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychiatry-Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging","volume":"11 6","pages":"Pages 647-656"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476718","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}