Brain Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Immersive Virtual Reality Assessment in Multiple Sclerosis: Patient-Reported Experience and Correlates.","authors":"Anikó Vágó, Anne Geßner, Maximilian Hartmann, Heidi Stölzer-Hutsch, Katrin Trentzsch, Dirk Schriefer, Tjalf Ziemssen","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040433","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040433","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Immersive virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for standardized, engaging assessment of motor and cognitive function in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, patient-reported experiences with immersive VR tasks have not been systematically evaluated. <b>Objective:</b> To characterize patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) after a multidomain immersive VR task and explore relationships with clinical characteristics, therapeutic history, and task performance. <b>Methods:</b> In this prospective cross-sectional study, participants completed a seated immersive VR task comprising six upper-limb tasks with motor and cognitive components. Patient experience was evaluated immediately afterward using a PREM questionnaire. Upper-limb activity limitations were assessed with the Arm Function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (AMSQ). <b>Results:</b> A total of 129 pwMS (EDSS 3.5-8.0) participated. Median PREM item scores ranged from 1.0 to 2.0 (scale 0-10), indicating an overall positive experience. Over 80% rated staff support as excellent; more than half perceived the assessment as safe, comfortable, and appropriately timed. An amount of 40.3% of pwMS wished to use VR tasks more often than once per year. PwMS receiving upper-limb physiotherapy or occupational therapy reported greater perceived difficulty than those without therapy. In exploratory analyses, higher perceived difficulty and a preference for less frequent VR use were associated with higher EDSS (r = 0.208 and 0.200) and ambulation scores (r = 0.215 and 0.195). Difficulty ratings were also related to pyramidal (r = 0.188) and sensory (r = 0.174) impairments. <b>Conclusions:</b> PwMS reported a positive overall experience with the immersive VR tasks. Further studies should evaluate the suitability and validity of this approach compared with conventional assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114751/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Theoretical Perspectives on Balance Training and the Gut-Muscle-Brain Axis in Aging.","authors":"Ahmad Zandi, Johannes Burtscher, Peter Federolf","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With growing global life expectancy, age-related physical problems, including balance impairments, are becoming more prevalent, increasing the risk of falls, mobility limitations, and loss of independence. This review summarizes current evidence on how balance may be influenced and improved by training modalities including reactive, strength-based, and functional exercises, through neuromuscular adaptations relevant to postural control and functional stability in older adults. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota may influence neuromuscular health via neuroimmune, metabolic, and mitochondrial pathways across the gut-muscle-brain axis. However, most studies focus on muscle metabolism, inflammation, and systemic physiological processes rather than direct assessments of balance or postural control. Gut dysbiosis has been associated with sarcopenia and impaired physical function, although evidence linking microbiota alterations to balance outcomes remains limited and mainly observational. Exercise has beneficial effects on neuromuscular function and gut microbial composition, including increased diversity and metabolite production. While exercise-induced neuromuscular adaptations are well supported experimentally, little direct evidence shows the contribution of gut-related mechanisms to balance regulation. Overall, neuromuscular and gut-related processes seem to be associated with balance capacity in older adults; however, further mechanistic and interventional studies are required to clarify the role of the gut-muscle-brain axis for balance.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114979/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of Different Arm Movement Strategies on Subjective Task-Related Perceptions and Walking Outcomes Under Single- and Dual-Task Conditions in Healthy Children Compared to Young Adults.","authors":"Katharina Borgmann, Matthias Schebeck, Lea Greiwe, Johanna Lambrich, Mathew W Hill, Thomas Muehlbauer","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Emerging evidence shows that dual tasking as well as the restriction of arm movements independently lead to detrimental effects on walking performance. However, it is unclear whether the deteriorations are more pronounced when applied together and if children (i.e., due to ongoing maturation processes) perform differently compared to young adults. This study investigated the influence of different arm movement strategies on subjective and objective markers related to beam walking under single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions in children and young adults. <b>Methods</b>: Twenty-six children (age: 11.3 ± 0.6 years) and 30 young adults (age: 23.2 ± 2.8 years) walked three meters on a balance beam with free and restricted (i.e., arms crossed over the chest) arm movements in a random order while concurrently performing a cognitive task (i.e., serial subtractions) or not. Walking outcomes (i.e., gait speed, cadence) were measured and used as objective markers. Self-reported task-related perceptions (i.e., balance confidence, fear of falling, perceived instability, conscious balance processing) were assessed and used as subjective indicators. <b>Results</b>: Walking under DT conditions (i.e., main effects of task) detrimentally influenced subjective task-related perceptions and walking outcomes, but using free arm movements (i.e., task × arm interactions) mitigated these deteriorations. Further, children exhibited largely stable levels of conscious balance processing, whereas young adults demonstrated overall higher levels along with pronounced differences between ST and DT walking when arm movements were unrestricted (i.e., group × task × arm interaction). <b>Conclusions</b>: These findings indicate that free arm movements seem to constitute a simple yet effective complementary 'upper-body strategy' that enhances postural control during a cognitively demanding walking task. Further, age differences imply that young adults compensate demanding walking conditions (i.e., DT walking with restricted arms) by elevated conscious processing of balance (i.e., a shift from automated to more conscious attention towards postural control).</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114629/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quercetin Improves Cognitive Function by Ameliorating Histopathological Changes and Inflammation in Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate-Exposed Mice.","authors":"Leila Nadalinezhad, Maryam Ghasemi-Kasman, Mohsen Pourghasem, Fatemeh Rabiei, Farideh Feizi, Farzin Sadeghi","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040431","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040431","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Phthalates are a group of organic compounds widely used for enhancement in flexibility and transparency of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products. Exposure to phthalate-containing substances has been shown to affect brain function, particularly in learning and memory processes. Quercetin is a plant-derived flavonoid with remarkable anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. This study investigated the possible protective effects of quercetin on spatial learning and memory, histomorphometric changes, and hippocampal expression of inflammatory cytokines (<i>TNF-α</i> and <i>IL-6</i>) in male mice exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). <b>Methods</b>: A total of 42 male mice were divided into seven groups. Quercetin was administered orally at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg/day, either alone or in combination with DEHP (200 mg/kg/day). Following the final day of the treatment, spatial learning and memory were assessed by the Morris Water Maze test. Hippocampal tissues were sampled for Nissl, H&E, and immunofluorescence staining. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of <i>TNF-α</i> and <i>IL-6</i>. <b>Results</b>: The DEHP group exhibited significant impairments in learning and memory, neuronal damage, and cellular disorganization in the hippocampus, along with increased astrocyte activation and elevated expression of <i>TNF-α</i> and <i>IL-6</i>. On the other hand, quercetin supplementation significantly reduced these inflammatory markers and histological damages and also improved spatial learning and memory. <b>Conclusions</b>: Overall, quercetin improves cognitive function that is associated with attenuating astrocyte activation and inflammation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13115412/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147761913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ginkgo Biloba for Alzheimer's Disease: From Mixed Dementia Trials to Biomarker-Confirmed Mild Cognitive Impairment-What Have We Learned over Two Decades, and Is There Finally a Bit of Hope?","authors":"YoungSoon Yang, Yong Tae Kwak","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040430","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040430","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ginkgo biloba products have been used for decades for cognitive symptoms, yet the clinical evidence in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains modest and heterogeneous. This review revisits key symptomatic and prevention trials and summarizes how systematic reviews and meta-analyses have informed ongoing clinical skepticism, often citing small effect sizes, limited patient-centered meaningfulness, short follow-up, and repeated trial designs. We suggest that long-standing ambiguity reflects multiple, overlapping sources of heterogeneity, including mixed-pathology recruitment, variable dosing and exposure duration, inconsistent outcome frameworks, and limited integration of biological readouts; differences across preparations and characterization practices may further contribute to variability. In the biomarker era, AD is increasingly defined biologically, and amyloid PET-confirmed cohorts offer a clearer test by reducing diagnostic noise and enabling mechanism-adjacent interpretation. Recent studies in amyloid PET-positive MCI/AD report clinical preservation alongside directional changes in plasma oligomerization tendency (MDS-OAβ), with decreases in treated groups compared with increases in controls. While such findings cannot, by design, establish disease-modifying effects, they provide a biologically anchored context for interpreting modest clinical signals. We conclude with practical recommendations to align cohort biology, stage, exposure certainty, duration, endpoints, and biomarker panels in next-generation trials of Ginkgo preparations in early AD-spectrum disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114922/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Empathy-Mediated Narrative Reconstruction of Autobiographical Memory: An Integrative Review of Theory, Evidence, and Applications.","authors":"Shigetada Hiraoka, Shuzo Kumagai, Takao Yamasaki","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040429","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: Autobiographical memory undergoes qualitative changes across the lifespan, influencing self-understanding, emotional regulation, and psychological adaptation. Research shows memory is a dynamic process, reconstructed through retrieval, narration, and social interaction. How narrative construction and empathic engagement shape memory reconsolidation and self-continuity remains insufficiently integrated. <b>Objectives</b>: This narrative review synthesizes theoretical, empirical, and applied findings on autobiographical memory, narrative processes, and empathy, proposing an integrative model linking memory reconsolidation, identity reconstruction, and adaptive functioning. <b>Methods</b>: A theory-oriented narrative review was conducted across psychology, neuroscience, gerontology, and narrative research, drawing on literature from PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, J-STAGE, and CiNii. Peer-reviewed empirical studies, systematic reviews, and theoretical papers were organized around three interrelated conceptual domains: (1) autobiographical memory and self-related processes, (2) neurobiological and emotional mechanisms relevant to memory updating and reconsolidation, and (3) narrative construction within empathically mediated social interaction contexts, with additional consideration of evidence from narrative-based and creative interventions. <b>Results</b>: The reviewed literature suggests that autobiographical memory functions as a plastic, socially embedded system supporting self-continuity, although the strength and consistency of evidence vary across studies and contexts. Narrativization within empathically responsive and psychologically safe contexts enhances narrative coherence, emotional integration, and perspective-taking, promoting psychological stability, although these effects are not uniformly observed across all populations and study designs. Creative narrative activities further facilitate retrieval and meaning reconstruction, extending memory updating beyond recall, while the underlying mechanisms and causal pathways remain to be fully established. <b>Conclusions</b>: We propose an empathy-mediated narrative reconstruction model in which creative activity, narration, empathic response, and retelling interact cyclically to support memory reconsolidation and self-narrative updating. By integrating cognitive, social, and creative dimensions, this model provides a theoretically grounded framework with implications for clinical, educational, gerontological, and creative applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114738/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147761352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brain Organoids: Emerging Platforms for Modern Neuroscience.","authors":"Lian Wang, Liwei Mao, Qing Cao, Xuemei Zong","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040427","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brain organoids represent three-dimensional structures that allow for human-specific studies in brain development, pathology and therapeutics. These self-organizing systems, formed through the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells, can mimic important cellular and molecular events of brain development and therefore serve as a platform for the investigation of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, brain injuries, and tumorigenesis. Although brain organoids show promising perspectives in the study of human physiology, existing brain organoid platforms are hindered by issues of under vascularization, immaturity and protocol variability. Nevertheless, the rapid development of new bioengineering, microfluidic and multi-omics tools and approaches allows us to overcome existing problems and increase the physiological significance of these organoids. Brain organoid transplantation and functional studies further enhance the applications of brain organoids in drug screening, disease modeling and personalized medicine. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in the field of brain organoid cultures, functional characteristics and translational applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114865/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Characterization of Emotional Dysregulation in Adults with and Without ADHD: A Cross-Sectional Multigroup Comparative Study.","authors":"Giulio Emilio Brancati, Elena Costagli, Alessandro Froli, Samuele Gemignani, Anna Magnesa, Ginevra Palazzesi, Pierpaolo Medda, Elisa Schiavi, Giulio Perugi","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040426","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040426","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: The association between emotional dysregulation (ED) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been widely documented. However, a consensus has yet to be reached on how to conceptualize this domain within ADHD. Particularly, ADHD + ED may represent a distinct condition, a more severe ADHD, or a comorbidity. We explored these three main hypotheses, investigating clinical differences between patients with ADHD, ADHD + ED, and ED. <b>Methods</b>: In total, 101 participants (ages 18-50) were recruited and divided into four groups: ADHD (N = 23), ED (N = 28), ADHD + ED (N = 27), and HC (N = 23). ADHD and ED were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in adults (DIVA-5) and the Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were compared among the groups. <b>Results</b>: Participants with ADHD and ADHD + ED exhibited comparably high ADHD severity and executive dysfunction ratings. While participants with ADHD + ED shared elevated negative emotionality and higher rates of mood disorders and anxiety disorders with participants with ED compared with those with ADHD, they showed specifically increased developmental and disruptive comorbidities, as well as earlier onset and greater cyclicity of comorbid mood disorders. Psychosocial functional impairments were similarly elevated on average in ADHD + ED and ADHD, but ADHD + ED showed more pronounced and widespread deficits across multiple domains. <b>Conclusions</b>: ADHD + ED is unlikely to represent a more severe form of ADHD but may be more appropriately conceptualized as either a distinct entity or a \"comorbid\" phenotype. Comparisons with ED without ADHD highlighted clinical features specific to ADHD + ED, including a higher neurodevelopmental load, impulse-control disorders, and a poorer course of mood disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13115240/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stimulus Size Modulates Periodic and Aperiodic EEG Components in SSVEP-Based BCIs.","authors":"Gerardo Luis Padilla, Fernando Daniel Farfán","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040424","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040424","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Steady-State Visual Evoked Potential-based Brain-Computer Interfaces face a critical trade-off between system accuracy and user visual fatigue. To address this challenge, the objective of this study was to determine how the spatial manipulation of stimulus size modulates the full spectral dynamics of the Electroencephalogram, encompassing both the periodic oscillatory response and the aperiodic (1/f) background noise. <b>Methods:</b> Twenty-two healthy subjects completed a sustained visual attention task using a competitive stimulus paradigm (20 Hz and 30 Hz) presented in three spatial dimensions (Small, Medium, and Big). Parieto-occipital brain signals were decomposed using the spectral parameterization algorithm (SpecParam) to extract frequency-specific visually evoked response power and the aperiodic slope, while visual fixation was continuously monitored via eyetracking. <b>Results:</b> Increasing stimulus size induced a statistically significant gain in the power of the attended signal (Target) without increasing the response of the peripheral distractor. Simultaneously, larger stimuli produced a significant increase in the aperiodic slope during 20 Hz attention and visual rest, suggesting increased cortical inhibition and a reduction in broadband neural activity. This aperiodic modulation was not observed at 30 Hz. <b>Conclusions:</b> The improvement in Signal-to-Noise Ratio with increasing stimulus size arises from a dual neurophysiological mechanism: enhancement of the periodic evoked response together with a reduction in background neural noise.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114236/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal Effects of Mindfulness Combined with Gratitude Touch on Anxiety, Depression, and Stress: A 12-Month Portable EEG-Based Study.","authors":"Mădălina Sarca, Iuliana-Anamaria Trăilă, Teodora Anghel, Lavinia Bratu, Laura Nussbaum, Ion Papavă, Lavinia Hogea","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16040425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Mindfulness-based interventions are widely used to reduce psychological distress. Their long-term neurophysiological correlates remain insufficiently characterized. Using a portable Muse InteraXon^® EEG device, this study aimed to evaluate (i) the extent to which a 12-month combined mindfulness and gratitude-based intervention reduces anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, and (ii) whether these changes are accompanied by corresponding EEG-derived neurophysiological alterations, exploring longitudinal brain-behavior associations. <b>Methods</b>: Fifty participants completed psychological assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months using validated scales (BDI-II, DASS-21, EMAS). A subcohort of 25 participants also underwent EEG recordings with a portable Muse device at the same time points. Longitudinal changes were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models, and exploratory brain-behavior associations were assessed with change-score analyses and Spearman's correlations with false discovery rate correction. <b>Results</b>: Across the full cohort (<i>n</i> = 50), psychological outcomes showed longitudinal improvements over 12 months, with reductions in BDI-21, DASS-21 depression, anxiety, and stress subscales, and EMAS-State scores (all <i>p</i> < 0.001; linear mixed-effect models). In the EEG subcohort (<i>n</i> = 25), longitudinal analyses showed increased alpha power and reduced beta and gamma power in frontal and temporoparietal regions (pFDR < 0.05), along with a modest decrease in delta power at 12 months, while theta power remained stable. Exploratory analyses showed non-significant trends in the hypothesized directions that did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons (e.g., Δalpha vs. Δstate anxiety: ρ ≈ -0.44; Δbeta vs. Δdepression: ρ ≈ 0.43) or after FDR correction. <b>Conclusions</b>: The mindfulness- and gratitude-based intervention was associated with sustained improvements in psychological outcomes and suggests accompanying dynamic modulation of neurophysiology. EEG appears to reflect time-dependent neural adaptation rather than a static predictor of treatment response.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114296/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147762251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}