Brain Imaging and Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Abnormal brain networks in Meiges syndrome based on centrality analysis and functional network connectivity: a cross-sectional analysis.","authors":"Yifei Wang, Aocai Yang, Zeyu Song, Yu Chen, Guolin Ma, Xiaoying Tang","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01000-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01000-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Meige's syndrome (MS) is a neurologically disabling disorder characterized by visual impairment, mastication, and swallowing difficulties. Emerging evidence suggests that MS may stem from disturbances in brain networks. However, current literature inadequately probes the centrality and functional connectivity within these networks.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to compare the brain networks of MS patients with those of healthy controls (HC). We focus on examining changes in intrinsic connectivity, the significance of nodes within the global brain network, and functional network connectivity (FNC). Additionally, we seek to identify potential correlations between neuroimaging findings and clinical scales.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, we employed centrality analysis and mediation analysis of brain networks using resting-state fMRI data. Voxel-level degree centrality (DC) and eigenvector centrality (EC) served as key features. Independent component analysis was utilized to assess functional connectivity at the network level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analyses of EC and DC identified abnormal areas in MS patients predominantly in the right thalamus, left middle occipital gyrus, and Cerebellum Inferior. Mediation analysis indicated that disease severity and course of disease are fully mediated by DC values in the right cerebellum. FNC results highlighted abnormal connections in cerebellar-subcortical, memory retrieval-cingulo-opercular task control, and ventral attention-sensory/somatomotor hand networks in MS patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings reveal multiple abnormalities in centrality and functional connectivity of brain networks in MS patients. Notably, disease severity correlates with alterations in these, potentially influencing disease progression.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristic alterations of dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in patients with post-stroke depression.","authors":"Qiuhong Lu, Shunzu Lu, Xue Wang, Yanlan Huang, Jie Liu, Qiuhui Huang, Hua Huang, Zhijian Liang","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01014-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01014-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The abnormalities in static brain activity in patients with post-stroke depression (PSD) have been widely reported; the abnormal alterations and characterized clustering model of the dynamic neural activity in PSD remain enigmatic. We investigated dynamic neural activity abnormalities in patients with PSD with the dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) method. Imaging and clinical data from 25 patients with PSD and 28 without PSD collected from April 2020 to June 2023 were evaluated. The between-group comparisons of dALFF variance and state properties were conducted using a combined approach of sliding window and clustering analysis. The correlation coefficients between abnormal dALFF variance and ALFF in the distinguished regions (DRs) and depression severity of PSD were calculated. Compared with that in patients without PSD, decreased dALFF variance in patients with PSD was mainly located in lower dALFF variance in multiple emotion-related brain regions. The dALFF was clustered into four states in all patients. In particular, state 3 was the remarkably distinct state that dwelled for more time in the PSD group. There was a negative correlation between decreased dALFF variance in the right parietal cortex and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) scores in patients with PSD. ALFF values in the DRs showed no correlation with the HAMD score. Our results suggest that patients with PSD showed characteristic alterations in dynamic regional neural activity, which might be regarded as potential neural mechanisms of PSD. This study demonstrates the dynamic features of neural activity in PSD, which may advance future neuroimaging studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144156918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subcortical volumes, frontal cortical thickness, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in schizophrenia versus methamphetamine-induced psychosis.","authors":"Lauren Blake, Kimberley C Williams, Anne A Uhlmann, Henk Temmingh, Antoinette Burger, Dan J Stein, Petrus J W Naudé","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01022-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01022-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schizophrenia is associated with alterations in subcortical volumes, cortical thickness and pro-inflammatory cytokines, that may correlate with clinical features. However, analogous work on methamphetamine-induced psychosis is lacking. This study examines subcortical volumes, frontal cortical thickness and pro-inflammatory cytokines in schizophrenia and methamphetamine-induced psychosis.Diagnosis and symptom severity were determined using the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I Disorders and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, respectively. Structural T1-weighted images were acquired using a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Serum peripheral cytokine concentrations were measured using a multiplex bead array.Schizophrenia (n = 36) and methamphetamine-induced psychosis (n = 27) participants showed decreased left amygdala volumes and frontal cortical thickness compared to healthy controls (n = 32). Schizophrenia participants had increased bilateral caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens volumes compared to controls, and greater right globus pallidus and nucleus accumbens volumes compared to the methamphetamine-induced psychosis group. No significant differences were found in cytokine levels between groups or associations with neuroimaging measures.The novel discovery of increased globus pallidus and nucleus accumbens volumes in schizophrenia group compared with methamphetamine-induced psychosis group may show important distinctions in the neurobiology between these conditions. Future investigations should employ larger sample sizes, incorporate longitudinal study designs, and integrate magnetic resonance spectroscopy which may show important neurometabolic signatures in these brain regions in methamphetamine-induced psychosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144156920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altered cortical myelin and thickness in migraine patients with patent foramen ovale: A novel surface-based analysis.","authors":"Yusha Tang, Huaiqiang Sun, Yajiao Li, Hua Li, Ruiqi Yang, Dong Bosi, Lei Chen","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01017-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01017-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An association between migraine and patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been reported; however, the precise nature of this connection remains unclear. This study aimed to further identify and parse the structural alterations in migraine patients with PFO, providing new insights into the interplay between PFO and migraine. We examined cortical myelin and thickness in 110 female patients with migraine (60 with PFO, 50 without) and 50 healthy controls (25 with and without PFO). The main effects of migraine and PFO, as well as their interaction, were analyzed with a general linear model with age as a covariate for two-way analysis of variance. We observed that individuals with PFO presented a broad and diffuse increase in cortical thickness and changes in the strength of the myelin-sensitive contrast within the cortex. Furthermore, we found a specific region in the right inferior parietal cortex that exhibited PFO-related reductions in intracortical myelin, with a significant migraine-PFO interaction (cluster size (Vertices) = 133, p < 0.05). The headache impact test score was negatively correlated with the myelin index in this region (r = -0.396, p < 0.0001). This study revealed structural brain changes in migraine patients with PFO, indicating that myelin mapping may serve as a potential biomarker for identifying these alterations. This approach could help differentiate migraine patients with PFO, supporting targeted therapies. Combining myelin mapping with diffusion imaging may further improve the detection and monitoring of structural changes, enhancing diagnostic and treatment strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144149338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Progressive brain function changes in patients with neuromyelitis optica: insights from resting-state fMRI.","authors":"Jiyuan Wang, Jing Huang, Xiong Kang, Huiqing Dong, Jie Lu","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01012-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01012-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is a neuroinflammatory disease marked by severe attacks on the optic nerves and spinal cord. While it is established that NMO affects brain function, the detailed progression of these impacts over time remains poorly investigated. The objective of this study is to investigate spontaneous temporal changes in brain function in patients with NMO and to explore the associations between these changes and clinical assessment. This longitudinal study recruited 31 non-relapsing patients with NMO, for whom resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data were collected at baseline and follow-up. Besides, 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included and assessed only at baseline. Neural activity was quantitatively assessed using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF). We analyzed differences in brain function between NMO patients and HCs, as well as changes within the patient group over time. Additionally, we examined correlations between changes in ALFF and clinical outcomes, including the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and visual acuity. At baseline, significant ALFF reductions were observed in NMO patients, particularly in the bilateral paracentral lobules, posterior central gyrus, inferior temporal gyri, lingual gyri, right precentral gyrus, middle and inferior occipital gyri, and fusiform gyrus. Over time, affected areas expanded, particularly in the occipital and temporal lobes, and initially unaffected regions like the superior temporal gyrus and calcarine areas showed significant reductions at follow-up. Initially, NMO patients exhibited higher ALFF in the cerebellum, bilateral pons, parahippocampus, thalamus, posterior and anterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus. However, by the follow-up, elevated ALFF persisted only in the medial superior frontal gyrus. During follow-up, progressive decreases in ALFF were specifically noted in the right lingual gyrus, calcarine, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, and parahippocampus within the NMO patient group. Significant correlations were identified between improvements in EDSS scores and increases in ALFF in the paracentral lobule, precentral, and postcentral gyri. Additionally, enhancements in visual acuity were linked to increased ALFF in the medial superior frontal gyrus. Rs-fMRI reveals progressive brain function declines in NMO, evidenced by decreasing ALFF in key sensory and motor areas, alongside occasional compensatory increases observed. Strong correlations between these changes and clinical measures like EDSS scores and visual acuity highlight ALFF's value as a biomarker for monitoring disease spontaneous progression and assessing treatment impacts.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144131909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Atypical segregation of frontoparietal and sensorimotor networks is related to social and executive function impairments in children with ASD.","authors":"Alina Minnigulova, Olga Dragoy, Vardan Arutiunian","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01016-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01016-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two possible indicators of a deficient segregation of functional networks are within-underconnectivity and between-overconnectivity. Both these processes can be observed in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to be associated with different core and co-occurring atypicalties of behavior. We focused on within- and between-network connectivity of Frontoparietal and Sensorimotor networks in ASD compared to typically developed (TD) peers and its links to social difficulties and impairments of executive and motor functions. To our knowledge, this study for the first time described between-network connectivity of Frontoparietal and Sensorimotor networks in ASD with relations to symptoms of ASD. In this study, we utilised resting-state functional MRI to investigate 121 participants with ASD and 84 TD children. We investigated between-group differences of the connectivity between Frontoparietal and Sensorimotor regions. We also conducted brain-behavior analysis for beta values of these connections and behavioral scores. Controlling for age and sex, we found a significant group difference within- Frontoparietal network (right and left posterior parietal cortices were underconnected in ASD) and between-networks (right posterior parietal and right lateral sensorimotor cortices were overconnected in ASD). In the ASD group, we also showed that within-Frontoparietal underconnectivity was related to lower scores of social and executive functions as well as between-networks overconnectivity was associated with social difficulties only. There were no significant relationships between scores of motor functions and beta values. We confirmed the hypothesis of deficient segregation for Frontoparietal and Sensorimotor networks in ASD. These findings highlight the importance of between-network connectivity investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144092764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mild cognitive impairment is associated with effect of uremic metabolites on gray matter structural changes in end-stage kidney disease.","authors":"Huijie Yuan, Zhaoyao Luo, Jing Yang, Shaohui Ma, Peng Li, Xinyi Wang, Hang Su, Ronghua He, Junya Mu, Yuchen Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01003-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01003-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To investigate the grey matter volume (GMV) changes and uremic metabolites in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (ESKD-MCI) and further examine the classification and diagnostic efficacy of these features for ESKD-MCI patients. A total of 65 patients with ESKD, including 34 ESKD-MCI and 31 with non-cognitive impairment (ESKD-NCI), and 55 health controls (HCs) were enrolled. All participants underwent brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and Montreal cognitive assessment test. Clinical characteristics and GMV differences among these three groups were analyzed. In addition, mediation analysis was performed to determine the mediating effect of GMV changes on the association between clinical risk factors and MCI. Finally, support vector machine were employed to examine the classification and diagnostic efficacy of GMV changes and clinical features for MCI. Both patient groups exhibited widespread structural brain injury compared with the HCs. Moreover, compared with ESKD-NCI, ESKD-MCI patients demonstrated reduced GMV specifically in the left middle temporal gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus. Notably, these GMV changes completely mediates the effect of serum phosphorus levels on MCI. Furthermore, imaging features rather than serum phosphorus levels had good classification and diagnostic efficacy for ESKD-MCI. Our findings underscore the significance of the left temporal gyrus as a pivotal brain region in ESKD-MCI patients, fully mediating the link between uremic metabolite and MCI. GMV alterations presents a promising avenue for effectively detecting MCI in individuals with ESKD.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143976894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cortical thickness alternation in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients compared with healthy controls.","authors":"Chunyu Dong, Hao Zheng, Hailong Shen, Yu Wan, Yinghong Xu, Ying Li, Liangliang Ping, Hao Yu, Chuanxin Liu, Jian Cui, Kun Li, Cong Zhou","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01010-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01010-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuropathological changes, such as those found in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), often include cortical morphological abnormalities. Neuroimaging research has indicated that individuals with OCD typically exhibit altered cortical thickness (CTh) through surface-based morphometry (SBM) analyses. Yet, the findings have been hit or miss, with inconsistent results across various studies. We are employing meta-analytic techniques on comprehensive brain imaging data to examine variations in CTh in patients with OCD. This approach could refine spatial precision in detection, thereby sharpening our diagnostic capabilities for OCD and paving the way for more targeted therapeutic interventions. The seed-based d mapping (SDM) method was utilized to perform a vertex-wise, coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) examining CTh differences across whole-brain studies in OCD patients relative to healthy controls (HCs). This analytical approach systematically compared structural neuroimaging findings between clinical and control groups. A comprehensive review of existing research uncovered 9 relevant studies (containing 9 distinct datasets) examining CTh in OCD. The analysis incorporated data from 518 OCD patients and 449 HCs. The findings revealed significant cortical thinning in the left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri, along with the right insula among OCD patients. Conversely, increased CTh was observed in several left-hemisphere regions, including the lingual gyrus, orbital portion of the inferior frontal gyrus, and dorsolateral aspect of the superior frontal gyrus. Moreover, the meta-regression results indicated an inverse relationship between age and the thickness of the right insula cortex in those suffering from OCD. However, the analysis was constrained by the small pool of studies and samples, as well as incomplete data from certain participants, which hindered a thorough subgroup examination. Additionally, the results of the meta-regression should be viewed with caution, as they are based on a relatively limited number of studies. The analysis did show changes in CTh in certain brain areas for OCD patients, which adds to our knowledge of the intricate workings of OCD-related brain abnormalities. These insights could potentially serve as valuable landmarks for diagnosing and treating OCD. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143965804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impaired interhemispheric synchrony in Parkinson's disease patients with progressive cognitive impairment.","authors":"Xinhui Wang, Peng Liu, Qiurong Yu, Naying He, Yu Liu, Youmin Zhang, Fuhua Yan","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01009-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01009-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cognitive decline is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), which can occur at any stage of the disease. However, the neural mechanisms of PD cognitive changes remain unclear. It has been reported that hemispheric asymmetry is associated with cognitive impairment. Thus, we aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of PD subgroups with different degrees of cognitive progression by assessing functional interhemispheric coordination and their relations with cognition. Fifty-four PD patients including 29 stable cognitive performance (sPD) patients, 25 progressive cognitive impairment (pPD) patients, and 18 healthy controls (HC) were recruited in this study. All subjects underwent T1-weighted, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning, and neuropsychological evaluations. Voxel-mirrored Homotopic Connectivity (VMHC) and voxel-based morphometry analysis were applied to detect functional interhemispheric coordination. Fisher z transformed VMHC (z-VMHC) value lower in the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and superior temporal gyrus (STG) in the pPD group when compared to the sPD group. However, we did not detect the difference in gray matter volume among the three groups. Furthermore, the z-VMHC value of MTG and MOG was positively correlated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of the follow-up. Therefore, z-VMHC values within the MTG, MOG, and STG appeared to be potential neuroimaging features to distinguish pPD patients from sPD groups. These findings may underlie the neural mechanisms of cognitive performance in PD.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143983426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altered resting-state functional connectivity in male individuals with methamphetamine use disorder at two different withdrawal periods: spotlight on the paraventricular thalamic nucleus.","authors":"Yifan Li, Shubao Chen, Shucai Huang, Zhe Du, Qiuping Huang, Shuhong Lin, Xinwen Wen, Chenhan Wang, Tieqiao Liu, Hongxian Shen, Xuyi Wang, Kai Yuan","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-01008-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-025-01008-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preclinical research highlights the paraventricular thalamic nucleus as important in various stages of substance use disorder. However, there is limited research on it in relation to methamphetamine, especially regarding its functional changes after long-term abstinence. This study aims to understand the alterations in functional connectivity of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus in methamphetamine abstainers and its correlation with drug craving at two different withdrawal periods. A total of 49 subjects were allocated to the short-term withdrawal group, 44 to the long-term withdrawal group, and 42 to the healthy control group, all of whom are male and adult. Craving scores were assessed using a visual analogue scale. Functional connectivity was evaluated through resting-state functional MRI, which reflects the correlation between connectivity in different brain regions. Significant differences in functional connectivity between the paraventricular thalamic nucleus and the left caudate nucleus were observed across the three groups. The healthy control group exhibited the strongest connectivity, followed by the long-term withdrawal group, while the short-term withdrawal group demonstrated the weakest connectivity. Within the short-term withdrawal group, functional connectivity of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus with both the left parahippocampal gyrus (r = -0.45, p = 0.001) and the left inferior temporal gyrus (r = -0.43, p = 0.002) was significantly correlated with craving scores. This study confirms abnormalities in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus among male methamphetamine abstainers, emphasizes its potential role in regulating methamphetamine use disorder and craving mechanisms, and offers insights into long-term changes in brain function after abstinence.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143975408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}