Thamires N C Magalhães, Ted Maldonado, T Bryan Jackson, Tracey H Hicks, Ivan A Herrejon, Thiago J R Rezende, Abigail C Symm, Jessica A Bernard
{"title":"Cerebellar-hippocampal volume associations with behavioral outcomes following tDCS modulation.","authors":"Thamires N C Magalhães, Ted Maldonado, T Bryan Jackson, Tracey H Hicks, Ivan A Herrejon, Thiago J R Rezende, Abigail C Symm, Jessica A Bernard","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-00975-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-025-00975-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Here, we explore the relationship between transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and brain-behavior interactions. We propose that tDCS perturbation allows for the investigation of relationships between brain volume and behavior. We focused on the hippocampus (HPC) and cerebellum (CB) regions that are implicated in our understanding of memory and motor skill acquisition. Seventy-four young adults (mean age: 22 ± 0.42 years, mean education: 14.7 ± 0.25 years) were randomly assigned to receive either anodal, cathodal, or sham stimulation. Following stimulation, participants completed computerized tasks assessing working memory and sequence learning in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment. We investigated the statistical interaction between CB and HPC volumes. Our findings showed that individuals with larger cerebellar volumes had shorter reaction times (RT) on a high-load working memory task in the sham stimulation group. In contrast, the anodal stimulation group exhibited faster RTs during the low-load working memory condition. These RT differences were associated with the cortical volumetric interaction between CB-HPC. Literature suggests that anodal stimulation down-regulates the CB and here, those with larger volumes perform more quickly, suggesting the potential need for additional cognitive resources to compensate for cerebellar downregulation or perturbation. This new insight suggests that tDCS can aid in revealing structure-function relationships, due to greater performance variability, especially in young adults. It may also reveal new targets of interest in the study of aging or in diseases where there is also greater behavioral variability.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"384-394"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143187783","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":"Using neuroimaging to identify sex differences in adults with sports-related concussion: a systematic review.","authors":"Harry Macleod, Clare L Smith, Robin Laycock","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-00970-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-025-00970-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concussion is a common injury in sports that causes neurological damage, leading to memory loss and difficulty concentrating. Insufficient recovery time may result in significant long-term harm to individuals. Several neuroimaging techniques have been used to understand the pathophysiological changes following concussion, and how long individuals need to recover before returning to play. Despite the progress in neuroimaging concussion research, few studies have considered whether females sustain different effects on the brain and how recovery from concussion might differ from males. Thus, we conducted a systematic review of the existing literature to highlight sex differences in concussion with neuroimaging techniques. By searching four different databases, studies were selected if they used a neuroimaging technique to examine sex differences following concussion in athletes over the age of 18. After screening 2295 studies from an initial search, 15 were found to match the selection criteria. Nine papers established some difference between males and females, however many of these studies were not designed to specifically examine sex differences, and hence conclusions in this regard are somewhat limited. A further common limitation among these papers was a lack of whole brain scans, instead relying on regions of interest analyses, which reduces the ability to compare studies effectively. The current systematic review has highlighted the need for future studies to specifically consider whether, and how sex influences the impact and trajectory of brain recovery from concussion. This can then help to inform suitable amendments to current concussion return-to-play protocols for male and female athletes.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"594-608"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11978690/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143032231","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}
Emmie W Koevoets, Sanne B Schagen, Anne M May, Mirjam I Geerlings, Lenja Witlox, Elsken van der Wall, Martijn M Stuiver, Gabe S Sonke, Miranda J Velthuis, Jan J Jobsen, Job van der Palen, Michiel B de Ruiter, Evelyn M Monninkhof
{"title":"Effect of physical exercise on white matter microstructure in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial (PAM study).","authors":"Emmie W Koevoets, Sanne B Schagen, Anne M May, Mirjam I Geerlings, Lenja Witlox, Elsken van der Wall, Martijn M Stuiver, Gabe S Sonke, Miranda J Velthuis, Jan J Jobsen, Job van der Palen, Michiel B de Ruiter, Evelyn M Monninkhof","doi":"10.1007/s11682-024-00965-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-024-00965-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Physical exercise is a promising intervention to improve brain white matter integrity. In the PAM study, exercise intervention effects on white matter integrity were investigated in breast cancer patients. Chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients with cognitive problems were randomized 2-4 years post-diagnosis to an exercise (n = 91) or control group (n = 90). The 6-month exercise intervention consisted of four hours/week of aerobic and resistance training. White matter integrity was measured at baseline and 6-month follow-up with fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), which were derived from magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Both DTI metrics were analyzed whole brain and voxel-wise with a modified tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) procedure. Other measurements included cognition and physical fitness. Exercise effects were analyzed with multiple regression analyses. An explorative analysis was conducted in highly fatigued patients. DTI scans were available for 69 patients of the intervention (age = 52.3 ± 8.9yrs.) and 72 patients of the control group (age = 53.2 ± 8.6yrs.). Whole brain and voxel-wise analyses revealed no significant intervention effects on FA and MD. In highly fatigued patients (exercise: n = 32; control: n = 24), significant clusters of decreased FA post-intervention were observed in the left inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Mean FA in these clusters was not predictive of cognition. A 6-month exercise intervention did not affect white matter integrity in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients. However, in highly fatigued breast cancer patients a significant FA decrease was observed post-intervention. The direction of these results is unexpected, and more research is needed to further understand these results.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"291-301"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11978695/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142969695","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}
Yuling Peng, Dan Luo, Peng Zeng, Bang Zeng, Yayun Xiang, Dan Wang, Ying Chai, Yongmei Li, Xiaoya Chen, Tianyou Luo
{"title":"Impact of white matter hyperintensity location on outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients: a lesion-symptom mapping study.","authors":"Yuling Peng, Dan Luo, Peng Zeng, Bang Zeng, Yayun Xiang, Dan Wang, Ying Chai, Yongmei Li, Xiaoya Chen, Tianyou Luo","doi":"10.1007/s11682-024-00962-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-024-00962-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Studies on the impact of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on function outcome have primarily concentrated on WMH volume, overlooking the potential significance of WMH location. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between WMH location and outcome in patients with their first-ever acute ischemic stroke (AIS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients who underwent their first AIS between September 2021 and September 2022 were recruited. Function outcome was assessed using the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The association between the location of WMH and functional outcome was examined at the voxel level and subsequently at the region of interest tract-based level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 134 patients were included (mean age, 66.28 years ± 12.48; 90 male [67.16%]). The median mRS was 2 (IQR, 1-3). The median total WMH volume was 3.80 cm<sup>3</sup> (IQR, 2.07-6.78). WMH volume was significantly correlated with mRS (r = 0.28, p = 0.001). WMH in the splenium of corpus callosum, the left superior corona radiata, the left posterior corona radiata, and the bilateral posterior thalamic radiation were associated with poor mRS. The strategic WMH score (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.06-1.32; p = 0.003), derived from these five specific tracts, was an independent predictor of mRS after accounting for the effects of total WMH volume (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.90-1.16; p = 0.771) and infarct lesion volume (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.08-1.48; p = 0.004).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings indicated that the impact of WMH on function outcome is location-dependent, mainly involving five strategic tracts. Evaluating WMH location may help to more accurately predict the functional outcome of AIS.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"269-278"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142926600","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":"Abnormal sensory processing cortex in insomnia disorder: a degree centrality study.","authors":"Hui Wang, Haining Li, Ziyi Liu, Chiyin Li, Zhaoyao Luo, Wei Chen, Meiling Shang, Huiping Liu, Fatemeh Naderi Nejad, Yuanping Zhou, Ming Zhang, Yingxiang Sun","doi":"10.1007/s11682-024-00958-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-024-00958-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insomnia disorder is a significant global health concern. This research aimed to explore the pathogenesis of insomnia disorder using static and dynamic degree centrality methods at the voxel level. A total of 29 patients diagnosed with insomnia disorder and 28 healthy controls were ultimately included to examine differences in degree centrality between the two groups. Additionally, the relationship between altered degree centrality values and various clinical indicators was analyzed. The results revealed that patients with insomnia disorder exhibited higher static degree centrality in brain regions associated with sensory processing, such as the occipital gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus. In contrast, lower static degree centrality was observed in the parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, insula, and thalamus. Changes in dynamic degree centrality were identified in regions including the parahippocampal gyrus, anterior cingulum, medial superior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, and precuneus. Notably, a negative correlation was found between dynamic degree centrality in the inferior parietal gyrus and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, while a positive correlation was observed between static degree centrality in the inferior temporal gyrus and the Hamilton Depression Scale. These findings suggest that dysfunction in centrality within the sensory processing cortex and subcortical nuclei may be associated with the sleep-wake imbalance in individuals with insomnia disorder, contributing to our understanding of hyperarousal mechanisms in insomnia. Moreover, the abnormalities observed in the default mode network and the salience network provide insights into understanding the neuropathogenesis of insomnia from both static and dynamic centrality perspectives. The clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR2200058768. Date: 2022-04-16.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"302-312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11978550/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143000299","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}
Le Gao, Shuang Qiao, Yigeng Zhang, Tao Zhang, Huibin Lu, Xiaonan Guo
{"title":"Parsing the heterogeneity of brain structure and function in male children with autism spectrum disorder: a multimodal MRI study.","authors":"Le Gao, Shuang Qiao, Yigeng Zhang, Tao Zhang, Huibin Lu, Xiaonan Guo","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-00978-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-025-00978-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with high structural and functional heterogeneity. Multimodal fusion of structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows better integration of ASD features from multiple perspectives. This study aimed to uncover the potential ASD subtypes by fusing the features of brain structure and function. An unsupervised learning method, similarity network fusion (SNF), was used. Resting-state functional MRI and structural MRI from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange database of 207 male children were included in this study (105 ASD; 102 healthy controls (HC)). Gray matter volume (GMV) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were utilized to represent structural and functional features separately. Structural and functional distance networks were constructed and fused by SNF. Then spectral clustering was carried out on the fused network. At last, the multivariate support vector regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the multimodal alterations and symptom severity of ASD subtypes. Two ASD subtypes were identified. Compared to HC, the two ASD subtypes demonstrated opposite GMV changes and distinct ALFF alterations. Furthermore, the alterations of ALFF predicted the severity of social communication impairments in ASD subtype 1. However, no significant associations were found between the multimodal alterations and symptoms in ASD subtype 2. These findings demonstrate the existence of heterogeneity with distinct structural and functional patterns in ASD and highlight the crucial role of combining multimodal features in investigating the neural mechanism underlying ASD.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"407-420"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447623","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}
Yihan Wang, Yapeng Qi, Wenxuan Fang, Xinwei Li, Qichen Zhou, Jilan Ning, Jiaxin Du, Bin Zhang, Xiaoxia Du
{"title":"Adaptive neural activation patterns in basketball athletes: insights from emotional processing using fMRI.","authors":"Yihan Wang, Yapeng Qi, Wenxuan Fang, Xinwei Li, Qichen Zhou, Jilan Ning, Jiaxin Du, Bin Zhang, Xiaoxia Du","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-00987-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-025-00987-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The impact of long-term exercise training on emotional processing remains unclear. This study investigated the neural activation patterns during emotional processing in collegiate basketball athletes compared to non-athletes. We utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine 37 basketball athletes and 38 age- and gender-matched non-athletes while they performed the Emotional Faces Task and Intense Emotion Task. Participants' emotional states were assessed using various psychological questionnaires. In the Emotional Faces Task, athletes exhibited decreased activation in the left medial frontal gyrus, left paracentral lobule, and left cingulate gyrus when viewing neutral faces and increased activation in the right parahippocampal gyrus and right temporal lobe when viewing happy faces. In the Intense Emotion Task, the athletes exhibited increased activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus when viewing fearful pictures. Conversely, they showed decreased activation in the bilateral medial frontal gyri, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral rectus gyri, right middle occipital gyrus, right cuneus, and right cerebellum posterior lobe when viewing fearful pictures minus neutral pictures. Basketball athletes demonstrated distinct neural adaptations in emotional processing, suggesting a potential enhancement in performance and well-being under competitive stress. These findings contribute to understanding how long-term athletic training may influence brain function and emotional regulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"556-565"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143572084","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}
Xiaolu Li, Huize Pang, Shuting Bu, Yingmei Li, Mengwan Zhao, Juzhou Wang, Yu Liu, Hongmei Yu, Guoguang Fan
{"title":"Differentiating patterns of neuro-circuitry abnormalities in tremor dominant parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy: a resting-state fMRI study.","authors":"Xiaolu Li, Huize Pang, Shuting Bu, Yingmei Li, Mengwan Zhao, Juzhou Wang, Yu Liu, Hongmei Yu, Guoguang Fan","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-00984-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-025-00984-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to elucidate distinctive patterns of brain functional activity in tremor-dominant Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients and develop a diagnostic model distinguishing between the two conditions based on these changes. Resting-state fMRI data from 45 MSA patients, 55 PD patients, and 48 healthy controls were analyzed using Percent Amplitude of Fluctuation (PerAF), Functional (FC) and Effective Connectivity (EC) analyses. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) was used to create the diagnostic model from the identified functional alterations. Partial correlation analyses explored the relationship between functional abnormalities and tremors. Both MSA and PD patients with tremors exhibited similar activity changes in bilateral Orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus (ORBsup), Cerebellum VIII (CRBL8), left Cerebellum IV-V (CRBL45.L), right rectus (REC), and FC based on the seeds of PUT.L, CRBL8.R, and REC.R. These changes were more pronounced in MSA patients. However, MSA patients exhibited heightened putamen activity and enhanced EC from caudate (CAU) to putamen, whereas these activity and connectivity were decreased in PD patients. The SVM model achieved strong performance, with the putamen exerting the most significant influence on classification. In summary, dysfunction within the cerebello-cortical and basal ganglia network circuits is implicated in the tremors of both MSA and PD patients. The alteration in cerebellar-cortical regions were similar, with MSA displaying more pronounced changes, contrasting changes were observed in the basal ganglia region. The putamen may serve as crucial neurobiological indicators for the precise differentiation of MSA and PD patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"519-533"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143572086","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}
Xiaodong Wang, Xuhong Yang, Minglei Wang, Xueying Huang, Ming Zhang
{"title":"The neuroprotective power of artificial liver therapy: reversing cognitive impairment in minimal hepatic encephalopathy.","authors":"Xiaodong Wang, Xuhong Yang, Minglei Wang, Xueying Huang, Ming Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11682-024-00947-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-024-00947-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alteration of functional connectivity in brain regions is one of the potential neuropathological mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). Artificial liver therapy has been shown to improve cognitive impairment in patients, suggesting a potential neuroprotective effect on the brain. This study investigates the impact of artificial liver therapy (AL) on cognitive impairment in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) by examining alterations in brain functional connectivity. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data was collected from healthy controls and MHE patients before and after therapy. The MHE<sub>post-AL</sub> group showed improved memory, reaction time, and executive function compared to the MHE<sub>pre-AL</sub> group. Functional connectivity analysis revealed increased connectivity in specific brain regions in the MHE<sub>pre-AL</sub> group compared to healthy controls, with subsequent decreased connectivity after therapy. Lower MoCA scores, higher blood ammonia levels, and lower cholinesterase levels were associated with higher functional connectivity in the MHE<sub>pre-AL</sub> group. The study suggests that artificial liver therapy improves cognitive impairment in MHE patients, with changes in blood biochemistry mediating the link between functional connectivity and cognitive function. Correcting blood biochemistry levels may reverse abnormal brain connectivity and enhance cognitive function in MHE patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"497-507"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143555915","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":"Based on the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals the causal relationship between the brain function network and the risk of tinnitus: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis.","authors":"Yuchao Liu, Chunli Li, Linli Yao, Yuan Tan, Lu Shi, Pei Chen","doi":"10.1007/s11682-025-00986-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-025-00986-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Tinnitus affects millions worldwide. Its neural mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the causal relationships between brain functional networks and tinnitus risk using Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed MR analyses using brain activity data from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and genetic data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A total of 191 brain features, including amplitude traits and functional connectivity measures, were selected based on their genetic associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Forward MR analyses showed that increased activity in the parietal and inferior frontal regions was associated with a 41% reduction in tinnitus risk (OR = 0.59, p = 1.8 × 10<sup>-4</sup>). In contrast, increased activity in the precuneus, angular gyrus, and frontal areas was linked to a 49% increase in tinnitus risk (OR = 1.49, p = 8.9 × 10<sup>-4</sup>). Activities in the parietal and inferior frontal regions were negatively correlated with tinnitus risk (OR = 0.72, p = 0.0037). Additionally, higher activity in the parietal, frontal, and temporal regions doubled the risk (OR = 2.02, p = 0.015). Reverse MR showed that stronger connectivity between frontal and temporal regions was inversely related to tinnitus risk (beta = - 0.056, p = 0.049).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Specific brain activity and connectivity patterns are causally linked to tinnitus.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":" ","pages":"456-467"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143472128","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}