Brain Imaging and Behavior最新文献

{"title":"White matter microstructural alterations in Huntington's disease: a systematic review of diffusion imaging findings.","authors":"Dorsa Salabat, Sara KamaliZonouzi, Iman Kiani, Homa Seyedmirzaei, Sahar Rezaei, Mohammad Hadi Aarabi","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01141-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01141-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Huntington’s Disease (HD) is characterized by neurodegeneration initially targeting the striatum, before progressively affecting the white matter and cortex. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) could provide critical insights into microstructural changes in HD patients, unraveling pathophysiological mechanisms linked with this disease and the clinical symptoms. This study systematically reviews the literature on HD-associated microstructural changes identified by means of DTI, and further investigates correlations of DTI metrics with disease progression, motor deficits, cognitive performance, and genetic features. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus, with appropriate keywords for studies that met our inclusion criteria. We identified 33 studies eligible for being included. The reported microstructural alterations spanned across numerous brain regions, and mostly included reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD). Reduced FA was observed across several brain regions, including the corpus callosum, external and internal capsule, caudate, putamen, dorsal striatum, thalamus, and corticospinal tracts. We reported an association between specific diffusivity measures with both cognitive performance and clinical symptoms. Motor deficits were linked with diffusivity alterations of the corpus callosum and the corticospinal tract. DTI facilitates identification of HD-associated brain abnormalities, potentially elucidating disease etiology and correlations with clinical presentation. Additionally, targeting specific affected brain regions could lead to innovative treatment strategies. Future research is warranted to further elucidate DTI role in HD clinical practice, with the aim of paving the way to new effective treatments and rehabilitation interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147670453","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":"Cerebral blood flow alterations in non-auditory tinnitus: implications for cerebral venous congestion pathophysiology.","authors":"Lu Liu, Milan Jia, Hui Li, Yifan Zhou, Huimin Jiang, Weiyue Zhang, Chenxia Zhou, Jiangang Duan, Ran Meng, Chen Zhou, Xunming Ji","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01144-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01144-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous congestion (CVC), including internal jugular vein stenosis (IJVS) and cerebral venous sinus stenosis (CVSS), can impair venous drainage, leading to secondary reductions in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and neurological symptoms such as non-auditory tinnitus (NAT). While arterial spin labeling (ASL) primarily measures arterial perfusion, it also provides insights into global perfusion changes in venous pathologies. This study investigates CBF alterations in CVC patients, particularly those with NAT. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 87 participants, including 34 NAT+ patients, 17 NAT- patients, and 36 healthy controls (HC). Multi-delay pseudo-continuous ASL was used to quantify whole-brain and regional CBF based on the anatomical automatic labeling atlas version 3 (AAL3v1), adjusted for arterial transit time. Group differences in CBF were assessed, and correlations with clinical variables were analyzed, including tinnitus duration, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and cognitive function. RESULTS: Patients in the NAT+ group exhibited significant CBF reductions in the left hemisphere, cerebrum, and specific regions, including the insula, paracentral lobule, and precentral gyrus, compared to those in the NAT- and HC groups. Reduced CBF in NAT+ patients was correlated with longer tinnitus duration, poorer sleep quality, and worse depression scores. Further analysis revealed that the affected regions were part of the attention, sensorimotor, default mode, and cerebellar networks. CONCLUSION: This study identified a distinct pattern of cerebral perfusion alterations in patients with CVC, particularly those with NAT. The findings highlight characteristic regional reductions in CBF associated with impaired venous outflow, offering new insights into the venous pathophysiological mechanisms underlying NAT. Moreover, reduced CBF was found to be associated with clinical symptoms such as sleep disturbances and emotional dysregulation. These findings support a link between venous pathology and altered cerebral perfusion patterns with symptom correlations, warranting confirmation in larger and longitudinal cohorts. </p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13065622/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147644184","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":"A systematic review of associations between functional connectivity, mood and cognition in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.","authors":"Mahnaz Reisian, Catherine Toben, Liliana G Ciobanu, Magdalene C Jawahar, Sally Eldeghaidy, Scott R Clark","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01135-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01135-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 9.3%–35.5% of the population, with women at greater risk. It is often comorbid with anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying these comorbidities is crucial for identifying IBS pathology and developing targeted treatments. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers valuable insights into brain connectivity and psychopathology. This review evaluates research on the link between functional connectivity, mood, and cognition in IBS. We systematically searched Embase, PubMed, and PsycINFO for studies published between 2010 and 2024, identifying 49 studies using both resting-state and task-based fMRI. Of these, 12 studies meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed. Across studies, IBS was associated with altered connectivity in the salience (SN), sensorimotor (SMN), default mode (DMN), and executive control (ECN) networks. Reported cognitive findings largely reflected executive and attentional control processes occurring in the context of pain anticipation, salience detection, and interoceptive awareness rather than domain-general cognitive impairment. Alterations in the SN, particularly involving the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and anterior midcingulate cortex, were linked to increased visceral sensitivity and affective symptoms. Disrupted DMN connectivity was associated with altered self-referential processing and emotional regulation, while changes in the SMN and ECN suggested differences in sensory integration and top-down control. Notably, several studies showed that group differences in functional connectivity were reduced or no longer significant after accounting for anxiety and depression, suggesting that mood symptoms may play a mediating role in brain network alterations in IBS. While the literature is limited by small samples and sex imbalance, this review highlights a multi-network model of IBS that emphasizes emotional–cognitive–visceral interactions and points to important directions for future longitudinal research.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13056754/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147627457","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":"Are cognitive subtleties too subtle to see? A diffusion tensor imaging validation of the subtle cognitive impairment test and other psychometric assessments in a normative sample.","authors":"Iain D Croall, Paul A Armitage, Marios Hadjivassiliou, Nigel Hoggard","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01139-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01139-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dementia care and research is limited by difficulties identifying patients in its prodrome. Existing cognitive screening forms have poor sensitivity with respect to subtle changes. The Subtle Cognitive Impairment Test has been proposed as a superior assessment, but remains largely unproved. We investigate this and other cognitive tests by establishing their sensitivity to brain diffusion tensor imaging metrics in a sample of healthy, older adults. Healthy participants (N = 84) aged 50–70 were recruited. All subjects underwent a holistic cognitive test battery. Diffusion tensor imaging data were processed to create maps including mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, radial and axial diffusivity. Cross-sectional correlations compared mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy against all cognitive test outcomes using tract-based spatial statistics, with any significant results being re-run with age correction. Models which survived this were further inspected with regards to axial and radial diffusivity as appropriate. Only the subtle cognitive impairment test (“tail percentage errors”) and trail making (“A” condition) provided areas where voxels reached p < 0.05 in univariate models, while only the former survived age correction. Post-hoc analyses using the subtle cognitive impairment test variable found a small cluster of significant voxels with respect to axial diffusivity. It appears unaffected by participant level of education, mood or quality of life. The subtle cognitive impairment test appears to be a superior cognitive marker of subtle shifts in neurophysiology and may therefore be a desirable tool in the investigation or triage of early neurodegeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13056773/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147627417","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":"Mendelian randomization and clinical retrospective radiomics study reveal causal relationships between brain imaging-derived phenotypes and epilepsy risk.","authors":"Huanhua Wu, Chulan Ou, Yuelong Yang, Caihong Zhou, Xiaozheng Cao, Yao Tan","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01145-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01145-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the causal relationships between brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) and epilepsy risk by integrating Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and radiomics-based validation using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Two-sample MR analysis, leveraging genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, revealed that higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right posterior thalamic radiation significantly increases epilepsy risk (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.16–1.49), while larger volumes of the right pallidum exert a protective effect (HR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.55–0.80). Radiomics analysis of T1-weighted MRI images identified key structural features in these brain regions, which were incorporated into machine learning models for robust epilepsy risk prediction, confirming the MR findings. These results provide novel insights into the structural mechanisms underlying epilepsy, emphasizing the right posterior thalamic radiation and right pallidum as key regions influencing risk. By integrating MR and radiomics approaches, this study highlights the potential of imaging-genetics methodologies in advancing our understanding of epilepsy and improving clinical decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147627474","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":"Resting-state functional connectivity alterations in dementia with Lewy bodies: a systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.","authors":"Beatriz Aguiar de Macedo, Jay Kakadiya, Rafaela C Maciel, Sarah Verdan, Vanio Antunes, Haris I Sair, Licia P Luna","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01137-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01137-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dementia with Lewy Bodies is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations and parkinsonian features. Resting-state functional MRI has been increasingly used to investigate functional connectivity alterations in this disease, though findings have been inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to comprehensively synthesize existing evidence on connectivity changes in this condition to clarify underlying networks dysfunctions and provide future research directions. We analyzed studies from EMBASE, PubMed and Scopus. Thirteen eligible studies were categorized by methods: seed-based, ROI-to-ROI or Independent Component Analysis. To maintain consistency, we conducted an Activation Likelihood Estimation meta-analysis using the whole-brain Independent Component Analysis studies. Thirteen studies included 730 patients (343 diseased, 387 controls). Widespread connectivity alterations were present across multiple networks, with decreased connectivity in the sensorimotor, temporal, frontoparietal and salience networks. Decreased internetwork connectivity was observed between the default-mode and sensorimotor networks, across left and right visual networks, and between the frontoparietal and other networks. Increased connectivity was also reported within the default-mode network, basal ganglia and thalamus, although findings were mixed. Coordinate-based meta-analysis demonstrated decreased connectivity in the insula, cingulate gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, caudate, lentiform nucleus and putamen (p < 0.001), while no significant clusters were found for increased connectivity. Dementia with Lewy Bodies shows widespread and heterogeneous connectivity disruptions, particularly in motor and attention networks. While the meta-analysis confirmed decreases in select regions, findings of increased connectivity were inconsistent. These findings highlight the need for larger, standardized studies to validate resting-state functional MRI as a biomarker for this disorder.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147580577","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":"Diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space index alterations in Alzheimer's disease: associated with cerebrospinal fluid Aβ40 and cognition.","authors":"Junling Han, Yanlai Xia, Huanjing Jiao, Xiaoxi Niu, Xiaonan Wang, Hongyan Ni","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01142-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01142-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of glymphatic system impairment in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) still requires further investigation. This study aimed to investigate the glymphatic system dysfunction in AD, and explore its association with AD Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) biomarkers and cognition. This study included 28 AD, 36 mild cognitive impairment [MCI Aβ+: 23, MCI Aβ-: 13], and 67 cognitively normal [CN Aβ+: 34, CN Aβ-: 33] from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohorts. Glymphatic system activity was assessed using the diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index. This metric was combined with the basal ganglia perivascular space volume fraction (BG PVS-VF) to serve as MRI indicators investigated in this study. Group differences in MRI indicators were analyzed, and relationships between glymphatic system function, CSF Aβ/tau protein levels, and cognitive performance were explored. As a result, compared with CN, DTI-ALPS index was significantly lower in the AD. Both the DTI-ALPS index and BG PVS-VF showed significant correlations with age (R=-0.2 and R = 0.29; P < 0.05) and MMSE scores (R = 0.26 and R = 0.20; P < 0.05). The DTI-ALPS index was positively correlated with CSF Aβ40 levels (R = 0.44, P < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that the effects of both DTI-ALPS index on MMSE scores and CSF Aβ40/BG PVS-VF on MMSE scores occurred directly. In conclusion, the DTI-ALPS index was lowered in AD patients. The DTI-ALPS index demonstrated specific correlations with CSF Aβ40 levels and cognitive performance, suggesting a potential association with AD pathology.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147572645","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":"Diffusion network model analysis of multimodal neuroimaging reveals differential patterns of brain disease propagation in four subgroups of ALS patients.","authors":"Venkateswaran Rajagopalan, Erik P Pioro","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01083-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01083-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Four different subtypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were identified based on their clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, including: (a) classic ALS (ALS-Cl) (b) upper motor neuron (UMN)-predominant ALS with corticospinal tract (CST) hyperintensity (ALS-CST+), (c) UMN-predominant ALS without CST hyperintensity (ALS-CST–), and (d) ALS with frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD). These phenotypes also showed differences in symptom duration, disease progression rate, revised ALS functional rating scale score and El Escorial score.Network diffusion model (NDM) is a computational approach that can identify disease epicenters based on brain gray matter (GM) atrophy and white matter (WM) structural connectome from cross-sectional MRI. Although previous NDM MRI studies have considered ALS patients as a single group, we examined whether the above-mentioned phenotypes display subgroup-specific site of disease onset, and whether the latter differs between positron emission tomography -revealed hypo- and hypermetabolic brain regions in ALS-FTD patients. Clinical evaluation and cross-sectional MRI of 83 patients with differing presentations of ALS were assigned into one of four subgroups, and NDM applied to the data.Both ALS-CST + and ALS-CST– subgroups showed the putamen as epicenter for GM atrophy and superior frontal gyrus (orbital part) as epicenter for WM disconnection. The ALS-Cl subgroup also showed the putamen as epicenter for GM degeneration but the inferior parietal gyrus (excluding supramarginal and angular gyri) for WM disconnection, the latter overlapping with ALS-FTD patients. However, epicenters for structural and functional GM degeneration in the ALS-FTD subgroup were different. These results suggest differential patterns of GM and WM degeneration onset between the four ALS subgroups.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147572577","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":"Impact of hypertension on brain function assessed by resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI): a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Areej H Al-Sarairah, Noorazrul Yahya, Hamzaini A Hamid, Ali M Al-Radaideh, Hanani Abdul Manan","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01136-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01136-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypertension is increasingly recognized as a contributor to cognitive decline and altered brain function, with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) offering a non-invasive method to assess spontaneous brain activity and connectivity. This study systematically reviewed and quantitatively synthesized rs-fMRI findings in hypertensive individuals compared to normotensive controls, and within hypertensive subgroups (cognitively normal vs. impaired). A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library (January 2014-March 2024) identified 15 studies for qualitative synthesis, with 11 eligible for meta-analysis using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic and bias via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results showed a moderate pooled effect size of d = 0.64 (95% CI: 0.39-0.89, I2 = 22.9%) for brain functional alterations, with consistent involvement of frontal, temporal, precuneus, cerebellar, and default mode network-related regions across individual studies. With larger effects in hypertensive versus normotensive individuals (d = 0.74, I2 = 39.5%), a moderate effect in cognitively impaired versus normal hypertensives (d = 0.56, I2 = 0%, n = 3), and a large effect for seed-based functional connectivity (d = 0.93, I2 = 0%, n = 2). Sensitivity analysis excluding high-effect studies (n = 2) confirmed robustness (d = 0.57, I² = 19.7%). A Graphical Display of Study Heterogeneity (GOSH) plot of 1981 subsets, each with three or more studies, showed consistent effect sizes (d ≈ 0.5-0.7) and low-to-moderate heterogeneity (I² = 0%-40%), supporting stability. Hypertension is significantly associated with altered brain function, particularly in memory and executive regions, suggesting rs-fMRI as a promising biomarker for early cognitive vulnerability detection.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147526899","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 functional connectivity networks in the nucleus accumbens correlate with migraine attack frequency and disability.","authors":"YingSheng Zhang, ChangLin Wang, Wei Gui, XiaoJun Feng, ZongJin Yun, YongTao Yu, Bin Song, Hong Kan, Shuai Miao, Yu Wang","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01117-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11682-026-01117-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Migraine is a common neurological condition, with episodic migraine being the most prevalent subtype. Chronification of migraine is an important marker of disease progression, and increasing attack frequency is a key predictor of the transformation from migraine with episodic characteristics to chronic migraine. Alterations in the function of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) have been identified as contributing factors to the pathophysiology of migraine, particularly in cases of chronic migraine. However, it remains unclear from neuroimaging studies whether aberrant functional connectivity (FC) networks of the NAc contribute to worsening disability in migraine patients by promoting increased attack frequency. In this current research, we conducted voxel-wise FC analyses using the NAc as the seed to explore the relationships among migraine attack frequency, disability severity, and the NAc-FC network. This study included 31 healthy controls (HCs), 37 low-frequency episodic migraine (LFEM) patients, and 21 high-frequency episodic migraine (HFEM) patients. Participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans and were administered a series of psychological scales. FC networks were created using bilateral NAc as seeds, followed by the analysis of group differences. Furthermore, partial correlation analysis was employed to explore the link between the NAc-FC network and migraine features. Analysis of the NAc-based FC networks revealed significant group differences in specific brain regions, including in the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL), as well as the right caudate nucleus (CN). Relative to the HC and LFEM groups, the HFEM group showed increased left NAc–left MOG connectivity but reduced left NAc–left IPL connectivity. Furthermore, this group displayed significantly stronger right NAc–right CN connectivity. In the combined migraine cohort, left NAc–left MOG connectivity was positively associated with attack frequency. Conversely, left NAc–left IPL connectivity correlated positively with attack duration but negatively with attack frequency. Furthermore, right NAc–right CN connectivity was positively correlated with both attack frequency and Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores. Alterations in the NAc-FC network correlate with both the attack frequency and the severity of disability. These findings furnish neuroimaging evidence for the pathways that contribute to migraine chronicity and present therapeutic strategies for preventing its chronic development.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147526872","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}