Resting-State Network Dynamics in Asthma: Interplay Between Depressive Symptoms and Airway Inflammation

Background

Asthma and depression frequently co-occur, potentially worsening each other’s symptoms. The salience network (SN) may play a key role in this link, but the roles of the default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN), as outlined in the triple network theory, remain unclear in the asthma-depression connection. This longitudinal study investigated pre-post changes in graph-theory metrics within and between the 3 networks in individuals with asthma and how these relate to depressive symptoms.

Methods

Twenty-four individuals with asthma underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scans pre- and postsegmental allergen challenge. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline using the Beck Depression Inventory. Changes in graph-theory metrics were analyzed using region-of-interest (ROI)-to-ROI analyses, controlling for sex.

Results

Allergen challenge led to changes in network properties. Within-network analyses showed decreased degree centrality (β = 0.50, false discovery rate–corrected p [p_FDR] = .004) and betweenness centrality (β = 0.10, p_FDR = .025) of the posterior cingulate cortex (DMN) and reduced degree centrality of the anterior cingulate cortex (SN), which correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.05, p_FDR = .017). Between-network analyses showed reduced closeness centrality in the bilateral lateral parietal during SN-DMN interactions (right: β = 0.23, p_FDR = .010; left: β = 0.23, p_FDR = .013) and increased degree centrality in the left posterior parietal cortex during SN-FPN interactions (β = −0.10, p_FDR = .038), which correlated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Allergen challenge alters graph-theory metrics within and between resting-state networks, with changes linked to depression symptoms. Findings highlight the SN’s critical role in network switching and its vulnerability to inflammation in asthma-depression connection.