Altered resting-state dynamic functional brain networks in major depressive disorder: Findings from the REST-meta-MDD consortium
Yicheng Long, Hengyi Cao, Chao‐Gan Yan, Xiao Chen, Le Li, F. Xavier Castellanos, Tongjian Bai, Qijing Bo, Guanmao Chen, Ningxuan Chen, Wei Chen, Cheng Chang, Yuqi Cheng, Xilong Cui, Jia Duan, Yiru Fang, Qiyong Gong, Wenbin Guo, Zhenghua Hou, Lan Hu, Li Kuang, Feng Li, Kaiming Li, Tao Li, Yan‐Song Liu, Qinghua Luo, Huaqing Meng, Daihui Peng, Haitang Qiu, Jiang Qiu, Yuedi Shen, Yu‐Shu Shi, Tianmei Si, Chuanyue Wang, Fei Wang, Kai Wang, Li Wang, Xiang Wang, Ying Wang, Xiaoping Wu, Xinran Wu, Chunming Xie, Guangrong Xie, Haiyan Xie, Peng Xie, Xiufeng Xu, Hong Yang, Jian Yang, Jiashu Yao, Shuqiao Yao, Yingying Yin, Yonggui Yuan, Ai‐Xia Zhang, Hong Zhang, Kerang Zhang, Lei Zhang, Zhijun Zhang, Rubai Zhou, Yiting Zhou, Jun‐Juan Zhu, Chao‐Jie Zou, Yu‐Feng Zang, Jingping Zhao, Calais K. Y. Chan, Weidan Pu, Zhening Liu
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is known to be characterized by altered brain functional connectivity (FC) patterns. However, whether and how the features of dynamic FC would change in patients with MDD are unclear. In this study, we aimed to characterize dynamic FC in MDD using a large multi-site sample and a novel dynamic network-based approach. METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired from a total of 460 MDD patients and 473 healthy controls, as a part of the REST-meta-MDD consortium. Resting-state dynamic functional brain networks were constructed for each subject by a sliding-window approach. Multiple spatio-temporal features of dynamic brain networks, including temporal variability, temporal clustering and temporal efficiency, were then compared between patients and healthy subjects at both global and local levels. RESULTS: ). Corresponding local changes in MDD were mainly found in the default-mode, sensorimotor and subcortical areas. Measures of temporal variability and characteristic temporal path length were significantly correlated with depression severity in patients (corrected p < 0.05). Moreover, the observed between-group differences were robustly present in both first-episode, drug-naïve (FEDN) and non-FEDN patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that excessive temporal variations of brain FC, reflecting abnormal communications between large-scale bran networks over time, may underlie the neuropathology of MDD.