Abnormal dynamic functional network connectivity in patients with early-onset bipolar disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Early-onset bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental health condition with complex neurobiological underpinnings.
• Understanding the dynamic functional brain network connectivity (dFNC) in early-onset BD is crucial for identifying potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in dFNC in patients with early-onset BD compared to healthy controls (HCs).
• To analyze the temporal dynamics of brain networks and their relationship with cognitive and perceptual functions in early-onset BD.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were acquired from 39 early-onset BD patients and 22 HCs.
• Independent component analysis (ICA), sliding time windows, and k-means clustering were used to characterize four stable dFNC states.
• dFNC temporal metrics (fraction of time, mean dwell time, number of transitions) were calculated and compared between groups.

Main Results:

• Four distinct dFNC states were identified across all subjects.
• Early-onset BD patients exhibited significantly altered dFNC patterns in all four states, primarily affecting cognitive and perceptual networks.
• BD patients showed reduced time and dwell time in state 2 and increased dwell time in state 3, with a trend towards correlation with anxiety scores.

Conclusions:

• Patients with early-onset BD demonstrate abnormal dynamic functional brain network connectivity, characterized by instability and impaired coordination between cognitive and perceptual networks.
• These findings provide a novel neuroimaging basis for understanding the neuropathology of emotional and cognitive deficits in early-onset BD.