Triple Network Model-Based Functional Dysconnectivity in Young People With Major Affective Disorders With or Without...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Major affective disorders in youth are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
• Functional brain network dysconnectivity is implicated in psychiatric disorders but its role in suicidal ideation is unclear.
• The default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and frontoparietal network (FPN) are critical for cognitive and emotional regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between functional dysconnectivity in the DMN, SN, and FPN and current suicidal ideation (CSI) in young people with major affective disorders.
• To compare brain connectivity patterns between young individuals with major affective disorders with and without CSI, and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed on 158 young individuals with major affective disorders (101 with CSI, 57 without CSI) and 64 healthy controls.
• Seed-based connectivity analyses were conducted, examining functional connectivity within and between the DMN, SN, and FPN.
• Diagnoses were based on DSM-5 criteria, and CSI was defined using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale.

Main Results:

• The CSI group showed hyperconnectivity between the anterior insula (SN) and hippocampus, and between the posterior parietal cortex (FPN) and rectus gyrus (DMN).
• Hypoconnectivity was observed between the amygdala (SN) and cerebellum crus II in the CSI group.
• Both CSI and non-CSI groups exhibited increased functional connectivity between the posterior parietal cortex and temporal regions involved in emotional perception compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Suicidality in young individuals with major affective disorders is associated with widespread and significant functional dysconnectivity across the SN, FPN, and DMN.
• These findings suggest that altered network interactions contribute to the pathophysiology of suicidal ideation in this population.
• Targeting these network disruptions may offer novel therapeutic strategies for reducing suicidality.