Multidimensional structural-functional coupling uncovers network dysregulation and predicts binge-eating severity in...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a severe psychiatric disorder with impaired cognitive-emotional control.
• Brain network dysfunction is recognized in BN, but the interplay between structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC), known as SC-FC coupling, is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively characterize SC-FC coupling alterations in BN using multimodal neuroimaging.
• To evaluate the predictive value of SC-FC coupling for disordered eating behaviors in BN.

Main Methods:

• Multimodal neuroimaging (MRI, DTI, rs-fMRI) was used in 79 BN patients and 69 controls.
• SC and FC connectomes were constructed, and SC-FC coupling was quantified using eight metrics.
• Multivariate linear modeling and cross-validation identified altered coupling and predicted symptom severity.

Main Results:

• Global SC and FC network topology were preserved in BN.
• BN patients showed reduced frontal lobe functional efficiency.
• Widespread SC-FC coupling alterations, including hyper- and hypocoupling, were observed, particularly in default mode, control, and attention networks.

Conclusions:

• BN exhibits preserved white-matter organization but focal prefrontal functional changes and widespread SC-FC coupling alterations.
• SC-FC coupling is a sensitive neurobiological marker for BN, predicting binge-eating behavior.
• These findings suggest SC-FC coupling as a potential target for personalized BN diagnosis and intervention.