Xiong Ying, Yu Ren-Qiang, Wang Xing-Yu, Liang Shun-Si, Ran Jie, Li Xiao, Xu Yi-Zhi
Department of Hematology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401147, China.
Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
World J Psychiatry. 2025 Feb 19;15(2):102412. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i2.102412.
Currently, adolescent depression is one of the most significant public health concerns, markedly influencing emotional, cognitive, and social maturation. Despite advancements in distinguish the neurobiological substrates underlying depression, the intricate patterns of disrupted brain network connectivity in adolescents warrant further exploration.
To elucidate the neural correlates of adolescent depression by examining brain network connectivity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).
The study cohort comprised 74 depressed adolescents and 59 healthy controls aged 12 to 17 years. Participants underwent rs-fMRI to evaluate functional connectivity within and across critical brain networks, including the visual, default mode network (DMN), dorsal attention, salience, somatomotor, and frontoparietal control networks.
Analyses revealed pronounced functional disparities within key neural circuits among adolescents with depression. The results demonstrated existence of hemispheric asymmetries characterized by enhanced activity in the left visual network, which contrasted the diminished activity in the right hemisphere. The DMN facilitated increased activity within the left prefrontal cortex and reduced engagement in the right hemisphere, implicating disrupted self-referential and emotional processing mechanisms. Additionally, an overactive right dorsal attention network and a hypoactive salience network were identified, underscoring significant abnormalities in attentional and emotional regulation in adolescent depression.
The findings from this study underscore distinct neural connectivity disruptions in adolescent depression, underscoring the critical role of specific neurobiological markers for precise early diagnosis of adolescent depression. The observed functional asymmetries and network-specific deviations elucidate the complex neurobiological architecture of adolescent depression, supporting the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
目前，青少年抑郁症是最重大的公共卫生问题之一，对情绪、认知和社交成熟有显著影响。尽管在区分抑郁症潜在的神经生物学基础方面取得了进展，但青少年大脑网络连接中断的复杂模式仍有待进一步探索。
通过使用静息态功能磁共振成像（rs-fMRI）检查大脑网络连接来阐明青少年抑郁症的神经关联。
研究队列包括74名年龄在12至17岁的抑郁青少年和59名健康对照。参与者接受rs-fMRI以评估关键脑网络内部和之间的功能连接，包括视觉、默认模式网络（DMN）、背侧注意、突显、躯体运动和额顶叶控制网络。
分析显示抑郁症青少年关键神经回路内存在明显的功能差异。结果表明存在半球不对称，其特征是左视觉网络活动增强，这与右半球活动减弱形成对比。DMN促进了左前额叶皮质内活动增加，并减少了右半球的参与，这意味着自我参照和情绪处理机制受到破坏。此外，还发现右侧背侧注意网络过度活跃和突显网络活动不足，这突出了青少年抑郁症在注意力和情绪调节方面的显著异常。
本研究结果强调了青少年抑郁症中独特的神经连接中断，强调了特定神经生物学标志物在青少年抑郁症精确早期诊断中的关键作用。观察到的功能不对称和特定网络偏差阐明了青少年抑郁症复杂的神经生物学结构，支持了针对性治疗策略的发展。
