Li Qifu, Huang Gaoyangzi, Zhao Siwen, Zhang Shumin, Chen Ziwen, Tang Xin, Pei Xianmei, Yang Ruqin, Liu Zili, Hu Rui, Tang Diwei, Xing Chonghui, Liang Fanrong, Guo Taipin, Lu Yi
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Chronic Disease in Prevention and Treatment, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China.
School of Second Clinical Medicine/The Second Affiliated Hospital, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 10;15(1):24795. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10134-7.
Abdominal obesity (AO) exhibits unique endocrine and metabolic characteristics in women, yet its neural mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the neural mechanisms of AO in females by examining functional connectivity (FC) alterations across brain networks. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data were collected from 38 female AO patients and 24 healthy controls (HCs). Independent component analysis (ICA) was utilized to evaluate FC and functional network connectivity (FNC) within and between brain networks. FC analysis revealed significant alterations within the default mode network (DMN), ventral attention network (VAN), and visual network (VN) (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). In the DMN, increased FC was observed in the left posterior cingulate gyrus and left angular gyrus, while decreased FC was found in the left precuneus and right posterior cingulate gyrus. The VAN and VN showed reduced FC in regions associated with attention control and visual processing, including the left inferior parietal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, triangular part, and left calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex. Internetwork analysis identified significantly higher FNC between the DMN and left frontoparietal network in female AO patients (p < 0.001). This study revealed significant abnormalities in brain functional connectivity in female AO patients, particularly in networks related to self-referential processing, attention, and decision-making. These findings provide a neural basis for cognitive and emotional dysregulation in AO and highlight the potential for targeted interventions to improve self-regulation and inform prevention and treatment strategies.
腹部肥胖（AO）在女性中表现出独特的内分泌和代谢特征，但其神经机制尚不清楚。本研究的目的是通过检查大脑网络间的功能连接（FC）改变来探究女性AO的神经机制。收集了38例女性AO患者和24名健康对照（HC）的静息态功能磁共振成像（rs-fMRI）数据。采用独立成分分析（ICA）评估大脑网络内部和之间的FC及功能网络连接性（FNC）。FC分析显示默认模式网络（DMN）、腹侧注意网络（VAN）和视觉网络（VN）内存在显著改变（p < 0.05，经FDR校正）。在DMN中，左侧后扣带回和左侧角回的FC增加，而左侧楔前叶和右侧后扣带回的FC减少。VAN和VN在与注意力控制和视觉处理相关的区域，包括左侧下顶叶、左侧额下回三角部、左侧距状裂及其周围皮质，显示出FC降低。网络间分析发现女性AO患者的DMN与左侧额顶叶网络之间的FNC显著更高（p < 0.001）。本研究揭示了女性AO患者大脑功能连接存在显著异常，特别是在与自我参照加工、注意力和决策相关的网络中。这些发现为AO中的认知和情绪失调提供了神经基础，并突出了针对性干预以改善自我调节并为预防和治疗策略提供信息的潜力。
