Welsh Julia C, Korponay Cole, Zhai Tianye, Hill Justine A, Salmeron Betty Jo, Frederick Blaise B, Janes Amy C
Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
medRxiv. 2025 Aug 25:2025.08.19.25333215. doi: 10.1101/2025.08.19.25333215.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is central to studying neurobiological mechanisms, yet fMRI has limited clinical utility, highlighting the need for novel approaches. We show that a component of the fMRI signal-the systemic low-frequency oscillation (sLFO), linked to blood flow and physiological measures of arousal-indexes trait- and state-level drug use phenotypes. In individuals who chronically use nicotine, sLFO amplitude increased during abstinence and correlated with heightened dependence severity and cue-induced craving. In healthy participants, acute methylphenidate-but not nicotine-reduced sLFO amplitude in a manner that corresponded with improved behavioral performance. These findings demonstrate that the sLFO, typically treated as noise, carries biologically meaningful information. Evaluating the sLFO offers a complementary perspective to traditional fMRI analyses, thus enhancing clinical relevance. Broadly, the sensitivity of sLFO signals to drug administration, cues, and abstinence underscores the need to account for this signal's contribution when interpreting fMRI responses across experimental conditions.
功能磁共振成像（fMRI）对于研究神经生物学机制至关重要，然而fMRI的临床应用有限，这凸显了采用新方法的必要性。我们发现，fMRI信号的一个组成部分——全身低频振荡（sLFO），与血流以及唤醒的生理指标相关，可反映特质和状态层面的药物使用表型。在长期使用尼古丁的个体中，戒断期间sLFO振幅增加，且与依赖严重程度的加剧以及线索诱发的渴望相关。在健康参与者中，急性给予哌甲酯而非尼古丁会降低sLFO振幅，且这种降低与行为表现的改善相对应。这些发现表明，通常被视为噪声的sLFO携带了具有生物学意义的信息。评估sLFO为传统fMRI分析提供了一个补充视角，从而增强了临床相关性。总体而言，sLFO信号对药物给药、线索和戒断的敏感性强调了在解释跨实验条件的fMRI反应时需要考虑该信号的贡献。
