Altered temporal reachability highlights the role of sensory perception systems in major depressive disorder

Ziyang Zhao; Yinghui Zhang; Nan Chen; Yongchao Li; Hanning Guo; Man Guo; Zhijun Yao; Bin Hu

doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110426

Altered temporal reachability highlights the role of sensory perception systems in major depressive disorder

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2022 Jan 10:112:110426. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110426. Epub 2021 Aug 11.

Authors

Ziyang Zhao¹, Yinghui Zhang², Nan Chen¹, Yongchao Li¹, Hanning Guo¹, Man Guo¹, Zhijun Yao³, Bin Hu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
² Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Guangyuan Mental Health Center, Guangyuan, China.
³ Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. Electronic address: yaozj@lzu.edu.cn.
⁴ Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Joint Research Center for Cognitive Neurosensor Technology of Lanzhou University and Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Open Source Software and Real-Time System (Lanzhou University), Lanzhou, China. Electronic address: bh@lzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 34389436
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110426

Abstract

Background: The latest studies have considered the time-dependent structures in dynamic brain networks. However, the effect of periphery structures on the temporal flow of information remains unexplored in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). In this work, we aimed to explore the pattern of interactions between brain regions in MDD across space and time.

Methods: We concentrated on the temporal reachability of nodes in temporal brain networks derived from the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) of 55 MDD patients and 62 sex-, age-matched healthy controls. Specifically, temporal connectedness and temporal efficiency (TEF) were estimated based on the length of temporal paths between node pairs. Subsequently, the temporal clustering coefficient (TCC) and temporal distance were jointly employed to explore the patterns in which a node's periphery structure affects its reachability.

Results: Significantly higher TEF and lower TCC were found in temporal brain networks in MDD. Besides, significant between-group differences of nodal TCC were detected in regions of sensory perception systems. Considering the temporal paths that begin or end at these regions, MDD patients showed several altered temporal distances.

Conclusion: Our results showed that the temporal reachability of specific brain regions in MDD could be affected as their periphery structures evolve, which may explain the dysfunction of sensory perception systems in the spatiotemporal domain.

Keywords: Dynamic functional connectivity; Major depressive disorder; Periphery structure; Sensory perception systems; Temporal network analysis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Brain / physiopathology*
Depressive Disorder, Major / physiopathology*
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Nerve Net / physiopathology*
Perception*
Time Factors