Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network

Abstract Approximately half of HIV patients continue to experience HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Our study aims to evaluate changes in the dynamic activity patterns of functional brain communities in the early stages of HIV infection by comparing time-varying multilayer network met...

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Main Authors: Xingyuan Jiang, Juming Ma, Chuanke Hou, Hongjun Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04963-9
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author Xingyuan Jiang
Juming Ma
Chuanke Hou
Hongjun Li
author_facet Xingyuan Jiang
Juming Ma
Chuanke Hou
Hongjun Li
author_sort Xingyuan Jiang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Approximately half of HIV patients continue to experience HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Our study aims to evaluate changes in the dynamic activity patterns of functional brain communities in the early stages of HIV infection by comparing time-varying multilayer network metrics. A total of 165 persons living with HIV but without neurocognitive disorders (PWND), 173 individuals with asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), and 100 matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. A time-varying multilayer network model was constructed, and global modularity (Q value) and nodal flexibility were calculated using different parameter settings (γ = [0.9, 1, 1.1], ω = [0.5, 0.75, 1]). Brain functional alterations in the PWND and ANI groups were evaluated from both global and nodal perspectives. Associations between network measures, clinical variables, and cognitive performance were also explored. Using the full connectivity matrix, no significant differences in global modularity (Q value) were found among the three groups. However, when thresholding the matrix to retain the top 10% of strongest connections, the ANI group showed significantly lower modularity than the HC group across all γ and ω combinations (p < 0.05). At γ = 0.9 and ω = 0.5, reduced nodal flexibility was observed in visual network regions in the PWND group, while the ANI group showed reduced flexibility in regions belonging to the default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and limbic network (LIM). At γ = 0.9 and ω = 1, the ANI group exhibited increased flexibility in DMN regions compared to HC. Additionally, thresholding the top 10% connections revealed increased flexibility in the right lingual gyrus (visual network) in ANI compared to HC (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Nodal flexibility was positively correlated with neurocognitive performance in the PWND group, whereas a significant negative correlation was observed in the ANI group. Regardless of cognitive impairment, HIV patients exhibit abnormalities in dynamic community structures. These findings provide new insights and perspectives for the early detection of brain damage, advancing our current understanding of time-varying multilayer networks in HIV patients.
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spelling doaj-art-71197ca9f6fc4b62bfbe2ce6b6d3b9f22025-08-20T03:10:28ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-04963-9Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer networkXingyuan Jiang0Juming Ma1Chuanke Hou2Hongjun Li3Department of Radiology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityDepartment of Radiology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityDepartment of Radiology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityDepartment of Radiology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityAbstract Approximately half of HIV patients continue to experience HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Our study aims to evaluate changes in the dynamic activity patterns of functional brain communities in the early stages of HIV infection by comparing time-varying multilayer network metrics. A total of 165 persons living with HIV but without neurocognitive disorders (PWND), 173 individuals with asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), and 100 matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. A time-varying multilayer network model was constructed, and global modularity (Q value) and nodal flexibility were calculated using different parameter settings (γ = [0.9, 1, 1.1], ω = [0.5, 0.75, 1]). Brain functional alterations in the PWND and ANI groups were evaluated from both global and nodal perspectives. Associations between network measures, clinical variables, and cognitive performance were also explored. Using the full connectivity matrix, no significant differences in global modularity (Q value) were found among the three groups. However, when thresholding the matrix to retain the top 10% of strongest connections, the ANI group showed significantly lower modularity than the HC group across all γ and ω combinations (p < 0.05). At γ = 0.9 and ω = 0.5, reduced nodal flexibility was observed in visual network regions in the PWND group, while the ANI group showed reduced flexibility in regions belonging to the default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and limbic network (LIM). At γ = 0.9 and ω = 1, the ANI group exhibited increased flexibility in DMN regions compared to HC. Additionally, thresholding the top 10% connections revealed increased flexibility in the right lingual gyrus (visual network) in ANI compared to HC (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Nodal flexibility was positively correlated with neurocognitive performance in the PWND group, whereas a significant negative correlation was observed in the ANI group. Regardless of cognitive impairment, HIV patients exhibit abnormalities in dynamic community structures. These findings provide new insights and perspectives for the early detection of brain damage, advancing our current understanding of time-varying multilayer networks in HIV patients.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04963-9HIV-associated neurocognitive disordersResting-state fMRITime-varying multilayer networkGlobal modularityNode flexibility
spellingShingle Xingyuan Jiang
Juming Ma
Chuanke Hou
Hongjun Li
Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network
Scientific Reports
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders
Resting-state fMRI
Time-varying multilayer network
Global modularity
Node flexibility
title Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network
title_full Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network
title_fullStr Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network
title_short Analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in HIV patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network
title_sort analysis of dynamic network reconfiguration in hiv patients with cognitive impairment based multilayer network
topic HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders
Resting-state fMRI
Time-varying multilayer network
Global modularity
Node flexibility
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04963-9
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