Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression
Abstract Background Subclinical depression (ScD), serving as a significant precursor to depression, is a prevalent condition in college students and imposes a substantial health service burden. However, the brain network topology of ScD remains poorly understood, impeding our comprehension of the ne...
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BMC
2025-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06609-6 |
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| author | Bo Zhang Shuang Liu Sitong Chen Xiaoya Liu Yufeng Ke Shouliang Qi Xinhua Wei Dong Ming |
| author_facet | Bo Zhang Shuang Liu Sitong Chen Xiaoya Liu Yufeng Ke Shouliang Qi Xinhua Wei Dong Ming |
| author_sort | Bo Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Subclinical depression (ScD), serving as a significant precursor to depression, is a prevalent condition in college students and imposes a substantial health service burden. However, the brain network topology of ScD remains poorly understood, impeding our comprehension of the neuropathology underlying ScD. Methods Functional networks of individuals with ScD (n = 26) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 33) were constructed based on functional magnetic resonance imaging data. These networks were then optimized using a small-worldness and modular similarity-based network thresholding method to ensure the robustness of functional networks. Subsequently, graph-theoretic methods were employed to investigated both global and nodal topological metrics of these functional networks. Results Compared to HCs, individuals with ScD exhibited significantly higher characteristic path length, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency, as well as a significantly lower global efficiency. Additionally, significantly lower nodal centrality metrics were found in the default mode network (DMN) regions (anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus, precuneus) and occipital lobe in ScD, and the nodal efficiency of the left precuneus was negatively correlated with the severity of depression. Conclusions Altered global metrics indicate a disrupted small-world architecture and a typical shift toward regular configuration of functional networks in ScD, which may result in lower efficiency of information transmission in the brain of ScD. Moreover, lower nodal centrality in DMN regions suggest that DMN dysfunction is a neuroimaging characteristic shared by both ScD and major depressive disorder, and might serve as a vital factor promoting the development of depression. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-9f7908b488f54dfcafeb4056437337092025-08-20T02:59:58ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-03-0125111210.1186/s12888-025-06609-6Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depressionBo Zhang0Shuang Liu1Sitong Chen2Xiaoya Liu3Yufeng Ke4Shouliang Qi5Xinhua Wei6Dong Ming7Tianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityTianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityCollege of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern UniversityDepartment of Radiology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of TechnologyTianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin UniversityAbstract Background Subclinical depression (ScD), serving as a significant precursor to depression, is a prevalent condition in college students and imposes a substantial health service burden. However, the brain network topology of ScD remains poorly understood, impeding our comprehension of the neuropathology underlying ScD. Methods Functional networks of individuals with ScD (n = 26) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 33) were constructed based on functional magnetic resonance imaging data. These networks were then optimized using a small-worldness and modular similarity-based network thresholding method to ensure the robustness of functional networks. Subsequently, graph-theoretic methods were employed to investigated both global and nodal topological metrics of these functional networks. Results Compared to HCs, individuals with ScD exhibited significantly higher characteristic path length, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency, as well as a significantly lower global efficiency. Additionally, significantly lower nodal centrality metrics were found in the default mode network (DMN) regions (anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus, precuneus) and occipital lobe in ScD, and the nodal efficiency of the left precuneus was negatively correlated with the severity of depression. Conclusions Altered global metrics indicate a disrupted small-world architecture and a typical shift toward regular configuration of functional networks in ScD, which may result in lower efficiency of information transmission in the brain of ScD. Moreover, lower nodal centrality in DMN regions suggest that DMN dysfunction is a neuroimaging characteristic shared by both ScD and major depressive disorder, and might serve as a vital factor promoting the development of depression.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06609-6Default mode networkFunctional magnetic resonance imagingFunctional networkGraph theorySubclinical depression |
| spellingShingle | Bo Zhang Shuang Liu Sitong Chen Xiaoya Liu Yufeng Ke Shouliang Qi Xinhua Wei Dong Ming Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression BMC Psychiatry Default mode network Functional magnetic resonance imaging Functional network Graph theory Subclinical depression |
| title | Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression |
| title_full | Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression |
| title_fullStr | Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression |
| title_short | Disrupted small-world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression |
| title_sort | disrupted small world architecture and altered default mode network topology of brain functional network in college students with subclinical depression |
| topic | Default mode network Functional magnetic resonance imaging Functional network Graph theory Subclinical depression |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06609-6 |
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