Perceived stress and brain connectivity in subthreshold depression: Insights from eyes-closed and eyes-open states

• Published in: Brain research 2024-09, Vol.1838, p.148947, Article 148947
• Main Authors: Huang, Bin-Kun, Zhou, Jun-He, Deng, Ying, Li, Chang-Hong, Ning, Bai-Le, Ye, Zi-Yu, Huang, Xi-Chang, Zhao, Mi-Mi, Dong, Dian, Liu, Ming, Zhang, De-Long, Fu, Wen-Bin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Mapping; Connectome - methods; Depression - diagnostic imaging; Depression - physiopathology; Depression - psychology; Emotions - physiology; Eyes-closed; Eyes-open; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Nerve Net - diagnostic imaging; Nerve Net - physiopathology; Neural Pathways - diagnostic imaging; Neural Pathways - physiopathology; Perceived stress; rs-fMRI; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Subthreshold depression; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148947

•The study found notable distinctions in the visual, somatomotor, dorsal network, as well as in the DMN, frontoparietal network, and cerebellum when comparing EC and EO states.•The graph theory analysis revealed that the weakened degree and functional connectivity in the SFG and the MCC among StD individuals. The SFG and the MCC connections were correlated with perceived stress.•The functional connectivity between the SFG and the SFGmed was discovered to modulate the relationship between perceived stress and StD. Perceived stress is an acknowledged risk factor for subthreshold depression (StD), and fluctuations in perceived stress are thought to disrupt the harmony of brain networks essential for emotional and cognitive functioning. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between eye-open (EO) and eye-closed (EC) states, perceived stress, and StD. We recruited 27 individuals with StD and 33 healthy controls, collecting resting state fMRI data under both EC and EO conditions. We combined intrinsic connectivity and seed-based functional connectivity analyses to construct the functional network and explore differences between EC and EO conditions. Graph theory analysis revealed weakened connectivity strength in the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and right median cingulate and paracingulate gyrus (MCC) among participants with StD, suggesting an important role for these regions in the stress-related emotions dysregulation. Notably, altered SFG connectivity was observed to significantly relate to perceived stress levels in StD, and the SFG connection emerges as a neural mediator potentially influencing the relationship between perceived stress and StD. These findings highlight the role of SFG and MCC in perceived stress and suggest that understanding EC and EO states in relation to these regions is important in the neurobiological framework of StD. This may offer valuable perspectives for early prevention and intervention strategies in mental health disorders.