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Brain Connectivity

All articles tagged with #brain connectivity

Psilocybin reshapes brain dynamics to mirror context and cue lasting change
science6 days ago

Psilocybin reshapes brain dynamics to mirror context and cue lasting change

In a large, single-site study, 62 participants underwent fMRI and EEG during rest and naturalistic contexts (meditation, music, movie) before and after psilocybin. The drug reorganizes brain activity into context-aligned, low-dimensional trajectories, increasing global integration in associative regions and decreasing it in sensory areas during eyes-closed states, with eyes-open movie boosting overall synchrony. Machine-learning embeddings reveal a context-dependent state—embeddedness—that correlates with the depth of subjective self-/boundary-dissolution and with next-day mindset change; music amplified effects, while mindfulness training did not alter acute network measures. The work links latent neural order to subjective experience and therapeutic potential by showing how context shapes psychedelic brain dynamics.

via Nature|
#brain-connectivity#context#embeddedness
A Week of Intensive Meditation Rewires Brain and Body
science16 days ago

A Week of Intensive Meditation Rewires Brain and Body

A seven-day meditation retreat in healthy adults produced broad brain, metabolic, immune, and pain-regulation changes, with brain activity showing reduced internal mental chatter, evidence of increased neuroplasticity, altered metabolism, higher endogenous opioid levels, and shifts in immune signaling; brain connectivity patterns resembled those seen with psychedelic states, though the study cannot separate which components caused the effects and further trials are needed to assess durability and clinical relevance.

via ScienceDaily|
#brain-connectivity#endogenous-opioids#immune-system
Autism Shows Two Distinct Brain Connectivity Subtypes Across Species
science2 months ago

Autism Shows Two Distinct Brain Connectivity Subtypes Across Species

An international study analyzing mouse models and human brain scans identified two autism subtypes—hypoconnectivity (reduced connectivity linked to synapse genes) and hyperconnectivity (increased connectivity linked to immune-related genes)—a finding replicated across datasets that could guide subtype-specific therapies, with data and methods openly shared for future research; about a quarter of the human brains fell into these groups, signaling a move toward biologically grounded stratification beyond a single-spectrum view.

via ScienceAlert|
#autism#brain-connectivity#cross-species
Two Brain Signatures Divide Autism Into Distinct Subtypes
science2 months ago

Two Brain Signatures Divide Autism Into Distinct Subtypes

A large international study analyzed brain connectivity in about 940 autistic individuals and over 1,000 neurotypical controls, plus mouse models, and found two reproducible autism subtypes: a hyperconnectivity subtype with stronger inter-regional brain communication linked to immune-related pathways, and a hypoconnectivity subtype with reduced communication linked to synaptic pathways. Together these subtypes account for roughly 25% of autism cases and provide a biology-based framework for precision, personalized approaches to care.

via SciTechDaily|
#autism#brain-connectivity#fmri
Brain wiring may cap PTSD talk-therapy gains, study finds
health2 months ago

Brain wiring may cap PTSD talk-therapy gains, study finds

MRI-based study of 136 people with PTSD and 66 trauma-exposed controls found those with PTSD have weaker prefrontal control over the thalamus when challenging negative self-beliefs, predicting less benefit from standard talk therapies; results suggest treating brain wiring first and exploring psychedelics or other approaches, while noting that ongoing trauma exposure and cultural factors affect outcomes.

via The Conversation|
#brain-connectivity#cognitive-restructuring#health
Autism Biology Revealed: Two Brain-Connectivity Subtypes Shared Across Species
science2 months ago

Autism Biology Revealed: Two Brain-Connectivity Subtypes Shared Across Species

A cross-species, large-scale study used fMRI and mouse genetics to identify two reproducible autism subtypes: hypoconnectivity (reduced brain-region communication linked to synaptic pathways) and hyperconnectivity (increased communication linked to immune-related systems). Validated across 20 mouse models and ABIDE human data (≈940 autistic individuals and ≈1,000 neurotypical controls), these subtypes account for about 25% of cases, offering a path toward biology-driven, precision autism care beyond traditional behavioral assessments.

via Neuroscience News|
#autism#brain-connectivity#fmri
Wearable Eye Lenses Deliver Depression Relief Comparable to Prozac in Mice
science3 months ago

Wearable Eye Lenses Deliver Depression Relief Comparable to Prozac in Mice

Researchers developed flexible, drug-free contact lenses with ultrathin electrodes that use temporal interference to stimulate mood-regulating brain circuits via the retina. In depressed mice, 30-minute daily sessions for three weeks improved behavior, restored hippocampus–prefrontal cortex connectivity, and shifted biomarkers (serotonin up ~47%, corticosterone down ~48%, reduced brain inflammation) to levels similar to fluoxetine, suggesting the eye could noninvasively influence brain mood networks. The approach is not yet ready for humans and will require safety testing, wireless integration, and personalized tuning before clinical trials.

via Neuroscience News|
#brain-connectivity#depression#prozacssri
Hidden Brain Wiring Predicts Behavior Across Multiple Networks
neuroscience4 months ago

Hidden Brain Wiring Predicts Behavior Across Multiple Networks

A Yale-led study published in Nature Human Behavior shows that the 90% of brain connections usually labeled as noise can predict behavior as accurately as the top 10%; predictive information is widely distributed across multiple, non-overlapping networks, revealing brain redundancy and functional flexibility. This challenges the idea of a single correct network, with implications for psychiatry (e.g., depression) and for biomarkers and treatments, which should target overlooked circuits to improve precision medicine.

via Neuroscience News|
#brain-connectivity#neuroimaging#neuroscience
Common neural fingerprint linked to five psychedelics, study suggests
science4 months ago

Common neural fingerprint linked to five psychedelics, study suggests

A multinational reanalysis of 11 datasets (267 participants, 519 brain scans) across five psychedelics—psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT and ayahuasca—identified a shared neural fingerprint: increased cross-network communication and selective reductions within certain networks across cortical and subcortical regions, suggesting a flattening of the brain's hierarchy. The pattern was most similar for psilocybin and LSD. While promising for understanding psychedelics and potential therapies, the study emphasizes the need for standardized, larger trials and notes that existing datasets used varied methods and doses.

via ScienceAlert|
#brain-connectivity#fmri#mental-health
Lifelong Exercise Reconfigures Trauma-Linked Brain Wiring
science5 months ago

Lifelong Exercise Reconfigures Trauma-Linked Brain Wiring

A study shows that lifetime physical activity can reshape brain connectivity affected by childhood adversity, creating a crossover where higher activity strengthens links between emotion, memory, and cerebellar networks. The strongest effects occur around 150–390 minutes per week, suggesting exercise fosters neural resilience rather than fixed damage.

via Neuroscience News|
#brain-connectivity#neuroscience#physical-activity
Intelligence Emerges from Coordinated Whole-Brain Networks
science5 months ago

Intelligence Emerges from Coordinated Whole-Brain Networks

Researchers propose the Network Neuroscience Theory: general intelligence arises from system-wide coordination across distributed brain networks rather than a single region. Analyzing data from 831 adults in the Human Connectome Project and 145 in the INSIGHT SHARP study, the team found that intelligence reflects how efficiently and flexibly networks communicate, relying on long-distance integration via hubs and a balance between local specialization and global integration. No one network explains intelligence; rather, system-wide coordination underpins flexible cognition, with implications for aging, brain injury, development, and biologically inspired AI.

via ScienceDaily|
#brain-connectivity#cognitive-science#intelligence
Puberty sharpens sex-based brain-network differences
science6 months ago

Puberty sharpens sex-based brain-network differences

A study of 1,286 people aged 8–100 using MRI finds sex differences in brain connectivity are minimal in early life but widen at puberty and persist into adulthood, in both structural and functional networks. The timing roughly tracks sex-hormone changes and may relate to differing risks of mental-health disorders between men and women. The work is a bioRxiv preprint and relies on birth sex data; some scientists caution that differences may reflect gender roles or a mosaic of brain features rather than a binary sex, so conclusions are preliminary.

via Nature|
#brain-connectivity#mental-health#neuroimaging