Perturbations of whole-brain model reveal critical areas related to relapse of early psychosis
Overcoming an initial psychotic episode does not always lead to recovery; relapses and subsequent psychotic episodes may happen afterward. Even if the characterization of psychotic disorders can be related to alterations in brain connectivity, clear identification of the brain areas for relapse is missing. Here, we leverage on whole-brain modeling linking anatomical structural information with functional activity as measured by MRI in 196 participants. Patients were classified into Stage II (first episode), IIIa (incomplete remission), IIIb (remission followed by one relapse), and IIIc (remission followed by several relapses), depending on the course of psychosis up to the time of the brain scan. From these data, a low-dimensional manifold reduction of the brain dynamics was obtained using deep learning variational autoencoders in which the different stages are represented, and a classification model can be trained to distinguish them. Then, a dimensionality analysis was performed to find the optimal dimension that allows the distinction between first episode and relapsing cases with high accuracy. Finally, perturbations were introduced in the model to reveal the brain regions associated with the absence of relapse, which could help predict which brain regions to target during therapy and assist the treatment of patients suffering from psychotic disorders.
Authors
- Raoul Jenni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6479-5381)
- Philippe Conus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5832-1910)
- Luis Alameda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8621-2885)
- Paul Klauser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0284-4947)
- Morten L. Kringelbach (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3908-6898)
- Alessandra Solida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1815-373X)
- Ludovica Mana (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5817-9926)
- Philipp Baumann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3286-4474)
- Yasser Alemán‐Gómez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6067-8639)
- Patric Hagmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2854-6561)
- Yonatan Sanz Perl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1270-5564)
- Gustavo Deco
- Iraïs Garcés de Marcilla Lappin
Institutions
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES)
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (ES)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Aarhus University (DK)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Centro Científico Tecnológico - San Juan (AR)
- Hospital Neuchâtel (CH)
- Royal Academy of Music (DK)
- Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (ES)
- University of Neuchâtel (CH)
- University of Lausanne (CH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Network Neuroscience
- Published
- 2025-09-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1162/netn.a.502
- Primary Topic
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme
- Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca
- European Regional Development Fund
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación