Brain network alterations in autoimmune diseases: Current status and future prospects

Autoimmune diseases are frequently associated with neurological and cognitive dysfunction. Advances in neuroimaging and graph theory-based connectomics have enabled investigation of large-scale brain network alterations across autoimmune conditions. This review synthesizes structural and functional network studies in representative diseases, including multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid eye disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory bowel disease. Across these disorders, studies commonly report reduced global and local efficiency, altered modular organization, and regional hub vulnerability, although findings vary across disease subtype, imaging modality, and analytic methodology. Network alterations are often associated with cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms, suggesting potential relevance for understanding disease burden and progression. However, current evidence remains heterogeneous and is derived largely from cross-sectional studies with modest sample sizes. Future longitudinal and standardized multimodal studies are needed to clarify the biological and clinical significance of connectomic alterations in autoimmune diseases.