Applications of fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) in Neuropsychiatry and Neurological Disease

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurotechnology and Neuroimaging".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 859

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Synlab-SDN, Naples, Italy
Interests: brain imaging; neurosciences; psychiatry; radiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has emerged as an important tool in the study of brain function, offering non-invasive insights into the neural activity associated with both psychiatric and neurological disorders. This Special Issue will highlight advanced research that uses fMRI to explore the neural foundations of various conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia. Contributions will explore advances in resting-state and task-based fMRI, functional connectivity analyses, and integration with other modalities such as EEG and PET. Emphasis will also be placed on the clinical translation of fMRI biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. Innovative applications, including machine learning-based pattern recognition and individualized brain mapping, underscore the role of fMRI in precision medicine and, by encouraging interdisciplinary discussions among neuroscience, psychiatry, neurology, neuropsychology, and biomedical engineering, this Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of brain dysfunction and promote the development of fMRI-based tools for clinical decision-making.

Dr. Vincenzo Alfano
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • functional MRI (fMRI)
  • neuropsychiatric disorders
  • neurological disease
  • brain connectivity
  • functional connectivity
  • neuroimaging
  • brain networks

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 3402 KB  
Article
Resting-State and Task-Based Functional Connectivity Reveal Distinct mPFC and Hippocampal Network Alterations in Major Depressive Disorder
by Ekaete Ekpo, Lysianne Beynel, Bruce Luber, Zhi-De Deng, Timothy J. Strauman and Sarah H. Lisanby
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(11), 1133; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15111133 - 22 Oct 2025
Viewed by 571
Abstract
Background: Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is widely used to identify abnormal brain function associated with depression. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans have many potential confounds, and task-based FC might provide complementary information leading to better insight on brain function. Methods: We [...] Read more.
Background: Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is widely used to identify abnormal brain function associated with depression. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans have many potential confounds, and task-based FC might provide complementary information leading to better insight on brain function. Methods: We used MATLAB’s (version 2024b) CONN toolbox (version 22a) to evaluate FC in 40 adults with and without major depressive disorder (MDD) (nMDD = 23, nHC = 17). fMRI acquisition was performed while participants were at rest and while performing the Selves Task, an individualized goal priming task. Seed-based analyses were performed using two seeds: medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and left hippocampus. Results: Both groups showed strong positive RSFC between the mPFC and other DMN regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex and precuneus, which had more focal positive FC to the mPFC during the task in both groups. Additionally, the MDD group had significantly lower RSFC between the mPFC and several regions, including the right inferior temporal gyrus. The left hippocampus seed-based analysis revealed a pattern of hypoconnectivity to multiple brain regions in MDD, including the cerebellum, which was present at rest and during the task. Conclusions: Our results indicated multiple FC differences between adults with and without MDD, as well as distinct FC patterns and contrast results in resting state and task-based analyses, including differential FC between mPFC–cerebellum and hippocampus–cerebellum. These results emphasize that resting-state and task-based fMRI capture distinct patterns of brain connectivity. Further investigation into combining resting-state and task-based FC could inform future neuroimaging research. Full article
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