Resting-state functional network connectivity underlying eating disorder symptoms in healthy young adults

Abstract

Highlights This study examined the resting-state functional network connectivity underlying eating disorder symptoms in a large sample of healthy young adults ( n = 693). Individuals with higher levels of eating disorder symptoms displayed weaker intra-network connectivity of the executive control network and basal ganglia network, as well as weaker inter-network connectivity in the three examined networks (i.e., the executive control network, basal ganglia network, and default mode network). The findings suggest that these neural circuits may play a key role in symptoms of disordered eating in healthy adults. They further reveal that the less efficient information exchange within and between intrinsic networks associated with self-referential thinking, inhibitory control, and reward sensitivity are strongly related to eating disorder symptoms.

Stronger functional network connectivity and social support buffer against negative affect during the COVID-19 outbreak and after the pandemic peak

“…Foam pads and earplugs were employed to reduce head motion and scanning noise. In final formal analysis, no participant had head motion of >2.0 mm in any direction between volumes, rotation of >2.0 in any axis during scanning, or mean framewise displacement (FD) of >0.50 ( Chen et al, 2021 ; Tie et al, 2015 ).…”

“…In these analyses we included age, sex, mean FD, and the NA level of baseline as covariates of no interest to ensure that our results only revealed FC correlations and differences uniquely explained by NA and not attributable to differences in age, sex, head motion, or the emotional state during scanning. Finally, the mean connectivity strength values (Z-scores) within and among the three networks was calculated based on the ROI-to-ROI connectivity that correlated with NA ( Chen et al, 2021 ; Domakonda et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Association between network connectivity and specific NA items at T2 and T3. After the aforementioned FNC analyses provided significant connectivity, the mean within-network connectivity and mean cross-network connectivity were calculated by averaging ROI-to-ROI pairwise correlations in/across each network ( Chen et al, 2021 ; Domakonda et al, 2019 ). Pearson's correlations of mean network connectivity with specific NA items at T2 and T3 were further assessed while correcting for age, sex, FD, and NA (T1) using partial correlation.…”

“…Sensitivity analyses using other definitions of RSN were carried out to assess the sensitivity of the current ROI (i.e., SN, DMN, and FPN). Specifically, the ROI for the left and right executive control network (CEN, 12 ROI), the anterior and posterior SN (19 ROI), and dorsal and ventral DMN (19 ROI) were defined based on the well-established freely available atlas of regions defined by correlated activation patterns ( http://findlab.stanford.edu/functional_ROIs.html ) ( Chen et al, 2021 ; Shirer et al, 2012 ). The analyses to test network connectivity in relation to NA scores were the same as those mentioned in the functional network connectivity analyses section.…”

Association between high levels of body‐esteem and increased degree of midcingulate cortex global connectivity: A resting‐state fMRI study

“…The current data demonstrated the significant relationships of body mass index (BMI) with BE (r = −0.41, p < .001) and eating symptoms/behaviors (i.e., EDDS and RS scores; Table 1). Moreover, previous body image studies and rs-fMRI studies (e.g., Chen et al, 2020Chen et al, , 2021Xiao et al, 2019) regarded age, gender, BMI, and FD as confounding variables. Thus, the current study included these variables as covariates to ensure that they did not confound our results.…”