Functional magnetic resonance imaging study on anxiety and depression disorders induced by chronic restraint stress in rats

作者：Li, Zhaoju; Ma, Yongyuan; Dong, Bo; Hu, Bo; He, Huan; Jia, Ji; Xiong, Ming; Xu, Ting^*; Xu, Bo^*; Xi, Wenbin^*

来源：Behavioural Brain Research, 2023, 450: 114496.

DOI：10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114496

• Chronic restraint stress
• Anxiety-and depressive-like behavior
• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging
• Blood oxygen level dependent-signals
• Diffusion tensor imaging
• Functional connectivity

Persistent and negative stress stimulation is one of the most important factors leading to anxiety and depression in individuals, and it can negatively affect the normal function and structure of brain-related regions. However, the maladaptive changes of brain neural networks in anxiety and depression induced by chronic stress have not been explored in detail. In this study, we analyzed the changes in global information transfer efficiency, stress related blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD)-and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-signals and functional con-nectivity (FC) in rat models based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The results showed that compared to control group, rats treated with chronic restraint stress (CRS) for 5 weeks had reconstructed the small-world network properties. In addition, CRS group had increased coherence and activity in bilateral Striatum (ST_R & L), but decreased coherence and activity in unilateral (left) Frontal Association Cortex (FrA_L) and unilateral (left) Medial Entorhinal Cortex (MEC_L). DTI analysis and correlation analysis confirmed the disrupted integrity of MEC_L and ST_R & L and their correlation to anxiety-and depressive-liked behaviors. Functional connectivity further showed these regions of interest (ROI) had decreased positive cor-relations with several brain areas, respectively. Our study comprehensively revealed the adaptive changes of brain neural networks induced by chronic stress and emphasized the abnormal activity and functional connec-tivity of ST_R & L and MEC_L in the pathological condition.

• 单位
  中山大学; 中国医科大学; 1; 南方医科大学