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The changes of brain functional networks in young adult smokers based on independent component analysis

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Abstract

Intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) networks, including the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), and salience network (SN), have been implicated in nicotine addiction. However, litter evidence exists about the abnormalities in the three networks in young adult smokers. Forty-eight young adult smokers and 49 age- and gender-matched non-smokers were recruited in the present study. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were analyzed by a combination of independent component analysis (ICA) and dual regression to identify potential differences of FC patterns in the DMN, CEN, and SN. Compared to non-smokers, young adult smokers showed enhanced FC of the left posterior cingulate cortex (LPCC), right medial prefrontal cortex (RMPFC) and right precuneus within the DMN network, of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) within the right CEN, and of the left anterior insula (LAI) within the SN. We also found increased FC between the DMN, CEN and key node of the SN (anterior insula, AI). Correlation analysis showed that the increased FC within the networks was significantly correlated with smoking behaviors (pack-years, smoking duration, FTND, first smoking age, and number of cigarettes per day). Our findings may provide additional evidence for conceptualizing the framework of nicotine addiction as a disease of intercommunicating brain networks.

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Funding

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 81571753, 81571751, 81871430, 81871426, 61771266, 81701780, 31800926, 81401478, 81401488, 81470816, 81471737, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under the Grant No. JB151204, the program for Young adult Talents of Science and Technology in Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region NJYT-17-B11, the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia under Grant No.2017MS(LH)0814, 2018LH08079, 2019JQ07, the program of Science and Technology in Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region NJZY17262. The Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaan-xi Province of China under Grant No. 2018JM7075. US National Institutes of Health, Intramural Research program Y1AA3009.

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  1. XianFu Wang and Ting Xue contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Pattern Recognition and Intelligent Image Processing, School of Information Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, 014010, Inner Mongolia, China

    XianFu Wang, Ting Xue, Fang Dong, Dongdong Xie, Chang Liu, Ming Zhang, Kai Yuan & Dahua Yu

  2. Information Center, Dezhou People’s Hospital, Dezhou, 253000, Shandong, China

    XianFu Wang

  3. School of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, 014010, Inner Mongolia, China

    Ting Xue

  4. College of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China

    Yangding Li

  5. CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yanzhi Bi

  6. Life Sciences Research Center, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, 710071, Shaanxi, China

    Kai Yuan

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  1. XianFu Wang
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Wang, X., Xue, T., Dong, F. et al. The changes of brain functional networks in young adult smokers based on independent component analysis. Brain Imaging and Behavior 15, 788–797 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-020-00289-4

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