Abnormal functional coupling strength revealed by brain waves in schizophrenia patients

Liang Ma, Tulay Adali, Masoud Seraji, Vince Calhoun

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Keywords: Schizophrenia, functional coupling, PhaseICA, amplitude, phase delay

TL;DR: Finding abnormal functionally coupling in the decomposed brain waves of schizophrenia patients

Abstract: Schizophrenia (SZ) is characterized by disruptions in functional coupling across brain regions, often linked to neurotransmitter dysregulation and abnormal synaptic plasticity. While traditional functional connectivity analyses focus on pairwise, synchronous interactions, they often overlook complex, temporally delayed coupling patterns that may underlie SZ pathology. In this study, we applied PhaseICA, a complex-valued independent component analysis method, to resting-state fMRI data to investigate spatiotemporal brain dynamics in SZ. The PhaseICA method captures both stationary and nonstationary brain waveforms by decomposing whole-brain fMRI signals into spatially independent analytic components, incorporating phase delays via the Hilbert transform and entropy-bound minimization. This framework enables identification of temporally offset wave patterns without relying on predefined regions or templates. Our results revealed significantly altered amplitudes of both stationary and travelling brain waves in individuals with SZ, with some abnormalities correlating with cognitive scores. These findings highlight spatiotemporally delayed functional interactions as a core feature of SZ and underscore the utility of PhaseICA in uncovering clinically relevant brain dynamics beyond conventional connectivity models.

Track: 3. Imaging Informatics

Registration Id: D5N7VVVLKJY

Submission Number: 113