Author

Pan Chen

View on Semantic Scholar

2 papers indexed here

We haven’t gathered this author’s papers yet. Follow them and we’ll fetch their work.

Not the right person? Other researchers publish under this name.

Open access Aug 2026

Disrupted white matter function in subthreshold depression correlate with cognitive, neurotransmitter, and genetic profiles.

INTRODUCTION White matter (WM) tract function has only recently been investigated. However, whether WM function is altered in individuals with subthreshold depression (StD) remains largely unknown. OBJECTIVES To examine WM functional alterations in StD and their associations with cognitive performance, neurotransmitter systems, and gene expression patterns. METHODS A total of 188 individuals with StD and 136 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited from XXX University in the study. Participants underwent mood and cognitive assessments, as well as resting-state functional MRI.WM function was evaluated using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) in conjunction with the automated fiber quantification (AFQ) method. Correlation and linear regression analyses were performed. Subsequently, spatial associations between postmortem gene expression/neurotransmitters and WM functional alterations were investigated to uncover neural mechanisms underlaying StD from a multidimensional perspective. RESULTS Individuals with StD showed decreased social cognition and composite cognition compared to HCs. Individuals with StD displayed ALFF decrease in the right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and uncinate fasciculus. Rumination and depressive symptoms were associated with ALFF decrease in the right ATR; anxiety symptom was associated with ALFF decrease in the right ILF. Moreover, the abnormal pattern of WM function in StD was spatially associated with modulation of chemical synaptic transmission, regulation of synaptic plasticity, cation channel activity, and neuron projection, as well as dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. CONCLUSION To conclude, these findings reveal WM functional alterations in StD that are associated with mood and cognitive disturbances, and suggest that these alterations may be linked to underlying transcriptomic and neurotransmitter correlates. This study provides new clues to understand the neuro-pathophysiology of StD.

Zixuan Guo, Pan Chen, Guanmao Chen et al. · Journal of Advanced Research · 0 citations

Open access Jul 2026

Associations between thyroid hormones and biochemical metabolism in major depressive disorder patients with and without comorbid eating disorders.

OBJECTIVES The underlying mechanism of major depressive disorder (MDD) with eating disorder (ED) remains unclear. We aim to clarify the characteristic changes of THs and brain neurometabolic alterations in ED, and to explore their relationships. METHODS The study included 28 individuals with MDD and ED, 81 individuals with MDD without ED, and 37 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Serum TH levels were assessed, and 1H proton magnetic spectroscopy was utilized to determine the N-acetylaspartic acid to creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline-containing compounds to creatine ratios in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and thalamus. Subsequently, differential analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to explore their characteristics and interrelationships. RESULTS In both MDD with ED and MDD without ED cohorts, free tri-iodothyronine (FT3) levels were significantly lower compared to HCs, whereas free thyroxine (FT4) and total thyroxine (TT4) levels were elevated. Significantly lower NAA/Cr ratios were observed in the right thalamus and higher NAA/Cr ratios in the left cerebellum in both MDD with ED and MDD without ED compared to HCs. Neurometabolic factors and THs levels achieved an ROC curve area of 0.830 in differentiating MDD with ED from MDD without ED. In addition, serum FT3 and TT4 levels showed a positive correlation with NAA/Cr in the eft cerebellum in cases of MDD with ED. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal concurrent thyroid hormone irregularities and neurometabolic changes in the thalamic-cerebellum circuitry in MDD with ED, providing preliminary insights into the neurobiology of abnormal eating behaviors in depression. Given the cross-sectional design, these results are exploratory and require validation. Level of evidence Level IV, cross-sectional study.

Yangyu Wu, Qilin Zhong, Jianzhao Zhang et al. · Eating and Weight Disorders · 0 citations