Biology subjects

Serin, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Serin, E..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Dissociating Resting-State Networks of Pedohebephilic Preference and Child Sexual Offending Using Network-Based Prediction

Background: Pedohebephilia (P+), the sexual preference for prepubescent and early pubertal minors, regularly causes distress in those affected. While associated with child sexual offending (CSO), P+ is not a prerequisite for CSO. Limited neuroimaging studies have identified alterations associated with P+, while these may primarily reflect offending history. The correlates of P+ independent of CSO therefore remain unclear. We examined this distinction using intrinsic functional networks within a multivariate predictive framework. Methods: Using resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and network-based prediction (NBS-Predict), we performed pairwise classifications among non-offending pedohebephilic men (P+CSO-, n=35), pedohebephilic men with CSO (P+CSO+, n=38), and non-pedohebephilic controls without CSO (P-CSO-, n=63). Classification-relevant subnetwork nodal strength was associated post hoc with trait impulsivity within P+ groups. Results: P+CSO- were significantly distinguished from P-CSO- (balanced accuracy [BAC]=0.621, pFDR=.041), and showed reductions between default-mode hubs and temporoparietal somatomotor and ventral attention regions. P+CSO+ were also significantly distinguished from P+CSO- (BAC=0.645, pFDR=.032) and yielded a smaller subnetwork centered on the substantia nigra. Against P-CSO-, P+CSO+ showed widespread reductions, particularly across subcortical, default mode, visual, limbic, and somatomotor regions (BAC=0.640, pFDR=0.032). Right precentral gyrus nodal strength correlated with impulsivity in P+CSO+ only (r=0.57, pFDR=0.024). Conclusions: Whole-brain rsFC contains information distinguishing pedohebephilic preference in the absence of known CSO, while P+CSO+ show additional and more widespread network alterations involving systems implicated in action selection and behavioral regulation. These findings open new avenues for integrating pedohebephilia into broader neurobiological research frameworks.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Linking post-stress brain connectivity to acute cortisol reactivity using network-based inference and prediction

Background: Acute cortisol responses to psychosocial stress vary substantially across individuals, yet how this variability is reflected in post-stress resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) remains unclear. Although prior work has linked stress-related endocrine responses to brain connectivity, studies have been limited by small samples, region-of-interest approaches, or a sole focus on group-level analyses. Here, we investigated whether acute cortisol increase is associated with, and can be predicted from, whole-brain post-stress rsFC. Methods: We analyzed 339 healthy participants from two ScanSTRESS datasets using complementary inferential and predictive approaches. First, we used the Network-Based Statistic (NBS) to identify connected rsFC networks associated with acute cortisol increase, controlling for age, site, and sex/hormonal status. Second, we predicted participants' acute cortisol increase from their connectivity patterns using NBS-Predict and Connectome-Based Predictive Modeling (CPM). Together, we examined the cortisol-rsFC relationship at the population and individual levels. Results: Greater cortisol responses were associated with lower post-stress rsFC within a significant distributed network comprising 258 connections among 78 regions, centered on thalamic nuclei and pallidal regions and extending to default-mode, limbic, orbitofrontal, and cerebellar regions. Sex-stratified analyses revealed a significant negative association only in females, but formal sex-difference contrasts were not significant. NBS-Predict and CPM yielded modest but significant out-of-sample prediction, with predictive networks converging on subcortical and posterior cingulate regions. Conclusions: Post-stress rsFC carries convergent inferential and predictive information about individual HPA-axis reactivity. Stronger cortisol responses were characterized by reduced connectivity within a distributed subcortical-cingulate network, supporting a network-level perspective on neural-endocrine coupling following acute stress.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Protocol Update: The Normative Modelling Paradigm for Computational Psychiatry

Normative Modelling ( brain growth charting) is now a well-established method for computational psychiatry and involves charting centiles of variation across a population in terms of mappings between biology and behavior, providing statistical inferences at the level of the individual. These models have helped the field to move away from case-control analysis toward individual-level analysis. Correspondingly, normative modelling has now been applied to chart brain development and ageing in many populations and has been used to quantify individual deviations across various neurological and psychiatric conditions. This has been supported by large-scale models that are openly accessible for diverse brain imaging modalities. As normative modelling continues to grow, several recent methodological developments, such as non-Gaussian models, longitudinal models, and federated learning, have been implemented in different software tools, including the Predictive Clinical Neuroscience toolkit (PCNtoolkit). In this protocol update, we provide: (i) a revised overview of this methodological landscape; (ii) an update to our 2022 standardised analytical protocol for normative modelling of neuroimaging data, including options for federated and longitudinal normative models; (iii) practical guidance suited to both novice and experienced practitioners supported by open-source code examples implemented in the refactored version of PCNtoolkit; and (iv) updated models for cortical thickness, surface area, volumetric data, functional connectivity and diffusion-weighted imaging for use by the community.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Linking brain structure to stress reactivity: Cingulate surface area predicts acute cortisol responses

BackgroundAltered stress responses are closely linked to mental disorders, but the role of brain structure in acute cortisol responses to psychosocial stress remains underexplored, particularly in healthy individuals. Previous studies, with predominantly small samples, primarily focused on selected limbic regions and functional measures. Thus, this study investigates associations between brain structure and cortisol responses to psychosocial stress, exploring if hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity can be predicted from brain morphology. MethodsOur study included 291 subjects (157 females, 18-62 years) and consisted of two parts. First, a confirmatory analysis examined associations between specific cortical surface area, thickness, and subcortical volume with stress-induced cortisol increases using Permutation Analysis of Linear Models (PALM). Second, we conducted an exploratory whole- brain vertex-wise analysis, followed by out-of-sample prediction of cortisol increases from structural measures. ResultsWe found consistent negative associations between cingulate cortex (CC) sub- structures and acute cortisol increases. In PALM- and whole-brain analysis, a smaller surface area of the left rostral and caudal anterior cingulate cortex (cACC), posterior cingulate cortex, and right cACC were associated with higher cortisol stress responses, particularly in males. The left cACC surface area emerged as the most promising predictor in machine learning analyses. Additionally, other fronto-limbic structures were also associated with or predictive of acute cortisol reactivity. ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that cortical and subcortical structural measures, particularly smaller surface areas of the CC, predict acute hormonal stress responses. Notably, the left cACC emerged as the most consistent predictor, underlining its potential as a biomarker for stress-related diseases.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Generating Synthetic Task-based Brain Fingerprints for Population Neuroscience Using Deep Learning

Task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (tb-fMRI) reveals individual differences in the neural basis of cognitive functions by linking specific tasks to neural responses. However, scaling tb-fMRI to population-level studies is challenging due to its cognitive demands, variations in task design across studies, and the limited scope of tasks in large datasets. To address this, we propose DeepTaskGen, a deep-learning approach that generates non-acquired task-based contrast maps from resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data. Our approach enables generating synthetic task images for non-acquired tasks within the study protocol. We validate this approach using the Human Connectome Project lifespan data, then generate 47 contrast maps from 7 different cognitive tasks for over 20,000 individuals from UK Biobank. DeepTaskGen outperforms several benchmarks in generating synthetic task-contrast maps, exhibiting superior reconstruction performance while retaining inter-individual variation essential for biomarker development. Notably, we further showed that synthetic task contrast maps achieved similar or greater performance compared to actual task contrast maps and resting-state connectomes for predicting a wide range of demographic, cognitive, and clinical variables. This approach will facilitate the study of individual differences and the generation of task-related biomarkers by enabling the generation of arbitrary functional cognitive tasks from readily available rs-fMRI data.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

A robust brain network for sustained attention from adolescence to adulthood that predicts later substance use

Substance use, including cigarettes and cannabis, is associated with poorer sustained attention in late adolescence and early adulthood. Previous studies were predominantly cross-sectional or under-powered and could not indicate if impairment in sustained attention was a predictor of substance-use or a marker of the inclination to engage in such behaviour. This study explored the relationship between sustained attention and substance use across a longitudinal span from ages 14 to 23 in over 1,000 participants. Behaviours and brain connectivity associated with diminished sustained attention at age 14 predicted subsequent increases in cannabis and cigarette smoking, establishing sustained attention as a robust biomarker for vulnerability to substance use. Individual differences in network strength relevant to sustained attention were preserved across developmental stages and sustained attention networks generalized to participants in an external dataset. In summary, brain networks of sustained attention are robust, consistent, and able to predict aspects of later substance use. TeaserA robust brain network for sustained attention at age 14 predicts cigarette and cannabis use from ages 14 to 23.

neuroscience↗