Arrow Research search

Author name cluster

Zhanjun Zhang

Possible papers associated with this exact author name in Arrow. This page groups case-insensitive exact name matches and is not a full identity disambiguation profile.

5 papers
1 author row

Possible papers

5

YNIMG Journal 2025 Journal Article

Unstable functional brain states and reduced cerebro-cerebellar modularity in elderly individuals with subjective cognitive decline

  • Wuhai Tao
  • Xiaojie Lu
  • Shuaike Yuan
  • Peixuan Ye
  • Zhanjun Zhang
  • Qing Guan
  • Hehui Li

The preclinical stage of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) holds great potential for intervention, therefore, it is crucial to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the progression of subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Previous studies have predominantly focused on the neural changes in the cerebrum associated with SCD, but have relatively neglected the cerebellum, and its functional relationship with the cerebrum. In the current study, we employed dynamic functional connectivity and large-scale brain network approaches to investigate the pathological characteristics of dynamic brain states and cerebro-cerebellar collaboration between SCD (n = 32) and the healthy elderly (n = 29) using resting-state fMRI. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA and permutation t-tests revealed significant group differences, with individuals with SCD exhibiting shorter state duration and more frequent transitions between states compared to the healthy elderly individuals. Additionally, individuals with SCD showed lower levels of intracerebellar functional connectivity, but higher levels of cerebellar-cerebral functional integration. Furthermore, the hub nodes of the functional networks in SCD shifted between the cerebellum and cerebrum across different brain states. These findings indicate that SCD exhibits greater state instability but may compensate for the negative effects of early disease by integrating cerebellar and cerebral networks, thereby maintaining cognitive performance. This study enhances our theoretical understanding of cerebellar-cerebral relationship changes in the early stages of AD and provides evidence for early interventions targeting the cerebellum.

Details DOI

YNICL Journal 2023 Journal Article

Brain development mediates the relationship between self-reported poor parental monitoring and adolescent anxiety

  • Yiman Li
  • Zheyi Zhou
  • Yuqi Zhang
  • Hui Ai
  • Mingfang Liu
  • Jing Liu
  • Li Wang
  • Jiang Qiu

Adolescence is the peak period for the onset of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Brain networks of cognitive and affective control in adolescents are not well developed when their exposure to external stimuli suddenly increases.Reasonable parental monitoring is especially important during this period.To examine the role of parental monitoring in the development of functional brain networks of GAD, we conducted a cross-validation-based predictive study based on the functional brain networks of 192 participants. We found that a set of functional brain networks, especially the default mode network and its connectivity with the frontoparietal network, could predict the ages of adolescents, which was replicated in three independent samples.Importantly, the difference between predicted age and chronological age significantly mediated the relationship between parental monitoring and anxiety levels. These findings suggest that inadequate parental monitoring plays a crucial role in the delayed development of specific brain networks associated with GAD in adolescents. Our work highlights the important role of parental monitoring in adolescent development.

Details DOI

YNICL Journal 2023 Journal Article

White matter changes underlie hypertension-related cognitive decline in older adults

  • Zilin Li
  • Wenxiao Wang
  • Feng Sang
  • Zhanjun Zhang
  • Xin Li

Hypertension has been well recognized as a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. Although the underlying mechanisms of hypertension-affected cognitive deterioration are not fully understood, white matter changes (WMCs) seem to play an important role. WMCs include low microstructural integrity and subsequent white matter macrostructural lesions, which are common on brain imaging in hypertensive patients and are critical for multiple cognitive domains. This article provides an overview of the impact of hypertension on white matter microstructural and macrostructural changes and its link to cognitive dysfunction. Hypertension may induce microstructural changes in white matter, especially for the long-range fibers such as anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), and then macrostructural abnormalities affecting different lobes, especially the periventricular area. Different regions' WMCs would further exert different effects to specific cognitive domains and accelerate brain aging. As a modifiable risk factor, hypertension might provide a new perspective for alleviating and delaying cognitive impairment.

Details DOI

YNICL Journal 2022 Journal Article

Specific structuro-metabolic pattern of thalamic subnuclei in fatal familial insomnia: A PET/MRI imaging study

  • Kexin Xie
  • Yaojing Chen
  • Min Chu
  • Yue Cui
  • Zhongyun Chen
  • Jing Zhang
  • Li Liu
  • Donglai Jing

BACKGROUND: Dysfunction of the thalamus has been proposed as a core mechanism of fatal familial insomnia. However, detailed metabolic and structural alterations in thalamic subnuclei are not well documented. We aimed to address the multimodal structuro-metabolic pattern at the level of the thalamic nuclei in fatal familial insomnia patients, and investigated the clinical presentation of primary thalamic alterations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five fatal familial insomnia patients and 10 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All participants underwent neuropsychological assessments, polysomnography, electroencephalogram, and cerebrospinal fluid tests. MRI and fluorodeoxyglucose PET were acquired on a hybrid PET/MRI system. Structural and metabolic changes were compared using voxel-based morphometry analyses and standardized uptake value ratio analyses, focusing on thalamic subnuclei region of interest analyses. Correlation analysis was conducted between gray matter volume and metabolic decrease ratios, and clinical features. RESULTS: The whole-brain analysis showed that gray matter volume decline was confined to the bilateral thalamus and right middle temporal pole in fatal familial insomnia patients, whereas hypometabolism was observed in the bilateral thalamus, basal ganglia, and widespread cortices, mainly in the forebrain. In the regions of interest analysis, gray matter volume and metabolism decreases were prominent in bilateral medial dorsal nuclei, anterior nuclei, and the pulvinar, which is consistent with neuropathological and clinical findings. A positive correlation was found between gray matter volume and metabolic decrease ratios. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed specific structuro-metabolic pattern of fatal familial insomnia that demonstrated the essential roles of medial dorsal nuclei, anterior nuclei, and pulvinar, which may be a potential biomarker in diagnosis. Also, primary thalamic subnuclei alterations may be correlated with insomnia, neuropsychiatric, and autonomic symptoms sparing primary cortical involvement.

Details DOI