Vulnerable brain regions in adolescent major depressive disorder:A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Adolescent major depressive disorder(MDD)is a significant mental health concern that often leads to recurrent depression in adulthood.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)offers unique insights into the neural mechanisms underlying this condition.However,despite previous research,the specific vulnerable brain regions affected in adolescent MDD patients have not been fully elucidated.AIM To identify consistent vulnerable brain regions in adolescent MDD patients using rs-fMRI and activation likelihood estimation(ALE)meta-analysis.METHODS We performed a comprehensive literature search through July 12,2023,for studies investigating brain functional changes in adolescent MDD patients.We utilized regional homogeneity(ReHo),amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(ALFF)and fractional ALFF(fALFF)analyses.We compared the regions of aberrant spontaneous neural activity in adolescents with MDD vs healthy controls(HCs)using ALE.RESULTS Ten studies(369 adolescent MDD patients and 313 HCs)were included.Combining the ReHo and ALFF/fALFF data,the results revealed that the activity in the right cuneus and left precuneus was lower in the adolescent MDD patients than in the HCs(voxel size:648 mm3,P<0.05),and no brain region exhibited increased activity.Based on the ALFF data,we found decreased activity in the right cuneus and left precuneus in adolescent MDD patients(voxel size:736 mm3,P<0.05),with no regions exhibiting increased activity.CONCLUSION Through ALE meta-analysis,we consistently identified the right cuneus and left precuneus as vulnerable brain regions in adolescent MDD patients,increasing our understanding of the neuropathology of affected adolescents.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and support vector machines for the diagnosis of major depressive disorder in adolescents

BACKGROUND Research has found that the amygdala plays a significant role in underlying pathology of major depressive disorder(MDD).However,few studies have explored machine learning-assisted diagnostic biomarkers based on amygdala functional connectivity(FC).AIM To investigate the analysis of neuroimaging biomarkers as a streamlined approach for the diagnosis of MDD in adolescents.METHODS Forty-four adolescents diagnosed with MDD and 43 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging,the FC was compared between the adolescents with MDD and the healthy controls,with the bilateral amygdala serving as the seed point,followed by statistical analysis of the results.The support vector machine(SVM)method was then applied to classify functional connections in various brain regions and to evaluate the neurophysiological characteristics associated with MDD.RESULTS Compared to the controls and using the bilateral amygdala as the region of interest,patients with MDD showed significantly lower FC values in the left inferior temporal gyrus,bilateral calcarine,right lingual gyrus,and left superior occipital gyrus.However,there was an increase in the FC value in Vermis-10.The SVM analysis revealed that the reduction in the FC value in the right lingual gyrus could effectively differentiate patients with MDD from healthy controls,achieving a diagnostic accuracy of 83.91%,sensitivity of 79.55%,specificity of 88.37%,and an area under the curve of 67.65%.CONCLUSION The results showed that an abnormal FC value in the right lingual gyrus was effective as a neuroimaging biomarker to distinguish patients with MDD from healthy controls.

Brain Mechanisms of College Students’ Social Adjustment: Evidence from Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This study investigated the neural basis of social adjustment using multimodal brain imaging and social-adjustment measurements to analyze functional and structural brain features during social adjustment in college students. The results showed that, regarding brain function, some dimensions of social adjustment were associated with the insula, and some regions of the frontal and occipital lobes. Self-adjustment and satisfaction required activation of the middle frontal gyrus, while career adjustment and academic adjustment required inhibition of the inferior frontal gyrus and lingual gyrus, respectively. Decreased metabolic activity of the lingual gyrus was beneficial for obtaining satisfaction. Regarding brain structure, the total score and some dimensions of social adaptation were associated with the gray matter of portions of the temporal and parietal lobes. The superior temporal gyrus was associated with the total social adjustment and satisfaction score, the middle temporal gyrus with campus-life adjustment and satisfaction, and the post central gyrus and the inferior parietal lobule with emotional adjustment. The changes in the gray matter volume of these brain regions to a certain extent reflected socially adaptive behaviors. The results suggest that social adaptability is associated with various brain regions dispersed among both hemispheres of the brain, and requires synergistic inter-actions between multiple brain regions and both brain hemispheres.

Effect and cerebral mechanism of moxibustion at heat-sensitized Yaoyangguan(GV3)in patients with lumbar disc herniation and myofascial pain syndrome by resting-state functionality magnetic resonance imaging:protocol for an observational study

We want to explore the analgesic brain effect of the moxibustion at heat-sensitized Yaoyangguan(GV3)in patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH)and myofascial pain syndrome(MPS).In an assessor-blinded observational study,we will include 15 LDH and 15 MPS.They will accept same treatment of heat-sensitive moxibustion at Yaoyangguan(GV3).The resting-state functionality magnetic resonance imaging image data of brain activities before and after treatment will be analyzed by mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation,regional homogeneity analysis and brain functional connection.We select seed of first sensory cortex,second sensory cortex,insula cortex,periaqueductal gray and anterior cingulate cortex as the regions of interest to analyse the relationship between brain functional connectivity of pain-related networks and clinical data.Our study could disclose key brain targets and central response characteristics of the analgesic brain effect and the brain functional connection of heat-sensitive moxibustion.

RESTplus: an improved toolkit for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data processing

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI)[1,2] provides relatively high spatial and temporal resolution for mapping spontaneous brain activity non-invasively. It has been widely used in cognitive neuroscience and clinical studies. A number of comprehensive software packages have been developed for RS-fMRI data analysis, among which a MATLAB package named REST (RESing-state fMRI data analysis Toolkit, released in October 2008 at http://www.restfmri.net)[3] is the earliest one dedicated to RS-fMRI analysis. REST focuses on RS-fMRI postprocessing metrics.

Altered regional homogeneity in post-traumatic stress disorder: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Objective Little is known about the brain systems that contribute to vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder （PTSD）. Comparison of the resting-state patterns of intrinsic functional synchronization, as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI）, between groups with and without PTSD following a traumatic event can help identify the neural mechanisms of the disorder and targets for intervention. Methods Fifty-four PTSD patients and 72 matched traumatized subjects who experienced the 2008 Sichuan earthquake were imaged with blood oxygen level-dependent （BOLD） fMRI and analyzed using the measure of regional homogeneity （ReHo） during the resting state. Results PTSD patients presented enhanced ReHo in the left inferior parietal lobule and right superior frontal gyrus, and reduced ReHo in the right middle temporal gyrus and lingual gyrus, relative to traumatized individuals without PTSD. Conclusion Our findings showed that abnormal brain activity exists under resting conditions in PTSD patients who had been exposed to a major earthquake. Alterations in the local functional connectivity of cortical regions are likely to contribute to the neural mechanisms underlying PTSD.

Abnormal Degree Centrality of Bilateral Putamen and Left Superior Frontal Gyrus in Schizophrenia with Auditory Hallucinations： A Resting-state Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Background： Dysconnectivity hypothesis of schizophrenia has been increasingly emphasized. Recent researches showed that this dysconnectivity might be related to occurrence of auditory hallucination （AH）. However, there is still no consistent conclusion. This study aimed to explore intrinsic dysconnectivity pattern of whole-brain functional networks at voxel level in schizophrenic with AH. Methods： Auditory hallucinated patients group （n = 42 APG）, no hallucinated patients group （n = 42 NPG） and normal controls （n = 84 NCs） were analyzed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The functional connectivity metrics index （degree centrality [DC]） across the entire brain networks was calculated and evaluated among three groups. Results： DC decreased in the bilateral putamen and increased in the left superior frontal gyrus in all the patients. However, in APG. the changes of DC were more obvious compared with NPG. Symptomology scores were negatively correlated with the DC of bilateral putamen in all patients. AH score of APG positively correlated with the DC in left superior frontal gyrus but negatively correlated with the DC in bilateral putamen. Conclusion： Our findings corroborated that schizophrenia was characterized by functional dysconnectivity, and the abnormal DC in bilateral putamen and left superior frontal gyrus might be crucial in the occurrence of AH.

Numerical study of resting-state fMRI based on kernel ICA

In order to facilitate the extraction of the default mode network（DMN）, reduce the data complexity of the functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI）and overcome the restriction of the linearity of the mixing process encountered with the independent component analysis（ICA）, a framework of dimensionality reduction and nonlinear transformation is proposed. First, the principal component analysis（PCA）is applied to reduce the time dimension 153 594×128 of the fMRI data to 153 594×5 for simplifying complexity computation and obtaining 95% of the information. Secondly, a new kernel-based nonlinear ICA method referred as the kernel ICA（KICA）based on the Gaussian kernel is introduced to analyze the resting-state fMRI data and extract the DMN. Experimental results show that the KICA provides a better performance for the resting-state fMRI data analysis compared with the classical ICA. Furthermore, the DMN is accurately extracted and the noise is reduced.

Modulatory effect of International standard Scalp Acupuncture on brain activation in the elderly as revealed by resting-state fMRI

The specific mechanisms by which acupuncture affects the central nervous system are unclear. In the International Standard Scalp Acupuncture system, acupuncture needles are applied at the middle line of the vertex, anterior parietal-temporal oblique line, and the posterior parietal-temporal oblique line. We conducted a single-arm prospective clinical trial in which seven healthy elderly volunteers (three men and four women;50–70 years old) received International Standard Scalp Acupuncture at MS5 (the mid-sagittal line between Baihui (DU20) and Qianding (DU21)), the left MS6 (line joining Sishencong (EX-HN1) and Xuanli (GB6)), and the left MS7 (line joining DU20 and Qubin (GB7)). After acupuncture, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated changes in the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity in various areas, showing remarkable enhancement of regional homogeneity in the bilateral anterior cingulate, left medial frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Functional connectivity based on a seed region at the right middle frontal gyrus (42, 51, 9) decreased at the bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus. Our data preliminarily indicates that the international standard scalp acupuncture in healthy elderly participants specifcally enhances the correlation between the brain regions involved in cognition and implementation of the brain network regulation system and the surrounding adjacent brain regions. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the China-Japan Union Hospital at Jilin University, China, on July 18, 2016 (approval No. 2016ks043).

Abnormal intrinsic brain activity in amnestic mild cognitive impairment revealed by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation： a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Background Previous studies have shown that brain functional activity in the resting state is impaired in Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） patients. However, alterations in intrinsic brain activity patterns in mild cognitive impairment （MCI） patients are poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the differences in regional intrinsic activities throughout the whole brain between aMCI patients and controls. Methods In the present study, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI） was performed on 18 amnestic MCI （aMCI） patients, 18 mild AD patients and 20 healthy elderly subjects. And amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation （ALFF） method was used. Results Compared with healthy elderly subjects, aMCI patients showed decreased ALFF in the right hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, left lateral temporal cortex, and right ventral medial prefrontal cortex （vMPFC） and increased ALFF in the left temporal-parietal junction （TPJ） and inferior parietal Iobule （IPL）. Mild AD patients showed decreased ALFF in the left TPJ, posterior IPL （plPL）, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared with aMCI patients. Mild AD patients also had decreased ALFF in the right posterior cingulate cortex, right vMPFC and bilateral dorsal MPFC （dMPFC） compared with healthy elderly subjects. Conclusions Decreased intrinsic activities in brain regions closely related to episodic memory were found in aMCI and AD patients. Increased TPJ and IPL activity may indicate compensatory mechanisms for loss of memory function in aMCI patients. These findings suggest that the fMRI based on ALFF analysis may provide a useful tool in the study of aMCI patients.

Resting-state network complexity and magnitude changes in neonates with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed disrupted brain network connectivity in adults and teenagers with cerebral palsy. However, the specific brain networks implicated in neonatal cases remain poorly understood. In this study, we recruited 14 termborn infants with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and 14 term-born infants with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy from Changzhou Children's Hospital, China. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data showed efficient small-world organization in whole-brain networks in both the mild and severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy groups. However, compared with the mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group, the severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group exhibited decreased local efficiency and a low clustering coefficient. The distribution of hub regions in the functional networks had fewer nodes in the severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group compared with the mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group. Moreover, nodal efficiency was reduced in the left rolandic operculum, left supramarginal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus. These results suggest that the topological structure of the resting state functional network in children with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is clearly distinct from that in children with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and may be associated with impaired language, motion, and cognition. These data indicate that it may be possible to make early predictions regarding brain development in children with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, enabling early interventions targeting brain function. This study was approved by the Regional Ethics Review Boards of the Changzhou Children's Hospital(approval No. 2013-001) on January 31, 2013. Informed consent was obtained from the family members of the children. The trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number: ChiCTR1800016409) and the protocol version is 1.0.

An association study of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type R gene polymorphism and the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in major depressive disorder

Objective To explore the influence of a polymorphism of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type R(PTPRR)gene rs1513105 on abnormal brain activities in resting-state patients with major depressive disorder(MDD)using the gene-imaging technology.Methods 54MDD and 43 gender-,age-,and education-matched con-

伴非自杀性自伤成人抑郁患者静息态磁共振及临床症状

目的探究伴有非自杀性自伤(NSSI)行为的抑郁障碍(MDD)静息状态下大脑功能的激活水平及临床症状的表现水平。方法选取发作期MDD伴NSSI患者9名,采用基于血氧水平依赖性(BOLD)信号的低频振荡幅度(ALFF)方法进行分析,探讨伴有NSSI的MDD患者大脑的自发神经活动,并对该群体反刍思维、认知融合、正念注意觉知水平进行探讨。结果MDD伴NSSI患者静息状态下右侧楔前叶、左侧颞下回、右侧颞中回、左侧颞上回、右侧缘上回存在正激活(T=4.500,P<0.001),左侧枕中回、右侧背外侧额上回、右侧脑岛存在负激活(T=4.500,P<0.001)。反刍思维与认知融合(r=0.907,P<0.01)、正念注意觉知水平(r=-0.722,P<0.05)存在显著相关。结论MDD伴NSSI患者静息状态下大脑自发活动可能存在异常。

Altered regional brain activity and functional connectivity in primary intravaginal anejaculation patients revealed by resting-state fMRI

Ejaculation is regulated by the central nervous system.However,the central pathophysiology of primary intravaginal anejaculation(PIAJ)is unclear.The present study aimed to examine the changes in regional brain activity and functional connectivity underlying PIAJ.A total of 20 PIAJ patients and 16 healthy controls(HCs)were enrolled from September 2020 to September 2022 in the Department of Andrology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital(Nanjing,China).Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from all participants and then were preprocessed.The measures of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(fALFF),regional homogeneity(ReHo),and functional connectivity(FC)were calculated and compared between the groups.PIAJ patients showed increased fALFF values in the left precuneus compared with HCs.Additionally,PIAJ patients showed increased ReHo values in the left precuneus,left postcentral gyrus,left superior occipital gyrus,left calcarine fissure,right precuneus,and right middle temporal gyrus,and decreased ReHo values in the left inferior parietal gyrus,compared with HCs.Finally,brain regions with altered fALFF and ReHo values in PIAJ patients showed increased FC with widespread cortical regions,which included the frontal,parietal,temporal,and occipital regions,compared with HCs.In conclusion,increased regional brain activity in the parietal,temporal,and occipital regions,and increased FC between these brain regions,may be associated with PIAJ occurrence.

Analysis of the differences in brain function response after acupuncture and moxibustion at Zusanli(足三里ST36)in the patients with functional dyspepsia based on fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of rest functional magnetic resonance imaging

Objective:To explore the differences in the central response after acupuncture and moxibusbution at Zusanli(足三里ST36) in treatment of functional dyspepsia(FD) based on the analysis of fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation(fALFF) of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rfMRI).Methods:A total of 60 patients with FD were randomized into an acupuncture group and a moxibustion group,30 cases in each one.In the acupuncture group,acupuncture was applied to bilateral ST36.In the moxibustion group,moxibustion was exerted at bilateral ST36.The treatment was given once a day,5 times a week,totally for 4 weeks in each group,including 20 treatments with acupuncture or moxibustion.Separately,before and at the end of treatment,rfMRI scanning was conducted in two groups.Using data processing assistant for resting-state fMRI(DPARSF) software and MATLAB data platform,rfMRI data were collected for preprocessing and fALFF analysis.Results:Compared with the data before treatment,after treated with acupuncture at ST36 in FD patients,fALFF value was reduced in the right superior frontal gyrus,left superior frontal gyrus,left inferior frontal gyrus,right cuneus,left precuneus,right middle occipital gyrus,left middle occipital gyrus,etc.,and it was increased in the left parahippocampus,right parahippocampus,left cerebellum,etc(all P <0.01).After treated with moxibustion,the remarkable increase of fALFF was not discovered in brain areas,but fALFF decreased significantly in the left superior parietal gyrus(P <0.01).Compared with moxibustion at ST36,after acupuncture at ST36 in FD patients,the increase of fALFF appeared in the right putamen and the decrease of it occurred in the middle occipital gyrus,indicating the statistical significance(both P <0.05).Conclusion:The differences in central function responses are induced in treamtent with acupuncture and moxibustion,which is probably related to the resting-state default network associated with targeted regulation and ventral attention of brain areas in functional dyspepsia.

Discrimination for minimal hepatic encephalopathy based on Bayesian modeling of default mode network

In order to classify the minimal hepatic encephalopathy （MHE） patients from healthy controls, the independent component analysis （ICA） is used to generate the default mode network （DMN） from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI）. Then a Bayesian voxel- wised method, graphical-model-based multivariate analysis （GAMMA）, is used to explore the associations between abnormal functional integration within DMN and clinical variable. Without any prior knowledge, five machine learning methods, namely, support vector machines （SVMs）, classification and regression trees （ CART ）, logistic regression, the Bayesian network, and C4.5, are applied to the classification. The functional integration patterns were alternative within DMN, which have the power to predict MHE with an accuracy of 98%. The GAMMA method generating functional integration patterns within DMN can become a simple, objective, and common imaging biomarker for detecting MIIE and can serve as a supplement to the existing diagnostic methods.

难治性与非难治性抑郁症的静息态脑功能磁共振ReHo特征初步比较

目的通过静息态脑功能磁共振成像采集脑功能数据,行脑局部一致性ReHo(regional homogeniety)分析,探讨难治性抑郁症(treatment-resistant depression,TRD)和非难治性抑郁症(non treatment-resistant depression,nTRD)的脑功能差异及其与临床症状的相关性。材料与方法招募27例TRD患者、22例nTRD、22例健康对照组,评估抑郁、焦虑、冗思等临床症状,均进行静息态磁共振脑功能扫描,采用DPARSF 5.0处理核磁数据,SPSS软件包(单因素方差分析)one way ANOVA检验三组ReHo差异脑区与临床量表积分的相关性。结果两组抑郁症患者的人口统计学资料和临床症状评分均无显著差异。然而,与nTRD组比较,TRD组在左侧颞上回、右侧小脑后ReHo值更高,右侧眶额回的ReHo值更低。相关性分析显示,TRD组右侧额上回/额中回、眶额回ReHo值分别与冗思量表(Ruminative Response Scale,RRS)评分呈正相关(P=0.015,r=0.46),(P=0.018,r=0.44)。结论难治与非难治性抑郁症在临床表现相似及量表积分无明显差异时,脑功能ReHo存在明显差异,难治性抑郁症累及更多的脑区,涉及到情感、认知、初级感觉中枢等,与临床症状明显相关。

Abnormal function of the posterior cingulate cortex in heroin addicted users during resting-state and drug-cue stimulation task

Background Previous animal and neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that brain function in heroin addicted users is impaired. However, the posterior cingulate cortex （PCC） has not received much attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether chronic heroin use is associated with craving-related changes in the functional connectivity of the PCC of heroin addicted users. Methods Fourteen male adult chronic heroin users and fifteen age and gender-matched healthy subjects participated in the present study. The participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI） scan and a cue-induced craving task fMRI scan. The activated PCC was identified in the cue-induced craving task by means of a group contrast test. Functional connectivity was analyzed based on resting-state fMRI data in order to determine the correlation between brain regions. The relationship between the connectivity of specific regions and heroin dependence was investigated. Results The activation of PCC, bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, caudate, putamen, precuneus, and thalamus was significant in the heroin group compared to the healthy group in the cue-induced craving task. The detectable functional connectivity of the heroin users was stronger between the PCC and bilateral insula, bilateral dorsal striatum, right inferior parietal Iobule （IPL） and right supramarginal gyrus （P 〈0.001） compared to that of the healthy subjects in the resting-state data analysis. The strength of the functional connectivity, both for the PCC-insula （r=0.60, P 〈0.05） and for PCC-striatum （t=0.58, P 〈0.05）, was positively correlated with the duration of heroin use. Conclusion The altered functional connectivity patterns in the PCC-insula and PCC-striatum areas may be regarded as biomarkers of brain damage severity in chronic heroin users.

Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene Associated with the Frontal-Striatal-Cerebellar Loop in Children with ADHD: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder（ADHD）is a common childhood neuropsychiatric disorder that has been linked to the dopaminergic system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of regulation of the dopamine D4 receptor（DRD4） on functional brain activity during the resting state in ADHD children using the methods of regional homogeneity（Re Ho） and functional connectivity（FC）. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed in 49 children with ADHD. All participants were classified as either carriers of the DRD44-repeat/4-repeat（4 R/4 R） allele（n = 30） or the DRD42-repeat（2 R） allele（n = 19）. The results showed that participants with the DRD4 2 R allele had decreased Re Ho bilaterally in the posterior lobes of the cerebellum, while Re Ho was increased in the left angular gyrus. Compared with participants carrying the DRD4 4 R/4 R allele, those with the DRD4 2 R allele showed decreased FC to the left angular gyrus in the left striatum, right inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral lobes of the cerebellum. The increased FC regions included the left superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, and rectus gyrus. These data suggest that the DRD4 polymorphisms are associated with localized brain activity and specific functional connections, including abnormality in the frontal-striatal-cerebellar loop. Our study not only enhances the understanding of the correlation between the cerebellar lobes and ADHD, but also provides an imaging basis for explaining the neural mechanisms underlying ADHD in children.

Effects of methylphenidate on resting-state brain activity in normal adults: an fMRI study

Methylphenidate （MPH） is one of the most commonly used stimulants for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD）. Although several studies have evaluated the effects of MPH on human brain activation during specific cognitive tasks using functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI）, few studies have focused on spontaneous brain activity. In the current study, we investigated the effect of MPH on the intra-regional synchronization of spontaneous brain activity during the resting state in 18 normal adult males. A handedness questionnaire and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale were applied before medication, and a resting-state fMRI scan was obtained 1 h after medication （20 mg MPH or placebo, order counterbalanced between participants）. We demonstrated that： （1） there were no significant differences in the performance of behavioral tasks between the MPH and placebo groups; （2） the left middle and superior temporal gyri had stronger MPH-related regional homogeneity （ReHo）; and （3） the left lingual gyrus had weaker MPH-related ReHo. Our findings showed that the ReHo in some brain areas changes with MPH compared to placebo in normal adults, even though there are no behavioral differences. This method can be applied to patients with mental illness who may be treated with MPH, and be used to compare the difference between patients taking MPH and normal participants, to help reveal the mechanism of how MPH works.