Altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov model
Abstract Chronic neck and shoulder pain (CNSP) is the most common clinical symptom of cervical spondylosis, which not only greatly affects individuals’ quality of life but also places a significant burden on social healthcare systems. Existing analgesic treatments are often associated with significa...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03057-w |
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| author | Zhiqiang Qiu Tianci Liu Chengxi Zeng Maojiang Yang Libing He Hongjian Li Jia Ming Xiaoxue Xu |
| author_facet | Zhiqiang Qiu Tianci Liu Chengxi Zeng Maojiang Yang Libing He Hongjian Li Jia Ming Xiaoxue Xu |
| author_sort | Zhiqiang Qiu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Chronic neck and shoulder pain (CNSP) is the most common clinical symptom of cervical spondylosis, which not only greatly affects individuals’ quality of life but also places a significant burden on social healthcare systems. Existing analgesic treatments are often associated with significant adverse effects and limited efficacy. Recently, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques have shown promise, but the central mechanisms underlying chronic pain remain poorly understood. Recent advances in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have highlighted altered brain connectivity in CNSP patients. However, traditional methods, such as the sliding window approach, have limitations in capturing rapid fluctuations and individual differences in brain activity. The Hidden Markov Model (HMM) assumes that the brain is in different hidden states at different time points, with each state corresponding to a distinct connectivity pattern. It identifies state changes adaptively, without relying on preset time windows. In this study, we applied HMM to rs-fMRI data from CNSP patients and healthy controls to explore brain activity dynamics and state transition patterns. We identified five distinct brain states, revealing significant differences in functional occupancy, lifetime, switching rate, and state transition probabilities between CNSP patients and controls. This offers a novel neuroimaging perspective for personalizing interventions based on the individualized dynamic characteristics of CNSP patients. However, further research is needed to determine whether the number and nature of the internal states identified in this study can be generalized to other CNSP patient cohorts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d5bc567fd73b4ed0a36a873ca8163eb8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-d5bc567fd73b4ed0a36a873ca8163eb82025-08-20T03:48:18ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-03057-wAltered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov modelZhiqiang Qiu0Tianci Liu1Chengxi Zeng2Maojiang Yang3Libing He4Hongjian Li5Jia Ming6Xiaoxue Xu7Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeDepartment of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeDepartment of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeDepartment of Pain, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeDepartment of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeDepartment of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeDepartment of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeDepartment of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeAbstract Chronic neck and shoulder pain (CNSP) is the most common clinical symptom of cervical spondylosis, which not only greatly affects individuals’ quality of life but also places a significant burden on social healthcare systems. Existing analgesic treatments are often associated with significant adverse effects and limited efficacy. Recently, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques have shown promise, but the central mechanisms underlying chronic pain remain poorly understood. Recent advances in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have highlighted altered brain connectivity in CNSP patients. However, traditional methods, such as the sliding window approach, have limitations in capturing rapid fluctuations and individual differences in brain activity. The Hidden Markov Model (HMM) assumes that the brain is in different hidden states at different time points, with each state corresponding to a distinct connectivity pattern. It identifies state changes adaptively, without relying on preset time windows. In this study, we applied HMM to rs-fMRI data from CNSP patients and healthy controls to explore brain activity dynamics and state transition patterns. We identified five distinct brain states, revealing significant differences in functional occupancy, lifetime, switching rate, and state transition probabilities between CNSP patients and controls. This offers a novel neuroimaging perspective for personalizing interventions based on the individualized dynamic characteristics of CNSP patients. However, further research is needed to determine whether the number and nature of the internal states identified in this study can be generalized to other CNSP patient cohorts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03057-wChronic neck and shoulder painHidden Markov modelBrain statesDynamic functional connectivityrs-fMRI |
| spellingShingle | Zhiqiang Qiu Tianci Liu Chengxi Zeng Maojiang Yang Libing He Hongjian Li Jia Ming Xiaoxue Xu Altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov model Scientific Reports Chronic neck and shoulder pain Hidden Markov model Brain states Dynamic functional connectivity rs-fMRI |
| title | Altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov model |
| title_full | Altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov model |
| title_fullStr | Altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov model |
| title_short | Altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden Markov model |
| title_sort | altered brain dynamics in chronic neck and shoulder pain revealed by hidden markov model |
| topic | Chronic neck and shoulder pain Hidden Markov model Brain states Dynamic functional connectivity rs-fMRI |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03057-w |
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