{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T12:24:04Z","timestamp":1787142244810,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["12402350"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["12402350"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["12402350"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["12402350"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01h0zpd94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"Beijing Natural Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["1262001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1262001"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project","award":["2023ZD0503800"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023ZD0503800"]}]},{"name":"Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project","award":["2023ZD0503803"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023ZD0503803"]}]},{"name":"Human Connec-tome Project, WU-Minn Consortium","award":["1U54MH091657"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1U54MH091657"]}]},{"name":"McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience at Washington University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sci.","Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: Depressive symptoms exist on a continuum in the general population, yet the underlying neurobiological mechanisms, particularly the interplay between resting-state networks and task-evoked social cognitive responses, remain elusive. Methods: Leveraging the Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset, we included 867 participants. With depression scores as the independent variable and age\/sex as covariates, we systematically examined associations with sleep quality, negative emotions, sensory scores, gray matter volume (GMV), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), multi-seed resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), as well as brain activation and behavioral performance during working memory, emotion recognition, social cognition, relational reasoning, language comprehension, and gambling tasks. The statistical threshold was set at voxel-level p &lt; 0.001 (uncorrected) combined with cluster-level FWE correction at p &lt; 0.05. Results: (1) Depression scores were positively correlated with sleep disturbances, negative emotions (anger\/fear), and pain. (2) In resting-state, depression scores negatively correlated with ventral striatum (VS)\u2013cerebellum\/parahippocampal gyrus\/fusiform rsFC, yet positively correlated with pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (preACC)\u2013supplementary motor area (SMA) rsFC. (3) In task-fMRI, only the social task showed a positive association with task accuracy and regional activation in bilateral pre\/postcentral gyri, superior temporal gyri, left middle frontal gyrus, and SMA\/paracentral lobule. Conclusions: Elevated depression scores are linked to a pattern that may reflect relative decoupling between reward and perceptual systems, along with enhanced connectivity in cognitive control circuits. Socially, high scorers exhibit a pattern suggestive of compensatory hypervigilance, accompanied by enhanced behavioral performance. This study provides multidimensional evidence for the dimensional neural representation of depressive symptoms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci16080884","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T11:04:12Z","timestamp":1787137452000},"page":"884","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Association of Depressive Symptom Scores with Multimodal Brain Imaging and Behavioral Phenotypes: A Resting-State, Task-FMRI, and Clinical Comorbidity Study Based on the Human Connectome Project"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Fufeng","family":"Zheng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Intelligent Medicine and Imaging Technology, School of Medical Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Song","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Yes Medical Devices Co., Ltd., Beijing 101111, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaoying","family":"Tang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Intelligent Medicine and Imaging Technology, School of Medical Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guangfei","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120477","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2025.120477","article-title":"Neural correlates of social processing in major depressive disorder: A coordinate-based Meta-analysis of task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging studies","volume":"394","author":"Yuan","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100200","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ynirp.2024.100200","article-title":"Deficient sleep, altered hypothalamic functional connectivity, depression and anxiety in cigarette smokers","volume":"4","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Neuroimage Rep."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1503\/jpn.240087","article-title":"Polygenic risk for depression and resting-state functional connectivity of subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in young adults","volume":"50","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Psychiatry Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"1155","article-title":"Polygenic Risks for Depression and Neural Responses to Reward and Punishment in Young Adults","volume":"10","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Biol. Psychiatry Cogn. Neurosci. Neuroimaging"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"188","article-title":"The application of integrating electroencephalograph-based emotion recognition technology into brain\u2013computer interface systems for the treatment of depression: A narrative review","volume":"1","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Adv. Technol. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6669","DOI":"10.21037\/qims-24-815","article-title":"Drinking severity mediates the relationship between hypothalamic connectivity and rule-breaking\/intrusive behavior differently in young women and men: An exploratory study","volume":"14","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Quant. Imaging Med. Surg."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1093\/ijnp\/pyad062","article-title":"Sleep Deficits Inter-Link Lower Basal Forebrain-Posterior Cingulate Connectivity and Perceived Stress and Anxiety Bidirectionally in Young Men","volume":"26","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120340","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2023.120340","article-title":"Sleep dysfunction mediates the relationship between hypothalamic-insula connectivity and anxiety-depression symptom severity bidirectionally in young adults","volume":"279","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"49","article-title":"GABAergic bases of connectivity alterations in the ventral tegmental area of young drinkers: An analysis using the combined technologies of JuSpace toolbox and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging","volume":"3","author":"Wang","year":"2026","journal-title":"Adv. Technol. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e63","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291725000303","article-title":"Resting-state network alterations in depression: A comprehensive meta-analysis of functional connectivity","volume":"55","author":"Zhang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"627","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsych.2025.07.002","article-title":"Biologically Annotated Heterogeneity of Depression Through Neuroimaging Normative Modeling","volume":"99","author":"Li","year":"2026","journal-title":"Biol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111076","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pnpbp.2024.111076","article-title":"Resting-state dynamic functional connectivity in major depressive disorder: A systematic review","volume":"135","author":"Sun","year":"2024","journal-title":"Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1159\/000501024","article-title":"Brain Structure and Subclinical Symptoms: A Dimensional Perspective of Psychopathology in the Depression and Anxiety Spectrum","volume":"79","author":"Besteher","year":"2020","journal-title":"Neuropsychobiology"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e26702","DOI":"10.1002\/hbm.26702","article-title":"Structural and functional brain alterations in subthreshold depression: A multimodal coordinate-based meta-analysis","volume":"45","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Hum. Brain Mapp."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"441","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2015.01.054","article-title":"The patterns of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in depression patients: The dissociation between temporal regions and fronto-parietal regions","volume":"175","author":"Lai","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1105","DOI":"10.1007\/s00406-022-01479-5","article-title":"Neurocognitive deficits in depression: A systematic review of cognitive impairment in the acute and remitted state","volume":"273","author":"Kriesche","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur. Arch. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"156","DOI":"10.1111\/acps.13385","article-title":"Functional and cognitive impairment in the first episode of depression: A systematic review","volume":"145","author":"Varghese","year":"2022","journal-title":"Acta Psychiatr. Scand."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102830","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nicl.2021.102830","article-title":"Cognitive impairment and depression: Meta-analysis of structural magnetic resonance imaging studies","volume":"32","author":"Nikolova","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neuroimage Clin."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.13104\/imri.2025.0049","article-title":"A Review of Task-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Paradigms in Major Depressive Disorder: Probing Executive Function, Negative Bias, and Reward Processing","volume":"30","author":"Kim","year":"2026","journal-title":"Investig. Magn. Reson. Imaging"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1052","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2018.1941","article-title":"Functional Connectivities in the Brain That Mediate the Association Between Depressive Problems and Sleep Quality","volume":"75","author":"Cheng","year":"2018","journal-title":"JAMA Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jackson, T.B., and Bernard, J.A. (2022). Cerebellar and basal ganglia motor network predicts trait depression and hyperactivity. Front. Behav. Neurosci., 16.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnbeh.2022.953303"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yuan, Z., Lin, X., Li, P., Gao, Y.J., Yuan, K., Yan, W., Zhang, Y.X., Liu, L., Zhu, X.M., and Zhang, Y.J. (2022). The neural correlation of emotion recognition ability and depressive symptoms-evidence from the HCP database. Front. Psychiatry, 13.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.1090369"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2013.05.033","article-title":"Function in the human connectome: Task-fMRI and individual differences in behavior","volume":"80","author":"Barch","year":"2013","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/0165-1781(89)90047-4","article-title":"The Pittsburgh sleep quality index: A new instrument for psychiatric practice and research","volume":"28","author":"Buysse","year":"1989","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1102","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2015.04.046","article-title":"ConnectomeDB--Sharing human brain connectivity data","volume":"124","author":"Hodge","year":"2016","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1038\/s41398-018-0164-0","article-title":"Ventral striatal dysfunction in cocaine dependence\u2014difference mapping for subregional resting state functional connectivity","volume":"8","author":"Zhang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Transl. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2142","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2011.10.018","article-title":"Spurious but systematic correlations in functional connectivity MRI networks arise from subject motion","volume":"59","author":"Power","year":"2012","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2019.04.016","article-title":"Global signal regression strengthens association between resting-state functional connectivity and behavior","volume":"196","author":"Li","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2007.07.007","article-title":"A fast diffeomorphic image registration algorithm","volume":"38","author":"Ashburner","year":"2007","journal-title":"NeuroImage"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1062","DOI":"10.1002\/mds.26592","article-title":"Hypothalamic volume loss is associated with reduced melatonin output in Parkinson\u2019s disease","volume":"31","author":"Breen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Mov. Disord."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1006\/nimg.2001.0978","article-title":"Automated anatomical labeling of activations in SPM using a macroscopic anatomical parcellation of the MNI MRI single-subject brain","volume":"15","author":"Landeau","year":"2002","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"242","DOI":"10.1002\/slp2.70045","article-title":"Obstructive sleep apnea and major depressive disorder: Shared transcriptional signatures and candidate pathways identified via bioinformatics analysis","volume":"3","author":"Sun","year":"2026","journal-title":"Sleep Res."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1002\/slp2.70015","article-title":"Depression as a causal factor in obstructive sleep apnea: An analysis based on the NHANES 2005\u20132008","volume":"2","author":"Song","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sleep Res."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleep.2024.03.030","article-title":"Shared genetic mechanisms underlying association between sleep disturbances and depressive symptoms","volume":"119","author":"Zamariolli","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Weiss, C., Woods, K., Filipowicz, A., and Ingram, K.K. (2020). Sleep Quality, Sleep Structure, and PER3 Genotype Mediate Chronotype Effects on Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults. Front. Psychol., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.02028"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Li, W., Yin, J., Cai, X., Cheng, X., and Wang, Y. (2020). Association between sleep duration and quality and depressive symptoms among university students: A cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE, 15.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0238811"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"382","DOI":"10.1080\/03014460.2021.1983019","article-title":"Poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness and association with mental health in college students","volume":"48","author":"Ramos","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ann. Hum. Biol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"430","DOI":"10.1038\/s41398-025-03424-1","article-title":"Shared cortical characteristics in major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and chronic pain: A structural MRI meta-analysis study","volume":"15","author":"Yu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Transl. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16854","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-00431-6","article-title":"Structural and functional thalamic alterations in major depressive disorder with comorbid chronic pain","volume":"15","author":"Ye","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1546","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-025-03282-9","article-title":"Identifying affective state via clustering of temporal variability in limbic activity and mediating role of negative emotion","volume":"31","author":"Lee","year":"2026","journal-title":"Mol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8564344","DOI":"10.1155\/2024\/8564344","article-title":"Social Dysfunction and Neural Processing of Emotional Valence Across Depressive and Anxiety Disorders","volume":"2024","author":"Braak","year":"2024","journal-title":"Depress. Anxiety"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2017.06.014","article-title":"Affective traits and history of depression are related to ventral striatum connectivity","volume":"221","author":"DelDonno","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_43","first-page":"1007","article-title":"Loss and Frontal Striatal Reactivities Characterize Alcohol Use Severity and Rule-Breaking Behavior in Young Adult Drinkers","volume":"7","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"Biol. Psychiatry Cogn. Neurosci. Neuroimaging"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychires.2023.04.013","article-title":"Sex differences in externalizing and internalizing traits and ventral striatal responses to monetary loss","volume":"162","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Psychiatr. Res."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2025.01.116","article-title":"The mediating effect of the striatum-based connectivity on the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and anhedonia in adolescents with depressive disorder","volume":"376","author":"Liang","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105583","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2024.105583","article-title":"Distinctive intrinsic functional connectivity alterations of anterior cingulate cortex subdivisions in major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"159","author":"Zhou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.1016\/j.euroneuro.2017.11.008","article-title":"Anterior cingulate volume predicts response to psychotherapy and functional connectivity with the inferior parietal cortex in major depressive disorder","volume":"28","author":"Sambataro","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hinton, E.C., Wise, R.G., Singh, K.D., and von Hecker, U. (2014). Reasoning with linear orders: Differential parietal cortex activation in sub-clinical depression. An FMRI investigation in sub-clinical depression and controls. Front. Hum. Neurosci., 8.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2014.01061"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2024.06.040","article-title":"Neural activation signatures in individuals with subclinical depression: A task-fMRI meta-analysis","volume":"362","author":"Lyu","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2023.10.113","article-title":"Heightened neural activity and functional connectivity responses to social rejection in female adolescents at risk for depression: Testing the Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression","volume":"345","author":"Shields","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2018.02.083","article-title":"Abnormal emotional and neural responses to romantic rejection and acceptance in depressed women","volume":"234","author":"Yttredahl","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"nsaf012","DOI":"10.1093\/scan\/nsaf012","article-title":"Increased default mode network activation in depression and social anxiety during upward social comparison","volume":"20","author":"Morales","year":"2025","journal-title":"Soc. Cogn. Affect. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"734","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsych.2010.12.004","article-title":"Increased amygdala response to positive social feedback in young people with major depressive disorder","volume":"69","author":"Davey","year":"2011","journal-title":"Biol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"863","DOI":"10.1093\/scan\/nsy055","article-title":"Feeling left out: Depressed adolescents may atypically recruit emotional salience and regulation networks during social exclusion","volume":"13","author":"Jankowski","year":"2018","journal-title":"Soc. Cogn. Affect. Neurosci."}],"container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-3425\/16\/8\/884\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T11:26:19Z","timestamp":1787138779000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-3425\/16\/8\/884"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["brainsci16080884"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/brainsci16080884","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-3425"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-3425","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]}}}