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World J Psychiatry. Oct 19, 2026; 16(10): 120085
Published online Oct 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.120085
Published online Oct 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.120085
Observations on dynamic brain network properties of emotional information processing in patients with depression and sex differences
Jin-Xiang Wang, Hong-Sheng Zhang, Meng Liu, Li-Juan Shen, Department of Clinical Psychology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University, Xinxiang 453002, Henan Province, China
Jin Zhao, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University, Xinxiang 453002, Henan Province, China
Yu-Feng Wang, Meng Zhang, School of Psychology, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan Province, China
Author contributions: Wang JX contributed to writing - review and editing, data curation, statistical analysis, and writing - original draft; Zhang HS, Liu M, and Zhao J contributed to investigation and data curation, statistical analysis; Shen LJ, Wang YF, and Zhang M provided clinical advice. All authors contributed to the study and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools were not used to the manuscript.
Supported by Henan Provincial Health Commission Medical Science and Technology Joint Research Project, No. LHGJ20230530; Open Project of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Discipline of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No. XYEFYJSSJ-2023-06; and Doctoral Research Startup Fund of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No. 1777.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University (No. 2023-52-1).
Informed consent statement: All study participants or their legal guardians provided written informed consent before study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
STROBE statement: The authors reviewed the STROBE Statement checklist and prepared and revised the manuscript accordingly.
Data sharing statement: An anonymous dataset supporting the findings of this study is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Jin-Xiang Wang, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University, No. 207 Qianjin Road, Muye District, Xinxiang 453002, Henan Province, China. wangjinxiang2001@163.com
Received: April 10, 2026
Revised: May 15, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: October 19, 2026
Processing time: 183 Days and 0.7 Hours
Revised: May 15, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: October 19, 2026
Processing time: 183 Days and 0.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This observational study included 90 patients with depression (45 men/45 women) and 30 healthy controls. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic brain network analysis, we identified impaired network efficiency, modularity, and emotional regulation in depression, with sex-related patterns. Women showed enhanced default mode network inhibition, while men exhibited salience network-limbic segregation. These findings offer key neuroimaging evidence for sex-specific depression diagnostic criteria and treatments.