Longitudinal association between baseline brain entropy and gray matter volume changes in Shidu parents: A five-year multimodal MRI study

J Affect Disord. 2026 Nov 14:122747. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122747. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: People who have lost their only child (Shidu parents) may experience prolonged bereavement-related psychological trauma. Although structural brain alterations have been reported, whether baseline functional complexity is associated with subsequent gray matter volume (GMV) changes remains unclear.

METHODS: This study included 66 Shidu parents and 33 healthy controls. Five-year longitudinal structural MRI was used to assess GMV changes in Shidu parents, and baseline brain entropy (BEN) was derived from resting-state fMRI. Linear mixed-effects models identified regions with significant GMV changes. We then examined associations between baseline BEN and the annualized percent change in GMV (GMV-APC) within these regions, the incremental explanatory value of BEN, and whether these associations differed by GMV change direction.

RESULTS: During the five-year follow-up, 35 brain regions showed significant GMV changes within the Shidu parent group, including GMV decreases in 27 regions and GMV increases in 8 regions. Further analyses showed that baseline BEN was significantly associated with GMV-APC in 6 regions showing GMV decreases and 2 regions showing GMV increases. Overall, these associations were predominantly observed in regions showing GMV decreases, and baseline BEN provided additional explanatory information related to subsequent GMV changes beyond that explained by baseline GMV.

CONCLUSION: A five-year longitudinal follow-up showed that baseline BEN was associated with subsequent GMV changes, providing neuroimaging evidence for the relationship between brain functional complexity and gray matter structural changes in the context of long-term trauma associated with the loss of an only child.

PMID:43033989 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2026.122747