用自监督图变换器找大脑网络中关键节点,更准且不依赖先验知识。
Identifying Influential nodes in Brain Networks via Self-Supervised Graph-Transformer
- 基于图变换器的自监督重建框架,从数据中直接学习节点重要性。
- 识别出56个关键节点,分布在额顶枕叶等核心区域,连接性强且位置中心。
- 融合功能与结构信息,揭示节点与富集俱乐部的显著重叠,适合脑科学研究者。
研究大脑网络中的关键节点(I-nodes)对脑成像领域具有重要意义。现有方法多将脑连接枢纽视为I-nodes,但过度依赖图论先验,可能忽略大脑网络内在特性,尤其在架构不明确时。相比之下,自监督深度学习可直接从数据中学习有意义表征,从而探索I-nodes,这在当前研究中仍属空白。本文提出基于图变换器的自监督图重建框架(SSGR-GT),具有三方面特点:第一,作为自监督模型,通过重建任务提取节点重要性;第二,采用图变换器,结合局部与全局特征,适用于脑图谱特征提取;第三,通过基于图的融合技术进行多模态分析,整合功能与结构脑信息。所识别的I-nodes共56个,分布于上额叶、外侧顶叶和外侧枕叶等关键区域。这些节点参与更多脑网络,拥有更长的纤维连接,位于结构连接的中心位置,且在功能与结构网络中均表现出强连通性和高节点效率。此外,其与结构和功能富集俱乐部存在显著重叠。这些发现深化了对脑网络中关键节点的理解,为未来脑工作机制研究提供新视角。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Studying influential nodes (I-nodes) in brain networks is of great significance in the field of brain imaging. Most existing studies consider brain connectivity hubs as I-nodes. However, this approach relies heavily on prior knowledge from graph theory, which may overlook the intrinsic characteristics of the brain network, especially when its architecture is not fully understood. In contrast, self-supervised deep learning can learn meaningful representations directly from the data. This approach enables the exploration of I-nodes for brain networks, which is also lacking in current studies. This paper proposes a Self-Supervised Graph Reconstruction framework based on Graph-Transformer (SSGR-GT) to identify I-nodes, which has three main characteristics. First, as a self-supervised model, SSGR-GT extracts the importance of brain nodes to the reconstruction. Second, SSGR-GT uses Graph-Transformer, which is well-suited for extracting features from brain graphs, combining both local and global characteristics. Third, multimodal analysis of I-nodes uses graph-based fusion technology, combining functional and structural brain information. The I-nodes we obtained are distributed in critical areas such as the superior frontal lobe, lateral parietal lobe, and lateral occipital lobe, with a total of 56 identified across different experiments. These I-nodes are involved in more brain networks than other regions, have longer fiber connections, and occupy more central positions in structural connectivity. They also exhibit strong connectivity and high node efficiency in both functional and structural networks. Furthermore, there is a significant overlap between the I-nodes and both the structural and functional rich-club. These findings enhance our understanding of the I-nodes within the brain network, and provide new insights for future research in further understanding the brain working mechanisms.
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