Energetic implications of fMRI-based nodal complex network metrics: a complex picture unfolds across diverse brain states

Abstract

Functional MRI-based graph theory has provided profound insights into the brains functional organization, yet the neuroenergetic meaning of widely used graph-theoretical metrics remains poorly understood. Although resting-state research suggests a positive coupling between network topology and glucose metabolism, it remains unclear whether this relationship reflects a general principle of brain organization or a state-specific phenomenon. Here, we test the neuroenergetic interpretability of nodal graph-theoretical metrics by linking complex network topology to cerebral glucose consumption across diverse brain states. Leveraging simultaneous functional PET-MRI, we directly compare state-dependent fluctuations in glucose consumption and network topology during sensory, cognitive, and arousal conditions. We further assess metabolic-topological couplings in disease through a meta-analysis of resting-state FDG-PET and fMRI studies involving Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. Our results show that nodal graph-theoretical metrics exhibit state- and network-dependent metabolic associations, with coupling patterns diverging across experimental and disease contexts. Notably, frontoparietal and attentional networks show more conserved metabolic-topological coupling than other large-scale networks across states. These findings underscore a dynamic, complex interplay between metabolic demand and complex network organization, highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of the energetic underpinnings of nodal graph-theoretical metrics in health and disease.