| Title: | Latent brain subtypes of chronotype reveal unique behavioral and health profiles across population cohorts |
| Journal: | Nature Communications |
| Published: | 22 Dec 2025 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41429783/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66784-8 |
Publication 17071
WARNING: the interactive features of this website use CSS3, which your browser does not support. To use the full features of this website, please update your browser.
Abstract
Chronotype is shaped by the complex interplay of endogenous and exogenous factors. This time-enduring trait ties into societal behaviors and is linked to psychiatric and metabolic conditions. Despite its multifaceted nature, prior research has treated chronotype as a monolithic trait across the population, risking overlooking substantial heterogeneity in neural and behavioral fingerprints. To uncover hidden subgroups, we develop a supervised pattern-learning framework integrating three complementary brain-imaging modalities with deep behavioral and health profiling from 27,030 UK Biobank participants. We identify five distinct, biologically valid chronotype subtypes. Each demonstrates unique patterns across brain, behavioral and health profiles. External validation in 10,550 US children from the ABCD Study cohort reveals reversed age distributions and replicates sex-associated brain-behavioral patterns, suggesting that potential divergences between chronotype traits observed throughout adulthood may begin to emerge early in life. These findings highlight underappreciated sources of population variation that echo the rhythm of people's inner clock.</p>
16 Keywords
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Behavior
- Brain
- Child
- Chronotype
- Circadian Rhythm
- Cohort Studies
- Female
- Humans
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Male
- Middle Aged
- United Kingdom
- Young Adult
9 Authors
- Le Zhou
- Karin Saltoun
- Justin Marotta
- Shambhavi Aggarwal
- Jakub Kopal
- Julie Carrier
- Kai-Florian Storch
- Robin I. M. Dunbar
- Danilo Bzdok
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 25163 | Structural genetic contributions brain function and behavior |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health