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Chinese scientists develop ‘brain-reading’ AI model to help predict depression risk, may inspire future emotional-perception humanoids_我的网站

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Brain-reading AI model reveals how different brain regions are linked to cognitive functions. Photo: Courtesy of Lu Han
Chinese scientists have developed a “brain-reading” AI model that could help predict the risk of depression among adolescents up to four years in advance by analyzing how humans respond to facial expressions, a technology expected to inspire future development of embodied intelligent humanoids capable of perceiving human emotion and thoughts through nuanced facial cues.
WHO data show that around 332 million people worldwide have depression, about one-third of whom have treatment-resistant forms of the condition. In China, an estimated 95 million people suffer from depression, National Business Daily reported, citing statistics from the China Mental Health Survey.
Using data from a population-based longitudinal adolescent cohort recruited across several European countries, the research team led by Lu Han, assistant professor at the School of Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen University, has built an AI model that predicted which 19-year-olds were more likely to develop depression at the age of 23. The predictions were backed up by an independent clinical cohort of individuals with depression. The team’s paper was published in the journal Science Advances this month.
According to Lu, the study used brain scans taken at age 19 to predict depression-related symptoms at age 23. The study focuses on adolescence because the transition from adolescence to early adulthood is a key developmental period when depressive symptoms can increase rapidly. The earlier risks are identified, the greater the opportunity for prevention, Lu told the Global Times on Monday, adding that the findings need to be further validated in middle-aged and older adults and across different ethnic groups in future research.
In this study, the researchers analyzed data from adolescents in the IMAGEN, a population-based longitudinal cohort recruited across several European countries. At age 19, participants underwent an fMRI emotional-face task, and their emotional symptoms were assessed using standardized questionnaires. Genetic data obtained from blood samples were also analyzed, and participants were followed up at age 23. The researchers examined whether neural representations of angry faces at age 19 were associated with emotional symptoms and could predict elevated emotional symptoms four years later.
According to Lu, people without depression can more easily distinguish emotional changes based on others’ facial expressions and respond accordingly – for example, responding with friendliness to a smiling expression. But people with depression cannot do this, and are more likely to assume people are angry with them.
A brain-aligned deep-learning model developed by Lu’s team suggested that those participants whose brains were less able to distinguish between different facial emotions and tended to perceive others as angry were more likely to develop symptoms of depression and anxiety in adulthood.
The hypothesis that adolescents at risk of depression may respond differently to other people’s facial expressions than those without such risk based on the negative information processing bias long observed in depression research: people at risk of depression are more likely to notice, interpret, or remember negative social information, Lu said.
The researchers focused on angry facial expressions because they signal social threat and rejection, which are closely linked to interpersonal difficulties and negativity bias associated with depression. They hope to further understand how this bias develops within the visual system.
Building on this, they created a deep learning model, which mimics how the brain processes visual information, to predict how the brain encodes abstract emotional concepts such as anger.
They found that 19-year-olds whose response to facial expressions was skewed in favour of negative emotions or memories were the most likely to develop some form of depression.
Based on these findings, Lu’s team then developed a marker that can identify possible warning signs.
According to Lu, the study found that the computational biomarker was linked to the depression-related variant rs11123030 and polygenic risk for depression, suggesting that genetic susceptibility may affect emotional perception. It also provided predictive information beyond family stress and socioeconomic factors, complementing rather than replacing environmental risk factors. Therefore, depression is neither purely genetic nor purely psychological, but a complex mental disorder arising from the interplay of genetic susceptibility, brain development, emotional and cognitive processes, and life experiences.
According to Lu, the study is also expected to advance AI by aligning deep neural networks with human brain activity and using parameter perturbations to probe neural mechanisms, allowing models to both predict and explain how biases may arise.
The findings suggest that future affective computing and embodied AI should go beyond simply labeling facial expressions, incorporating visual details while preventing prior assumptions from overriding real-time sensory input, Lu said, adding that the findings could provide valuable insights for developing more interpretable robotic perception systems that more closely emulate the way humans process emotions.
。冀时新闻报道系列报道《自豪！我是雄安人》今天走进建设一线，看中铁建工集团项目经理杜泽文和团队对标新区高标准高质量严要求，发扬铁军作风，全力铸就精品工程。中铁建工启动区财富大厦项目经理杜泽文：下午组织咱对小市政和景观进行一个关键工序的验收。正在项目现场召开调度会的就是杜泽文。

二 | 由他牵头建设的启动区财富大厦项目主体结构已经封顶，目前已全面进入室内装修、室外小市政及景观工程收尾阶段。财富大厦所在的雄安金融岛片区，将打造为金融机构疏解的集中承载地和金融科技创新中心，成为雄安CBD的核心区。

三 | 中铁建工启动区财富大厦项目经理杜泽文：我们承建的财富大厦项目是金融岛片区的首开项目，是整个区域开发的开路先锋，在项目建成之后重点是承接北京金融机构疏解落地。作为建设者，这一辈子能亲身参与这样一座未来之城的建设，我内心无比自豪。两年前，满怀着能够参与雄安这座未来之城建设的自豪感，杜泽文来到了雄安。

四 | 从此，他把高标准、高质量推进项目建设的理念，落实到日常工作的每一个环节。项目团队创新应用"智慧建造"体系：采用桩基超声波成孔检测仪、复合桩定位器等技术保障基础精度，引入智能收面机器人、抹光机器人替代传统人工施工。中铁建工启动区财富大厦项目经理杜泽文：切实提升了工程质量和建设的效率。

五 | 说实话，把这么多的新技术集中在一个项目上，在雄安以外很难有这样的实践机会。正午时分，食堂短暂的就餐时间也成了杜泽文协调工作的窗口。

六 | 现场沟通协调，立即拍板落实，早已成为项目部的工作日常。约定验收的时间一到，杜泽文戴好安全帽、穿上反光马甲直奔施工现场。

七 | 地砖缝隙、墙面平整度，小到毫米级细节，大到整体观感，他一项项认真核验。在他看来，工程满足验收不是目标，要主动对标更高标准。中铁建工启动区财富大厦项目经理杜泽文：在雄安你可能做到80分很勉强，大家因为都普遍都是优秀，90多分，是这种标准这种尺度，而且基本上都是百年工程的标准去打造。

八 | 今年暑假，在北京读书的孩子来到雄安，杜泽文依然每天早出晚归，虽然很少有时间陪孩子，但孩子却没有怨言，因为他知道爸爸是在建设雄安新区。

九 | 杜泽文儿子杜宸逸：作为一个雄安建设者家庭的最小的一辈，我感到非常之骄傲。我肯定要成为他，他现在就是我的榜样。中铁建工启动区财富大厦项目经理杜泽文：经过两年的攻坚，项目即将完工交付。现在的心情就像看到自己家的孩子，马上要迎接大考，既期待又紧张，看着自己倾注心血的建筑拔地而起，打心底感到骄傲。九年来，正是无数像杜泽文一样的建设者接续奋斗、默默付出，才让雄安新区5374栋楼宇拔地而起，疏解产业相继落地，人民生活持续改善，一座生机勃勃的未来之城从蓝图走进现实。国网雄安新区供电公司共产党员服务队队长张锐：在新建片区，我们的中、低压配电网的供电可靠性已经接近了6个“9”，这个标准即将赶超世界一流城市的水平。作为一名电力人，能够伴随新区一同成长，并且为它的发展贡献一份力量，我们心中满满都是幸福和成就感。二十二冶雄安新区起步区青藤小镇（北区）项目经理刘超群：大到整体空间规划，小到一栋楼房、一个公园，都把高标准、高质量、绿色低碳落到实处。