一代女皇

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

天黑请闭眼

一 |

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.
。

二 | 匠心织梦，韵承千年。

三 | 《完美国际》二十周年第三篇章“灵瑞添彩”9月2日隆重登场，以一场前所未有的文化跨界，为修行者献上极具分量的周年厚礼。国家级非遗牙雕技艺跨界联动，共同打造《完美国际》二十周年纪念灵瑞；超凡双线新服 “一生有你” 暖心预约同步开启；全新御仙集活动携绝美外观登场；地武系列经典时装武器上架，多重惊喜共贺二十周年，共赴完美新程！非遗牙雕技艺×完美国际：打造二十周年纪念灵瑞图1.jpg 当传承千年的国家级非遗牙雕技艺遇上磨砺二十年的东方奇幻网游，一场跨越时空的文化对话就此展开。《完美国际》二十周年之际，我们携手非遗牙雕技艺代表性传承人李俊成老师，以猛犸象牙化石为创作载体，将传统匠艺与数字世界并轨，匠心共创二十周年纪念“灵瑞·敖泽”,让完美大陆每一位修行者都成为非遗传承的见证者。

四 | 再启新程，超凡新服【一生有你】预约开放图2.jpg 新服预约地址二十年风雨同行，感恩有你！为回馈新老玩家的一路陪伴，《完美国际》二十周年推出超凡双线新服【一生有你】，预约通道今日正式开启，多重专属福利助力修行者轻松开启新征程。

五 | 御仙集登场，两套全新外观等你收藏御仙集活动趣味来袭，参与活动即可免费获得二十周年非遗联动纪念“灵瑞·敖泽”，将承载传统匠心的灵瑞携入完美大陆，还有更多丰厚奖励待你解锁！图3.jpg 两套御仙集系列全新外观重磅登场！【红尘书】演绎仙侠缱绻，【茸茸乐园】邂逅烂漫童趣，多样风格随心挑选，等你收藏。图4.jpg 地武系列经典时装武器上架二十年时光流转，那些陪伴我们成长的经典武器，始终是完美大陆上最珍贵的记忆。本次版本中，地武系列经典时装武器将限时上架，唤醒属于所有修行者的青春热血。