Exploration of Brain Functional Networks in Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa Using fMRI

August 4, 2026 updated by: Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

The goal of this observational study is to learn whether adults with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have changes in resting brain activity and how these changes are related to disease severity, pain, sleep, mood, and quality of life. The study will also examine whether brain activity changes after patients receive biologic or small-molecule treatment as part of their regular medical care.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Are resting brain activity patterns different between people with HS and healthy participants?
  • Are these brain activity patterns related to HS severity, pain, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, and quality of life?
  • Do brain activity patterns change after 3 months of routine treatment, and are these changes related to improvement in HS symptoms? Researchers will compare participants with HS with healthy participants of similar age and sex. A subgroup of participants with HS who receive biologic or small-molecule treatment as part of routine clinical care will also be assessed before and after treatment.

Participants may:

  • Complete assessments of HS severity, pain, sleep, mood, and quality of life
  • Undergo resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging
  • Undergo skin ultrasound and routine laboratory testing
  • Allow photographs of affected skin areas to be taken
  • Return for follow-up assessments for up to 3 months

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

80

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • China
    • Hunan
      • Changsha, Hunan, China, 410011
        • Recruiting
        • Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will include adults with hidradenitis suppurativa evaluated at the Department of Dermatology of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and age- and sex-matched healthy participants without hidradenitis suppurativa or other chronic skin diseases. Participants with hidradenitis suppurativa will be recruited from the dermatology outpatient population. A subgroup of participants with hidradenitis suppurativa who receive biologic or small-molecule therapy as part of routine clinical care will participate in the 3-month longitudinal follow-up component.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

For Participants With Hidradenitis Suppurativa:

  • Aged 18 to 45 years.
  • Diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa according to established clinical diagnostic criteria.
  • Able and willing to comply with the study procedures and follow-up assessments.
  • Able to provide written informed consent and willing to permit photography of affected skin areas.
  • No coexisting systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, atopic dermatitis, steroid-dependent dermatitis, or other relevant skin diseases.
  • No use of biologic or small-molecule therapy that may affect hidradenitis suppurativa symptoms within 3 months before enrollment.
  • Right-handed according to the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory.

For Healthy Participants:

  • Aged 18 to 55 years.
  • No hidradenitis suppurativa or other chronic skin disease.
  • No chronic pain disorder.
  • No major neurological or psychiatric disorder.
  • Right-handed according to the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory.
  • Able to provide written informed consent and comply with the study procedures.

For the Longitudinal Treatment Cohort:

  • Meets the eligibility criteria for participants with hidradenitis suppurativa.
  • Is scheduled to receive biologic or small-molecule therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa as part of routine clinical care, as determined by the treating physician.
  • Willing and able to complete assessments before treatment and during 3 months of follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participation in another investigational drug study within 1 month before enrollment.
  • Alcohol or drug abuse or dependence within the previous 3 months.
  • Current use of medications that may lower the seizure threshold or current use of antidepressant medication.
  • Previous or current treatment with electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, or transcranial magnetic stimulation.
  • Serious cardiac, hepatic, pulmonary, renal, thyroid, hematologic, or other systemic disease; malignant tumor; or another clinically significant abnormality that, in the investigator's judgment, makes participation inappropriate.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or another major psychiatric disorder.
  • A neurological condition that may interfere with participation or interpretation of the imaging results, including markedly elevated intracranial pressure, intracranial vascular lesions, impaired consciousness, or inability to cooperate with study procedures.
  • Any contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging, including intracranial metallic foreign bodies, cardiac pacemakers, incompatible vascular or cardiac implants, or claustrophobia.
  • Inability to remain still or comply with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging procedures.
  • Unwillingness to allow study data to be collected.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
HS Cross-Sectional Cohort
Adults with hidradenitis suppurativa who participate in the cross-sectional comparison with healthy participants. They will undergo baseline clinical assessments, questionnaires, skin ultrasound, laboratory testing, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.
HS Longitudinal Treatment Cohort
A subgroup of adults with hidradenitis suppurativa who receive biologic or small-molecule therapy as part of routine clinical care. Participants will undergo assessments before treatment and during 3 months of follow-up, including repeat resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging at month 3.
Biological: Routine Biologic Therapy for Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Biologic therapy is prescribed by the treating physician as part of routine clinical care and is not assigned by the study protocol. The study observes changes in clinical outcomes and resting-state brain activity before treatment and during 3 months of follow-up.
Healthy Participants
Age- and sex-matched healthy adults without hidradenitis suppurativa, other chronic skin diseases, chronic pain disorders, or major neurological or psychiatric disorders.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Between-Group Difference in Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Baseline
Time Frame: At baseline during a single resting-state fMRI visit
Whole-brain amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values will be derived from resting-state blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. ALFF reflects the amplitude of spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations in the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal. Voxel-wise ALFF values will be compared between participants with hidradenitis suppurativa and healthy participants.
At baseline during a single resting-state fMRI visit
Between-Group Difference in Fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Baseline
Time Frame: At baseline during a single resting-state fMRI visit
At baseline during a single resting-state fMRI visit
Between-Group Difference in Regional Homogeneity Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Baseline
Time Frame: At baseline during a single resting-state fMRI visit
At baseline during a single resting-state fMRI visit
Between-Group Difference in Seed-Based Functional Connectivity Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Baseline
Time Frame: Correlations between the mean time series of selected seed regions and predefined brain regions will be calculated and transformed into standardized connectivity values.
Correlations between the mean time series of selected seed regions and predefined brain regions will be calculated and transformed into standardized connectivity values.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change From Baseline in ALFF Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Month 3
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy
Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy
Change From Baseline in fALFF Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Month 3
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy
Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy
Change From Baseline in ReHo Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Month 3
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy
Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy
Change From Baseline in Seed-Based Functional Connectivity Derived From Resting-State fMRI at Month 3
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy
Baseline and 3 months after initiation of routine therapy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Yi Zhan, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 3, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 4, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • LYF20250311

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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