Coupling between neuronal activity and blood perfusion is termed neurovascular coupling, and it provides a new mechanistic perspective into understanding numerous brain diseases. Although abnormal brain activity and blood supply have been separately reported in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), whether anomalous neurovascular coupling would still be presented in such disease is hitherto unknown. In this study, the neuronal activity and blood supply were measured using the functional connectivity strength (FCS) and cerebral blood flow (CBF). The voxel-wise CBF–FCS correlations and CBF/FCS ratio were separately used to assess global and local neurovascular coupling in participants. Patients with GAD showed decreased voxel-wise CBF–FCS correlation, implicating global neurovascular decoupling. They also exhibited increased CBF/FCS ratio in the right superior parietal gyrus (SPG), and the enhanced CBF/FCS ratio in this region was negatively correlated with the self-esteem scores of GAD. The abnormal neurovascular coupling of GAD may indicate the disrupted balance between the intrinsic functional organization of the brain and corresponding blood perfusion of patients, and the abnormally increased local neurovascular coupling of the right SPG may be correlated with the abnormal self in GAD. These findings provide new information in understanding the brain dysfunction and abnormal cognition of GAD from the perspective of neurovascular coupling.

神经元活动和血液灌注之间的耦合被称为神经血管耦合，它为理解许多脑部疾病提供了新的机制视角。虽然在广泛性焦虑症（GAD）中分别报道了异常的大脑活动和血液供应，但这种疾病是否仍会出现异常的神经血管耦合尚不清楚。在这项研究中，使用功能连接强度（FCS）和脑血流量（CBF）测量神经元活动和血液供应。体素方面的 CBF-FCS 相关性和 CBF/FCS 比率分别用于评估参与者的全局和局部神经血管耦合。GAD 患者表现出体素方面的 CBF-FCS 相关性降低，这表明整体神经血管解耦。他们还表现出右侧顶上回（SPG）的CBF/FCS比率增加，并且该区域CBF/FCS比率的增加与GAD的自尊评分呈负相关。GAD的异常神经血管耦合可能表明大脑的内在功能组织与患者相应的血液灌注之间的平衡被破坏，右侧SPG的异常增加的局部神经血管耦合可能与GAD的异常自我相关。这些发现为从神经血管耦合的角度理解GAD的脑功能障碍和认知异常提供了新的信息。GAD的异常神经血管耦合可能表明大脑的内在功能组织与患者相应的血液灌注之间的平衡被破坏，右侧SPG的异常增加的局部神经血管耦合可能与GAD的异常自我相关。这些发现为从神经血管耦合的角度理解GAD的脑功能障碍和认知异常提供了新的信息。GAD的异常神经血管耦合可能表明大脑的内在功能组织与患者相应的血液灌注之间的平衡被破坏，右侧SPG的异常增加的局部神经血管耦合可能与GAD的异常自我相关。这些发现为从神经血管耦合的角度理解GAD的脑功能障碍和认知异常提供了新的信息。