# BrainIB++: Leveraging Graph Neural Networks and Information Bottleneck for Functional Brain Biomarkers in Schizophrenia

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.03004 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.03004/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 18 of its 87 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 3 Oct 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 18 of 18)

- [Semi-Supervised Classification with Graph Convolutional Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1609.02907/) (2016)
- [Graph Attention Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.10903/) (2017)
- [Grad-CAM: Visual Explanations from Deep Networks via Gradient-based Localization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1610.02391/) (2016)
- [Inductive Representation Learning on Large Graphs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.02216/) (2017)
- [How Powerful are Graph Neural Networks?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.00826/) (2018)
- [Graph Neural Networks: A Review of Methods and Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.08434/) (2018)
- [Attention U-Net: Learning Where to Look for the Pancreas](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.03999/) (2018)
- [Hierarchical Graph Representation Learning with Differentiable Pooling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.08804/) (2018)
- [GNNExplainer: Generating Explanations for Graph Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1903.03894/) (2019)
- [Masked Label Prediction: Unified Message Passing Model for Semi-Supervised Classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2009.03509/) (2020)
- [Self-Attention Graph Pooling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.08082/) (2019)
- [RETAIN: An Interpretable Predictive Model for Healthcare using Reverse Time Attention Mechanism](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1608.05745/) (2016)
- [Graph Information Bottleneck](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.12811/) (2020)
- [Understanding Graph Isomorphism Network for rs-fMRI Functional Connectivity Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.03690/) (2020)
- [Recognizing Predictive Substructures with Subgraph Information Bottleneck](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.11155/) (2021)
- [Machine learning and deep learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.05314/) (2021)
- [BrainIB: Interpretable Brain Network-based Psychiatric Diagnosis with Graph Information Bottleneck](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.03612/) (2022)
- [Deep Learning Under the Microscope: Improving the Interpretability of Medical Imaging Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.03127/) (2019)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Modeling Higher-Order Brain Interactions via a Multi-View Information Bottleneck Framework for fMRI-based Psychiatric Diagnosis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.17713/) (2026)
- [PIME: Prototype-based Interpretable MCTS-Enhanced Brain Network Analysis for Disorder Diagnosis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.21046/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The development of diagnostic models is gaining traction in the field of psychiatric disorders. Recently, machine learning classifiers based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have been developed to identify brain biomarkers that differentiate psychiatric disorders from healthy controls. However, conventional machine learning-based diagnostic models often depend on extensive feature engineering, which introduces bias through manual intervention. While deep learning models are expected to operate without manual involvement, their lack of interpretability poses significant challenges in obtaining explainable and reliable brain biomarkers to support diagnostic decisions, ultimately limiting their clinical applicability. In this study, we introduce an end-to-end innovative graph neural network framework named BrainIB++, which applies the information bottleneck (IB) principle to identify the most informative data-driven brain regions as subgraphs during model training for interpretation. We evaluate the performance of our model against nine established brain network classification methods across three multi-cohort schizophrenia datasets. It consistently demonstrates superior diagnostic accuracy and exhibits generalizability to unseen data. Furthermore, the subgraphs identified by our model also correspond with established clinical biomarkers in schizophrenia, particularly emphasizing abnormalities in the visual, sensorimotor, and higher cognition brain functional network. This alignment enhances the model's interpretability and underscores its relevance for real-world diagnostic applications.