Brain Imaging and Behavior最新文献

Background: Studies on the impact of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on function outcome have primarily concentrated on WMH volume, overlooking the potential significance of WMH location. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between WMH location and outcome in patients with their first-ever acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: Patients who underwent their first AIS between September 2021 and September 2022 were recruited. Function outcome was assessed using the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The association between the location of WMH and functional outcome was examined at the voxel level and subsequently at the region of interest tract-based level.

Results: A total of 134 patients were included (mean age, 66.28 years ± 12.48; 90 male [67.16%]). The median mRS was 2 (IQR, 1-3). The median total WMH volume was 3.80 cm³ (IQR, 2.07-6.78). WMH volume was significantly correlated with mRS (r = 0.28, p = 0.001). WMH in the splenium of corpus callosum, the left superior corona radiata, the left posterior corona radiata, and the bilateral posterior thalamic radiation were associated with poor mRS. The strategic WMH score (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.06-1.32; p = 0.003), derived from these five specific tracts, was an independent predictor of mRS after accounting for the effects of total WMH volume (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.90-1.16; p = 0.771) and infarct lesion volume (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.08-1.48; p = 0.004).

Conclusion: Our findings indicated that the impact of WMH on function outcome is location-dependent, mainly involving five strategic tracts. Evaluating WMH location may help to more accurately predict the functional outcome of AIS.

To investigative the white matter (WM) alterations in lung cancer patients with cancer pain (CP+), and explore the correlations between damaged WM fiber tracts and clinical indicators. Twenty-six CP+, 26 lung cancer patients without CP (CP-), and 31 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and clinical assessments. Automated fiber quantification (AFQ) technique was performed to identify the 20 WM fiber bundles, and the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were extracted. Intergroup comparisons of these diffusion metrics were conducted based on the entire fiber bundle level and 100 node levels along each tract. The associations between altered diffusion metrics and the numeric rating scale (NRS) scores, as well as the pain duration, were analyzed. At the entire level, the CP + group showed impaired WM structure in the right cingulum hippocampus (CH_R). At the pointwise level, the CP + group exhibited extensive nodal FA reduction or MD, RD, and AD elevation. In addition, the AD of the posterior portion of the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF_R, nodes 71-75) in the CP + group was positively correlated with the pain duration, and the FA of CH_R (nodes 22-38) was negatively correlated with NRS score. Extensive WM microstructural damage may be a pattern of brain abnormalities in lung cancer patients with CP, and in particular, specific nodal disruption along pain-related fiber tracts may be a sensitive imaging biomarker to characterize the severity and duration of CP.

Older adults with greater scam susceptibility are at greater risk for mild cognitive impairment and incident Alzheimer's dementia, regardless of baseline cognition. This, combined with documented associations between scam susceptibility and beta amyloid at death suggests that scam susceptibility may be an earlier indicator of pathological aging than cognition. Little, however, is known about whether in vivo neuroimaging markers of early-stage risk for Alzheimer's dementia are also related to scam susceptibility; such knowledge will inform upon the associations of neurodegenerative processes with scam susceptibility and may help identify vulnerable individuals. Participants were 472 community-based adults without dementia (age ~ 81y; 75% women) from the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Baseline 3T MRI T1-weighted structural and T2-weighted FLAIR data were used to assess the cortical thickness 'signature' of Alzheimer's disease (AD-CT) and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden, respectively. Scam susceptibility was measured using a questionnaire that assessed behaviors associated with vulnerability to fraud and scams. Demographically-adjusted linear effects regression models determined the relationship of each neuroimaging measure, first separately and then combined, with scam susceptibility. Reduced AD-CT was associated with higher levels of scam susceptibility (estimate=-0.10, standard error = 0.03, p = 0.002). WMH burden was not associated with scam susceptibility either alone or when combined in the same model as AD-CT (p-values ≥ 0.14). Results for AD-CT persisted after the inclusion of WMH burden. AD-CT was associated with scam susceptibility in older adults without dementia possibly signaling an in vivo profile of this behavior.

In China, the rate of spicy food consumption is rising, and chili pepper is among the most popular spicy foods consumed nationwide. However, little effort has been made to understand the mechanism behind spicy food craving. This exploratory study aimed to investigate differences in insula-based resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between spicy food cravers and non-cravers, and the association between rsFC, impulsivity and spicy food craving. A group of extreme cravers (n = 49) and a group of age- and sex-matched non-cravers (n = 46) completed a resting-state fMRI scan, during which participants were instructed to keep their eyes closed, to not think of anything in particular, and to remain awake. Participants completed the Spicy Food Craving Questionnaire, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Sensation Seeking Scale and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and rated the frequency of spicy food intake. Results revealed increased insula-occipital lobe resting-state functional connectivity in individuals with spicy food cravings, and the positive correlations between insula-middle occipital gyrus rsFC, impulsivity and spicy food craving. Specifically, the insula-middle occipital gyrus rsFC strength mediated the relationship between the motor impulsivity and spicy food craving. It is hoped that our exploratory findings may shed new insights into the neural mechanisms of spicy food craving and motivate further exploration of spicy food craving in diverse contexts and cultures.

Gait disorders are common in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD). We aim to explore the impact of white matter (WM) damage on gait disorders in SIVD. 21 SIVD patients and 20 normal controls (NC) were included in the study. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to evaluate general cognition, while Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off (SAT) was used to assess executive function. Gait velocity, cadence, and stride length were measured. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data were analyzed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) and Peak Width of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD). The relationships among WM damage, gait disorders, and cognitive function were examined through mediation analysis. SIVD scored lower than NC in MoCA and SAT tests (P < 0.001). Gait velocity and stride length were decreased in SIVD. SIVD had lower PSMD (P < 0.001). PSMD correlated with gait parameters, which were totally mediated by MoCA and partially mediated by SAT. The fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of the genu of the corpus callosum (GCC) and body of CC (BCC) were correlated with gait parameters. The FA of the bilateral anterior corona radiata (ACR) was positively correlated with gait parameters, while the MD of the bilateral superior corona radiata (SCR), bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and left external capsule (EC) were negatively correlated with them (P < 0.05). Gait impairments in SIVD were associated with cognitive deficits. Cognitive impairment mediated the WM damage and gait disorders. The microstructural alterations of CC, SLF, EC, and CR may be related to changes in gait.

REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterised by dream-enacting behaviour with loss of muscle atonia during REM sleep and is a prodromal feature of α-synucleinopathies like Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. Although cortical-to-subcortical connectivity is well-studied in RBD, cerebellar and subcortical nuclei reciprocal connectivity is less established. Nonetheless, it could be relevant since RBD pathology involves brainstem structures with an ascending gradient. In this study, we utilised resting-state functional MRI to investigate 13 people with isolated RBD (iRBD), 17 with Parkinson's disease and 16 healthy controls. We investigated the connectivity between the basal ganglia, thalamus and regions of the cerebellum. The cerebellum was segmented using a functional atlas, defined by a resting-state network-based parcellation, rather than an anatomical one. Controlling for age, we found a significant group difference (F_4,82 = 5.47, p_FDR = 0.017) in cerebellar-thalamic connectivity, with iRBD significantly lower compared to both control and Parkinson's disease. Specifically, cerebellar areas involved in this connectivity reduction were related to the default mode, language and fronto-parietal resting-state networks. Our findings show functional connectivity abnormalities in subcortical structures that are specific to iRBD and may be relevant from a pathophysiological standpoint. Further studies are needed to investigate how connectivity changes progress over time and whether specific changes predict disease course or phenoconversion.

Acupuncture is an effective and safe alternative treatment to prevent and treat migraine, but its central analgesic mechanism remains poorly understood. It is believed that the dysfunction of the thalamocortical connectivity network is an important contributor to migraine pathophysiology. This study aimed to investigate the abnormal thalamocortical network dynamics in patients with migraine without aura (MWoA) before and after an 8-week electroacupuncture treatment. A total of 143 patients with MWoA and 100 healthy controls (HC) were included, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired. Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) was calculated for each subject. The modulation effect of electroacupuncture on clinical outcomes of migraine, dFNC, and their association were investigated. In our results, dFNC matrices were classified into two clusters (brain states). As compared with the HC, patients with MWoA had a higher proportion of brain states with a strong thalamocortical between-network connection, implying an abnormal balance of the network organization across dFNC brain states. Correlation analysis showed that this abnormality was associated with summarized clinical measurements of migraine. A total of 60 patients were willing to receive an 8-week electroacupuncture treatment, and 24 responders had 50% changes in headache frequency. In electroacupuncture responders, electroacupuncture could change the abnormal thalamocortical connectivities towards a pattern more similar to that of HC. Our findings suggested that electroacupuncture could relieve the symptoms of migraine and has the potential capacity to regulate the abnormal function of the thalamocortical circuits.

This investigation delves into the interplay between large neutral amino acids (LNAA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in midlife adults, examining their collective influence on brain structure. While LNAA, such as tryptophan and phenylalanine, are known to bolster cognition in youth, these relationships often reverse later in life. Our study hypothesized an earlier reversal of these benefits in middle-aged adults with MetS, potentially signaling premature brain aging. Eighty participants between 40-61 years underwent MetS component quantification, LNAA measurement via high-performance liquid chromatography, and brain imaging to evaluate white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume and medial temporal lobe (MTL) cortical thickness. Our linear regression analyses, adjusting for sex, age, and education, revealed that phenylalanine levels moderated the relationship between MetS and WMH volume (F(6, 69) = 3.134, p < 0.05, R² = 0.214), suggesting the brain impact of MetS may be partly due to phenylalanine catabolism byproducts. LNAA metabolites did not significantly modulate the MetS-MTL cortical thickness relationship. These findings suggest that better understanding of the role of phenylalanine in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular disease in midlife may be essential to developing early interventions to protect cognitive health. Further research is crucial to elucidate the longitudinal influence of LNAA and MetS on brain health, thereby informing strategies to mitigate cognitive decline.

The etiology of classical trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) is still unclear. A better understanding of the cerebral structural and functional changes in female patients with CTN may provide important novel insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms of female CTN. A total 37 female CTN patients were included and referred to MRI scans, comprising with 19 left CTN and 18 right CTN patients. We analyzed the volume and shape of subcortical gray matter (GM), and the functional connectivity (FC) between the accumbens nucleus (NAc) and whole brain in right and left CTN patients respectively. We found left CTN patients had a reduced right NAc volume compared to controls, similarly, the right CTN had the decreased volume in the left NAc. Vertex-wise shapes of right NAc in left CTN patients showed significant regional shape deformation on the anterior, medial and ventroposterior aspects, in contrast, left NAc of right CTN patients showed significant regional shape deformation on the anterior and posterior aspect. Furthermore, patients with left CTN showed significantly lower FC between the right NAc and right orbitofrontal cortex than control subjects. The volume of NAc in all CTN was significantly related to the perception of present pain intensity. The CTN might be majorly caused by volume reduction in NAc. A greater understanding of the neurobiological basis of pain-related changes in NAc will provide the knowledge for the development of novel NAc based therapeutic targets for pain management or even prevention in CTN patients.

Changes in cortical excitability after stroke are closely associated with motor function recovery. This study aimed to clarify the motor network reorganization mechanisms corresponding to the different clinical outcomes of upper limb motor impairment in patients with subacute stroke. Motor function was assessed before rehabilitation (pre), after rehabilitation (post), and at the 1-year follow-up (follow-up) using the Fugl-Meyer assessment upper extremity scale. Further, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected in both pre- and post-conditions. Twenty patients with stroke were categorized into good and poor outcome groups based on motor impairments at the 1-year follow-up. Functional connections between motor-related regions of interest and the rest of the brain were subsequently calculated. Finally, the correlation between motor network reorganization and behavioral improvement at the 1-year follow-up was analyzed. The good outcome group exhibited a positive precondition motor function and continuous improvement, whereas the poor outcome group showed a weak precondition motor function and insignificant improvement. Contralesional hemisphere-related connections were found to be higher in the good outcome group pre-conditioning, with both groups showing minimal change post-conditioning, while no relationship with motor impairment was found. Long interhemispheric connections were decreased and increased in the good and poor outcome groups respectively, and were negatively correlated with motor impairment. Different motor network reorganizations during the subacute phase can influence the varying motor outcomes in the affected upper limb after stroke. These findings may serve as the theoretical basis for future neuromodulatory research.