Brain Imaging and Behavior最新文献

An association between migraine and patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been reported; however, the precise nature of this connection remains unclear. This study aimed to further identify and parse the structural alterations in migraine patients with PFO, providing new insights into the interplay between PFO and migraine. We examined cortical myelin and thickness in 110 female patients with migraine (60 with PFO, 50 without) and 50 healthy controls (25 with and without PFO). The main effects of migraine and PFO, as well as their interaction, were analyzed with a general linear model with age as a covariate for two-way analysis of variance. We observed that individuals with PFO presented a broad and diffuse increase in cortical thickness and changes in the strength of the myelin-sensitive contrast within the cortex. Furthermore, we found a specific region in the right inferior parietal cortex that exhibited PFO-related reductions in intracortical myelin, with a significant migraine-PFO interaction (cluster size (Vertices) = 133, p < 0.05). The headache impact test score was negatively correlated with the myelin index in this region (r = -0.396, p < 0.0001). This study revealed structural brain changes in migraine patients with PFO, indicating that myelin mapping may serve as a potential biomarker for identifying these alterations. This approach could help differentiate migraine patients with PFO, supporting targeted therapies. Combining myelin mapping with diffusion imaging may further improve the detection and monitoring of structural changes, enhancing diagnostic and treatment strategies.

Neuropathological changes, such as those found in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), often include cortical morphological abnormalities. Neuroimaging research has indicated that individuals with OCD typically exhibit altered cortical thickness (CTh) through surface-based morphometry (SBM) analyses. Yet, the findings have been hit or miss, with inconsistent results across various studies. We are employing meta-analytic techniques on comprehensive brain imaging data to examine variations in CTh in patients with OCD. This approach could refine spatial precision in detection, thereby sharpening our diagnostic capabilities for OCD and paving the way for more targeted therapeutic interventions. The seed-based d mapping (SDM) method was utilized to perform a vertex-wise, coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) examining CTh differences across whole-brain studies in OCD patients relative to healthy controls (HCs). This analytical approach systematically compared structural neuroimaging findings between clinical and control groups. A comprehensive review of existing research uncovered 9 relevant studies (containing 9 distinct datasets) examining CTh in OCD. The analysis incorporated data from 518 OCD patients and 449 HCs. The findings revealed significant cortical thinning in the left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri, along with the right insula among OCD patients. Conversely, increased CTh was observed in several left-hemisphere regions, including the lingual gyrus, orbital portion of the inferior frontal gyrus, and dorsolateral aspect of the superior frontal gyrus. Moreover, the meta-regression results indicated an inverse relationship between age and the thickness of the right insula cortex in those suffering from OCD. However, the analysis was constrained by the small pool of studies and samples, as well as incomplete data from certain participants, which hindered a thorough subgroup examination. Additionally, the results of the meta-regression should be viewed with caution, as they are based on a relatively limited number of studies. The analysis did show changes in CTh in certain brain areas for OCD patients, which adds to our knowledge of the intricate workings of OCD-related brain abnormalities. These insights could potentially serve as valuable landmarks for diagnosing and treating OCD. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

This study aimed to use simultaneous ¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI based on Automated Fiber Quantification (AFQ) to determine whether there is a relationship between white matter microstructure changes and glucose metabolism distribution in PD. The study involved 38 subjects, including 23 parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 15 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Primary clinical data and cognitive assessments were collected. All subjects underwent a simultaneous ¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI scan. AFQ was utilized to calculate tract-wise diffusion properties of 20 major white matter tracts. PD patients showed reduced mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores compared to HC subjects (P < 0.05). PD patients showed higher mean diffusivity (MD) (P = 0.047) and axial diffusivity (AD) (P = 0.02) along the right corticospinal tract (CST) compared to HC. The microstructural change of CST was mainly located in the parietal part (node 67-100). Compared to HC, PD patients had FDG hypermetabolism in the right paracentral lobule (P = 0.0204) and bilateral putamen (left: P = 0.0075; right: P = 0.0155) and hypometabolism in the right calcarine (P = 0.0489). Hypermetabolism was found in the right paracentral lobule, which connects with the cortex of the right CST, and positively correlated with MD (r = 0.612, P < 0.001) and AD (r = 0.516, P < 0.001). We observed microstructural changes and glucose metabolism distribution characteristics in PD patients. These results may provide imaging evidence for studying the pathology of PD.

Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is a neuroinflammatory disease marked by severe attacks on the optic nerves and spinal cord. While it is established that NMO affects brain function, the detailed progression of these impacts over time remains poorly investigated. The objective of this study is to investigate spontaneous temporal changes in brain function in patients with NMO and to explore the associations between these changes and clinical assessment. This longitudinal study recruited 31 non-relapsing patients with NMO, for whom resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data were collected at baseline and follow-up. Besides, 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included and assessed only at baseline. Neural activity was quantitatively assessed using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF). We analyzed differences in brain function between NMO patients and HCs, as well as changes within the patient group over time. Additionally, we examined correlations between changes in ALFF and clinical outcomes, including the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and visual acuity. At baseline, significant ALFF reductions were observed in NMO patients, particularly in the bilateral paracentral lobules, posterior central gyrus, inferior temporal gyri, lingual gyri, right precentral gyrus, middle and inferior occipital gyri, and fusiform gyrus. Over time, affected areas expanded, particularly in the occipital and temporal lobes, and initially unaffected regions like the superior temporal gyrus and calcarine areas showed significant reductions at follow-up. Initially, NMO patients exhibited higher ALFF in the cerebellum, bilateral pons, parahippocampus, thalamus, posterior and anterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus. However, by the follow-up, elevated ALFF persisted only in the medial superior frontal gyrus. During follow-up, progressive decreases in ALFF were specifically noted in the right lingual gyrus, calcarine, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, and parahippocampus within the NMO patient group. Significant correlations were identified between improvements in EDSS scores and increases in ALFF in the paracentral lobule, precentral, and postcentral gyri. Additionally, enhancements in visual acuity were linked to increased ALFF in the medial superior frontal gyrus. Rs-fMRI reveals progressive brain function declines in NMO, evidenced by decreasing ALFF in key sensory and motor areas, alongside occasional compensatory increases observed. Strong correlations between these changes and clinical measures like EDSS scores and visual acuity highlight ALFF's value as a biomarker for monitoring disease spontaneous progression and assessing treatment impacts.

The social brain hypothesis suggests that primate brains evolved to manage social group complexities. While chronic HIV infection is associated with both structural brain changes and social exclusion, the possibility that social experience may contribute to brain changes has not been studied in this population. Here, we aimed to estimate the direction and strength of the relationship between gray matter volume and social network size in older people living with HIV in Canada. Fifty-eight HIV + participants (3 women) from the Positive Brain Health Now cohort underwent structural brain imaging and reported the size of their social network. We tested the relationship between social network size and gray matter volume in key brain regions previously identified in healthy older adults. Negative correlations were observed between social network size and gray matter volume in all regions of interest, adjusting for age, education, and total intracranial volume. The strongest correlation was in the left anterior cingulate cortex. We found evidence that social network size is related to gray matter volume in brain regions involved in social behavior among older people, mostly men, with longstanding HIV infection. However, the direction of this effect was opposite to that predicted. This echoes some previous work in healthy male samples. These findings suggest the need to consider social as well as biological variables in studying the brain impacts of living with HIV. Further work is needed to clarify which social variables have the greatest influence, and how they affect the brain.

This study aims to unravel the consistent abnormalities in functional connectivity (FC) with the primary motor cortex (M1) for post-stroke motor dysfunctions and the dynamic shifts of FC across distinct phases (acute/subacute/chronic) following stroke onset. Eleven studies with 269 stroke patients and 257 healthy controls (HCs) were included after screening articles in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. Voxel-wise meta-analysis and subgroup analysis on three phases after stroke onset were applied using the anisotropic effect size-signed differential mapping toolbox. Additionally, a M1-seeded FC analysis from an independent dataset with 29 stroke patients and 40 HCs was applied to validate the results of the meta-analyses. The abnormal connectivity with M1 in patients with post-stroke motor dysfunctions extended beyond motor-related regions to non-motor domains. A consistent interhemispheric connectivity reduction between M1 and motor-related regions emerged as a hallmark, persisting across different phases after stroke onset. These alterations were largely replicable through validation analysis. Our findings indicated the imbalance of connectivity in patients with post-stroke motor dysfunctions.

To explore the structural and functional changes of Cerebellar Subregion in patients with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) patients and its clinical significance by using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging, so as to further explore the specific role of the cerebellum in PBD. This study included 48 pediatric patients with bipolar disorder (PBD) in the depressive phase from the outpatient clinic of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. 22 healthy controls (HCs) matched for gender, age, handedness and education level were chosen from the community as the control group. All subjects underwent 3.0T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans and completed clinical scales, including the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). The cerebellum was categorized into 34 distinct subregions (R17, L17) based on SUIT and designated as seed points to perform whole-brain functional connectivity (FC). Group differences in categorical variables were assessed using the chi-square test, while continuous variables were compared employing the two-sample t-test. Correlations between FC and clinical parameters were analyzed for differential brain intervals. Compared with HCs, PBD patients in the depressive phase showed reduced FC between the left cerebellar lobules I-IV and the occipital inferior lobe (Occipital_Inf_L), cerebellar vermis VIIIa, and VIIIb; decreased FC between cerebellar cerebellar vermis VI and the frontal inferior orbital gyrus (Frontal_Inf_Orb_L), as well as the right cerebellar Crus 1; reduced FC between the left cerebellar Crus I and the dentate nucleus; decreased FC between cerebellar vermis VIIIa and the left superior frontal gyrus; reduced FC between the right cerebellar lobule IX and the right lingual gyrus; lowered FC between the left dentate and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the left lingual gyrus; FC between the left fastigial nucleus and the right cerebellar X decreased. Depressive phase of PBD patients exhibit altered functional connectivity within various subregions of the cerebellum, suggesting that the cerebellum is involved in central neural reorganization in PBD, which may be instructive for the understanding of central mechanisms and its future diagnostic and therapeutic target development.

In the realm of social cognition, facial perception is crucial, particularly in assessing facial attractiveness. This study investigated how biographical information impacts such evaluations. Two experiments were conducted: the first had participants rate 108 faces with and without biographical details, including occupation, psychiatric history, and politics. The second used fMRI to identify brain regions reacting differently with biographical information. Results showed that 31.48% of cases exhibited significant variations in facial evaluations when biographical information was introduced. The fMRI experiment highlighted heightened activity in the left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (IFG) and the left Middle Temporal Gyrus (MTG) when assessing facial attractiveness with biographical information, especially related to occupation or psychiatric history as opposed to politics. In summary, incorporating biographical information can substantially alter perceptions of facial attractiveness, engaging specific brain regions like the left IFG and left MTG. The results of this study could have significant implications for the understanding of social cognition and, among other aspects, for the destigmatization of personal histories in the field of mental health.

Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) often exhibit affective disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The underlying neurological mechanisms of these symptoms, however, remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore alterations in functional connectivity (FC) both within and between resting-state networks (RSNs) in individuals with ulcerative colitis. Twelve meaningful RSNs were identified from 22 ulcerative colitis patients and 23 healthy controls using independent component analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Correlation analyses were performed between clinical indices, neuropsychological assessments and neuroimaging data. Compared with healthy controls, UC patients showed increased intranetwork FC, mainly located in the right temporal pole, orbitofrontal cortex, and left superior temporal and Rolandic opercular cortices within the auditory network. Increased intranetwork FC in the Rolandic opercular cortex was also observed in UC patients during remission phase, while no significant alterations were detected in patients with active-phase UC. In addition, UC patients exhibited increased connectivity between the dorsal attention and the left frontoparietal network, as well as between the anterior default mode network and the posterior default mode network, with distinct patterns of internetwork connectivity observed across different clinical phases. No significant correlations were found between altered brain regions and psychological scales in UC patients. These findings imply that UC patients may undergo functional network alterations, affecting both intranetwork connectivity within RSNs and internetwork connectivity between RSNs.

Anhedonia is a core feature of depression. It contains a consummatory and a motivational aspect. Whilst much neuroimaging research in patients with depression focused on the consummatory aspect of anhedonia, less is known about its motivational aspect. This study aimed to explore the neurobiology of networks related to motivational anhedonia. Thirty-eight patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 19 healthy controls underwent diffusion-weighted and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). For assessment of motivational anhedonia, we summed the values of the CORE non-interactiveness score, and the items 1 (hopelessness) and 7 (work and activities) of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Whole-brain voxel-wise statistical analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) data was performed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Additionally, we performed a whole-brain comparison of integrated local correlation of rs-fMRI signal (LCOR), to investigate regional functional differences between patients and healthy controls. Whole brain correlations between motivational anhedonia and measures of structural and functional connectivity (FA, and LCOR) were calculated. TBSS-analyses revealed reduced FA in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) in patients with MDD. LCOR was reduced in patients with depression in an adjacent cluster localized in bilateral precunei. Within patients, there was a positive correlation between motivational anhedonia and LCOR in the precunei and a negative correlation in bilateral sensorimotor areas. FA-values did not show significant correlations. These findings suggest that motivational anhedonia in depression is linked to alterations of functional connectivity within bilateral precunei. Observed white matter microstructural alterations in the SLF do not show such an association.