Psychoradiology最新文献

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a critical non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) target for treating depression. However, the alterations of brain activations post-intervention remain inconsistent and the clinical moderators that could improve symptomatic effectiveness are unclear. The study aim was to systematically review the effectiveness of NIBS on depressive symptoms targeting PFC in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. In our study, we delivered a combined activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis and meta-regression. Until November 2020, three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE) were searched and 14 studies with a total sample size of 584 were included in the ALE meta-analysis; after NIBS, four clusters in left cerebrum revealed significant activation while two clusters in right cerebrum revealed significant deactivation (P < 0.001, cluster size >150 mm³). Eleven studies were statistically reanalyzed for depressive symptoms pre-post active-NIBS and the pooled effect size was very large [(d = 1.82, 95%CI (1.23, 2.40)]; significant moderators causing substantial heterogeneity (Chi squared = 75.25, P < 0.01; I ² = 87%) were detected through subgroup analysis and univariate meta-regression. Multivariate meta-regression was then conducted accordingly and the model suggested good fitness (Q = 42.32, P < 0.01). In all, NIBS targeting PFC balanced three core depressive-related neurocognitive networks (the salience network, the default mode network, and the central executive network); the striatum played a central role and might serve as a candidate treatment biomarker; gender difference, treatment-resistant condition, comorbidity, treatment duration, and localization all contributed to moderating depressive symptoms during NIBS. More high-quality, multi-center randomized controlled trails delivering personalized NIBS are needed for clinical practice in the future.

From July 20 to 22, 2024, the ISMRM Endorsed Workshop on MR for Psychiatry was held in Chengdu City, China. This prestigious event attracted numerous academic elites worldwide, and Professor Benjamin Becker from the University of Hong Kong was invited. On the morning of July 20, during the "Advances in MR Technology" session, Professor Becker delivered an engaging lecture entitled "Novel approaches to precision MRI-imaging of human emotion." His presentation was met with great enthusiasm and sparked lively discussions among the participants. Following the conference, the Psychoradiology journal interviewed Professor Becker. In the interview, Benjamin emphasized the significant role of interdisciplinary collaboration, spanning various fields including psychology, neuroscience, clinical medicine, biomedical engineering, and computer science. Professor Becker firmly believed that such collaboration was crucial for a deeper understanding of the brain and psychiatric disorders. Additionally, he highly valued the importance of international cooperation, especially in addressing global mental health issues and challenges related to psychiatric disorders.

Background: We reported a case of cervical invasive vagus nerve stimulation (iVNS) treatment for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in a patient with severe anxiety and depression. This patient was even given a critical illness notice during his hospitalization and all treatment efforts were failed.

Objective: We aimed to verfiy the effectiveness of iVNS in a patient with ARFID.

Methods: We first attempted to perform cervical iVNS in this case and then observed the changes in clinical scores. We also analyzed the alterations in brain magnetic resonance imaging characteristics before and after iVNS using multi-modal neuroimagings.

Results: After 18 days of iVNS (from 1 to 19 July 2023), the patient's clinical symptoms improved significantly and he rapidly gained 5 kg in weight. The brain functional characteristics of this patient tended toward those of the normal group. Functional connectivities of the medial of orbitalis prefrontal cortex returned to the normal range after iVNS.

Conclusion: This is a precedent for performing cervical iVNS in an ARFID patient. Brain neural activity can be modulated through iVNS. The observed improvements in clinical scores and positive changes in brain function validated the effectiveness of iVNS. This case study provides evidence that this intervention technique could be used to reduce the burden on more similar ARFID patients.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are common stress-related psychiatric disorders. Genetic and neurobiology research has supported the viewpoint that PTSD and MDD may possess common and disorder-specific underlying mechanisms. In this systematic review, we summarize evidence for the similarities and differences in brain functional and structural features of MDD, PTSD, and their comorbidity, as well as the effects of extensively used therapies in patients with comorbid PTSD and MDD (PTSD + MDD). These functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies highlight the (i) shared hypoactivation in the prefrontal cortex during cognitive and emotional processing in MDD and PTSD; (ii) higher activation in fear processing regions including amygdala, hippocampus, and insula in PTSD compared to MDD; and (iii) distinct functional deficits in brain regions involved in fear and reward processing in patients with PTSD + MDD relative to those with PTSD alone. These structural MRI studies suggested that PTSD and MDD share features of reduced volume in focal frontal areas. The treatment effects in patients with PTSD + MDD may correlate with the normalization trend of structural alterations. Neuroimaging predictors of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation response in patients with PTSD + MDD may differ from the mono-diagnostic groups. In summary, neuroimaging studies to date have provided limited information about the shared and disorder-specific features in MDD and PTSD. Further research is essential to pave the way for developing improved diagnostic markers and eventually targeted treatment approaches for the shared and distinct brain alterations presented in patients with MDD and PTSD.

Background: Naturalistic stimuli, such as videos, can elicit complex brain activations. However, the intricate nature of these stimuli makes it challenging to attribute specific brain functions to the resulting activations, particularly for higher-level processes such as social interactions.

Objective: We hypothesized that activations in different layers of a convolutional neural network (VGG-16) would correspond to varying levels of brain activation, reflecting the brain's visual processing hierarchy. Additionally, we aimed to explore which brain regions would be linked to the deeper layers of the network.

Methods: This study analyzed functional MRI data from participants watching a cartoon video. Using a pre-trained VGG-16 convolutional neural network, we mapped hierarchical features of the video to different levels of brain activation. Activation maps from various kernels and layers were extracted from video frames, and the time series of average activation patterns for each kernel were used in a voxel-wise model to examine brain responses.

Results: Lower layers of the network were primarily associated with activations in lower visual regions, although some kernels also unexpectedly showed associations with the posterior cingulate cortex. Deeper layers were linked to more anterior and lateral regions of the visual cortex, as well as the supramarginal gyrus.

Conclusions: This analysis demonstrated both the potential and limitations of using convolutional neural networks to connect video content with brain functions, providing valuable insights into how different brain regions respond to varying levels of visual processing.

Background: While cognitive reappraisal represents a promising emotion regulation strategy in regulating basic emotions, little experimental research has investigated its efficacy in reducing self-conscious emotions such as shame and guilt.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of detached reappraisal and positive reappraisal in regulating feelings of shame and guilt, and also compared the effectiveness of these two strategies using behavioral and event-related potentials.

Method: Thirty-nine participants grouped either in positive reappraisal or detached reappraisal condition were informed to advise the decider to perform a dot-estimation task. Participants were also informed that the payment of the decider would be reduced if he/she adopted the wrong advice provided by them.

Result: The behavioral results demonstrated that both regulation strategies reduced shame and guilt when compared to the observation stage. We also observed a phenomenon (absent during the regulation of shame) where regulating guilt resulted in a higher parietal P3 amplitude, a component related to negative experiences, compared to the observation phase in the detached reappraisal group.

Conclusion: The results demonstrated that both regulation strategies were able to regulate self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt) effectively. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the neurophysiological effects of different regulation strategies on self-conscious emotions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkae009.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad033.].

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder characterized by multiple neurochemical abnormalities and structural changes in the brain. These abnormalities may begin before recognizable clinical symptoms appear and continue as a dynamic process throughout the illness. Recent advances in imaging techniques have significantly enriched our comprehension of these structural alterations, particularly focusing on gray and white matter irregularities and prefrontal, temporal, and cingulate cortex alterations. Some of the changes suggest treatment resistance to antipsychotic medications, while treatment nonadherence and relapses may further exacerbate structural abnormalities. This narrative review aims to discuss the literature about alterations and deficits within the brain, which could improve the understanding of schizophrenia and how to interpret neurostructural changes.