Most recent paper

J Transl Med. 2024 Aug 14;22(1):763. doi: 10.1186/s12967-024-05580-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUD: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with abnormal dynamic functional connectivity patterns, but the dynamic changes in brain activity at each time point remain unclear, as does the potential molecular mechanisms associated with the dynamic temporal characteristics of TLE.

METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was acquired for 84 TLE patients and 35 healthy controls (HCs). The data was then used to conduct HMM analysis on rs-fMRI data from TLE patients and an HC group in order to explore the intricate temporal dynamics of brain activity in TLE patients with cognitive impairment (TLE-CI). Additionally, we aim to examine the gene expression profiles associated with the dynamic modular characteristics in TLE patients using the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) database.

RESULTS: Five HMM states were identified in this study. Compared with HCs, TLE and TLE-CI patients exhibited distinct changes in dynamics, including fractional occupancy, lifetimes, mean dwell time and switch rate. Furthermore, transition probability across HMM states were significantly different between TLE and TLE-CI patients (p < 0.05). The temporal reconfiguration of states in TLE and TLE-CI patients was associated with several brain networks (including the high-order default mode network (DMN), subcortical network (SCN), and cerebellum network (CN). Furthermore, a total of 1580 genes were revealed to be significantly associated with dynamic brain states of TLE, mainly enriched in neuronal signaling and synaptic function.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new insights into characterizing dynamic neural activity in TLE. The brain network dynamics defined by HMM analysis may deepen our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of TLE and TLE-CI, indicating a linkage between neural configuration and gene expression in TLE.

PMID:39143498 | DOI:10.1186/s12967-024-05580-2

Transl Psychiatry. 2024 Aug 14;14(1):332. doi: 10.1038/s41398-024-03018-3.

ABSTRACT

Postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PP-PTSD) is a severe mental disorder worldwide. In recent years, some studies have reported that PP-PTSD stems from birth trauma. The present study was dedicated in finding ways to predict the occurrence of emergency caesarean section (ECS), trying to analyze the methods to reduce incidence of PP-PTSD on this basis, further exploring the neuroimaging changes in PP-PTSD. A total of 245 primiparas with intention of vaginal delivery were recruited. The internal tocodynamometry measurement was performed during labor for all mothers, and respectively taken at 3-5 cm, 5-8 cm, and 8-10 cm of cervical dilation. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Binary logistic regression analyses were also performed to identify fetal head descending thrust that might help in the prediction of ECS. Resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 26 patients diagnosed with PP-PTSD of 245 mothers, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) technology was used to observe the spontaneous neural activity of all PP-PTSD patients and correlation analyses were performed. We found that the natural delivery rate of mothers with fetal head descending thrust <16.29 N (5-8 cm), 26.36 N (8-10 cm) were respectively lower than other mothers with fetal head descending thrust ≥16.29 N (5-8 cm), 26.36 N (8-10 cm) (P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value of thrust (5-8 cm) was 0.896 (95% CI: 0.854-0.938, p < 0.001), AUC of thrust(8-10 cm) was 0.786 (95% CI: 0.714-0.858, p < 0.001), which showed strong potential for predicting ECS. In addition, the Binary logistic regression analysis showed thrust (5-8 cm) and thrust (8-10 cm) were independent correlates of ECS. The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) results indicated that PP-PTSD group showed decreased ALFF in the bilateral insula cortex (IC), right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and left midcingulate cortex (MCC) compared with healthy postpartum women (HPW) (false discovery rate (FDR) correction q-value < 0.05). The ALFF value of the right ACC was positively correlated with the Perinatal Post-traumatic stress disorder Questionnaire (PPQ) score (r = 0.4046 p = 0.0403) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) score (r = 0.3909 p = 0.0483). The internal tocodynamometry measurement can serve as a predictive tool for ECS, on this basis, the implementation of effective emotional support may help to reduce the incidence of PP-PTSD. Besides, this study has verified the presence of altered ALFF in the brain regions of PP-PTSD patients, mainly involving the bilateral IC, right ACC, and left MCC, that might be associated with emotion, cognition, and memory disorders functions in PP-PTSD patients.

PMID:39143051 | DOI:10.1038/s41398-024-03018-3

BMJ Open. 2024 Aug 13;14(8):e081800. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081800.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Structural and functional abnormalities in the cortical-striatal network (CSN) are hypothesised to play a key role in the pathogenesis of neurological disease-associated fatigue. Some small-scale functional MRI (fMRI) studies have suggested that poststroke fatigue (PSF) is related to focal functional connectivity (FC) changes. To date, there has been no published large-scale fMRI study on PSF. This planned study will examine the role of the CSN FC on PSF.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The planned study will be a prospective cohort study conducted at the Neurology Unit of the Prince of Wales Hospital. We will recruit 738 participants. The project duration will be 36 months. A psychiatrist will administer the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at 3 months (P1) following the index stroke. PSF is defined as an FSS Score≥4.0. PSF severity will be defined by the FSS total score at P1. Participants with PSF at P1 will undergo two follow-up assessments at 9 (P2) and 15 (P3) months post stroke. PSF remission at P2 or P3 will be defined as a 50% reduction in FSS. Participants will undergo MRI examinations within 2 weeks of the 3-month poststroke assessment. Structural MRI, resting-state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging will be performed. FC, structural connectivity, infarcts, cerebral microbleeds and white matter hyperintensities will be analysed. For the primary analysis, the effect of PSF on the FC, structural connectivity and diffusion metrics of CSN of stroke survivors, voxel-wise two-sample t-tests will be performed with FDR correction for multiple comparison and significance level set at p<0.05.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong-New Territories East Cluster clinical research ethics committee. The study findings will be shared through peer-reviewed journal publications, national and international conferences and social media platforms.

PMID:39142668 | DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081800

J Affect Disord. 2024 Aug 12:S0165-0327(24)01240-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.024. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Childhood trauma is closely tied to adult depression, but the neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. Previous studies suggested associations between depression and large-scale brain networks such as the Ventral Attention Network (VAN) and Somatosensory Motor Network (SMN). This study hypothesized that functional connectivity (FC) within and between these networks mediates the link between childhood trauma and adult depression.

METHODS: The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) assessed developmental experiences, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) gauged depressive symptoms. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyzed FC within and between the VAN and SMN.

RESULTS: Depression group exhibited significantly higher HAMD and CTQ scores, as well as elevated FC within the VAN and between the VAN and SMN (P < 0.05). Positive correlations were found between HAMD total score and FC within the VAN (P < 0.05, r = 0.35) and between the VAN and SMN (P < 0.05, r = 0.34), as well as with CTQ total score (P < 0.05, r = 0.27). Positive correlations were also observed between CTQ total score and FC within the VAN (P < 0.05, r = 0.31) and between the VAN and SMN (P < 0.05, r = 0.29). In the mediation model, FC within and between the VAN and SMN significantly mediated childhood trauma and depression.

LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. The sample size for different trauma types is relatively small, urging caution in generalizing findings.

CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the association between depression severity, VAN dysfunction, abnormal VAN-SMN FC, and childhood trauma. These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying childhood trauma and depression.

PMID:39142581 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.024

J Affect Disord. 2024 Aug 12:S0165-0327(24)01254-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.040. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Relatives of individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) are at higher risk of developing the disorder. Identifying brain alterations associated with familial vulnerability in BD can help discover endophenotypes, which are quantifiable biological traits more prevalent in unaffected relatives of BD (BD-RELs) than the general population. This review aimed at expanding our knowledge on endophenotypes of BD by providing an overview of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) alterations in BD-RELs.

METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed to identify all available rs-fMRI studies conducted in BD-RELs up to January 2024. A total of 18 studies were selected. Six included BD-RELs with no history of psychiatric disorders and 10 included BD-RELs that presented psychiatric disorders. Two investigations examined rs-fMRI alterations in BD-RELs with and without subthreshold symptoms for BD.

RESULTS: BD-RELs presented rs-fMRI alterations in the cortico-limbic network, fronto-thalamic-striatal circuit, fronto-occipital network, and, to a lesser extent, in the DMN. This was true both for BD-RELs with no history of psychopathology and for BD-RELs that presented psychiatric disorders. The direct comparison of rs-fMRI alterations in BD-RELs with and without psychiatric symptoms displayed largely non-overlapping patterns of rs-fMRI abnormalities.

LIMITATIONS: Small sample sizes and the clinical heterogeneity of BD-RELs limit the generalizability of our findings.

CONCLUSIONS: The current literature suggests that first-degree BD-RELs exhibit rs-fMRI alterations in brain circuits involved in emotion regulation, cognition, reward processing, and psychosis susceptibility. Future studies are needed to validate these findings and to explore their potential as biomarkers for early detection and intervention.

PMID:39142577 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.040

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Aug 14. doi: 10.1007/s00787-024-02557-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Accumulating evidence suggests that aggression and rule-breaking may have distinct origins. However, grouping these heterogeneous behaviors into a single dimension labelled Conduct Problems (CP) has become the norm rather than the exception. Yet, the neurobiological features that differentiate aggression and rule-breaking remain largely unexplored. Using a large sample of children and adolescents (n = 1360, 6-18 years old), we examined the common and specific brain activity between CP, aggression, and rule-breaking behaviors. Analyses were conducted using fMRI resting-state data from a 10-minute session to explore the correlations between low frequency fluctuations and both broad and fine-grained CP dimensions. The broad CP dimension was associated with deficits in the precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and tempo-parietal junction. However, only the superior temporal gyrus was shared between aggression and rule-breaking. Activity of the precentral gyrus was mainly associated with rule-breaking, and the temporo-parietal cortex with aggression. More importantly, voxel-wise analyses on fine-grained dimensions revealed additional specific effects that were initially obscured when using a broad CP dimension. Finally, we showed that the findings specific to aggression and rule-breaking may be related to distinct brain networks and mental functions, especially ventral attention/sensorimotor processes and default mode network/social cognitions, respectively. The current study highlights that aggression and rule-breaking may be related to distinct local and distributed neurobiological markers. Overall, using fine-grained dimensions may provide a clearer picture of the role of neurobiological correlates in CP and their invariance across measurement levels. We advocate for adopting a more thorough examination of the lumping/splitting effect across neuroimaging studies on CP.

PMID:39143190 | DOI:10.1007/s00787-024-02557-w

Front Neurosci. 2024 Jul 29;18:1417986. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1417986. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a critical transitional phase from healthy cognitive aging to dementia, offering a unique opportunity for early intervention. However, few studies focus on the correlation of brain structure and functional activity in patients with MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Elucidating the complex interactions between structural-functional (SC-FC) brain connectivity and glymphatic system function is crucial for understanding this condition.

METHOD: The aims of this study were to explore the relationship among SC-FC coupling values, glymphatic system function and cognitive function. 23 MCI patients and 18 healthy controls (HC) underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). DTI analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index and SC-FC coupling values were calculated using DTI and fMRI. Correlation analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, DTI-ALPS index, and coupling values. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was conducted on the SC-FC coupling between the whole brain and subnetworks. The correlation of coupling values with MMSE scores was also analyzed.

RESULT: MCI patients (67.74 ± 6.99 years of age) exhibited significantly lower coupling in the whole-brain network and subnetworks, such as the somatomotor network (SMN) and ventral attention network (VAN), than HCs (63.44 ± 6.92 years of age). Whole-brain network coupling was positively correlated with dorsal attention network (DAN), SMN, and visual network (VN) coupling. MMSE scores were significantly positively correlated with whole-brain coupling and SMN coupling. In MCI, whole-brain network demonstrated the highest performance, followed by the SMN and VAN, with the VN, DAN, limbic network (LN), frontoparietal network (FPN), and default mode network (DMN). Compared to HCs, lower DTI-ALPS index was observed in individuals with MCI. Additionally, the left DTI-ALPS index showed a significant positive correlation with MMSE scores and coupling values in the whole-brain network and SMN.

CONCLUSION: These findings reveal the critical role of SC-FC coupling values and the ALPS index in cognitive function of MCI. The positive correlations observed in the left DTI-ALPS and whole-brain and SMN coupling values provide a new insight for investigating the asymmetrical nature of cognitive impairments.

PMID:39139498 | PMC:PMC11320604 | DOI:10.3389/fnins.2024.1417986

Pol J Radiol. 2024 Jul 12;89:e328-e335. doi: 10.5114/pjr/189251. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of aerobic training on motor cortical areas in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, based on task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (t-fMRI) as well as on brain activity at rest, according to resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) studies.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multiple sclerosis patients were divided into 2 groups consisting of 14 participants each: the MS study group and the MS control group. All MS patients underwent clinical assessment and MRI examination, twice: in the MS study group at the time of inclusion in the study and after a 4-week period of aerobic training, whereas in the MS control group it happened at the time of inclusion and after a period of one month without exercise rehabilitation. The MRI study protocol included rs-fMRI and t-fMRI sequences, which were the grounds for an analysis of resting state networks (RSN) as well as peak level and cluster level parameters within motor cortex areas - the primary motor cortex, premotor area, and supplementary motor area, respectively.

RESULTS: In the MS study group, aerobic training improved the clinical condition and decreased the functional correlation between the sensorimotor network and the salience network. Also, significant decreases of the mean cluster level (72.42 vs. 38.35) and peak level values (10.89 vs. 7.64) were observed in the contralateral primary motor cortex in this group of patients between examinations.

CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic training not only improves physical performance but also contributes to changes in brain activity - both within RSN and motor cortex areas in MS patients.

PMID:39139257 | PMC:PMC11321027 | DOI:10.5114/pjr/189251

J Affect Disord. 2024 Aug 11:S0165-0327(24)01228-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.014. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background Functional connectivity has been shown to fluctuate over time. The present study aimed to identifying major depressive disorders (MDD) with dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) from resting-state fMRI data, which would be helpful to produce tools of early depression diagnosis and enhance our understanding of depressive etiology. Methods The resting-state fMRI data of 178 subjects were collected, including 89 MDD and 89 healthy controls. We propose a spatio-temporal learning and explaining framework for dFC analysis. A yet effective spatio-temporal model is developed to classifying MDD from healthy controls with dFCs. The model is a stacking neural network model, which learns network structure information by a multi-layer perceptron based spatial encoder, and learns time-varying patterns by a Transformer based temporal encoder. We propose to explain the spatio-temporal model with a two-stage explanation method of importance feature extracting and disorder-relevant pattern exploring. The layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP) method is introduced to extract the most relevant input features in the model, and the attention mechanism with LRP is applied to extract the important time steps of dFCs. The disorder-relevant functional connections, brain regions, and brain states in the model are further explored and identified. Results We achieved the best classification performance in identifying MDD from healthy controls with dFC data. The top important functional connectivity, brain regions, and dynamic states closely related to MDD have been identified. Limitations The data preprocessing may affect the classification performance of the model, and this study needs further validation in a larger patient population. Conclusions The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed spatio-temporal model could effectively classify MDD, and uncover structural and temporal patterns of dFCs in depression.

PMID:39137835 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.014

Sleep Med. 2024 Aug 8;122:71-83. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2024.08.007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Studies have found that the use of clinically approved caffeine and modafinil can alleviate cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation (SD) to some extent. However, the neural mechanisms by which these two cognitive enhancers work to counteract the effects of SD on cognitive impairment remain unclear.

METHODS: A double-blind within-subjects experiment using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was designed. Participants underwent three 36-h SD trials, each of which involved taking 200 mg of caffeine, modafinil, or placebo at the 28th and 32 nd h of SD. Sixteen subregions of the thalamus were selected as the regions of interest and changes in functional connectivity (FC) between the thalamus and the other brain regions were explored after the participants took caffeine or modafinil.

RESULTS: The subjective sleepiness of the participants increased with the duration of SD. compared with placebo, modafinil and caffeine had insignificant effects on wakefulness or sleepiness. However, in terms of neural FC, we found varying degrees of attenuation or enhancement of the FC between the thalamus and other regions. Taking caffeine during SD weakened the FC between the right rostral temporal thalamus (rTtha) subregion and the left lingual gyrus compared with placebo. Caffeine enhanced the FC between three subregions of the thalamus, namely the left sensory thalamus, the left rTtha, and the right lateral pre-frontal thalamus, and the right inferior temporal, left orbitofrontal, and right superior occipital gyris. Modafinil weakened the FC between the right posterior parietal thalamus and left middle temporal gyrus, and enhanced the FC between the left medial pre-frontal thalamus, left rTtha, and right occipital thalamus and left middle frontal gyrus.

CONCLUSIONS: After 36 h of total SD, modafinil and caffeine administration enhanced or attenuated the time-domain correlations between various subregions of the thalamus and brain regions of the frontal and temporal lobes in healthy adults, compared with placebo. These results provide valuable evidence for further unraveling the neuropharmacological mechanisms of caffeine and modafinil, as well as important insights for exploring effective pharmacological intervention strategies against SD.

PMID:39137663 | DOI:10.1016/j.sleep.2024.08.007

Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 13;14(1):18756. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-68352-4.

ABSTRACT

Heart rate variability (HRV) has been linked to resilience and emotion regulation (ER). How HRV and brain processing interact during ER, however, has remained elusive. Sixty-two subjects completed the acquisition of resting HRV and task HRV while performing an ER functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) paradigm, which included the differential strategies of ER reappraisal and acceptance in the context of viewing aversive pictures. We found high correlations of resting and task HRV across all emotion regulation strategies. Furthermore, individuals with high levels of resting, but not task, HRV showed numerically lower distress during ER with acceptance. Whole-brain fMRI parametrical modulation analyses revealed that higher task HRV covaried with dorso-medial prefrontal activation for reappraisal, and dorso-medial prefrontal, anterior cingulate and temporo-parietal junction activation for acceptance. Subjects with high resting HRV, compared to subjects with low resting HRV, showed higher activation in the pre-supplementary motor area during ER using a region of interest approach. This study demonstrates that while resting and task HRV exhibit a positive correlation, resting HRV seems to be a better predictor of ER capacity. Resting and task HRV were associated with ER brain activation in mid-line frontal cortex (i.e. DMPFC).

PMID:39138266 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-68352-4

Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Aug 13. doi: 10.1002/alz.14051. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we investigated biomarkers in a midlife, racially diverse, at-risk cohort to facilitate early identification and intervention. We examined neuroimaging measures, including resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), white matter hyperintensity vo (WMH), and hippocampal volumes, alongside cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers.

METHODS: Our data set included 76 cognitively unimpaired, middle-aged, Black Americans (N = 29, F/M = 17/12) and Non-Hispanic White (N = 47, F/M = 27/20) individuals. We compared cerebrospinal fluid phosphorylated tau141 and amyloid beta (Aβ)42 to fMRI default mode network (DMN) subnetwork connectivity, WMH volumes, and hippocampal volumes.

RESULTS: Results revealed a significant race × Aβ42 interaction in Black Americans: lower Aβ42 was associated with reduced DMN connectivity and increased WMH volumes regions but not in non-Hispanic White individuals.

DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that precuneus DMN connectivity and temporal WMHs may be linked to Alzheimer's disease risk pathology during middle age, particularly in Black Americans.

HIGHLIGHTS: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta (Aβ)42 relates to precuneus functional connectivity in Black, but not White, Americans. Higher white matter hyperintensity volume relates to lower CSF Aβ42 in Black Americans. Precuneus may be a hub for early Alzheimer's disease pathology changes detected by functional connectivity.

PMID:39136298 | DOI:10.1002/alz.14051

Brain Connect. 2024 Aug 13. doi: 10.1089/brain.2024.0034. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are distinguished by whether anxiety is limited to social situations. However, reports on the differences in brain functional networks between GAD and SAD are few. Our objective is to understand the pathogenesis of GAD and SAD by examining the differences in resting brain function between patients with GAD and SAD and healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS: This study included 21 patients with SAD, 17 patients with GAD, and 30 HCs. Participants underwent psychological assessments and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). Whole-brain analyses were performed to compare resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) among the groups. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was conducted on the rsFC to identify significant differences between GAD and SAD.

RESULTS: Patients with SAD and GAD had significantly higher rsFC between the bilateral postcentral gyri and bilateral amygdalae/thalami than HCs. Compared with patients with SAD, those with GAD had significantly higher rsFC between the right nucleus accumbens and bilateral thalami and between the left nucleus accumbens and right thalamus. RsFC between the left nucleus accumbens and right thalamus positively correlated with state anxiety in patients with SAD and GAD, respectively. In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed that the right nucleus accumbens and the right thalamus connectivity could distinguish SAD from GAD.

CONCLUSIONS: GAD and SAD were distinguished by the right nucleus accumbens and the right thalamus connectivity. Our findings offer insights into the disease-specific neural basis of SAD and GAD.

PMID:39135472 | DOI:10.1089/brain.2024.0034