Aberrant Connectivity Research Articles

Aberrant Dynamic Network Connectivity Changes in Comorbid Depression and Overweight/Obesity: Insights From the Triple Network Model.

The interaction between major depressive disorder (MDD) and overweight/obesity has received considerable attention owing to its widespread occurrence and the intricate biopsychological implications involved. Despite extensive research, the neural mechanisms underlying these comorbid conditions, particularly in terms of functional network connectivity (FNC), are still not well understood. This study aimed to clarify these mechanisms by utilizing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to examine both static and dynamic FNC. We analyzed data from 57 patients with both MDD and overweight/obesity (MDD-OW), 57 MDD patients of normal weight (MDD-NW), and 44 healthy controls, using techniques such as independent component analysis, sliding window analysis, K-means clustering, and graph theory. In contrast to static FNC, which showed no significant differences, dynamic FNC analysis identified four consistent states across all participants. Both MDD groups demonstrated reduced flexibility in functional coordination among these states and decreased nodal characteristics within the salience network. Notably, the MDD-OW group displayed enhanced dynamic FNC between the default mode network (DMN) and the executive control network (ECN) during certain states, which was inversely associated with the severity of depressive symptoms. These results highlight the importance of altered dynamic connectivity patterns in individuals with MDD and concurrent overweight/obesity, especially between the DMN and ECN, suggesting their potential utility as biomarkers for depressive states. This research contributes to our understanding of how comorbid overweight/obesity affects brain network dynamics in depressive disorders and provides a basis for targeted therapeutic strategies.

Aberrant intra-network resting-state functional connectivity in chronic insomnia with or without cognitive impairment

Chronic insomnia (CI) is a common sleep disorder in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to physical, mental, and cognitive damage. Resting-state networks (RSNs) in the brain are closely linked to cognition and behavior. Therefore, we investigated changes in RSNs to explore behavioral and cognitive abnormalities in middle-aged and elderly CI patients. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and independent component analysis were used to study the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) of the RSNs in 36 CI patients (20 CI with cognitive impairment (CI-I) patients and 16 CI without cognitive impairment (CI-N) patients) and 20 healthy controls (HC). Two-sample t-tests were used to compare RSNs differences between CI and HC groups and the RSNs differences between CI-I and CI-N groups. Partial correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between the significant abnormal brain regions in RSN and clinical scales. Compared with HCs, CI patients showed significant differences in multiple RSNs, and FC values in two brain regions within RSNs were correlated with clinical scales. Furthermore, compared with CI-N group, CI-I group also showed significantly altered FC in multiple RSNs. Moreover, FC values in the right middle frontal gyrus within right frontal parietal network of CI-I patients were negatively correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination scores. These results may explain hyperarousal, decreased attention and motor function impairments in CI patients. Furthermore, the aberrant alterations of RSNs in CI-I patients may play a crucial role in the onset and progression of cognitive impairment in CI patients.

Aberrant hippocampal intrinsic morphological connectivity patterns in Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with cognitive impairment: Insights from an individual-based morphological brain network

BackgroundAlthough several clinical studies have demonstrated that hippocampus volume loss in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) may be a significant predictor of cognition, no consensus has been reached. To investigate the alterations of the intrinsic ,hippocampal morphological networks in cognitively impaired NMOSD patients and their correlations with cognitive performance. Methods38 NMOSD patients and 39 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. NMOSD patients were categorized into two groups based on neuropsychological assessment, including the cognitively impaired (CI) group (n = 21) and the cognitively preserved (CP) group (n = 17). Brain high-resolution 3D-T1WI MR images were evaluated, and individual-based intrinsic hippocampus morphological networks were constructed. The between-group differences in global and nodal network topology profiles were estimated, and correlations between the nodal network metrics and cognitive scores were further analyzed. ResultsCompared to the HC and CP groups, the CI group shows significant differences in nodal network metrics of the left hippocampal tail and left hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA) 1-body. Nodal network metrics of the left hippocampal tail were significantly correlated with neurocognitive scores across the entire NMOSD group. ConclusionsNMOSD patients with cognitive impairment exhibit abnormal intrinsic hippocampal morphological networks. Nodal network property measurements can help identify those with cognitive impairment.

Aberrant dynamic functional network connectivity in patients with diffuse axonal injury

Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) results in aberrant functional connectivity and is significantly linked to cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, the network mechanisms influencing neurocognitive function following DAI remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of static and dynamic functional network connectivity (FNC) in patients with DAI. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 26 patients with DAI and 27 healthy controls. Resting-state networks were extracted using independent component analysis. We evaluated the connectivity strength through spatial maps and static FNC, and then further dynamic properties were identified using a sliding time-window approach and k-means clustering, and investigated their associations with clinical variables. Patients with DAI showed stronger intra-network spatial maps in the default mode network and subcortical network than healthy controls, but static inter-network functional connectivity remained stable. Furthermore, three recurring states for dynamic connectivity were identified in all participants, and state 1 occurred most frequently in patients with DAI and exhibited higher fractional time, and as well as longer mean dwell time, which was positively associated with MMSE scores. Meanwhile, patients with DAI exhibited mostly increased functional connectivity strength of dynamic FNC in all states, particularly within the default mode network and visual network. These findings suggest that patients with DAI are characterized by altered dynamic FNC and temporal properties, which provide distinct complementary information different from static functional connectivity, and new insights into the neural pathophysiology of DAI associated with cognitive impairment.

Thalamocortical interactions reflecting the intensity of flicker light–induced visual hallucinatory phenomena

Abstract Aberrant thalamocortical connectivity occurs together with visual hallucinations in various pathologies and drug-induced states, highlighting the need to better understand how thalamocortical interactions may contribute to hallucinatory phenomena. Flicker light stimulation (FLS) at 10 Hz reliably and selectively induces transient visual hallucinations in healthy participants. Arrhythmic flicker elicits fewer hallucinatory effects while delivering equal amounts of visual stimulation, together facilitating a well-controlled experimental setup to investigate the neural correlates of visual hallucinations driven by flicker rhythmicity. Using rhythmic and arrhythmic FLS during fMRI scanning, we found that rhythmic FLS elicited stronger activation in higher order visual cortices compared with arrhythmic control. Consistently, we found that rhythmic flicker selectively increased connectivity between ventroanterior thalamic nuclei and higher order visual cortices, which was also positively associated with the subjective intensity of visual hallucinatory effects. As these thalamic and cortical areas do not receive primary visual inputs, it suggests that the thalamocortical connectivity changes relate to a higher order function of the thalamus, such as in the coordination of cortical activity. In sum, we present novel evidence for the role of specific thalamocortical interactions with ventroanterior nuclei within visual hallucinatory experiences. Importantly, this can inform future clinical research into the mechanistic underpinnings of pathologic hallucinations.

Altered resting-state connectivity of the auditory cortex in congenital amusia: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study in Mandarin speakers.

Brain imaging studies have reported that the neural deficits of congenital amusia in non-tonal language speakers are mainly in the connectivity between the auditory cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in the right hemisphere. However, the relationship between the functional connectivity (FC) in these regions and the music perception ability of amusia in tonal language speakers remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the FC characteristics of amusia in Mandarin speakers in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data by voxel-wise connectivity analyses with seeds in left and right Heschl's gyri (HG) and region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI connectivity analyses. Our findings indicate increased connectivity between right HG and bilateral posterior superior temporal gyrus, as determined by voxel-wise connectivity analyses in amusia. Conversely, reduced connectivity was observed between bilateral HG and bilateral IFG (orbital part) as assessed through ROI-to-ROI connectivity analyses in amusia when compared to controls. Moreover, the music perception scores of amusia in Mandarin speakers were associated with diminished connectivity between the left HG and the right IFG. This study furnishes direct evidence for the link between music perception deficits and the aberrant frontotemporal connectivity of congenital amusia in tonal language speakers in resting state.

Enhancing daily life for children with cognitive developmental delay through insights into brain development.

Cognitive developmental delay, including severe intellectual disability (IQ below 70) and borderline intellectual functioning (IQ 70-85), poses significant challenges, including high costs and emotional burden. Early diagnosis and interventions might improve adaptive behavior and daily life functioning. High-risk groups include children with neonatal complications, congenital anomalies, genetic disorders, or metabolic errors, yet over 50% of cases have unknown causes. To provide timely diagnosis and intervention for children with cognitive developmental delay, it is important to increase our understanding and ability to prognosticate their level of functioning. The pivotal role of brain development in the first few years of life presents a window of opportunity for these goals. By detailed investigation of common patterns in structural brain development and connectivity by MRI in relation to cognitive and executive functioning, this review aims to identify potential factors that might improve understanding and prognostication of children with cognitive developmental delay. Exploring similarities among diverse patient groups with childhood cognitive developmental delay, this review intends to provide a nuanced perspective. IMPACT: This review identified several MRI brain developmental markers, especially in the white matter, that might hold potential to be a prognostic marker for intellectual and executive functioning in children with cognitive developmental delay. Bringing together information on aberrant brain developmental trajectories and connectivity across different patient childhood populations with cognitive developmental delay might improve our understanding and prognostication.

Aberrant dynamic functional and effective connectivity changes of the primary visual cortex in patients with retinal detachment via machine learning.

Previous neuroimaging studies have identified significant alterations in brain functional activity in retinal detachment (RD) patients, these investigations predominantly concentrated on local functional activity changes. The potential directional alterations in functional connectivity within the primary visual cortex (V1) in RD patients remain to be elucidated. In this study, we employed seed-based functional connectivity analysis along with Granger causality analysis to examine the directional alterations in dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) within the V1 region of patients diagnosed with RD. Finally, a support vector machine algorithm was utilized to classify patients with RD and healthy controls (HCs). RD patients exhibited heightened dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) and dynamic effective connectivity (dEC) between the Visual Network (VN) and default mode network (DMN), as well as within the VN, compared to HCs. Conversely, dFC between VN and auditory network (AN) decreased, and dEC between VN and sensorimotor network (SMN) significantly reduced. In state 4, RD patients had higher frequency. Notably, variations in dFC originating from the left V1 region proved diagnostically effective, achieving an AUC of 0.786. This study reveals significant alterations in the connectivity between the VN and the default mode network in patients with RD. These changes may disrupt visual information processing and higher cognitive integration in RD patients. Additionally, alterations in the left V1 region and whole-brain dFC show promising potential in aiding the diagnosis of RD. These findings offer valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying visual and cognitive impairments associated with RD.

Aberrant individual large-scale functional network connectivity and topology in chronic insomnia disorder with and without depression

Insomnia is increasingly prevalent with significant associations with depression. Delineating specific neural circuits for chronic insomnia disorder (CID) with and without depressive symptoms is fundamental to develop precision diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we examine static, dynamic and network topology changes of individual large-scale functional network for CID with (CID-D) and without depression to reveal their specific neural underpinnings. Seventeen individual-specific functional brain networks are obtained using a regularized nonnegative matrix factorization technique. Disorders-shared and -specific differences in static and dynamic large-scale functional network connectivities within or between the cognitive control network, dorsal attention network, visual network, limbic network, and default mode network are found for CID and CID-D. Additionally, CID and CID-D groups showed compromised network topological architecture including reduced small-world properties, clustering coefficients and modularity indicating decreased network efficiency and impaired functional segregation. Moreover, the altered neuroimaging indices show significant associations with clinical manifestations and could serve as effective neuromarkers to distinguish among healthy controls, CID and CID-D. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights into the neural basis of CID and CID-D, which may facilitate developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Functional activity, functional connectivity and complex network biomarkers of progressive hyposmia Parkinson's disease with no cognitive impairment: evidences from resting-state fMRI study.

Olfactory dysfunction stands as one of the most prevalent non-motor symptoms in the initial stage of Parkinson's disease (PD). Nevertheless, the intricate mechanisms underlying olfactory deficits in Parkinson's disease still remain elusive. This study collected rs-fMRI data from 30 PD patients [15 with severe hyposmia (PD-SH) and 15 with no/mild hyposmia (PD-N/MH)] and 15 healthy controls (HC). To investigate functional segregation, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were utilized. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed to explore the functional integration across diverse brain regions. Additionally, the graph theory-based network analysis was employed to assess functional networks in PD patients. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to delve deeper into the relationship between the severity of olfactory dysfunction and various functional metrics. We discovered pronounced variations in ALFF, ReHo, FC, and topological brain network attributes across the three groups, with several of these disparities exhibiting a correlation with olfactory scores. Using fMRI, our study analyzed brain function in PD-SH, PD-N/MH, and HC groups, revealing impaired segregation and integration in PD-SH and PD-N/MH. We hypothesize that changes in temporal, frontal, occipital, and cerebellar activities, along with aberrant cerebellum-insula connectivity and node degree and betweenness disparities, may be linked to olfactory dysfunction in PD patients.

Aberrant neuronal connectivity and network activity of neurons derived from patients with idiopathic schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a psychiatric disorder with a strong genetic determinant. A major hypothesis to explain disease aetiology comprises synaptic dysfunction associated with excitatory-inhibitory imbalance of synaptic transmission, ultimately contributing to impaired network oscillation and cognitive deficits associated with the disease. Here, we studied the morphological and functional properties of a highly defined co-culture of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from patients with idiopathic SCZ. Our results indicate upregulation of synaptic genes and increased excitatory synapse formation on GABAergic neurons in co-cultures. In parallel, we observed decreased lengths of axon initial segments, concordant with data from postmortem brains from patients with SCZ. In line with increased synapse density, patch-clamp analyses revealed markedly increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSC) recorded from GABAergic SCZ neurons. Finally, MEA recordings from neuronal networks indicate increased strength of network activity, potentially in response to altered synaptic transmission and E-I balance in the co-cultures. In conclusion, our results suggest selective deregulation of neuronal activity in SCZ samples, providing evidence for altered synapse formation and synaptic transmission as a potential base for aberrant network synchronization.

Shared and distinct patterns of default mode network dysfunction in major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder: A comparative meta-analysis

BackgroundWhile patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) exhibited default mode network (DMN) dysfunction revealed by aberrant resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) patterns, previous findings have been inconsistent. Little is known about the similarities and differences in DMN rsFC between MDD and BD. MethodsA voxel-wise meta-analysis of seed-based DMN rsFC studies on MDD or BD was performed using the Seed-based d Mapping software with permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI). Aberrant DMN rsFC in both disorders was investigated separately, followed by conjunction and between-disorder comparison analyses. Functional decoding was performed to implicate the psychophysiological underpinnings of derived brain abnormalities. ResultsThirty-four studies comparing 1316 MDD patients with 1327 HC, and 22 studies comparing 1059 BD patients with 1396 HC were included. Compared to HC, MDD patients exhibited DMN hyperconnectivity with frontolimbic systems, and hypoconnectivity with temporal lobe and posterior cingulate cortex. BD patients displayed increased DMN connectivity with bilateral precuneus, and reduced connectivity with prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus. No common patterns of DMN rsFC abnormalities were observed between MDD and BD. Compared to BD, MDD patients showed DMN hyperconnectivity with triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus and left fusiform gyrus. Functional decoding found that patterns of DMN rsFC alteration between MDD and BD were primarily related to action and perception domains. ConclusionDistinct DMN dysfunction patterns in MDD and BD enhance current understanding of the neural substrates of mood disorders and may provide a potential biomarker for differentiation.

Effective Connectivity Network of Aberrant Prediction Error Processing in Auditory Phantom Perception.

Introduction: Prediction error (PE) is key to perception in the predictive coding framework. However, previous studies indicated the varied neural activities evoked by PE in tinnitus patients. Here, we aimed to reconcile the conflict by (1) a more nuanced view of PE, which could be driven by changing stimulus (stimulus-driven PE [sPE]) and violation of current context (context-driven PE [cPE]) and (2) investigating the aberrant connectivity networks that are engaged in the processing of the two types of PEs in tinnitus patients. Methods: Ten tinnitus patients with normal hearing and healthy controls were recruited, and a local-global auditory oddball paradigm was applied to measure the electroencephalographic difference between the two groups during sPE and cPE conditions. Results: Overall, the sPE condition engaged bottom-up and top-down connections, whereas the cPE condition engaged mostly top-down connections. The tinnitus group showed decreased sensitivity to the sPE and increased sensitivity to the cPE condition. Particularly, the auditory cortex and posterior cingulate cortex were the hubs for processing cPE in the control and tinnitus groups, respectively, showing the orientation to an internal state in tinnitus. Furthermore, tinnitus patients showed stronger connectivity to the parahippocampus and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex for the establishment of the prediction during the cPE condition. Conclusion: These results begin to dissect the role of changes in stimulus characteristics versus changes in the context of processing the same stimulus in mechanisms of tinnitus generation.

Aberrant brain structural-functional connectivity coupling associated with cognitive dysfunction in different cerebral small vessel disease burdens.

Emerging evidence suggests that cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) pathology changes brain structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) networks. Although network-level SC and FC are closely coupled in the healthy population, how SC-FC coupling correlates with neurocognitive outcomes in patients with different CSVD burdens remains largely unknown. Using multimodal MRI, we reconstructed whole-brain SC and FC networks for 54 patients with severe CSVD burden (CSVD-s), 106 patients with mild CSVD burden (CSVD-m), and 79 healthy controls. We then investigated the aberrant SC-FC coupling and functional network topology in CSVD and their correlations with cognitive dysfunction. Compared with controls, the CSVD-m patients showed no significant change in any SC-FC coupling, but the CSVD-s patients exhibited significantly decreased whole-brain (p = 0.014), auditory/motor (p = 0.033), and limbic modular (p = 0.011) SC-FC coupling. For functional network topology, despite no change in global efficiency, CSVD-s patients exhibited significantly reduced nodal efficiency of the bilateral amygdala (p = 0.024 and 0.035) and heschl gyrus (p = 0.001 and 0.005). Notably, for the CSVD-s patients, whole-brain SC-FC coupling showed a significantly positive correlation with MoCA (r = 0.327, p = 0.020) and SDMT (r = 0.373, p = 0.008) scores, limbic/subcortical modular SC-FC coupling showed a negative correlation (r = -0.316, p = 0.025) with SCWT score, and global/local efficiency (r = 0.367, p = 0.009 and r = 0.353, p = 0.012) showed a positive correlation with AVLT score. For the CSVD-m group, whole-brain and auditory/motor modular SC-FC couplings showed significantly positive correlations with SCWT (r = 0.217, p = 0.028 and r = 0.219, p = 0.027) and TMT (r = 0.324, p = 0.001 and r = 0.245, p = 0.013) scores, and global/local efficiency showed positive correlations with AVLT (r = 0.230, p = 0.020 and r = 0.248, p = 0.012) and SDMT (r = 0.263, p = 0.008 and r = 0.263, p = 0.007) scores. Our findings demonstrated that decreased whole-brain and module-dependent SC-FC coupling associated with reduced functional efficiency might underlie more severe burden and worse cognitive decline in CSVD. SC-FC coupling might serve as a more sensitive neuroimaging biomarker of CSVD burden and provided new insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms of clinical development of CSVD.

Dysconnectivity of the cerebellum and somatomotor network correlates with the severity of alogia in chronic schizophrenia

Recent fMRI resting-state findings show aberrant functional connectivity within somatomotor network (SMN) in schizophrenia. Moreover, functional connectivity aberrations of the motor system are often reported to be related to the severity of psychotic symptoms. Thus, it is important to validate those findings and confirm their relationship with psychopathology. Therefore, we decided to take an entirely data-driven approach in our fMRI resting-state study of 30 chronic schizophrenia outpatients and 30 matched control subjects. We used independent component analysis (ICA), dual regression, and seed-based connectivity analysis. We found reduced functional connectivity within SMN in schizophrenia patients compared to controls and SMN hypoconnectivity with the cerebellum in schizophrenia patients. The latter was strongly correlated with the severity of alogia, one of the main psychotic symptoms, i.e. poverty of speech and reduction in spontaneous speech,. Our results are consistent with the recent knowledge about the role of the cerebellum in cognitive functioning and its abnormalities in psychiatric disorders, e.g. schizophrenia. In conclusion, the presented results, for the first time clearly showed the involvement of the cerebellum hypoconnectivity with SMN in the persistence and severity of alogia symptoms in schizophrenia.

Aberrant connectivity of the lateralized readiness system in non-syndromic congenital mirror movements

ObjectivesNon-syndromic CMM has a complex phenotype. Abnormal corpus callosum and corticospinal tract processes are suggested mechanisms of the mirror movements. To further explore behavioural and neural phenotype(s) the present study tests the hypothesis that the response readiness network comprising supplementary motor area (SMA) and connections with motor cortex (M1) functions abnormally in CMM. MethodsTwelve participants with (non-syndromic) CMM and a control group (n = 28) were tested on a probabilistic Go-NoGo task while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded to assess possible group differences in lateralized readiness of voluntary hand movements together with measures of SMA-M1 functional connectivity. ResultsThe CMM group demonstrated delayed lateralized readiness and stronger functional connectivity between left-brain SMA-M1 regions. Connectivity strength was correlated with measures of behavioural performance but not with extent of mirroring. ConclusionsAbnormalities in brain processes upstream of movement output likely reflect neurocompensation as a result of lifelong experience with mirroring in CMM. SignificanceThese findings extend the known neural abnormalities in CMM to include brain networks upstream from those involved in motor output and raise the question of whether neurocompensatory plasticity might be involved.

Painful stimulation increases functional connectivity between supplementary motor area and thalamus in patients with small fibre neuropathy.

The lead symptom of small fibre neuropathy (SFN) is neuropathic pain. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have indicated central changes in SFN patients of different etiologies. However, less is known about brain functional connectivity during acute pain processing in idiopathic SFN. We conducted fMRI with thermal heat pain application (left volar forearm) in 32 idiopathic SFN patients and 31 healthy controls. We performed functional connectivity analyses with right supplementary motor area (SMA), left insula, and left caudate nucleus (CN) as seed regions, respectively. Since pathogenic gain-of-function variants in voltage gated sodium channels (Nav) have been linked to SFN pathophysiology, explorative connectivity analyses were performed in a homogenous subsample of patients carrying rare heterozygous missense variants. For right SMA, we found significantly higher connectivity with the right thalamus in SFN patients compared to controls. This connectivity correlated significantly with intraepidermal nerve fibre density, suggesting a link between peripheral and central pain processing. We found significantly reduced connections between right SMA and right middle frontal gyrus in patients with Nav variants. Likewise, connectivity between left CN and right frontal pole was decreased. Aberrant functional connectivity in SFN is in line with previous research on other chronic pain syndromes. Functional connectivity changes may be linked to SFN, highlighting the need to determine if they result from peripheral changes causing abnormal somatosensory processing. This understanding may be crucial for assessing their impact on painful symptoms and therapy response. We found increased functional connectivity between SMA and thalamus during painful stimulation in patients with idiopathic SFN. Connectivity correlated significantly with intraepidermal nerve fibre density, suggesting a link between peripheral and central pain processing. Our findings emphasize the importance of investigating functional connectivity changes as a potential feature of SFN.

Aberrant functional connectivity of amygdala subregions in temporal lobe epilepsy with ictal panic.

The amygdala joins the model of fear neurocircuitry for its subregional roles in processing and mediating panic. This study aims to explore the underlying neuromechanisms of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with ictal panic (IP) by investigating the amygdala subregions functional connectivity (FC) alteration. 18 TLE patients with IP (TLE-IP group), 23 TLE patients without IP (TLE-none-IP group) and 22 age- and sex- matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled and required to take resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning. The basolateral (BLA), centromedial (CMA), and superficial(SFA) amygdala subregions were extracted from Juelich histological atlas. The amygdala subregions-based FC was computed and compared among three groups. The TLE-IP group demonstrated stronger FC between the left BLA and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) than the TLE-none-IP group and HC. Compared with the TLE-none-IP group and HC, the TLE-IP group showed increased FC between the right BLA and right postcentral gyrus. The FC between the left BLA/SFA and the orbital part of right MFG increased in the TLE-IP group. Furthermore, the TLE-IP group exhibited decreased FC between the left CMA and pons. Further analysis indicated altered FC between the amygdala subregions and the pons, precuneus and thalamus in the left-sided TLE-IP group, but the MFG, inferior parietal gyrus, supplementary motor area and cerebellum in the right-sided TLE-IP group. The present study revealed aberrant amygdala subregions-based FC in TLE patients with IP. These findings offer unique insights into the understanding of fear neurocircuitry in TLE patients with IP.

Altered dynamic functional connectivity of nucleus accumbens subregions in major depressive disorder: the interactive effect of childhood trauma and diagnosis.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) with childhood trauma represents a heterogeneous clinical subtype of depression. Previous research has observed alterations in the reward circuitry centered around the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in MDD patients. However, limited investigations have focused on aberrant functional connectivity (FC) within NAc subregions among MDD with childhood trauma. Thus, this study adopts analyses of both static FC (sFC) and dynamic FC (dFC) to examine neurobiological changes in MDD with childhood trauma. The bilateral nucleus accumbens shell (NAc-shell) and nucleus accumbens core (NAc-core) were selected as the seeds. Four participant groups were included: MDD with childhood trauma (n = 48), MDD without childhood trauma (n = 30), healthy controls (HCs) with childhood trauma (n = 57), and HCs without childhood trauma (n = 46). Our findings revealed both abnormal sFC and dFC between NAc-shell and NAc-core and regions including the middle occipital gyrus (MOG), anterior cingulate cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus in MDD with childhood trauma. Furthermore, a significant correlation was identified between the dFC of the left NAc-shell and the right MOG in relation to childhood trauma. Additionally, abnormal dFC moderated the link between childhood abuse and depression severity. These outcomes shed light on the neurobiological underpinnings of MDD with childhood trauma.

Characterizing Autism Spectrum Disorder through Fusion of Local Cortical Activation and Global Functional Connectivity using Game-Based Stimuli and a Mobile EEG System.

The deficit in social interaction skills among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is strongly influenced by personal experiences and social environments. Neuroimaging studies have previously highlighted the link between social impairment and brain activity in ASD. This study aims to develop a method for assessing and identifying ASD using a social cognitive game-based paradigm combined with electroencephalography (EEG) signaling features. Typically developing (TD) participants and autistic preadolescents and teenagers were recruited to participate in a social game while 12-channel EEG signals were recorded. The EEG signals underwent preprocessing to analyze local brain activities, including event-related potentials (ERPs) and time-frequency features. Additionally, the global brain network's functional connectivity between brain regions was evaluated using phase-lag indices (PLIs). Subsequently, machine learning models were employed to assess the neurophysiological features. Results indicated pronounced ERP components, particularly the late positive potential (LPP), in parietal regions during social training. Autistic preadolescents and teenagers exhibited lower LPP amplitudes and larger P200 amplitudes compared to TD participants. Reduced theta synchronization was also observed in the ASD group. Aberrant functional connectivity within certain time intervals was noted in the ASD group. Machine learning analysis revealed that support-vector machines achieved a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 91.7%, and accuracy of 95.8% as part of the performance evaluation when utilizing ERP and brain oscillation features for ASD characterization. These findings suggest that social interaction difficulties in autism are linked to specific brain activation patterns. Traditional behavioral assessments face challenges of subjectivity and accuracy, indicating the potential use of social training interfaces and EEG features for cognitive assessment in ASD.