fMRI Research Articles

Histaminergic Innervation of the Ventral Anterior Thalamic Nucleus Alleviates Motor Deficits in a 6-OHDA-Induced Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease

AbstractThe ventral anterior (VA) nucleus of the thalamus is a major target of the basal ganglia and is closely associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Notably, the VA receives direct innervation from the hypothalamic histaminergic system. However, its role in PD remains unknown. Here, we assessed the contribution of histamine to VA neuronal activity and PD motor deficits. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed reduced VA activity in PD patients. Optogenetic activation of VA neurons or histaminergic afferents significantly alleviated motor deficits in 6-OHDA-induced PD rats. Furthermore, histamine excited VA neurons via H1 and H2 receptors and their coupled hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, inward-rectifier K+ channels, or Ca2+-activated K+ channels. These results demonstrate that histaminergic afferents actively compensate for Parkinsonian motor deficits by biasing VA activity. These findings suggest that targeting VA histamine receptors and downstream ion channels may be a potential therapeutic strategy for PD motor dysfunction.

Prenatal social disadvantage is associated with alterations in functional networks at birth

Childhood exposure to social disadvantage is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders and poor developmental, educational, and occupational outcomes, presumably because adverse exposures alter the neurodevelopmental processes that contribute to risk trajectories. Yet, given the limited social mobility in the United States and other countries, childhood social disadvantage is frequently preceded by maternal social disadvantage during pregnancy, potentially altering fetal brain development during a period of high neuroplasticity through hormonal, microbiome, epigenetic, and immune factors that cross the placenta and fetal blood-brain barrier. The current study examines prenatal social disadvantage to determine whether these exposures in utero are associated with alterations in functional brain networks as early as birth. As part of the Early Life Adversity and Biological Embedding study, mothers were recruited during pregnancy, prenatal social disadvantage was assessed across trimesters, and their healthy, full-term offspring were imaged using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging during the first weeks of life. Multivariate machine learning methods revealed that neonatal functional connectivity (FC) varied as a function of prenatal exposure to social disadvantage (n = 261, R = 0.43, R2 = 0.18), with validation in an independent sample. Alterations in FC associated with prenatal social disadvantage occurred brain-wide and were most pronounced in association networks (fronto-parietal, ventral attention, dorsal attention) and the somatomotor network. Amygdala FC was altered at birth, with a pattern shared across subcortical structures. These findings provide critical insights into how early in development functional networks begin to diverge in the context of social disadvantage and elucidate the functional networks that are most impacted.

Alterations of the resting-state brain network connectivity and gray matter volume in patients with fibromyalgia in comparison to ankylosing spondylitis

Fibromyalgia (FM) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are both rheumatic diseases characterized by significant musculoskeletal pain. In this study, we investigated the differences of the resting-state network (RSN) connectivity and gray matter volume (GMV) between FM, AS and healthy controls (HCs). We recruited 38 FM patients, 82 AS patients and 61 HCs in this study. All the participants underwent resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) scans in a GE 3.0T MR system. Independent component analysis (ICA) was conducted on the rs-fMRI data, and group differences of the rsFC between different resting-state networks were calculated using dual regression. We also conducted voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis to investigate the differences of the GMV in FM, AS and HCs. The rsFC between the dorsal default mode network (DDMN) and the body of left caudate nucleus was significantly decreased in FM patients in comparison to AS patients (87 voxels, p = 0.025). VBM analysis showed that the GMV of the left posterior lobe of cerebellum was significantly increased in FM patients compared with AS patients (88 voxels, p = 0.036). Neither ICA nor VBM analysis revealed significant differences of RSN connectivity or GMV between FM patients and HCs. The altered rsFC between DMN and the caudate nucleus suggested an aberrant cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit in FM patients, indicating aberrant reward processing, with potential association with mood, motivation and cognitive functions. The increased GMV in the left posterior lobe of cerebellum indicated the participation of cerebellum in the abnormal pain processing in FM patients.

Trimodal Brain Imaging: A Novel Approach for Simultaneous Investigation of Human Brain Function.

While advancements have improved the extent to which individual brain imaging approaches capture information regarding spatial or temporal dynamics of brain activity, the connections between these aspects and their relation to psychological functioning remain only partially understood. Acquisition and integration across multiple brain imaging modalities allows for the possible clarification of these connections. The present review provides an overview of three complementary modalities - functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography/event-related potentials (EEG/ERP), and event-related optical signals (EROS)- and discusses progress and considerations for each modality, along with a summary of a novel protocol for acquiring them simultaneously. Initial evidence points to the feasibility of acquiring and integrating multiple measures of brain function that allows for addressing questions in ways not otherwise possible using traditional approaches. Simultaneous trimodal brain imaging in humans provides new possibilities for clarifying spatiotemporal dynamics of brain activity and for identifying multifaceted associations with measures of individual differences and important health outcomes.

Altered Density of Resting-State Long- and Short-Range Functional Connectivity in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

This study is to evaluate the altered number of functional connection (s) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by functional connectivity density (FCD), to investigate its relationship with cognitive function, and to explore whether these features could be used to distinguish OSA from healthy controls (HCs). Seventy-six OSA patients and 72HCs were included in the analysis. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Subsequently, intergroup differences between long-and short-range FCD groups were obtained in the Matlab platform by using the degree centrality option with a 75 mm cutoff. The partial correlation analysis were used to assess the relationship between the altered FCD value and clinical assessments in OSA patients. The FCD values of the different brain regions were used as classification features to distinguish the two groups by support vector machine (SVM). Compared to HCs, OSA patients had decreased long-range FCD in the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG), right precuneus, and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Simultaneously, increased long-range FCD in the right cingulate gyrus (CG). Meanwhile, the short-range FCD were decreased in the right postcentral gyrus (PoCG), right SFG, left MFG, and right CG. The short-range FCD values of the right PoCG were correlated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores in OSA patients. SVM analysis showed that FCD in differential brain regions could differentiate OSA patients from HCs. Long- and short-range FCD values in different brain regions of OSA patients may be related to cognitive decline, and also be effective in distinguishing OSA patients from HCs. These findings provide new perspectives on neurocognition in OSA patients.

Improved ECG-gated cardiac cine imaging with variable initial value based tiny golden-angle radial trajectory.

Breath-held electrocardiogram-gated cardiac cine imaging (ECG-CINE), as the gold standard for assessing cardiac function in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is prone to motion artifacts. Conventional golden-angle (CGA) sampling has emerged as a promising technique for mitigating motion effects in real-time cardiac cine imaging. However, in ECG-CINE, the irregular re-binning of radial k-space profiles based on CGA can exacerbate k-space non-uniformity, resulting in severe streaking artifacts. The recently introduced segmented golden-angle ratio (SGA) scheme aims to solve this problem; nevertheless, it sacrifices the desired motion insensitivity. The study aims to develop a more efficient k-space sampling scheme for ECG-CINE that guarantees both improved motion insensitivity and optimized k-space coverage. Theoretically, to enhance motion insensitivity, it is essential that the single-frame radial k-space profiles acquired within each heartbeat (HB) span as close to a full 360-degree range as possible. Meanwhile, to ensure uniform data coverage, the sequentially acquired k-space profiles need to be evenly distributed both within each HB and across multiple HBs. In this study, we propose a Variable Initial value-based tiny Golden-Angle radial trajectory (VIGA) to achieve these two goals. Specifically, VIGA is a two-step approach: First, the tiny golden-angle ratio is applied to the k-space profiles within each HB to maintain motion insensitivity and k-space uniformity as in CGA. Second, a golden ratio of the golden angle used within each HB is applied to the initial k-space profiles across adjacent HBs to optimize coverage further. We validated the proposed VIGA method through numerical simulations, phantom experiments, and prospective and retrospective in vivo cardiac cine experiments. Numerical simulations revealed that the k-space uniformity of CGA is highly dependent on the number of spokes per HB, whereas VIGA and SGA maintained nearly optimal k-space coverage regardless of this parameter. Both phantom and prospective studies demonstrated that VIGA outperforms CGA when the number of spokes per HB is suboptimal, and surpasses SGA in conditions with residual respiratory motion. The standard deviation of gradient scores indicates statistical significance between CGA and VIGA under free-breathing conditions (p=0.039) and between SGA and VIGA under all conditions tested (Free-breathing, 200 spokes/HB: p=0.028; Breath-holding, 200 spokes/HB: p=0.008; Free-breathing, 200 spokes/HB: p=0.013; Breath-holding, 200 spokes/HB: p=0.011). Retrospective results demonstrated that doctor ratings for SGA were lower than those for VIGA, and the ratings for systole images using VIGA were significantly higher than those using CGA (2.55±0.45 vs. 3.29±0.52; p=0.04). A novel and efficient k-space sampling scheme, named VIGA, was proposed to improve k-space uniformity and motion insensitivity. VIGA facilitates robust image quality in both prospective and retrospective cardiac cine imaging, demonstrating its potential as a clinically viable alternative to CGA and SGA.

The effects of acute exercise on emotional pattern separation in adolescents and young adults

Acute exercise has been associated with cognitive improvements, particularly in memory processes linked to the hippocampus, such as the ability to discriminate between similar stimuli, called hippocampal pattern separation. This can be assessed behaviorally with a mnemonic discrimination task and neurally with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Additionally, previous research has shown an emotional modulatory effect on pattern separation, involving the amygdala. In this randomized between-subject study, we investigated whether a 10-minute bout of moderate-intensity exercise, compared to rest, could enhance pattern separation of neutral and emotional images in a group of healthy adolescents and young adults (n=53). Our results showed no significant effects of exercise on either mnemonic discrimination performance or neural activity in the hippocampus and amygdala. Additionally, arterial spin labeling (ASL) confirmed that there were no significant differences in cerebral blood flow between exercise and rest. We did observe worse discrimination for images with a higher similarity level and worse discrimination for highly similar positive images compared to negative and neutral images. However, there were no significant correlations between behavioral outcomes and neural activity. Exploratory analysis revealed a neural signal consistent with pattern completion in the bilateral CA1 and left CA3, but no evidence of pattern separation. Future studies should optimize the exercise characteristics necessary to robustly enhance pattern separation.

A preliminary study of fMRI and the relationship with depression and anxiety in Meniere's patients

PurposeTo examine alterations in Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) signals, utilizing regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) metrics, within activated brain regions. Additionally, this study aims to explore the relationship between these neural changes and clinical characteristics, as well as emotional states, in patients diagnosed with unilateral Meniere's disease (MD). MethodThe study included 24 patients diagnosed with left Meniere's disease (L-MD), 25 patients diagnosed with right Meniere's disease (R-MD), and 23 healthy control subjects. Resting-state blood‑oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (rest-BOLD-fMRI) data were preprocessed. A two-sample t-test was employed to compare the regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) between the patient groups and the control group. Brain regions exhibiting significant differences were further analyzed for correlations with disease duration, vertigo severity, vertigo duration, hearing loss grade, and levels of anxiety and depression. ResultsIn patients with L-MD, fALFF values were significantly decreased in the right cerebellar hemisphere, middle occipital gyrus, among other regions. In patients with right-sided Ménière's disease (R-MD), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) values were elevated in the right middle inferior temporal gyrus and fusiform gyrus. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) values exhibited both increases and decreases in the temporal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, occipital gyrus, superior marginal gyrus, anterior central gyrus, and fusiform gyrus. In studies examining relational aspects, the parahippocampal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, superior middle occipital gyrus, superior marginal gyrus, and occipital gyrus demonstrated positive or negative correlations with clinical characteristics and emotional states. ConclusionsPatients with unilateral Meniere's disease (MD) exhibited both increased and decreased activation in various brain regions when compared to control subjects. A correlation was identified between these neural activation patterns and clinical characteristics, as well as emotional state, which holds significant implications for clinical treatment, prognosis, and rehabilitation strategies for MD patients.

Mechanistic insights into retinoic-acid treatment for autism in the improvement of social behavior: evidence from a multi omics study in rats

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition. It is characterized by complex etiologies, including disruptions in exogenous retinoic acid (RA) signaling, which may serve as an environmental risk factor. Targeting the RA pathway presents a promising therapeutic avenue, though the precise mechanisms remain to be elucidated. MethodsFemale Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy to induce an ASD model in their offspring. Some offspring received RA treatment postnatally. Social behavior and brain-functional connectivity were assessed using behavioral tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), respectively. Transcriptomics analysis and proteomics analysis of the hypothalamus identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). These were intersected with ASD pathogenic genes (APGs) and ASD pathogenic proteins (APPs) to identify differentially expressed APGs (DE-APGs) and differentially expressed APPs (DE-APPs), which were validated by real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. Analyses of enrichment of signaling pathways were done using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. ResultsRA treatment significantly improved social behaviors and revealed distinct patterns of hypo- and hyper-connectivity across various brain regions, with notable changes involving the hypothalamus and facial nerve. Differential analysis revealed 4165 DEGs (DEG 1) and 329 DEPs (DEP 1) between control and VPA groups, and 1610 DEGs (DEG 2) and 197 DEPs (DEP 2) between VPA and RA supplementation (RAS) groups. Twenty-two DE-APGs and five DE-APPs were identified, with key associations found between proteins such as Tbl1xr1 and Myo5a and >13 genes including Nrxn1, Cacna1e, and Gabrb2. Significant alterations in DE-APGs, including Grin2b, Nrxn1, Cacna1e, and Gabrb2, were confirmed via real-time RT-PCR and western blotting. In addition, 22 key signaling pathways were enriched in DEPs and DEGs. ConclusionRA supplementation in ASD rats induced by VPA may ameliorate social deficits and modulated functional connectivity, especially in the hypothalamus and facial nerve regions. This suggests potential therapeutic benefits for neural circuitry dysregulation in ASD. Additionally, RA altered critical gene and protein expressions in hypothalamus, implicating its role in modulating key signaling pathways to mitigate social deficits in ASD. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of ASD and supports the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40) attenuates acetic acid-induced overactive bladder in rats by regulating brain neural activity through the modulation of mast cells and tibial nerves

ObjectiveThe present study evaluated the effects of deep acupuncture at Weizhong acupoint (BL40) on bladder function and brain activity in a rat model of overactive bladder (OAB), and investigated the possible mechanisms around the acupuncture area that initiate the effects of acupuncture. MethodsAdult female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups, comprising a control group, model group, group treated with deep acupuncture at BL40, group treated with shallow acupuncture at BL40, group treated with acupuncture at non-acupoint next to BL40, and group treated with acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB39). Urodynamic evaluation was used to observe the urination, and functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to observe the brain activation. The mechanism of acupuncture at BL40 in regulating bladder function was explored by toluidine blue staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the mechanism was verified by stabilizing mast cells (MCs) or blocking tibial nerve. ResultsDeep acupuncture at BL40 significantly increased the intercontraction interval in OAB rats and enhanced the mean amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of primary motor cortex (M1), periaquaductal gray matter (PAG), and pontine micturition center (PMC). It also increased the zero-lag functional connectivity between M1 and PAG and between PAG and PMC. Shallow acupuncture at BL40 and acupuncture at non-acupoint or GB39 had no effect on these indexes. Further studies suggested that deep acupuncture at BL40 increased the number and degranulation rate of MCs as well as the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, and histamine in the tissues around BL40. Blocking the tibial nerve by lidocaine injection or inhibiting MC degranulation by sodium cromoglycate injection obstructed the effects of acupuncture on restoring urinary function and modulating brain activation in OAB rats. ConclusionDeep acupuncture at BL40 may be more effective for inhibiting OAB by promoting degranulation of MCs around the acupoint and stimulating tibial nerve, thereby regulating the activation of the brain area that controls the lower urinary tract.

A Possible Neural Basis for Attentional Capture of Faces Revealed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Causal Pharmacological Inactivation in Macaques.

In primates, the presence of a face in a visual scene captures attention and rapidly directs the observer's gaze to the face, even when the face is not relevant to the task at hand. Here, we explored a neural circuit that might potentially play a causal role in this powerful behavior. In our previous research, two monkeys received microinfusions of muscimol, a γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA)-receptor agonist, or saline (as a control condition) in separate sessions into individual or pairs of four inferotemporal face patches (middle and anterior lateral and fundal), as identified by an initial localizer experiment. Then, using fMRI, we measured the impact of each inactivation condition on responses in the other face patches relative to the control condition. In this study, we used the same method and measured the impact of each inactivation condition on responses in the FEF and the lateral intraparietal area, two regions associated with attentional processing, while face and nonface object stimuli were viewed. Our results revealed potential relationships between inferotemporal face patches and these two attention-related regions: The inactivation of the middle lateral and anterior fundal face patches had a pronounced impact on FEF, whereas the inactivation of the middle and anterior lateral face patches had a noticeable influence on LIP. Together, these initial exploratory findings document a circuit that potentially underlies the attentional capture of faces. Confirmation of the role of this circuit remains to be accomplished in the context of a paradigm that explicitly tests the attentional capture of faces.

Neural substrates of alerting dysfunction in females with Multiple Sclerosis

MS is a disease characterised by demyelination of the central nervous system resulting in decreased quality of life, increased anxiety, depression, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. Attention is frequently impaired in MS. A previous study demonstrated impairment specifically in the attentional alerting domain. However, this study did not establish whether the impairment was in intrinsic or extrinsic alertness, and did not examine the neural substrates associated with the impairment. To examine the alerting deficit in MS and establish the associated neural substrates, 40 female patients with MS and 40 age and gender match controls completed an alertness-motor paradigm designed to test both intrinsic and extrinsic alertness during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found the MS group had a significant deficit in extrinsic alertness, which was associated with a lack of dorsal prefrontal cortex (DPFC) activation. In addition, reduced gray matter volume in the dorsal prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and basal ganglia were observed. Both fMRI and VBM correlations were observed between fatigue severity scale (FSS) scores and the DPFC. The combined results of our functional and structural MRI data analysis demonstrate that attention deficits in females with MS are a result of the complex relationship between brain tissue loss having a significant impact on functional brain regions subserving executive control of cognitive functions. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of cognitive performance and how they relate to fatigue are crucial to developing novel treatments for the symptoms of MS.

A multimodal vision transformer for interpretable fusion of functional and structural neuroimaging data.

Multimodal neuroimaging is an emerging field that leverages multiple sources of information to diagnose specific brain disorders, especially when deep learning-based AI algorithms are applied. The successful combination of different brain imaging modalities using deep learning remains a challenging yet crucial research topic. The integration of structural and functional modalities is particularly important for the diagnosis of various brain disorders, where structural information plays a crucial role in diseases such as Alzheimer's, while functional imaging is more critical for disorders such as schizophrenia. However, the combination of functional and structural imaging modalities can provide a more comprehensive diagnosis. In this work, we present MultiViT, a novel diagnostic deep learning model that utilizes vision transformers and cross-attention mechanisms to effectively fuse information from 3D gray matter maps derived from structural MRI with functional network connectivity matrices obtained from functional MRI using the ICA algorithm. MultiViT achieves an AUC of 0.833, outperforming both our unimodal and multimodal baselines, enabling more accurate classification and diagnosis of schizophrenia. In addition, using vision transformer's unique attentional maps in combination with cross-attentional mechanisms and brain function information, we identify critical brain regions in 3D gray matter space associated with the characteristics of schizophrenia. Our research not only significantly improves the accuracy of AI-based automated imaging diagnostics for schizophrenia, but also pioneers a rational and advanced data fusion approach by replacing complex, high-dimensional fMRI information with functional network connectivity, integrating it with representative structural data from 3D gray matter images, and further providing interpretative biomarker localization in a 3D structural space.

Neuroimaging in Dementia.

This article captures the current literature regarding the use of neuroimaging measures to study neurodegenerative diseases, including early- and late-onset Alzheimer disease, vascular cognitive impairment, frontotemporal lobar degeneration disorders, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Parkinson disease dementia. In particular, the article highlights significant recent changes in novel therapeutics now available for the treatment of Alzheimer disease and in defining neurodegenerative disease using biological frameworks. Studies summarized include those using structural and functional MRI (fMRI) techniques, as well as metabolic and molecular emission tomography imaging (ie, positron emission tomography [PET] and single-photon emission computerized tomography [SPECT]). Neuroimaging measures are considered essential biomarkers for the detection and diagnosis of most neurodegenerative diseases. The recent approval of anti-amyloid antibody therapies has highlighted the importance of MRI and PET techniques in treatment eligibility and monitoring for associated side effects. Given the success of the initial biomarker-based classification system for Alzheimer disease (the amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration [A/T/N] framework), researchers in vascular cognitive impairment have created similar techniques for biomarker-based diagnosis. Further, the A/T/N framework for Alzheimer disease has been updated to include several pathologic targets for biomarker detection. Neurodegenerative diseases have a major health impact on millions of patients around the world. Neuroimaging biomarkers are rapidly becoming major diagnostic tools for the detection, monitoring, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This article educates readers about the current literature surrounding the use of neuroimaging tools in neurodegenerative diseases along with recent important developments in the field.

Alterations in Volume and Intrinsic Resting-State Functional Connectivity Detected at Brain MRI in Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder.

Background Structural and functional MRI studies have revealed brain alterations associated with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, previous research has been limited by small sample sizes, few female participants, and single-modality analyses. Purpose To identify structural and functional brain alterations in individuals with OUD using whole-brain data-driven methods to analyze T1-weighted MRI and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI). Materials and Methods This secondary analysis of the Collaboration Linking Opioid Use Disorder and Sleep study compared participants with OUD (data collection February 2021 to February 2023) receiving methadone treatment with healthy control participants (data collection February 2018 to May 2023). T1-weighted MRI and rsfMRI were analyzed using tensor-based morphometry and intrinsic connectivity distribution, respectively. Primary outcome measures included regional brain volumes and functional connectivity. Voxel-wise linear regression was used to assess group differences, with family-wise error correction. Pearson partial correlations were used to examine structure-function relationships. Results Compared with healthy control participants (n = 105; median age, 27 years [IQR, 23-37 years]; 58 female), participants with OUD (n = 103; median age, 37 years [IQR, 31.5-46 years]; 62 male) showed smaller volumes (corrected P < .05) in the thalamus (β = -17.42 [95% CI: -26.56, -8.27]) and right medial temporal lobe (β = -8.02 [95% CI: -12.25, -3.78]). Larger volumes (corrected P < .05) were seen in the brainstem (pons and medulla, β = 15.21 [95% CI: 7.03, 23.40]; midbrain, β = 13.04 [95% CI: 6.61, 19.47]) and cerebellum (right, β = 14.96 [95% CI: 7.25, 22.67]; left, β = 14.88 [95% CI: 7.32, 22.43]). An interaction between sex and group was found for medial prefrontal cortex volume (β = -19.38, corrected P < .05), with female participants having smaller volumes than male participants in the OUD group. Increased functional connectivity (corrected P < .05) was noted in the thalamus (β = 0.50 [95% CI: 0.25, 0.75]), right medial temporal lobe (β = 0.43 [95% CI: 0.21, 0.66]), right cerebellum (β = 0.46 [95% CI: 0.21, 0.71]), and brainstem (β = 0.48 [95% CI: 0.22, 0.74]) in the OUD group. Structure and function were positively correlated in the cerebellum (Pearson r = 0.32 [95% CI: 0.17, 0.44], P < .001) and brainstem (Pearson r = 0.23 [95% CI: 0.09, 0.37], P = .002). Conclusion Individuals with OUD showed overlapping structural and functional brain alterations in opioid receptor-dense regions compared with healthy control participants. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Filippi and Messina in this issue.

Impaired contour object perception in psychosis.

Contour integration, the process of joining spatially separated elements into a single unified line, has consistently been found to be impaired in schizophrenia. Recent work suggests that this deficit could be associated with psychotic symptomatology, rather than a specific diagnosis such as schizophrenia. Examining a transdiagnostic sample of participants with psychotic psychopathology, we obtained quantitative indices of contour perception in a psychophysical behavioral task. We also measured responses during an analogous task using ultra-high field (7T) functional MRI. We found impaired contour discrimination performance among people with psychotic psychopathology (PwPP, n = 63) compared to healthy controls (n = 34) and biological relatives of PwPP (n = 44). Participants with schizophrenia (n = 31) showed impaired task performance compared to participants with bipolar disorder (n = 18). FMRI showed higher responses in the lateral occipital cortex of PwPP compared to controls. Using task-based functional connectivity analyses, we observed abnormal connectivity between visual brain areas during contour perception among PwPP. These connectivity differences only emerged when participants had to distinguish the contour object from background distractors, suggesting that a failure to suppress noise elements relative to contour elements may underlie impaired contour processing in PwPP. Our results are consistent with impaired contour integration in psychotic psychopathology, and especially schizophrenia, that is related to cognitive dysfunction, and may be linked to impaired functional connectivity across visual regions.

The Development of Socially Directed Attention: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Infant Monkeys.

Socially guided visual attention, such as gaze following and joint attention, represents the building block of higher-level social cognition in primates, although their neurodevelopmental processes are still poorly understood. Atypical development of these social skills has served as early marker of autism spectrum disorder and Williams syndrome. In this study, we trace the developmental trajectories of four neural networks underlying visual and attentional social engagement in the translational rhesus monkey model. Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data and gaze following skills were collected in infant rhesus macaques from birth through 6 months of age. Developmental trajectories from subjects with both resting-state fMRI and eye-tracking data were used to explore brain-behavior relationships. Our findings indicate robust increases in functional connectivity (FC) between primary visual areas (primary visual cortex [V1] - extrastriate area 3 [V3] and V3 - middle temporal area [MT], MT and anterior superior temporal sulcus area [AST], as well as between anterior temporal area [TE]) and amygdala (AMY) as infants mature. Significant FC decreases were found in more rostral areas of the pathways, such as between temporal area occipital part - TE in the ventral object pathway, V3 - lateral intraparietal (LIP) of the dorsal visual attention pathway and V3 - temporo-parietal area of the ventral attention pathway. No changes in FC were found between cortical areas LIP-FEF and temporo-parietal area - Area 12 of the dorsal and ventral attention pathways or between Anterior Superior Temporal sulcus area (AST)-AMY and AMY-insula. Developmental trajectory of gaze following revealed a period of dynamic changes with gradual increases from 1 to 2 months, followed by slight decreases from 3 to 6 months. Exploratory association findings across the 6-month period showed that infants with higher gaze following had lower FC between primary visual areas V1-V3, but higher FC in the dorsal attention areas V3-LIP, both in the right hemisphere. Together, the first 6 months of life in rhesus macaques represent a critical period for the emergence of gaze following skills associated with maturational changes in FC of socially guided attention pathways.

Assessing regional homogeneity and cognitive function alterations in pediatric brain tumor patients: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Cognitive impairment mechanisms in children with preoperative brain tumors are not well understood. This study aimed to determine the correlation between the changes of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and the fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) in patients with brain tumors before surgery and in healthy controls (HCs). rs-fMRI data were acquired using 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners for 21 patients with pediatric brain tumor and 19 age- and gender-matched HCs. The data of WISC-IV were collected by psychiatrists. We used chi-square tests and two-sample t-tests to identify clinical features with significant associations before surgery. A two-sample t-tests was used to identify brain regions with significant changes in regional homogeneity (ReHo) before surgery in patients. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between changes in ReHo and the five measures in the WISC-IV. The ReHo values were significantly decreased in the left anterior cingulate (T=-4.391) and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) (T=-5.130) in patients compared to controls. Notably, ReHo values in the right MFG showed a positive correlation with the Perceptual Reasoning Index (R=0.471; P=0.031) and Working Memory Index (R=0.531; P=0.013) of the WISC-IV. The study identified significant ReHo alterations in patients with pediatric brain tumor, primarily in brain regions associated with cognitive processing, and revealed a positive correlation between these alterations and specific cognitive functions. These findings contribute to understanding cognitive impairments in this patient group and suggest potential areas for targeted intervention.

Decreased brain function and anxiety-related loops in harm-avoidance personality: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Decreased brain function and anxiety-related loops in harm-avoidance personality: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

A neural regulation mechanism of head electroacupuncture on brain network of patients with stroke related sleep disorders.

To analyze part of the mechanism of electroacupuncture on Sishencong (EX-HN1) for stroke-related sleep disorders (SSD) and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, 72 patients were assigned to the electro-acupuncture (EA) group or the sham acupuncture (SA) group. A healthy control (HC) group was also included. Both groups were given routine rehabilitation treatment. Then, patients in the EA group were given additional electroacupuncture at Sishencong (EX_HN1). Meanwhile, patients in the SA group were given a flat-head needle sham/placebo treatment placed at the bilateral Jianyu (LI15) and Binao (LI14) line midpoints and the Jianyu (LI15) and Jianzhen (SI9) line midpoints. Before and after treatment, scales were collected and analyzed. In the second phase of the study, some subjects from the EA group were selected for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquisition and comparative analysis with the HC group using a non-RCT design. The EA group performed better than the SA group on the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Montreal cognitive assessment basic (MoCA_B), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and self-rating depression scale (SDS). Analysis of the fMRI showed that low-frequency (2 Hz) electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong (EX_HN1) can restrain frontal sup medial right (SFGmed.R), precuneus right (PCUN.R), and posterior cingulate cortex right (PCC.R) and enhance angular left (ANG.L), parietal inf left (IPL.L) and occipital mid left (MOG.L). The functional connectivity (FC) of SFGmed.R was positively correlated with PSQI. Electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong (EX_HN1) can reduce the side efficiency of the whole brain connection with the Thalamus.L, Hippocampus.L, and Occipital.Mid.L. Low frequency (2 Hz) electroacupuncture stimulation at Sishencong (EX_HN1) can simultaneously improve sleep quality, negative emotions, and cognitive functions, the first two of which may be related to SFGmed.R restraint. Electroacupuncture can make some brain areas approach the physiological bias state, which is characterized by dominant hemispheric enhancement and non-dominant hemispheric weakening. The reduced whole brain connection side efficiency with some key nodes of the brain net may relate to sleep quality improvements in SSD patients.