Increase In Gray Matter Volume Research Articles

ADHD diagnosis using structural brain MRI and personal characteristic data with machine learning framework.

An essential yet challenging task is an automatic diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) without manual intervention. The present study emphasises utilizing structural MRI and personal characteristic (PC) data for developing an automated diagnostic system for ADHD classification. Here, an age-balanced dataset of 316 ADHD and 316 Typically Developing Children (TDC) was prepared from the publicly available dataset. We extracted volumetric features from gray matter (GM) volumes from brain regions defined by Automated Anatomical Labelling (AAL3) atlas and cortical thickness-based (CT) features using the Destrieux atlas. A set of salient features were selected independently using minimum redundancy and maximum relevance (mRMR) and ensemble feature selection (EFS) methods. Decision models were trained using five well-known classifiers: K-nearest neighbours, logistic regression, linear Support Vector Machine (SVM), radial-based SVM (RBSVM), and Random Forest. The performance of the proposed system was evaluated using accuracy, recall, and specificity with ten runs of a ten-fold cross-validation scheme. We run seven experiments by considering different combinations of features. The maximum classification accuracy of 75% was obtained with CT and PC features with RBSVM and SVM with the EFS. An increase in GM volume in fifteen brain regions and loss of cortical thickness in twenty-seven brain regions were observed.

Functional Alterations of the Basal Ganglia Are Associated with Voluntary Activation of the Core Stabilizing Muscles in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Deficits in voluntary activation of the core stabilizing muscles are consistently observed in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP); however, the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed at testing the hypothesis that the impaired voluntary activation of core stabilizing muscles is associated with structural and functional alterations in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cortex in patients with CLBP. We obtained structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 53 patients with CLBP and 67 healthy controls and estimated the alterations in grey matter volume (GMV) and functional and effective connectivity (EC) of regions with altered GMV via whole brain analysis. The voluntary activation of the multifidus (MF) and transversus abdominis (TrA) was evaluated by ultrasound imaging in these patients. Compared with the HCs, they displayed a significant decrease in GMV in the bilateral thalamus and caudate nucleus, a significant increase in GMV in the left middle frontal gyrus, and increased resting-state functional connectivity between the right caudate nucleus and the bilateral precuneus (voxel-level p < 0.005, Gaussian random field-corrected p < 0.05). The patients also showed increased EC from the right caudate nucleus to the bilateral precuneus, which was significantly correlated with voluntary activation of the bilateral MF and TrA (all p < 0.050). Grey matter alterations may be confined to regions responsible for perception, motor control, and emotion regulation in patients with CLBP. The interrupted EC from the basal ganglia to the default mode network might be involved in the impairment of voluntary activation of the core stabilizing muscles.

Gray matter alterations in tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease after MRgFUS thalamotomy are correlated with tremor improvement: a pilot study.

Regional differences in gray matter volume (GMV) have been reported to be a reliable marker for diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to explore the clinical value of GMV to assess magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy as a treatment for tremor-dominant PD (TDPD). Nine TDPD patients with MRgFUS thalamotomy were recruited for structural magnetic resonance image (MRI) scanning and clinical score evaluation. GMV was calculated. To investigate changes after treatment, voxel- and region of interest (ROI)-wise GMV analyses were performed. Then, GMV with significant differences was extracted from patients to investigate its dynamic alterations by one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The nonparametric Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between GMV alterations and tremor improvement after thalamotomy. Tremors were significantly relieved after MRgFUS thalamotomy in nine patients (P<0.05). The treated hand tremor scores improved 74.82% on average in patients from pre-operation to 12 months post-operation. Voxel-wise analysis at the cluster level showed a significant decrease in GMV in the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG) [t=11.81, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level Pfamily-wise error (FWE) <0.05] and an increase in GMV in the left precentral gyrus (PreCG) (t=7.99, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level PFWE <0.05) in TDPD patients from preoperative to 12 months post-operation, which was significantly correlated with tremor scores (rho =0.346-0.439, P<0.05). ROI-wise analysis showed that GMV related to MRgFUS thalamotomy was associated with long-term structural alterations (P<0.05 with Bonferroni correction), including specific basal ganglia and related nuclei and cerebellum subregions. GMV can be used to reflect tremor improvement after MRgFUS thalamotomy and be helpful to better understand the distant effect of MRgFUS thalamotomy and the involvement of GMV in tremor control in TDPD. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04570046.

Alterations in Gray Matter Morphology and Functional Connectivity in Adult Patients with Newly Diagnosed Untreated Hypothyroidism.

Background: Untreated adult hypothyroidism may be associated with cognitive and emotional impairment, but the precise underlying neuropathological mechanism is unknown. We investigated the brain morphological and functional abnormalities associated with cognition and emotion in hypothyroidism. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study. Forty-four newly diagnosed adult hypothyroid patients and 54 well-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. All participants underwent three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Morphological and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses were performed to compare the intergroup differences. Neuropsychological tests, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Scale, 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) were administered. Thyroid function test and blood lipid levels were measured. Correlations were computed between neuropsychological and biochemical measures with neuroimaging indices. Sensitive morphological or functional neuroimaging indicators were identified using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: Compared with HCs, hypothyroid patients demonstrated lower total and subdomain scores on the MoCA and higher HAMD-24 and HAMA scores. Morphological analysis revealed the hypothyroid patients had significantly reduced gray matter (GM) volumes in the right superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and supplementary motor area as well as significantly increased GM volumes in the bilateral cerebellar Crus I and left precentral gyrus. Furthermore, seed-based FC analysis of hypothyroid patients showed increased FC between the right cerebellar Crus I and left precentral gyrus, triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus, and angular gyrus of the inferior parietal lobe. The language scores of the MoCA were positively correlated with Jacobian values of the left supplementary motor area (r = 0.391, p = 0.046) and precentral gyrus (r = 0.401, p = 0.039). ROC analysis revealed FC value between cerebellar Crus I and angular gyrus could differentiate groups with relatively high accuracy (sensitivity: 75%, specificity: 77.8%, area under the curve: 0.794 [CI 0.701-0.888], p < 0.001). Conclusions: Untreated adult-onset hypothyroidism may be associated with impaired cognition and anxiety or depression. GM morphological alterations and FC of the cerebellum with subregions of the frontal and parietal lobes may represent key neuropathological mechanisms underlying the cognitive deterioration and mood dysregulation observed in hypothyroid adults. Clinical Trial Registration Number: chiCTR2000028966.

Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study

BackgroundPrevious studies have repeatedly found distinct brain morphometric changes in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), mainly affecting gray and white matter abnormalities in areas related to sensory and affective pain processing. However, few studies have thus far linked different types of structural changes and not much is known about behavioral and clinical determinants that might influence the emergence and progression of such changes.MethodsWe used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) to detect regional patterns of (micro)structural gray (GM) and white matter (WM) alterations in 23 patients with FM compared to 21 healthy controls (HC), while considering the influence of demographic, psychometric, and clinical variables (age, symptom severity, pain duration, heat pain threshold, depression scores).ResultsVBM and DTI revealed striking patterns of brain morphometric changes in FM patients. Bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG), parahippocampal gyrus, left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), right putamen, right caudate nucleus, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) showed significantly decreased GM volumes. In contrast, increased GM volume was observed in bilateral cerebellum and left thalamus. Beyond that, patients displayed microstructural changes of WM connectivity within the medial lemniscus, corpus callosum, and tracts surrounding and connecting the thalamus. Sensory-discriminative aspects of pain (pain severity, pain thresholds) primarily showed negative correlations with GM within bilateral putamen, pallidum, right midcingulate cortex (MCC), and multiple thalamic substructures, whereas the chronicity of pain was negatively correlated with GM volumes within right insular cortex and left rolandic operculum. Affective-motivational aspects of pain (depressive mood, general activity) were related to GM and FA values within bilateral putamen and thalamus.ConclusionsOur results suggest a variety of distinct structural brain changes in FM, particularly affecting areas involved in pain and emotion processing such as the thalamus, putamen, and insula.

A Cross-Sectional Study: Structural and Related Functional Connectivity Changes in the Brain: Stigmata of Adverse Parenting in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder?

Background: There is a high correlation between the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as adverse parenting (AP). While there appears to be an association between ACEs and changes in brain structure and function, there have yet to be multimodal neuroimaging studies of associations between parenting style and brain developmental changes in MDD patients. To explore the effect of AP on brain structure and function. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 125 MDD outpatients were included in the study and divided into the AP group and the optimal parenting (OP) group. Participants completed self-rating scales to assess depressive severity, symptoms, and their parents' styles. They also completed magnetic resonance imaging within one week of filling out the instruments. The differences between groups of gender, educational level, and medications were analyzed using the chi-squared test and those of age, duration of illness, and scores on scales using the independent samples t-test. Differences in gray matter volume (GMV) and resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) were assessed between groups. Results: AP was associated with a significant increase in GMV in the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) and FC between the right SPL and the bilateral medial superior frontal cortex in MDD patients. Limitations: The cross-cultural characteristics of AP will result in the lack of generalizability of the findings. Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that AP during childhood may imprint the brain and affect depressive symptoms in adulthood. Parents should pay attention to the parenting style and avoid a style that lacks warmth.

Structural plasticity of the contralesional hippocampus and its subfields in patients with glioma.

To characterize the structural plasticity of the contralesional hippocampus and its subfields in patients with unilateral glioma. 3D T1-weighted MRI images were collected from 55 patients with tumors infiltrating the left (HipL, n = 27) or right (HipR, n = 28) hippocampus, along with 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Gray matter volume differences of the contralesional hippocampal regions and three control regions (superior frontal gyrus, caudate nucleus, and superior occipital gyrus) were evaluated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses. Volumetric differences in the hippocampus and its subregional volume were measured using the FreeSurfer software. Compared with HC, patients with unilateral hippocampal glioma exhibited significantly larger gray matter volume in the contralesional hippocampus and parahippocampal regions (cluster = 571 voxels for HipL; cluster 1 = 538 voxels and cluster 2 = 88 voxels for HipR; family-wise error corrected p < 0.05). No significant alterations were found in control regions. Volumetric analyses showed the same trend in the contralesional hippocampal subregions for both patient groups, including the CA1 head, CA3 head, hippocampus amygdala transition area (HATA), fimbria, and the granule cell molecular layer of the dentate gyrus head (GC-ML-DG head). Notably, the differences of the contralesional HATA (HipL: η2 = 0.418, corrected p = 0.002; HipR: η2 = 0.313, corrected p = 0.052) and fimbria (HipL: η2 = 0.450, corrected p < 0.001; HipR: η2 = 0.358, corrected p = 0.012) still held after the Bonferroni correction. Our findings provide evidence for macrostructural plasticity of the contralateral hippocampus in patients with unilateral hippocampal glioma. Specifically, HATA and fimbria exhibit great potential in this process. • Glioma infiltration of the hippocampal regions induces a significant increase in gray matter volume on the contralateral side. • Specifically, the HATA and fimbria regions exhibit favorable plastic potential in the process of lesion-induced structural remolding.

Severity related neuroanatomical and spontaneous functional activity alteration in adolescents with major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disabling and severe psychiatric disorder with a high rate of prevalence, and adolescence is one of the most probable periods for the first onset. The neurobiological mechanism underlying the adolescent MDD remains unexplored. In this study, we examined the cortical and subcortical alterations of neuroanatomical structures and spontaneous functional activation in 50 unmedicated adolescents with MDD vs. 39 healthy controls through the combined structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Significantly altered regional gray matter volume was found at broader frontal-temporal-parietal and subcortical brain areas involved with various forms of information processing in adolescent MDD. Specifically, the increased GM volume at the left paracentral lobule and right supplementary motor cortex was significantly correlated with depression severity in adolescent MDD. Furthermore, lower cortical thickness at brain areas responsible for visual and auditory processing as well as motor movements was found in adolescent MDD. The lower cortical thickness at the superior premotor subdivision was positively correlated with the course of the disease. Moreover, higher spontaneous neuronal activity was found at the anterior cingulum and medial prefrontal cortex, and this hyperactivity was also negatively correlated with the course of the disease. It potentially reflected the rumination, impaired concentration, and physiological arousal in adolescent MDD. The abnormal structural and functional findings at cortico-subcortical areas implied the dysfunctional cognitive control and emotional regulations in adolescent depression. The findings might help elaborate the underlying neural mechanisms of MDD in adolescents.

Structural alterations of the salience network in patients with insular glioma.

The structural alteration that occurs within the salience network (SN) in patients with insular glioma is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the changes in the topological network and brain structure alterations within the SN in patients with insular glioma. We enrolled 46 patients with left insular glioma, 39 patients with right insular glioma, and 21 demographically matched healthy controls (HCs). We compared the topological network, gray matter (GM) volume, and fractional anisotropy (FA) between HCs and patients after controlling for the effects of age and gender. Patients with insular glioma showed topological network decline mainly in the insula, basal ganglia region, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Compared with HCs, patients primarily showed GM volume increased in the ACC, inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), superior temporal gyrus (STG), temporal pole: middle temporal gyrus (TPOmid), insula, middle temporal gyrus (MTG), middle frontal gyrus, and superior occipital gyrus (SOG), but decreased in TPOmid, ITG, temporal pole: superior temporal gyrus, and SOG. FA declined mainly in the STG, MTG, ACC, superior frontal gyrus, and SOG, and also showed an increased cluster in SOG. FA represents the integrity of the white matter. In patients with insular glioma, decreased FA may lead to the destruction of the topological network within the SN, which in turn may lead to the decrease of network efficiency and brain function, and the increase of GM volume may compensate for these changes. Overall, this pattern of structural changes provides new insight into the compensation model of insular glioma.

Synergistic structural and functional alterations in the medial prefrontal cortex of patients with high-grade gliomas infiltrating the thalamus and the basal ganglia.

High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are characterized by a high degree of tissue invasion and uncontrolled cell proliferation, inevitably damaging the thalamus and the basal ganglia. The thalamus exhibits a high level of structural and functional connectivity with the default mode network (DMN). The present study investigated the structural and functional compensation within the DMN in HGGs invading the thalamus along with the basal ganglia (HITBG). A total of 32 and 22 healthy controls were enrolled, and their demographics and neurocognition (digit span test, DST) were assessed. Of the 32 patients, 18 patients were involved only on the left side, while 15 of them were involved on the right side. This study assessed the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), gray matter (GM) volume, and functional connectivity (FC) within the DMN and compared these measures between patients with left and right HITBG and healthy controls (HCs). The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) region existed in synchrony with the significant increase in ALFF and GM volume in patients with left and right HITBG compared with HCs. In addition, patients with left HITBG exhibited elevated ReHo and GM precuneus volumes, which did not overlap with the findings in patients with right HITBG. The patients with left and right HITBG showed decreased GM volume in the contralateral hippocampus without any functional variation. However, no significant difference in FC values was observed in the regions within the DMN. Additionally, the DST scores were significantly lower in patients with HITBG, but there was no significant correlation with functional or GM volume measurements. The observed pattern of synchrony between structure and function was present in the neuroplasticity of the mPFC and the precuneus. However, patients with HITBG may have a limited capacity to affect the connectivity within the regions of the DMN. Furthermore, the contralateral hippocampus in patients with HITBG exhibited atrophy. Thus, preventing damage to these regions may potentially delay the progression of neurological function impairment in patients with HGG.

Music interventions in 132 healthy older adults enhance cerebellar grey matter and auditory working memory, despite general brain atrophy

Normal aging is associated with brain atrophy and cognitive decline. Working memory, involved in cognitive functioning and daily living, is particularly affected. Music training gained momentum in research on brain plasticity and possible transfer effects of interventions on working memory, especially in the context of healthy aging. This longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study evaluated effects of 6-month music interventions on grey matter volume plasticity and auditory working memory performance in 132 healthy older adults. This study is part of a randomized controlled trial comparing two interventions: piano practice (experimental group) and musical culture (musical listening awareness, active control). We report significant grey matter volume increase at whole-brain level in the caudate nucleus, Rolandic operculum and inferior cerebellum when merging both groups, but no group differences. Cerebellar grey matter increase, training intensity metrics and sleep were positively associated with tonal working memory improvement. Digit Span Backward verbal working memory performance also increased. Using region of interest analyses, we showed a group difference in the right primary auditory cortex grey matter volume, decreasing in the musical group while staying stable in the piano group. In contrast, a significant 6-month whole-brain atrophy pattern consistent with longer-term investigations of the aging brain was revealed. We argue that education for seniors should become a major policy priority in the framework of healthy aging, to promote brain plasticity and cognitive reserve, through stimulating group interventions such as music-making and active listening.

Sleep across the first year of life is prospectively associated with brain volume in 12-months old infants

ObjectiveLonger sleep duration in infancy supports cognitive and affective functioning – likely through effects on brain development. From childhood through old age, there is evidence for a close link between sleep and brain volume. However, little is known about the association between sleep duration and brain volume in infancy, a developmental period of unprecedented brain maturation. This study aimed to close this gap by assessing sleep duration across the first year of life and gray and white matter volume at 12-mo age. MethodInfant sleep duration trajectories across the first year of life were based on maternal reports at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age. Infant specific trajectories were generated by running a logarithmic regression for each infant and residualizing the resulting slopes for their intercept. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired at 12-mo age. Gray and white matter volume estimates were residualized for intracranial volume and age at scan. ResultsData to calculate sleep trajectories was available for 112 infants. Overall, sleep duration decreased over the course of the first year of life and was best described by a logarithmic function. Of these infants, data on brain volume was available for 45 infants at 12-mo age. Infants whose sleep duration decreased less during the first year of life relative to their intercept had, on average, greater white matter volume (β = .36, p = .02). Furthermore, average sleep duration across the first year of life, and sleep duration specifically at 6 and 9 months were positively associated with white matter volume. Sleep duration during the first year of life was not significantly associated with gray matter volume at 12-mo age. ConclusionSufficient sleep duration may benefit infant white matter development – possibly by supporting myelination. The fact that sleep duration was not associated with gray matter volume is in line with preclinical studies suggesting that sleep may be crucial for the balance between synaptogenesis and synaptic pruning but not necessarily relate to a net increase in gray matter volume. Supporting sleep during periods of rapid brain development and intervening in case of sleep problems may have long-term benefits for cognitive function and mental health.

Analysis of changes in brain morphological structure of taekwondo athletes by diffusion tensor imaging

ObjectiveTaekwondo, which is the most preferred sport among the martial arts, is known to improve individuals physically, spiritually and mentally. The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of teakwondo sport on the brain and brain structures. Design;30 taekwondo athletes and 15 control groups were included in this study. Diffusion tensor MR images of each participant were taken. The information was obtained by the self-declaration of the athletes, whether they were sports years, amateur or elite. MethodTotal brain volume and volumes of white matter, gray matter, frontal lobe, precentral gyrus, corticospinal tract, basal nuclei, postcentral gyrus, hippocampus and amigdala and the ratio of these volumes to total brain volume were evaluated statistically between the groups using MriCloud software and ROIEditor program. ResultsAn increase in total brain volume, gray matter, frontal lobe and precentral gyrus volume in athletes was associated with taekwondo training. When the ratio of brain parts to total brain volume was examined, it was determined that there was a difference in the ratio of gray matter, white matter volumes in amateur athletes, right frontal lobe, left corticospinal tract, right postcentral gyrus volumes in elite athletes, and left postcentral gyrus volumes of both athletes compared to sedentary individuals. ConclusionsThe increase in the volume of gray matter, frontal lobe, postcentral gyrus and corticospinal tract together with the brain volume shows that taekwondo exercise contributes to physical, spiritual and mental development.

Safety and efficacy outcomes after intranasal administration of neural stem cells in cerebral palsy: a randomized phase 1/2 controlled trial

BackgroundNeural stem cells (NSCs) are believed to have the most therapeutic potential for neurological disorders because they can differentiate into various neurons and glial cells. This research evaluated the safety and efficacy of intranasal administration of NSCs in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The functional brain network (FBN) analysis based on electroencephalogram (EEG) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis based on T1-weighted images were performed to evaluate functional and structural changes in the brain.MethodsA total of 25 CP patients aged 3–12 years were randomly assigned to the treatment group (n = 15), which received an intranasal infusion of NSCs loaded with nasal patches and rehabilitation therapy, or the control group (n = 10) received rehabilitation therapy only. The primary endpoints were the safety (assessed by the incidence of adverse events (AEs), laboratory and imaging examinations) and the changes in the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), and some adapted scales. The secondary endpoints were the FBN and VBM analysis.ResultsThere were only four AEs happened during the 24-month follow-up period. There was no significant difference in the laboratory examinations before and after treatment, and the magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormal nasal and intracranial masses. Compared to the control group, patients in the treatment group showed apparent improvements in GMFM-88 and ADL 24 months after treatment. Compared with the baseline, the scale scores of the Fine Motor Function, Sociability, Life Adaptability, Expressive Ability, GMFM-88, and ADL increased significantly in the treatment group 24 months after treatment, while the SDSC score decreased considerably. Compared with baseline, the FBN analysis showed a substantial decrease in brain network energy, and the VBM analysis showed a significant increase in gray matter volume in the treatment group after NSCs treatment.ConclusionsOur results showed that intranasal administration of NSCs was well-tolerated and potentially beneficial in children with CP.Trial registration: The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03005249, registered 29 December 2016, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03005249) and the Medical Research Registration Information System (CMR-20161129-1003).

Meditation for Human Mind and Brain: Findings from Functional Neuroimaging Investigations

Meditation is generally described as being in the present moment or being alert in the present moment, instead of constantly struggling to change or to become. Meditation is an essential part of Yoga philosophy and the seventh limb of Astanga Yoga described by sage Patanjali in the ancient text Patanjali Yoga Sutra. Yoga including meditation, is an ancient technique invented to unite the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness, however, scientific studies have demonstrated the vast health advantages associated with it. Mindfulness as a non-judgmental awareness of the present-moment is also a part of yoga philosophy, however, most of the mindfulness practices those are being practiced in modern days are also rooted in Buddhist philosophy. Some well-known meditation techniques are Buddhist meditations, Hindu meditations, Chinese meditations, Christian meditation, Islamic meditations, Guided meditations etc. Meditation influences brain systems involved in attention, awareness, memory, sensory integration, emotion regulation, and higher-order cognitive functions. Meditation has also been found to be very effective in relieving stress, regulating emotions and promoting mental health. A significant increase in grey matter volume was found in the meditators as compared to non-meditators. The larger grey matter volume overall, and with regional enlargement in several right hemispheric cortical and subcortical brain regions are associated with sustained attention, self-control, compassion and interoceptive perception. Several functional neuroimaging studies showed that some brain regions are recruited consistently across different meditation techniques including insula, pre/supplementary motor cortices, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and frontopolar cortex.

Electroconvulsive therapy induced large-scale grey matter increases do not lead to any significant functional brain changes

Abstract Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for severe depression and induces gray matter increases in the brain. Small-scale studies suggest that ECT also leads to changes in brain functioning, but findings are inconsistent. In this talk, we will discuss our recent publication where we investigated the influence of ECT on changes in both brain structure and multiple measures of brain function and their relation to clinical improvement using multicenter neuroimaging data from the Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration (GEMRIC). We found wide-spread increases in gray matter volume in patients following ECT. In contrast, no significant changes in any of the functional measures were observed, and there were no visible differences in structural or functional changes between ECT responders and non-responders. Multimodal analysis revealed that volume increases in the striatum, supplementary motor area and fusiform gyrus were associated with local changes in brain function. These results confirm wide-spread increases in GM volume, and suggest that this is not accompanied by functional changes or associated with clinical response. While focal changes in brain function appear related to individual differences in brain volume increases, we emphasize the need for approaches beyond standard activity measures of fMRI to investigate the working mechanism of ECT. Research Category and Technology and Methods Clinical Research: 2. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Keywords: Electroconvulsive Therapy, Gray matter, Brain Function, Neuroimaging

Commonalities and differences in ECT-induced gray matter volume change between depression and schizophrenia

BackgroundElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most effective treatments for depression and schizophrenia, particularly in urgent or treatment-resistant cases. After ECT, regional gray matter volume (GMV) increases have been repeatedly reported both in depression and schizophrenia. However, the interpretation of these findings remains entangled because GMV changes do not necessarily correlate with treatment effects and may be influenced by the intervention itself. We hypothesized that the comparison of longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging data between the two diagnostic groups will provide clues to distinguish diagnosis-specific and transdiagnostic changes. MethodTwenty-nine Japanese participants, including 18 inpatients with major depressive disorder and 11 with schizophrenia, underwent longitudinal voxel-based morphometry before and after ECT. We investigated GMV changes common to both diagnostic groups and those specific to each group. Moreover, we also evaluated potential associations between GMV changes and clinical improvement for each group. ResultsIn both diagnostic groups, GMV increased in widespread areas after ECT, sharing common regions including: anterior temporal cortex; medial frontal and anterior cingulate cortex; insula; and caudate nucleus. In addition, we found a schizophrenia-specific GMV increase in a region including the left pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, with volume increase significantly correlating with clinical improvement. ConclusionsTransdiagnostic volume changes may represent the effects of the intervention itself and pathophysiological changes common to both groups. Conversely, diagnosis-specific volume changes are associated with treatment effects and may represent pathophysiology-specific impacts of ECT.

Simultaneous 18F-FDG PET/MR metabolic and structural changes in visual snow syndrome and diagnostic use

PurposeVisual snow syndrome (VSS) is a recently recognized chronic neurologic condition characterized by the constant perceiving of tiny flickering dots throughout the entire visual field. Metabolic overactivity and grey matter volume increase in the lingual gyrus has been reported. We investigated this by 18F-FDG PET/MR in comparison to healthy controls. Aside from voxel-based characterization, the classification accuracy of volume-of-interest (VOI)-based multimodal assessment was evaluated, also in comparison with visual analysis.MethodsSimultaneous 18F-FDG PET and MR imaging was performed in 7 patients with VSS (24.6 ± 5.7 years; 5 M/2F) and 15 age-matched healthy controls (CON) (28.0 ± 5.3 years; 8 M/7F). SPM12 and voxel-based morphometric analysis was performed. A VOI-based discriminant analysis was performed with relative 18F-FDG uptake, MR grey matter (GM) volumes and their combination. A visual analysis was done by two blinded experienced readers.ResultsRelative increased hypermetabolism was found in VSS patients in the lingual gyrus and cuneus (pFWE < 0.05, peak change + 24%), and hypometabolism in the mesiotemporal cortex (pheight,uncorr < 0.001, peak change − 14%). VSS patients also had increased GM volume in the limbic system and frontotemporal cortex bilaterally (pFWE < 0.05), and in the left secondary and associative visual cortex and in the left lingual gyrus (pheight,uncorr < 0.001). Discriminant analysis resulted in 100% correct classification accuracy for 18F-FDG with lingual gyrus, cuneus and lateral occipital lobe (BA 17 and BA 18) as main discriminators. Unimodal MR- and combined 18F-FDG + MR classification resulted in an accuracy of 91% and 95%, respectively. Visual analysis of 18F-FDG was highly observer dependent.ConclusionPatients with VSS have highly significant structural and metabolic abnormalities in the visual and limbic system. VOI-based discriminant analysis of 18F-FDG PET allows reliable individual classification versus controls, whereas visual analysis of experienced observers was highly variable. Further investigation in larger series, also in comparison to VSS mimicking disorders such as migraine, is warranted.Trail registration: Retrospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov under NCT05569733 on Oct 5, 2022.

Tooth loss and regional grey matter volume

ObjectivesTo investigate whether tooth loss was associated with regional grey matter volume (GMV) in a group of community dwelling older men and women from Ireland. MethodsA group of 380 dementia-free men and women underwent a dental examination and had a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study of Aging (TILDA). Cortical parcellation was conducted using Freesurfer utilities to produce volumetric measures of gyral based regions of interest. Analysis included multiple linear regression to investigate the association between tooth loss and regional GMVs with adjustment for various confounders. ResultsThe mean age of participants was 68.1 years (SD 7.3) and 51.6% of the group were female. 50 (13.2%) of the participants were edentulous, 148 (38.9%) had 1-19 teeth, and 182 (47.9%) had ≥20 teeth. Multiple liner regression analysis with adjustment for a range of potential confounders showed associations between the number of teeth and GMVs in the paracentral lobule and the cuneus cortex. In the paracentral lobule, comparing participants with 1-19 teeth versus edentates there was an increase in GMV of β=323.0mm3 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 84.5, 561.6) and when comparing participants with ≥20 teeth to edentates there was an increase of β=382.3mm3 (95% CI 126.9, 637.7). In the cuneus cortex, comparing participants with ≥20 teeth to edentates there was an increase in GMV of β=380.5mm3 (95% CI 69.4, 691.5). ConclusionsIn this group of older men and women from Ireland, the number of teeth was associated with GMVs in the paracentral lobule and the cuneus cortex independent of various known confounders. Clinical significanceAlthough not proof of causation, the finding that tooth loss was associated with regional reduced GMV in the brain may represent a potential explanatory link to the observed association between tooth loss and cognitive decline.

The relationship between Central Nervous System morphometry changes and key symptoms in Crohn’s disease

Alterations in grey matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT) in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients has been previously documented. However, the findings are inconsistent, and not a true representation of CD burden, as only CD patients in remission have been studied thus far. We investigate alterations in brain morphometry in patients with active CD and those in remission, and study relationships between brain structure and key symptoms of fatigue, abdominal pain, and extraintestinal manifestations (EIM). Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scans were collected in 89 participants; 34 CD participants with active disease, 13 CD participants in remission and 42 healthy controls (HCs); Voxel based morphometry (VBM) assessed GMV and white matter volume (WMV), and surface-based analysis assessed cortical thickness (CT). We show a significant reduction in global cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume in CD participants compared with HCs, as well as, a reduction in regional GMV, WMV and CT in the left precentral gyrus (motor cortex), and an increase in GMV in the frontal brain regions in CD compared with HCs. Atrophy of the supplementary motor area (SMA) was associated with greater fatigue in CD. We also show alterations in brain structure in multiple regions in CD associated with abdominal pain and extraintestinal inflammations (EIMs). These brain structural alterations likely reflect neuroplasticity to a chronic systemic inflammatory response, abdominal pain, EIMs and fatigue. These findings will aid our understanding of the cross-linking between chronic inflammation, brain structural changes and key unexplained CD symptomatology like fatigue.