Left Anterior Cingulate Gyrus Research Articles

Alterations of structural connectivity in episodic cluster headache: A graph theoretical analysis

We evaluated structural volumes and connectivity using graph theoretical analysis in patients with cluster headache. Ten patients with episodic cluster headache were recruited, who had a normal brain MRI on visual inspection. We also enrolled a control group of 20 healthy volunteers. All of the participants underwent 3-D volumetric T1-weighted imaging. We obtained the structural volumes using FreeSurfer image analysis and performed structural global and local connectivity analysis using BRAPH. The volumes of the left caudal anterior cingulate and postcentral gyrus were decreased in the patients with cluster headache compared to healthy individuals. In addition, in the measures of local structural connectivity, there was significant hub re-organization in the patients with cluster headache; the strength of the right frontopolar, left pericalcarine, and left posterior cingulate gyrus, the betweenness centrality of the right precentral and left pericalcarine gyrus, and the closeness centrality of the left pericalcarine and left posterior cingulate gyrus were decreased. Whereas the betweenness centrality of the right rostral middle frontal and left inferior temporal gyrus were increased in the patients with cluster headache. However, the measures of global structural connectivity were not different between the patients with cluster headache and healthy individuals. We demonstrate that the structural volumes and connectivity in patients with cluster headache are significantly different from those in healthy controls, especially revealing hub re-organization. These alterations are implicated in the pathogenesis of cluster headache and suggest that cluster headache is a network disease.

Independent Component Analysis and Graph Theoretical Analysis in Patients with Narcolepsy

The present study was aimed to evaluate resting-state functional connectivity and topological properties of brain networks in narcolepsy patients compared with healthy controls. Resting-state fMRI was performed in 26 adult narcolepsy patients and 30 matched healthy controls. MRI data were first analyzed by group independent component analysis, then a graph theoretical method was applied to evaluate the topological properties in the whole brain. Small-world network parameters and nodal topological properties were measured. Altered topological properties in brain areas between groups were selected as region-of-interest seeds, then the functional connectivity among these seeds was compared between groups. Partial correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the severity of sleepiness and functional connectivity or topological properties in the narcolepsy patients. Twenty-one independent components out of 48 were obtained. Compared with healthy controls, the narcolepsy patients exhibited significantly decreased functional connectivity within the executive and salience networks, along with increased functional connectivity in the bilateral frontal lobes within the executive network. There were no differences in small-world network properties between patients and controls. The altered brain areas in nodal topological properties between groups were mainly in the inferior frontal cortex, basal ganglia, anterior cingulate, sensory cortex, supplementary motor cortex, and visual cortex. In the partial correlation analysis, nodal topological properties in the putamen, anterior cingulate, and sensory cortex as well as functional connectivity between these regions were correlated with the severity of sleepiness (sleep latency, REM sleep latency, and Epworth sleepiness score) among narcolepsy patients. Altered connectivity within the executive and salience networks was found in narcolepsy patients. Functional connection changes between the left frontal cortex and left caudate nucleus may be one of the parameters describing the severity of narcolepsy. Changes in the nodal topological properties in the left putamen and left posterior cingulate, changes in functional connectivity between the left supplementary motor area and right occipital as well as in functional connectivity between the left anterior cingulate gyrus and bilateral postcentral gyrus can be considered as a specific indicator for evaluating the severity of narcolepsy.

Does development moderate the effect of early life assaultive violence on resting-state networks? An exploratory study

Current neurocircuitry models of PTSD do not account for developmental effects, despite that early life assaultive violence is a potent risk factor for PTSD. Here, we preliminarily evaluated developmental stage as a moderator of the effect of early life assaultive violence on resting-state connectivity amongst regions associated with emotion generation and regulation using fMRI. Participants were adult women (n = 25) and adolescent girls (n = 36) who had or had not experienced early life assaultive violence. We found significant interactions between developmental stage and trauma exposure on resting-state functional connectivity (FC). Left amygdala connectivity with the left ventral anterior cingulate gyrus (BA 32) was reduced among trauma-exposed compared to control adolescents, but increased among trauma-exposed compared to control adults. A corresponding pattern of results was identified for FC between rostral anterior cingulate gyrus seed region and a similar right ventral anterior superior frontal gyrus cluster. Increased FC in both regions for assaulted adult women scaled positively with self-reported emotion regulation difficulties. Our results should be viewed tentatively due to sample limitations, but provide impetus to examine whether neurocircuitry models of PTSD may be strengthened by accounting for developmental stage.

Gray matter density reduction associated with adjuvant chemotherapy in older women with breast cancer

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal changes in brain gray matter density (GMD) before and after adjuvant chemotherapy in older women with breast cancer.MethodsWe recruited 16 women aged ≥ 60 years with stage I–III breast cancers receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). The CT group underwent brain MRI and the NIH Toolbox for Cognition testing prior to adjuvant chemotherapy (time point 1, TP1) and within 1 month after chemotherapy (time point 2, TP2). The HC group underwent the same assessments at matched intervals. GMD was evaluated with the voxel-based morphometry.ResultsThe mean age was 67 years in the CT group and 68.5 years in the HC group. There was significant GMD reduction within the chemotherapy group from TP1 to TP2. Compared to the HC group, the CT group displayed statistically significantly greater GMD reductions from TP1 to TP2 in the brain regions involving the left anterior cingulate gyrus, right insula, and left middle temporal gyrus (pFWE(family-wise error)-corrected < 0.05). The baseline GMD in left insula was positively correlated with the baseline list-sorting working memory score in the HC group (pFWE-corrected < 0.05). No correlation was observed for the changes in GMD with the changes in cognitive testing scores from TP1 to TP2 (pFWE-corrected < 0.05).ConclusionsOur findings indicate that GMD reductions were associated with adjuvant chemotherapy in older women with breast cancer. Future studies are needed to understand the clinical significance of the neuroimaging findings. This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01992432).

S08. Electrical stimulation of SEEG and epileptic network connectivity

Introduction It has been estimated the two thirds of the human cortex lies in the sulci. Deep structures such as limbic structures, medial frontal, insular and orbital frontal regions are relatively inaccessible to subdural electrodes. Our case demonstrates the utility of Stereotactic EEG in localizing seizure onset zone and mapping the function of both cortical and subcortical structures in a patient with drug resistant focal epilepsy. Methods The patient is a 58 year old right handed woman with a history of drug resistant epilepsy since age 18. Her seizures were predominantly nocturnal and arose out of sleep. She had multiple seizures per night. She reports out of body experience, anxiety feeling and chocking sensation followed by back and forth rocking movements. Seizures usually last 30–45 s with a quick recovery from her seizures. Her ictal scalp EEG was non localizing. Her interictal FDG PET scan was normal. Her subtracted ictal-interictal SPECT scan was also non localizing. Her epilepsy protocol 3T brain MRI showed a subtle area of white–grey matter blurring on the DIR pulse sequence which involved the left anterior cingulate gyrus. The patient underwent Stereotactic EEG implantation to confirm seizure localization and for functional mapping. Her ictal intracranial EEG showed an onset of high amplitude repetitive spiking intermixed with low amplitude fast activity in the electrodes located in the left anterior cingulate followed by spread of the same pattern to electrodes in the left insular cortex within less than 500 ms from the onset. Electrical stimulation mapping was performed. Biphasic 50 Hz stimulation starting at 1 mA intensity with increments of 0.5 mA was applied. Results The patient reported the typical sensation of her aura and early symptoms of her seizures during the stimulation of left anterior cingulate contacts during stimulation with 1–3 mA which was reproducible. She also reported the usual sensation she experiences a few seconds following the onset of her seizures during the stimulation of her left insular electrodes during stimulation with 3–5 mA that was also reproducible. No after- discharge was seen during these stimulation trials. The patient subsequently underwent an open lesionectomy of the anterior cingulate MRI abnormality. Pathology showed focal cortical dysplasia type IIB with dysmorphic neurons and balloon cells. The patient has remained seizure free since surgery. No neurological deficit was seen. Conclusion Electrical stimulation mapping of SEEG can be used to study the functionality of the cortex as well as the subcortical structures. In addition to localizing eloquent cortex, electrical stimulation of SEEG can support the localization of epileptic network and seizure onset zone.

T25. ALTERATIONS OF PLASMA PHOSPHOLIPID FATTY ACID PROFILES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL BRAIN STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES IN NEUROLEPTIC NAïVE FIRST-EPISODE PSYCHOSIS PATIENTS

BackgroundAlterations in brain structure are among the most robust biological findings in schizophrenia. Also changes in fatty acid profiles including reduced levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are well replicated in schizophrenia. Being essential for neurodevelopmental processes and structural plasticity and remodeling, alterations of PUFA metabolism might be also associated with the occurrence of brain structural abnormalities. To investigate this assumption in vivo we examined the interrelation of PUFA profiles and brain structure in neuroleptic naïve first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and healthy controls (HC) matched for age and gender.MethodsHigh-resolution T1-weighted 3T MRI were acquired from 29 FEP patients (age 26.4 ± 5.3y; 13 females/16 males) and 31 HC (age 25.1 ± 4.7y; 14 f/17 m). Fatty acid profiles were analyzed using gas chromatography in the plasma phospholipid (PL) fraction that is rather independent of recent fat consumption, and that potentially indicates PUFA availability in phospholipid structural components essential in the brain. To investigate brain structural abnormalities in FEP and effects of illness on interactions between fatty acid profiles and local grey (GM) or white (WM) matter density, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) with the computational anatomy toolbox (CAT12) was used.ResultsVBM analyses revealed a reduction of GM in FEP in left frontal operculum, left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus and bilateral temporal gyrus (TFCE, FWE<0.05). The group comparisons of fatty acid profiles in the PL fraction showed reduced omega-6 PUFA and MCFA (C10-C14) levels in FEP patients. Interaction analyses revealed an influence of illness on the association between omega-6 PUFA and GM density at the left supramarginal gyrus/left postcentral gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus (TFCE, FWE<0.05) with a regression slope FEP patients > HC. For MCFA interaction analyses revealed effects of illness on associations with GM density in the bilateral superior medial frontal gyrus and left anterior cingulate gyrus with a regression slope HC > FEP patients.DiscussionOur results support the notion that the availability of PUFA and MCFA potentially affects brain structural development and remodeling. They also support the notion of PUFA and phospholipids metabolism as a biochemical basis to create early prevention and intervention strategies, e.g. by PUFA supplementation.

Altered Brain Functional Hubs and Connectivity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects a vast population and is closely associated with cognitive impairment. However, the mechanisms of cognitive impairment in T2DM patients have not been unraveled. Research on the basic units (nodes or hubs and edges) of the brain functional network on the basis of neuroimaging may advance our understanding of the network change pattern in T2DM patients. This study investigated the change patterns of brain functional hubs using degree centrality (DC) analysis and the connectivity among these hubs using functional connectivity and Granger causality analysis. Compared to healthy controls, the DC values were higher in the left anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) and lower in the bilateral lateral occipital cortices (LOC) and right precentral gyrus (PreCG) in T2DM patients. The functional connectivity between the left ACG and the right PreCG was stronger in T2DM patients, whereas the functional connectivity among the right PreCG and bilateral LOC was weaker. A negative causal effect from the left ACG to left LOC and a positive effect from the left ACG to right LOC were observed in T2DM patients, while in healthy controls, the opposite occurred. Additionally, the reserve of normal brain function in T2DM patients was negatively associated with the elevated glycemic parameters. This study demonstrates that there are brain functional hubs and connectivity alterations that may reflect the aberrant information communication in the brain of T2DM patients. The findings may advance our understanding of the mechanisms of T2DM-related cognitive impairment.

Effect of GHB-use and GHB-induced comas on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functioning in humans.

BackgroundGamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a recreational drug associated with increasing numbers of GHB-dependent patients and emergency attendances often related to GHB-induced comas. Working memory (WM) deficits have been reported in association with GHB use, and animal studies have shown that GHB induces oxidative stress in vulnerable WM-related brain areas such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). However, the effects of chronic GHB use and multiple GHB-induced comas on WM-related brain function in humans remains unknown.MethodsWe recruited 27 GHB users with ≥4 GHB-induced comas (GHB-Coma), 27 GHB users who never experienced GHB-induced coma (GHB-NoComa), and 27 polydrug users who never used GHB (No-GHB). Participants performed an n-back WM task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to probe DLPFC functioning.ResultsThe GHB-Coma group had lower premorbid IQ (p = .006) than the GHB-NoComa group despite comparable age and education level. There were also group differences in the use of other drugs than GHB. Therefore, all group comparisons were adjusted for IQ and drug use other than GHB. Compared with the GHB-NoComa and the No-GHB groups, the GHB-Coma group showed increased activity in the right DLPFC (pSVC = 0.028) and increased functional connectivity of the right DLPFC with a cluster comprising the left anterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus (pFWE = 0.003). No significant fMRI differences were observed between the GHB-NoComa and No-GHB groups. Due to technical problems, no behavioural data were collected.DiscussionThese results suggest that multiple GHB-induced comas, but not GHB-use per se, are associated with alterations in WM-related brain function. Public awareness campaigns are required to minimize the potential adverse effects induced by GHB recreational use, and especially GHB-induced comas, even if no immediate side effects are experienced.

不同年龄和性别精神分裂症患者脑白质扩散张量成像的临床研究*

Objective: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to analyze the changes of white matter fiber FA in patients with schizophrenia of different ages and genders, and to explore the reference of clinical imaging. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects in all 50 cases, were given routine examination of brain MRI parallel diffusion tensor imaging, comparison of different age and gender in different parts of the brain white matter changes of FA value. Results : (1) the FA values of white matter in different age groups were different between the patients and the normal group ( P < 0.05). The normal group right superior frontal gyrus, left parietal lobe and left anterior cingulate gyrus of the cerebral white matter fiber FA value increased gradually before the age of 30, at the age of 30 and reached the peak gradually decreased after 30 years old. The left frontal gyrus and corpus callosum in patients with group pressure (after) of cerebral white matter fiber FA value increased gradually before the age of 30, at the age of 30 and reached the peak gradually decreased after 30 years old. (2) the FA values of white matter in different parts of male and female patients were different (P < 0.05). The white matter fiber FA in the left anterior capsule of the normal group was higher in males than in females. The FA value of bilateral occipital white matter in male patients was lower than that in female; the FA values of the central white matter in the left and right sides of the brain stem were higher in males than in females. Conclusion : the changes of FA value in the white matter of some parts of the brain in the normal group and the patient group are influenced by age and sex.

Resting state fMRI study of emotional network in patients with postconcussion syndrome

Objective: To discuss functional connectivity changes in the emotional network of patients with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and their clinical significance by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: Twenty-seven patients with PCS were recruited from the Department of Neurosurgery of Anhui provincial hospital affiliated to Anhui medical university from October 2015 to April 2016, and 27 healthy subjects were recruited as the controls. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) were used to evaluate the emotional state of two groups of subjects. All fMRI data were preprocessed after RS-fMRI scanning, the left and right amygdala were selected as region of interest (ROI) to make functional connectivity (FC) calculation with the whole brain and then the results were did statistical analysis in order to obtain the altered brain areas of amygdala and whole brain functional connectivity in the PCS patient, to understand the functional changes of emotional network. Results: HAMA and HAMD scores of PCS group and the health controls had significant statistical difference (HAMA: the PCS group 9.8±1.5, the health controls 4.5±1.2, P=0.044; HAMD: the PCS group 12±1.2, the health controls was 4.2±1.5, P=0.024). Compared with the health controls, the left amygdala in PCS patients showed decreased FC with left insula, left putamen, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left inferior orbital frontal gyrus, left medial superior frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left superior temporal pole, bilateral supramarginal gyrus et al, on the contrary with the increased FC with right superior orbital frontal gyrus, right middle frontal lobe, right orbital frontal lobe, right middle frontal gyrus. The right amygdala in PCS patients showed decreased FC with bilateral putamen, right inferior orbital frontal gyrus, left insula, bilateral precuneus, bilateral superior temporal pole, right superior temporal gyrus, right supramarginal gyrus et al. Similarly, it had the increased FC with the left middle occipital lobe and the left superior occipital lobe. Conclusion: Abnormal emotional network function of PCS patients in resting state, which may be one of the reasons that lead to emotional and cognitive dysfunction in PCS patients.

Effects of three needling manipulations of the right-side Zusanli (ST 36) on brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects on the brain using three needling manipulations (twirling, lifting-thrusting, and twirling plus lifting-thrusting) when the right-side Zusanli (ST 36) acupoint was stimulated with needles. MethodsSeventeen healthy subjects accepted three needling manipulations stimulating the right Zusanli (ST 36) over separate days. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to detect changes in the brain during the manipulations, and then the needling sensations were recorded using the MGH acupuncture sensation scale (MASS) after each scan. fMRI data were processed using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 to analyze the positive and negative activation in the brain induced by different acupuncture manipulations. ResultsThe individual needling sensations showed no statistically significant differences among the three manipulations. However, the MASS index showed that lifting-thrusting > twirling plus lifting-thrusting > twirling. Lifting-thrusting activated left premotor cortex, left postcentral, right middle frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, left insula, right putamen, bilateral cingulate gyrus and right cerebellum; and deactivated bilateral hippocampus and left caudate. Twirling activated bilateral orbital middle frontal gyrus, left opercular and triangular inferior frontal gyrus, and right middle occipital gyrus; and deactivated bilateral precuneus, right amygdala, left anterior cingulate gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right supplementary motor gyrus, and left postcentral. Twirling plus lifting-thrusting activated bilateral postcentral, left inferior occipital gyrus, left insula, left thalamus, left cingulate gyrus, and right putamen; and deactivated right superior frontal gyrus, right superior parietal gyrus, right temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right insula, and left lingual gyrus. Pairwise comparisons of the three manipulations showed that signals induced by lifting-thrusting were the strongest, especially in the limbic system, followed by twirling plus lifting-thrusting; twirling alone was the weakest. ConclusionThree methods of needling manipulations similarly activated areas associated with the somatosensory system, vision, cognition, and emotional regulation. This may have significant implications for acupuncture in clinical practice.

A preliminary fMRI study of acupuncture with healthy volunteers

Objective To observe the cortical functioning of healthy volunteers during acupuncture as a way of exploring acupuncture′s neural mechanisms. Methods Twenty healthy volunteers received acupuncture applied to the left hegu and waiguan acupoints while their cortical activity was examined using blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI). Brain activation, especially of the regions related to motor function, were observed and analyzed. Results Acupuncture applied to the left hegu and waiguan acupoints was observed to significantly activate the left middle frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus, with many activated regions in the left insula and a few in the left cerebellum, the left precentral gyrus, the left postcentral gyrus, the left inferior parietal lobule, the left medial frontal gyrus, the left precuneus, the left anterior cingulate gyrus and the left claustrum. The right side of the brain was excited mainly in the right middle frontal gyrus and the right medial frontal gyrus. The right inferior parietal lobule and the right precentral gyrus were also activated to some extent. There was slight activation of the right middle temporal gyrus, the right superior temporal gyrus, the right insula, the right inferior frontal gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus. The negatively activated regions were mainly located on both sides of the limbic lobe, including the hippocampus, the parahippocampal gyrus and the cingulate gyrus. The left superior temporal gyrus, the left middle temporal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus also had small negative activation zones. Conclusions In brain regions associated with motor function, in addition to partial activation of the contralateral primary sensorimotor area, acupuncture at these two points clearly generates bilateral activation of secondary motor areas with some activation in the ipsilateral cerebellum. This may serve as a neuropathological basis for acupuncture treatment of motor dysfunction. BOLD-fMRI imaging displays the neural effects of acupuncture in an intuitive way. It can be a useful technique for further study of the neural effects of acupuncture on pathological conditions. Key words: Acupuncture; Hegu; Waiguan; Functional magnetic resonance imaging

Brain activation of semantic category-based grouping in multiple identity tracking task.

Using Multiple Identity Tracking task and the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology, the present study aimed to isolate and visualize the functional anatomy of neural systems involved in the semantic category-based grouping process. Three experiment conditions were selected and compared: the category-based targets grouping (TG) condition, the targets-distractors grouping (TDG) condition and the homogenous condition. In the TG condition, observers could utilize the categorical distinction between targets and distractors, to construct a uniform presentation of targets, that is, to form a group of the targets to facilitate tracking. In the TDG condition, half the targets and half the distractors belonged to the same category. Observers had to inhibit the grouping of targets and distractors in one category to complete tracking. In the homogenous condition, where targets and distractors consisted of the same objects, no grouping could be formed. The “TG-Homogenous” contrast (p<0.01) revealed the activation of the left fusiform and the pars triangularis of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The “TG-TDG” contrast only revealed the activation of the left anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC). The fusiform and IFG pars triangularis might participate in the representation of semantic knowledge, IFG pars triangularis might relate intensely with the classification of semantic categories. The ACC might be responsible for the initiation and maintenance of grouping representation.

Altered intra- and interregional synchronization in the absence of the corpus callosum: a resting-state fMRI study.

Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) can result in subtle to severe cognitive deficits. Individuals with impaired cognition often show abnormalities on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). This study used rs-fMRI to investigate changes in regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC) among individuals with AgCC. AgCC individuals (n=10) and age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy control subjects (n=19) were included in this study. The ReHo values were calculated to represent spontaneous brain activity. The regions which showed altered ReHo were selected as seeds to compare FC with the whole brain between the AgCC group and the healthy control group. Compared with healthy control subjects, the AgCC individuals had increased ReHo in the left anterior cingulate gyrus, left rolandic operculum, and right precuneus and decreased ReHo in the right calcarine, right cingual gyrus and right cuneus gyrus. The right calcarine and the right lingual gyrus in the AgCC exhibited decreased FC with bilateral cuneus, superior occipital gyrus, Rolandic operculum, superior temporal gyrus, posterior central gyrus, and midcingulate gyrus.The right cuneus gyrus in the AgCC individuals exhibited decreased FC with the bilateral calcarine gyrus, left cuneus, and left superior occipital gyrus. Our study revealed several subareas within the visual cortex exhibited remarkable abnormalities of spontaneous brain activity and decreased FC with the higher-order cognitive cortex.The abnormalities of ReHo and FC in AgCC individuals may provide new insights into the neurological pathophysiology.

Neuroimaging of major depression in Parkinson's disease: Cortical thickness, cortical and subcortical volume, and spectroscopy findings

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to compare PD patients with current Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), lifetime MDD, and no MDD using three neuroimaging techniques. A total of 43 PD patients were selected and divided into three groups: (i) current MDD (n = 15), (ii) previous MDD without current MDD (n = 10); and (iii) control group (no current or lifetime MDD; n = 18). All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate cortical thickness, cortical and subcortical volume, and spectroscopy in the bilateral putamen and cingulate cortex. Volumetric analysis showed volume decreases in frontal and temporal areas, bilateral amygdala, and left cerebellar white matter in the lifetime MDD group compared to the control group. Furthermore, the volumes of the anterior cingulate cortex, right amygdala, and left cerebellar white matter were smaller in the group with current MDD compared to the control group. Regarding cortical thickness, the left rostral anterior cingulate gyrus of the group with previous MDD was thinner compared to the control group. There was a weak negative correlation between the NAA/Cre ratio in the right putamen and depressive symptoms. The results suggested current and lifetime MDD have a negative impact on the neurodegenerative process of PD, with decreased volume and/or reduction of cortical thickness in temporal and frontal areas, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and cerebellar white matter.

Reduced Thickness of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Individuals With an At-Risk Mental State Who Later Develop Psychosis.

Despite the fact that only a part of the individuals with at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis do develop psychosis, biological markers of future transition to psychosis have not been well documented. Structural abnormality of the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), which probably exists prior to the onset of psychosis, could be such a risk marker. We conducted a multicenter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of 3 scanning sites in Japan. 1.5-T 3D MRI scans were obtained from 73 ARMS subjects and 74 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We measured thickness, volume, and surface area of the ACG using labeled cortical distance mapping and compared these measures among healthy controls, ARMS subjects who later converted to overt psychosis (ARMS-C), and those who did not (ARMS-NC). Seventeen of 73 (23%) ARMS subjects developed overt psychosis within the follow-up period. The thickness of the left ACG was significantly reduced in ARMS-C relative to healthy subjects (P = .026) while both ARMS-C (P = .001) and ARMS-NC (P = .01) had larger surface areas of the left ACG compared with healthy controls. Further studies will be needed to identify potential markers of future transition to psychosis though cortical thinning of the ACG might be one of the candidates.

Divergent topological architecture of the default mode network as a pretreatment predictor of early antidepressant response in major depressive disorder.

Identifying a robust pretreatment neuroimaging marker would be helpful for the selection of an optimal therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD). We recruited 82 MDD patients [n = 42 treatment-responsive depression (RD) and n = 40 non-responding depression (NRD)] and 50 healthy controls (HC) for this study. Based on the thresholded partial correlation matrices of 58 specific brain regions, a graph theory approach was applied to analyse the topological properties. When compared to HC, both RD and NRD patients exhibited a lower nodal degree (Dnodal) in the left anterior cingulate gyrus; as for RD, the Dnodal of the left superior medial orbitofrontal gyrus was significantly reduced, but the right inferior orbitofrontal gyrus was increased (all P < 0.017, FDR corrected). Moreover, the nodal degree in the right dorsolateral superior frontal cortex (SFGdor) was significantly lower in RD than in NRD. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the λ and nodal degree in the right SFGdor exhibited a good ability to distinguish nonresponding patients from responsive patients, which could serve as a specific maker to predict an early response to antidepressants. The disrupted topological configurations in the present study extend the understanding of pretreatment neuroimaging predictors for antidepressant medication.

Cognitive and Neuroanatomical Correlates in Early Versus Late Onset Parkinson's Disease Dementia.

Aging is the most important risk factor of development of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD), but there are no data on clinical and radiological heterogeneity of PD dementia (PDD) depending on age at onset. The goal of this study was to examine whether patients with PDD are clinically and radiologically heterogeneous depending on age at onset. A total of 116 patients with PD dementia and 121 age- and sex-matched normal controls were enrolled. The subjects were divided into early-onset (EOPDD; n = 39) and late-onset (LOPDD; n = 77) PDD with the respective age-matched control group based on a cutoff value of 70 years. The effects of diagnosis, age, and their interaction on neuropsychological tests, cortical thickness, and substantia innominata volume were assessed using analysis of covariance. EOPDD patients had a poorer cognitive performance on digit backward, forward span test (p = 0.011 and 0.05), and visual recognition memory function (p = 0.012) compared with LOPDD patients. Additionally, EOPDD patients exhibited cortical thinning in the left anterior cingulate gyrus and the right inferior temporal gyrus, with significantly decreased normalized substantia innominata volume (p = 0.044). Our data demonstrated that EOPDD patients exhibit poorer cognitive performance and more severe atrophy in the cortex and substantia innominata, implying that EOPDD may be a distinct phenotype different from LOPDD.

The behavioral approach system and augmenting/reducing in auditory event-related potentials during emotional visual stimulation

In the recent Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ, Corr and Cooper, 2016) the behavioral approach system (BAS) has been conceptualized as multidimensional in which facets of reward interest and reactivity, and goal-drive persistence, are separate from impulsivity. Aim of the present work was to highlight the predictive power of BAS and its facets in differentiating electrocortical responses by using an auditory augmenting/reducing event-related potential (ERP) paradigm during emotional visual stimulation. ERPs were recorded for 5 levels of intensity in 39 women. The RST-PQ was used to measure the total BAS (T-BAS) and its four facets of Goal-Drive Persistence (GDP), Reward Interest (RI), Reward Reactivity (RR), and Impulsivity (IMP). T-BAS and RI, and to a less extent GDP and RR, were significantly associated with higher N1/P2 amplitudes at central sites (C3, Cz, C4) across neutral, positive and negative slides. Similar, but less pronounced relations were found for GDP and RR, but this relation was lacking for Imp facet. In addition, N1/P2 slope at central sites was positively correlated with T-BAS, GDP, RI, RR, but not Imp. Indeed, T-BAS facets failed to maintain a significant correlation with N1/P2 slope, after controlling for T-BAS residual scores, indicating that T-BAS drives these significant correlations. LORETA analysis at 219ms (P2 wave) from tone onset revealed a significant activation of the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL, BA40) and left anterior cingulate gyrus (BA32) in high T-BAS compared to low T-BAS participants. Results are discussed within a revised RST framework differentiating reward components from impulsivity.

Therapy for Adult Social Anxiety Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Studies.

We conducted a meta-analysis of the literature reporting neuroimaging in patients undergoing psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAD). Using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase, we searched for English-language studies published between January 2000 and February 2015 with terms related to SAD, therapy, and neuroimaging. Twelve studies were included with a total of 295 subjects with SAD before and after therapy from January 2000 to February 2015. We extracted peak coordinates of clusters of significant group differences and performed a meta-analysis using effect-size signed differential mapping to analyze the peak coordinates of clusters and thresholds. Therapy significantly reduced activity in the left inferior parietal gyrus (Z = 1.441; P < .001), right postcentral gyrus (Z = 1.711; P < .001), and right precuneus (Z = 1.352; P < .01) and increased activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus/insula (Z = 1.939; P < .001) and bilateral middle cingulate gyrus (Z = 1.836; P < .001). Psychotherapy significantly increased activity in the bilateral precuneus (Z = 2.259; P < .001) and left inferior parietal gyrus (Z = 1.786; P < .001) and decreased activity in the left anterior cingulate gyrus (Z = 1.707; P < .001), left middle frontal gyrus (Z = 1.584; P < .001), and right cerebellum (Z = 1.424; P < .01). Pharmacotherapy increased activity in the right postcentral gyrus (Z = 1.215; P < .01), left middle occipital gyrus (Z = 1.269; P < .01), and right medial orbital frontal gyrus (Z = 1.250; P < .01) and reduced activity in the bilateral insula (Z = 2.172; P < .001; Z = 1.608; P < .01) and left medial cingula (Z = 1.479; P < .01). The improvement in social anxiety symptoms was positively associated with hyperactivity of the bilateral precuneus, left inferior partial gyrus, right medial cingulate, and right postcentral gyrus but negatively associated with hypoactivity of the bilateral insula and right medial cingulate (P < .01). We did not find any difference of amygdala among these 3 groups. Previous reports of brain imaging suggest that pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy impact different brain regions in adult patients with SAD.