Left Occipital Fusiform Gyrus Research Articles

A potential brain functional biomarker distinguishing patients with Crohn's disease with different disease stages: a resting-state fMRI study.

The previous studies have demonstrated that patients with Crohn's disease in remission (CD-R) have abnormal alterations in brain function. However, whether brain function changes in patients with Crohn's disease in activity (CD-A) and the relationship with CD-R are still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the different levels of disease activity may differentially affect the brain function and to find the brain functional biomarker distinguishing patients with different disease stages by measuring the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF). 121 patients with CD and 91 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The clinical and psychological assessment of participants were collected. The criteria for the disease activity were the Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) scores. CD-R refers to CD patients in remission which the CDAI score is less than 150. Conversely, CD-A refers to CD patients in activity which the CDAI score is ≥150. The ALFF was compared among three groups by performing one-way analysis of variance, followed by a post hoc two-sample t-test. Differences among the groups were selected as seeds for functional connectivity analyses. We also investigated the correlation among clinical, psychological scores and ALFF. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the unique contribution of the ALFF characteristics of the disease stages. There were widespread differences of ALFF values among the 3 groups, which included left frontal pole (FP_L), right supramarginal gyrus (SG_R), left angular gyrus (AG_L), right cingulate gyrus (CG_R), right intracalcarine cortex (IC_R), right parahippocampal gyrus (PG_R), right lingual gyrus (LG_R), right precuneous cortex (PC_R), left occipital fusiform gyrus (OFG_L). Significant brain regions showing the functional connections (FC) increased in FP_L, SG_R, PC_R and OFG_L between CD-A and HCs. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate had a negative correlation with the ALFF values in PC_R in the patients with CD. The phobic anxiety values had a negative correlation with the ALFF values in OFG_L. The psychoticism values had a negative correlation with ALFF values in the IC_R. And the hostility values had a positive correlation with the ALFF values in CG_R. Significant brain regions showing the FC increased in FP_L, SG_R, CG_R, PG_R, LG_R and OFG_L between CD-R and HCs. In binary logistic regression models, the LG_R (beta = 5.138, p = 0.031), PC_R (beta = 1.876, p = 0.002) and OFG_L (beta = 3.937, p = 0.044) was disease stages predictors. The results indicated the significance of the altered brain activity in the different disease stages of CD. Therefore, these findings present a potential identify neuroimaging-based brain functional biomarker in CD. Additionally, the study provides a better understanding of the pathophysiology of CD.

15 Socioeconomic Status in Association to Memory-Related Brain Activation in Middle-Aged Adults

Objective:Socioeconomic status (SES) has been recognized as an important factor in psychological research within the last few decades. Past literature recognizes that having lower SES can have a negative impact on many aspects of one’s health, especially in diseases related to brain aging. A recent avenue for research regarding SES and the brain-behavior relationship suggests that socioeconomic status can act as a moderator for brain activation during task performance. The hypothesis for this project was that there will be a negative correlational relationship between brain activity and SES when controlling for participants’ age, sex, and performance on the episodic memory tasks, but a positive correlation between task performance and SES was expected.Participants and Methods:With 100 middle-aged healthy adults from the Reference Ability Neural Network (RANN) study (53 male and 47 female, age M=48.0 +/- 7.55 years), three episodic memory fMRI tasks were performed and studied in relation to SES and age. The tasks were Logical Memory, Word Order, and Pair Associates tasks that involved episodic memory for story details, order of words presented, and pairing of words, respectively. We quantified memory performance with average accuracy from performance of the three tasks. We used the FSL software to preprocess and perform voxel-wise group analysis. All brain activation analyses were corrected for multiple comparison using cluster thresholds in FSL.Results:Correlation between SES and memory performance was found to be marginally significant (R=.188, p=.061). All tasks had areas of positively correlated activation for age. The Logical Memory task had multiple areas of brain activation that were positively correlated with age, particularly at the lateral occipital cortex, lingual gyrus, and the occipital fusiform gyrus, all areas that underlie visual processing. There were no areas of correlated brain activation for SES, sex, and task performance for the Pair Associates and Logical Memory tasks. Brain activation for the Word order task in the left precuneous cortex and the right middle frontal gyrus, left lateral occipital cortex, left occipital fusiform gyrus, and parts of the lingual gyrus was positively correlated with memory performance when controlled for age, sex, and SES.Conclusions:The hypothesis was not entirely supported by the results of this study, but the marginal effect between SES and memory performance can suggest that SES may affect memory performance within middle-aged adults. While we did not find a brain association with SES in this age group, we observed regions that underlie task performance. Further research can be done on possible moderating effects of Socioeconomic Status on memory and executive function with structural neuroimaging to further investigate the effects of SES on cognition.

MRgFUS of the nucleus ventralis intermedius in essential tremor modulates functional connectivity within the classical tremor network and beyond

BackgroundMagnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) of the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus is an incisionless lesional treatment for essential tremor. ObjectiveTo examine relationships between tremor severity and functional connectivity in patients with essential tremor and to assess long-term changes in the tremor network after sonication of the ventral intermediate nucleus. MethodsTwenty-one patients with essential tremor (70.33 ± 11.32 years) were included in the final analysis and underwent resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T before and 6 months after treatment. Tremor severity (Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Clinical Rating Scale) was evaluated and functional connectivity was investigated using independent component analysis. ResultsMRgFUS of the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus reduced contralateral tremor effectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed exclusively negative correlations between FC and tremor severity, notably in the right cerebellar lobe VI and the left cerebellar lobe VIIIa (cerebellar network), in the left occipital fusiform gyrus (lateral visual network), the anterior division of the left superior temporal gyrus (fronto-parieto-temporal network), and in the posterior division of the left parahippocampal gyrus and the bilateral lingual gyri (default mode network). Six months after treatment, increased functional connectivity was observed in almost all tremor-associated clusters, except the cluster localized in the left cerebellum. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that tremor-related activity in essential tremor extends beyond the classical cerebellar network, additionally involving areas related to visual processing. Functional restoration of network activity after sonication of the ventral intermediate nucleus is observed within the classical tremor network (cerebellum) and notably also in visual processing areas.

Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reveals Differences in Large-Scale Network Interactions Between Eminent and Non-Eminent Thinkers

ABSTRACT Prior work suggests that differences in brain morphology and task-evoked neural activity may underlie extraordinary creative achievement. Here, we extend these findings by focusing on resting blood oxygen level–dependent (rsBOLD) functional connectivity differences between eminent creators from diverse fields of expertise and a “smart” comparison group of age- and education-matched non-eminent thinkers. Participants underwent rsBOLD imaging, along with a high-resolution structural brain scan, and completed a series of demographic and behavioral measures. The results revealed significant differences in rsBOLD connectivity between the eminent and noneminent thinkers. Eminent thinkers showed increased connectivity between (a) the right central operculum and the bilateral parietal operculum, right supramarginal gyrus, and left precentral gyrus; (b) the right precentral gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus; (c) the left parietal operculum and the right central operculum and the right sensorimotor cortex; and (d) the posterior cingulate gyrus and the right precentral gyrus. In contrast, they showed decreased connectivity between (a) the posterior cingulate gyrus and the left supracalcarine cortex and (b) between the left occipital fusiform gyrus and the left frontal operculum. These results suggest that extraordinary creativity may be associated with measurable differences in functional connectivity, particularly in areas that support creative functions.

Neural and behavioral effects of parent training on emotion recognition in mothers rearing children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

This randomized controlled study examined neurological changes in socioemotional processing skills through parent training in caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Thirty mothers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were stratified into parent training and non-parent training groups. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed during the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test, and parenting difficulties were evaluated using the Parenting Stress Index and the Parenting Scale, twice (before and after parent training). Only mothers in the parent training group showed a significant decrease in Parenting Stress Index and Parenting Scale scores. They also demonstrated increased activity in the left occipital fusiform gyrus during the task of estimating emotions from facial pictures. We presumed that these changes might reflect the potential impact of enrollment in parent training in reducing stress, which might have increased activation of the fusiform gyrus.

Self‐reported sleep quality interacts with Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers on brain structure and metabolism in cognitively unimpaired adults

AbstractBackgroundPoor sleep quality has been associated with a greater burden of AD pathology and altered brain structure in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals. However, there is a lack of studies analysing associations between sleep quality and brain structure and function, while taking into account AD pathology. We aimed to test associations of self‐reported sleep quality with grey matter volume (GMv) and brain glucose metabolism in middle‐aged CU and sought interactions with biomarkers of AD pathology.MethodThis study included 340 CU adults from the ALFA+ cohort (Table 1). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaire. We used Statistical Parametric Mapping software to process T1‐weighted MRI and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scans, and analyse voxel‐wise associations with sleep quality. We created separate general linear models with GMv and FDG metabolism as dependent variables, and PSQI total score, age, sex, APOE‐ε4 status, education level and sleep medication as predictors. GMv analyses were additionally corrected for total intracranial volume. In additional models, CSF Aβ42/40 and phosphorylated tau (p‐tau181) ‐ were entered as covariates. We also tested the interaction between PSQI and AD biomarker status, (A+: Aβ42/40<0.071, T+: p‐tau181>24 pg/mL). Statistical significance was set at p<0.005 uncorrected for multiple comparisons, with a cluster‐level threshold of 50 voxels.ResultHigher PSQI scores, indicating poorer sleep quality, were significantly associated with lower GMv in the left occipital fusiform gyrus and right middle orbitofrontal gyrus, and with lower brain glucose metabolism in the right temporal pole and parahippocampal gyrus (Figure 1.). Interaction analyses showed poorer sleep quality is associated with higher GMv in bilateral supramarginal gyrus in A+T‐ vs A‐T‐, and with higher glucose metabolism in bilateral thalamus in A+T+ vs A‐T‐ individuals (Figure 2).ConclusionPoorer sleep quality is associated with lower GMv and glucose metabolism in CU individuals, involving AD‐vulnerable regions. Sleep quality interacted with altered AD biomarkers to determine GMv and glucose metabolism in brain areas in which they are commonly found to be increased in preclinical AD stages. Altogether, our findings support sleep quality as a relevant factor early in the AD continuum.

Functional connectivity disturbances of ascending reticular activating system and posterior thalamus in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in relation with photosensitivity: A resting-state fMRI study

ObjectiveJuvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is typified by the occurrence of myoclonic seizures after awakening, though another common trait is myoclonic seizures triggered by photic stimulation. We aimed to investigate the functional connectivity (FC) of nuclei in the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS), thalamus and visual cortex in JME with and without photosensitivity. MethodsWe examined 29 patients with JME (16 photosensitive (PS), 13 non- photosensitive-(NPS)) and 28 healthy controls (HCs) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Seed-to-voxel FC analyses were performed using 25 seeds, including the thalamus, visual cortex, and ARAS nuclei. ResultsMesencephalic reticular formation seed revealed significant hyperconnectivity between the bilateral paracingulate gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex in JME group, and in both JME-PS and JME-NPS subgroups compared to HCs (pFWE-corr < 0.001; pFWE-corr < 0.001; pFWE-corr = 0.002, respectively). Locus coeruleus seed displayed significant hyperconnectivity with the bilateral lingual gyri, intracalcarine cortices, occipital poles and left occipital fusiform gyrus in JME-PS group compared to HCs (pFWE-corr <0.001). Additionally, locus coeruleus seed showed significant hyperconnectivity in JME-PS group compared to JME-NPS group with a cluster corresponding to the bilateral lingual gyri and right intracalcarine cortex (pFWE-corr < 0.001). Lastly, the right posterior nuclei of thalamus revealed significant hyperconnectivity with the right superior lateral occipital cortex in JME-PS group compared to HCs (pFWE-corr < 0.002). ConclusionsIn JME, altered functional connectivity of the arousal networks might contribute to the understanding of myoclonia after awakening, whereas increased connectivity of posterior thalamus might explain photosensitivity.

Neural correlates of resilience to the effects of hippocampal atrophy on memory

IntroductionCognitive reserve can be defined as a property of the brain that enables an individual to sustain cognitive performance in spite of age-related neural changes. This study uses brain imaging to identify which cognitive reserve mechanisms protect against the detrimental effect of hippocampal atrophy on associative memory. MethodsThe study included 108 older adults from the Quebec Consortium for the early identification of Alzheimer’s disease. They received a magnetic resonance imaging examination to measure memory-related activations and hippocampal volume. Participants also completed a reserve-proxy questionnaire, and received a comprehensive clinical assessment. ResultsHigher scores on the reserve questionnaire were associated with more activation in the right inferior temporal and left occipital fusiform gyri. The activation of the right temporal gyrus moderated the relationship between the volume of the hippocampus and face-name memory. A smaller volume was associated with weaker memory in participants with lower activation, but not in those with greater activation. DiscussionRecruitment of the temporal lobe protects against the detrimental effect of hippocampal atrophy on associative memory and contributes to cognitive reserve.

QOL-07. CORTICAL VOLUME AND THICKNESS IN ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMORS

PURPOSEA brain tumor treatment including cranial radiotherapy has previously been associated with long-term neurocognitive sequelae. Since underlying neurological mechanisms remain inconclusive, we investigated cortical features in childhood posterior fossa tumor survivors.METHODST1-weighted MRI (MPRAGE, resolution=.98x.98x1.2mm) was acquired to investigate the cortical structure in adult survivors of childhood infratentorial tumors (n=19, 15males) (16.4–34.8 years old, >2years after treatment). These scans were compared to age- and gender- matched controls. Supratentorial cortical volume and thickness were investigated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM), respectively. We compared patients and controls, irradiated (n=13) versus non-irradiated patients, and investigated the age at radiotherapy (peak level: p<.001).RESULTSLower GM volumes were encountered in multiple brain areas of patients compared to controls, with the largest clusters in the right and left occipital fusiform gyri. Irradiated patients showed lower GM volumes then non-irradiated patients in the superior and middle frontal gyri, the right supramarginal gyrus and precuneus. Age at radiotherapy was associated with GM volume in the inferior frontal gyrus. SBM yielded larger cortical thickness in patients in the left precuneus, inferior temporal and fusiform gyrus. The opposite effect was only marginally significant, in the left temporal lingual gyrus. Age at radiotherapy was not associated with cortical thickness, but radiotherapy was associated with lower thickness of the left pars opercularis.CONCLUSIONWidespread differences in cortical volumes and thickness were observed in posterior fossa tumor survivors. Both radiotherapy and age at radiotherapy could be suggested as risk factors for long-term cortical development.

Anti-PDHA1 antibody is detected in a subset of patients with schizophrenia

Autoantibodies have been implicated in schizophrenia aetiology. Here, novel autoantibodies were isolated from patients with schizophrenia. Autoantibody candidates were searched using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and western blotting with rat brain proteins as antigens and two sera pools (25 schizophrenia patients versus 25 controls) as antibodies. Immunoreactive antigens were identified by mass spectrometry. Antibody prevalence were evaluated by western blotting using human recombinant proteins. Furthermore, brain magnetic resonance imaging data (regional brain volumes and diffusion tensor imaging measures) were compared. Two proteins of the mitochondrial respiration pathway were identified as candidate antigens. Three patients with schizophrenia, but no controls, expressed antibodies targeting one of the candidate antigens, i.e., pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component subunit alpha, somatic form, mitochondrial (PDHA1, EC 1.2.4.1), which is related to mitochondrial energy production. Anti-PDHA1 antibody-positive patients (n = 3) had increased volumes in the left occipital fusiform gyrus compared to both controls (n = 23, p = 0.017) and antibody-negative patients (n = 16, p = 0.009), as well as in the left cuneus compared to antibody-negative patients (n = 16, p = 0.018). This is the first report of an anti-PDHA1 antibody in patients with schizophrenia. Compatible with recent findings of mitochondrial dysfunction in schizophrenia, this antibody may be involved in the pathogenesis of a specific subgroup of schizophrenia.

Reduced resting-state connectivity in areas involved in processing of face-related social cues in female adolescents with atypical anorexia nervosa

Atypical anorexia nervosa (AN) has a high incidence in adolescents and can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Neuroimaging could improve our knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of eating disorders (EDs), however research on adolescents with EDs is limited. To date no neuroimaging studies have been conducted to investigate brain functional connectivity in atypical AN. We investigated resting-state functional connectivity using 3 T MRI in 22 drug-naïve adolescent patients with atypical AN, and 24 healthy controls. Psychological traits related to the ED and depressive symptoms have been assessed using the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale self-reported (MADRS-S) respectively. Reduced connectivity was found in patients in brain areas involved in face-processing and social cognition, such as the left putamen, the left occipital fusiform gyrus, and specific cerebellar lobules. The connectivity was, on the other hand, increased in patients compared with controls from the right inferior temporal gyrus to the superior parietal lobule and superior lateral occipital cortex. These areas are involved in multimodal stimuli integration, social rejection and anxiety. Patients scored higher on the EDE-Q and MADRS-S questionnaires, and the MADRS-S correlated with connectivity from the right inferior temporal gyrus to the superior parietal lobule in patients. Our findings point toward a role for an altered development of socio-emotional skills in the pathogenesis of atypical AN. Nonetheless, longitudinal studies will be needed to assess whether these connectivity alterations might be a neural marker of the pathology.

Resting-state functional connectivity in children born from gestations complicated by preeclampsia: A pilot study cohort.

Individuals (PE-F1s) born from preeclampsia (PE)-complicated pregnancies have elevated risks for cognitive impairment. Intervals of disturbed maternal plasma angiokines precede clinical signs of PE. We hypothesized pan-blastocyst dysregulation of angiokines underlies altered PE-F1 brain vascular and neurological development. This could alter brain functional connectivity (FC) patterns at rest. Resting-state functional MRI datasets of ten, matched child pairs (5 boys and 5 girls aged 7-10 years of age) from PE or control pregnancies were available for study. Seed-based analysis and independent component analysis (ICA) methodologies were used to assess whether differences in resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) were present between PE-F1s and controls. Bilateral amygdala, bilateral hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) were selected as regions of interest (ROI) for the seed-based analysis based on previous imaging differences that we reported in this set of children. Compared to controls, PE-F1 children had increased rs-FC between the right amygdala and left frontal pole, the left amygdala and bilateral frontal pole, and the MPFC and precuneus. PE-F1 children additionally had decreased rs-FC between the MPFC and the left occipital fusiform gyrus compared to controls. These are the first reported rs-FC data for PE-F1s of any age. Theysuggest that PE alters FC during human fetal brain development. Altered FC may contribute to the behavioural and neurological alterations reported in PE-F1s. Longitudinal MRI studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these novel findings.

Functional resonance magnetic imaging (fMRI) in adolescents with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain: a paradigm of experimental pain

BackgroundStudies on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have shown that adults with musculoskeletal pain syndromes tolerate smaller amount of pressure (pain) as well as differences in brain activation patterns in areas related to pain.The objective of this study was to evaluate, through fMRI, the brain activation in adolescents with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) while performing an experimental paradigm of pain.MethodsThe study included 10 consecutive adolescents with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (average age 16.3±1.0) and 10 healthy adolescents age-matched. fMRI exams were performed in a 3 T scanner (Magnetom Trio, Siemens) using an event-related design paradigm. Pressure stimuli were performed in the nondominant hand thumb, divided into two stages, fixed pain and variable pain.The two local Research Ethics Committees (Ethics Committee from Universidade Federal de São Paulo- Brazil, process number 0688/11, on July 1st, 2011 and Ethics Committee from Hospital Israelita Albert Einsten – Brazil, process number 1673, on October 19th, 2011) approved the study.ResultsThe idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) group showed a reduced threshold for pain (3.7 kg/cm2 versus 4.45 kg/cm2, p = 0.005). Control group presented increased bain activation when compared to IMP group in the following areas: thalamus (p = 0.00001), precentral gyrus (p = 0.0004) and middle frontal gyrus (p = 0.03). In intragroup analysis, IMP group showed greater brain activation during the unpredictable stimuli of the variable pain stage, especially in the lingual gyrus (p = 0.0001), frontal lobe (p = 0.0001), temporal gyrus (p = 0.0001) and precentral gyrus (p = 0.03), when compared to predictable stimulus of fixed pain. The same intragroup analysis with the control group showed greater activation during the unpredictable stimuli in regions of the precentral gyrus (p = 0.0001), subcallosal area (p = 0.0001), right and left occipital fusiform gyrus (p = 0.0001; (p = 0.0007), middle gyrus (p = 0.01) and precuneus p = (0.02).ConclusionAdolescents with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) tend to request higher brain function in cognitive-emotional areas when interpreting unpredictable sensory-perceptual situations. Therefore, it is assumed that this difference in pain processing in adolescents with IMP make the subjective experience of pain something more intense and unpleasant.

Neural Correlates of Visual Confrontation Naming in Persian-Speaking Individuals: An fMRI Study

Background: Neural correlates of visual confrontation naming (VCN) have received considerable attention in previous literature. Recently, there have been a few studies that have reported the activation of the hippocampus during VCN tasks. Whether or not the hippocampus is directly involved in picture naming has clinical importance for patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) who should undergo anterior temporal lobe resection (ATLR). Objectives: In this study, we investigated the neural network of VCN and the role of the hippocampus in Persian-speaking individuals by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) VCN paradigm. Subjects and Methods: Twenty right-handed, healthy, Persian-speaking adults underwent fMRI while performing VCN task. Pictures were selected from a Snodgrass and Vanderwart dataset that was normed for Persian speakers. VCN performance was assessed and entered as a covariate in whole-brain analysis. Region of interest (ROI)-based analysis was also used to obtain more accurate results. Results: Activation in the left hippocampus was significantly correlated with VCN performance. Participants with higher scores showed greater fMRI activation in their left hippocampus. Activation in left occipitotemporal regions, such as the left occipital fusiform gyrus, left temporal occipital fusiform gyrus, left temporal pole, left middle temporal gyrus, and left superior temporal gyrus also showed significant correlation with VCN performance. The main effects of VCN were also found in frontal and occipital regions, such as the left inferior frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, right orbital frontal gyrus, right lateral occipital gyrus, right occipital fusiform gyrus, and right occipital pole. Activation in the inferior frontal gyrus was significantly left lateralized among all of the subjects. Conclusion: These findings suggest that good naming ability depends on fMRI activation in the speech-dominant hippocampus. We also found that a left-dominant network of occipitotemporal regions plays a dominant role in VCN performance in healthy Persian-speaking individuals.

Relationship between Parental Feeding Practices and Neural Responses to Food Cues in Adolescents.

Social context, specifically within the family, influences adolescent eating behaviours and thus their health. Little is known about the specific mechanisms underlying the effects of parental feeding practices on eating. We explored relationships between parental feeding practices and adolescent eating habits and brain activity in response to viewing food images. Fifty- seven adolescents (15 with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 21 obese and 21 healthy weight controls) underwent fMRI scanning whilst viewing images of food or matched control images. Participants completed the Kids Child Feeding Questionnaire, the Childrens’ Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) and took part in an observed meal. Parents completed the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionniare and the DEBQ. We were particularly interested in brain activity in response to food cues that was modulated by different feeding and eating styles. Healthy-weight participants increased activation (compared to the other groups) to food in proportion to the level of parental restriction in visual areas of the brain such as right lateral occipital cortex (LOC), right temporal occipital cortex, left occipital fusiform gyrus, left lateral and superior LOC. Adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus had higher activation (compared to the other groups) with increased parental restrictive feeding in areas relating to emotional control, attention and decision-making, such as posterior cingulate, precuneus, frontal operculum and right middle frontal gyrus. Participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus also showed higher activation (compared to the other groups) in the left anterior intraparietal sulcus and angular gyrus when they also reported higher self restraint. Parental restriction did not modulate food responses in obese participants, but there was increased activity in visual (visual cortex, left LOC, left occipital fusiform gyrus) and reward related brain areas (thalamus and parietal operculum) in response to parental teaching and modelling of behaviour. Parental restrictive feeding and parental teaching and modelling affected neural responses to food cues in different ways, depending on motivations and diagnoses, illustrating a social influence on neural responses to food cues.

Machine learning and dyslexia: Classification of individual structural neuro-imaging scans of students with and without dyslexia

Meta-analytic studies suggest that dyslexia is characterized by subtle and spatially distributed variations in brain anatomy, although many variations failed to be significant after corrections of multiple comparisons. To circumvent issues of significance which are characteristic for conventional analysis techniques, and to provide predictive value, we applied a machine learning technique – support vector machine – to differentiate between subjects with and without dyslexia.In a sample of 22 students with dyslexia (20 women) and 27 students without dyslexia (25 women) (18–21 years), a classification performance of 80% (p < 0.001; d-prime = 1.67) was achieved on the basis of differences in gray matter (sensitivity 82%, specificity 78%). The voxels that were most reliable for classification were found in the left occipital fusiform gyrus (LOFG), in the right occipital fusiform gyrus (ROFG), and in the left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL). Additionally, we found that classification certainty (e.g. the percentage of times a subject was correctly classified) correlated with severity of dyslexia (r = 0.47). Furthermore, various significant correlations were found between the three anatomical regions and behavioural measures of spelling, phonology and whole-word-reading. No correlations were found with behavioural measures of short-term memory and visual/attentional confusion. These data indicate that the LOFG, ROFG and the LIPL are neuro-endophenotype and potentially biomarkers for types of dyslexia related to reading, spelling and phonology.In a second and independent sample of 876 young adults of a general population, the trained classifier of the first sample was tested, resulting in a classification performance of 59% (p = 0.07; d-prime = 0.65). This decline in classification performance resulted from a large percentage of false alarms. This study provided support for the use of machine learning in anatomical brain imaging.

White matter integrity alterations in young healthy adults reporting childhood trauma: A diffusion tensor imaging study

To date, insufficient studies have focused on the relationship between childhood trauma and white matter integrity changes in healthy subjects. The aim of the present study was to explore the potential effects of childhood trauma on white matter microstructural changes by using voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine alterations in fractional anisotropy (FA) values in a group of young healthy adults. A total of 21 healthy adults with a history of childhood trauma exposures and 21 age- and sex-matched individuals without childhood trauma were recruited in the present study. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was used to assess five aspects of childhood trauma exposures. DTI data were obtained on a Philips 3.0-Tesla scanner. Voxel-based analysis was conducted to compare white matter FA values between groups. Adults with self-reported childhood trauma experiences showed decreased white matter FA values in the genu and body of the corpus callosum and the left occipital fusiform gyrus (p < 0.001 uncorrected, voxel > 100). There was no significant difference in FA values between individuals with single and multiple childhood trauma exposures at the defined threshold. Our findings suggest that childhood trauma is associated with reduced microstructural integrity of the white matter in adulthood. These effects are still evident even in the absence of current psychiatric or medical symptoms, which may represent the vulnerability for developing mental disorders after childhood trauma experiences.

Changes in brain activity in response to problem solving during the abstinence from online game play.

Several studies have suggested that addictive disorders including substance abuse and pathologic gambling might be associated with dysfunction on working memory and prefrontal activity. We hypothesized that excessive online game playing is associated with deficits in prefrontal cortex function and that recovery from excessive online game playing might improve prefrontal cortical activation in response to working memory stimulation. Thirteen adolescents with excessive online game playing (AEOP) and ten healthy adolescents (HC) agreed to participate in this study. The severity of online game play and playing time were evaluated for a baseline measurement and again following four weeks of treatment. Brain activation in response to working memory tasks (simple and complex calculations) at baseline and subsequent measurements was assessed using BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Compared to the HC subjects, the AEOP participants exhibited significantly greater activity in the right middle occipital gyrus, left cerebellum posterior lobe, left premotor cortex and left middle temporal gyrus in response to working memory tasks during baseline measurements. After four weeks of treatment, the AEOP subjects showed increased activity within the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left occipital fusiform gyrus. After four weeks of treatment, changes in the severity of online game playing were negatively correlated with changes in the mean β value of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in response to complex stimulation. We suggest that the effects of online game addiction on working memory may be similar to those observed in patients with substance dependence.

Impact of head models in N170 component source imaging: results in control subjects and ADHD patients

The major goal of evoked related potential studies arise in source localization techniques to identify the loci of neural activity that give rise to a particular voltage distribution measured on the surface of the scalp. In this paper we evaluate the effect of the head model adopted in order to estimate the N170 component source in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and control subjects, considering faces and words stimuli. The standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography algorithm (sLORETA) is used to compare between the three shell spherical head model and a fully realistic model based on the ICBM-152 atlas. We compare their variance on source estimation and analyze the impact on the N170 source localization. Results show that the often used three shell spherical model may lead to erroneous solutions, specially on ADHD patients, so its use is not recommended. Our results also suggest that N170 sources are mainly located in the right occipital fusiform gyrus for faces stimuli and in the left occipital fusiform gyrus for words stimuli, for both control subjects and ADHD patients. We also found a notable decrease on the N170 estimated source amplitude on ADHD patients, resulting in a plausible marker of the disease.