Left Supramarginal Gyrus Research Articles

Gray matter biomarkers for major depressive disorder and manic disorder using logistic regression

The study investigates morphometric changes using surface-based measures and logistic regression in Major depressive-disorder (MDD) and Manic-disorder patients as compared to controls.MDD (n = 21) and manic (n = 20) subjects were recruited from psychiatric clinics, along with 19 healthy-controls from local population, after structured and semi-structured clinical interview (DSM-IV, brief Psychotic-Rating Scale (BPRS), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS), cognitive function by postgraduate Institute Battery of Brain Dysfunction (PGIBBD)).Using 3D T1-weighted images, gray matter (GM) cortical thickness and GM-based morphometric signatures (using logistic regression) were compared among MDD, manic disorder and controls using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). No significant difference was found between the MDD and manic disorder patients. When compared to controls, cortical thinning was observed in bilateral rostral middle frontal gyrus and parsopercularis, right lateral occipital cortex, right lingual gyrus in MDD; and bilateral rostral middle frontal and superior frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, left supramarginal and left precentral gyrus in Manic disorders.Logistic regression analysis exhibited GM cortical thinning in the bilateral parsopercularis, right lateral occipital cortex and lingual gyrus in MDD; and bilateral rostral middle, superior frontal gyri, right middle temporal gyrus in Manic with a sensitivity and specificity of 85.7 % and 94.7 % and 90.0 % and 94.7 %, respectively in comparison with controls. Both groups exhibited GM loss in bilateral rostral middle frontal gyrus brain regions compared to controls. Multivariate analysis revealed common changes in GM in MDD and manic disorders associated with mood temperament, but differences when compared to controls.

Violations of physical and psychological expectations in the human adult brain

Abstract After seeing one solid object apparently passing through another, or a person taking the long route to a destination when a shortcut was available, human adults classify those events as surprising. When tested on these events in violation-of-expectation (VOE) experiments, infants look longer at the same outcomes, relative to similar but expected outcomes. What cognitive processes underlie these judgments from adults, and perhaps infants' sustained attention to these events? As one approach to test this question, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of human adults (total N = 49, 22 female, mean age of 26 years) while they viewed stimuli that were originally designed to test for physical and psychological expectations in infants. We examined non-mutually exclusive candidates for the processes underlying the VOE effect, including domain-general processes, like visual prediction error and curiosity, and domain-specific processes, like prediction error with respect to distinctively physical and psychological expectations (objects are solid; agents behave rationally). Early visual regions did not distinguish between expected and unexpected events from either domain. By contrast, multiple demand regions, involved in goal-directed attention, responded more to unexpected events in both domains, providing evidence for domain-general goal-directed attention as a mechanism for VOE. Left supramarginal gyrus (LSMG) was engaged during physical prediction and responded preferentially to unexpected events from the physical domain, providing evidence for domain-specific physical prediction error. Thus, in adult brains, violations of physical and psychological expectations involve domain-specific, and domain-general, though not purely visual, computations.

Depression-induced changes in directed functional brain networks: A source-space resting-state EEG study

<p>Current research confirms abnormalities in resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) power and functional connectivity (FC) patterns in specific brain regions of individuals with depression. To study changes in the flow of information between cortical regions of the brain in patients with depression, we used 64-channel EEG to record neural oscillatory activity in 68 relevant cortical regions in 22 depressed patients and 22 healthy adolescents using source-space EEG. The direction and strength of information flow between brain regions was investigated using directional phase transfer entropy (PTE). Compared to healthy controls, we observed an increased intensity of PTE information flow between the left and right hemispheres in the theta and alpha frequency bands in depressed subjects. The intensity of information flow between anterior and posterior regions within each hemisphere was reduced. Significant differences were found in the left supramarginal gyrus, right delta in the theta frequency band and bilateral lateral occipital lobe, and paracentral gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus in the alpha frequency band. The accuracy of cross-classification of directed PTE values with significant differences between groups was 91%. These findings suggest that altered information flow in the brains of depressed patients is related to the pathogenesis of depression, providing insights for patient identification and pathological studies.</p>

Neural basis of writing in prodromal to mild dementia with lewy bodies.

We have previously demonstrated difficulties in written production in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) patients. We now aim to determine the neural correlates of writing production in DLB, combining clinical data and structural MRI measures. Sixteen prodromal to mild DLB patients were selected to participate in the study. The GREMOTS test was used to assess writing production. Using three-dimensional T1 brain MRI images, correlations between the GREMOTS test and grey matter (GM) volume were performed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM; SPM12, XjView and Matlab R2021b softwares). VBM analysis (p<0.001, uncorrected) revealed a positive and significant correlation between both left anterior insula and left supramarginal gyrus GM volumes and DLB patients' ability to write logatoms using the phonological route. The handwriting deficit was negatively and significantly correlated to the supplementary motor area. The parkinsonism-like characteristics of agraphia were negatively and significantly correlated with both right anterior and right posterior cerebellum GM volumes. Our study also revealed a negative and significant correlation between grammatical spelling impairments and an area of the orbitofrontal gyrus, and a negative and significant correlation between supramarginal gyrus and general slowness in dictation tasks. Writing disorders in early DLB patients appears to be GM decreases in several brain regions, such as the left anterior insula, the left supramaginal gyrus, as well as two areas of the right cerebellum.

Network-based statistics distinguish anomic and Broca's aphasia.

Aphasia is a speech-language impairment commonly caused by damage to the left hemisphere. The neural mechanisms that underpin different types of aphasia and their symptoms are still not fully understood. This study aims to identify differences in resting-state functional connectivity between anomic and Broca's aphasia measured through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We used the network-based statistic (NBS) method, as well as voxel- and connectome-based lesion symptom mapping (V-, CLSM), to identify distinct neural correlates of the anomic and Broca's groups. To control for lesion effect, we included lesion volume as a covariate in both the NBS method and LSM. NBS identified a subnetwork located in the dorsal language stream bilaterally, including supramarginal gyrus, primary sensory, motor, and auditory cortices, and insula. The connections in the subnetwork were weaker in the Broca's group than the anomic group. The properties of the subnetwork were examined through complex network measures, which indicated that regions in right inferior frontal sulcus, right paracentral lobule, and bilateral superior temporal gyrus exhibit intensive interaction. Left superior temporal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and left supramarginal gyrus play an important role in information flow and overall communication efficiency. Disruption of this network underlies the constellation of symptoms associated with Broca's aphasia. Whole-brain CLSM did not detect any significant connections, suggesting an advantage of NBS when thousands of connections are considered. However, CLSM identified connections that differentiated Broca's from anomic aphasia when analysis was restricted to a hypothesized network of interest. We identified novel signatures of resting-state brain network differences between groups of individuals with anomic and Broca's aphasia. We identified a subnetwork of connections that statistically differentiated the resting-state brain networks of the two groups, in comparison with standard CLSM results that yielded isolated connections. Network-level analyses are useful tools for the investigation of the neural correlates of language deficits post-stroke.

Cortical Structure in Pre-Readers at Cognitive Risk for Dyslexia: Baseline Differences and Response to Intervention.

Early childhood is a critical period for structural brain development as well as an important window for the identification and remediation of reading difficulties. Recent research supports the implementation of interventions in at-risk populations as early as kindergarten or first grade, yet the neurocognitive mechanisms following such interventions remain understudied. To address this, we investigated cortical structure by means of anatomical MRI before and after a 12-week tablet-based intervention in: (1) at-risk children receiving phonics-based training (n = 29; n = 16 complete pre-post datasets), (2) at-risk children engaging with AC training (n = 24; n = 15 complete pre-post datasets) and (3) typically developing children (n = 25; n = 14 complete pre-post datasets) receiving no intervention. At baseline, we found higher surface area of the right supramarginal gyrus in at-risk children compared to typically developing peers, extending previous evidence that early anatomical differences exist in children who may later develop dyslexia. Our longitudinal analysis revealed significant post-intervention thickening of the left supramarginal gyrus, present exclusively in the intervention group but not the active control or typical control groups. Altogether, this study contributes new knowledge to our understanding of the brain morphology associated with cognitive risk for dyslexia and response to early intervention, which in turn raises new questions on how early anatomy and plasticity may shape the trajectories of long-term literacy development.

Bridging Stories and Science: An fNIRS-based hyperscanning investigation into child learning in STEM

Early STEM education is crucial for later learning. This novel study utilised fNIRS to examine how STEM teaching methods (i.e., traditional, storytelling, storyboarding) affect neural activity synchronisation between teachers and students. Our results showed that left and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) for storytelling teaching versus traditional teaching, superior temporal gyrus for storyboard teaching versus traditional teaching, and left angular gyrus for storyboard and storytelling teaching were significant different in brain synchronisation. In the storytelling teaching condition, left supramarginal gyrus brain synchrony was found to improve STEM learning outcomes. In the storyboard teaching condition, IFG brain synchrony correlated positively with STEM learning improvement. The findings confirmed that story-based teaching and storyboarding can improve STEM learning efficacy at the neural level and unscored the significant role of neural synchronization as a predictor of learning outcomes.

Altered intrinsic brain activity in patients with neuropathic pain after brachial plexus avulsion

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate brain activity changes in patients suffering from neuropathic pain (NP) following brachial plexus avulsion (BPA). MethodsFifteen patients with NP following BPA and eight healthy participants (HP) were recruited for this study. All participants underwent examination using resting-state functional MRI. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated and compared between the BPA group, left-BPA subgroup, right-BPA subgroup, and the HP group using independent samples t-tests. ResultsIn the BPA group, there were notable increases in ALFF/ReHo observed in the left rolandic operculum, insula, and supramarginal gyrus, while decreases were observed in the left paracentral lobule, fusiform gyrus, calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, lingual gyrus, precuneus, as well as the bilateral anterior/median cingulate and paracingulate gyri, supplementary motor area, and cerebellum. In the left-BPA subgroup, elevated ALFF/ReHo levels were identified in the left middle/inferior frontal gyri, rolandic operculum, and supramarginal gyrus, with corresponding decreases in the left calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, inferior occipital gyrus, fusiform gyrus, lingual gyrus, as well as the bilateral anterior/median cingulate and paracingulate gyri, postcentral gyri, supplementary motor area, paracentral lobules, and cerebellum. The right-BPA subgroup displayed increased ALFF/ReHo in the left frontal lobe, rolandic operculum, insula, fusiform gyrus, and lingual gyrus, as well as the right cerebellum. Conversely, decreases in ALFF/ReHo were observed in the bilateral anterior/median cingulate and paracingulate gyri, calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, cuneus, and occipital lobes. ConclusionsThe NP after BPA caused spontaneous activity changes in brain regions associated with linguistic, visual, somatosensory, and motor coordination and processing function. The majority of these abnormal areas were situated in the left cerebral hemisphere, while the effect of cingulate gyri and cerebellum seemed to be bilateral.

Impact of hs‐CRP concentration on brain structure alterations and cognitive trajectory in Alzheimer’s disease

AbstractBackgroundThis study investigated hs‐CRP concentration, brain structural alterations, and cognitive function in the context of AD (subjective cognitive decline [SCD], mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and AD).MethodWe retrospectively included 313 patients (mean age = 76.40 years; 59 with SCD, 101 with MCI, and 153 with AD) for a cross‐sectional analysis and 91 patients (mean age = 75.83 years; 12 with SCD, 43 with MCI, 36 with AD) in the longitudinal analysis. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between hs‐CRP concentration, brain structural alterations, and cognitive function.ResultIn patients with SCD, hs‐CRP was inversely associated with gray matter volumes (GMVs) in the left supramarginal gyrus (pFDR = 0.044, 𝛽 = ‐0.22), and positively associated with GMVs in left lateral occipital gyrus (pFDR = 0.009, 𝛽 = 0.34) and left rostral middle frontal gyrus (pFDR = 0.038, 𝛽 = 0.29). In patients with AD, hs‐CRP was positively associated with GMVs in the left fusiform gyrus (pFDR = 0.017, 𝛽 = 0.22) and left inferior temporal gyrus (pFDR = 0.043, 𝛽 = 0.17). According to the longitudinal analysis, the interaction of diagnosis and hs‐CRP was associated with annual cognitive changes. Among these patients with AD, lower baseline hs‐CRP was correlated with greater future cognitive decline (r = ‐0.41, p = 0.0127).ConclusionOur study suggest that hs‐CRP may differentially affect the neuropathology of different stages of AD. For patients diagnosed with AD, elevated CRP level may be protective on brain structure alterations and future cognitive changes.

Associations between Verbal Memory Performance and Regional Brain Volumes Differ by APOE4 Carrier Status in Midlife Women

AbstractBackgroundAPOE4 genotype is a stronger risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in women than men, and its influence on memory and AD biomarkers differs by disease stage. Among cognitively normal older APOE4 carriers, APOE4 status influences memory similarly in males and females but adversely influences hippocampal volume in males. The effect of APOE4 status on regional brain volumes earlier in life, and in relation to memory, are less well understood. We examined whether associations between verbal memory performance and regional brain volumes differed by APOE4 status in cognitively normal midlife women. We hypothesized that APOE4 carriers would show weaker associations between memory performance and brain volumes than non‐carriers, particularly in the temporal lobe.MethodParticipants were enrolled in MsBrain, a cohort study of midlife women. Verbal memory was assessed with the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT‐II). Cortical thickness was measured and segmented by FreeSurfer using individual T1w MPRAGE images. Multiple regressions were conducted to determine associations between memory (learning, free recall) and regional brain volumes by APOE4 status (carriers versus non‐carriers), controlling for age, education, and race.ResultIn 148 cognitively normal postmenopausal women (mean age = 59.17 years, 84.4% white, n = 37 APOE4 carriers), APOE4 status had no main effect on CVLT‐II measures or brain volumes, except the volume of the left supramarginal gyrus. However, APOE4 status modified the magnitude of association between verbal memory and brain volumes, specifically the association between: a) verbal learning and volume in the left caudal middle frontal gyrus (CMFG), left isthmus cingulate gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left insula, right precuneus, right lateral orbitofrontal gyrus (LOG), and right temporal pole (TP); and b) free recall and volume in the left CMFG, right LOG, right posterior cingulate gyrus, and right TP. The direction of the associations between verbal memory and brain volumes was positive in non‐carriers and negative in carriers.ConclusionIn cognitively normal midlife women, APOE4 carrier status may influence the extent to which the hippocampal, temporal, and frontal lobe structures support verbal memory performance. This subtle effect may emerge before the main effect of this genetic risk factor on brain volume and memory.

Impaired interhemispheric synchrony and effective connectivity in right temporal lobe epilepsy.

The brain functional network plays a crucial role in cognitive impairment in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Based on voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC), this study explored how directed functional connectivity changes and is associated with impaired cognition in right TLE (rTLE). Twenty-seven patients with rTLE and twenty-seven healthy controls were included to perform VMHC and Granger causality analysis (GCA). Correlation analysis was performed based on GCA and cognitive function. Bilateral middle frontal gyrus (MFG), middle temporal gyrus, dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (SFGdor), and supramarginal gyrus (SMG) exhibited decreased VMHC values in the rTLE group. Brain regions with altered VMHC had abnormal directed functional connectivity with multiple brain regions, mainly belonging to the default mode network, sensorimotor network, and visual network. Besides, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score was positively correlated with the connectivity from the left SFGdor to the right cerebellum crus2 and was negatively correlated with the connectivity from the left SMG to the right supplementary motor area (SMA) before correction. Before correction, both phasic and intrinsic alertness reaction time were positively correlated with the connectivity from the left MFG to the left precentral gyrus (PreCG), connectivity from the left SMG to the right PreCG, and the connectivity from the left SMG to the right SMA. The executive control effect reaction time was positively correlated with the connectivity from the left MFG to the left calcarine fissure surrounding cortex before correction. The disordered functional network tended to be correlated with cognition impairment in rTLE.

The neuropsychological mechanism in loci memory using 7T fMRI

Memory has been a preoccupation of human civilization for centuries, and people have been searching for ways to increase its capacity and special memorisation methods tend to get more attention. Though efficient memory methods have always been a goal pursued by humans, the physiological nature still demands proper explanation. In this paper, a memory method called loci memorize is explored in the hope of obtaining a comparison of the level of activity in a particular region. This work utilized a 7T fMRI with a high resolution to unlock the neurological activity during quick memory of unordered numbers in eleven right-handed memory athletes. By designing a specific numerical memory task and initiating the task in two different groups of people, the coordinates of activated brain regions were located by analysing the degree of activity, with reference to the corresponding recall data. Results showed that brain activations associated with the loci memory were found in the middle cingulate, left precuneus, left supramarginal gyrus, left insula, left inferior frontal gyrus, left middle occipital, and right superior parietal lobule. These brain regions were more active in the group using loci memorise compared to that not using loci memorise under the same memory task. The preference for loci memory provides a possibility for the memory improvement. The work can be a reference of studying the memory mechanism in the neuropsychological science.

Functional connectivity alterations in the frontoparietal network and sensorimotor network are associated with behavioral heterogeneity in blepharospasm.

Primary blepharospasm (BSP) is a clinically heterogeneous disease that manifests not only as spasmodic closure of the eyelids but also sometimes with apraxia of eyelid opening (AEO). This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate differences in the neural mechanisms of isolated BSP and BSP-associated AEO subtypes, which may reveal the pathophysiology underlying different phenotypes. A total of 29 patients manifested as isolated BSP, 17 patients manifested as BSP associated with AEO, and 28 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We assessed functional connectivity (FC) between regions of interest (ROIs) in the fronto-parietal control network (PFCN) and sensorimotor network (SMN). We also examined the relationship between altered FC and behavioral data. In the FPCN, ROI- analyses showed decreased FC between the left premotor cortex and supramarginal gyrus in the BSP with AEO group compared to the isolated BSP group. In the SMN, both subgroups showed hypoconnectivity of the left premotor cortex with the right primary motor cortex, primary sensory cortex, and somatosensory association cortex. This hypoconnectivity was positively correlated with the total number of botulinum toxin A treatments, which suggests that long-term botulinum toxin A treatment may modulate motor sequence planning and coordination. These findings showed different connectivity alterations in neural networks associated with motor and cognitive control among different behavioral phenotypes of BSP. The identification of specific alterations in various networks that correspond to clinical heterogeneity may inform the identification of potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and personalized neuromodulation targets for treating different BSP subphenotypes.

Brain Representation of Animal and Non-Animal Images in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.

In early Alzheimer's disease (AD), high-level visual functions and processing speed are impacted. Few functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated high-level visual deficits in AD, yet none have explored brain activity patterns during rapid animal/non-animal categorization tasks. To address this, we utilized the previously known Integrated Cognitive Assessment (ICA) to collect fMRI data and compare healthy controls (HC) to individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild AD. The ICA encompasses a rapid visual categorization task that involves distinguishing between animals and non-animals within natural scenes. To comprehensively explore variations in brain activity levels and patterns, we conducted both univariate and multivariate analyses of fMRI data. The ICA task elicited activation across a range of brain regions, encompassing the temporal, parietal, occipital, and frontal lobes. Univariate analysis, which compared responses to animal versus non-animal stimuli, showed no significant differences in the regions of interest (ROIs) across all groups, with the exception of the left anterior supramarginal gyrus in the HC group. In contrast, multivariate analysis revealed that in both HC and MCI groups, several regions could differentiate between animals and non-animals based on distinct patterns of activity. Notably, such differentiation was absent within the mild AD group. Our study highlights the ICA task's potential as a valuable cognitive assessment tool designed for MCI and AD. Additionally, our use of fMRI pattern analysis provides valuable insights into the complex changes in brain function associated with AD. This approach holds promise for enhancing our understanding of the disease's progression.

Assessment of functional and structural brain abnormalities with resting-state functional MRI in patients with vestibular neuronitis.

Vestibular neuritis (VN) is a disorder manifesting as acute, isolated, spontaneous vertigo. There are few comprehensive studies on the changes in related functional and structural brain regions. To evaluate alterations in spontaneous neural activity, functional connectivity (FC), and gray matter volume (GMV) in patients with VN. A total of 24 patients with VN and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and three-dimensional T1-weighted anatomical imaging. We calculated the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) to discern local brain abnormalities. The most abnormal brain region was selected as the region of interest (ROI) for FC analysis based on ALFF and ReHo values after Bonferroni correction. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to assess differences in GMV. Patients with VN, compared to healthy controls, showed increased ALFF (P < 0.001), ReHo values (P = 0.002, <0.001), and DC (P = 0.013) in the left lingual gyrus and right postcentral gyrus. FC analysis demonstrated enhanced connectivity between the left lingual gyrus and the left superior frontal gyrus, and decreased connectivity with the right insula gyrus, right and left supramarginal gyrus (P = 0.012, 0.004, <0.001, 0.014). In addition, GMV was reduced in the bilateral caudate (P = 0.022, 0.014). Patients with VN exhibit abnormal spontaneous neural activity and changes in ALFF, ReHo, DC, GMV, and FC. Understanding these functional and structural brain abnormalities may elucidate the underlying mechanisms of VN.

Decreased beta-band activity in left supramarginal gyrus reflects cognitive decline: Evidence from a large clinical dataset in patients with dementia.

Cognitive impairment is a major concern in clinical medicine. It is usually evaluated with neuropsychological assessments, which have inherent limitations. To compensate for them, magnetoencephalography has already come into clinical use to evaluate the level of cognitive impairment. It evaluates global changes in the frequency of resting-state brain activity, which are associated with cognitive status. However, it remains unclear what neural mechanism causes the frequency changes. To understand this, it is important to identify cortical regions that mainly contribute to these changes. We retrospectively analysed the clinical records from 310 individuals with cognitive impairment who visited the outpatient department at our hospital. The analysis included resting-state magnetoencephalography, neuropsychological assessment, and clinical diagnosis data. Regional oscillatory intensities were estimated from the magnetoencephalography data, which were statistically analysed, along with neuropsychological assessment scores, and the severity of cognitive impairment associated with clinical diagnosis. The regional oscillatory intensity covering a wide range of regions and frequencies was significantly associated with neuropsychological assessment scores and differed between healthy individuals and patients with cognitive impairment. However, these associations and differences in all conditions were overlapped by a single change in beta frequency in the left supramarginal gyrus. High frequency oscillatory intensity in the left supramarginal gyrus is associated with cognitive impairment levels among patients who were concerned about dementia. It provides new insights into cognitive status measurements using magnetoencephalography, which is expected to develop as an objective index to be used alongside traditional neuropsychological assessments.

Altered White Matter Structural Network Connectivity Associated with Cognitive Declines in Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction.

It has been reported that individuals with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED) potentially suffer from cognitive declines. Despite that increasing neuroimaging studies have demonstrated abnormalities of cerebral structural changes in pED, the association between altered white matter (WM) structural network and cognitive impairments remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to explore the relationship between WM structural network connectivity and cognitive performance in patients with pED. Forty pED patients and 33 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited to perform cognitive assessments, and diffusion tensor imaging scans. We firstly constructed the WM structural network and applied the machine learning method to identify the important features. Then, we examined group differences in cognitive assessments, WM structural network connectivity within the identified features, and associations between altered WM structural network connectivity and cognitive scores in pED patients. From 26,896 features of DTI data, 24 important features were identified by K-Nearest Neighbor classification with a satisfactory accuracy (78%). Compared with HCs, we found that pED patients showed higher fractional anisotropy (FA) values between left transverse temporal sulcus and left supramarginal gyrus, and lower FA values between left suborbital sulcus and left para-hippocampal part of the medial occipito-temporal gyrus in pED patients. Furthermore, the increased FA between left transverse temporal sulcus and left supramarginal gyrus was observed to be negatively associated with impaired delayed memory. Overall, our findings provide new insights into WM network alterations associated with impaired cognitive functions in pED, which may unravel the potential neural mechanisms underlying the cognitive impairments of pED patients.

Regional Homogeneity in schizophrenia patients with tardive dyskinesia: a resting-state fMRI study

Neuronal degeneration and apoptosis may play an important role in the pathogenesis of tardive dyskinesia (TD). Previous studies suggested brain structural and functional abnormalities in patients with TD. We investigated changes in cerebral regional homogeneity (ReHo) in patients with TD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Imaging data were collected from schizophrenia patients with TD (TD group, n=58) and without TD (non-TD group, n=66) and healthy controls (HC group, n=67), processed with SPM, and evaluated at a corrected threshold. Psychopathology and severity of TD were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), respectively. Results: TD vs. non-TD group showed significantly higher ReHo in the Left Inferior Semilunar Lobule and Right Fusiform Gyrus and lower ReHo in Left Supramarginal Gyrus, Right Inferior Tempotal Gyrus, and Left Medial Frontal Gyrus. The ReHo value in the Left Inferior Semilunar Lobule was negatively correlated with AIMS upper limbs scores. Conclusions: The findings suggest altered regional neural connectivities in association with TD and may inform research of the etiology and monitor the course of TD in patients with schizophrenia and potentially other psychotic disorders.

Words hurt: common and distinct neural substrates underlying nociceptive and semantic pain.

Recent studies have shown that processing semantic pain, such as words associated with physical pain, modulates pain perception and enhances activity in regions of the pain matrix. A direct comparison between activations due to noxious stimulation and processing of words conveying physical pain may clarify whether and to what extent the neural substrates of nociceptive pain are shared by semantic pain. Pain is triggered also by experiences of social exclusion, rejection or loss of significant others (the so-called social pain), therefore words expressing social pain may modulate pain perception similarly to what happens with words associated with physical pain. This event-related fMRI study aims to compare the brain activity related to perceiving nociceptive pain and that emerging from processing semantic pain, i.e., words related to either physical or social pain, in order to identify common and distinct neural substrates. Thirty-four healthy women underwent two fMRI sessions each. In the Semantic session, participants were presented with positive words, negative pain-unrelated words, physical pain-related words, and social pain-related words. In the Nociceptive session, participants received cutaneous mechanical stimulations that could be either painful or not. During both sessions, participants were asked to rate the unpleasantness of each stimulus. Linguistic stimuli were also rated in terms of valence, arousal, pain relatedness, and pain intensity, immediately after the Semantic session. In the Nociceptive session, the 'nociceptive stimuli' vs. 'non-nociceptive stimuli' contrast revealed extensive activations in SI, SII, insula, cingulate cortex, thalamus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In the Semantic session, words associated with social pain, compared to negative pain-unrelated words, showed increased activity in most of the same areas, whereas words associated with physical pain, compared to negative pain-unrelated words, only activated the left supramarginal gyrus and partly the postcentral gyrus. Our results confirm that semantic pain partly shares the neural substrates of nociceptive pain. Specifically, social pain-related words activate a wide network of regions, mostly overlapping with those pertaining to the affective-motivational aspects of nociception, whereas physical pain-related words overlap with a small cluster including regions related to the sensory-discriminative aspects of nociception. However, most regions of overlap are differentially activated in different conditions.

Functional connectivity and network analysis in adolescents with major depressive disorder showing suicidal behavior

BackgroundThis study aimed to gather a homogeneous sample of adolescent patients to analyze the differences in functional connectivity and brain network parameters between suicidal and non-suicidal major depressive disorder (MDD) patients using a data-driven whole-brain approach. MethodsPatients recruited at the psychiatry department of Korea University Guro Hospital from November 2014 to March 2020 were diagnosed with MDD, were 13–18 years old, had IQ scores >80, had no family history of psychotic or personality disorders, had no smoking or alcohol consumption history, and were drug-naïve to psychotropic medication. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Children's Depression Inventory. Structural and functional MRI scans were conducted and analyzed using the CONN toolbox. ResultsOf 74 enrolled patients, 62 were analyzed. Regions of interest (ROIs) showing higher betweenness centrality in non-suicidal patients were the left superior temporal gyrus and left supramarginal gyrus. ROIs showing higher betweenness centrality in suicidal patients were the right hippocampus, left intracalcarine cortex, right inferior temporal gyrus, and the lateral visual network. Suicidal patients also showed different resting state functional connectivity profiles from non-suicidal patients. LimitationsSmall sample size. ConclusionSuicidal patients may overthink and overvalue future risks while having a more negatively biased autobiographical memory. Social cognition and the ability to overcome egocentricity bias seem to weaken. Such features can disrupt cognitive recovery and resilience, leading to more suicidal behaviors. Therefore, increased suicidality is not acquired, but is an innate trait.