Precentral Gyrus Research Articles

Extraversion and the Brain: A Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis of Functional Brain Imaging Studies on Positive Affect.

Extraversion is a fundamental personality dimension that contributes to an individual's overall health and well-being. Many studies have examined the neural bases of extraversion but these results are inconsistent. This study adopted a meta-analysis approach to examine the brain activity correlates of extraversion by incorporating functional neuroimaging studies in the context of positive affect/emotional stimuli. A systematic literature search was performed in the databases of PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, PsycInfo, CNKI, WanFang, and Weipu. The demographic characteristics and basic information of the included studies were first summarized. Then, a meta-analysis was conducted using anisotropic effect-size seed-based d mapping. Jackknife sensitivity analysis was next conducted to examine the reliability of the findings. Finally, meta-regression analysis was performed to test the potential demographic effects (i.e., sex and age) on the association between extraversion and brain activity. A total of 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of meta-analysis revealed robust and consistent positive correlations between extraversion and activation of right inferior frontal gyrus/insula, right angular gyrus, and left precentral gyrus during positive affect processing. In contrast, brain activity in the right striatum during positive affect processing was negatively associated with extraversion. Additionally, meta-regression analysis revealed sex as a moderator in the relationship between extraversion and right insular activation. Overall, our study is the first to provide a comprehensive understanding of functional brain activation patterns of extraversion, which may be helpful for targeting of specific brain regions in personalized interventions for extraversion-related psychological/physical illness.

Neural connectivity underlying core language functions.

Although many white matter tracts underlying language functions have been identified, even in aggregate they do not provide a sufficiently detailed and expansive picture to enable us to fully understand the computational processes that might underly language production and comprehension. We employed diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) with a tensor distribution model to more extensively explore the white matter tracts supporting core language functions. Our study was guided by hypotheses stemming largely from the aphasia literature. We employed high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) with a dual region of interest tractography approach. Our diffusion tensor distribution model uses a mixture of Wishart distributions to estimate the water molecule displacement probability functions on a voxel-by-voxel basis and to model crossing/branching fibers using a multicompartmental approach. We replicated the results of previously published studies of tracts underlying language function. Our study also yielded a number of novel findings: 1) extensive connectivity between Broca's region and the entirety of the middle and superior frontal gyri; 2) extensive interconnectivity between the four subcomponents of Broca's region, pars orbitalis, pars triangularis, pars opercularis, and the inferior precentral gyrus; 3) connectivity between the mid-superior temporal gyrus and the transverse gyrus; 4) connectivity between the mid-superior temporal gyrus, the transverse gyrus, and the planum temporale and the inferior and middle temporal gyri; and 5) connectivity between mid- and anterior superior temporal gyrus and all components of Broca's region. These results, which replicate the results of prior DTT studies, also considerably extend them and thereby provide a fuller picture of the structural basis of language function and the basis for a novel model of the neural network architecture of language function. This new model is entirely consistent with discoveries from the aphasia literature and with parallel distributed processing conceptualizations of language function.

Instruction-induced modulation of the visual stream during gesture observation.

Although gesture observation tasks are believed to invariably activate the action-observation network (AON), we investigated whether the activation of different cognitive mechanisms when processing identical stimuli with different explicit instructions modulates AON activations. Accordingly, 24 healthy right-handed individuals observed gestures and they processed both the actor's moved hand (hand laterality judgment task, HT) and the meaning of the actor's gesture (meaning task, MT). The main brain-level result was that the HT (vs MT) differentially activated the left and right precuneus, the left inferior parietal lobe, the left and right superior parietal lobe, the middle frontal gyri bilaterally and the left precentral gyrus. MT (vs HT) differentially activated the left and right calcarine cortex, the fusiform gyrus bilaterally, the left inferior temporal gyrus, the left and right hippocampus and parahippocampal gyri, and the temporal pole bilaterally. Processing the actor's moving hand modulates the dorsal action observation network (while processing gesture meaning modulates the ventral object recognition stream). The present results suggest instruction-induced modulation on the visual stream during gesture observation.

Effects of estradiol administration on brain activation and anhedonia in perimenopausal women: A pharmaco-fMRI study.

Half of perimenopausal women experience depressive symptoms, including anhedonia. Anhedonia is associated with dysregulation of the frontostriatal circuit. Both the frontrostriatal circuit and depression may be regulated by the reproductive hormone estradiol (E2). Here, we present data from a pharmaco-fMRI trial investigating E2 effects on brain activation and anhedonia in those with perimenopause-onset major depression (PO-MDD). Participants with PO-MDD (n = 16) and those without depression (i.e., Controls; n = 19) received transdermal E2 for three weeks and completed two fMRI sessions (Pre- and Post-E2), and weekly anhedonia assessments. During each fMRI session, neural responses to anticipation and outcomes of monetary rewards were measured. The PO-MDD group exhibited steeper declines in anhedonia following E2 administration (t(101.95) = -8.7, pFDR < 0.001). Contrary to a priori hypotheses, there were no group differences in striatal activation at baseline nor did striatal activation significantly change with E2 administration in either group. However, exploratory whole-brain analyses revealed a significant Group∗Time interaction in a cluster spanning the right inferior, middle, and precentral gyri during reward anticipation (Z = 2.58 and pFWE < 0.05). From Pre-E2 to Post-E2, PO-MDD showed decreased activation within this cluster (t = 3.0, p < 0.009), whereas the Controls did not (t = 1.89, p = 0.08). Further, following E2 administration, both PO-MDD and Control groups exhibited reduced activation in the cerebellum, inferior and medial frontal gyri, and occipital pole during reward anticipation (Z = 2.58, pFWE < 0.05). While both anhedonia and right prefrontal activation during anticipatory reward processing were reduced in PO-MDD after three weeks of E2 administration, further research investigating the antidepressant effects of E2 is needed.

The Alexithymia Hypothesis of Autism Revisited: Alexithymia Modulates Social Brain Activity During Facial Affect Recognition in Autistic Adults.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and alexithymia are both linked to difficulties in facial affect recognition (FAR) alongside differences in social brain activity. According to the Alexithymia Hypothesis, difficulties in emotion processing in ASD can be attributed to increased levels of co-occurring alexithymia. Despite substantial evidence supporting the hypothesis at the behavioral level, the effects of co-occurring alexithymia on brain function during FAR remain unexplored. Data from 120 participants (60 ASD, 60 controls) who completed an FAR task were analyzed using functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral measures. The task included both explicit and implicit measures of FAR. Autistic participants were further categorized based on their alexithymia status. Group differences in FAR performance and associated brain activation were investigated. Autistic participants showed lower FAR performance compared to controls, regardless of alexithymia status. Imaging revealed three cortical clusters with reduced activation in alexithymic compared to non-alexithymic ASD participants during explicit FAR, including the left inferior parietal gyrus, cuneus, and middle temporal gyrus. During implicit FAR, alexithymic ASD participants showed three cortical clusters of increased activation, including the left precentral gyrus, right precuneus, and temporoparietal junction. Our study shows an unexpected dissociation between behavior and brain response: While ASD affects FAR performance, only co-occurring alexithymia modulates corresponding social brain activations. Though not supporting the Alexithymia Hypothesis on the behavioral level, the study highlights the complex relationship between ASD and co-occurring alexithymia, emphasizing the significance of co-occurring conditions in understanding emotion processing in ASD.

Altered spontaneous brain activity in children with deprivation amblyopia: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

BackgroundTo investigate the alterations in spontaneous brain activity and the similarities and differences between monocular deprivation amblyopia and binocular deprivation amblyopia.MethodsTwenty children with binocular deprivation amblyopia, 26 children with monocular deprivation amblyopia and 20 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The evaluation of altered spontaneous brain activity was conducted using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF). One-way analysis of variance was employed to analyze fALFF values among the three groups. Additionally, the relationship between fALFF values and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was analyzed via correlation analysis.ResultsCompared to healthy controls, children with binocular deprivation amblyopia presented increased fALFF values in the left medial superior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, left anterior cingulate cortex, left postcentral gyrus and bilateral precentral gyrus, and decreased fALFF values in the right fusiform gyrus. Compared to healthy controls, children with monocular deprivation amblyopia presented increased fALFF values in the right lingual gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral middle temporal gyrus, and decreased fALFF values in the right precuneus. Compared with monocular deprivation amblyopia, fALFF values of binocular deprivation amblyopia were decreased in the triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, right lingual gyrus and right cuneus, and increased in the left precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus. No significant correlations were found between the fALFF values of identified regions and the BCVA of amblyopic eyes for either type of amblyopia.ConclusionsChildren with deprivation amblyopia presented alterations in spontaneous activity in multiple brain regions, and these alterations differed between monocular amblyopia and binocular amblyopia. These abnormal spontaneous activities may reflect dysfunctions and compensation related to amblyopia.

Rightward brain structural asymmetry in young children with autism.

To understand the neural mechanism of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay/intellectual disability (DD/ID) that can be associated with ASD, it is important to investigate individuals at an early stage with brain, behavioural and also genetic measures, but such research is still lacking. Here, using the cross-sectional sMRI data of 1030 children under 8 years old, we employed developmental normative models to investigate the atypical development of gray matter volume (GMV) asymmetry in individuals with ASD without DD/ID, ASD with DD/ID and individuals with only DD/ID, and their associations with behavioral and clinical measures and transcription profiles. By extracting the individual deviations of patients from the typical controls with normative models, we found a commonly abnormal pattern of GMV asymmetry across all ASD children: more rightward laterality in the inferior parietal lobe and precentral gyrus, and higher individual variability in the temporal pole. Specifically, ASD with DD/ID children showed a severer and more extensive abnormal pattern in GMV asymmetry deviation values, which was linked with both ASD symptoms and verbal IQ. The abnormal pattern of ASD without DD/ID children showed higher and more extensive individual variability, which was linked with ASD symptoms only. DD/ID children showed no significant differences from healthy population in asymmetry. Lastly, the GMV laterality patterns of all patient groups were significantly associated with both shared and unique gene expression profiles. Our findings provide evidence for rightward GMV asymmetry of some cortical regions in young ASD children (1-7 years) in a large sample (1030 cases), show that these asymmetries are related to ASD symptoms, and identify genes that are significantly associated with these differences.

Parallel EEG-fNIRS assessments of covert cognition in behaviorally non-responsive ICU patients: A multi-task feasibility study in a case of acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy.

Repeat neurological assessment is standard in cases of severe acute brain injury. However, conventional measures rely on overt behavior. Unfortunately, behavioral responses may be difficult or impossible for some patients. As a result, patients who recover consciousness before the ability to express so may go undetected. Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of incorporating functional neuroimaging into clinical assessment protocols. The objective of the current study is to assess the feasibility of a multi-task, multimodal bedside technique to evaluate sensory and cognitive function in behaviorally non-responsive patients. We deployed a novel assessment paradigm to evaluate sensory and cognitive processing in one 63-year-old unresponsive patient with acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN). We collected parallel bedside EEG-fNIRS activity during hierarchical auditory processing, movie listening, and motor imagery. We found appropriate hemodynamic activation in the patient's middle and superior temporal gyri to simple sounds and activation in their superior temporal gyrus, left angular and precentral gyri during speech. During movie listening, the patient produced patterns of EEG and fNIRS activity that were statistically indistinguishable from healthy controls. The patient also showed appropriate fNIRS and source-localized EEG activation of motor areas during motor imagery. Upon recovering, the patient correctly recalled multiple aspects of our assessment procedures. In sum, our assessment protocol effectively captures neural markers of sensory and cognitive function in behaviorally non-responsive patients. Crucially, while AMSAN is distinct from brain injury, the patient's assumed dissociation between behavior and awareness provided an ideal test case to validate our protocol.

Disease-State Dependent Associations Between Intrinsic Brain Function and Symptoms of Fatigue, Depression, and Anxiety in Crohn's Disease.

Extraintestinal symptoms (EIS) in inflammatory bowel diseases, including fatigue, depression and anxiety, are highly prevalent, but poorly understood. Alterations of brain function may contribute to EIS, but their association with disease activity is unclear. This study analyzed intrinsic neural activity (INA) of individuals with Crohn's disease (CD) in different disease states and examined the relationship between INA and EIS. Patients with CD (n = 92) and healthy controls (n = 41) underwent functional magnetic resonance brain imaging and completed symptom-specific psychometry. Temporal (amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, ALFF) and spatial (regional homogeneity, ReHo) markers of INA were compared between CD and controls and between active (patients with active Crohn's disease [aCD]) versus remitted (rCD) disease. Regression analyses explored disease-state-dependent associations between INA and EIS. Patients exhibited aberrant INA in frontotemporal, occipital, and thalamic regions. Patients with aCD exhibited lower ALFF in left subcallosal cortex and inferior temporal gyri compared to rCD. Regional homogeneity in aCD was lower in left medial orbital gyrus and higher in right superior frontal, left inferior temporal, and left precentral gyrus. Compared to rCD, aCD showed higher ALFF predominantly in superior, ventro-, and dorsolateral prefrontal regions. Distinct associations between INA and EIS were detected in patients, particularly in the remitted state. Intrinsic brain function in patients with CD varies by disease state, with prominent frontal cortex changes in active disease. These brain activity changes are at least partly related to the magnitude of neuropsychiatric symptoms and highlight a role of disturbed brain-gut interactions in the development of EIS especially in rCD.

Altered amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and functional connectivity in patients with acute unilateral vestibulopathy: a resting-state fMRI study.

To investigate changes of brain functional activity in patients with acute unilateral vestibulopathy (AUVP) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We studied 32 AUVP patients and 30 healthy controls (HC) who received resting-state fMRI scanning. Methods of voxel-based amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) were adopted to compare the difference in brain function between the two groups. In addition, we evaluated the associations between abnormal neuroimaging results and clinical data in AUVP patients. Compared with HC, patients with AUVP showed lower ALFF in brain regions of bilateral insular, right precentral gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus, as well as higher ALFF in left cerebellar anterior lobe. Using these abnormal brain areas as seeds, we observed decreased FC between left insular and left precuneus in AUVP patients. Furthermore, AUVP patients showed increased FC between left insular and left supplementary motor area. Results of correlation analysis indicated that ALFF value (z-value) in left insular was negatively correlated with the canal paresis value (p = 0.005, r = -0.483), and the FC (z-value) between left insular and left precuneus was negatively correlated with dizziness handicap inventory score (p = 0.012, r = -0.438) in patients with AUVP. Patients with AUVP during acute period showed altered functional activity and connectivity in brain regions mainly involved in motor control and vestibular information processing. These changes in brain functional activity and connectivity were potentially attributed to decreased vestibular input resulting from unilateral peripheral vestibular impairment.

Structure-function coupling alterations in cognitively normal individuals with white matter hyperintensities.

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are prominent neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) linked to cognitive decline. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying WMH remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the structural decoupling index (SDI) as a novel metric for quantifying the brain's hierarchical organization associated with WMH in cognitively normal older adults. We analyzed data from 112 cognitively normal individuals with varying WMH burdens (43 high WMH burden and 69 low WMH burden). Neuroimaging data were used to calculate SDI, and gene enrichment analysis was conducted to explore related molecular pathways. An increased spatial gradient of SDI from the sensory-motor cortex to the associative cortex was observed. Compared to the low WMH burden group, the high WMH group exhibited elevated SDI in the right superior frontal gyrus, bilateral orbital gyrus, bilateral precentral gyrus, bilateral cingulate gyrus, bilateral thalamus, and bilateral striatum. In the high WMH burden group, SDI in the left thalamus and right cingulate gyrus negatively correlated with memory, while SDI in the right orbital gyrus and left precentral gyrus positively correlated with processing speed. Gene enrichment analysis highlighted associations with pathways involved in neural system function, potassium ion transmembrane transport, synaptic signaling, neuron projection development, and cell secretion regulation. The findings suggest SDI alterations as a potential mechanistic pathway in WMH, which is associated with significant molecular pathways and cognitive impairments. This study provides a theoretical framework for understanding the pathophysiology of WMH progression and subsequent cognitive deficits.

Neural mechanisms of non-pharmacological interventions in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: An ALE meta-analysis.

Non-pharmacologic interventions are effective for persons showing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to systematically quantify the results of 19 neuroimaging studies in order to identify brain regions in which patients showed stable increases or decreases in activation after interventions. We also tested the moderating effects of disease stage (MCI vs. AD) and intervention modality (cognitive training vs. exercise intervention). The results showed increased activation in the cuneus, precuneus and medial frontal gyrus in the combined groups after treatment, whereas the anterior cingulate gyrus showed decreased activation. Secondly, in the MCI group there was increased activation in the precuneus and precentral gyrus after treatment, whereas there was decreased activation in the anterior cingulate gyrus; in the AD group there was only increased activation after treatment, including in the lingual gyrus and bilateral superior temporal gyrus. Finally, the bilateral cuneus and precentral gyrus showed increased activation after cognitive training, while bilateral insula, among others, showed decreased activation. This suggests that there are brain activation changes after non-pharmacological treatments for MCI and AD patients, but that the treatment mechanisms are moderated by stage and intervention modality. Future studies could continue to explore specific neural mechanisms involved in different intervention conditions for these patients.

Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Activation of Mirror Neuron Network in Healthy Adults during Motor Execution and Imitation: An fNIRS Study.

Observation, execution, and imitation of target actions based on mirror neuron network (MNN) have become common physiotherapy strategies. Electrical stimulation (ES) is a common intervention to improve muscle strength and motor control in rehabilitation treatments. It is possible to enhance MNN's activation by combining motor execution (ME) and motor imitation (MI) with ES simultaneously. This study aims to reveal whether ES could impact cortical activation during ME and MI. We recruited healthy individuals and assigned them randomly to the control group (CG) or experiment group (EG). Participants in EG performed ME and MI tasks with ES, while participants in CG performed the same two tasks with sham ES. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to detect brain activation of MNN during ME and MI with and without ES, a randomized block design experiment paradigm was designed. Descriptive analysis of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin (HbR) were used to show the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration changes after different event onsets in both CG and EG, a linear mixed-effects model (LMM) of HbO data was employed to analyze the effect of ES on the activation of MNN. A total of 102 healthy adults were recruited and 72 participants' data were analysed in the final report. The block averaged Hb data showed that HbO concentration increased and HbR concentration decreased in most MNN regions during ME and MI in both groups. The LMM results showed that ES can significantly improve the activation of inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and precentral gyrus during MI, the supplementary motor area, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyri showed increased activation, but without statistical significance. Although the results did not reach statistical significance during ME, ES still showed positive effects on increased overall activations. In this study, we present potential novel rehabilitation approaches that combines MNN strategies and low-frequency ES to enhance cortical activation. Our results revealed that ES has potential to increase activation of most MNN brain areas, providing evidence for related rehabilitative interventions and device development. This study was registered on the China Clinical Trial Registration Center (identifier: ChiCTR2200064082, registered 26, September 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=178285).

Enriched rehabilitation on brain functional connectivity in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment.

This study aims to observe the effect of enrichment rehabilitation (ER) on cognitive function in post-stroke patients and to clarify its underlying mechanism. Forty patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to two groups: conventional medical rehabilitation (CM group) and ER intervention (ER group). All patients underwent assessments of overall cognitive function, attention function, and executive function within 24 h before the start of training and within 24 h after the 8 weeks of training. We investigated the altered resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) with the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in patients with PSCI following ER training through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Additionally, twenty people undergoing routine physical examinations in the outpatient department of our hospital were selected as the healthy control (HC) group. Before training, both groups of PSCI patients exhibited significant impairment in overall cognitive function, attention function, and executive function compared to the HC group. However, there was no significant difference between the two PSCI patient groups. Following 8 weeks of treatment, both PSCI patient groups demonstrated substantial improvement in overall cognitive function, attention function, and executive function. Moreover, the ER group exhibited greater improvement after training compared to the CM group. Despite the improvements, the cognitive behavioral performance assessment scores of both PSCI patient groups remained lower than those of the HC group. RSFC analysis in the ER group revealed strengthened positive functional connectivity between the right DLPFC and the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and left anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), along with decreased functional connectivity between the right DLPFC and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right precentral gyrus post-ER intervention. ER intervention is more effective than conventional medical rehabilitation in improving the cognitive function of PSCI patients, potentially by augmenting the FC between the right DLPFC and dominant cognitive brain regions, such as the left SFG and left ACG while attenuating the FC between the right DLPFC and non-dominant hemisphere areas including the STG and precentral gyrus within the right hemisphere.

Aberrant functional connectivity patterns in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and anterior midcingulate cortex of patients with irritable bowel syndrome accompanied by depressive symptoms.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common brain-gut disorder often accompanied by depressive symptoms, with atrophy and hyperactivity of the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC) being key drivers of both IBS and its psychiatric comorbidities. This study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity (FC) patterns of pregenual ACC (pgACC) and anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) in IBS patients with depressive symptoms (DEP-IBS). A whole-brain FC analysis was conducted using pgACC and aMCC as regions of interest in three groups: 28 DEP-IBS patients, 21 IBS patients without depressive symptoms (nDEP-IBS), and 36 matched healthy controls (HCs). Partial correlation and mediation analyses were performed between abnormal FC and clinical symptoms. The ability of aberrant FC to identify IBS and its psychiatric comorbidity was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. DEP-IBS patients exhibited increased pgACC-related FC in the left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and aMCC-related FC in the right middle frontal gyrus, angular gyrus and cerebellum, while showing decreased aMCC-related FC in the right precentral gyrus, superior parietal gyrus and precuneus. Both patient groups demonstrated increased FC between aMCC and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), effectively distinguishing them from HCs (AUC = 0.755). The FC between pgACC and left mPFC partially mediated the relationship between gastrointestinal and depressive symptoms, effectively distinguishing DEP-IBS from nDEP-IBS patients (AUC = 0.808). Aberrant FC within the emotional arousal network may serve as a neurobiological marker for IBS with comorbid depression. Furthermore, abnormal FC between the aMCC and the dlPFC may underlie the neural mechanism of IBS.

Investigation of Normalized Volume Ratios of Motor and Sensory Cortices on Magnetic Resonance Images in Parkinson's Disease Patients: An Automatic Brain Segmentation Study

Aim: This study evaluates structural changes in the normalized volume ratios of the motor and sensory cortices in Parkinson’s patients and compares these changes with healthy individuals to assess the disease's impact on brain structure. Material and Method: The study included 55 Parkinson’s patients (14 females, 41 males) and 28 control subjects (7 females, 21 males). The volumes of the precentral gyrus, paracentral lobulus, and postcentral gyrus were calculated using the BrainSuite automated segmentation software. Regional gray matter volumes were normalized by dividing them by the intracranial volume, and these normalized values were used for comparisons. Volumetric analyses were conducted on the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and paracentral lobulus to assess their morphological changes associated with Parkinson's disease. Results: Results: In the left hemisphere, the normalized gray matter volume ratios of the postcentral gyrus were found to be lower in Parkinson’s patients (0.82%±0.09) compared to the control group (0.88%±0.09) (p

Functional Connectivity Alterations Associated with COVID-19-Related Sleep Problems: A Longitudinal Resting-State fMRI Study.

COVID-19has led to reports of fatigue and sleep problems. Brain function changes underlying sleep problems (SP) post-COVID-19 are unclear. This study investigated SP-related brain functional connectivity (FC) alterations. Fifty-five COVID-19 survivors with SP (COVID_SP) and 33 without SP (COVID_NSP), matched for demographics, completed PSQI and underwent rs-fMRI at baseline and 2-month follow-up. Correlations between FC and clinical data were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis with Gaussian random field (GRF) correction. The repeated-measures analysis of variance (R-M ANOVA) was completed to explore the interaction with time. At baseline, COVID_SP exhibited elevated FC: right precentral gyrus (PrG) with left lateral occipital cortex (LOcC)/right PrG, left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) with right superior frontal gyrus (SFG), left hippocampus with right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Higher FC between left hippocampus and right SFG correlated with PSQI scores. At 2-month follow-up, decreased FC implicated in emotion regulation, executive function, and memory; increased FC in semantics, attention, and auditory-visual processing. The changes in these regions are correlated with the scores of PSQI, GAD, and PHQ. The Repeated-Measures Analysis of Variance (R-M ANOVA) revealed a significant time interaction effect between sleep and various emotion scales. Moreover, the analysis of the functional connectivity between the right PrG and the right PrG as well as that between the left IPL and the right SFG also discovered a significant time interaction effect. This study provides insight into the changes in brain function associated with SP after COVID-19. These changes may partially explain the development of SP, and they also changed over time.

Altered effective connectivity in Parkinson's disease patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study and support vector machine analysis.

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is associated with pathological α-synuclein deposition and may have different damage directions due to α-synuclein spreading orientations. Recent functional imaging studies of Parkinson's disease (PD) with RBD have identified abnormalities in connectivity, but effective connectivity (EC) for this altered orientation is understudied. Here, we aimed to explore altered intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) and EC in PD patients with probable RBD (pRBD). This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 31 PD patients with pRBD (PD-pRBD), 35 PD without pRBD (PD-npRBD), and 32 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) scans. The voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) calculation was first performed to investigate the inherent connectivity of the PD-pRBD patients. Subsequently, we applied Granger causality analysis (GCA) to probe the causal effects of anomalous brain regions. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) method was executed to evaluate the DC values in identifying PD-pRBD. PD-pRBD patients exhibited reduced z-DC values in the right precentral gyrus relative to PD-npRBD (voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05), as well as decreased z-DC values in the right postcentral gyrus and the superior parietal lobule compared to HCs. Then, our GCA revealed that decreased EC was located predominantly from the right precentral gyrus to the right caudate nucleus in the PD-pRBD group. Additionally, the SVM results revealed that the z-DC values of the right precentral gyrus could discriminate PD-pRBD from the PD-npRBD group [area under the curve (AUC) =0.905]. The altered z-DC in the right precentral gyrus and the anomaly causal effects from the precentral motor cortex to the ipsilateral striatum represented by the caudate nucleus might play vital roles in the pathogenesis of PD-pRBD. It was speculated that the attenuation of FC from the precentral motor cortex to the subcortical striatum might be associated with nocturnal muscle dyskinesia and behavioral abnormalities in PD-pRBD patients. This disruption pattern may be a prospective imaging marker in the characterization of PD with pRBD.

Neural correlates of basketball proficiency: An MRI study across skill levels.

Basketball is an attractive sport required both cooperative and antagonistic motor skills. However, the neural mechanism of basketball proficiency remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the brain functional and structural substrates underlying varying levels of basketball capacity. Twenty advanced basketball athletes (AB), 20 intermediate basketball athletes (IB) and 20 age-matched non-athlete individuals without basketball experience (NI) participated in this study and underwent T1-weighted MRI and resting-state fMRI scanning. Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC), amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF), and gray matter (GM) density were calculated and compared among the three groups. The VMHC in the bilateral postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus, as well as the GM density in the right precentral gyrus, exhibited a hierarchical structure of AB>IB>NI. Compared with NI group, AB and IB groups showed strengthened VMHC in supplementary motor area, paracentral lobule and superior frontal gyrus. Additionally, the ALFF of left middle occipital gyrus and right hippocampal and the GM density of left medial superior frontal gyrus exhibited differences in AB-IB and AB-NI comparisons. By conducting the cross-sectional comparison, this study firstly identifies the varying levels of basketball proficiency related brain resting-state functional and structural plasticity. Especially, the regions associated with motor perception and control, including bilateral postcentral gyrus, middle and superior temporal gyrus and right precentral gyrus, are involved in the key neural mechanisms of basketball proficiency. Future longitudinal studies are necessary to further validate these findings.

Association of altered cortical gyrification and working memory in male early abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals.

Alcohol dependence (AD) is an addictive disorder with multifaceted neurobiological features. Recent research on the pathophysiological mechanisms of AD has emphasized the important role of dysconnectivity. Cortical gyrification is known to be a reliable marker of neural connectivity. This study aimed to explore cortical gyrification using the local gyrification index (LGI) between alcohol-dependent patients and controls. Magnetic resonance images were collected from 60 early abstinent patients with AD (5-12 days after stopping alcohol consumption) and 59 controls and preprocessed using FreeSurfer, followed by surface-based morphometry (SBM) analysis to compare the LGI between the two groups. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Spatial Working Memory (SWM) test in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The relationship between LGI, cognitive performance, and clinical variables was also explored in the patient group. Compared with controls, patients with AD exhibited significantly decreased LGI in several regions, including the postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, middle frontal, superior temporal, middle temporal, insula, superior parietal, and inferior parietal cortex. AD patients did worse than controls in several SWM measures. Furthermore, decreased LGI in the left postcentral was negatively correlated with working memory performance after multiple comparison corrections in the patient group. Alcohol-dependent individuals exhibit abnormal patterns of cortical gyrification, which may be underlying neurobiological markers of AD. Our findings further indicate that working memory deficits may be related to abnormalities in cortical gyrification in alcohol addiction.