Resting-state Functional Brain Research Articles

Loneliness and Resting-State Functional Brain Connectivity Among Older Adults: A Proportional Correlation.

Loneliness reportedly increases the risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). The authors' previous study demonstrated associations between loneliness and structural abnormalities observed in early-stage AD. The present study examined associations between the brain's functional characteristics and loneliness among older adults with concerns about cognitive decline. This single-center study included 43 participants (13 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and 30 with normal cognition). Participants were assessed with the revised University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale and underwent resting-state functional MRI. Functional images were preprocessed with the CONN toolbox. The selected seeds were within brain regions reportedly associated with loneliness. One-sample general linear model analysis was performed to examine regressions of UCLA Loneliness Scale scores and functional connectivity between the seeds and regions of interest. The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale scores were positively correlated with functional connectivity between the right hippocampus and left lateral parietal lobe and were negatively correlated with functional connectivity between the left amygdala and left frontal operculum and between the left amygdala and right supramarginal gyrus. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and education and scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating scale. Loneliness was associated with abnormal function of the hippocampus, parts of the parietal lobe and frontal cortex, and the amygdala. These findings may suggest a possible correlation between loneliness and neurological changes associated with dementia.

Inhibition abilities and functional brain connectivity in school-aged term-born and preterm-born children.

Inhibition abilities are known to have impact on self-regulation, behavior, and academic success, and they are frequently impaired in children born preterm. We investigated the possible contributions of resting-state functional brain connectivity to inhibition following preterm birth. Forty-four preterm and 59 term-born participants aged 8-13 years were administered two inhibition tasks and resting-state functional MRI was performed. Functional connectivity (FC) networks were compared between groups using network-based statistics. Associations of FCNs and inhibition abilities were investigated through multivariate linear regression models accounting for the interaction between birth status and inhibition. NBS revealed weaker FC in children born preterm compared to term-born peers in connections between motor and supplementary motor regions, frontal lobe, precuneus, and insula. Irrespective of birth status, connections between the cerebellum, frontal, and occipital lobes and inter-lobar, subcortical, intra-hemispheric long-range connections were positively correlated with one of the two inhibition tasks. Preterm birth results in long-term alterations of FC at network level but these FCN alterations do not specifically account for inhibition problems in children born very preterm. Irrespective of birth status, significant associations were found between the subdomain of response inhibition and functional connectivity in some subnetworks. A group comparisons of functional brain connectivity measured by rsfMRI in school-aged children born very preterm and at term. The investigation of network-level functional connectivity at rest does not appear adequate to explain differences in inhibition abilities between children born very preterm and at term, hence other imaging techniques might be more suited to explore the underlying neural mechanisms of inhibition abilities in school-aged children born very preterm.

Resting state functional brain connectivity in child and adolescent psychiatry: where are we now?

Approaching the 30th anniversary of the discovery of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) functional connectivity, we reflect on the impact of this neuroimaging breakthrough on the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. The study of intrinsic functional brain architecture that rsfMRI affords across a wide range of ages and abilities has yielded numerous key insights. For example, we now know that many neurodevelopmental conditions are associated with more widespread circuit alterations across multiple large-scale brain networks than previously suspected. The emergence of population neuroscience and effective data-sharing initiatives have made large rsfMRI datasets publicly available, providing sufficient power to begin to identify brain-based subtypes within heterogeneous clinical conditions. Nevertheless, several methodological and theoretical challenges must still be addressed to fulfill the promises of personalized child and adolescent psychiatry. In particular, incomplete understanding of the physiological mechanisms driving developmental changes in intrinsic functional connectivity remains an obstacle to further progress. Future directions include cross-species and multimodal neuroimaging investigations to illuminate such mechanisms. Data collection and harmonization efforts that span multiple countries and diverse cohorts are urgently needed. Finally, incorporating naturalistic fMRI paradigms such as movie watching should be a priority for future research efforts.

Effects of one-week bilateral cerebellar iTBS on resting-state functional brain network and multi-task attentional performance in healthy individuals: A randomized, sham-controlled trial

Background:Cerebellar intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) modulates the excitability of the cerebral cortex and may enhance attentional performance. To date, few studies have conducted iTBS on healthy subjects for one week and used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the effect of multiple stimulation sessions on resting-state functional brain networks and the daily stimulation effect on attentional performance. Methods:16 healthy subjects participated in a one-week experiment, receiving bilateral cerebellar iTBS or sham stimulation and engaging in multi-task attentional training. The primary measures were the one-week attentional performance and pre- and post-experiment resting-state EEG activities. Amplitude Envelope Correlation (AEC) was used to construct the functional connectivity in the eye-open (EO) and eye-closed (EC) phases. Results:At least three sessions of iTBS were required to enhance multi-task performance significantly, whereas only one or two sessions failed to elicit the improvement. Compared with the control group, iTBS induced significant changes in PSD, AEC functional connectivity, and AEC network properties during the EO phase, while it had little effect during the EC phase. During the EO phase, the network property changes of the iTBS subject were correlated with improved attentional performance. Conclusion:The multi-task performance requires multiple stimulations to enhance. iTBS affects the resting-state alpha band brain activities during the EO rather than the EC phase. The AEC network properties may serve as a biomarker to assess the attentional potential of healthy subjects.

Decreased resting-state functional connectivity and brain network abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex of elderly patients with Parkinson's disease accompanied by depressive symptoms.

This study aimed to explore the brain network characteristics in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with depressive symptoms. Thirty elderly PD patients with depressive symptoms (PD-D) and 26 matched PD patients without depressive symptoms (PD-NOD) were recruited based on HAMD-24 with a cut-off of 7. The resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) was conducted by 53-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). There were no statistically significant differences in MMSE scores, disease duration, Hoehn-Yahr stage, daily levodopa equivalent dose, and MDS-UPDRS III between the two groups. However, compared to the PD-NOD group, the PD-D group showed significantly higher MDS-UPDRS II, HAMA-14, and HAMD-24. The interhemispheric FC strength and the FC strength between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC-L) and the left frontal polar area (FPA-L) was significantly lower in the PD-D group (FDR p < 0.05). As for graph theoretic metrics, the PD-D group had significantly lower degree centrality (aDc) and node efficiency (aNe) in the DLPFC-L and the FPA-L (FDR, p < 0.05), as well as decreased global efficiency (aEg). Pearson correlation analysis indicated moderate negative correlations between HAMD-24 scores and the interhemispheric FC strength, FC between DLPFC-L and FPA-L, aEg, aDc in FPA-L, aNe in DLPFC-L and FPA-L. In conclusion, PD-D patients show decreased integration and efficiency in their brain networks. Furthermore, RSFC between DLPFC-L and FPA-L regions is negatively correlated with depressive symptoms. These findings propose that targeting DLPFC-L and FPA-L regions via non-invasive brain stimulation may be a potential intervention for alleviating depressive symptoms in elderly PD patients.

Resting-state functional connectivity in children cooled for neonatal encephalopathy.

Therapeutic hypothermia improves outcomes following neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, reducing cases of death and severe disability such as cerebral palsy compared with normothermia management. However, when cooled children reach early school-age, they have cognitive and motor impairments which are associated with underlying alterations to brain structure and white matter connectivity. It is unknown whether these differences in structural connectivity are associated with differences in functional connectivity between cooled children and healthy controls. Resting-state functional MRI has been used to characterize static and dynamic functional connectivity in children, both with typical development and those with neurodevelopmental disorders. Previous studies of resting-state brain networks in children with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy have focussed on the neonatal period. In this study, we used resting-state fMRI to investigate static and dynamic functional connectivity in children aged 6-8 years who were cooled for neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic without cerebral palsy [n = 22, median age (interquartile range) 7.08 (6.85-7.52) years] and healthy controls matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status [n = 20, median age (interquartile range) 6.75 (6.48-7.25) years]. Using group independent component analysis, we identified 31 intrinsic functional connectivity networks consistent with those previously reported in children and adults. We found no case-control differences in the spatial maps of these intrinsic connectivity networks. We constructed subject-specific static functional connectivity networks by measuring pairwise Pearson correlations between component time courses and found no case-control differences in functional connectivity after false discovery rate correction. To study the time-varying organization of resting-state networks, we used sliding window correlations and deep clustering to investigate dynamic functional connectivity characteristics. We found k = 4 repetitively occurring functional connectivity states, which exhibited no case-control differences in dwell time, fractional occupancy or state functional connectivity matrices. In this small cohort, the spatiotemporal characteristics of resting-state brain networks in cooled children without severe disability were too subtle to be differentiated from healthy controls at early school-age, despite underlying differences in brain structure and white matter connectivity, possibly reflecting a level of recovery of healthy resting-state brain function. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate resting-state functional connectivity in children with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy beyond the neonatal period and the first to investigate dynamic functional connectivity in any children with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.

Multivariate Assessment of Inhibitory Control in Youth: Links With Psychopathology and Brain Function

Inhibitory control is central to many theories of cognitive and brain development, and impairments in inhibitory control are posited to underlie developmental psychopathology. In this study, we tested the possibility of shared versus unique associations between inhibitory control and three common symptom dimensions in youth psychopathology: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and irritability. We quantified inhibitory control using four different experimental tasks to estimate a latent variable in 246 youth (8–18 years old) with varying symptom types and levels. Participants were recruited from the Washington, D.C., metro region. Results of structural equation modeling integrating a bifactor model of psychopathology revealed that inhibitory control predicted a shared or general psychopathology dimension, but not ADHD-specific, anxiety-specific, or irritability-specific dimensions. Inhibitory control also showed a significant, selective association with global efficiency in a frontoparietal control network delineated during resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. These results support performance-based inhibitory control linked to resting-state brain function as an important predictor of comorbidity in youth psychopathology.

Research on adults with subthreshold depression after aerobic exercise: a resting-state fMRI study based on regional homogeneity (ReHo).

Subthreshold depression (StD)/subsyndromal depression refers to a threatening precursor to depression. Aerobic exercise is a promising self-supportive adjunctive intervention and an effective measure for StD. Our study utilizes regional homogeneity (ReHo) to investigate the impact of aerobic exercise on resting-state brain function. A total of 78 subjects, aged between 18 and 48 years, (StD group, n = 44; healthy control (HC) group, n = 34) engaged in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 3-4 times per week for 8 weeks. Resting-state brain function and structural images were acquired before and after the exercise intervention. The ReHo method was employed to analyze abnormal changes in regional brain function, and a correlation analysis was performed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores. The principal observation reveals synchronous abnormalities in the right anterior cingulate gyrus of the brain in StD subjects compared to HCs at baseline, with these differences dissipating after the implementation of aerobic exercise. After completing the aerobic exercise program, the StD group exhibited a difference in the right middle cingulate gyrus, while the left supplementary motor area (SMA) was altered in the HC group. Disparities in neural synchronization are evident between HCs and StD subjects, and the implementation of aerobic exercise intervention can effectively mitigate these distinctions, leading to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms among StD subjects. The primary mechanism of StD symptoms may involve the inhibition of the anterior cingulate gyrus, while the effects of aerobic exercise may be related to the modulation of neural synchronization of emotional reflexes. The discovery of these fMRI evidence findings may offer novel strategies for early detection and intervention in cases of StD.

Topological features of functional brain networks and subclinical impulsivity: an investigation in younger and older adults.

Impulsive traits (i.e., the tendency to act without forethought regardless of negative outcomes) are frequently found in healthy populations. When exposed to risk factors, individuals may develop debilitating disorders of impulse control (addiction, substance abuse, gambling) characterized by behavioral and cognitive deficits, eventually leading to huge socioeconomic costs. With the far-reaching aim of preventing the onset of impulsive disorders, it is relevant to investigate the topological organization of functional brain networks associated with impulsivity in sub-clinical populations. Taking advantage of the open-source LEMON dataset, we investigated the topological features of resting-state functional brain networks associated with impulsivity in younger (n=146, age: 20-35) and older (n=61, age: 59-77) individuals, using a graph-theoretical approach. Specifically, we computed indices of segregation and integration at the level of specific circuits and nodes known to be involved in impulsivity (frontal, limbic, and striatal networks). In younger individuals, results revealed that impulsivity was associated with a more widespread, less clustered and less efficient functional organization, at all levels of analyses and in all selected networks. Conversely, impulsivity in older individuals was associated with reduced integration and increased segregation of striatal regions. Speculatively, such alterations of functional brain networks might underlie behavioral and cognitive abnormalities associated with impulsivity, a working hypothesis worth being tested in future research. Lastly, differences between younger and older individuals might reflect the implementation of age-specific adaptive strategies, possibly accounting for observed differences in behavioral manifestations. Potential interpretations, limitations and implications are discussed.

Altered resting-state brain function in endurance athletes.

Previous research has confirmed significant differences in regional brain activity and functional connectivity between endurance athletes and non-athletes. However, no studies have investigated the differences in topological efficiency of the brain functional network between endurance athletes and non-athletes. Here, we compared differences in regional activities, functional connectivity, and topological properties to explore the functional basis associated with endurance training. The results showed significant correlations between Regional Homogeneity in the motor cortex, visual cortex, cerebellum, and the training intensity parameters. Alterations in functional connectivity among the motor cortex, visual cortex, cerebellum, and the inferior frontal gyrus and cingulate gyrus were significantly correlated with training intensity parameters. In addition, the graph theoretical analysis results revealed a significant reduction in global efficiency among athletes. This decline is mainly caused by decreased nodal efficiency and nodal local efficiency of the cerebellar regions. Notably, the sensorimotor regions, such as the precentral gyrus and supplementary motor areas, still exhibit increased nodal efficiency and nodal local efficiency. This study not only confirms the improvement of regional activity in brain regions related to endurance training, but also offers novel insights into the mechanisms through which endurance athletes undergo changes in the topological efficiency of the brain functional network.

Interaction of 5-HTTLPR and SLE disease status on resting-state brain function

BackgroundNeuropsychiatric involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common clinical manifestation. In SLE patients, cerebral function is a more sensitive predictor of central nervous system damage, and abnormalities in cerebral function may be apparent before substantial neuropsychiatric symptoms occur. The 5-hydroxynyptamine(5-HT) system has the ability to interact with the majority of the neurochemical systems in the central nervous system (CNS), influencing brain function. Serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) is an essential element of the 5-HT system gene polymorphism and is directly related to the control of 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT)gene expression. The relationship between 5-HTTLPR and functional brain measurements in SLE patients requires more investigation because it is one of the most attractive imaging genetics targets for shedding light on the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric lupus.MethodsResting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) images were collected from 51 SLE patients without obvious neuropsychiatric manifestations and 44 healthy volunteers. Regional homogeneity (ReHo), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) were selected as indicators for evaluating brain function. In accordance with the Anatomical Automatic Labeling template, the gray matter was divided into 116 regions. The mean ReHo value, mean ALFF value, and mean fALFF value of each brain region were extracted. 5-HTTLPR genotypes of all research objects were tested by polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis. Two-way analysis of covariance was used to investigate whether there is an interaction effect between SLE disease status and 5-HTTLPR genotype on resting-state brain function.ResultsIn SLE patients with S/S homozygosity, there were notably lower mean ReHo, mean ALFF, and mean fALFF values observed in the right parietal, inferior angular gyrus, and the right paracentral lobule compared to healthy controls. However, this distinction was not evident among carriers of the L allele. Within the S/S genotype, SLE patients exhibited decreased mean ReHo in the left posterior cingulate gyrus, reduced mean fALFF in the left caudate nucleus, and diminished mean ALFF in the left temporal pole: superior temporal gyrus, in contrast to the HC group. Conversely, no such differences were discerned among carriers of the L allele. Notably, among L allele carriers, SLE patients displayed a higher mean ReHo value in the right hippocampus compared to the HC group, while demonstrating a lower mean ALFF value in the left medial and paracingulate gyrus in contrast to the HC group. Conversely, these differences were not apparent among S/S homozygotes.ConclusionsBrain function in the right parietal and inferior angular gyrus and the right paracentral lobule is affected by the interaction effect of SLE disease status and 5-HTTLPR genotype.

Research Progress on Local Consistency of Resting State Brain Function in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Research Progress on Local Consistency of Resting State Brain Function in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Age-related differences in structural and resting-state functional brain network organization across the adult lifespan: A cross-sectional study

We investigated age-related trends in the topology and hierarchical organization of brain structural and functional networks using diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state fMRI data from a large cohort of healthy aging adults. At the cross-modal level, we explored age-related patterns in the RC involvement of different functional subsystems using a high-resolution functional parcellation. We further assessed age-related differences in the structure–function coupling as well as the network vulnerability to damage to rich club connectivity.Regardless of age, the structural and functional brain networks exhibited a rich club organization and small-world topology. In older individuals, we observed reduced integration and segregation within the frontal-occipital regions and the cerebellum along the brain's medial axis. Additionally, functional brain networks displayed decreased integration and increased segregation in the prefrontal, centrotemporal, and occipital regions, and the cerebellum. In older subjects, structural networks also exhibited decreased within-network and increased between-network RC connectivity. Furthermore, both within-network and between-network RC connectivity decreased in functional networks with age. An age-related decline in structure–function coupling was observed within sensory-motor, cognitive, and subcortical networks. The structural network exhibited greater vulnerability to damage to RC connectivity within the language-auditory, visual, and subcortical networks. Similarly, for functional networks, increased vulnerability was observed with damage to RC connectivity in the cerebellum, language-auditory, and sensory-motor networks. Overall, the network vulnerability decreased significantly in subjects older than 70 in both networks. Our findings underscore significant age-related differences in both brain functional and structural RC connectivity, with distinct patterns observed across the adult lifespan.

I know why the caged bird sings: Distress tolerant individuals show greater resting state connectivity between ventromedial prefrontal cortex and right amygdala as a function of higher vagal tone

BackgroundIntolerance to psychological distress is associated with various forms of psychopathology, ranging from addiction to mood disturbance. The capacity to withstand aversive affective states is often explained by individual differences in cardiovagal tone as well as resting state connectivity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a region involved in the regulation of emotions and cardio-autonomic tone. However, it is unclear which brain regions involved in distress tolerance show greater resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) as a function of resting heart rate variability (HRV). MethodsOne-hundred and twenty-six adults, aged 20 to 83.5 years, were selected from a lifespan cohort at the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample. Participants' distress tolerance levels were assessed based upon performance on the Behavioral Indicator of Resiliency to Distress (BIRD) task. Artifact-free resting-state functional brain scans collected during separate sessions were used. While inside the scanner, a pulse oximeter was used to record beat-to-beat intervals to derive high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV). The relationship between HF-HRV and vmPFC to whole brain functional connectivity was compared between distress tolerant (BIRD completers) and distress intolerant (BIRD non-completers). ResultsGroups did not differ in their history of psychiatric diagnosis. Higher resting HF-HRV was associated with longer total time spent on the BIRD task for the entire sample (r = 0.255, p = 0.004). After controlling for age, gender, body mass index, head motion, and gray matter volume. Distress tolerant individuals showed greater rsFC (p < 0.005 (uncorrected), k = 20) between the vmPFC and default-mode network (DMN) hubs including posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, medial temporal lobes, and the parahippocampal cortex. As a function of higher resting HF-HRV greater vmPFC connectivity was observed with sub-threshold regions in the right amygdala and left anterior prefrontal cortex, with the former passing small volume correction, in distress tolerant versus distress intolerant individuals. ConclusionIn a lifespan sample of community-dwelling adults, distress tolerant individuals showed greater vmPFC connectivity with anterior and posterior hubs of the DMN compared to distress intolerant individuals. As a function of greater HF-HRV, distress tolerant individuals evidenced greater vmPFC with salience and executive control network hubs. These findings are consistent with deficits in neural resource allocation within a triple network resting amongst persons exhibiting behavioral intolerance to psychological distress.

Temporal lobe function during memory encoding in older individuals prior to the onset of cognitive impairment

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies have shown that resting state brain function begins to change in the years leading up to the development of cognitive impairment. This study examines temporal lobe function during memory encoding approximately 2.5 years before the onset of cognitive impairment in Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) participants.MethodBLSA participants with subsequent memory impairment (Subsequently Impaired (SI), n = 22, mean age = 83.6, time to impairment = 2.5 ± 1.1 SD years post‐scan) and age, sex, and education matched cognitively normal participants (Cognitively Normal (CN), n = 64, mean age = 84.9) performed a face‐scene encoding task during fMRI scanning. Group differences in task performance and brain activation patterns were examined during encoding trials they later remembered, and trials they later forgot during the recognition phase of the task.ResultThe SI group performed more poorly than the CN group during the recognition phase of the task. Both CN and SI activated the occipitotemporal visual pathway during memory encoding. Yet relative to CN participants, the SI group showed decreased activation of the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and fusiform gyrus during encoding of face‐scene pairs. This decreased activation was seen during both encoding of pairs they later remembered and pairs they forgot during recognition.ConclusionBoth memory dysfunction and decreased temporal lobe activity during encoding begin before the onset of clinically evident cognitive impairment. In the SI group, the decreased temporal lobe activation was seen regardless of whether they later remembered or forgot the face‐scene pairs during the recognition task. This suggests that those who go on to develop impairment have an overall weaker functional response in temporal lobe regions during memory encoding. Further examination of the functional connectivity of these regions may help to determine if differences in brain network characteristics are related to subsequently remembered or forgotten visual stimuli during encoding. This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute on Aging.

Temporal lobe function during memory encoding in older individuals prior to the onset of cognitive impairment

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies have shown that resting state brain function begins to change in the years leading up to the development of cognitive impairment. This study examines temporal lobe function during memory encoding approximately 2.5 years before the onset of cognitive impairment in Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) participants.MethodsBLSA participants with subsequent memory impairment (Subsequently Impaired (SI), n = 22, mean age = 83.6, time to impairment = 2.5 ± 1.1 SD years post‐scan) and age, sex, and education matched cognitively normal participants (Cognitively Normal (CN), n = 64, mean age = 84.9) performed a face‐scene encoding task during fMRI scanning. Group differences in task performance and brain activation patterns were examined during encoding trials they later remembered, and trials they later forgot during the recognition phase of the task.ResultsThe SI group performed more poorly than the CN group during the recognition phase of the task. Both CN and SI activated the occipitotemporal visual pathway during memory encoding. Yet relative to CN participants, the SI group showed decreased activation of the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and fusiform gyrus during encoding of face‐scene pairs. This decreased activation was seen during both encoding of pairs they later remembered and pairs they forgot during recognition.ConclusionsBoth memory dysfunction and decreased temporal lobe activity during encoding begin before the onset of clinically evident cognitive impairment. In the SI group, the decreased temporal lobe activation was seen regardless of whether they later remembered or forgot the face‐scene pairs during the recognition task. This suggests that those who go on to develop impairment have an overall weaker functional response in temporal lobe regions during memory encoding. Further examination of the functional connectivity of these regions may help to determine if differences in brain network characteristics are related to subsequently remembered or forgotten visual stimuli during encoding.This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute on Aging.

Resting-state neural correlates of individual differences in ignored experience and its deleterious effect.

Uncovering the neural mechanisms of ostracism experience (including its subclasses of excluded and ignored experiences) is important. However, the resting-state functional brain substrates responsible for individual differences in ostracism experience and its negative effects remain largely undefined. This study explored these issues in a sample of 198 Chinese college students by assessing the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and functional connectivity. The findings indicated a positive correlation between ignored experience and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the right superior frontal gyrus and the functional connectivity between the right superior frontal gyrus and left cerebellum posterior lobe. Additionally, a negative correlation was found between ignored experience and the functional connectivity between the right superior frontal gyrus and the bilateral insula as well as the bilateral inferior parietal lobule. Moreover, the mediation analysis demonstrated that the effects of the functional connectivities of right superior frontal gyrus-left cerebellum posterior lobe and right superior frontal gyrus-right inferior parietal lobule on revenge intention were mediated by ignored experience. Our study offers novel insights into the neural correlates of both individual variations in ignored experience and its typical deleterious effect. These results could deepen our understanding of individual differences in negative experiences and inspire the development of targeted interventions for social stress from the perspective of the brain.

Data-efficient resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging brain mapping with deep learning.

Resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) enables the mapping of function within the brain and is emerging as an efficient tool for the presurgical evaluation of eloquent cortex. Models capable of reliable and precise mapping of resting-state networks (RSNs) with a reduced scanning time would lead to improved patient comfort while reducing the cost per scan. The aims of the present study were to develop a deep 3D convolutional neural network (3DCNN) capable of voxel-wise mapping of language (LAN) and motor (MOT) RSNs with minimal quantities of RS-fMRI data. Imaging data were gathered from multiple ongoing studies at Washington University School of Medicine and other thoroughly characterized, publicly available data sets. All study participants (n = 2252 healthy adults) were cognitively screened and completed structural neuroimaging and RS-fMRI. Random permutations of RS-fMRI regions of interest were used to train a 3DCNN. After training, model inferences were compared using varying amounts of RS-fMRI data from the control data set as well as 5 patients with glioblastoma multiforme. The trained model achieved 96% out-of-sample validation accuracy on data encompassing a large age range collected on multiple scanner types and varying sequence parameters. Testing on out-of-sample control data showed 97.9% similarity between results generated using either 50 or 200 RS-fMRI time points, corresponding to approximately 2.5 and 10 minutes, respectively (96.9% LAN, 96.3% MOT true-positive rate). In evaluating data from patients with brain tumors, the 3DCNN was able to accurately map LAN and MOT networks despite structural and functional alterations. Functional maps produced by the 3DCNN can inform surgical planning in patients with brain tumors in a time-efficient manner. The authors present a highly efficient method for presurgical functional mapping and thus improved functional preservation in patients with brain tumors.

6 Graph Analysis of Resting State Functional Brain Networks and Associations with Cognitive Outcomes in Survivors on Pediatric Brain Tumor

Objective:Adolescent and young adult survivors of pediatric brain tumors often live with long-term neuropsychological deficits, which have been found to be related to functional and structural brain changes related to the presence of the tumor itself as well as treatments such as radiation therapy. The importance of brain networks has become a central focus of research over recent decades across neurological populations. Graph theory is one way of analyzing network properties that can describe the integration, segregation, and other aspects of network organization. The existing literature using graph theory with survivors of brain tumor is small and inconsistent; therefore, more work is needed, particularly in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. The present study used graph theory to determine whether functional network properties in this population differ from healthy controls; whether graph metrics relate to core cognitive skills: attention, working memory, and processing speed; and whether they relate to a cumulative measure of neurological risk.Participants and Methods:31 survivors and 31 matched controls completed neuropsychological testing including measures of attention, working memory, and processing speed. They also underwent resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Resting state data were preprocessed and spatially constrained independent component analysis was completed to construct connectivity matrices. Finally, graph metrics were calculated utilizing an area under the curve method, including global efficiency, clustering coefficient, betweenness centrality, and small-worldness. Group differences and associations between graph metrics, cognitive outcomes, and neurological risk were analyzed using SPSS version 28.0.Results:Results revealed a significant difference such that brain tumor survivors exhibited less small-world properties in their functional brain networks. This was found to be related to working memory, such that less smallworldness in the network was related to poorer performance. There were no significant relationships with neurological risk, but there were nonsignificant correlations of small-moderate effect size such that lower global efficiency and clustering coefficient were associated with greater neurological risk. Comparisons to structural network analysis from a similar sample and additional post-hoc analyses are also discussed.Conclusions:These findings reveal that survivors of pediatric brain tumor indeed display significant differences in functional brain networks that are quantifiable by graph theory. It is also possible that, with further work, we might better understand how metrics such as smallworldness can be used to predict long-term cognitive outcomes and functional independence in adulthood.

Molecular mechanisms underlying resting-state brain functional correlates of behavioral inhibition

Previous literature has established the presence of sex differences in behavioral inhibition as well as its neural substrates and related disease risk. However, there is limited evidence that speaks directly to the question of whether or not there are sex-dependent associations between behavioral inhibition and resting-state brain function and, if so, how they are modulated by the underlying molecular mechanisms. We computed functional connectivity density (FCD) using resting-state functional MRI data to examine their associations with behavioral inhibition ability measured using a Go/No-Go task across a large cohort of 510 healthy young adults. Then, we examined the spatial relationships of the FCD correlates of behavioral inhibition with gene expression and neurotransmitter atlases to explore their potential genetic architecture and neurochemical basis. A significant negative correlation between behavioral inhibition and FCD in the left superior parietal lobule was found in females but not males. Further spatial correlation analyses demonstrated that the identified neural correlates of behavioral inhibition were associated with expression of gene categories predominantly implicating essential components of the cerebral cortex (glial cell, neuron, axon, dendrite, and synapse) and ion channel activity, as well as were linked to the serotonergic system. Our findings may not only yield important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the female-specific neural substrates of behavioral inhibition, but also provide a critical context for understanding how biological sex might contribute to variation in behavioral inhibition and its related disease risk.