Postcentral Gyrus Research Articles

The different impacts of pain-related negative emotion and trait negative emotion on brain function in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of chronic, non-specific intestinal diseases that could comorbid with varieties of negative emotional constructs, including pain-related negative emotions and trait negative emotions; however, the link between brain functions and different dimensions of negative emotions remains largely unknown. Ninety-eight patients with IBD and forty-six healthy subjects were scanned using a 3.0-T functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) were used to assess resting-state brain activity. Partial least squares (PLS) correlation was employed to assess the relationship among abnormal brain activities, pain-related and trait negative emotions. Compared to controls, patients with IBD exhibited higher values of ALFF in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), lower values of ALFF in the left postcentral gyrus, and higher values of DC in the bilateral ACC. Multivariate PLS correlation analysis revealed the brain scores of the ACC were correlated with pain-related negative emotions, the brain salience in the left postcentral gyrus was associated with the higher-order trait depression. These findings can enhance our comprehension of how pain-related negative emotion and trait negative emotion affect the brains of patients with IBD in distinct ways.

Gray matter and cognitive alteration related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: combining ALE meta-analysis and MACM analysis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently comorbid with cognitive impairment, but it has not been paid enough attention, and its neuroanatomical characteristics have not been fully identified. Voxel-based morphometric (VBM) studies comparing gray matter (GM) abnormalities in COPD patients with healthy controls (HCs) were searched using 8 electronic databases from the inception to March 2023. Stereotactic data were extracted and tested for convergence and differences using the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method. Moreover, based on the ALE results, a structural meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) was conducted to explore the co-atrophy pattern in patients with COPD. Last, behavioral analysis was performed to assess the functional roles of the regions affected by COPD. In total, 11 studies on COPD with 949 participants were included. Voxel-based meta-analysis revealed significant GM abnormalities in the right postcentral gyrus (including inferior parietal lobule), left precentral gyrus, and left cingulate gyrus (including paracentral lobule) in patients with COPD compared with HCs. Further MACM analysis revealed a deeper co-atrophy pattern between the brain regions with abnormal GM structure and the insula in COPD patients. Behavioral analysis showed that the abnormal GM structure in the left cingulate gyrus (including paracentral lobule) was strongly associated with cognitive function, especially executive function. COPD comorbid with cognitive impairment has a specific neurostructural basis of GM structural abnormalities, which may also involve a deeper co-atrophy pattern between the insula. These findings enhance our understanding of the underlying neuropathogenesis and suggest potential imaging markers for cognitive impairment in COPD patients. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022298722.

Abnormal changes in neuropsychological function, brain structure and cerebral perfusion in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

Patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) often experience emotional changes and cognitive impairments. However, the specific mechanisms underlying these impairments are still not fully understood. In the present study, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM) were employed to investigate structural alterations in 49 patients diagnosed with UIAs compared with 50 healthy controls. Additionally, this study aimed to analyze the correlations among cortical morphological indices, cerebral blood perfusion values and neuropsychological test results. Compared with control group, UIA patients exhibited increased gray matter volume in the right anterior orbitofrontal cortex and decreased gray matter volume in the left thalamus pulvinar and hippocampus. Furthermore, the fractal dimension was lower in the right postcentral gyrus and entorhinal cortex. The cerebral perfusion values in the abnormal brain regions demonstrated a downward trend, which was associated with a reduction in gray matter volume in the left thalamus pulvinar and hippocampus, elevated anxiety levels and impaired executive function. UIA patients are prone to cognitive impairment and emotional dysregulation, which are accompanied by subtle changes in local gray matter volume and decreases in fractal dimension and cerebral blood flow. These findings provide new insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the cognitive impairment observed in UIA patients.

Source localization of mu-rhythm event related desynchronization in EEG during tactile imagery

Tactile imagery remains a relatively understudied phenomenon in the field of mental imagery research. However, alongside motor imagery, this technique holds promise as an effective tool for sensorimotor rehabilitation following stroke and spinal cord injuries. In this study, conducted with 22 healthy volunteers, we investigated the source localization of mu-rhythm event related desynchronization (Event-Related Desynchronization, ERD) using multi-channel electroencephalogram recordings and subsequent inverse problem solution with the sLORETA method. All participants exhibited ERD during tactile imagery task, as well as under vibrotactile stimulation. It was demonstrated that mu-rhythm ERD during vibrotactile stimulation, as well as tactile imagery, was localized in the sensorimotor areas of the contralateral hemisphere. Within the source space, ERD in the postcentral gyrus was significantly stronger compared to the precentral gyrus. These findings indicate that tactile imagery, akin to the perception of real tactile stimuli, leads to prominent activation of sensorimotor cortical areas, consistent with the general understanding of the shared neural substrate during mental imagery and perception.

Layer-specific BOLD effects in gradient and spin-echo acquisitions in somatosensory cortex.

Previous studies have shown varied BOLD signals with gradient echo (GE) across cortical depth. To interpret these variations, and understand the effects of vascular geometry and size, the magnitudes and layer distributions of GE and spin-echo (SE) BOLD functional MRI signals were compared in the somatosensory cortex of squirrel monkeys during tactile stimulation and in a resting state at high spatial resolution and high field. A block-design stimulation was used to identify tactile-evoked activation signals in somatosensory Areas 3b and 1. Layer-specific connectivities were calculated using resting-state data. Signal power spectra were compared by depth and pulse sequence. The measured ratios of transverse relaxation rate changes were compared with Anderson and Weiss's model. SE signals showed a 26% lower percentage signal change during tactile stimulation compared with GE, along with a slower time course. SE signals remained consistent but weaker in lower layers, whereas GE signals decreased with cortical depth. This pattern extended to resting-state power spectra. Resting-state functional connectivity indicated larger connectivity between the top layers of Area 3b and Area 1 for GE, with minimal changes for SE. Comparisons with theory suggest vessel diameters ranging from 19.4 to 9 microns are responsible for BOLD effects across cortical layers at 9.4 T. These results provide further evidence that at high field, SE BOLD signals are relatively free of contributions from sources other than microvascular changes in response to neural activity, whereas GE signals, even in the superficial layers, are not dominated by very large vessels.

Cerebral convexity arachnoid cysts: A focused systematic review with defining characteristics

IntroductionArachnoid cysts are non-neoplastic accumulations of cerebrospinal fluid formed within partitioned layers of the arachnoid mater. They represent about 1% of all intracranial masses in humans. Most arachnoid cysts present in the middle cranial fossa, but few occur along the cerebral convexity. Gross imaging of cerebral convexity arachnoid cysts (CCACs) is extremely scarce. The purpose of this study is to conduct a focused systematic review of CCACs and report their defining clinical characteristics. MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted to compile and summarize primary sources of anatomical and clinical information about CCACs. A large CCAC was discovered and dissected in a human cadaver. The CCAC was photographed in situ, and its impacts on contiguous gyri and sulci were documented and presented as a representative example of a CCAC. ResultsCCAC formation is attributed to congenital (primary) or trauma-related (secondary) etiologies. While they are often asymptomatic, CCAC location and size can influence symptomology. The anticipated increase in intracranial pressure can elicit mild (e.g., headache) to severe (e.g., seizure, hydrocephalus) sequelae. The present study exhibits a remarkably large CCAC that developed within the left central sulcus, displacing the precentral and postcentral gyri. The central sulcus artery and vein were present and appeared unaffected. ConclusionsManagement of CCACs can range from close observation with no intervention in asymptomatic cases to surgical intervention. Typical surgical options include microsurgical fenestration via craniotomy, neuroendoscopic fenestration, and various forms of shunting. The efficacy of one surgical approach over another remains highly debated. As CCACs are mostly diagnosed with CT and/or MRI, gross imaging of CCACs is extremely rare. This study provides clinical anatomists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons with visual insight and perspective into the physical and clinical characteristics of CCACs.

Differential Hemodynamic Responses to Motor and Tactile Imagery: Insights from Multichannel fNIRS Mapping.

Tactile and motor imagery are crucial components of sensorimotor functioning and cognitive neuroscience research, yet the neural mechanisms of tactile imagery remain underexplored compared to motor imagery. This study employs multichannel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) combined with image reconstruction techniques to investigate the neural hemodynamics associated with tactile (TI) and motor imagery (MI). In a study of 15 healthy participants, we found that MI elicited significantly greater hemodynamic responses (HRs) in the precentral area compared to TI, suggesting the involvement of different cortical areas involved in two different types of sensorimotor mental imagery. Concurrently, the HRs in S1 and parietal areas exhibited comparable patterns in both TI and MI. During MI, both motor and somatosensory areas demonstrated comparable HRs. However, in TI, somatosensory activation was observed to be more pronounced. Our results highlight the distinctive neural profiles of motor versus tactile imagery and indicate fNIRS technique to be sensitive for this. This distinction is significant for fundamental understanding of sensorimotor integration and for developing advanced neurotechnologies, including imagery-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that can differentiate between different types of mental imagery.

Differences in Mu rhythm when seeing grasping/motor actions in a real context versus on screens

Mu rhythm (∼8–12 Hz) in the somatosensory cortex has traditionally been linked with doing and seeing motor activities. Here, we aimed to learn how the medium (physical or screened) in which motor actions are seen could impact on that specific brain rhythm. To do so, we presented to 40 participants the very same narrative content both in a one-shot movie with no cuts and in a real theatrical performance. We recorded subjects’ brain activities with electroencephalographic (EEG) procedures, and analyzed Mu rhythm present in left (C3) and right (C4) somatosensory areas in relation to the 24 motor activities included in each visual stimulus (screen vs. reality) (24 motor and grasping actions x 40 participants x 2 conditions = 1920 trials). We found lower Mu spectral power in the somatosensory area after the onset of the motor actions in real performance than on-screened content, more pronounced in the left hemisphere. In our results, the sensorimotor Mu-ERD (event-related desynchronization) was stronger during the real-world observation compared to screen observation. This could be relevant in research areas where the somatosensory cortex is important, such as online learning, virtual reality, or brain-computer interfaces.

Functional connectivity compensation in Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait.

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling motor symptom prevalent in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD); however, its pathophysiological mechanisms are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) pattern alterations in PD patients with FOG. A total of 18 PD patients, 10 with FOG (PD-FOG) and 8 without FOG (PD-nFOG), and 10 healthy controls were enrolled. High-resolution 3D T1-weighted and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data were obtained from all participants. The groups' internetwork connectivity differences were explored with rs-fMRI FC using seed-based analysis and graph theory. Multiple linear regression analysis estimated the relationship between FC changes and clinical measurements. Rs-fMRI analysis demonstrated alterations in FC in various brain regions between the three groups. Freezing of Gait Questionnaire severity was correlated with decreased brain functional connection between Vermis12 and the left temporal occipital fusiform cortex (r = -0.82, P < .001). Graph theory topological metrics indicated a decreased clustering coefficient in the right superior temporal gyrus in the PD-nFOG group. PD-FOG patients exhibited a compensatory increase in connectivity between the left inferior frontal gyrus language network and the postcentral gyrus compared to PD-nFOG patients. Further, the decreased connection between Vermis 12 and the left temporal occipital fusiform cortex may serve as a potential neuroimaging biomarker for tracking PD-FOG and distinguishing between PD subtypes.

Role of Microstructural White Matter Changes of Somatosensory Cortex in Stress Among Non-Clinical Population: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

Introduction: Stress is a common response to stressors or potential threats, resulting in physical, affective, and cognitive changes. Emotions are linked to interpretations of bodily alterations, with the somatosensory cortex, including the postcentral gyrus, playing a key role in emotional processing. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between stress and microstructural white matter changes in the somatosensory cortex among healthy adults, crucial for early detection and treatment of stress in non-clinical populations. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 participants were recruited. The participants were administered the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire. All subjects underwent MRI brain scanning, with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) used to assess white matter integrity. The association between stress scores in DASS-21 and DTI parameters was analyzed. Results: A significant negative correlation between stress scores and fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the left postcentral gyrus (r = -0.393, p = 0.32) was found, indicating early impairment by stress. No significant correlation was found in the right postcentral gyrus (r = -0.300, p = 0.107). Conclusion: Our research results demonstrated that the microstructural somatosensory cortex, especially the left postcentral gyrus, might have early changes impairment by stress using the technique of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Therefore, the microstructural white matter changes in the brain before suffering the disorder may be crucial and can be a novel potential biomarker for the early detection and intervention of the disease in the non-clinical population.

Structural and functional neural correlates of sensorimotor deficits in progression of hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neurological condition that occurs as a complication of liver dysfunction that involves sensorimotor symptoms in addition to cognitive and behavioral changes, particularly in cases of severe liver disease or cirrhosis. Previous studies have reported spatially distributed structural and functional abnormalities related to HE, but the exact relationship between the structural and functional alterations with respect to disease progression remains unclear. In this study, we performed surface-based cortical thickness comparisons and functional connectivity (FC) analyses between three cross-sectional groups: healthy controls (HC, N=51), patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE, N=50), patients with overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE, N=51). In addition to the distributed cortical thinning that is extensively thought to be associated with cognitive decline in HE, we found significant cortical thickening in the left parahippocampal gyrus cortex in the OHE group (p<0.001, p=0.009) as compared to the HC and MHE group respectively, which is further corroborated by the significant correlation between the cortical thickness and digit symbol test (DST) scores. Furthermore, the decreased FC between the right postcentral gyrus and several sensory regions (bilateral somatosensory and visual cortices) was found to be significant in MHE patients as compared to the HC group. Our results revealed cross-sectional structural and functional variations concerning disease progression across different subsystems (e.g., visual, motor and sensory), providing evidence that can potentially explain the mechanisms underlying the sensorimotor and cognitive deficits related to HE.

Behavioral Changes and Long-Term Cortical Thickness Alterations in Women with Fibromyalgia

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine long-term brain and behavioral changes in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) compared to healthy individuals. MethodsData from 33 female volunteers with FM and 33 healthy controls women paired by age and school degree were used to analyze the cortical thickness from high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained through a 3T-MRI scanner. Additionally, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, the emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ), and the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety rating scales were used to evaluate the behavioral changes. ResultsThe findings indicate significant cortical structure differences in the right cerebral hemisphere between groups in the insular anterior cortex precentral and postcentral gyrus (P < .001). The FM group scored higher for alexithymia (P < .01), negative affect (P < .01), anxiety (P < .01), and depression (P < .01) symptoms, on the other hand, scored lower for positive affect (P < .01). No differences were found on the left cerebral hemisphere. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between the right insular anterior cortex and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (P < .001). ConclusionThis study showed long-term brain and behavioral changes in patients with FM, suggesting notable neurophysiological alterations associated with this chronic pain condition. It provides new insights into how FM may affect brain health and potential biomarkers for the condition.

Iron Deposition and Functional Connectivity Differences in Females With Migraine Without Aura: A Comparative Study of Headache Sides.

The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying migraine without aura (MwoA) in females remain incompletely elucidated. Currently, the association between headache laterality and iron deposition (ID), and functional connectivity (FC) in female MwoA patients has not been fully studied. We prospectively recruited 63 female patients with MwoA and 31 matched healthy controls (HC) from the hospital. ID and FC among the four groups were analyzed using two-sample t-tests (with cluster-wise family-wise error [FWE] correction). Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between clinical variables and both ID and FC values. Significance level: p<0.05. Compared to HC, left-sided MwoA exhibited differences in ID in various brain regions, including the cerebellum, left orbital inferior frontal gyrus, left calcarine gyrus, right putamen, and left caudate nucleus, as well as exhibited enhanced FC between the left lobule III of the cerebellum and the right superior temporal gyrus. Compared to bilateral MwoA, left-sided MwoA showed significantly enhanced in FC values in the left calcarine gyrus, the right precentral gyrus, the right postcentral gyrus, and the right lingual gyrus. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the Pearson correlations between clinical variables and both ID and FC in the female MwoA subgroups. Our study provided preliminary evidence indicating significant differences in ID, FC, and correlations among subgroups of female MwoA. This provides neuroimaging references for further subclassifying MwoA patients. This offers valuable insights into potential pathophysiological mechanisms linked to the brain functional impairment in female MwoA.

Sport training of axial rotation affects spatial ability: evidence from behavior and fNIRS

The present study investigated the spatial ability of adolescent athletes with different sport expertise of axial rotation, providing the cognitive characteristics from both behavior and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) tests. 16 basketball and soccer players, 15 freestyle athletes and 15 runners were selected for spatial ability testing with a three-factor mixed experimental design of 3 (sport type: open high-spatial sport, closed high-spatial sport, closed low-spatial sport) × 2 (rotation angle: 45°, 90°) × 3 (rotation axis: horizontal, vertical, longitudinal). Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to evaluate the behavioral and fNIRS data of the mental rotation test. The behavioral data showed that the closed high-spatial (CH) group showed better performance than the open high-spatial (OH) and closed low-spatial (CL) group for large angle for every rotation axes. The fNIRS results showed the CH group had greater brain activation than the OH and CL group in the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, left angular gyrus, left precuneus and middle occipital gyrus. The findings provide additional empirical support for relating body rotation experience to spatial cognition performance.

Transdiagnostic white matter controllability deficits across patients with affective and anxiety spectrum disorders

BackgroundAffective and anxiety disorders including major depression disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are characterized by network dysconnectivity. Network controllability quantifies the capability of specific brain regions to impact functional dynamics based on the underlying structural connectome. This study aimed to investigate transdiagnostic and illness-specific network controllability alterations across these three disorders. Materials and methodsThe study enrolled 233 currently untreated and non-comorbid subjects, including 68 MDD patients, 51 PTSD patients, 46 SAD patients, and 68 healthy controls (HCs). White matter network controllability was compared among the four groups, and its associations with symptom severity and duration of untreated illness were evaluated. ResultsCompared with HCs, patients with PTSD, MDD and SAD exhibited reduced average controllability in the somatomotor, subcortical, and default mode network, notably in brain regions such as the superior frontal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, paracentral gyrus, pallidum, posterior cingulate, and putamen. MDD and SAD patients exhibited reduced average controllability in the left lateral occipital gyrus and bilateral accumbens. SAD patients showed reduced average controllability in the dorsal attention network. These controllability changes did not correlate with illness duration or symptom severity. LimitationsThe cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and adjusting for age and sex differences may not completely eliminate their influence on the results. ConclusionThe present study revealed shared and specific alterations of network controllability in MDD, PTSD, and SAD, suggesting reduced ability of specific brain regions/networks in driving the brain system into different functional states across these disorders.

Rehabilitation Response in Tremor- and Non-Tremor-Dominant Parkinson Disease: A Task-fMRI Study.

Tremor-dominant (TD) and nontremor-dominant (NTD) Parkinson's disease (PD) showed different responses to rehabilitation. However, the neural mechanism behind this remains unclear. This cohort study explores changes in motor function, brain activation, and functional connectivity following 2 weeks of rehabilitation in TD-PD and NTD-PD patients, respectively. A total of 11 TD-PD patients, 24 NTD-PD patients, and 21 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. At baseline, all participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing the foot tapping task. Motor symptoms, gait, balance, and task-based fMRI were then evaluated in patients before and after rehabilitation. Compared to HCs, TD-PD patients showed increased activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus and the right insula, and NTD-PD patients showed increased activations in the left postcentral gyrus and decreased within-cerebellar connectivity at baseline. Rehabilitation improved motor function in PD patients regardless of motor subtype. TD-PD patients showed increased recruitments of the sensorimotor cortex and the bilateral thalamus after rehabilitation, and NTD-PD patients showed increased cerebellar activation and within-cerebellar connectivity that was associated with better motor performance. This study demonstrated that rehabilitation-induced brain functional reorganization varied by motor subtypes in PD, which may have important implications for making individualized rehabilitation programs. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ChiCTR1900020771.

Abnormal functional lateralization and cooperation in bipolar disorder are associated with neurotransmitter and cellular profiles

BackgroundHemispheric lateralization and cooperation are essential for efficient brain function, and aberrations in both have been found in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. This study investigated alterations in hemispheric lateralization and cooperation among patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and associations with neurotransmitter and cell-type density distributions to identify potential molecular and cellular pathomechanisms. MethodsSixty-seven BD patients and 127 healthy controls (HCs) were examined by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Whole-brain maps of the autonomy index (AI) and connectivity between functionally homotopic voxels (CFH) were constructed to reveal BD-specific changes in brain functional lateralization and interhemispheric cooperation, respectively. Spatial associations of regional AI and CFH abnormalities with neurotransmitter and cell-type density distributions were examined by correlation analyses. ResultsBipolar disorder patients exhibited higher AI values in left superior parietal gyrus, cerebellar right Crus I, and cerebellar right Crus II, and these regional abnormalities were associated with the relative densities (proportions) of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and microglia. Patients also exhibited lower CFH values in right inferior parietal gyrus, bilateral middle occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, and bilateral cerebellar crus II, and these regional abnormalities were associated with the densities of serotonin 1A and dopamine D2 receptors, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, astrocytes, and neurons. ConclusionsThese findings indicate that abnormal functional lateralization and cooperation in BD with potential molecular and cellular basis.

Altered brain function in treatment-resistant depression patients: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

BackgroundIt has been established that there are functional changes in the brain of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients, but previous studies of functional connectivity (FC) usually involved selection of regions of interest based on accumulated a priori knowledge of the disorder. In this study, we combine amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and FC; this approach, based on the abnormal ALFF, may provide some insights into the neural basis of the disease in terms of fMRI signals of low-frequency fluctuations. MethodsA total of 16 TRD patients, who visited the Qingdao Mental Health Center, Shandong Province, China between March 2023 and January 2024, along with 16 normal subjects, were enrolled into this study for functional imaging. In this study, we first explored the ALFF changes of TRD patients at a baseline resting state. Second, we selected the regions that were significantly changed in the ALFF as seeds and calculated the regional activity and functional connectivity (FC) of these regions using a seed-based approach. We also calculated correlations between the percent change in the PDQ-5D scores and ALFF values in brain regions with differing activity for TRD patients. ResultsDuring the baseline resting state, by using the ALFF, we found a significantly decreased or increased ALFF in the TRD patients relative to the controls. These regions were located in the left/right postcentral gyrus (PoCG.L/PoCG.R), right cuneus(CUN.R). We found that the ALFF values of the right hippocampus (HIP.R) in the TRD group were negatively correlated with the PDQ-5D score. Then, we selected these brain regions as seeds to investigate the FC changes in brains of TRD patients. We found abnormal functional connectivity in left/right middle frontal gyrus(MFG.L/MFG.R), the right Inferior frontal gyrus, opercular part (IFGoperc.R), the left/right Anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri (ACC.L/ACC.R), the right supramarginal gyrus (SMG.R), and the right Calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex (CAL.R). ConclusionWe found a larger range of altered brain regions in TRD patients compared to healthy controls, especially in the central executive network (CEN), salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN).

A comparative study of interhemispheric functional connectivity in patients with basal ganglia ischemic stroke.

Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) is utilized to assess the functional connectivity of neural networks by quantifying the similarity between corresponding regions in the bilateral hemispheres of the brain. The exploration of VMHC abnormalities in basal ganglia ischemic stroke (BGIS) patients across different cerebral hemispheres has been limited. This study seeks to establish a foundation for understanding the functional connectivity status of both brain hemispheres in BGIS patients through the utilization of VMHC analysis utilizing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). This study examined a total of 38 patients with left basal ganglia ischemic stroke (LBGIS), 44 patients with right basal ganglia ischemic stroke (RBGIS), and 41 individuals in a healthy control (HC) group. Rs-fMRI studies were performed on these patients, and the pre-processed rs-fMRI data were analyzed using VMHC method. Subsequently, the VMHC values were compared between three groups using a one-way ANOVA and post hoc analysis. Correlation analysis with clinical scales was also conducted. The results indicated that compared to the HC group, significant differences were detected in postcentral gyrus, extending to precentral gyrus in both BGIS groups. Post hoc analysis showed that in the pairwise ROI-based comparison, individuals with LBGIS and RBGIS exhibited reduced VMHC values compared to HC groups. There was no significant difference between the LBGIS and RBGIS groups. In the LBGIS group, the VMHC value showed a negative correlation with NIHSS and a positive correlation with BI. The analysis of VMHC in rs-fMRI revealed a pattern of brain functional remodeling in patients with unilateral BGIS, marked by reduced synchronization and coordination between hemispheres. This may contribute to the understanding of the neurological mechanisms underlying motor dysfunction in these patients.

Meta-analysis of resting-state fMRI in cervical spondylosis patients using AES-SDM.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) reveals diverse neural activity patterns in cervical spondylosis (CS) patients. However, the reported results are inconsistent. Therefore, our objective was to conduct a meta-analysis to synthesize the findings from existing rs-fMRI studies and identify consistent patterns of neural brain activity alterations in patients with CS. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Embase, Google Scholar, and CNKI for rs-fMRI studies that compared CS patients with healthy controls (HCs), up to January 28, 2024. Significant cluster coordinates were extracted for comprehensive analysis. We included 16 studies involving 554 CS patients and 488 HCs. CS patients demonstrated decreased brain function in the right superior temporal gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, and increased function in the left superior frontal gyrus. Jackknife sensitivity analysis validated the robustness of these findings, and Egger's test confirmed the absence of significant publication bias (p > 0.05). Meta-regression showed no significant impact of age or disease duration differences on the results. This meta-analysis confirms consistent alterations in specific brain regions in CS patients, highlighting the potential of rs-fMRI to refine diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42024496263.