Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reveals Rapid and Reversible Changes in the Brain Following Induction of Psoriasiform Dermatitis in Mice

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-64
Author(s):  
Xiping Liu ◽  
Yasutomo Imai ◽  
Yan Zhou ◽  
Sebastian Yu ◽  
Rupeng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Skin Inflammation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Mri Imaging ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Mouse Ear ◽  
The Brain

Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI), a specific form of MRI imaging, quantitatively assesses connectivity between brain regions that share functional properties. Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging has already provided unique insights into changes in the brain in patients with conditions such as depression and pain and symptoms that have been reported by patients with psoriasis and are known to impact quality of life. To identify the central neurological impact of psoriasiform inflammation of the skin, we applied fcMRI analysis to mice that had been topically treated with the Toll-like receptor agonist, imiquimod (IMQ) to induce psoriasiform dermatitis. Brain insula regions, due to their suggested role in stress, were chosen as seed regions for fcMRI analysis. Mouse ear and head skin developed psoriasiform epidermal thickening (up to 4-fold, P < .05) and dermal inflammation after 4 days of topical treatment with IMQ. After fcMRI analysis, IMQ-treated mice showed significantly increased insula fc with wide areas throughout the brain, including, but not limited to, the somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and caudate putamen ( P < .005). This reflects a potential central neurological impact of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation. These data indicate that fcMRI may be valuable tool to quantitatively assess the neurological impact of skin inflammation in patients with psoriasis.

scholarly journals Political Neuroscience: Understanding How the Brain Makes Political Decisions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid J. Haas ◽  
Clarisse Warren ◽  
Samantha J. Lauf
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Political Psychology ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Political Cognition

Recent research in political psychology and biopolitics has begun to incorporate theory and methods from cognitive neuroscience. The emerging interdisciplinary field of political neuroscience (or neuropolitics) is focused on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying political information processing and decision making. Most of the existing work in this area has utilized structural magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, or electroencephalography, and focused on understanding areas of the brain commonly implicated in social and affective neuroscience more generally. This includes brain regions involved in affective and evaluative processing, such as the amygdala, insula, anterior cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortex, as well as regions involved in social cognition (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex [PFC]), decision making (e.g., dorsolateral PFC), and reward processing (e.g., ventral striatum). Existing research in political neuroscience has largely focused on understanding candidate evaluation, political participation, and ideological differences. Early work in the field focused simply on examining neural responses to political stimuli, whereas more recent work has begun to examine more nuanced hypotheses about how the brain engages in political cognition and decision making. While the field is still relatively new, this work has begun to improve our understanding of how people engage in motivated reasoning about political candidates and elected officials and the extent to which these processes may be automatic versus relatively more controlled. Other work has focused on understanding how brain differences are related to differences in political opinion, showing both structural and functional variation between political liberals and political conservatives. Neuroscientific methods are best used as part of a larger, multimethod research program to help inform theoretical questions about mechanisms underlying political cognition. This work can then be triangulated with experimental laboratory studies, psychophysiology, and traditional survey approaches and help to constrain and ensure that theory in political psychology and political behavior is biologically plausible given what we know about underlying neural architecture. This field will continue to grow, as interest and expertise expand and new technologies become available.

scholarly journals Functional Connectivity of Nucleus Accumbens and Medial Prefrontal Cortex With Other Brain Regions During Early-Abstinence Is Associated With Alcohol Dependence and Relapse: A Resting-Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Yang ◽  
Ya-jing Meng ◽  
Yu-jie Tao ◽  
Ren-hao Deng ◽  
Hui-yao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Anterior Cortex ◽  
The Right

Background: Alcohol dependence (AD) is a chronic recurrent brain disease that causes a heavy disease burden worldwide, partly due to high relapse rates after detoxification. Verified biomarkers are not available for AD and its relapse, although the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) may play important roles in the mechanism of addiction. This study investigated AD- and relapse-associated functional connectivity (FC) of the NAc and mPFC with other brain regions during early abstinence.Methods: Sixty-eight hospitalized early-abstinence AD male patients and 68 age- and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-functional magnetic resonance imaging (r-fMRI). Using the NAc and mPFC as seeds, we calculated changes in FC between the seeds and other brain regions. Over a follow-up period of 6 months, patients were measured with the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) scale to identify relapse outcomes (AUDIT ≥ 8).Results: Thirty-five (52.24%) of the AD patients relapsed during the follow-up period. AD displayed lower FC of the left fusiform, bilateral temporal superior and right postcentral regions with the NAc and lower FC of the right temporal inferior, bilateral temporal superior, and left cingulate anterior regions with the mPFC compared to controls. Among these FC changes, lower FC between the NAc and left fusiform, lower FC between the mPFC and left cingulate anterior cortex, and smoking status were independently associated with AD. Subjects in relapse exhibited lower FC of the right cingulate anterior cortex with NAc and of the left calcarine sulcus with mPFC compared to non-relapsed subjects; both of these reductions in FC independently predicted relapse. Additionally, FC between the mPFC and right frontal superior gyrus, as well as years of education, independently predicted relapse severity.Conclusion: This study found that values of FC between selected seeds (i.e., the NAc and the mPFC) and some other reward- and/or impulse-control-related brain regions were associated with AD and relapse; these FC values could be potential biomarkers of AD or for prediction of relapse. These findings may help to guide further research on the neurobiology of AD and other addictive disorders.

scholarly journals Alterations in Functional Connectivity Measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the Relationship With Heart Rate Variability in Subjects After Performing Orgasmic Meditation: An Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew B. Newberg ◽  
Nancy A. Wintering ◽  
Chloe Hriso ◽  
Faezeh Vedaei ◽  
Marie Stoner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Neutral Condition ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Meditation Practice ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging

Background: We measured changes in resting brain functional connectivity, with blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), associated with a creative meditation practice that is augmented by clitoral stimulation and is designed to not only achieve a spiritual experience but to help individuals manage their most intimate personal relationships. Briefly, the meditative state is attained by both the male and female participants while the male stimulates the woman’s clitoris. The goal of this practice, called orgasmic meditation (OM), according to the practitioners is not sexual, but to use the focus on clitoral stimulation to facilitate a meditative state of connectedness and calm alertness between the two participants.Methods: fMRI was acquired on 20 pairs of subjects shortly following one of two states that were randomized in their order – during the OM practice or during a neutral condition. The practice is performed while the female is lying down on pillows with the clitoris exposed. During the practice, the male performs digital stimulation of the clitoris for 15 min. Resting BOLD image acquisition was performed at completion of the practice to assess changes in functional connectivity associated with the performance of the practice.Results: The results demonstrated significant changes (p &lt; 0.05) in functional connectivity associated with the OM compared to the neutral condition. For the entire group there was altered connectivity following the OM practice involving the left superior temporal lobe, the frontal lobe, anterior cingulate, and insula. In female subjects, there was altered connectivity involving the cerebellum, thalamus, inferior frontal lobe posterior parietal lobe, angular gyrus, amygdala and middle temporal gyrus, and prefrontal cortex. In males, functional connectivity changes involved the supramarginal gyrus, cerebellum, and orbitofrontal gyrus, cerebellum, parahippocampus, inferior temporal gyrus, and anterior cingulate.Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest a complex pattern of functional connectivity changes occurring in both members of the couple pair that result from this unique meditation practice. The changes represent a hybrid of functional connectivity findings with some similarities to meditation based practices and some with sexual stimulation and orgasm. This study has broader implications for understanding the dynamic relationship between sexuality and spirituality.

scholarly journals Application of Structural and Functional Connectome Mismatch for Classification and Individualized Therapy in Alzheimer Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huixia Ren ◽  
Jin Zhu ◽  
Xiaolin Su ◽  
Siyan Chen ◽  
Silin Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Alzheimer Disease ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Subcortical Structures

While machine learning approaches to analyzing Alzheimer disease connectome neuroimaging data have been studied, many have limited ability to provide insight in individual patterns of disease and lack the ability to provide actionable information about where in the brain a specific patient's disease is located. We studied a cohort of patients with Alzheimer disease who underwent resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tractography imaging. These images were processed, and a structural and functional connectivity matrix was generated using the HCP cortical and subcortical atlas. By generating a machine learning model, individual-level structural and functional anomalies detection and characterization were explored in this study. Our study found that structural disease burden in Alzheimer's patients is mainly focused in the subcortical structures and the Default mode network (DMN). Interestingly, functional anomalies were less consistent between individuals and less common in general in these patients. More intriguing was that some structural anomalies were noted in all patients in the study, namely a reduction in fibers involving parcellations in the right anterior cingulate. Alternately, the functional consequences of connectivity loss were cortical and variable. Integrated structural/functional connectomics might provide a useful tool for assessing AD progression, while few concerns have been made for analyzing the mismatch between these two. We performed a preliminary exploration into a set of Alzheimer disease data, intending to improve a personalized approach to understanding individual connectomes in an actionable manner. Specifically, we found that there were consistent patterns of white matter fiber loss, mainly focused around the DMN and deep subcortical structures, which were present in nearly all patients with clinical AD. Functional magnetic resonance imaging shows abnormal functional connectivity different within the patients, which may be used as the individual target for further therapeutic strategies making, like non-invasive stimulation technology.

scholarly journals Distribution of multiple sclerosis lesions detected by brain magnetic resonance imaging in Erbil city

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 446-455
Author(s):  
Dina Tawfeeq ◽  
Shawnam Dawood
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Brain Stem ◽  
Signal Intensity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Lesion ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
The Brain

Background and objective: Many epidemiological studies and clinical manifestation studies of multiple sclerosis have been done in Iraq. Up to our knowledge, no such observational study to the radiological feature of the multiple sclerosis lesion has been done yet in Erbil in comparison to other worldwide studies. This study aimed to assess the distribution of multiple sclerosis lesions in brain regions detected by magnetic resonance imaging among Erbil population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, from April 2018 to July 2019. A review of magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain of 120 patients was done. Special attention was directed toward identifying the variance in multiple sclerosis lesions distribution in the brain regions and their MR signal intensity characteristics. Results: Periventricular lesions were observed in more than 90% of the study sample. The next common was juxtacortical lesions (24.8%), followed by corpus callosum lesions (16.8 %), while brain stem lesions were the least observed proportions. No significant difference was detected in the distribution of multiple sclerosis lesions among ethnicities and genders, except for basal ganglia lesions, which were significantly more common in women (P = 0.016).The magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity of the lesion was significantly variable among disease duration. Conclusion: The T2 hyper intense lesions were most commonly seen in the periventricular region. Juxtacortical and corpus callosum lesions were also frequently observed. The proportions of the brain stem and cerebellum lesions appeared to be lower in comparison to previous studies. Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Distribution; Lesion.

Is There a Common Network for Processing Reward and Aversion in the Brain?

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiameng Xu
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Aversive Stimuli ◽  
Midcingulate Cortex ◽  
The Brain

How do our brains process and attach positive and negative value to the objects around us, the sensations we feel, and the experiences that we have? One method of examining these questions is to detect, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which areas of the human brain are activated when subjects are exposed to rewarding and aversive stimuli. Although many fMRI studies have concentrated on identifying a network of areas that become active in processing either reward or aversion, there is evidence of significant overlap between the “reward” and “aversion” networks, suggesting that the brain might process rewarding and aversive stimuli in a similar manner regardless of valence. Thus, a meta-analysis of fMRI studies involving rewarding and aversive stimuli was undertaken to determine the areas of the brain that are commonly and differentially activated by reward and aversion. The preliminary results indicate that regions of the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, and basal ganglia were commonly activated by rewarding and aversive stimuli, while areas including the insula, midcingulate cortex, and parts of the hippocampus were differentially activated. Locating such commonalities and differences might help in our understanding of how the brain ascribes value to our environment.  

Neural Basis of Apathy

2021 ◽  
pp. 174-190
Author(s):  
Ingrid Agartz ◽  
Lynn Mørch-Johnsen
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
White Matter Microstructure ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function

This chapter introduces structural neuroimaging methods and presents results from brain imaging studies of the clinical apathy syndrome in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and stroke, and also in schizophrenia, today considered a neurodevelopmental disease. The main method used has been magnetic resonance imaging, which also holds many innovative possibilities for future development. Scientific studies so far have pointed to structural differences in frontal, striatal, anterior cingulate, and parietal brain regions, and of white matter microstructure and connectivity changes as being involved in the apathy syndrome. No single circuit connected to apathy has so far been identified. Brain structure and function, studied at the systems network level, and integrative multimodal imaging approaches, which combine different high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance diffusion, and positron emission tomography techniques, can be helpful in resolving future questions.

scholarly journals Altered Functional Connectivity within and between Brain Modules in Absence Epilepsy: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui-Ping Xu ◽  
Shou-Wen Zhang ◽  
Tie Fang ◽  
Ma Manxiu ◽  
Qian Chencan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Absence Epilepsy ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Superior Frontal Gyrus

Functional connectivity has been correlated with a patient’s level of consciousness and has been found to be altered in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Absence epilepsy patients, who experience a loss of consciousness, are assumed to suffer from alterations in thalamocortical networks; however, previous studies have not explored the changes at a functional module level. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the alteration in functional connectivity that occurs in absence epilepsy patients. By parcellating the brain into 90 brain regions/nodes, we uncovered an altered functional connectivity within and between functional modules. Some brain regions had a greater number of altered connections and therefore behaved as key nodes in the changed network pattern; these regions included the superior frontal gyrus, the amygdala, and the putamen. In particular, the superior frontal gyrus demonstrated both an increased value of connections with other nodes of the frontal default mode network and a decreased value of connections with the limbic system. This divergence is positively correlated with epilepsy duration. These findings provide a new perspective and shed light on how functional connectivity and the balance of within/between module connections may contribute to both the state of consciousness and the development of absence epilepsy.

scholarly journals The Impact of Undiagnosed Synaesthesia on the Interpretation of Structural and Functional MRI Images Connectivity Maps and Resulting Diagnoses

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 7227-7234
Author(s):  
Nourhan Zayed
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

Synathesia is a condition in which stimulation of a sensory modality triggers another sensation in the alike or an unalike sensory modality. Currently, synaesthesia is deemed a neurological condition that engages unwanted transfer of signals between brain regions from one sense to another “crosstalk activation”. The probability that undiagnosed synaesthesia may impact the results of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Diffusion Tensor imaging (DTI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and resting state connectivity studies is high, given the multiple anatomical and functional connections within the brain. In this paper, the currently available literature to mark which sensations adjured by synaesthesia and how could this impact MRI different modalities. Our study found that synaesthesia can have an opaque impact on fMRI studies of sensory, memory and cognitive functions, and there is testimony to suggest structural connections in the brain are also mutated DTI measurements especially, it shows enhanced structural connectivity for synesthetes between brain regions, higher Fractional anisotropy (FA), as well as increased in the white matter integrity between some regions.. Given the low dispersal of synaesthesia, the likelihood of synaesthesia being a perplexing factor in DTI, fMRI studies of patient groups is small; however, determining the existence of synaesthesia is paramount for investigating individual patients especially Shizoherenia, and autistic patients.

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