Resting‐state functional connectivity in patients with a complex PTSD or complex dissociative disorder before and after inpatient trauma treatment

Abstract Background: This study aims to investigate the resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) changes of the hypothalamus in Fibromyalgia patients and the modulation effect of effective treatments. Methods: Fibromyalgia patients and matched healthy controls (HC’s) were recruited. Resting state fMRI data were collected from fibromyalgia patients before and after a 12-week Tai Chi intervention and once from HC’s. Results: Data analysis showed that fibromyalgia patients displayed significantly decreased medial hypothalamus (MH) rsFC with the thalamus and amygdala when compared to HC’s at baseline. After the intervention, fibromyalgia patients showed increased (normalized) MH rsFC in the thalamus and amygdala. Effective connectivity analysis showed disrupted MH and thalamus interaction in fibromyalgia, which nonetheless could be partially restored by Tai Chi. Conclusions: Elucidating the role of the diencephalon and limbic system in the pathophysiology and development of fibromyalgia may facilitate the development of new treatment methods for this prevalent disorder. Trial registration: Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02407665. Registered 3 April 2015 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02407665

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Multivariate resting-state functional connectivity predicts response to cognitive behavioral therapy in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1716686115 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 115 (9) ◽

pp. 2222-2227 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Nicco Reggente ◽

Teena D. Moody ◽

Francesca Morfini ◽

Courtney Sheen ◽

Jesse Rissman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Resting State ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Cognitive Behavioral ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Before And After

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for many with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, response varies considerably among individuals. Attaining a means to predict an individual’s potential response would permit clinicians to more prudently allocate resources for this often stressful and time-consuming treatment. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging from adults with OCD before and after 4 weeks of intensive daily CBT. We leveraged machine learning with cross-validation to assess the power of functional connectivity (FC) patterns to predict individual posttreatment OCD symptom severity. Pretreatment FC patterns within the default mode network and visual network significantly predicted posttreatment OCD severity, explaining up to 67% of the variance. These networks were stronger predictors than pretreatment clinical scores. Results have clinical implications for developing personalized medicine approaches to identifying individual OCD patients who will maximally benefit from intensive CBT.

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Advanced Meditation Alters Resting-State Brain Network Connectivity Correlating With Improved Mindfulness

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.745344 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Ramana V. Vishnubhotla ◽

Rupa Radhakrishnan ◽

Kestas Kveraga ◽

Rachael Deardorff ◽

Chithra Ram ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽

Brain Network ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Blood Oxygen Level ◽

Default Mode ◽

Before And After ◽

Brain Network Connectivity

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive 8-day Samyama meditation program on the brain functional connectivity using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI).Methods: Thirteen Samyama program participants (meditators) and 4 controls underwent fMRI brain scans before and after the 8-day residential meditation program. Subjects underwent fMRI with a blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast at rest and during focused breathing. Changes in network connectivity before and after Samyama program were evaluated. In addition, validated psychological metrics were correlated with changes in functional connectivity.Results: Meditators showed significantly increased network connectivity between the salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN) after the Samyama program (p < 0.01). Increased connectivity within the SN correlated with an improvement in self-reported mindfulness scores (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Samyama, an intensive silent meditation program, favorably increased the resting-state functional connectivity between the salience and default mode networks. During focused breath watching, meditators had lower intra-network connectivity in specific networks. Furthermore, increased intra-network connectivity correlated with improved self-reported mindfulness after Samyama.Clinical Trials Registration: [https://clinicaltrials.gov], Identifier: [NCT04366544]. Registered on 4/17/2020.

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A Pilot Study on Playback Theatre as a Therapeutic Aid after Natural Disasters: Brain Connectivity Mechanisms of Effects on Anxiety

Chronic Stress ◽

10.1177/2470547020966561 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 247054702096656

Author(s):

Sarat Munjuluri ◽

Peter K. Bolin ◽

Y. T. Amy Lin ◽

Nina L. Garcia ◽

Leslie Gauna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Natural Disasters ◽

Resting State ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Playback Theatre ◽

Cohen’S D ◽

Before And After ◽

Cohen's D

Background Natural disasters can affect mental health and result in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Playback Theatre (PT) is a form of improvisation where actors play-back personal stories told by audience members. Whether PT can be therapeutic in post-disaster settings is not known. Method We used a series of PT performances and studied levels of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in a sample of 13 people affected by Hurricane Harvey that happened in Houston, TX, August 2017. Brain imaging, specifically resting state functional connectivity of the amygdala was also studied before and after the PT performances. Results Both anxiety ( p = .001, Cohen’s d = –1.25) and PTSD ( p = .002, Cohen’s d = –1.0) symptoms significantly decreased after a series of 4 PT performances from January 2019 – February 2019. Depression reduction was not significant. We performed resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) MRI before and after the series of performances. We used the right and left amygdala as seeds for RSFC analysis and found that the connectivity between the left amygdala and the bilateral supramarginal gyri was increased after PT. The bilateral supramarginal connectivity with the default mode and the saliency networks increased too, which correlated with reduction in anxiety scores. Conclusions PT may offer a form of intervention for anxiety caused by disasters. An increase in left amygdala/supramarginal gyri connectivity may be the underlying mechanism.

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Modulation of GABA and resting state functional connectivity by transcranial direct current stimulation

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.08789 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 86

Author(s):

Velicia Bachtiar ◽

Jamie Near ◽

Heidi Johansen-Berg ◽

Charlotte J Stagg

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Resting State ◽

Resonance Spectroscopy ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Motor Network ◽

Before And After ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

We previously demonstrated that network level functional connectivity in the human brain could be related to levels of inhibition in a major network node at baseline (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib24">Stagg et al., 2014</xref>). In this study, we build upon this finding to directly investigate the effects of perturbing M1 GABA and resting state functional connectivity using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a neuromodulatory approach that has previously been demonstrated to modulate both metrics. FMRI data and GABA levels, as assessed by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, were measured before and after 20 min of 1 mA anodal or sham tDCS. In line with previous studies, baseline GABA levels were negatively correlated with the strength of functional connectivity within the resting motor network. However, although we confirm the previously reported findings that anodal tDCS reduces GABA concentration and increases functional connectivity in the stimulated motor cortex; these changes are not correlated, suggesting they may be driven by distinct underlying mechanisms.

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Resting-state functional connectivity of the amygdala subregions in unmedicated patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder before and after cognitive behavioural therapy

Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience ◽

10.1503/jpn.210084 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (6) ◽

pp. E628-E638

Author(s):

Jian Gao ◽

Xiangyun Yang ◽

Xiongying Chen ◽

Rui Liu ◽

Pengchong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ◽

Resting State ◽

Behavioural Therapy ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Cognitive Behavioural ◽

Before And After

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Multivoxel Neural Reinforcement Changes Resting-State Functional Connectivity Within the Threat Regulation Network

10.1101/2020.04.03.021956 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vincent Taschereau-Dumouchel ◽

Toshinori Chiba ◽

Ai Koizumi ◽

Mitsuo Kawato ◽

Hakwan Lau

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Physiological Reactivity ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Double Blind ◽

Brain Responses ◽

Regulation Network ◽

Before And After ◽

Ventral Temporal Cortex

AbstractUsing neural reinforcement, participants can be trained to pair a reward with the activation of specific multivoxel patterns in their brains. In a double-blind placebo-controlled experiment, we previously showed that this intervention can decrease the physiological reactivity associated with naturally feared animals. However, the mechanisms behind the effect remain incompletely understood and its usefulness for treatment remains unclear. If the intervention fundamentally changed the brain responses, we might expect to observe relatively stable changes in the functional connectivity within the threat regulation network. To evaluate this possibility, we conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions while subjects were at rest, before and after neural reinforcement, and quantified the changes in resting-state functional connectivity accordingly. Our results indicate that neural reinforcement increased the connectivity of prefrontal regulatory regions with the amygdala and the ventral temporal cortex (where the visual representations of phobic targets are). Surprisingly, we found no evidence of Hebbian-like learning during neural reinforcement, contrary to what one may expect based on previous neurofeedback studies. These results suggest that multivoxel neural reinforcement, also known as decoded neurofeedback (DecNef), may operate via unique mechanisms, distinct from those involved in conventional neurofeedback.

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Multi-day rTMS exerts site-specific effects on functional connectivity but does not influence associative memory performance

10.1101/2020.04.23.056655 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Joshua Hendrikse ◽

James Coxon ◽

Sarah Thompson ◽

Chao Suo ◽

Alex Fornito ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Associative Memory ◽

Parietal Cortex ◽

Resting State ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Specific Region ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Site Specific ◽

Subject Specific ◽

Before And After

AbstractTranscranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique with the capacity to modulate brain network connectivity and cognitive function. Recent studies have demonstrated long-lasting improvements in associative memory and resting-state connectivity following multi-day repetitive TMS (rTMS) to individualised parietal-hippocampal networks. We aimed to assess the reproducibility and network- and cognitive-specificity of these effects following multi-day rTMS. Participants received four days of 20 Hz rTMS to a subject-specific region of left lateral parietal cortex exhibiting peak functional connectivity to the left hippocampus. In a separate week, the same stimulation protocol was applied to a subject-specific region of pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) exhibiting peak functional connectivity to the left putamen. We assessed changes to associative memory before and after each week of stimulation (N = 39), and changes to resting-state functional connectivity before and after stimulation in week one (N = 36). We found no evidence of long-lasting enhancement of associative memory or increased parieto-hippocampal connectivity following multi-day rTMS to the parietal cortex, nor increased pre-SMA-putamen connectivity following multi-day rTMS to pre-SMA. Instead, we observed some evidence of site-specific modulations of functional connectivity lasting ∼24 hours, with reduced connectivity within targeted networks and increased connectivity across distinct non-targeted networks. Our findings suggest a complex interplay between multi-day rTMS and network connectivity. Further work is required to develop reliable rTMS paradigms for driving changes in functional connectivity between cortical and subcortical regions.

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Impact of self-designed Ningxin Anshen Decoction on the resting-state network functional connectivity in patients with mild to moderate generalized anxiety disorders: a Clinical Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.17931 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wenjing He ◽

Hang Xiong ◽

Jiangshan Fang ◽

Hao Gu ◽

Rongjuan Guo

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

The Self ◽

Control Group ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Before And After ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorders ◽

Hamilton Anxiety Scale ◽

The Right

BACKGROUND Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a persistent chronic excessive anxiety that is hard to control. Our previous study indicated that self-designed Ningxin Anshen Formula (NXAS) was effective to improve the symptoms and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) of mild to moderate GAD patients. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the imapct of self-designed NXAS on the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in patients with mild to moderate GAD and explore the potential mechanisms. METHODS A total of 61 patients diagnosed with mild to moderate GAD were recruited and divided into two groups: NXAS group (n=31) and placebo group (n=30). Before and after treatment, the RSFC was examined by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), the anxiety was assessed with HAMA, and the independent component analysis (ICA) was used to analyze the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). The correlation between HAMA score and abnormal RSFC was further evaluated. RESULTS The default mode network (DMN) showed evident RSFC interaction in the PCUN in both groups before and after therapy. The salience network (SN) showed obvious RSFC interaction in the bilateral gyrus frontalis inferiors and bilateral gyri temporalis superiors before and after therapy. In the NXAS group, the RSFC interction reduced significantly in the left gyrus frontalis inferior, but remained unchanged in the right gyrus frontalis inferior and bilateral gyri temporalis superiors after therapy. In the control group, the RSFC interaction increased dramatically after treatment. In addition, the abnormal RSFC had no relationship with HAMA score. CONCLUSIONS The self-designed NXAS can increase the RSFC in the PUCN on DMN and reduce RSFC in the orbIFG.L on SN to exert anti-anxiety effect. CLINICALTRIAL The study was registered on the Clinical Trials (NO. ChiCTR-OCC-12002329).

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Changes in Functional Connectivity following Treatment with Emotion Regulation Therapy

10.31231/osf.io/x2p5k ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew A. Scult ◽

David Marc Fresco ◽

Faith Gunning ◽

Conor Liston ◽

Saren Seeley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Significant Treatment ◽

Network Nodes ◽

Before And After ◽

Nuanced Understanding

Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT) is an efficacious treatment for distress disorders (i.e. depression and anxiety), predicated on a conceptual model wherein difficult to treat distress arises from intense emotionality (e.g., neuroticism, dispositional negativity) and is prolonged by negative self-referentiality (e.g., worry, rumination). Individuals with distress disorders exhibit disruptions in two corresponding brain networks including the salience network (i.e., “SN”) reflecting emotion/motivation and the default mode network (i.e., “DMN”) reflecting self-referentiality. Using resting-state functional connectivity analyses, seeded with primary regions in each of these networks, we investigated whether ERT was associated with theoretically consistent changes across nodes of these networks and whether these changes related to improvements in clinical outcomes. This study examined 21 generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients (with and without major depressive disorder (MDD)) drawn from a larger intervention trial (Renna et al., 2018), who completed resting state fMRI scans before and after receiving 16 sessions of ERT. We utilized seed-based connectivity analysis with seeds in the PCC, right anterior insula, and right posterior insula, to investigate whether ERT was associated with changes in connectivity of nodes of the DMN and SN networks with changes across the brain. Findings revealed statistically significant treatment linked changes in both the DMN and SN network nodes, and these changes were associated with clinical improvement corresponding to medium effect sizes. The results are discussed in light of a nuanced understanding of the role of connectivity changes in GAD and MDD, and begin to provide neural network support for the hypothesized treatment model predicated by ERT.

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