Miswiring the brain: Human prenatal Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol use associated with altered fetal hippocampal brain network connectivity

Abstract Childhood trauma is a central risk factor for schizophrenia. We explored the correlation between early traumatic experiences and the functional connectivity of resting-state networks. This fMRI study included 28 first-episode schizophrenia patients and 27 healthy controls. In first-episode schizophrenia patients, higher levels of childhood trauma associated with abnormal connections of resting-state networks, and these anomalies distributed among task-positive networks (i.e., ventral attention network, dorsal-ventral attention network and frontal-parietal network), and sensory networks (i.e., visual network and auditory network). These findings mentioned that childhood traumatic experiences may impact resting-state network connectivity in adulthood, mainly involving systems related to attention and execution control.

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Graph Theory-Based Brain Network Connectivity Analysis and Classification of Alzheimer’s Disease

International Journal of Image and Graphics ◽

10.1142/s021946782240006x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

A. Thushara ◽

C. Ushadevi Amma ◽

Ansamma John

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Graph Theory ◽

Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Brain Network ◽

Fiber Tracts ◽

The Brain

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is basically a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with abnormal brain networks that affect millions of elderly people and degrades their quality of life. The abnormalities in brain networks are due to the disruption of White Matter (WM) fiber tracts that connect the brain regions. Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) captures the brain’s WM integrity. Here, the correlation betwixt the WM degeneration and also AD is investigated by utilizing graph theory as well as Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. By using the DW image obtained from Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database, the brain graph of each subject is constructed. The features extracted from the brain graph form the basis to differentiate between Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Control Normal (CN) and AD subjects. Performance evaluation is done using binary and multiclass classification algorithms and obtained an accuracy that outperforms the current top-notch DWI-based studies.

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Brain Network Connectivity Dynamics during Voluntary Finger Movement in Right Handed Adults with Down Syndrome: Evidence for Contralateral and Ipsilateral Dominance

IFMBE Proceedings - 17th International Conference on Biomagnetism Advances in Biomagnetism – Biomag2010 ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-12197-5_93 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 393-396

Author(s):

N. Moiseeva ◽

A. Moiseev ◽

I. Lott ◽

R. Haier ◽

K. Head ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Brain Network ◽

Finger Movement ◽

Brain Network Connectivity

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Reduced DNA Methylation of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Is Associated With Anhedonia-Asociality in Women With Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Ultra-high Risk for Psychosis

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbz016 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 45 (6) ◽

pp. 1279-1290 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Minji Bang ◽

Jee In Kang ◽

Se Joo Kim ◽

Jin Young Park ◽

Kyung Ran Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negative Symptoms ◽

Receptor Gene ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Inverse Correlation ◽

Brain Network ◽

Oxytocin Receptor ◽

Epigenetic Alterations ◽

Oxytocin Receptor Gene ◽

Recent Onset ◽

Brain Network Connectivity

Abstract Negative symptoms are recognized as a fundamental feature of schizophrenia throughout the disease course. Epigenetic alterations in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) may be a key mechanism involved in social-emotional disturbances of schizophrenia. Here, we investigated OXTR methylation and its association with clinical and brain network connectivity phenotypes of negative symptoms, particularly anhedonia-asociality, in individuals with recent-onset schizophrenia (ROS) and at ultrahigh risk (UHR) for psychosis. Sixty-four ROS (39 women), 46 UHR (19 women), and 98 healthy individuals (52 women) participated in this study. OXTR methylation was quantified using the pyrosequencing method. A subset of participants (16 ROS, 23 UHR, and 33 healthy controls [HCs]) underwent a 5.5-minute resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine the relationship between OXTR methylation and the striatal-amygdala network functional connectivity (FC) underlying anhedonia-asociality. Both men and women with ROS and UHR showed significantly decreased OXTR methylation compared to HCs. In women with ROS and UHR, decreased OXTR methylation showed a significant correlation with increased anhedonia-asociality. FC of the striatal-amygdala network, positively associated with the severity of anhedonia-asociality, showed an inverse correlation with OXTR methylation. This study suggests that epigenetic alterations of OXTR, which can be detected before the development of full-blown psychosis, confer susceptibility to schizophrenia and play a crucial role in the manifestation of anhedonia-asociality, particularly in women.

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