Functional brain-imaging correlates of negative affectivity and the onset of first-episode depression

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1001-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. G. Davey ◽  
S. Whittle ◽  
B. J. Harrison ◽  
J. G. Simmons ◽  
M. L. Byrne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affectivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Functional Brain Imaging ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Fmri Study

Background.The amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC) are key brain regions for the generation of negative affect. In this longitudinal fMRI study of adolescents we investigated how amygdala–sACC connectivity was correlated with negative affectivity (NA) both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and examined its relationship to the onset of first-episode depression.Method.Fifty-six adolescents who were part of a larger longitudinal study of adolescent development were included. They had no history of mental illness at the time of their baseline scan (mean age 16.5 years) and had a follow-up scan 2 years later (mean age 18.8 years). We used resting-state functional-connectivity MRI to investigate whether cross-sectional and change measures of amygdala–sACC connectivity were (i) correlated with NA and its change over time, and (ii) related to the onset of first-episode depression.Results.The magnitude of amygdala connectivity with sACC showed significant positive correlation with NA at both time-points. Further analysis confirmed that change in amygdala–sACC connectivity between assessments was correlated with change in NA. Eight participants developed a first episode of depression between the baseline and follow-up assessments: they showed increased amygdala–sACC connectivity at follow-up.Conclusions.Amygdala–sACC connectivity is associated with NA in adolescence, with change in connectivity between these regions showing positive correlation with change in NA. Our observation that the onset of depression was associated with an increase in connectivity between the regions provides support for the neurobiological ‘scar’ hypothesis of depression.

scholarly journals Peripheral arterial stiffness during electrocutaneous stimulation is positively correlated with pain-related brain activity and subjective pain intensity: an fMRI study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshio Tsuji ◽  
Fumiya Arikuni ◽  
Takafumi Sasaoka ◽  
Shin Suyama ◽  
Takashi Akiyoshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arterial Stiffness ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Electrocutaneous Stimulation ◽  
Pain Matrix ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Subjective Pain ◽  
Peripheral Arterial

AbstractBrain activity associated with pain perception has been revealed by numerous PET and fMRI studies over the past few decades. These findings helped to establish the concept of the pain matrix, which is the distributed brain networks that demonstrate pain-specific cortical activities. We previously found that peripheral arterial stiffness $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art responds to pain intensity, which is estimated from electrocardiography, continuous sphygmomanometer, and photo-plethysmography. However, it remains unclear whether and to what extent $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art aligns with pain matrix brain activity. In this fMRI study, 22 participants received different intensities of pain stimuli. We identified brain regions in which the blood oxygen level-dependent signal covaried with $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art using parametric modulation analysis. Among the identified brain regions, the lateral and medial prefrontal cortex and ventral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex were consistent with the pain matrix. We found moderate correlations between the average activities in these regions and $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art was also significantly correlated with self-reported pain intensity (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) and applied pain intensity (r = 0.43, p < 0.001). Our results indicate that $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art is positively correlated with pain-related brain activity and subjective pain intensity. This study may thus represent a basis for adopting peripheral arterial stiffness as an objective pain evaluation metric.

scholarly journals Maternal stress during pregnancy alters fetal cortico-cerebellar connectivity in utero and increases child sleep problems after birth

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion I. van den Heuvel ◽  
Jasmine L. Hect ◽  
Benjamin L. Smarr ◽  
Tamara Qawasmeh ◽  
Lance J. Kriegsfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prenatal Stress ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
In Utero ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Child Sleep ◽  
Maternal Prenatal Stress

AbstractChild sleep disorders are increasingly prevalent and understanding early predictors of sleep problems, starting in utero, may meaningfully guide future prevention efforts. Here, we investigated whether prenatal exposure to maternal psychological stress is associated with increased sleep problems in toddlers. We also examined whether fetal brain connectivity has direct or indirect influence on this putative association. Pregnant women underwent fetal resting-state functional connectivity MRI and completed questionnaires on stress, worry, and negative affect. At 3-year follow-up, 64 mothers reported on child sleep problems, and in the subset that have reached 5-year follow-up, actigraphy data (N = 25) has also been obtained. We observe that higher maternal prenatal stress is associated with increased toddler sleep concerns, with actigraphy sleep metrics, and with decreased fetal cerebellar-insular connectivity. Specific mediating effects were not identified for the fetal brain regions examined. The search for underlying mechanisms of the link between maternal prenatal stress and child sleep problems should be continued and extended to other brain areas.

scholarly journals Focal changes in brain energy and phospholipid metabolism in first-episode schizophrenia

2004 ◽  
Vol 184 (5) ◽  
pp. 409-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Eric Jensen ◽  
Jodi Miller ◽  
Peter C. Williamson ◽  
Richard W J. Neufeld ◽  
Ravi S. Menon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Volunteers ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Membrane Breakdown ◽  
First Episode Schizophrenia

BackgroundMembrane phospholipid and high-energy abnormalities measured with phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) have been reported in patients with schizophrenia in several brain regions.AimsUsing improved imaging techniques, previously inaccessible brain regions were examined in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and healthy volunteers with 4.0 T 31P-MRS.MethodBrain spectra were collected in vivo from 15 patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 15 healthy volunteers from 15 cm3 effective voxels in the thalamus, cerebellum, hippocampus, anterior/posterior cingulate, prefrontal cortex and parieto-occipital cortex.ResultsPeople with first-episode schizophrenia showed increased levels of glycerophosphocholine in the anterior cingulate. Inorganic phosphate, phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate concentrations were also increased in the anterior cingulate in this group.ConclusionsThe increased phosphodiester and high-energy phosphate levels in the anterior cingulate of brains of people with first-episode schizophrenia may indicate neural overactivity in this region during the early stages of the illness, resulting in increased excitotoxic neural membrane breakdown.

scholarly journals Framing and Self-Responsibility Modulate Brain Activities in Decision Escalation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Peng Liang ◽  
Yuwen Li ◽  
Nai-Shing Yen ◽  
Ofir Turel ◽  
Sen-Mou Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Human Decision

Abstract Background: Escalation of commitment is a common bias in human decision making. The present study examined (1) differences in neural recruitment for escalation and de-escalation decisions of prior investments, and (2) how the activations of these brain networks are modulated by two factors that are often argued to modulate the behavior: (i) self-responsibility, and (ii) framing of the success probabilities. Results: Imaging data were obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) applied to 29 participants. A whole-brain analysis was conducted to compare brain activations between conditions. ROI analysis, then, was used to examine if these significant activations were modulated by two contextual factors. Finally, mediation analysis was applied to explore how the contextual factors affect escalation decisions through brain activations. The findings showed that (1) escalation decisions are faster than de-escalation decisions, (2) the corresponding network of brain regions recruited for escalation (anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus) decisions differs from this recruited for de-escalation decisions (inferior and superior frontal gyri), (3) the switch from escalation to de-escalation is primarily frontal gyri dependent, and (4) activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus were further increased in escalation decisions, when the outcome probabilities of the follow-up investment were positively framed; and activation in the inferior and superior frontal gyri in de-escalation decisions were increased when the outcome probabilities were negatively framed. Conclusions: Escalation and de-escalation decisions recruit different brain regions. Framing of possible outcomes as negative leads to escalation decisions through recruitment of the inferior frontal gyrus. Responsibility for decisions affects escalation decisions through recruitment of the superior (inferior) gyrus, when the decision is framed positively (negatively).

scholarly journals Longitudinal changes in brain metabolites in healthy subjects and patients with first episode psychosis (FEP): a 7-Tesla MRS study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Wang ◽  
Peter B. Barker ◽  
Nicola Cascella ◽  
Jennifer M. Coughlin ◽  
Gerald Nestadt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
First Episode Psychosis ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
7 Tesla ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Invasive Approach ◽  
Longitudinal Changes ◽  
Episode Psychosis

AbstractObjective7 Tesla (T) longitudinal magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) offers a precise measurment of metabolic levels in human brain via a non-invasive approach. Studying longitudinal changes in neurometabolites could help identify trait and state markers for diseases and understand inconsistent findings from different researchers due to differences in the age of study participants and duration of illness. This study is the first to report novel longitudinal patterns in young adulthood from both physiological and pathological viewpoints using 7T MRS.MethodsUtilizing a four-year longitudinal cohort with 38 first episode psychosis (FEP) patients (onset within 2 years) and 48 healthy controls (HC), the authors examined the annual percentage changes of 9 neurometabolites in 5 brain regions.ResultsBoth FEP patients and HC subjects were found to have significant longitudinal reductions in glutamate (Glu) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Only FEP patients were found to have a significant decrease over time in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), myo-inositol (mI), and total choline (tCho: phosphocholine plus glycerophosphocholine) in the ACC. Uniquely, glutathione (GSH) was found to have a near zero annual percentage change in both FEP patients and HC subjects in all 5 brain regions over a four-year timespan in young adulthood.ConclusionsGSH could be a trait marker for diagnostic applications at least in young adulthood. Glu, GABA, NAA, mI, and tCho in the ACC are associated with the patient’s status and could be state markers for mechanistic studies of psychotic disorders, including those for progressive pathological changes and medication effects in young adulthood.

scholarly journals Methodological Considerations in Conducting an Olfactory fMRI Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faezeh Vedaei ◽  
Mohammad Fakhri ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Harirchian ◽  
Kavous Firouznia ◽  
Yones Lotfi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Functional Brain Imaging ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Technical Principles ◽  
Review Current

The sense of smell is a complex chemosensory processing in human and animals that allows them to connect with the environment as one of their chief sensory systems. In the field of functional brain imaging, many studies have focused on locating brain regions that are involved during olfactory processing. Despite wealth of literature about brain network in different olfactory tasks, there is a paucity of data regarding task design. Moreover, considering importance of olfactory tasks for patients with variety of neurological diseases, special contemplations should be addressed for patients. In this article, we review current olfaction tasks for behavioral studies and functional neuroimaging assessments, as well as technical principles regarding utilization of these tasks in functional magnetic resonance imaging studies.

scholarly journals Effects of long-term cocaine self-administration on brain resting-state functional connectivity in nonhuman primates

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Kohut ◽  
Dionyssios Mintzopoulos ◽  
Brian D. Kangas ◽  
Hannah Shields ◽  
Kelly Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Self Administration ◽  
Chronic Cocaine

AbstractLong-term cocaine use is associated with a variety of neural and behavioral deficits that impact daily function. This study was conducted to examine the effects of chronic cocaine self-administration on resting-state functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and putamen—two brain regions involved in cognitive function and motoric behavior—identified in a whole brain analysis. Six adult male squirrel monkeys self-administered cocaine (0.32 mg/kg/inj) over 140 sessions. Six additional monkeys that had not received any drug treatment for ~1.5 years served as drug-free controls. Resting-state fMRI imaging sessions at 9.4 Tesla were conducted under isoflurane anesthesia. Functional connectivity maps were derived using seed regions placed in the left dACC or putamen. Results show that cocaine maintained robust self-administration with an average total intake of 367 mg/kg (range: 299–424 mg/kg). In the cocaine group, functional connectivity between the dACC seed and regions primarily involved in motoric behavior was weaker, whereas connectivity between the dACC seed and areas implicated in reward and cognitive processing was stronger. In the putamen seed, weaker widespread connectivity was found between the putamen and other motor regions as well as with prefrontal areas that regulate higher-order executive function; stronger connectivity was found with reward-related regions. dACC connectivity was associated with total cocaine intake. These data indicate that functional connectivity between regions involved in motor, reward, and cognitive processing differed between subjects with recent histories of cocaine self-administration and controls; in dACC, connectivity appears to be related to cumulative cocaine dosage during chronic exposure.

scholarly journals O2.2. EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLUTAMATE AND BRAIN CONNECTIVITY IN ANTIPSYCHOTIC-NAïVE FIRST EPISODE PATIENTS – A COMBINED MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY AND RESTING STATE FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY MRI STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S4-S4
Author(s):  
Jose Maximo ◽  
Frederic Briend ◽  
William Armstrong ◽  
Nina Kraguljac ◽  
Adrienne Lahti
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Functional Connectivity Mri

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is thought to be a disorder of brain dysconnectivity. An imbalance between cortical excitation/inhibition is also implicated, but the link between these abnormalities remains unclear. The present study used resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to investigate how measurements of glutamate + glutamine (Glx) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relate to rs-fcMRI in medication-naïve first episode psychosis (FEP) subjects compared to healthy controls (HC). Based on our previous findings, we hypothesized that in HC would show correlations between Glx and rs-fMRI in the salience and default mode network, but these relationships would be altered in FEP. Methods Data from 53 HC (age = 24.70 ±6.23, 34M/19F) and 60 FEP (age = 24.08 ±6.29, 38M/22F) were analyzed. To obtain MRS data, a voxel was placed in the ACC (PRESS, TR/TE = 2000/80ms). Metabolite concentrations were quantified with respect to internal water using the AMARES algorithm in jMRUI. rs-fMRI data were processed using a standard preprocessing pipeline in the CONN toolbox. BOLD signal from a priori brain regions of interest from posterior cingulate cortex (default mode network, DMN), anterior cingulate cortex (salience network, SN), and right posterior parietal cortex (central executive network, CEN) were extracted and correlated with the rest of the brain to measure functional connectivity (FC). Group analyses were performed on Glx, FC, and Glx-FC interactions while controlling for age, gender, and motion when applicable. FC and Glx-FC analyses were performed using small volume correction [(p &lt; 0.01, threshold-free cluster enhancement corrected (TFCE)]. Results No significant between-group differences were found in Glx concentration in the ACC [F(1, 108) = 0.34, p = 0.56], but reduced FC was found on each network in FEP compared to HC (pTFCE corrected). Group Glx-FC interactions were found in the form of positive correlations between Glx and FC in DMN and SN in the HC group, but not in FEP; and negative correlations in CEN in HC, but not in FEP. Discussion While we did not find significant group differences in ACC Glx measurements, ACC Glx modulated FC differentially in FEP and HC. Positive correlations between Glx and FC were found in the SN and DMN, suggesting long range modulation of the two networks in HC, but not in FEP. Additionally, negative correlations between Glx and FC were found in CEN in HC, but not in FEP. Overall, these results suggest that even in the absence of group differences in Glx concentration, the long-range modulation of these 3 networks by ACC Glx is altered in FEP.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document