scholarly journals Subliminal and supraliminal processing of reward-related stimuli in anorexia nervosa

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 790-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Boehm ◽  
J. A. King ◽  
F. Bernardoni ◽  
D. Geisler ◽  
M. Seidel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Stimulation Condition ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Psychophysiological Interaction

BackgroundPrevious studies have highlighted the role of the brain reward and cognitive control systems in the etiology of anorexia nervosa (AN). In an attempt to disentangle the relative contribution of these systems to the disorder, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate hemodynamic responses to reward-related stimuli presented both subliminally and supraliminally in acutely underweight AN patients and age-matched healthy controls (HC).MethodsfMRI data were collected from a total of 35 AN patients and 35 HC, while they passively viewed subliminally and supraliminally presented streams of food, positive social, and neutral stimuli. Activation patterns of the group×stimulation condition×stimulus type interaction were interrogated to investigate potential group differences in processing different stimulus types under the two stimulation conditions. Moreover, changes in functional connectivity were investigated using generalized psychophysiological interaction analysis.ResultsAN patients showed a generally increased response to supraliminally presented stimuli in the inferior frontal junction (IFJ), but no alterations within the reward system. Increased activation during supraliminal stimulation with food stimuli was observed in the AN group in visual regions including superior occipital gyrus and the fusiform gyrus/parahippocampal gyrus. No group difference was found with respect to the subliminal stimulation condition and functional connectivity.ConclusionIncreased IFJ activation in AN during supraliminal stimulation may indicate hyperactive cognitive control, which resonates with clinical presentation of excessive self-control in AN patients. Increased activation to food stimuli in visual regions may be interpreted in light of an attentional food bias in AN.

scholarly journals The Effects of Functionally Guided, Connectivity-Based rTMS on Amygdala Activation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 494
Author(s):  
Lysianne Beynel ◽  
Ethan Campbell ◽  
Maria Naclerio ◽  
Jeffrey T. Galla ◽  
Angikar Ghosal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Subcortical Structures ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Amygdala Activation ◽  
Psychophysiological Interaction

While repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is widely used to treat psychiatric disorders, innovations are needed to improve its efficacy. An important limitation is that while psychiatric disorders are associated with fronto-limbic dysregulation, rTMS does not have sufficient depth penetration to modulate affected subcortical structures. Recent advances in task-related functional connectivity provide a means to better link superficial and deeper cortical sources with the possibility of increasing fronto-limbic modulation to induce stronger therapeutic effects. The objective of this pilot study was to test whether task-related, connectivity-based rTMS could modulate amygdala activation through its connectivity with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). fMRI was collected to identify a node in the mPFC showing the strongest connectivity with the amygdala, as defined by psychophysiological interaction analysis. To promote Hebbian-like plasticity, and potentially stronger modulation, 5 Hz rTMS was applied while participants viewed frightening video-clips that engaged the fronto-limbic network. Significant increases in both the mPFC and amygdala were found for active rTMS compared to sham, offering promising preliminary evidence that functional connectivity-based targeting may provide a useful approach to treat network dysregulation. Further research is needed to better understand connectivity influences on rTMS effects to leverage this information to improve therapeutic applications.

scholarly journals Brain Functional Connectivity Correlates of Response in the 7.5% CO2 Inhalational Model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-273
Author(s):  
Nathan T M Huneke ◽  
M John Broulidakis ◽  
Angela Darekar ◽  
David S Baldwin ◽  
Matthew Garner
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Midcingulate Cortex ◽  
Psychophysiological Interaction ◽  
Co2 Challenge

Abstract Background The 7.5% CO2 inhalational model can be used to explore potential treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. However, it is unknown how inter-individual variability in the functional architecture of negative affective valence systems might relate to anxiogenic response in this model. Methods A total of 13 healthy volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during a passive emotional face perception task. We explored task-evoked functional connectivity in the potential threat system through generalized psychophysiological interaction analysis. Within 7 days, these participants underwent prolonged 7.5% CO2 inhalation, and results from the generalized psychophysiological interaction analysis were correlated with CO2 outcome measures. Results Functional connectivity between ventromedial prefrontal cortex and right amygdala positively correlated with heart rate and subjective anxiety, while connectivity between midcingulate cortex and left amygdala negatively correlated with anxiety during CO2 challenge. Conclusions Response to CO2 challenge correlated with task-evoked functional connectivity in the potential threat system. Further studies should assess whether this translates into clinical populations.

Hippocampal Involvement in Processing of Indistinct Visual Motion Stimuli

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1344-1357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva M. Fraedrich ◽  
Virginia L. Flanagin ◽  
Jeng-Ren Duann ◽  
Thomas Brandt ◽  
Stefan Glasauer
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Visual Object ◽  
Object Processing ◽  
Functional Link ◽  
Psychophysiological Interaction ◽  
Hippocampal Networks ◽  
Increased Activity

Perception of known patterns results from the interaction of current sensory input with existing internal representations. It is unclear how perceptual and mnemonic processes interact when visual input is dynamic and structured such that it does not allow immediate recognition of obvious objects and forms. In an fMRI experiment, meaningful visual motion stimuli depicting movement through a virtual tunnel and indistinct, meaningless visual motion stimuli, achieved through phase scrambling of the same stimuli, were presented while participants performed an optic flow task. We found that our indistinct visual motion stimuli evoked hippocampal activation, whereas the corresponding meaningful stimuli did not. Using independent component analysis, we were able to demonstrate a functional connectivity between the hippocampus and early visual areas, with increased activity for indistinct stimuli. In a second experiment, we used the same stimuli to test whether our results depended on the participants' task. We found task-independent bilateral hippocampal activation in response to indistinct motion stimuli. For both experiments, psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed a coupling from posterior hippocampus to dorsal visuospatial and ventral visual object processing areas when viewing indistinct stimuli. These results indicate a close functional link between stimulus-dependent perceptual and mnemonic processes. The observed pattern of hippocampal functional connectivity, in the absence of an explicit memory task, suggests that cortical–hippocampal networks are recruited when visual stimuli are temporally uncertain and do not immediately reveal a clear meaning.

scholarly journals Altered connectivity in the right inferior frontal gyrus associated with self-control in adolescents exhibiting problematic smartphone use: A fMRI study

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Problematic Smartphone Use ◽  
Smartphone Use ◽  
The Right

Abstract Background With the continued spread of smartphones and development of the internet, the potential negative effects arising from problematic smartphone use (PSU) in adolescents are being reported on an increasing basis. This study aimed to investigate whether altered resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) is related to the psychological factors underlying PSU in adolescents. Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were acquired from 47 adolescents with PSU and 46 healthy control adolescents (the CON group). Seed-based functional connectivity analyses were then performed to compare the two groups with respect to rsFC in the right inferior frontal gyrus, associated with various forms of self-control, and rsFC in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Results Compared to the CON group, the PSU group exhibited a reduction in rsFC between the right inferior frontal gyrus and limbic areas, including the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, the left amygdala, and the right hippocampus. In addition, a reduction in fronto-limbic rsFC was associated with the severity of PSU, the degree of self-control, and the amount of time the subjects used their smartphones. Conclusion Adolescents with PSU exhibited reduced levels of fronto-limbic functional connectivity; this mechanism is involved in salience attribution and self-control, attributes that are critical to the clinical manifestation of substance and behavioral addictions. Our data provide clear evidence for alterations in brain connectivity with respect to self-control in PSU.

scholarly journals Discrete Parieto-Frontal Functional Connectivity Related to Grasping

2009 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 1267-1282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriaki Hattori ◽  
Hiroshi Shibasaki ◽  
Lewis Wheaton ◽  
Tao Wu ◽  
Masao Matsuhashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Sensorimotor Integration ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Neuronal Connections ◽  
Psychophysiological Interaction ◽  
Mri Study ◽  
Flow Of Information

The human inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is known to have neuronal connections with the frontal lobe, and these connections have been shown to be associated with sensorimotor integration to perform various types of movement such as grasping. The function of these anatomical connections has not been fully investigated. We studied the judgment of graspability of objects in an event-related functional MRI study in healthy subjects, and found activation in two different regions within IPL: one in the left dorsal IPL extending to the intraparietal sulcus and the other in the left ventral IPL. The former region was activated only in the judgment of graspable objects, whereas the latter was activated in the judgment of both graspable and nongraspable objects although the activation was greater for the graspable objects. Psychophysiological interaction analysis showed that these regions had similar but discrete functional connectivity to the lateral and medial frontal cortices. In relation to this particular task, the left dorsal IPL had functional connectivity to the left ventral premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA) and right cerebellar cortex, whereas the left ventral IPL had functional connectivity to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and pre-SMA. These findings suggest that the connection from the left dorsal IPL is associated specifically with automatic flow of information about grasping behavior. By contrast, the connection from the left ventral IPL might be related to motor imagination or enhanced external attention to the presented stimuli.

scholarly journals Salience network dynamics underlying successful resistance of temptation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Steimke ◽  
Jason S. Nomi ◽  
Vince D Calhoun ◽  
Christine Stelzel ◽  
Lena M. Paschke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Network Dynamics ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Salience Network ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Dynamic Functional Connectivity ◽  
Control Networks

AbstractSelf-control and the ability to resist temptation are critical for successful completion of long-term goals. Contemporary models in cognitive neuroscience emphasize the primary role of prefrontal cognitive control networks in aligning behavior with such goals. Here we use gaze pattern analysis and dynamic functional connectivity fMRI data to explore how individual differences in the ability to resist temptation are related to intrinsic brain dynamics of the cognitive control and salience networks. Behaviorally, individuals exhibit greater gaze distance from target location (e.g. higher distractibility) during presentation of tempting erotic images compared with neutral images. Individuals whose intrinsic dynamic functional connectivity patterns gravitate towards configurations in which salience detection systems are less strongly coupled with visual systems resist tempting distractors more effectively. The ability to resist tempting distractors was not significantly related to intrinsic dynamics of the cognitive control network. These results suggest that susceptibility to temptation is governed in part by individual differences in salience network dynamics, and provide novel evidence for involvement of brain systems outside canonical cognitive control networks in contributing to individual differences in self-control.

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