A-063 Viewer Engagement Modulates Activation of Social Brain Systems: Evidence from a Natural Viewing fMRI Paradigm

Abstract Objective Engagement is critical for social learning—information that does not engage cognition, even when looked at, will go unprocessed and unlearned. Consequently, atypical engagement can contribute to social disability. Despite its importance, the neural mechanisms underlying engagement remain unknown, largely because no studies have successfully quantified the individualized ways that viewers engage with the world. This study uses patterns of eye-blinking—a novel measure of engagement (Shultz, Klin, Jones, 2011)—to examine how a viewer’s own engagement with social stimuli (e.g. faces) modulates activation of social brain systems. Method Simultaneous functional MRI and eye-tracking data were collected while children (n = 12, ages 8–12) watched naturalistic social videos of children interacting. Eye-fixation and blink patterns were used to identify moments when viewers looked at a face and were ‘highly engaged’ or ‘less engaged’ with those faces. Whole-brain analyses compared brain activation in response to each condition of interest (‘highly engaging faces’, ‘less engaging faces’). Results Whole-brain analyses (z = 2.3, cluster corrected at p < .05) reveal increased activation in bilateral occipital cortex, left middle temporal gyrus, bilateral posterior cingulate, left orbitofrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus, right angular gyrus, and right fusiform gyrus, when viewing faces perceived as ‘highly engaging’ versus ‘less engaging’. Conclusion Findings suggest that even when viewing the same stimulus category (e.g. faces), one’s own engagement with the stimulus modulates brain activation, even in canonical face processing areas like the fusiform gyrus. Insights into the neural mechanisms of engagement can inform future understanding of social disability and interventions for social learning.

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TP3-5 Structural connectivity driven stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) electrode targeting in suspected pseudotemporal and temporal plus epilepsy

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2019-abn.60 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 90 (3) ◽

pp. e19.1-e19

Author(s):

M Della Costanza ◽

VN Vakharia ◽

K Li ◽

M Mancini ◽

SB Vos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Temporal Lobe ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Posterior Part ◽

Middle Part ◽

Fusiform Gyrus ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Epileptogenic Zone ◽

Whole Brain ◽

Lingual Gyrus

ObjectivesOne third of patients with drug resistant focal mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) fail to achieve long-term seizure freedom following temporal lobe resections. Reasons for failure may include ictal onset outside the temporal lobe (TL), termed ‘pseudotemporal lobe epilepsy’ (pTLE), with propagation from strongly connected neighboring areas or temporal plus (TL+) epilepsy, when the epileptogenic zone primarily involves the temporal lobe and also extends to neighboring regions. In such cases the perisylvian and orbito-frontal (OF) cortices, cingulum and temporo-parieto-occipital junction may be implicated. Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is a procedure in which electrodes are stereotactically placed within predefined brain regions to delineate the SOZ and allows evaluation of deep anatomical structures adjacent to the TL. SEEG electrode contacts sample from a core radius of 3–5 mm. It is unclear which sub-regions of target structures should be preferentially implanted to optimally detect the network involved in seizure onset and rapid propagation. Using normalized average group templates of structural connectivity from patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS), we determine the greatest connectivity to critical sub-regions and based upon this propose optimal locations for SEEG targeting.DesignObservational cross-sectional study.SubjectsTwelve patients with HS (6 right) that had undergone SEEG and pre-operative diffusion imaging were identified from a prospectively maintained database.MethodsWhole brain connectomes with 10 million tracts were generated using cortical seed regions derived from whole brain GIF parcellations. Normalized group templates were generated separately for right and left HS patients. Orbitofrontal cortex (OF), insula (INS), cingulum (Cing) and temporo-parietal-occipital junction (supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus, precuneus, fusiform gyrus and lingual gyrus) were segmented into surgically targetable subregions. All subregions had similar volumes. Connectivity of the amygdalohippocampal complex (AHC) was defined based on the number of streamlines terminating in the subregions of interest.ResultsLeft HS showed preferential connections to the ipsilateral: posterior part of lateral OF cortex, posterior short gyrus of anterior INS, posterior part of the posterior Cing, middle part of lingual gyrus, posterior part of precuneus and middle part of fusiform gyrus. Right HS showed preferential connections to the ipsilateral: posterior part of the lateral OF cortex, anterior long gyrus of posterior INS, posterior part of posterior Cing, anterior part of lingual gyrus and posterior part of precuneus.ConclusionsUsing whole brain connectomes we determine surgically feasible targets in sub-regions based on greatest connectivity to the AHC. We propose that SEEG targeting utilizing computer-assisted planning may improve the understanding of the overall network connectivity in order to enhance the diagnostic utility of the SEEG implantation. SEEG electrode placement within structures associated with pTLE and TL +may aid in delineating the SOZ if the correct sub-regions are targeted. This should be evaluated prospectively.

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Japanese and English sentence reading comprehension and writing systems: An fMRI study of first and second language effects on brain activation

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728908003970 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 141-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

AUGUSTO BUCHWEITZ ◽

ROBERT A. MASON ◽

MIHOKO HASEGAWA ◽

MARCEL A. JUST

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Phonological Processing ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Brain Activation ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Writing Systems ◽

English Sentence

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare brain activation from native Japanese (L1) readers reading hiragana (syllabic) and kanji (logographic) sentences, and English as a second language (L2). Kanji showed more activation than hiragana in right-hemisphere occipito-temporal lobe areas associated with visuospatial processing; hiragana, in turn, showed more activation than kanji in areas of the brain associated with phonological processing. L1 results underscore the difference in visuospatial and phonological processing demands between the systems. Reading in English as compared to either of the Japanese systems showed more activation in inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, and angular gyrus. The additional activation in English in these areas may have been associated with an increased cognitive demand for phonological processing and verbal working memory. More generally, L2 results suggest more effortful reading comprehension processes associated with phonological rehearsal. The study contributes to the understanding of differential brain responses to different writing systems and to reading comprehension in a second language.

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Dysfunctional and compensatory brain networks underlying math fluency

10.1101/752089 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Michelle AN La ◽

Debjani Saha ◽

Karen F Berman ◽

Hao Yang Tan

Keyword(s):

Visual Processing ◽

Effective Connectivity ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Fusiform Gyrus ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Math Fluency ◽

Compensatory Mechanisms ◽

Occupational Outcomes ◽

Mri Scans ◽

High Level

AbstractPoor math fluency, or timed calculation (TC) performance, is a characteristic of dyscalculia, a common cause of poor educational and occupational outcomes. Here, we examined neural substrates of dysfunctional math fluency and potential compensatory mechanisms. We performed functional MRI scans of participants with divergent performance on an event-related TC paradigm (poor TC, <0.5 accuracy, n=34; vs. controls, accuracy>0.8, n=34). Individuals with poor TC had decreased intraparietal sulcus (IPS) engagement, and decreased IPS-striatal and IPS-prefrontal effective connectivity. We next examined an independent well-performing sample (TC accuracy>0.8, n=100), stratified according to relatively low-versus high-IPS activation during TC. Relatively reduced IPS engagement, or patterns of IPS-related effective connectivity similar to those with poor TC, appeared to be compensated for by increased engagement of effective connectivity involving fusiform gyrus, angular gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and striatum. Neural connectivity involving high-level visual processing in fusiform gyrus and related ventral cortical networks may be relevant in compensatory function ameliorating aspects of dyscalculia and mathematical difficulty.

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Reduced Fusiform Gyrus Activation During Face Processing in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s135561772100117x ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Matthew C. Hocking ◽

Robert T. Schultz ◽

Jane E. Minturn ◽

Cole Brodsky ◽

May Albee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Tumor ◽

Social Behavior ◽

Face Processing ◽

Pediatric Brain Tumor ◽

Brain Activation ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Fusiform Gyrus ◽

The Social ◽

Social Difficulties ◽

Pediatric Brain

Abstract Objective: The neural mechanisms contributing to the social problems of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) are unknown. Face processing is important to social communication, social behavior, and peer acceptance. Research with other populations with social difficulties, namely autism spectrum disorder, suggests atypical brain activation in areas important for face processing. This case-controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study compared brain activation during face processing in PBTS and typically developing (TD) youth. Methods: Participants included 36 age-, gender-, and IQ-matched youth (N = 18 per group). PBTS were at least 5 years from diagnosis and 2 years from the completion of tumor therapy. fMRI data were acquired during a face identity task and a control condition. Groups were compared on activation magnitude within the fusiform gyrus for the faces condition compared to the control condition. Correlational analyses evaluated associations between neuroimaging metrics and indices of social behavior for PBTS participants. Results: Both groups demonstrated face-specific activation within the social brain for the faces condition compared to the control condition. PBTS showed significantly decreased activation for faces in the medial portions of the fusiform gyrus bilaterally compared to TD youth, ps ≤ .004. Higher peak activity in the left fusiform gyrus was associated with better socialization (r = .53, p < .05). Conclusions: This study offers initial evidence of atypical activation in a key face processing area in PBTS. Such atypical activation may underlie some of the social difficulties of PBTS. Social cognitive neuroscience methodologies may elucidate the neurobiological bases for PBTS social behavior.

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Disentangling Mathematics from Executive Functions by Investigating Unique Functional Connectivity Patterns Predictive of Mathematics Ability

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_01367 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 560-573 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kenny Skagerlund ◽

Taylor Bolt ◽

Jason S. Nomi ◽

Mikael Skagenholt ◽

Daniel Västfjäll ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Premotor Cortex ◽

Mathematical Ability ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Supramarginal Gyrus ◽

Connectivity Patterns ◽

The Right

What are the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms that give rise to mathematical competence? This study investigated the relationship between tests of mathematical ability completed outside the scanner and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of cytoarchitectonically defined subdivisions of the parietal cortex in adults. These parietal areas are also involved in executive functions (EFs). Therefore, it remains unclear whether there are unique networks for mathematical processing. We investigate the neural networks for mathematical cognition and three measures of EF using resting-state fMRI data collected from 51 healthy adults. Using 10 ROIs in seed to whole-brain voxel-wise analyses, the results showed that arithmetical ability was correlated with FC between the right anterior intraparietal sulcus (hIP1) and the left supramarginal gyrus and between the right posterior intraparietal sulcus (hIP3) and the left middle frontal gyrus and the right premotor cortex. The connection between the posterior portion of the left angular gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus was also correlated with mathematical ability. Covariates of EF eliminated connectivity patterns with nodes in inferior frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus, suggesting neural overlap. Controlling for EF, we found unique connections correlated with mathematical ability between the right hIP1 and the left supramarginal gyrus and between hIP3 bilaterally to premotor cortex bilaterally. This is partly in line with the “mapping hypothesis” of numerical cognition in which the right intraparietal sulcus subserves nonsymbolic number processing and connects to the left parietal cortex, responsible for calculation procedures. We show that FC within this circuitry is a significant predictor of math ability in adulthood.

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Algebra dissociates from arithmetic in the brain semantic network

Behavioral and Brain Functions ◽

10.1186/s12993-022-00186-4 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dazhi Cheng ◽

Mengyi Li ◽

Jiaxin Cui ◽

Li Wang ◽

Naiyi Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Supplementary Motor Area ◽

Semantic Network ◽

Brain Activation ◽

Motor Area ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Single Trial ◽

Positive Functional ◽

Brain Behavior ◽

The Brain

Abstract Background Mathematical expressions mainly include arithmetic (such as 8 − (1 + 3)) and algebra (such as a − (b + c)). Previous studies have shown that both algebraic processing and arithmetic involved the bilateral parietal brain regions. Although previous studies have revealed that algebra was dissociated from arithmetic, the neural bases of the dissociation between algebraic processing and arithmetic is still unclear. The present study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify the specific brain networks for algebraic and arithmetic processing. Methods Using fMRI, this study scanned 30 undergraduates and directly compared the brain activation during algebra and arithmetic. Brain activations, single-trial (item-wise) interindividual correlation and mean-trial interindividual correlation related to algebra processing were compared with those related to arithmetic. The functional connectivity was analyzed by a seed-based region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analysis. Results Brain activation analyses showed that algebra elicited greater activation in the angular gyrus and arithmetic elicited greater activation in the bilateral supplementary motor area, left insula, and left inferior parietal lobule. Interindividual single-trial brain-behavior correlation revealed significant brain-behavior correlations in the semantic network, including the middle temporal gyri, inferior frontal gyri, dorsomedial prefrontal cortices, and left angular gyrus, for algebra. For arithmetic, the significant brain-behavior correlations were located in the phonological network, including the precentral gyrus and supplementary motor area, and in the visuospatial network, including the bilateral superior parietal lobules. For algebra, significant positive functional connectivity was observed between the visuospatial network and semantic network, whereas for arithmetic, significant positive functional connectivity was observed only between the visuospatial network and phonological network. Conclusion These findings suggest that algebra relies on the semantic network and conversely, arithmetic relies on the phonological and visuospatial networks.

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Region-Specific Neurovascular Decoupling Associated With Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s Disease

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnagi.2021.770528 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Song’an Shang ◽

Hongying Zhang ◽

Yuan Feng ◽

Jingtao Wu ◽

Weiqiang Dou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cognitive Deficits ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Neurovascular Coupling ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Visual Spatial ◽

The Right

Background: Cognitive deficits are prominent non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and have been shown to involve the neurovascular unit (NVU). However, there is a lack of sufficient neuroimaging research on the associated modulating mechanisms. The objective of this study was to identify the contribution of neurovascular decoupling to the pathogenesis of cognitive decline in PD.Methods: Regional homogeneity (ReHo), a measure of neuronal activity, and cerebral blood flow (CBF), a measure of vascular responses, were obtained from patients with PD with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal cognition (NC) as well as matched healthy controls (HCs). Imaging metrics of neurovascular coupling (global and regional CBF-ReHo correlation coefficients and CBF-ReHo ratios) were compared among the groups.Results: Neurovascular coupling was impaired in patients with PD-MCI with a decreased global CBF-ReHo correlation coefficient relative to HC subjects (P < 0.05). Regional dysregulation was specific to the PD-MCI group and localized to the right middle frontal gyrus, right middle cingulate cortex, right middle occipital gyrus, right inferior parietal gyrus, right supramarginal gyrus, and right angular gyrus (P < 0.05). Compared with HC subjects, patients with PD-MCI showed higher CBF-ReHo ratios in the bilateral lingual gyri (LG), bilateral putamen, and left postcentral gyrus and lower CBF-ReHo ratios in the right superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyri, bilateral parahippocampal gyri, and right inferior frontal gyrus. Relative to the HC and PD-NC groups, the PD-MCI group showed an increased CBF-ReHo ratio in the left LG, which was correlated with poor visual–spatial performance (r = −0.36 and P = 0.014).Conclusion: The involvement of neurovascular decoupling in cognitive impairment in PD is regionally specific and most prominent in the visual–spatial cortices, which could potentially provide a complementary understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in PD.

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Differential Functional Connectivity along the Long Axis of the Hippocampus Aligns with Differential Role in Memory Specificity and Generalization

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_01457 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (12) ◽

pp. 1958-1975 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Lea E. Frank ◽

Caitlin R. Bowman ◽

Dagmar Zeithamova

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Functional Organization ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Longitudinal Axis ◽

Task Engagement ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Memory Specificity ◽

Fmri Session ◽

Passive Viewing ◽

Generalized Knowledge

The hippocampus contributes to both remembering specific events and generalization across events. Recent work suggests that information may be represented along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus at varied levels of specificity: detailed representations in the posterior hippocampus and generalized representations in the anterior hippocampus. Similar distinctions are thought to exist within neocortex, with lateral prefrontal and lateral parietal regions supporting memory specificity and ventromedial prefrontal and lateral temporal cortices supporting generalized memory. Here, we tested whether functional connectivity of anterior and posterior hippocampus with cortical memory regions is consistent with these proposed dissociations. We predicted greater connectivity of anterior hippocampus with putative generalization regions and posterior hippocampus with putative memory specificity regions. Furthermore, we tested whether differences in connectivity are stable under varying levels of task engagement. Participants learned to categorize a set of stimuli outside the scanner, followed by an fMRI session that included a rest scan, passive viewing runs, and category generalization task runs. Analyses revealed stronger connectivity of ventromedial pFC to anterior hippocampus and of angular gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus to posterior hippocampus. These differences remained relatively stable across the three phases (rest, passive viewing, category generalization). Whole-brain analyses further revealed widespread cortical connectivity with both anterior and posterior hippocampus, with relatively little overlap. These results contribute to our understanding of functional organization along the long axis of the hippocampus and suggest that distinct hippocampal–cortical connections are one mechanism by which the hippocampus represents both individual experiences and generalized knowledge.

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Disparate effects of training on brain activation in Parkinson disease

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000004576 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 89 (17) ◽

pp. 1804-1810 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Inbal Maidan ◽

Keren Rosenberg-Katz ◽

Yael Jacob ◽

Nir Giladi ◽

Jeffrey M. Hausdorff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson Disease ◽

Disease Duration ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Brain Activation ◽

Treadmill Training ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Lower Activation ◽

Cluster Level

Objective:To compare the effects of 2 forms of exercise, i.e., a 6-week trial of treadmill training with virtual reality (TT + VR) that targets motor and cognitive aspects of safe ambulation and a 6-week trial of treadmill training alone (TT), on brain activation in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).Methods:As part of a randomized controlled trial, patients were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of TT (n = 17, mean age 71.5 ± 1.5 years, disease duration 11.6 ± 1.6 years; 70% men) or TT + VR (n = 17, mean age 71.2 ± 1.7 years, disease duration 7.9 ± 1.4 years; 65% men). A previously validated fMRI imagery paradigm assessed changes in neural activation pretraining and post-training. Participants imagined themselves walking in 2 virtual scenes projected in the fMRI: (1) a clear path and (2) a path with virtual obstacles. Whole brain and region of interest analyses were performed.Results:Brain activation patterns were similar between training arms before the interventions. After training, participants in the TT + VR arm had lower activation than the TT arm in Brodmann area 10 and the inferior frontal gyrus (cluster level familywise error–corrected [FWEcorr] p < 0.012), while the TT arm had lower activation than TT + VR in the cerebellum and middle temporal gyrus (cluster level FWEcorr p < 0.001). Changes in fall frequency and brain activation were correlated in the TT + VR arm.Conclusions:Exercise modifies brain activation patterns in patients with PD in a mode-specific manner. Motor-cognitive training decreased the reliance on frontal regions, which apparently resulted in improved function, perhaps reflecting increased brain efficiency.

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