Diffusion property and functional connectivity of superior longitudinal fasciculus underpin human metacognition

AbstractMetacognition as the capacity of monitoring one’s own cognition operates across domains. Here, we addressed whether metacognition in different cognitive domains rely on common or distinct neural substrates with combined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques. After acquiring DTI and resting-state fMRI data, we asked participants to perform a temporal-order memory task and a perceptual discrimination task, followed by trial-specific confidence judgments. DTI analysis revealed that the structural integrity (indexed by fractional anisotropy) in the anterior portion of right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) was associated with both perceptual and mnemonic metacognitive abilities. Using perturbed mnemonic metacognitive scores produced by inhibiting the precuneus using TMS, the mnemonic metacognition scores did not correlate with individuals’ SLF structural integrity anymore, revealing the relevance of this tract in memory metacognition. In order to further verify the involvement of several cortical regions connected by SLF, we took the TMS-targeted precuneus region as a seed in a functional connectivity analysis and found the functional connectivity between precuneus and two SLF-connected regions (inferior parietal cortex and precentral gyrus) differentially mediated mnemonic but not perceptual metacognition performance. These results illustrate the importance of SLF and a putative white-matter grey-matter circuitry that supports human metacognition.

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Effects of amnesia on processing in the hippocampus and default mode network during a naturalistic memory task: a case study

10.31234/osf.io/e9n8c ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Christiane Oedekoven ◽

James L. Keidel ◽

Stuart Anderson ◽

Angus Nisbet ◽

Chris Bird

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Memory Task ◽

Structural Mri ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Left Hippocampus ◽

Cortical Regions ◽

The Right ◽

Encoding And Retrieval

Despite their severely impaired episodic memory, individuals with amnesia are able to comprehend ongoing events. Online representations of a current event are thought to be supported by a network of regions centred on the posterior midline cortex (PMC). By contrast, episodic memory is widely believed to be supported by interactions between the hippocampus and these cortical regions. In this MRI study, we investigated the encoding and retrieval of lifelike events (video clips) in a patient with severe amnesia likely resulting from a stroke to the right thalamus, and a group of 20 age-matched controls. Structural MRI revealed grey matter reductions in left hippocampus and left thalamus in comparison to controls. We first characterised the regions activated in the controls while they watched and retrieved the videos. There were no differences in activation between the patient and controls in any of the regions. We then identified a widespread network of brain regions, including the hippocampus, that were functionally connected with the PMC in controls. However, in the patient there was a specific reduction in functional connectivity between the PMC and a region of left hippocampus when both watching and attempting to retrieve the videos. A follow up analysis revealed that in controls the functional connectivity between these regions when watching the videos was correlated with memory performance. Taken together, these findings support the view that the interactions between the PMC and the hippocampus enable the encoding and retrieval of multimodal representations of the contents of an event.

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Functional Connectivity Relationships Predict Similarities in Task Activation and Pattern Information during Associative Memory Encoding

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00533 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 1085-1099 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Maureen Ritchey ◽

Andrew P. Yonelinas ◽

Charan Ranganath

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Functional Properties ◽

Associative Memory ◽

Large Scale ◽

Memory Task ◽

Neural Systems ◽

General Level ◽

Specific Information ◽

Memory Encoding ◽

Cortical Regions

Neural systems may be characterized by measuring functional interactions in the healthy brain, but it is unclear whether components of systems defined in this way share functional properties. For instance, within the medial temporal lobes (MTL), different subregions show different patterns of cortical connectivity. It is unknown, however, whether these intrinsic connections predict similarities in how these regions respond during memory encoding. Here, we defined brain networks using resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) then quantified the functional similarity of regions within each network during an associative memory encoding task. Results showed that anterior MTL regions affiliated with a network of anterior temporal cortical regions, whereas posterior MTL regions affiliated with a network of posterior medial cortical regions. Importantly, these connectivity relationships also predicted similarities among regions during the associative memory task. Both in terms of task-evoked activation and trial-specific information carried in multivoxel patterns, regions within each network were more similar to one another than were regions in different networks. These findings suggest that functional heterogeneity among MTL subregions may be related to their participation in distinct large-scale cortical systems involved in memory. At a more general level, the results suggest that components of neural systems defined on the basis of RSFC share similar functional properties in terms of recruitment during cognitive tasks and information carried in voxel patterns.

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Additive and interaction effects of working memory and motor sequence training on brain functional connectivity

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-02492-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Priska Zuber ◽

Laura Gaetano ◽

Alessandra Griffa ◽

Manuel Huerbin ◽

Ludovico Pedullà ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Resting State ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Precentral Gyrus ◽

Motor Sequence ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity

AbstractAlthough shared behavioral and neural mechanisms between working memory (WM) and motor sequence learning (MSL) have been suggested, the additive and interactive effects of training have not been studied. This study aimed at investigating changes in brain functional connectivity (FC) induced by sequential (WM + MSL and MSL + WM) and combined (WM × MSL) training programs. 54 healthy subjects (27 women; mean age: 30.2 ± 8.6 years) allocated to three training groups underwent twenty-four 40-min training sessions over 6 weeks and four cognitive assessments including functional MRI. A double-baseline approach was applied to account for practice effects. Test performances were compared using linear mixed-effects models and t-tests. Resting state fMRI data were analysed using FSL. Processing speed, verbal WM and manual dexterity increased following training in all groups. MSL + WM training led to additive effects in processing speed and verbal WM. Increased FC was found after training in a network including the right angular gyrus, left superior temporal sulcus, right superior parietal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyri and left precentral gyrus. No difference in FC was found between double baselines. Results indicate distinct patterns of resting state FC modulation related to sequential and combined WM and MSL training suggesting a relevance of the order of training performance. These observations could provide new insight for the planning of effective training/rehabilitation.

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Alcoholism gender differences in brain responsivity to emotional stimuli

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.41723 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Kayle S Sawyer ◽

Nasim Maleki ◽

Trinity Urban ◽

Ksenija Marinkovic ◽

Steven Karson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Gender Effects ◽

Precentral Gyrus ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Inferior Parietal Cortex ◽

Underlying Basis ◽

And Gender ◽

Cortical Regions

Men and women may use alcohol to regulate emotions differently, with corresponding differences in neural responses. We explored how the viewing of different types of emotionally salient stimuli impacted brain activity observed through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from 42 long-term abstinent alcoholic (25 women) and 46 nonalcoholic (24 women) participants. Analyses revealed blunted brain responsivity in alcoholic compared to nonalcoholic groups, as well as gender differences in those activation patterns. Brain activation in alcoholic men (ALCM) was significantly lower than in nonalcoholic men (NCM) in regions including rostral middle and superior frontal cortex, precentral gyrus, and inferior parietal cortex, whereas activation was higher in alcoholic women (ALCW) than in nonalcoholic women (NCW) in superior frontal and supramarginal cortical regions. The reduced brain reactivity of ALCM, and increases for ALCW, highlighted divergent brain regions and gender effects, suggesting possible differences in the underlying basis for development of alcohol use disorders.

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Shared functional connectivity between the dorso-medial and dorso-ventral streams in macaques

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-75219-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

R. Stefan Greulich ◽

Ramina Adam ◽

Stefan Everling ◽

Hansjörg Scherberger

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Motor Cortex ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Rhesus Macaques ◽

Premotor Cortex ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Insular Cortex ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Precentral Gyrus ◽

Related Information

Abstract Manipulation of an object requires us to transport our hand towards the object (reach) and close our digits around that object (grasp). In current models, reach-related information is propagated in the dorso-medial stream from posterior parietal area V6A to medial intraparietal area, dorsal premotor cortex, and primary motor cortex. Grasp-related information is processed in the dorso-ventral stream from the anterior intraparietal area to ventral premotor cortex and the hand area of primary motor cortex. However, recent studies have cast doubt on the validity of this separation in separate processing streams. We investigated in 10 male rhesus macaques the whole-brain functional connectivity of these areas using resting state fMRI at 7-T. Although we found a clear separation between dorso-medial and dorso-ventral network connectivity in support of the two-stream hypothesis, we also found evidence of shared connectivity between these networks. The dorso-ventral network was distinctly correlated with high-order somatosensory areas and feeding related areas, whereas the dorso-medial network with visual areas and trunk/hindlimb motor areas. Shared connectivity was found in the superior frontal and precentral gyrus, central sulcus, intraparietal sulcus, precuneus, and insular cortex. These results suggest that while sensorimotor processing streams are functionally separated, they can access information through shared areas.

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The indispensable role of the cerebellum in visual divergent thinking

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-73679-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zhenni Gao ◽

Xiaojin Liu ◽

Delong Zhang ◽

Ming Liu ◽

Ning Hao

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Frontal Cortex ◽

Divergent Thinking ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Intrinsic Activity ◽

Group Differences ◽

Precentral Gyrus ◽

Crus I

Abstract Recent research has shown that the cerebellum is involved not only in motor control but also in higher-level activities, which are closely related to creativity. This study aimed to explore the role of the cerebellum in visual divergent thinking based on its intrinsic activity. To this end, we selected the resting-state fMRI data of high- (n = 22) and low-level creativity groups (n = 22), and adopted the voxel-wise, seed-wise, and dynamic functional connectivity to identify the differences between the two groups. Furthermore, the topological properties of the cerebello-cerebral network and their relations with visual divergent thinking were calculated. The voxel-wise functional connectivity results indicated group differences across the cerebellar (e.g. lobules VI, VIIb, Crus I, and Crus II) and cerebral regions (e.g. superior frontal cortex, middle frontal cortex, and inferior parietal gyrus), as well as the cerebellar lobules (e.g. lobules VIIIa, IX, and X) and the cerebral brain regions (the cuneus and precentral gyrus). We found a significant correlation between visual divergent thinking and activities of the left lobules VI, VIIb, Crus I, and Crus II, which are associated with executive functions. Our overall results provide novel insight into the important role of the cerebellum in visual divergent thinking.

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Interhemispheric functional connectivity in anorexia and bulimia nervosa

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.781 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S551-S551

Author(s):

R. Amodio ◽

A. Prinster ◽

A.M. Monteleone ◽

F. Esposito ◽

A. Canna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Cognitive Control ◽

Bulimia Nervosa ◽

Resting State ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Reward Processing ◽

Brain Hemispheres ◽

Mri Scans

IntroductionThe functional interplay between brain hemispheres is fundamental for behavioral, cognitive and emotional control. Several pathophysiological aspects of eating disorders (EDs) have been investigated by the use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to investigate functional brain asymmetry of resting-state fMRI correlations in symptomatic patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN).AimsWe aimed at revealing whether brain regions implicated in reward, cognitive control, starvation and emotion regulation show altered inter-hemispheric functional connectivity in patients with AN and BN.MethodsUsing resting-state fMRI, voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and regional inter-hemispheric spectral coherence (IHSC) analyses in two canonical slow frequency bands (“Slow-5”, “Slow-4”) were studied in 15AN and 13BN patients and 16 healthy controls (HC). Using T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging MRI scans, regional VMHC values were correlated with the left-right asymmetry of corresponding homotopic gray matter volumes and with the white matter callosal fractional anisotropy (FA).ResultsCompared to HC, AN patients exhibited reduced VMHC in cerebellum, insula and precuneus, while BN patients showed reduced VMHC in dorso-lateral prefrontal and orbito-frontal cortices. The regional IHSC analysis highlighted that the inter-hemispheric functional connectivity was higher in the ‘Slow-5′Band in all regions except the insula. No group differences in left-right structural asymmetries and in VMHC vs callosal FA correlations were found.ConclusionsThese anomalies indicate that AN and BN, at least in their acute phase, are associated with a loss of inter-hemispheric connectivity in regions implicated in self-referential, cognitive control and reward processing.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Remitted major depression is related to increased functional coupling between ventral striatum and cortical regions in resting state fMRI

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)72653-0 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 948-948 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G. Pail ◽

C. Scharinger ◽

K. Kalcher ◽

W. Huf ◽

R. Boubela ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽

Resting State ◽

Ventral Striatum ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Functional Coupling ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Full Remission ◽

Cortical Regions

IntroductionDysfunction in the basal ganglia has been related to impaired reward processing and anhedonia, a core symptom of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In particular, the ventral striatum including the nucleus accumbens is increasingly implicated in the pathophysiology of MDD, but evidence for a specific role during episodes of full remission is lacking so far.ObjectivesTo investigate functional connectivity patterns of resting-state activity in patients in the remitted phase of MDD (rMDD).AimsTo determine whether rMDD is related to disruptions of functional coupling between the ventral striatum and cortical regions.MethodsForty-three remitted depressed patients and thirty-five healthy controls were recruited at Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, and performed a six minute resting-state fMRI scan. Seed time series were extracted from the preprocessed data using individual masks for ventral striatum and correlated with all nodes in a surface based analysis using FreeSurfer, AFNI and SUMA. The resulting correlation coefficients were then Fishertransformed, group results were determined by comparing group mean smoothed z-scores with a two-sample ttest.ResultsIncreased resting-state functional connectivity was revealed between ventral striatum (seed region) and anterior cingulate cortex as well as orbitofrontal cortex in the rMDD group compared to healthy controls.ConclusionsOur preliminary data is in accordance with the idea that increased functional coupling between the ventral striatum and two major emotion processing regions, the anterior cingulate cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex, may represent a neural mechanism contributing to the maintenance of full remission of MDD.

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Resting state cortico-limbic functional connectivity and dispositional use of emotion regulation strategies: A replication and extension study

10.31219/osf.io/enk2t ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Denise Dörfel ◽

Anne Gärtner ◽

Christoph Scheffel

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Functional Brain Imaging ◽

Distributed Network ◽

Regulation Strategies ◽

Cortical Regions ◽

Network Approaches ◽

Negative Coupling

Neuroimaging functional connectivity analyses have shown that the negative coupling between amygdala and cortical regions is linked to better emotion regulation (ER) in experimental task settings. However, less is known about the neural correlates of ER traits or dispositions. The present study aimed to (1) replicate the findings of differential cortico-limbic coupling during resting state depending on the dispositional use of ER strategies. Furthermore, the study aimed to (2) extend prior findings by examining whether differences in cortico-limbic coupling during resting state predict behavioral and neuronal emotion regulation success in a standard emotion regulation task. To this end, N=107 healthy adults completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), underwent an 8-min resting-state fMRI acquisition and completed a reappraisal task during fMRI. Functional connectivity maps of basolateral and centromedial amygdala nuclei were estimated with a seed-based approach regarding associations with regions of the prefrontal cortex, and were then correlated with ERQ scores as well as behavioral and neuronal ER success. All hypotheses and the analysis plan are preregistered at https://osf.io/8wsgu. Opposed to prior findings, we were not able to replicate a correlation of habitual ER strategy use with functional connectivity between amygdala and PFC regions (p > 0.05, FWE-corrected). Furthermore, there was no association of behavioral and neuronal reappraisal success with functional connectivity between amygdala and insula as well as PFC (p > 0.05, FWE-corrected). The present preregistered study calls into question the reported association between individual differences in resting state cortico-limbic connectivity and habitual use of ER strategies. However, ongoing advances in functional brain imaging and distributed network approaches may leverage the identification of reliable functional connectivity patterns that underlie successful emotion regulation.

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Relationships between Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Resting State Functional Connectivity in Patients with Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls: A Preliminary Study

10.20944/preprints202112.0080.v2 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew J. Hoptman ◽

Umit Tural ◽

Kelvin O. Lim ◽

Daniel C. Javitt ◽

Lauren E. Oberlin

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Syndrome Scale ◽

Healthy Control ◽

Negative Syndrome

Schizophrenia is widely seen as a disorder of dysconnectivity. Neuroimaging studies have examined both structural and functional connectivity in the disorder, but these modalities have rarely been integrated directly. We scanned 29 patients with schizophrenia and 25 healthy control subjects and acquired resting state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging. The Functional and Tractographic Connectivity Analysis Toolbox (FATCAT) was used to estimate functional and structural connectivity of the default mode network. Correlations between modalities were investigated, and multimodal connectivity scores (MCS) were created using principal components analysis. Nine of 28 possible region pairs showed consistent (>80%) tracts across participants. Correlations between modalities were found among those with schizophrenia for the prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, and lateral temporal lobes with frontal and parietal regions, consistent with frontotemporoparietal network involvement in the disorder. In patients, MCS values correlated with several aspects of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, positively with those involving inwardly directed psychopathology, and negatively with those involving external psychopathology. In this preliminary sample, we found FATCAT to be a useful toolbox to directly integrate and examine connectivity between imaging modalities. A consideration of conjoint structural and functional connectivity can provide important information about the network mechanisms of schizophrenia.

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