White Matter Abnormalities in Body Integrity Dysphoria

Body integrity dysphoria (BID) is a severe condition affecting non-psychotic individuals where a limb may be experienced as non-belonging, despite normal anatomical development and intact sensorimotor functions. Limb amputation is desired for restoring their own identity. We previously demonstrated altered brain structural (gray matter) and functional connectivity in 16 men with a long-lasting and exclusive desire for left leg amputation. Here we aimed to identify in the same sample altered patterns of white matter structural connectivity. Fractional anisotropy (FA), derived from Diffusion Tensor Imaging data, was considered as a measure of structural connectivity. Results showed reduced structural connectivity of: i) the right superior parietal lobule (rSPL) with the right cuneus, superior occipital and posterior cingulate gyri, and cuneus, ii) the pars orbitalis of the right middle frontal gyrus (rMFGOrb) with the putamen iii) the left middle temporal gyrus (lMTG) with the pars triangularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus. Increased connectivity was observed between the right paracentral lobule (rPLC) and the right caudate nucleus. By using a complementary method of investigation, we confirmed and extended previous results showing alterations in areas tuned to the processing of the sensorimotor representations of the affected leg (rPCL), and to higher-order components of bodily representation such as the body image (rSPL). Alongside this network for bodily awareness, other networks such as the limbic (rMFGOrb) and the mirror (lMTG) systems showed structural alterations as well. These findings consolidate current understanding of the neural correlates of BID, which might in turn guide diagnostics and rehabilitative treatments.

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White Matter Integrity Correlates of the Reading Span

10.20944/preprints202101.0254.v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ekaterina V. Pechenkova ◽

Yana R. Panikratova ◽

Maria A. Fomina ◽

Elena A. Mershina ◽

Daria A. Bazhenova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

White Matter ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

The Body ◽

White Matter Integrity ◽

Reading Span ◽

The Right

Although working memory (WM) is crucial for intellectual abilities, not much is known about its brain underpinnings, especially the structural connectivity. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to look across the whole brain for the white matter integrity correlates of the individual differences in the reading span (verbal WM capacity during reading) in healthy adults. Right-handed healthy native Russian speakers (N = 67) underwent DTI on a 3T Philips Ingenia scanner. Verbal WM was assessed with the Daneman-Carpenter reading span test (Russian version). Fractional anisotropy maps from each participant were entered into the group tract-based spatial statistics analysis with the reading span as a covariate; the results were TFCE-corrected. After taking into account effects of age, sex, education and handedness, reading span positively correlated with the white matter integrity in multiple sites: the body, the genu and the splenium of corpus callosum; bilateral corona radiata (anterior, posterior, and superior); bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus; several tracts in the right hemisphere only, including the internal and external capsule; bilateral superior parietal and frontal white matter. Although the left hemisphere is central for verbal processing, we revealed the important role of the right hemisphere white matter for the verbal WM capacity. Our finding indicates that larger verbal working memory span may originate from additional processing resources of the right hemisphere.

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White Matter Integrity in the Right Hemisphere Correlates with the Reading Span

10.20944/preprints202101.0254.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ekaterina Pechenkova ◽

Yana Panikratova ◽

Maria Fomina ◽

Elena Mershina ◽

Daria Bazhenova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

White Matter ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

The Body ◽

White Matter Integrity ◽

Reading Span ◽

The Right

Although working memory (WM) is crucial for intellectual abilities, not much is known about its brain underpinnings, especially the structural connectivity. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to look across the whole brain for the white matter integrity correlates of the individual differences in the reading span (verbal WM capacity during reading) in healthy adults. Right-handed healthy native Russian speakers (N = 47) underwent DTI on a 3T Philips Ingenia scanner. Verbal WM was assessed with the Daneman-Carpenter reading span test (Russian version). Fractional anisotropy maps from each participant were entered into the group tract-based spatial statistics analysis with the reading span as a covariate; the results were TFCE-corrected. Reading span positively correlated with the white matter integrity in several sites of the right hemisphere: the body and the splenium of corpus callosum; the posterior limb of internal capsule; posterior corona radiata; and superior parietal white matter. Although the left hemisphere is central for verbal processing, we revealed the important role of the right hemisphere white matter for the verbal WM capacity. Our finding indicates that larger verbal working memory span may originate from additional processing resources of the right hemisphere.

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Structural brain signature of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease: DTI-based evidence from the LANDSCAPE study

Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders ◽

10.1177/1756286419843447 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 175628641984344 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Martin Gorges ◽

Hans-Peter Müller ◽

Inga Liepelt-Scarfone ◽

Alexander Storch ◽

Richard Dodel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

White Matter ◽

Corpus Callosum ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Structural Data ◽

The Body ◽

Normal Cognitive Function

Background: The nonmotor symptom spectrum of Parkinson’s disease (PD) includes progressive cognitive decline mainly in late stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to map the patterns of altered structural connectivity of patients with PD with different cognitive profiles ranging from cognitively unimpaired to PD-associated dementia. Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging and neuropsychological data from the observational multicentre LANDSCAPE study were analyzed. A total of 134 patients with PD with normal cognitive function (56 PD-N), mild cognitive impairment (67 PD-MCI), and dementia (11 PD-D) as well as 72 healthy controls were subjected to whole-brain-based fractional anisotropy mapping and covariance analysis with cognitive performance measures. Results: Structural data indicated subtle changes in the corpus callosum and thalamic radiation in PD-N, whereas severe white matter impairment was observed in both PD-MCI and PD-D patients including anterior and inferior fronto-occipital, uncinate, insular cortices, superior longitudinal fasciculi, corona radiata, and the body of the corpus callosum. These regional alterations were demonstrated for PD-MCI and were more pronounced in PD-D. The pattern of involved regions was significantly correlated with the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) total score. Conclusions: The findings in PD-N suggest impaired cross-hemispherical white matter connectivity that can apparently be compensated for. More pronounced involvement of the corpus callosum as demonstrated for PD-MCI together with affection of fronto-parieto-temporal structural connectivity seems to lead to gradual disruption of cognition-related cortico-cortical networks and to be associated with the onset of overt cognitive deficits. The increase of regional white matter damage appears to be associated with the development of PD-associated dementia.

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White matter microstructure of the extended limbic system in male and female youth with conduct disorder

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291718003951 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 58-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karen González-Madruga ◽

Jack Rogers ◽

Nicola Toschi ◽

Roberta Riccelli ◽

Areti Smaragdi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

White Matter ◽

Conduct Disorder ◽

Limbic System ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Spherical Deconvolution ◽

Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

The Right ◽

And Control

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies of conduct disorder (CD) have reported structural and functional alterations in the limbic system. However, the white matter tracts that connect limbic regions have not been comprehensively studied. The uncinate fasciculus (UF), a tract connecting limbic to prefrontal regions, has been implicated in CD. However, CD-related alterations in other limbic tracts, such as the cingulum and the fornix, have not been investigated. Furthermore, few studies have examined the influence of sex and none have been adequately powered to test whether the relationship between CD and structural connectivity differs by sex. We examined whether adolescent males and females with CD exhibit differences in structural connectivity compared with typically developing controls.MethodsWe acquired diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data from 101 adolescents with CD (52 females) and 99 controls (50 females). Data were processed for deterministic spherical deconvolution tractography. Virtual dissections of the UF, the three subdivisions of the cingulum [retrosplenial cingulum (RSC), parahippocampal and subgenual cingulum], and the fornix were performed and measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and hindrance-modulated orientational anisotropy (HMOA) were analysed.ResultsThe CD group had lower FA and HMOA in the right RSC tract relative to controls. Importantly, these effects were moderated by sex – males with CD significantly lower FA compared to male controls, whereas CD and control females did not differ.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of considering sex when studying the neurobiological basis of CD. Sex differences in RSC connectivity may contribute to sex differences in the clinical presentation of CD.

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Positive symptoms and white matter microstructure in never-medicated first episode schizophrenia

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s003329171000156x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 41 (8) ◽

pp. 1709-1719 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

V. Cheung ◽

C. P. Y. Chiu ◽

C. W. Law ◽

C. Cheung ◽

C. L. M. Hui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

First Episode ◽

Positive Symptoms ◽

Cingulate Gyrus ◽

First Episode Schizophrenia

BackgroundWe investigated cerebral structural connectivity and its relationship to symptoms in never-medicated individuals with first-onset schizophrenia using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).MethodWe recruited subjects with first episode DSM-IV schizophrenia who had never been exposed to antipsychotic medication (n=34) and age-matched healthy volunteers (n=32). All subjects received DTI and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. Patients' symptoms were assessed on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Voxel-based analysis was performed to investigate brain regions where fractional anisotropy (FA) values significantly correlated with symptom scores.ResultsIn patients with first-episode schizophrenia, positive symptoms correlated positively with FA scores in white matter associated with the right frontal lobe, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, right middle cingulate gyrus, and left cuneus. Importantly, FA in each of these regions was lower in patients than controls, but patients with more positive symptoms had FA values closer to controls. We found no significant correlations between FA and negative symptoms.ConclusionsThe newly-diagnosed, neuroleptic-naive patients had lower FA scores in the brain compared with controls. There was positive correlation between FA scores and positive symptoms scores in frontotemporal tracts, including left fronto-occipital fasciculus and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. This implies that white matter dysintegrity is already present in the pre-treatment phase and that FA is likely to decrease after clinical treatment or symptom remission.

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Sex Differences in Anatomical Rich-Club and Structural–Functional Coupling in the Human Brain Network

Cerebral Cortex ◽

10.1093/cercor/bhaa335 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shuo Zhao ◽

Gongshu Wang ◽

Ting Yan ◽

Jie Xiang ◽

Xuexue Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Parietal Lobe ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Functional Coupling ◽

Rich Club ◽

The Right

Abstract Structural and functional differences between the brains of female and male adults have been well documented. However, potential sex differences in the patterns of rich-club organization and the coupling between their structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) remain to be determined. In this study, functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging techniques were combined to examine sex differences in rich-club organization. Females had a stronger SC-FC coupling than males. Moreover, stronger SC-FC coupling in the females was primarily located in feeder connections and non–rich-club nodes of the left inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe and the right superior frontal gyrus and superior parietal gyrus, whereas higher coupling strength in males was primarily located in rich-club connections and rich-club node of the right insula, and non-rich-club nodes of the left hippocampus and the right parahippocampal gyrus. Sex-specific patterns in correlations were also shown between SC-FC coupling and cognitive function, including working memory and reasoning ability. The topological changes in rich-club organization provide novel insight into sex-specific effects on white matter connections that underlie a potential network mechanism of sex-based differences in cognitive function.

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Lead exposure is associated with functional and microstructural changes in the healthy human brain

Communications Biology ◽

10.1038/s42003-021-02435-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hikaru Takeuchi ◽

Yasuyuki Taki ◽

Rui Nouchi ◽

Ryoichi Yokoyama ◽

Yuka Kotozaki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Dopaminergic System ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Lead Level ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

The Body ◽

Microstructural Properties ◽

Healthy Human ◽

Lead Levels ◽

The Right

AbstractLead is a toxin known to harm many organs in the body, particularly the central nervous system, across an individual’s lifespan. To date, no study has yet investigated the associations between body lead level and the microstructural properties of gray matter areas, and brain activity during attention-demanding tasks. Here, utilizing data of diffusion tensor imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging and cognitive measures among 920 typically developing young adults, we show greater hair lead levels are weakly but significantly associated with (a) increased working memory-related activity in the right premotor and pre-supplemental motor areas, (b) lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter areas near the internal capsule, (c) lower mean diffusivity (MD) in the dopaminergic system in the left hemisphere and other widespread contingent areas, and (d) greater MD in the white matter area adjacent to the right fusiform gyrus. Higher lead levels were also weakly but significantly associated with lower performance in tests of high-order cognitive functions, such as the psychometric intelligence test, greater impulsivity measures, and higher novelty seeking and extraversion. These findings reflect the weak effect of daily lead level on the excitability and microstructural properties of the brain, particularly in the dopaminergic system.

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Effects of BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism on White Matter Microalterations of the Corpus Callosum in Patients with Panic Disorder in Korean Populations

Psychiatry Investigation ◽

10.30773/pi.2020.0186 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (10) ◽

pp. 967-975

Author(s):

Hyun-Ju Kim ◽

Minji Bang ◽

Kang Soo Lee ◽

Tai Kiu Choi ◽

Chun Il Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Panic Disorder ◽

Corpus Callosum ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

The Body ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Symptom Scale ◽

Val66met Polymorphism ◽

Scale Scores ◽

Bdnf Val66met Polymorphism

Objective The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism is suggested to be associated with the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder (PD). Although the fronto-limbic white matter (WM) microstructures have been investigated, the corpus callosum (CC) has not yet been studied regarding its relationship with BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in PD.Methods Ninety-five PD patients were enrolled. The Neuroticism, the Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory-Revised, Panic Disorder Severity Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were administered. Voxel-wise statistical analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data was performed within the CC regions using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics.Results The GG genotype in BDNF Val66Met polymorphism has significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the body and splenium of the CC, neuroticism and depressive symptom scale scores than the non-GG genotype in PD. The FA values of the body of the CC in the two groups were significantly different independent of age, sex, neuroticism, and BDI-II.Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with WM connectivity of the body and splenium of the CC, and may be related to neuroticism and depressive symptoms in PD. Additionally, the CC connectivity according to BDNF polymorphism may play a role in the pathophysiology of PD.

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Sensory processing sensitivity and axonal microarchitecture: Identifying brain structural characteristics for behavior

10.1101/2021.11.13.468491 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Szabolcs David ◽

Lucy L Brown ◽

Anneriet M Heemskerk ◽

Elaine Aron ◽

Alexander Leemans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

White Matter ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Structural Characteristics ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Human Connectome Project ◽

Sensory Processing Sensitivity ◽

The Right

Previously, researchers used functional MRI to identify regional brain activations associated with sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), a proposed normal phenotype trait. To further validate SPS as a behavioral entity, to characterize it anatomically, and to test the usefulness in psychology of methodologies that assess axonal properties, the present study correlated SPS proxy questionnaire scores (adjusted for neuroticism) with diffusion tensor imaging measures. Participants (n=408) from the Young Adult Human Connectome Project that are free of neurologic and psychiatric disorders were investigated. We computed mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), axial diffusivity (AD) and fractional anisotropy (FA). A voxelwise, exploratory analysis showed that MD and RD correlated positively with SPS proxy scores in the right and left subcallosal and anterior ventral cingulum bundle, and the right forceps minor of the corpus callosum (peak Cohens D effect size = 0.269). Further analyses showed correlations throughout the entire right and left ventromedial prefrontal cortex, including the superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, uncinate and arcuate fasciculus. These prefrontal regions are generally involved in emotion, reward and social processing. FA was negatively correlated with SPS proxy scores in white matter of the right premotor/motor/somatosensory/supramarginal gyrus regions, which are associated with empathy, theory of mind, primary and secondary somatosensory processing. Region of interest (ROI) analysis, based-on previous fMRI results and Freesurfer atlas-defined areas, showed small effect sizes, (+0.151 to -0.165) in white matter of the precuneus and inferior frontal gyrus. Other ROI effects were found in regions of the dorsal and ventral visual pathways and primary auditory cortex. The results reveal that in a large, diverse group of participants axonal microarchitectural differences can be identified with SPS traits that are subtle and in the range of typical behavior. The results suggest that the heightened sensory processing in people who show SPS may be influenced by the microstructure of white matter in specific neocortical regions. Although previous fMRI studies had identified most of these general neocortical regions, the DTI results put a new focus on brain areas related to attention and cognitive flexibility, empathy, emotion and low-level sensory processing, as in the primary sensory cortex. Psychological trait characterization may benefit from diffusion tensor imaging methodology by identifying influential brain systems for traits.

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The Role of the Right Hemisphere White Matter Tracts in Chronic Aphasic Patients After Damage of the Language Tracts in the Left Hemisphere

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnhum.2021.635750 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Evie Kourtidou ◽

Dimitrios Kasselimis ◽

Georgia Angelopoulou ◽

Efstratios Karavasilis ◽

Georgios Velonakis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Left Hemisphere ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Language Performance ◽

White Matter Tracts ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Language Functions ◽

The Right

The involvement of the right hemisphere (RH) in language, and especially after aphasia resulting from left hemisphere (LH) lesions, has been recently highlighted. The present study investigates white matter structure in the right hemisphere of 25 chronic post-stroke aphasic patients after LH lesions in comparison with 24 healthy controls, focusing on the four cortico-cortical tracts that link posterior parietal and temporal language-related areas with Broca’s region in the inferior frontal gyrus of the LH: the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculi II and III (SLF II and SLF III), the Arcuate Fasciculus (AF), and the Temporo-Frontal extreme capsule Fasciculus (TFexcF). Additionally, the relationship of these RH white matter tracts to language performance was examined. The patients with post-stroke aphasia in the chronic phase and the healthy control participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examination. The aphasic patients were assessed with standard aphasia tests. The results demonstrated increased axial diffusivity in the RH tracts of the aphasic patients. Patients were then divided according to the extent of the left hemisphere white matter loss. Correlations of language performance with radial diffusivity (RD) in the right hemisphere homologs of the tracts examined were demonstrated for the TFexcF, SLF III, and AF in the subgroup with limited damage to the LH language networks and only with the TFexcF in the subgroup with extensive damage. The results argue in favor of compensatory roles of the right hemisphere tracts in language functions when the LH networks are disrupted.

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