A Cortical Network Sensitive to Stimulus Salience in a Neutral Behavioral Context Across Multiple Sensory Modalities

2002 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 615-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Downar ◽  
Adrian P. Crawley ◽  
David J. Mikulis ◽  
Karen D. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Response Selection ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Behavioral Context ◽  
General Role ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Stimulus Salience

Stimulus salience depends both on behavioral context and on other factors such as novelty and frequency of occurrence. The temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) responds preferentially to behaviorally relevant stimuli and is thought to play a general role in detecting salient stimuli. If so, it should respond preferentially to novel or infrequent events, even in a neutral behavioral context. To test this hypothesis, we used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify brain regions sensitive to the novelty of visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli during passive observation. Cortical regions with a greater response to novel than familiar stimuli across all modalities were identified at two sites in the TPJ region: the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and superior temporal gyrus. The right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right anterior insula, left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and left inferior temporal gyrus also showed sensitivity to novelty. The novelty-sensitive TPJ activation in SMG overlaps a region previously identified as sensitive behavioral context. This region may play a general role in identifying salient stimuli, whether the salience is due to the current behavioral context or not. The IFG activation overlaps regions previously identified as responsive to nonnovel sensory events regardless of behavioral context. The IFG may therefore play a general role in stimulus evaluation rather than a specific role in identifying novel stimuli. The ACC activation lies in a region active during complex response-selection tasks, suggesting a general role in detecting and/or planning responses to salient events. A frontal-parietal-cingulate network may serve to identify and evaluate salient sensory stimuli in general.

scholarly journals Intra-Regional Glu-GABA vs Inter-Regional Glu-Glu Imbalance: A 1H-MRS Study of the Neurochemistry of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helene Hjelmervik ◽  
Alexander R Craven ◽  
Igne Sinceviciute ◽  
Erik Johnsen ◽  
Kristiina Kompus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
1H Mrs ◽  
Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Auditory Verbal Hallucinations

Abstract Glutamate (Glu), gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA), and excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance have inconsistently been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia. Elevated Glu levels in language regions have been suggested to mediate auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH), the same regions previously associated with neuronal hyperactivity during AVHs. It is, however, not known whether alterations in Glu levels are accompanied by corresponding GABA alterations, nor is it known if Glu levels are affected in brain regions with known neuronal hypo-activity. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we measured Glx (Glu+glutamine) and GABA+ levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), left and right superior temporal gyrus (STG), and left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), in a sample of 77 schizophrenia patients and 77 healthy controls. Two MRS-protocols were used. Results showed a marginally significant positive correlation in the left STG between Glx and AVHs, whereas a significant negative correlation was found in the ACC. In addition, high-hallucinating patients as a group showed decreased ACC and increased left STG Glx levels compared to low-hallucinating patients, with the healthy controls in between the 2 hallucinating groups. No significant differences were found for GABA+ levels. It is discussed that reduced ACC Glx levels reflect an inability of AVH patients to cognitively inhibit their “voices” through neuronal hypo-activity, which in turn originates from increased left STG Glu levels and neuronal hyperactivity. A revised E/I-imbalance model is proposed where Glu-Glu imbalance between brain regions is emphasized rather than Glu-GABA imbalance within regions, for the understanding of the underlying neurochemistry of AVHs.

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 Choosing to view morbid information involves reward circuitry

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Oosterwijk ◽  
Lukas Snoek ◽  
Jurriaan Tekoppele ◽  
Lara H. Engelbert ◽  
H. Steven Scholte
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Viewing Condition ◽  
Verbal Cues ◽  
Negative Image ◽  
Reward Circuitry ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Passive Viewing

Abstract People often seek out stories, videos or images that detail death, violence or harm. Considering the ubiquity of this behavior, it is surprising that we know very little about the neural circuits involved in choosing negative information. Using fMRI, the present study shows that choosing intensely negative stimuli engages similar brain regions as those that support extrinsic incentives and “regular” curiosity. Participants made choices to view negative and positive images, based on negative (e.g., a soldier kicks a civilian against his head) and positive (e.g., children throw flower petals at a wedding) verbal cues. We hypothesized that the conflicting, but relatively informative act of choosing to view a negative image, resulted in stronger activation of reward circuitry as opposed to the relatively uncomplicated act of choosing to view a positive stimulus. Indeed, as preregistered, we found that choosing negative cues was associated with activation of the striatum, inferior frontal gyrus, anterior insula, and anterior cingulate cortex, both when contrasting against a passive viewing condition, and when contrasting against positive cues. These findings nuance models of decision-making, valuation and curiosity, and are an important starting point when considering the value of seeking out negative content.

What drives MRI-measured cortical atrophy in multiple sclerosis?

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 1280-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Popescu ◽  
R Klaver ◽  
P Voorn ◽  
Y Galis-de Graaf ◽  
DL Knol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Cortical Atrophy ◽  
Post Mortem ◽  
Mri Imaging ◽  
Cortical Volume ◽  
Axonal Pathology ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri

Background: Cortical atrophy, assessed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is an important outcome measure in multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. However, the underlying histopathology of cortical volume measures is unknown. Objective: We investigated the histopathological substrate of MRI-measured cortical volume in MS using combined post-mortem imaging and histopathology. Methods: MS brain donors underwent post-mortem whole-brain in-situ MRI imaging. After MRI, tissue blocks were systematically sampled from the superior and inferior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus. Histopathological markers included neuronal, axonal, synapse, astrocyte, dendrite, myelin, and oligodendrocyte densities. Matched cortical volumes from the aforementioned anatomical regions were measured on the MRI, and used as outcomes in a nested prediction model. Results: Forty-five tissue blocks were sampled from 11 MS brain donors. Mean age at death was 68±12 years, post-mortem interval 4±1 hours, and disease duration 35±15 years. MRI-measured regional cortical volumes varied depending on anatomical region. Neuronal density, neuronal size, and axonal density were significant predictors of GM volume. Conclusions: In patients with long-standing disease, neuronal and axonal pathology are the predominant pathological substrates of MRI-measured cortical volume in chronic MS.

Somatosensory Processing in the Human Inferior Prefrontal Cortex

2002 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 1400-1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Hagen ◽  
David H. Zald ◽  
Tricia A. Thornton ◽  
José V. Pardo
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Somatosensory Processing ◽  
Somatosensory Stimulation ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Somatosensory Cortices ◽  
Frontal Operculum ◽  
Frontal Activity ◽  
Ventral Area

Three inferior prefrontal regions in the monkey receive afferents from somatosensory cortices: the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the ventral area of the principal sulcus, and the anterior frontal operculum. To determine whether these areas show responses to tactile stimuli in humans, we examined data from an ongoing series of PET studies of somatosensory processing. Unlike previous work showing ventral frontal activity to hedonic (pleasant/unpleasant) sensory stimulation, the tactile stimuli used in these studies had a neutral hedonic valence. Our data provide evidence for at least two discrete ventral frontal brain regions responsive to somatosensory stimulation: 1) the posterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and adjacent anterior frontal operculum, and 2) the OFC. The former region (posterior IFG/anterior frontal operculum) may have a more specific role in attending to tactile stimuli.

scholarly journals Distinction of self-produced touch and social touch at cortical and spinal cord levels

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (6) ◽  
pp. 2290-2299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Boehme ◽  
Steven Hauser ◽  
Gregory J. Gerling ◽  
Markus Heilig ◽  
Håkan Olausson
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Differential Encoding ◽  
Social Touch ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
The Individual

Differentiation between self-produced tactile stimuli and touch by others is necessary for social interactions and for a coherent concept of “self.” The mechanisms underlying this distinction are unknown. Here, we investigated the distinction between self- and other-produced light touch in healthy volunteers using three different approaches: fMRI, behavioral testing, and somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) at spinal and cortical levels. Using fMRI, we found self–other differentiation in somatosensory and sociocognitive areas. Other-touch was related to activation in several areas, including somatosensory cortex, insula, superior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, striatum, amygdala, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. During self-touch, we instead found deactivation in insula, anterior cingulate cortex, superior temporal gyrus, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and prefrontal areas. Deactivation extended into brain areas encoding low-level sensory representations, including thalamus and brainstem. These findings were replicated in a second cohort. During self-touch, the sensorimotor cortex was functionally connected to the insula, and the threshold for detection of an additional tactile stimulus was elevated. Differential encoding of self- vs. other-touch during fMRI correlated with the individual self-concept strength. In SEP, cortical amplitudes were reduced during self-touch, while latencies at cortical and spinal levels were faster for other-touch. We thus demonstrated a robust self–other distinction in brain areas related to somatosensory, social cognitive, and interoceptive processing. Signs of this distinction were evident at the spinal cord. Our results provide a framework for future studies in autism, schizophrenia, and emotionally unstable personality disorder, conditions where symptoms include social touch avoidance and poor self-vs.-other discrimination.

Dissociable brain correlates for depression, anxiety, dissociation, and somatization in depersonalization-derealization disorder

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Lemche ◽  
Simon A. Surguladze ◽  
Michael J. Brammer ◽  
Mary L. Phillips ◽  
Mauricio Sierra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Caudate Head ◽  
Brain Correlates ◽  
The Right

ObjectiveThe cerebral mechanisms of traits associated with depersonalization-derealization disorder (DPRD) remain poorly understood.MethodHappy and sad emotion expressions were presented to DPRD and non-referred control (NC) subjects in an implicit event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design, and correlated with self report scales reflecting typical co-morbidities of DPRD: depression, dissociation, anxiety, somatization.ResultsSignificant differences between the slopes of the two groups were observed for somatization in the right temporal operculum (happy) and ventral striatum, bilaterally (sad). Discriminative regions for symptoms of depression were the right pulvinar (happy) and left amygdala (sad). For dissociation, discriminative regions were the left mesial inferior temporal gyrus (happy) and left supramarginal gyrus (sad). For state anxiety, discriminative regions were the left inferior frontal gyrus (happy) and parahippocampal gyrus (sad). For trait anxiety, discriminative regions were the right caudate head (happy) and left superior temporal gyrus (sad).DiscussionThe ascertained brain regions are in line with previous findings for the respective traits. The findings suggest separate brain systems for each trait.ConclusionOur results do not justify any bias for a certain nosological category in DPRD.

scholarly journals Effect of Modulating Activity in the Right DLPFC on Revenge Behavior: Evidence From a Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanjun Zheng ◽  
Yuanping Tao ◽  
Yuzhen Li ◽  
Hang Ye ◽  
Jun Luo
Keyword(s):  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
The Right

Revenge is common in our daily lives, and people feel good when engaging in revenge behavior. However, revenge behavior is a complex process and remains somewhat of a puzzle of human behavior. Neuroimaging studies have revealed that revenge behaviors are associated with activation of a neural network containing the anterior cingulate cortex, ventral striatum, inferior frontal gyrus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Recent brain stimulation research using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation has shown a causal relationship between brain regions and revenge behaviors, but the findings have been mixed. In the present study, we aimed to study whether stimulation in the DLPFC can change participants’ revenge behavior in conditions where participants’ wealth was taken away in different ways. We adapted the moonlighting game and designed a new paradigm. Our study revealed that revenge behavior increased following activation in the right DLPFC, suggesting that the right DLPFC plays an important role in overriding self-interest and retaliation. In addition, our results revealed that the right DLPFC is crucial in revenge behavior related to the motivation of invasion.

scholarly journals Reduced gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex and thalamus as a function of mild depressive symptoms: a voxel-based morphometric analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (13) ◽  
pp. 2833-2843 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Webb ◽  
M. Weber ◽  
E. A. Mundy ◽  
W. D. S. Killgore
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Dimensional Approach ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Conjunction Analysis

BackgroundStudies investigating structural brain abnormalities in depression have typically employed a categorical rather than dimensional approach to depression [i.e. comparing subjects with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-defined major depressive disorder (MDD)v. healthy controls]. The National Institute of Mental Health, through their Research Domain Criteria initiative, has encouraged a dimensional approach to the study of psychopathology as opposed to an over-reliance on categorical (e.g. DSM-based) diagnostic approaches. Moreover, subthreshold levels of depressive symptoms (i.e. severity levels below DSM criteria) have been found to be associated with a range of negative outcomes, yet have been relatively neglected in neuroimaging research.MethodTo examine the extent to which depressive symptoms – even at subclinical levels – are linearly related to gray matter volume reductions in theoretically important brain regions, we employed whole-brain voxel-based morphometry in a sample of 54 participants.ResultsThe severity of mild depressive symptoms, even in a subclinical population, was associated with reduced gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, thalamus, superior temporal gyrus/temporal pole and superior frontal gyrus. A conjunction analysis revealed concordance across two separate measures of depression.ConclusionsReduced gray matter volume in theoretically important brain regions can be observed even in a sample that does not meet DSM criteria for MDD, but who nevertheless report relatively elevated levels of depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings highlight the need for additional research using dimensional conceptual and analytic approaches, as well as further investigation of subclinical populations.

scholarly journals Visceromotor Roots of Aesthetic Evaluation of Pain in art: an fMRI Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Ardizzi ◽  
Francesca Ferroni ◽  
Maria Alessandra Umiltà ◽  
Chiara Pinardi ◽  
Antonino Errante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Aesthetic Experience ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Aesthetic Judgment ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Anterior Portion ◽  
Empathy For Pain ◽  
Vicarious Experiences

Abstract Empathy for pain involves sensory and visceromotor brain regions relevant also in the first-person pain experience. Focusing on brain activations associated to vicarious experiences of pain triggered by artistic or non-artistic images, the present study aims to investigate common and distinct brain activation patterns associated to these two vicarious experiences of pain and to assess whether empathy for pain brain regions contribute to the formation of an aesthetic judgment in non-art expert observers. Artistic and non-artistic facial expressions (painful and neutral) were shown to participants inside the scanner and then aesthetically rated in a subsequent behavioural session. Results showed that empathy for pain brain regions (i.e., bilateral insular cortex, posterior sector of the anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior portion of the middle cingulate cortex) and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus are commonly activated by artistic and non-artistic painful facial expressions. For the artistic representation of pain, the activity recorded in these regions directly correlated with participants’ aesthetic judgment. Results also showed the distinct activation of a large cluster located in the PCC/precuneus for non-artistic stimuli. This study suggests that non-beauty specific mechanisms such as empathy for pain are crucial components of the aesthetic experience of artworks.

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