The altered right frontoparietal network functional connectivity in migraine and the modulation effect of treatment

Aims This study aims to investigate the resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) of the right frontoparietal network (rFPN) between migraineurs and healthy controls (HCs) in order to determine how the rFPN rs-fc can be modulated by effective treatment. Methods One hundred patients and 46 matched HCs were recruited. Migraineurs were randomized to verum acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and waiting list groups. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected before and after longitudinal treatments. Independent component analysis was applied in the data analysis. Results We found that migraineurs showed decreased rs-fc between the rFPN and bilateral precuneus compared with HCs. After treatments (real and sham), rFPN rs-fc with the precuneus was significantly reduced. This reduction was associated with headache intensity relief. In order to explore the role of the precuneus in acupuncture modulation, we performed a seed-based rs-fc analysis using the precuneus as a seed and found that the precuneus rs-fc with the bilateral rostral anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was significantly enhanced after treatment. Conclusion Our results suggest that migraineurs are associated with abnormal rFPN rs-fc. An effective treatment, such as acupuncture, may relieve symptoms by strengthening the cognitive adaptation/coping process. Elucidation of the adaptation/coping mechanisms may open up a new window for migraine management.

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Anhedonia and depression severity dissociated by dmPFC resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents

Journal of Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1177/0269881118799935 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (10) ◽

pp. 1067-1074 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ewelina Rzepa ◽

Ciara McCabe

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Depression Severity ◽

Research Domain Criteria ◽

Frontal Pole ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Potential Therapeutic Target ◽

Research Domain

Introduction: Given the heterogeneity within depression, in this study we aim to examine how resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in adolescents is related to anhedonia and depression severity on a continuum in line with the research domain criteria (RDoC) approach. Methods: We examined how RSFC in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) was related to anhedonia and depression severity in 86 adolescents (13–21 years). Results: We found both anhedonia and depression severity related to decreased dmPFC RSFC with the precuneus, a part of the default mode network. However we also found that increased dmPFC connectivity with the ACC/paracingulate gyrus related to anhedonia whereas increased RSFC with the frontal pole related to depression severity. Discussion: This work extends the view that the dmPFC is a potential therapeutic target for depression in two ways: 1. We report dmPFC connectivity in adolescents; and 2. We show different dmPFC RSFC specific to anhedonia and depression severity, providing neural targets for intervention in young people at risk of depression.

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The relationship between resting-state functional connectivity, antidepressant discontinuation and depression relapse

10.1101/2020.02.06.937268 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Isabel M. Berwian ◽

Julia G. Wenzel ◽

Leonie Kuehn ◽

Inga Schnuerer ◽

Lars Kasper ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Open Label ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal

AbstractThe risk of relapsing into depression after stopping antidepressants is high, but no established predictors exist. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) measures may help predict relapse and identify the mechanisms by which relapses occur. rsfMRI data were acquired from healthy controls and from patients with remitted major depressive disorder on antidepressants. Patients were assessed a second time either before or after discontinuation of the antidepressant, and followed up for six months to assess relapse. A seed-based functional connectivity analysis was conducted focusing on the left subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and left posterior cingulate cortex. Seeds in the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were explored. 44 healthy controls (age: 33.8 (10.5), 73% female) and 84 patients (age: 34.23 (10.8), 80% female) were included in the analysis. 29 patients went on to relapse and 38 remained well. The seed-based analysis showed that discontinuation resulted in an increased functional connectivity between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex in non-relapsers. In an exploratory analysis, this functional connectivity predicted relapse risk with a balanced accuracy of 0.86. Further seed-based analyses, however, failed to reveal differences in functional connectivity between patients and controls, between relapsers and non-relapsers before discontinuation and changes due to discontinuation independent of relapse. In conclusion, changes in the connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the posterior default mode network were associated with and predictive of relapse after open-label antidepressant discontinuation. This finding requires replication in a larger dataset.

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Back to the Basics: Resting State Functional Connectivity of the Reticular Activation System in PTSD and its Dissociative Subtype

Chronic Stress ◽

10.1177/2470547019873663 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 247054701987366

Author(s):

Janine Thome ◽

Maria Densmore ◽

Georgia Koppe ◽

Braeden Terpou ◽

Jean Théberge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Critical Role ◽

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Activation System ◽

Dissociative Subtype

Background Brainstem and midbrain neuronal circuits that control innate, reflexive responses and arousal are increasingly recognized as central to the neurobiological framework of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The reticular activation system represents a fundamental neuronal circuit that plays a critical role not only in generating arousal but also in coordinating innate, reflexive responding. Accordingly, the present investigation aims to characterize the resting state functional connectivity of the reticular activation system in PTSD and its dissociative subtype. Methods We investigated patterns of resting state functional connectivity of a central node of the reticular activation system, namely, the pedunculopontine nuclei, among individuals with PTSD (n = 77), its dissociative subtype (PTSD+DS; n = 48), and healthy controls (n = 51). Results Participants with PTSD and PTSD+DS were characterized by within-group pedunculopontine nuclei resting state functional connectivity to brain regions involved in innate threat processing and arousal modulation (i.e., midbrain, amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex). Critically, this pattern was most pronounced in individuals with PTSD+DS, as compared to both control and PTSD groups. As compared to participants with PTSD and controls, individuals with PTSD+DS showed enhanced pedunculopontine nuclei resting state functional connectivity to the amygdala and the parahippocampal gyrus as well as to the anterior cingulate and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. No group differences emerged between PTSD and control groups. In individuals with PTSD+DS, state derealization/depersonalization was associated with reduced resting state functional connectivity between the left pedunculopontine nuclei and the anterior nucleus of the thalamus. Altered connectivity in these regions may restrict the thalamo-cortical transmission necessary to integrate internal and external signals at a cortical level and underlie, in part, experiences of depersonalization and derealization. Conclusions The present findings extend the current neurobiological model of PTSD and provide emerging evidence for the need to incorporate brainstem structures, including the reticular activation system, into current conceptualizations of PTSD and its dissociative subtype.

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Amygdala and anterior cingulate resting-state functional connectivity in borderline personality disorder patients with a history of interpersonal trauma

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291714000324 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (13) ◽

pp. 2889-2901 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

A. Krause-Utz ◽

I. M. Veer ◽

S. A. R. B. Rombouts ◽

M. Bohus ◽

C. Schmahl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Default Mode Network ◽

Resting State ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Default Mode

BackgroundStudies in borderline personality disorder (BPD) have consistently revealed abnormalities in fronto-limbic brain regions during emotional, somatosensory and cognitive challenges. Here we investigated changes in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of three fronto-limbic core regions of specific importance to BPD.MethodFunctional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired in 20 unmedicated female BPD patients and 17 healthy controls (HC, matched for age, sex and education) during rest. The amygdala, and the dorsal and ventral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were defined as seeds to investigate RSFC patterns of a medial temporal lobe network, the salience network and default mode network. The Dissociation Experience Scale (DES), a measure of trait dissociation, was additionally used as a predictor of RSFC with these seed regions.ResultsCompared with HC, BPD patients showed a trend towards increased RSFC between the amygdala and the insula, orbitofrontal cortex and putamen. Compared with controls, patients furthermore exhibited diminished negative RSFC between the dorsal ACC and posterior cingulate cortex, a core region of the default mode network, and regions of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Last, increased negative RSFC between the ventral ACC and medial occipital regions was observed in BPD patients. DES scores were correlated with amygdala connectivity with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and fusiform gyrus.ConclusionsOur findings suggest alterations in resting-state networks associated with processing of negative emotions, encoding of salient events, and self-referential processing in individuals with BPD compared with HC. These results shed more light on the role of abnormal brain connectivity in BPD.

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The relationship between resting-state functional connectivity, antidepressant discontinuation and depression relapse

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79170-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Isabel M. Berwian ◽

Julia G. Wenzel ◽

Leonie Kuehn ◽

Inga Schnuerer ◽

Lars Kasper ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Open Label ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal

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Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of Anterior Cingulate Cortex Modulates Subcortical Brain Regions Resulting in Cognitive Enhancement

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnhum.2020.584136 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

Author(s):

Ahsan Khan ◽

Xin Wang ◽

Chun Hang Eden Ti ◽

Chun-Yu Tse ◽

Kai-Yu Tong

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Resting State ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Subcortical Regions ◽

The Impact ◽

Experimental Group

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been widely utilized in research settings and modulates brain activity. The application of anodal tDCS on the prefrontal cortex has indicated improvement in cognitive functioning. The cingulate cortex, situated in the medial aspect of the prefrontal cortex, has been identified as a core region performing cognitive functions. Most of the previous studies investigating the impact of stimulation on the prefrontal cortex stimulated the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), however, the impact of stimulation on cingulate has not been explored. The current study investigates the effect of stimulation on the resting-state functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex with other regions of the brain and changes in behavioral results in a color-word Stroop task, which has repeatedly elicited activation in different regions of the cingulate. Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental and sham group, and their medial prefrontal area was stimulated using MRI compatible tDCS. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and cognitive Stroop task were monitored before, during, and after the stimulation. Neuroimaging results indicated a significant decrease in resting-state functional connectivity in the experimental group during and after stimulation as compared to before stimulation in two clusters including right insular cortex, right central operculum cortex, right frontal operculum cortex and right planum polare with the left anterior cingulate cortex (L-ACC) selected as the seed. The behavioral results indicated a significant decrease in reaction time (RT) following stimulation in the experimental group compared to the sham group. Moreover, the change in functional connectivity in subcortical regions with L-ACC as the seed and change in RT was positively correlated. The results demonstrated that ACC has a close functional relationship with the subcortical regions, and stimulation of ACC can modulate these connections, which subsequently improves behavioral performance, thus, providing another potential target of stimulation for cognitive enhancement.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04318522.

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The Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity Underlying Violence Proneness: Is It a Reliable Marker for Neurocriminology? A Systematic Review

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs9010011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 11 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ángel Romero-Martínez ◽

Macarena González ◽

Marisol Lila ◽

Enrique Gracia ◽

Luis Martí-Bonmatí ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Effective Treatment ◽

Resting State ◽

Brain Structures ◽

Prevention Programs ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Treatment And Prevention ◽

Reliable Marker ◽

The Brain

Introduction: There is growing scientific interest in understanding the biological mechanisms affecting and/or underlying violent behaviors in order to develop effective treatment and prevention programs. In recent years, neuroscientific research has tried to demonstrate whether the intrinsic activity within the brain at rest in the absence of any external stimulation (resting-state functional connectivity; RSFC) could be employed as a reliable marker for several cognitive abilities and personality traits that are important in behavior regulation, particularly, proneness to violence. Aims: This review aims to highlight the association between the RSFC among specific brain structures and the predisposition to experiencing anger and/or responding to stressful and distressing situations with anger in several populations. Methods: The scientific literature was reviewed following the PRISMA quality criteria for reviews, using the following digital databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, and Dialnet. Results: The identification of 181 abstracts and retrieval of 34 full texts led to the inclusion of 17 papers. The results described in our study offer a better understanding of the brain networks that might explain the tendency to experience anger. The majority of the studies highlighted that diminished RSFC between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala might make people prone to reactive violence, but that it is also necessary to contemplate additional cortical (i.e. insula, gyrus [angular, supramarginal, temporal, fusiform, superior, and middle frontal], anterior and posterior cingulated cortex) and subcortical brain structures (i.e. hippocampus, cerebellum, ventral striatum, and nucleus centralis superior) in order to explain a phenomenon as complex as violence. Moreover, we also described the neural pathways that might underlie proactive violence and feelings of revenge, highlighting the RSFC between the OFC, ventral striatal, angular gyrus, mid-occipital cortex, and cerebellum. Conclusions. The results from this synthesis and critical analysis of RSFC findings in several populations offer guidelines for future research and for developing a more accurate model of proneness to violence, in order to create effective treatment and prevention programs.

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Resting State Functional Connectivity Predicts Future Changes in Sedentary Behavior

10.1101/2021.01.26.428161 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Timothy P. Morris ◽

Aaron Kucyi ◽

Sheeba Arnold Anteraper ◽

Maiya Rachel Geddes ◽

Alfonso Nieto-Castañon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Supplementary Motor Area ◽

Anterior Insula ◽

Motor Area ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

The Right

AbstractInformation about a person’s available energy resources is integrated in daily behavioral choices that weigh motor costs against expected rewards. It has been posited that humans have an innate attraction towards effort minimization and that executive control is required to overcome this prepotent disposition. With sedentary behaviors increasing at the cost of millions of dollars spent in health care and productivity losses due to physical inactivity-related deaths, understanding the predictors of sedentary behaviors will improve future intervention development and precision medicine approaches. In 64 healthy older adults participating in a 6-month aerobic exercise intervention, we use neuroimaging (resting state functional connectivity), baseline measures of executive function and accelerometer measures of time spent sedentary to predict future changes in objectively measured time spent sedentary in daily life. Using cross-validation and bootstrap resampling, our results demonstrate that functional connectivity between 1) the anterior cingulate cortex and the supplementary motor area and 2) the right anterior insula and the left temporoparietal/temporooccipital junction, predict changes in time spent sedentary, whereas baseline cognitive, behavioral and demographic measures do not. Previous research has shown activation in and between the anterior cingulate and supplementary motor area as well as in the right anterior insula during effort avoidance and tasks that integrate motor costs and reward benefits in effort-based decision making. Our results add important knowledge toward understanding mechanistic associations underlying complex sedentary behaviors.

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Parental Education, Ethnicity, and Functional Connectivity between Nucleus Accumbens and Frontoparietal Network

10.5772/intechopen.101335 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shervin Assari

Keyword(s):

Nucleus Accumbens ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Parental Education ◽

Black People ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Latino Youth ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Frontoparietal Network

While studies have indicated an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and neuroimaging measures, weaker SES effects are shown for Blacks than Whites. This is, in part, due to processes such as stratification, racism, minoritization, and othering of Black people in the United States. However, less is known about Latino youth. This study had two aims: First, to test the association between parental education and the right and left nucleus accumbens (NAcc) resting-state functional connectivity with the frontoparietal network (FPN) in children; and second, to investigate ethnic heterogeneity in this association. This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. We analyzed the resting-state functional connectivity data (rsFC) of 10,840 US preadolescents who were between 9 and 10 years old. The main outcomes were the NAcc resting-state functional connectivity with FPN separately calculated for right and left hemispheres. Parental education was our independent variable. Family structure, sex, and age were covariates. Furthermore, ethnicity (Latino vs. non-Latino) was regarded as the moderator. We used mixed-effects regression for data analysis with and without interaction terms between parental education and ethnicity. Most participants (n = 8690; 80.2%) were non-Latino and 2150 (19.8%) were Latino. Parental education was associated with higher right and left NAcc resting-state functional connectivity with FPN. Ethnicity showed statistically significant interactions with parental education, suggesting that the positive associations between parental education and right and left NAcc resting-state functional connectivity with FPN were different in non-Latino and Latino children. For right hemisphere, we found significantly stronger and for left hemisphere, we found significantly weaker association for Latino compared with non-Latino preadolescents. Preadolescents’ NAcc resting-state functional connectivity with FPN depends on the intersections of ethnicity, parental education, and laterality.

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Mechanisms of transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of anorexia nervosa

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2021.180 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (S1) ◽

pp. S49-S50

Author(s):

Lydia Shackshaft

Keyword(s):

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

High Frequency ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽

Neurophysiological Mechanisms

AimsSevere and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN) is a challenging condition to treat, with limited therapeutic options, high morbidity, and the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is an emerging treatment option, as evidence demonstrates promising efficacy in improving mood and reducing core Anorexia Nervosa symptoms, as well as safety and tolerability to patients. We aimed to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms of rTMS use in SE-AN patients by assessing changes in resting state functional connectivity, in the first functional neuroimaging analysis investigating rTMS effects in Anorexia Nervosa patients.Method26 females with a current diagnosis of SE-AN received 20 sessions of sham or real high frequency rTMS (10 hertz) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a randomised double-blind trial. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed before and after rTMS. Neural correlates of rTMS treatment were identified using a seed-based functional connectivity analysis with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and bilateral amygdalae as regions of interest. Functional connectivity differences were analysed using t-contrasts in a mixed ANOVA (flexible factorial analysis) to assess interactions between treatment group (real rTMS vs sham) and time-point (pre or post TMS).ResultNo statistically significant changes in resting-state functional connectivity were observed post-rTMS compared to baseline in participants receiving active rTMS compared to sham. Increased functional connectivity between the left amygdala and left pre-supplementary motor area was observed to reach cluster-wise significance (PFWE < 0.05). However, after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (3 seed regions), this did not reach the significance threshold PFWE <0.017.ConclusionThis study highlights the need for further investigation of neurophysiological mechanisms, including resting-state functional connectivity modulation, resulting from rTMS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in SE-AN patients. This requires higher powered studies to account for heterogeneity in treatment response. We have provided some indication that high frequency rTMS may have therapeutic benefit in SE-AN by modification of functional connectivity between prefrontal and limbic brain regions, resulting in improved top-down cognitive control over emotional processing and ability to enact goal-directed behaviours, enabling secondary reductions in eating disorder behaviours.

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