Higher Media Multi-Tasking Activity Is Associated with Smaller Gray-Matter Density in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Background Autonomic dysregulation may lead to blunted sympathetic reactivity in chronic pain states. Autonomic responses are controlled by the central autonomic network (CAN). Little research has examined sympathetic reactivity and associations with brain CAN structures in the presence of chronic pain; thus, the present study aims to investigate how chronic pain influences sympathetic reactivity and associations with CAN brain region volumes. Methods Sympathetic reactivity was measured as change in skin conductance level (ΔSCL) between a resting reference period and walking periods for typical and complex walking tasks (obstacle and dual-task). Participants included 31 people with (n = 19) and without (n = 12) chronic musculoskeletal pain. Structural 3 T MRI was used to determine gray matter volume associations with ΔSCL in regions of the CAN (i.e., brainstem, amygdala, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex). Results ΔSCL varied across walking tasks (main effect p = 0.036), with lower ΔSCL in chronic pain participants compared to controls across trials 2 and 3 under the obstacle walking condition. ΔSCL during typical walking was associated with multiple CAN gray matter volumes, including brainstem, bilateral insula, amygdala, and right caudal anterior cingulate cortex (p’s < 0.05). The difference in ΔSCL from typical-to-obstacle walking were associated with volumes of the midbrain segment of the brainstem and anterior segment of the circular sulcus of the insula (p’s < 0.05), with no other significant associations. The difference in ΔSCL from typical-to-dual task walking was associated with the bilateral caudal anterior cingulate cortex, and left rostral cingulate cortex (p’s < 0.05). Conclusions Sympathetic reactivity is blunted during typical and complex walking tasks in persons with chronic pain. Additionally, blunted sympathetic reactivity is associated with CAN brain structure, with direction of association dependent on brain region. These results support the idea that chronic pain may negatively impact typical autonomic responses needed for walking performance via its potential impact on the brain.

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Income is associated with hippocampal/amygdala and education with cingulate cortex grey matter volume

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-75809-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

M. Lotze ◽

M. Domin ◽

C. O. Schmidt ◽

N. Hosten ◽

H. J. Grabe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Life Outcomes ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Income and education are both elements of a person’s socioeconomic status, which is predictive of a broad range of life outcomes. The brain’s gray matter volume (GMV) is influenced by socioeconomic status and mediators related to an unhealthy life style. We here investigated two independent general population samples comprising 2838 participants (all investigated with the same MRI-scanner) with regard to the association of indicators of the socioeconomic status and gray matter volume. Voxel-based morphometry without prior hypotheses revealed that years of education were positively associated with GMV in the anterior cingulate cortex and net-equivalent income with gray matter volume in the hippocampus/amygdala region. Analyses of possible mediators (alcohol, cigarettes, body mass index (BMI), stress) revealed that the relationship between income and GMV in the hippocampus/amygdala region was partly mediated by self-reported stressors, and the association of years of education with GMV in the anterior cingulate cortex by BMI. These results corrected for whole brain effects (and therefore not restricted to certain brain areas) do now offer possibilities for more detailed hypotheses-driven approaches.

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An epistasis effect of functional variants on the BDNF and DRD2 genes modulates gray matter volume of the anterior cingulate cortex in healthy humans

Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.11.027 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 1016-1021 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Christian Montag ◽

Bernd Weber ◽

Eva Jentgens ◽

Christian Elger ◽

Martin Reuter

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Healthy Humans ◽

Functional Variants ◽

Epistasis Effect

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Shared gray matter reductions across alcohol use disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder in the anterior cingulate cortex: A dual meta-analysis

Neurobiology of Stress ◽

10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.09.009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 100132 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ruth Klaming ◽

Katia M. Harlé ◽

M. Alejandra Infante ◽

Jessica Bomyea ◽

Charles Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate

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Attention and Regional Gray Matter Development in Very Preterm Children at Age 12 Years

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617717000388 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (7) ◽

pp. 539-550 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Rachel E. Lean ◽

Tracy R. Melzer ◽

Samudragupta Bora ◽

Richard Watts ◽

Lianne J. Woodward

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Structural Mri ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Executive Attention ◽

Posterior Cingulate ◽

Very Preterm ◽

The Right

AbstractObjectives: This study examines the selective, sustained, and executive attention abilities of very preterm (VPT) born children in relation to concurrent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of regional gray matter development at age 12 years. Methods: A regional cohort of 110 VPT (≤32 weeks gestation) and 113 full term (FT) born children were assessed at corrected age 12 years on the Test of Everyday Attention-Children. They also had a structural MRI scan that was subsequently analyzed using voxel-based morphometry to quantify regional between-group differences in cerebral gray matter development, which were then related to attention measures using multivariate methods. Results: VPT children obtained similar selective (p=.85), but poorer sustained (p=.02) and executive attention (p=.01) scores than FT children. VPT children were also characterized by reduced gray matter in the bilateral parietal, temporal, prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices, bilateral thalami, and left hippocampus; and increased gray matter in the occipital and anterior cingulate cortices (family-wise error–corrected p<.05). Poorer sustained auditory attention was associated with increased gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex (p=.04). Poor executive shifting attention was associated with reduced gray matter in the right superior temporal cortex (p=.04) and bilateral thalami (p=.05). Poorer executive divided attention was associated with reduced gray matter in the occipital (p=.001), posterior cingulate (p=.02), and left temporal (p=.01) cortices; and increased gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex (p=.001). Conclusions: Disturbances in regional gray matter development appear to contribute, at least in part, to the poorer attentional performance of VPT children at school age. (JINS, 2017, 23, 539–550)

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