Altered local and distant functional connectivity density relate to headache frequency in migraine without aura

Abstract Background Episodic migraine (EM) is associated with alterations in functional connectivity of several regions or resting-state networks, but it is not well known how large-scale functional connectivity pattern of the whole brain is affected in chronic migraine (CM). Methods Fifty-six migraineurs without aura (39 with EM, 17 with CM) and 35 healthy controls (HC) underwent clinical assessment and resting-state functional MRI. Functional connectivity density (FCD) was calculated in a voxel-wise way to examine large-scale brain network property over the whole brain. Results Compared with HC, both migraine groups showed increased local FCD in the left orbital frontal gyrus (OFG), right hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus (HP/PHG), cerebellum, and decreased local FCD in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Local FCD of the left OFG increased in CM compared to EM. In comparison with HC, EM showed increased local FCD in the left middle temporal gyrus, and CM exhibited decreased local FCD in the left sensorimotor cortex and bilateral precuneus. Furthermore, relative to HC, EM showed increased distant FCD in the right PHG while CM showed increased distant FCD in the right HP and OFG. Importantly, majority of the observed local and distant FCD alterations were associated with migraine frequency across all migraineurs. Conclusion Patients with higher migraine frequency present more extensive and pronounced functional connectivity dysfunctions in regions involved in pain processing and modulation. FCD, especially local FCD may be a sensitive biomarker for examining the neural mechanism of migraine.

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Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Functional Connectivity Density Mapping in Patients With Optic Neuritis

Frontiers in Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnins.2021.718973 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Ke Song ◽

Yong Wang ◽

Mei-Xia Ren ◽

Jiao Li ◽

Ting Su ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Optic Neuritis ◽

Resting State ◽

Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Functional Connectivity Density ◽

The Right

Background: Using resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), we investigated alternations in spontaneous brain activities reflected by functional connectivity density (FCD) in patients with optic neuritis (ON).Methods: We enrolled 28 patients with ON (18 males, 10 females) and 24 healthy controls (HCs; 16 males, 8 females). All subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a quiet state to determine the values of rsFC, long-range FCD (longFCD), and short-range FCD (IFCD). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to distinguish patients from HCs.Results: The ON group exhibited obviously lower longFCD values in the left inferior frontal gyrus triangle, the right precuneus and the right anterior cingulate, and paracingulate gyri/median cingulate and paracingulate gyri. The left median cingulate and paracingulate gyri and supplementary motor area (SMA) were also significantly lower. Obviously reduced IFCD values were observed in the left middle temporal gyrus/angular gyrus/SMA and right cuneus/SMA compared with HCs.Conclusion: Abnormal neural activities were found in specific brain regions in patients with ON. Specifically, they showed significant changes in rsFC, longFCD, and IFCD values. These may be useful to identify the specific mechanism of change in brain function in ON.

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Heterogeneity of EEG resting-state brain networks in absolute pitch

10.1101/2020.05.03.063206 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marielle Greber ◽

Carina Klein ◽

Simon Leipold ◽

Silvano Sele ◽

Lutz Jäncke

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Auditory Cortex ◽

Resting State ◽

Large Scale ◽

Absolute Pitch ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Brain Network ◽

Higher Order ◽

Neural Basis ◽

Whole Brain

AbstractThe neural basis of absolute pitch (AP), the ability to effortlessly identify a musical tone without an external reference, is poorly understood. One of the key questions is whether perceptual or cognitive processes underlie the phenomenon as both sensory and higher-order brain regions have been associated with AP. One approach to elucidate the neural underpinnings of a specific expertise is the examination of resting-state networks.Thus, in this paper, we report a comprehensive functional network analysis of intracranial resting-state EEG data in a large sample of AP musicians (n = 54) and non-AP musicians (n = 51). We adopted two analysis approaches: First, we applied an ROI-based analysis to examine the connectivity between the auditory cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using several established functional connectivity measures. This analysis is a replication of a previous study which reported increased connectivity between these two regions in AP musicians. Second, we performed a whole-brain network-based analysis on the same functional connectivity measures to gain a more complete picture of the brain regions involved in a possibly large-scale network supporting AP ability.In our sample, the ROI-based analysis did not provide evidence for an AP-specific connectivity increase between the auditory cortex and the DLPFC. In contrast, the whole-brain analysis revealed three networks with increased connectivity in AP musicians comprising nodes in frontal, temporal, subcortical, and occipital areas. Commonalities of the networks were found in both sensory and higher-order brain regions of the perisylvian area. Further research will be needed to confirm these exploratory results.

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Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity in Somatic Symptom Disorder: A Resting-state fMRI Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-72364/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yangyang Cui ◽

Huai-Bin Liang ◽

Qian Zhu ◽

Zhaoxia Qin ◽

Yue Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Resting State ◽

Somatic Symptom ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Cingulate Gyrus ◽

Medical Disorders ◽

Medial Frontal Gyrus ◽

The Right

Abstract Background: Somatic symptom disorders (SSDs) are common medical disorders characterized by various biological, social, and psychological pathogenic factors. Little is known about the neural correlations of SSD. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the dysfunction in 45 patients with SSD and in 43 controls by combining the regional homogeneity (ReHo) amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) methods based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Compared to the controls, the patients with SSD exhibited significantly greater ReHo in the right cingulate gyrus and smaller ReHo in the right precuneus, left inferior and temporal gyrus extending to the left middle temporal gyrus and left parahippocampal gyrus, and right pons. The SSD patients showed higher ALFF values in the cingulate gyrus extending to the left medial frontal gyrus, right insula extending to the right inferior frontal gyrus, and left medial frontal gyrus extending to the left anterior cingulate cortex. Conclusions: These dysfunction areas seem to have a particular importance for the occurrence of SSD, which may result in dysfunction in self-relevant processes, emotional processing, multimodal integration, arousal, interoception, and body perception.

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Abnormal functional connectivity density in patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy

Ophthalmic Research ◽

10.1159/000512755 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yunhai Tu ◽

Pingping Huang ◽

Chuanwan Mao ◽

Xiaozheng Liu ◽

Jianlu Gao

Keyword(s):

Visual Field ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Optic Neuropathy ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Functional Connectivity Density ◽

Dysthyroid Optic Neuropathy ◽

Middle Temporal ◽

The Right ◽

Left Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Left Middle

[Objective] Functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping was used to investigate abnormalities and factors related to brain functional connectivity (F.C.) in cortical regions of patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) and to analyze the pathogenesis of DON further. [Methods] Patients diagnosed with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) in the Eye Hospital were enrolled. All patients underwent comprehensive eye examinations and best-corrected visual acuity, visual field(V.F.) test. MRI data collection and analysis were completed in the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The patients were divided into two groups: the DON group, with an average visual field, mean deviation (M.D.) of both eyes < -5 dB, and the non-DON group (nDON group), with an average visual field M.D. of both eyes ≥ -2 dB. [Results] A total of 30 TAO patients (14 men, 16 women) with complete data who met the experimental requirements were enrolled. The average age was 48.79 (40~ 57) years. There were 16 patients in the DON group and 14 patients in the nDON group. No significant differences in age, gender, education level, and the maximum horizontal diameter of either medial rectus muscle were found between the two groups. The difference of brain FCD between the two groups showed significant abnormal connectivity in the right orbital gyri of the frontal lobe (Frontal_Inf_Orb_R) and the left precuneus in the DON group compared with the nDON group. As demonstrated by decreased FCD values in the right inferior frontal gyrus/orbital part, the relevant brain regions were the left middle temporal gyrus, left precuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and brain gyri (excluding the supramarginal gyrus and angular gyrus) below the left parietal bone. The FCD associated with the left precuneus was increased, and the relevant brain areas were the left middle temporal gyrus, right cuneus, superior occipital gyrus, and right fusiform gyrus. A significant correlation was identified between the MD. of the binocular visual field and brain FCD. [Conclusion] The abnormal FCD in the cortex of DON patients suggests that a central nervous system mechanism may be related to the pathogenesis of the DON.

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An Exploratory Study on Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Individuals with Disorganized Attachment: Evidence for Key Regions in Amygdala and Hippocampus

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11111539 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1539

Author(s):

Gianluca Cruciani ◽

Maddalena Boccia ◽

Vittorio Lingiardi ◽

Guido Giovanardi ◽

Pietro Zingaretti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Functional Coupling ◽

Brain Abnormalities ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Posterior Portion ◽

The Right

Studies comparing organized (O) and unresolved/disorganized (UD) attachment have consistently shown structural and functional brain abnormalities, although whether and how attachment patterns may affect resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) is still little characterized. Here, we investigated RSFC of temporal and limbic regions of interest for UD attachment. Participants’ attachment was classified via the Adult Attachment Interview, and all participants underwent clinical assessment. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 11 UD individuals and seven matched O participants during rest. A seed-to-voxel analysis was performed, including the anterior and the posterior cingulate cortex, the bilateral insula, amygdala and hippocampus as seed regions. No group differences in the clinical scales emerged. Compared to O, the UD group showed lower RSFC between the left amygdala and the left cerebellum (lobules VIII), and lower functional coupling between the right hippocampus and the posterior portion of the right middle temporal gyrus. Moreover, UD participants showed higher RSFC between the right amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex. Our findings suggest RSFC alterations in regions associated with encoding of salient events, emotion processing, memories retrieval and self-referential processing in UD participants, highlighting the potential role of attachment experiences in shaping brain abnormalities also in non-clinical UD individuals.

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Large-scale intrinsic connectivity is consistent across varying task demands

10.1101/407205 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Paulina Kieliba ◽

Sasidhar Madugula ◽

Nicola Filippini ◽

Eugene P. Duff ◽

Tamar R. Makin

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Large Scale ◽

Brain Activation ◽

Whole Brain ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Intrinsic Connectivity ◽

Connectivity Patterns ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity ◽

The Brain

AbstractMeasuring whole-brain functional connectivity patterns based on task-free (‘restingstate’) spontaneous fluctuations in the functional MRI (fMRI) signal is a standard approach to probing habitual brain states, independent of task-specific context. This view is supported by spatial correspondence between task- and rest-derived connectivity networks. Yet, it remains unclear whether intrinsic connectivity observed in a resting-state acquisitions is persistent during task. Here, we sought to determine how changes in ongoing brain activation, elicited by task performance, impact the integrity of whole-brain functional connectivity patterns. We employed a ‘steadystates’ paradigm, in which participants continuously executed a specific task (without baseline periods). Participants underwent separate task-based (visual, motor and visuomotor) or task-free (resting) steady-state scans, each performed over a 5-minute period. This unique design allowed us to apply a set of traditional resting-state analyses to various task-states. In addition, a classical fMRI block-design was employed to identify individualized brain activation patterns for each task, allowing to characterize how differing activation patterns across the steady-states impact whole-brain intrinsic connectivity patterns. By examining correlations across segregated brain regions (nodes) and the whole brain (using independent component analysis), we show that the whole-brain network architecture characteristic of the resting-state is robustly preserved across different steady-task states, despite striking inter-task changes in brain activation (signal amplitude). Subtler changes in functional connectivity were detected locally, within the active networks. Together, we show that intrinsic connectivity underlying the canonical resting-state networks is relatively stable even when participants are engaged in different tasks and is not limited to the resting-state.New and NoteworthyDoes intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) reflect the canonical or transient state of the brain? We tested the consistency of the intrinsic connectivity networks across different task-conditions. We show that despite local changes in connectivity, at the whole-brain level there is little modulation in FC patterns, despite profound and large-scale activation changes. We therefore conclude that intrinsic FC largely reflects the a priori habitual state of the brain, independent of the specific cognitive context.

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Aberrant Functional Connectivity in Resting State Networks of ADHD Patients Revealed by Independent Component Analysis(ICA)

10.21203/rs.2.16761/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Huayu Zhang ◽

Yue Zhao ◽

Weifang Cao ◽

Dong Cui ◽

Qing Jiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Middle Temporal ◽

Group Ica ◽

The Right ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity ◽

Left Middle Temporal Gyrus

Abstract Background：ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Altered functional connectivity has been associated with ADHD symptoms. This study aimed to investigate abnormal changes in the functional connectivity of resting-state brain networks (RSNs) among adolescent patients with different subtypes of ADHD. Methods: The data were obtained from the ADHD-200 Global Competition, including fMRI data from 88 ADHD patients (56 patients of ADHD-Combined，ADHD-C and 32 patients of ADHD-Inattentive, ADHD-I) and 67 Typically-Developing Controls (TD-C). Group ICA was utilized to research aberrant brain functional connectivity within different subtypes of ADHD. Results: Compared with TD-C group, the clusters of decreased functional connectivity were located in the left inferior occipital gyrus (p=0.0041) and right superior occipital gyrus (p=0.0011) of DAN, supplementary motor area (p=0.0036) of ECN, left supramarginal gyrus (p=0.0081) of SN, middle temporal gyrus (p=0.0041) and superior medial frontal gyrus (p=0.0055) of DMN in ADHD-C group. In the ADHD-I group, decreased functional connectivity was found in the right superior parietal gyrus (p=0.0017) of DAN and left middle temporal gyrus (p=0.0105) of DMN. The decreased functional connectivity of ADHD-C group was found in superior temporal gyrus (p=0.0062) of AN, inferior temporal gyrus (p=0.0016) of DAN, dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (p=0.0082) of DMN compared to ADHD-I group. All the clusters surviving at p<0.05 (AlphaSim correction). Conclusion: The results suggested that decreased functional connectivity within the DMN and DAN was responsible, at least in part, for the symptom of inattention in ADHD-I patients. Similarly, we believed that the impaired functional connectivity within networks may contribute to the manifestations of ADHD-C patients, including inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and unconscious movements.

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Impaired Effective Functional Connectivity of the Sensorimotor Network in Interictal Episodic Migraineurs Without Aura

10.21203/rs.3.rs-39331/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Heng-Le Wei ◽

Jing Chen ◽

Yu-Chen Chen ◽

Yu-Sheng Yu ◽

Xi Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Angular Gyrus ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Causality Analysis ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Sensorimotor Network ◽

The Right ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) has confirmed sensorimotor network (SMN) dysfunction in migraine without aura (MwoA). However, the underlying mechanisms of SMN causal functional connectivity in MwoA remain unclear. We aimed to explore the association between clinical characteristics and effective functional connectivity in SMN, in interictal patients who have MwoA.Methods: We used Rs-fMRI to acquire imaging data in forty episodic patients with MwoA in the interictal phase and thirty-four healthy controls (HCs). Independent component analysis was used to profile the distribution of SMN and calculate the different SMN activity between the two groups. Subsequently, Granger causality analysis was used to analyze the effective causal connectivity between the SMN and other brain regions.Results: Compared to the HCs, MwoA patients showed higher activity in the bilateral postcentral gyri (PoCG) and supplementary motor areas, but lower activity in left Rolandic operculum/insula. Moreover, MwoA patients showed significantly causal connectivity from the SMN to the left calcarine sulcus, left middle temporal gyrus, right angular gyrus and right precuneus. There was also significant causal connectivity from the left calcarine sulcus, left inferior orbitofrontal cortex, right cuneus, right putamen and left inferior parietal lobule to the SMN. In the interictal period, there was positive correlation between the activity of the left PoCG and headache frequency (r = 0.410, p = 0.013), but negative correlation between the activity of the right PoCG and the impact of headache (r = -0.397, p = 0.016). In addition, the disease duration was directly proportional to the connectivity strength from the left PoCG to the right angular gyrus (r = 0.418, p = 0.011), and from the right PoCG to the left calcarine sulcus (r = 0.377, p = 0.023).Conclusions: These differential, resting-state functional activities of the SMN in episodic MwoA may contribute to the understanding of migraine-related intra- and internetwork imbalances associated with nociceptive regulation and chronification.

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Aberrant functional connectivity in resting state networks of ADHD patients revealed by independent component analysis

BMC Neuroscience ◽

10.1186/s12868-020-00589-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Huayu Zhang ◽

Yue Zhao ◽

Weifang Cao ◽

Dong Cui ◽

Qing Jiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Middle Temporal ◽

Dorsal Attention Network ◽

Group Ica ◽

The Right ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity ◽

Left Middle Temporal Gyrus

Abstract Background ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Altered functional connectivity has been associated with ADHD symptoms. This study aimed to investigate abnormal changes in the functional connectivity of resting-state brain networks (RSNs) among adolescent patients with different subtypes of ADHD. Methods The data were obtained from the ADHD-200 Global Competition, including fMRI data from 88 ADHD patients (56 patients of ADHD-Combined, ADHD-C and 32 patients of ADHD-Inattentive, ADHD-I) and 67 typically developing controls (TD-C). Group ICA was utilized to research aberrant brain functional connectivity within the different subtypes of ADHD. Results In comparison with the TD-C group, the ADHD-C group showed clusters of decreased functional connectivity in the left inferior occipital gyrus (p = 0.0041) and right superior occipital gyrus (p = 0.0011) of the dorsal attention network (DAN), supplementary motor area (p = 0.0036) of the executive control network (ECN), left supramarginal gyrus (p = 0.0081) of the salience network (SN), middle temporal gyrus (p = 0.0041), and superior medial frontal gyrus (p = 0.0055) of the default mode network (DMN), while the ADHD-I group showed decreased functional connectivity in the right superior parietal gyrus (p = 0.0017) of the DAN and left middle temporal gyrus (p = 0.0105) of the DMN. In comparison with the ADHD-I group, the ADHD-C group showed decreased functional connectivity in the superior temporal gyrus (p = 0.0062) of the AN, inferior temporal gyrus (p = 0.0016) of the DAN, and the dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (p = 0.0082) of the DMN. All the clusters surviving at p < 0.05 (AlphaSim correction). Conclusion The results suggested that decreased functional connectivity within the DMN and DAN was responsible, at least in part, for the symptom of inattention in ADHD-I patients. Similarly, we believed that the impaired functional connectivity within networks may contribute to the manifestations of ADHD-C patients, including inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and unconscious movements.

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Heterogeneous Acupuncture Effects of Taixi (KI3) on Functional Connectivity in Healthy Youth and Elder: A Functional MRI Study Using Regional Homogeneity and Large-Scale Functional Connectivity Analysis

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2020/8884318 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Linlu He ◽

Guangxiang Chen ◽

Ruwen Zheng ◽

Yan Hu ◽

Xiu Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Spontaneous Activity ◽

Resting State ◽

Large Scale ◽

Age Groups ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Regional Homogeneity ◽

Supporting Evidence ◽

The Right ◽

Acupuncture Effects

Heterogeneous neurological responses of acupuncture between different groups have been proposed by previous studies but rarely studied. The study described here was designed to explore the divergence of acupuncture at Taixi (KI3) on spontaneous activity of brain regions and functional connectivity (FC) between healthy youth and elder with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). 20 healthy young volunteers and 20 healthy elders underwent 10-minute-resting-state fMRI before acupuncture, and then acupuncture at Taixi (KI3) for 3 minutes; after withdrawing the needles, volunteers underwent a second fMRI scan for 10 minutes. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and large-scale FC analysis using Power 264 atlas were utilized to analyze the changes of brain spontaneous activity. Compared with the resting state, the decreased ReHo after acupuncture at KI3 in both groups were concentrated in the left postcentral, right paracentral lobule, and right SMA. Moreover, the subjects in the HY group showed declined ReHo in brain regions involving the right lingual and precentral. However, those subjects in the HE group presented decreased ReHo in the right postcentral and precentral, left supramarginal gyrus and SMA, and both cingulum middle after needling in KI3. Compared with the resting state, the HY group in the postneedling state showed lower mean intranetwork FC in sensory/somatomotor and subcortical network. And the internetwork FC between sensory/somatomotor and dorsal attention had significantly decreased after acupuncture. Furthermore, the internetwork FC between subcortical and dorsal attention and between subcortical and cerebellar showed the most obvious elevations after needling in the HY group. In the elder group, both FCs of internetwork and intranetwork primarily involving sensory/somatomotor, cingulo-opercular, and dorsal attention were declined after acupuncture. These results indicated that acupuncture at KI3 had heterogeneous acupuncture effects in different age groups. Our study led to converging evidence supporting the acupuncture effect segregation of different condition subjects and supporting evidence for prevention and treatment with acupuncture in the future.

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