The brain function state in different phase and relation with clinical symptoms in migraine: an fMRI study based on Reho

Abstract Objective Through regional homogeneity (ReHo) to analyze the activation of brain regions at different phase in migraineurs and to explore its relationship with clinical symptoms. Methods we analyzed resting-state Resting brain functional magnetic resonance in 19 patients with episodes and 22 patients with interictal phase,22 healthy controls. Using regional homogeneity (ReHo) method to do post-processing. All subjects were evaluated by Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA), simple mental state examination (MMSE), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD). Subjects' clinical indicators (such as frequency of attack, course of disease, duration of each headache, and severity of headache) were correlated with ReHo values of brain regions. This study was approved by the ethics committee of Yangtze river shipping general hospital. Results the episodes group compared with the interictal group, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) (-9,42༌15)༌is that the ReHo value of bilateral anterior cingulate cortex was lower active than the interictal group; and Montreal Neurological Institute (MN) (-3༌-24༌66) ,the ReHo value of bilateral paracentrallobule was stronger active than the interictal group(P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, patients in interictal phase had lower activation in bilateral cuneus and bilateral lingual gyrus, MNI of the two are (9, -84, 36) and (0,-72,6). No significant different brain area was found between the episodes group and the control group. In episodes group, significant correlation was found between attack frequency and ReHo value of the bilateral paracentrallobule (r = 0.492; p = 0.038). Conclusion We need to observe the course of migraine as a whole. Even in the interictal, it may affect the development of the disease through the cuneus and lingual gyrus. ACC regulates different states of migraine by inducing anti-injury sensation regulation function. Paracentric lobule is not only associated with migraine attacks, but also with the frequency. it may have an effect with the outcome of subsequent migraines, whether become chronic, and the remodeling of the brain.

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Cortical activation in alexithymia as a response to emotional stimuli

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.106.034728 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 192 (1) ◽

pp. 32-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Hasse Karlsson ◽

Petri Näätänen ◽

Hanna Stenman

Keyword(s):

Emotion Processing ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Cortical Activation ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Control Group ◽

Emotional Stimuli ◽

Healthy Women ◽

The Brain

BackgroundAlexithymia has been shown to be related to many psychiatric and somatic illnesses. Aberrant emotion processing in the brain may underlie several psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the neurobiological underpinnings of alexithymia.AimsTo determine the way in which the brain processes emotion in alexithymia.MethodThe participants were 10 healthy women with alexithymia and 11 healthy women without this condition, recruited into the study on the basis of their scores on the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Four films were projected on a video screen to induce each of three emotional conditions (neutral, amusement, sadness). The brain areas activated during emotional stimuli in the alexithymia group were compared with those activated in the non-alexithymia group. Scans of the distribution of [15O]H2O were acquired using a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner operated in three-dimensional mode.ResultsIn response to emotional stimuli participants with alexithymia activated more parts of their sensory and motor cortices and insula, especially on the left side, and less of their anterior cingulate, compared with the control group.ConclusionsWomen with alexithymia seem to over-activate their ‘bodily’ brain regions, implying a different mode of emotion processing. This may be related to their tendency to experience physical symptoms.

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HIV-Associated Structural and Functional Brain Alterations in Homosexual Males

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.757374 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Qiong Ma ◽

Xiudong Shi ◽

Guochao Chen ◽

Fengxiang Song ◽

Fengjun Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Hiv Infection ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Regional Homogeneity ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Functional Brain ◽

The Right ◽

The Impact ◽

The Brain

Purpose:Neuroimaging elucidations have shown structural and functional brain alterations in HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals when compared to HIV-negative (HIV–) controls. However, HIV− groups used in previous studies were not specifically considered for sexual orientation, which also affects the brain structures and functions. The current study aimed to characterize the brain alterations associated with HIV infection while controlling for sexual orientation.Methods:Forty-three HIV+ and 40 HIV– homosexual men (HoM) were recruited and underwent resting-state MRI scanning. Group differences in gray matter volume (GMV) were assessed using a voxel-based morphometry analysis. Brain regions with the altered GMV in the HIV+ HoM group were then taken as regions of interest in a seed-based analysis to identify altered functional connectivity. Furthermore, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity values were compared between the two groups to evaluate the HIV-associated functional abnormalities in local brain regions.Results:HIV+ HoM showed significantly increased GMV in the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala, and decreased GMV in the right inferior cerebellum, compared with the HIV– HoM. The brain regions with increased GMV were hyper-connected with the left superior cerebellum, right lingual gyrus, and left precuneus in the HIV+ HoM. Moreover, the ALFF values of the right fusiform gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus were increased in the HIV+ HoM. The regional homogeneity values of the right anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri, and left superior cerebellum were decreased in the HIV+ HoM.Conclusion:When the study population was restricted to HoM, HIV+ individuals exhibited structural alterations in the limbic system and cerebellum, and functional abnormalities in the limbic, cerebellum, and visual network. These findings complement the existing knowledge on the HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment from the previous neuroimaging studies by controlling for the potential confounding factor, sexual orientation. Future studies on brain alternations with the exclusion of related factors like sexual orientation are needed to understand the impact of HIV infection on neurocognitive function more accurately.

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Evaluation of the online-based self-help programme “Selfapy” in patients with unipolar depression: study protocol for a randomized, blinded parallel group dismantling study

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-021-05218-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rico Krämer ◽

Stephan Köhler

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Drop Out ◽

Control Group ◽

Hamilton Depression Scale ◽

Online Interventions ◽

Phone Calls ◽

Self Help ◽

Low Threshold ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Patients with mild to moderate depressive symptoms can have limited access to regular treatment; to ensure appropriate care, low-threshold treatment is needed. Effective online interventions could increase the supply of low-threshold treatment. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of online interventions. This study aims to evaluate the online-based self-help programme “Selfapy” on a sample of depressive subjects and compares the impact of the programme’s unaccompanied version with its therapeutic accompanied version. Methods A sample of 400 subjects that have a mild to severe depressive episode (Becks Depression Inventory - II and Hamilton Depression Scale) will be used. Subjects are randomly assigned to immediate access to an unaccompanied course (no support from psychologist via weekly phone calls), immediate access to an accompanied course (support from a psychologist via weekly phone calls) or a waiting list control group (access to the intervention after 24 weeks). The intervention will last for a period of 12 weeks. Depressive symptoms as a primary parameter, as well as various secondary parameters, such as life satisfaction, therapeutic relationships, social activation, self-esteem, attitudes towards Internet interventions and drop-out rates, are recorded at four different points in time: at baseline (T1), 6 weeks after the start of the intervention (T2), 12 weeks after the start of the intervention (T3) and 3 months after completion of the treatment follow-up (T4). Conclusion This randomized and controlled, blinded study will make use of a “dismantled” approach to adequately compare the accompanied and unaccompanied versions of the intervention. Positive and meaningful results are expected that could influence the acceptance and implementation of online interventions. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00017191. Registered on 14 June 2019

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Abnormal resting-state brain activity and connectivity of brain-bladder control network in overactive bladder syndrome

Acta Radiologica ◽

10.1177/02841851211057278 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 028418512110572

Author(s):

Wang Biao ◽

Zuo Long ◽

Zhou Yang ◽

Gu Hua ◽

Wang Shuangkun

Keyword(s):

Overactive Bladder ◽

Resting State ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Functional Integration ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Control Network ◽

Bladder Control ◽

The Brain ◽

Left Insula

Background Neuroimaging studies have shown that the brain is involved in the mechanism of overactive bladder disease (OAB). Purpose To explorer spatial patterns of spontaneous neural activities and functional integration in patients with OAB. Material and Methods In total, 28 patients with OAB and 28 matched healthy controls (HC) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and completed questionnaires to assess clinical symptoms. The amplitude of low-frequency ﬂuctuation (ALFF) and ROI-based functional connectivity (FC) within the brain-bladder control network (BBCN) were calculated and compared between the two groups using a two-sample t-test. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between ALFF and the clinical score of patients with OAB. Results Compared with HCs, patients with OAB exhibited significantly decreased ALFF in the left superior medial middle gyrus (SFGmed) and superior dorsal frontal gyrus (SFGdor), and increased ALFF in the right hippocampus. Furthermore, ALFF values in the left SFGmed were negatively correlated with OABSS scores. FC in patients with OAB was significantly increased between the bilateral caudate nucleus (CAU) and bilateral SFGdor, the bilateral CAU and bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA), the bilateral thalamus and SMA; the left CAU and bilateral SFGmed, the left CAU and bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus, and the left CAU and left insula. Additionally, decreased FC was found between the bilateral amygdala and bilateral SFGmed and the left SMA and left insula. Conclusion These abnormal activities and connectivities of BBCN may indicate impaired cortical control of micturition in OAB, suggesting a possible neural mechanism of OAB.

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Abstract WMP117: Regional Homogeneity Changes In Patients With Transient Ischemic Attack: A Resting-state Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.44.suppl_1.awmp117 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Jian Guo ◽

Ning Chen ◽

Muke Zhou ◽

Pian Wang ◽

Li He

Keyword(s):

Transient Ischemic Attack ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Resting State ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Imaging Study ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Regional Homogeneity ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Ischemic Attack

Background: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) can increase the risk of some neurologic dysfunctions, of which the mechanism remains unclear. Resting-state functional MRI (rfMRI) is suggested to be a valuable tool to study the relation between spontaneous brain activity and behavioral performance. However, little is known about whether the local synchronization of spontaneous neural activity is altered in TIA patients. The purpose of this study is to detect differences in regional spontaneous activities throughout the whole brain between TIAs and normal controls. Methods: Twenty one TIA patients suffered an ischemic event in the right hemisphere and 21 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. All subjects were investigated using cognitive tests and rfMRI. The regional homogeneity (ReHo) was calculate and compared between two groups. Then a correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationship between ReHo values of brain regions showing abnormal resting-state properties and clinical variables in TIA group. Results: Compared with controls, TIA patients exhibited decreased ReHo in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), right inferior prefrontal gyrus, right ventral anterior cingulate cortex and right dorsal posterior cingular cortex. Moreover, the mean ReHo in right DLPFC and right inferior prefrontal gyrus were significantly correlated with MoCA in TIA patients. Conclusions: Neural activity in the resting state is changed in patients with TIA. The positive correlation between regional homogeneity of rfMRI and cognition suggests that ReHo may be a promising tool to better our understanding of the neurobiological consequences of TIA.

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The Relationship between the Level of Anterior Cingulate Cortex Metabolites, Brain-Periphery Redox Imbalance, and the Clinical State of Patients with Schizophrenia and Personality Disorders

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom10091272 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1272

Author(s):

Amira Bryll ◽

Wirginia Krzyściak ◽

Paulina Karcz ◽

Natalia Śmierciak ◽

Tamas Kozicz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Disorders ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Clinical State ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Resonance Spectroscopy ◽

Redox Imbalance ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Brain

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder whose course varies with periods of deterioration and symptomatic improvement without diagnosis and treatment specific for the disease. So far, it has not been possible to clearly define what kinds of functional and structural changes are responsible for the onset or recurrence of acute psychotic decompensation in the course of schizophrenia, and to what extent personality disorders may precede the appearance of the appropriate symptoms. The work combines magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging with clinical evaluation and laboratory tests to determine the likely pathway of schizophrenia development by identifying peripheral cerebral biomarkers compared to personality disorders. The relationship between the level of metabolites in the brain, the clinical status of patients according to International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision ICD-10, duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), and biochemical indices related to redox balance (malondialdehyde), the efficiency of antioxidant systems (FRAP), and bioenergetic metabolism of mitochondria, were investigated. There was a reduction in the level of brain N-acetyl-aspartate and glutamate in the anterior cingulate gyrus of patients with schisophrenia compared to the other groups that seems more to reflect a biological etiopathological factor of psychosis. Decreased activity of brain metabolites correlated with increased peripheral oxidative stress (increased malondialdehyde MDA) associated with decreased efficiency of antioxidant systems (FRAP) and the breakdown of clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia in the course of psychotic decompensation compared to other groups. The period of untreated psychosis correlated negatively with glucose value in the brain of people with schizophrenia, and positively with choline level. The demonstrated differences between two psychiatric units, such as schizophrenia and personality disorders in relation to healthy people, may be used to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of schizophrenia compared to other heterogenous psychopathology in the future. The collapse of clinical symptoms of patients with schizophrenia in the course of psychotic decompensation may be associated with the occurrence of specific schizotypes, the determination of which is possible by determining common relationships between changes in metabolic activity of particular brain structures and peripheral parameters, which may be an important biological etiopathological factor of psychosis. Markers of peripheral redox imbalance associated with disturbed bioenergy metabolism in the brain may provide specific biological factors of psychosis however, they need to be confirmed in further studies.

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Altered Brain Activation in Military Personnel with One or More Traumatic Brain Injuries Following Blast

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617711001433 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 89-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Randall S. Scheibel ◽

Mary R. Newsome ◽

Maya Troyanskaya ◽

Xiaodi Lin ◽

Joel L. Steinberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Injuries ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Control Group ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Emotional Symptoms ◽

Stimulus Response ◽

Visual Spatial

AbstractExplosive blast is a frequent cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among personnel deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with an event-related stimulus-response compatibility task was used to compare 15 subjects with mild, chronic blast-related TBI with 15 subjects who had not experienced a TBI or blast exposure during deployment. Six TBI subjects reported multiple injuries. Relative to the control group, TBI subjects had slightly slower responses during fMRI and increased somatic complaints and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. A between-group analysis indicated greater activation during stimulus-response incompatibility in TBI subjects within the anterior cingulate gyrus, medial frontal cortex, and posterior cerebral areas involved in visual and visual-spatial functions. This activation pattern was more extensive after statistically controlling for reaction time and symptoms of PTSD and depression. There was also a negative relationship between symptoms of PTSD and activation within posterior brain regions. These results provide evidence for increased task-related activation following mild, blast-related TBI and additional changes associated with emotional symptoms. Limitations of this study include no matching for combat exposure and different recruitment strategies so that the control group was largely a community-based sample, while many TBI subjects were seeking services. (JINS, 2012, 18, 89–100)

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Combined Parietal-Insular-Striatal Cortex Stroke with New-Onset Hallucinations: Supporting the Salience Network Model of Schizophrenia

Psychiatry Journal ◽

10.1155/2020/4262050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Saheba Nanda ◽

Krishna Priya ◽

Tasmia Khan ◽

Puja Patel ◽

Heela Azizi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Integration ◽

Insular Cortex ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Psychotic Symptoms ◽

Salience Network ◽

Schizophrenic Patients ◽

Cortical Circuit ◽

The Brain ◽

New Onset

Brain imaging studies have identified multiple neuronal networks and circuits in the brain with altered functioning in patients with schizophrenia. These include the hippocampo-cerebello-cortical circuit, the prefrontal-thalamic-cerebellar circuit, functional integration in the bilateral caudate nucleus, and the salience network consisting of the insular cortex, parietal anterior cingulate cortex, and striatum, as well as limbic structures. Attributing psychotic symptoms to any of these networks in schizophrenia is confounded by the disruption of these networks in schizophrenic patients. Such attribution can be done with isolated dysfunction in any of these networks with concurrent psychotic symptoms. We present the case of a patient who presents with new-onset hallucinations and a stroke in brain regions similar to the salience network (insular cortex, parietal cortex, and striatum). The implication of these findings in isolating psychotic symptoms of the salience network is discussed.

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Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reveals Rapid and Reversible Changes in the Brain Following Induction of Psoriasiform Dermatitis in Mice

Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis ◽

10.1177/2475530318763617 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 59-64

Author(s):

Xiping Liu ◽

Yasutomo Imai ◽

Yan Zhou ◽

Sebastian Yu ◽

Rupeng Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Skin Inflammation ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Mri Imaging ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Mouse Ear ◽

The Brain

Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI), a specific form of MRI imaging, quantitatively assesses connectivity between brain regions that share functional properties. Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging has already provided unique insights into changes in the brain in patients with conditions such as depression and pain and symptoms that have been reported by patients with psoriasis and are known to impact quality of life. To identify the central neurological impact of psoriasiform inflammation of the skin, we applied fcMRI analysis to mice that had been topically treated with the Toll-like receptor agonist, imiquimod (IMQ) to induce psoriasiform dermatitis. Brain insula regions, due to their suggested role in stress, were chosen as seed regions for fcMRI analysis. Mouse ear and head skin developed psoriasiform epidermal thickening (up to 4-fold, P < .05) and dermal inflammation after 4 days of topical treatment with IMQ. After fcMRI analysis, IMQ-treated mice showed significantly increased insula fc with wide areas throughout the brain, including, but not limited to, the somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and caudate putamen ( P < .005). This reflects a potential central neurological impact of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation. These data indicate that fcMRI may be valuable tool to quantitatively assess the neurological impact of skin inflammation in patients with psoriasis.

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Effects of tiletamine-xylazine-tramadol combination and its specific antagonist on AMPK in the brain of rats

Journal of Veterinary Research ◽

10.2478/jvetres-2019-0027 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 285-292

Author(s):

Ning Ma ◽

Xin Li ◽

Hong-bin Wang ◽

Li Gao ◽

Jian-hua Xiao

Keyword(s):

Mrna Expression ◽

Opposite Effect ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Control Group ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Sd Rats ◽

The Central Nervous System ◽

Specific Antagonist ◽

Sedation And Analgesia ◽

The Brain

AbstractIntroduction:Tiletamine-xylazine-tramadol (XFM) has few side effects and can provide good sedation and analgesia. Adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) can attenuate trigeminal neuralgia. The study aimed to investigate the effects of XFM and its specific antagonist on AMPK in different regions of the brain.Material and Methods:A model of XFM in the rat was established. A total of 72 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three equally sized groups: XFM anaesthesia (M group), antagonist (W group), and XFM with antagonist interactive groups (MW group). Eighteen SD rats were in the control group and were injected intraperitoneally with saline (C group). The rats were sacrificed and the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, thalamus, and brain stem were immediately separated, in order to detect AMPKα mRNA expression by quantitative PCR.Results:XFM was able to increase the mRNA expression of AMPKα1 and AMPKα2 in all brain regions, and the antagonist caused the opposite effect, although the effects of XFM could not be completely reversed in some areas.Conclusion:XFM can influence the expression of AMPK in the central nervous system of the rat, which can provide a reference for the future development of anaesthetics for animals.

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