scholarly journals Subcortical Structures and Creative Divergent Thinking: A Resting-State functional MRI Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenni Gao ◽  
Xiaojin Liu ◽  
Delong Zhang ◽  
Ming Liu ◽  
Ning Hao
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Subcortical Structures ◽  
Motor Pathways ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Spontaneous Fluctuations ◽  
Dopaminergic Pathways

Abstract This study aimed to testify whether spontaneous fluctuations in the subcortex contribute to creative divergent thinking. Individuals at high- and low levels of creativity were recruited and the resting-state fMRI data was collected. Seed-wise and dynamic functional connectivity (FC) were used to identify differences between the two groups. The topological properties of the subcortical network were measured, and their relationship with performance of creative divergent thinking was calculated using brain-behaviour correlation analyses. The results revealed higher FC between the putamen, pallidum, and thalamus in high creativity group (HCG) compared to low creativity group (LCG) within the subcortex. Whole-brain FC results showed stronger connection across subcortical (i.e., the thalamus and pallidum) and cerebral regions (i.e., the insula, middle frontal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus) in HCG compared to LCG. In addition, the subcortical FC demonstrated a positive correlation with performance of creative thinking across the pallidum, putamen, and thalamus. Our findings may provide novel insights into the relationship between creative divergent thinking and the activities of the subcortex. It is likely that not only fronto-striatal dopaminergic pathways, but also “motor” pathways, are involved in creative thinking processing.

Distinguishing hypochondriasis and schizophrenia using regional homogeneity: a resting-state fMRI study and support vector machine analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Kangyu Jin ◽  
Zhe Shen ◽  
Guoxun Feng ◽  
Zhiyong Zhao ◽  
Jing Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Regional Homogeneity ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Fmri Study

Abstract Objective: A few former studies suggested there are partial overlaps in abnormal brain structure and cognitive function between Hypochondriasis (HS) and schizophrenia (SZ). But their differences in brain activity and cognitive function were unclear. Methods: 21 HS patients, 23 SZ patients, and 24 healthy controls (HC) underwent Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) with the regional homogeneity analysis (ReHo), subsequently exploring the relationship between ReHo value and cognitive functions. The support vector machines (SVM) were used on effectiveness evaluation of ReHo for differentiating HS from SZ. Results: Compared with HC, HS showed significantly increased ReHo values in right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) and right fusiform gyrus (FG), while SZ showed increased ReHo in left insula, decreased ReHo values in right paracentral lobule. Additionally, HS showed significantly higher ReHo values in FG, MTG and left paracentral lobule but lower in insula than SZ. The higher ReHo values in insula were associated with worse performance in MCCB in HS group. SVM analysis showed a combination of the ReHo values in insula and FG was able to satisfactorily distinguish the HS and SZ patients. Conclusion: our results suggested the altered default mode network (DMN), of which abnormal spontaneous neural activity occurs in multiple brain regions, might play a key role in the pathogenesis of HS, and the resting-state alterations of insula closely related to cognitive dysfunction in HS. Furthermore, the combination of the ReHo in FG and insula was a relatively ideal indicator to distinguish HS from SZ.

scholarly journals Exploring Neural Signal Complexity as a Potential Link between Creative Thinking, Intelligence, and Cognitive Control

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Yadwinder Kaur ◽  
Selina Weiss ◽  
Changsong Zhou ◽  
Rico Fischer ◽  
Andrea Hildebrandt
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Crystallized Intelligence ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Common Basis ◽  
Multiple Neural Networks ◽  
Potential Link ◽  
Signal Complexity ◽  
The Relationship

Functional connectivity studies have demonstrated that creative thinking builds upon an interplay of multiple neural networks involving the cognitive control system. Theoretically, cognitive control has generally been discussed as the common basis underlying the positive relationship between creative thinking and intelligence. However, the literature still lacks a detailed investigation of the association patterns between cognitive control, the factors of creative thinking as measured by divergent thinking (DT) tasks, i.e., fluency and originality, and intelligence, both fluid and crystallized. In the present study, we explored these relationships at the behavioral and the neural level, based on N = 77 young adults. We focused on brain-signal complexity (BSC), parameterized by multi-scale entropy (MSE), as measured during a verbal DT and a cognitive control task. We demonstrated that MSE is a sensitive neural indicator of originality as well as inhibition. Then, we explore the relationships between MSE and factor scores indicating DT and intelligence. In a series of across-scalp analyses, we show that the overall MSE measured during a DT task, as well as MSE measured in cognitive control states, are associated with fluency and originality at specific scalp locations, but not with fluid and crystallized intelligence. The present explorative study broadens our understanding of the relationship between creative thinking, intelligence, and cognitive control from the perspective of BSC and has the potential to inspire future BSC-related theories of creative thinking.

scholarly journals Vascular origins of low-frequency oscillations in the cerebrospinal fluid signal in resting-state fMRI: Interpretation using photoplethysmography

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmadreza Attarpour ◽  
James Ward ◽  
J. Jean Chen
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
M Wave ◽  
Wave Range ◽  
Cardiac Pulse ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractSlow and rhythmic spontaneous oscillations of cerebral blood flow are well known to have diagnostic utility, notably frequencies of 0.008-0.03 Hz (B-waves) and 0.05-0.15Hz (Mayer waves or M waves). However, intracranial measurements of these oscillations have been difficult. Oscillations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which are influenced by the cardiac pulse wave, represent a possible avenue for non-invasively tracking these oscillations using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), and have been used to correct for vascular oscillations in rs-fMRI functional connectivity calculations. However, the relationship between low-frequency CSF and vascular oscillations is unclear. In this study, we investigate this relationship using fast simultaneous multi-slice rs-fMRI coupled with fingertip photoplethysmography (PPG). We not only extract B-wave and M-wave range spectral power from the PPG signal, but also derive the pulse-intensity ratio (PIR, a surrogate of slow blood-pressure oscillations), the second-derivative of the PPG (SDPPG, a surrogate of arterial stiffness) and heart-rate variability (HRV). The main findings of this study are: (1) signals in different CSF regions (ROIs) are not equivalent in their vascular contributions or in their associations with vascular and tissue rs-fMRI signals; (2) the PPG signal contains the highest signal contribution from the M-wave range, while PIR contains the highest signal contribution from the B-wave range; (3) in the low-frequency range, PIR is more strongly associated with rs-fMRI signal in the CSF than PPG itself, and than HRV and SDPPG; (4) PPG-related vascular oscillations only contribute to < 20% of the CSF signal in rs-fMRI, insufficient support for the assumption that low-frequency CSF signal fluctuations directly reflect vascular oscillations. These findings caution the use of CSF as a monolithic region for extracting physiological nuisance regressors in rs-fMRI applications. They also pave the way for using rs-fMRI in the CSF as a potential tool for tracking cerebrovascular health through, for instance the strong relationship between PIR and the CSF signal.

Divergent Thinking and Hemispheric Dominance for Language Function among Preschool Children

1983 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 691-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Walker Tegano ◽  
Victoria R. Fu ◽  
James D. Moran
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Dichotic Listening ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Hemispheric Dominance ◽  
Language Function ◽  
Product Improvement ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Task Stimulus

An investigation of the relationship of hemispheric dominance (dichotic listening) and divergent thinking (Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking) with 27 preschool children (11 males and 16 females; mean age of 4–8) indicated a positive relationship between right hemispheric dominance and scores on the Product Improvement task. Low intertask correlations suggested that the Unusual Uses and Product Improvement tasks were not measuring the same construct. These findings were discussed with regard to nature of the task (stimulus specificity) and the age of the subjects in this study. The findings show that divergent thinking is associated with right hemispheric dominance in children as young as 4 years.

scholarly journals Altered effective connectivity from the posterior insula to the amygdala mediates the relationship between psychopathic traits and concern with the Harm foundation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuer Ye ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Bing Zhu ◽  
Yangting Lv ◽  
Qun Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Effective Connectivity ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Moral Foundations ◽  
Moral Foundation ◽  
Posterior Insula ◽  
The Relationship

Psychopathic traits have been demonstrated to be associated with different types of morality; however, the neuropsychological mechanism underlying the relationship between psychopathic traits and morality remains unclear. Our study examined the effective connectivity (EC) of psychopathic traits-related brain regions and its association to concern with different moral foundations by combining behavioral measures with resting-state fMRI. We administered the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) and Moral Foundation Questionnaire (MFQ) to 78 college students after resting-state fMRI scanning. Our results showed that total and primary psychopathic traits score predicted concern with the Harm foundation. The EC from the posterior insula to the amygdala was negatively correlated with psychopathic traits and positively with concern with the Harm foundation. Altered posterior insula-amygdala EC partially mediated the relationship between psychopathic traits and concern with the Harm foundation. Our findings indicated that individuals with elevated psychopathic traits may have atypical processes in recognizing and integrating bodily state information into emotional responses, leading to less concern for harm-related morality. The study deepened our understanding of the neuropsychological mechanism underlying the relationship between psychopathic traits and morality and may have implications for the prevention of higher psychopathic traits individuals from committing serious transgressions.

scholarly journals Resting state fMRI in pre-surgical brain mapping. Literature review

2018 ◽  
pp. 6-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Smirnov ◽  
M. G. Sharaev ◽  
T. V. Melnikova-Pitskhelauri ◽  
V. Yu. Zhukov ◽  
A. E. Bikanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Mapping ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Preoperative Planning ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Complete Information ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level ◽  
Spontaneous Fluctuations ◽  
The Brain

Today, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows to plan surgery based on the topography of functionally important areas of the human brain cortex and tumor. This method can complement the surgical strategy with significant clinical information. The stimulus-dependent fMRI with motor and language paradigms is generally used for preoperative planning. The study outcome depends on the patient's ability to perform tasks paradigm, which is broken in brain tumors. In an attempt to overcome this problem, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) is used for brain mapping. Rs-fMRI is based on the measurement of spontaneous fluctuations of the BOLD signal (blood oxygen level-dependent), representing the functional structure of the brain. In contrast to stimulus-dependent fMRI, rs-fMRI provides more complete information about functional architecture of the brain. rs-fMRI is used in conditions where the results of stimulusdependent fMRI may be falsely positive or in the absence of the possibility of its implementation. In aggregate, both methods significantly expand the efficiency and specificity of preoperative planning.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and the Brain: A Psychological and Resting-state fMRI Study of the Whole-brain Functional Connectivity

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Mohammad Niroumand Sarvandani ◽  
◽  
Javad Sheikhi Koohsar ◽  
Raheleh Rafaiee ◽  
Maryam Saeedi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Montreal Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Neuropsychological Status ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) spreads rapidly worldwide and causes severe acute respiratory syndrome. The current study aimed at evaluating the relationship between the whole-brain functional connections in resting state and cognitive impairments in patients with COVID-19 compared with that of a healthy control group. Methods: Resting-state fMRI and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) data were obtained from 29 patients of the acute stage of COVID-19 on the third day of admission and 20 healthy controls. Cross-correlation of the mean resting-state signals was determined in the voxels of 23 IC (Independent Components) of brain neural circuits. To assess cognitive function and neuropsychological status, MoCA was performed on all participants. The relationship between rs-fMRI information, neuropsychological status, and paraclinical data were analyzed. Results: The COVID-19 group got a lower mean MoCA score and showed a significant reduction in the functional connectivity of the IC14 (P <0.001) and IC38 (P <0.001) regions compared with controls. The increase of functional connectivity was observed in the COVID-19 group compared with controls at baseline in the default mode network (DMN) IC00 (P <0.001) and dorsal attention network (DAN) IC08 (P <0.001) regions. Furthermore, alternation of functional connectivity in the mentioned ICs was significantly correlated with the mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and inflammatory parameters-ie, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Conclusions: Functional connectivity abnormalities in four brain neural circuits associated with cognitive impairment and increased inflammatory markers in patients with COVID-19.

scholarly journals Brain activity fluctuations propagate as waves traversing the cortical hierarchy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yameng Gu ◽  
Lucas E. Sainburg ◽  
Sizhe Kuang ◽  
Feng Han ◽  
Jack W. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Subcortical Structures ◽  
Cortical Hierarchy ◽  
Neural Origin ◽  
The Brain

AbstractThe brain exhibits highly organized patterns of spontaneous activity as measured by resting-state fMRI fluctuations that are being widely used to assess the brain’s functional connectivity. Some evidence suggests that spatiotemporally coherent waves are a core feature of spontaneous activity that shapes functional connectivity, though this has been difficult to establish using fMRI given the temporal constraints of the hemodynamic signal. Here we investigated the structure of spontaneous waves in human fMRI and monkey electrocorticography. In both species, we found clear, repeatable, and directionally constrained activity waves coursed along a spatial axis approximately representing cortical hierarchical organization. These cortical propagations were closely associated with activity changes in distinct subcortical structures, particularly those related to arousal regulation, and modulated across different states of vigilance. The findings demonstrate a neural origin of spatiotemporal fMRI wave propagation at rest and link it to the principal gradient of resting-state fMRI connectivity.

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