scholarly journals Identify potential neuroimaging-based scalp acupuncture and neuromodulation targets for anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-111
Author(s):  
Jin Cao ◽  
Yiting Huang ◽  
Sierra A. Hodges ◽  
Nathaniel Meshberg ◽  
Jian Kong
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Scalp Acupuncture ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
New Type

Anxiety is a common psychiatric symptom with unsatisfactory treatment. Scalp acupuncture is a new type of acupuncture based on the functions of different brain regions. However, recent brain neuroimaging findings have not been well-integrated into scalp acupuncture practice and research since it was developed. In parallel, recently developed brain stimulation methods have also been applied to treat anxiety. In this study, we integrated meta-analysis (using Neurosynth), resting-state functional connectivity, and diffusion tensor imaging (using the amygdala as the region of interest) to identify potential locations of scalp acupuncture/neuromodulation for anxiety. We found that the superior/middle frontal gyrus, middle/superior temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus, supplementary motor area, supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus, and superior/inferior occipital gyrus are involved in the pathophysiology of anxiety, and, thus, may be used as the target areas of scalp stimulation for alleviating anxiety. Integrating multidisciplinary brain methods to identify key surface cortical areas associated with a certain disorder may shed light on the development of scalp acupuncture/neuromodulation, particularly in the domain of identifying stimulation locations.

scholarly journals Neuroimaging-Based Scalp Acupuncture Locations for Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Cao ◽  
Yiting Huang ◽  
Nathaniel Meshberg ◽  
Sierra A. Hodges ◽  
Jian Kong
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Electrical Current ◽  
Scalp Acupuncture ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Temporal Pole ◽  
And Diffusion ◽  
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Dti

Scalp acupuncture is a modality of acupuncture in which acupuncture needles are inserted into a certain layer of the scalp in order to affect the function of corresponding areas of the cerebral cortex and relieve symptoms. Clinical studies have demonstrated the potential of scalp acupuncture as a non-pharmacological treatment for dementia. Unfortunately, recent findings from brain neuroimaging studies on dementia have not been incorporated into scalp acupuncture. This study aims to integrate meta-analysis, resting-state functional connectivity, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to identify potential locations of scalp acupuncture for treatment of dementia. We found that the prefrontal cortex, the medial prefrontal cortex, the middle and superior temporal gyrus, the temporal pole, the supplementary motor area, the inferior occipital gyrus, and the precuneus are involved in the pathophysiology of dementia and, therefore, may be the target areas of scalp acupuncture for dementia treatment. The neuroimaging-based scalp acupuncture protocol developed in this study may help to refine the locations for the treatment of dementia. Integrating multidisciplinary methods to identify key surface cortical areas associated with a certain disorder may shed light on the development of scalp acupuncture and other neuromodulation methods such as transcranial electrical current stimulation, particularly in the domain of identifying stimulation locations.

scholarly journals Dysbalanced Resting-State Functional Connectivity Within the Praxis Network Is Linked to Gesture Deficits in Schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 905-915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Wüthrich ◽  
Petra V Viher ◽  
Katharina Stegmayer ◽  
Andrea Federspiel ◽  
Stephan Bohlhalter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Course Of Illness ◽  
Parietal Lobule

Abstract Patients with schizophrenia frequently present deficits in gesture production and interpretation, greatly affecting their communication skills. As these gesture deficits can be found early in the course of illness and as they can predict later outcomes, exploring their neural basis may lead to a better understanding of schizophrenia. While gesturing has been reported to rely on a left lateralized network of brain regions, termed praxis network, in healthy subjects and lesioned patients, studies in patients with schizophrenia are sparse. It is currently unclear whether within-network connectivity at rest is linked to gesture deficit. Here, we compared the functional connectivity between regions of the praxis network at rest between 46 patients and 44 healthy controls. All participants completed a validated test of hand gesture performance before resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was acquired. Patients performed gestures poorer than controls in all categories and domains. In patients, we also found significantly higher resting-state functional connectivity between left precentral gyrus and bilateral superior and inferior parietal lobule. Likewise, patients had higher connectivity from right precentral gyrus to left inferior and bilateral superior parietal lobule (SPL). In contrast, they exhibited lower connectivity between bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG). Connectivity between right precentral gyrus and left SPL, as well as connectivity between bilateral STG, correlated with gesture performance in healthy controls. We failed to detect similar correlations in patients. We suggest that altered resting-state functional connectivity within the praxis network perturbs correct gesture planning in patients, reflecting the gesture deficit often seen in schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Replication of Previous Findings? Comparing Gray Matter Volumes in Transgender Individuals with Gender Incongruence and Cisgender Individuals

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1454
Author(s):  
Benjamin Clemens ◽  
Mikhail Votinov ◽  
Andrei Alexandru Puiu ◽  
Andre Schüppen ◽  
Philippa Hüpen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Gray Matter Volumes ◽  
The Brain

The brain structural changes related to gender incongruence (GI) are still poorly understood. Previous studies comparing gray matter volumes (GMV) between cisgender and transgender individuals with GI revealed conflicting results. Leveraging a comprehensive sample of transmen (n = 33), transwomen (n = 33), cismen (n = 24), and ciswomen (n = 25), we employ a region-of-interest (ROI) approach to examine the most frequently reported brain regions showing GMV differences between trans- and cisgender individuals. The primary aim is to replicate previous findings and identify anatomical regions which differ between transgender individuals with GI and cisgender individuals. On the basis of a comprehensive literature search, we selected a set of ROIs (thalamus, putamen, cerebellum, angular gyrus, precentral gyrus) for which differences between cis- and transgender groups have been previously observed. The putamen was the only region showing significant GMV differences between cis- and transgender, across previous studies and the present study. We observed increased GMV in the putamen for transwomen compared to both transmen and ciswomen and for all transgender participants compared to all cisgender participants. Such a pattern of neuroanatomical differences corroborates the large majority of previous studies. This potential replication of previous findings and the known involvement of the putamen in cognitive processes related to body representations and the creation of the own body image indicate the relevance of this region for GI and its potential as a structural biomarker for GI.

scholarly journals Altered Brain Structure and Spontaneous Functional Activity in Children With Concomitant Strabismus

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Yin ◽  
Lingjun Chen ◽  
Mingyue Ma ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Ming Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Examination ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Concomitant Strabismus

Strabismus occurs in about 2% of children and may result in amblyopia or lazy eyes and loss of depth perception. However, whether/how long-term strabismus shapes the brain structure and functions in children with concomitant strabismus (CS) is still unclear. In this study, a total of 26 patients with CS and 28 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging examination. The cortical thickness and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were calculated to assess the structural and functional plasticity in children with CS. Compared with HCs group, patients with CS showed increased cortical thickness in the precentral gyrus and angular gyrus while decreased cortical thickness in the left intraparietal sulcus, parieto-occipital sulcus, superior and middle temporal gyrus, right ventral premotor cortex, anterior insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and paracentral lobule. Meanwhile, CS patients exhibited increased ALFF in the prefrontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus, and decreased ALFF in the caudate and hippocampus. These results show that children with CS have abnormal structure and function in brain regions subserving eye movement, controls, and high-order cognitive functions. Our findings revealed the structural and functional abnormalities induced by CS and may provide new insight into the underlying neural mechanisms for CS.

scholarly journals An ALE Meta-Analysis of Specific Functional MRI Studies on Subcortical Vascular Cognitive Impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenwen Xu ◽  
Yu Song ◽  
Shanshan Chen ◽  
Chen Xue ◽  
Guanjie Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vascular Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Imaging Biomarkers ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Subcortical Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Background: Subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (sVCI), caused by cerebral small vessel disease, accounts for the majority of vascular cognitive impairment, and is characterized by an insidious onset and impaired memory and executive function. If not recognized early, it inevitably develops into vascular dementia. Several quantitative studies have reported the consistent results of brain regions in sVCI patients that can be used to predict dementia conversion. The purpose of the study was to explore the exact abnormalities within the brain in sVCI patients by combining the coordinates reported in previous studies.Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were thoroughly searched to obtain neuroimaging articles on the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, regional homogeneity, and functional connectivity in sVCI patients. According to the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) algorithm, a meta-analysis based on coordinate and functional connectivity modeling was conducted.Results: The quantitative meta-analysis included 20 functional imaging studies on sVCI patients. Alterations in specific brain regions were mainly concentrated in the frontal lobes including the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, and precentral gyrus; parietal lobes including the precuneus, angular gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule; occipital lobes including the lingual gyrus and cuneus; temporal lobes including the fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus; and the limbic system including the cingulate gyrus. These specific brain regions belonged to important networks known as the default mode network, the executive control network, and the visual network.Conclusion: The present study determined specific abnormal brain regions in sVCI patients, and these brain regions with specific changes were found to belong to important brain functional networks. The findings objectively present the exact abnormalities within the brain, which help further understand the pathogenesis of sVCI and identify them as potential imaging biomarkers. The results may also provide a basis for new approaches to treatment.

Neural Underpinnings of Numerical and Spatial Cognition: An fMRI Meta-Analysis of Brain Regions Associated with Symbolic Number, Arithmetic, and Mental Rotation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Hawes ◽  
H Moriah Sokolowski ◽  
Chuka Bosah Ononye ◽  
Daniel Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Number Representation ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
The Right ◽  
Symbolic Number

Where and under what conditions do spatial and numerical skills converge and diverge in the brain? To address this question, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain regions associated with basic symbolic number processing, arithmetic, and mental rotation. We used Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) to construct quantitative meta-analytic maps synthesizing results from 86 neuroimaging papers (~ 30 studies/cognitive process). All three cognitive processes were found to activate bilateral parietal regions in and around the intraparietal sulcus (IPS); a finding consistent with shared processing accounts. Numerical and arithmetic processing were associated with overlap in the left angular gyrus, whereas mental rotation and arithmetic both showed activity in the middle frontal gyri. These patterns suggest regions of cortex potentially more specialized for symbolic number representation and domain-general mental manipulation, respectively. Additionally, arithmetic was associated with unique activity throughout the fronto-parietal network and mental rotation was associated with unique activity in the right superior parietal lobe. Overall, these results provide new insights into the intersection of numerical and spatial thought in the human brain.

scholarly journals Sensory perception in autism: an fMRI ALE meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazia Jassim ◽  
Simon Baron-Cohen ◽  
John Suckling
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Sensory Perception ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
And Control ◽  
Lateral Occipital Cortex

Sensory sensitivities occur in up to 90% of autistic individuals. With the recent inclusion of sensory symptoms in the diagnostic criteria for autism, there is a current need to develop neural hypotheses related to autistic sensory perception. Using activation likelihood estimation (ALE), we meta-analysed 52 task-based fMRI studies investigating differences between autistic (n=891) and control (n=967) participants during non-social sensory perception. During complex perception, autistic groups showed more activity in the secondary somatosensory and occipital cortices, insula, caudate, superior temporal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule, while control groups showed more activity in the frontal and parietal regions. During basic sensory processing, autistic groups showed hyperactivity in the lateral occipital cortex, primary somatosensory and motor cortices, insula, caudate, and thalamus, while controls showed heightened activity in the precentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, precuneus, and anterior cingulate cortex. We conclude that autistic individuals, on average, show distinct engagement of sensory-related brain networks during sensory perception. These findings may help guide future research to focus on relevant neurobiological mechanisms underpinning the autistic experience.

scholarly journals Structure supports function: informing directed and dynamic functional connectivity with anatomical priors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pascucci ◽  
Maria Rubega ◽  
Joan Rue-Queralt ◽  
Sebastien Tourbier ◽  
Patric Hagmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Noise Perturbation ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Functional Brain Networks ◽  
Anatomical Priors ◽  
And Diffusion

The dynamic repertoire of functional brain networks is constrained by the underlying topology of structural connections: the lack of a direct structural link between two brain regions prevents direct functional interactions. Despite the intrinsic relationship between structural (SC) and functional connectivity (FC), integrative and multimodal approaches to combine the two remain limited, especially for electrophysiological data. In the present work, we propose a new linear adaptive filter for estimating dynamic and directed FC using structural connectivity information as priors. We tested the filter in rat epicranial recordings and human event-related EEG data, using SC priors from a meta-analysis of tracer studies and diffusion tensor imaging metrics, respectively. Our results show that SC priors increase the resilience of FC estimates to noise perturbation while promoting sparser networks under biologically plausible constraints. The proposed filter provides intrinsic protection against SC-related false negatives, as well as robustness against false positives, representing a valuable new method for multimodal imaging and dynamic FC analysis.

scholarly journals Hypoconnectivity networks in schizophrenia patients: a voxelwise meta-analysis of rs-fMRI

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Ruiz-Torras ◽  
Oscar Fernández-Vazquez ◽  
Cristina Cañete-Massé ◽  
Maribel Peró-Cebollero ◽  
Joan Guàrdia-Olmos
Keyword(s):  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Health States ◽  
The Right ◽  
Work Done

Abstract In the last few years, the field of brain connectivity has focused on identifying biomarkers to describe different health states and to discriminate between patients and healthy controls through the characterization of brain networks. A particularly interesting case, because of the symptoms' severity, is the work done with samples of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. This meta-analysis aims to identify connectivity networks with different activation patterns between people diagnosed with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Therefore, we collected primary studies exploring whole brain connectivity by functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy people. Thus, we identified 25 high-quality studies that included a total of 1285 people with schizophrenia and 1279 healthy controls. The results indicate hypoactivation in the right precentral gyrus and in the left superior temporal gyrus of people with schizophrenia compared with the control group. These regions have been linked to deficits in gesticulation and the experience of auditory hallucinations in people with schizophrenia. A study of heterogeneity demonstrated that the effect size was influenced by the sample size and type of analysis. These results imply new contributions to the knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment of schizophrenia both clinically and in research.

scholarly journals Modulation of hippocampal brain networks produces changes in episodic simulation and divergent thinking

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (23) ◽  
pp. 12729-12740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preston P. Thakral ◽  
Kevin P. Madore ◽  
Sarah E. Kalinowski ◽  
Daniel L. Schacter
Keyword(s):  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Seed Region ◽  
Core Network ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Target Region ◽  
Episodic Simulation

Prior functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies indicate that a core network of brain regions, including the hippocampus, is jointly recruited during episodic memory, episodic simulation, and divergent creative thinking. Because fMRI data are correlational, it is unknown whether activity increases in the hippocampus, and the core network more broadly, play a causal role in episodic simulation and divergent thinking. Here we employed fMRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess whether temporary disruption of hippocampal brain networks impairs both episodic simulation and divergent thinking. For each of two TMS sessions, continuous θ-burst stimulation (cTBS) was applied to either a control site (vertex) or to a left angular gyrus target region. The target region was identified on the basis of a participant-specific resting-state functional connectivity analysis with a hippocampal seed region previously associated with memory, simulation, and divergent thinking. Following cTBS, participants underwent fMRI and performed a simulation, divergent thinking, and nonepisodic control task. cTBS to the target region reduced the number of episodic details produced for the simulation task and reduced idea production on divergent thinking. Performance in the control task did not statistically differ as a function of cTBS site. fMRI analyses revealed a selective and simultaneous reduction in hippocampal activity during episodic simulation and divergent thinking following cTBS to the angular gyrus versus vertex but not during the nonepisodic control task. Our findings provide evidence that hippocampal-targeted TMS can specifically modulate episodic simulation and divergent thinking, and suggest that the hippocampus is critical for these cognitive functions.

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