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.

Neural effects of social environmental stress – an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 2015-2023 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Mothersill ◽  
G. Donohoe
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Bold Response ◽  
Activation Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Mri Studies ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
The Right

BackgroundSocial environmental stress, including childhood abuse and deprivation, is associated with increased rates of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. However, the neural mechanisms mediating risk are not completely understood. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have reported effects of social environmental stress on a variety of brain regions, but interpretation of results is complicated by the variety of environmental risk factors examined and different methods employed.MethodWe examined brain regions consistently showing differences in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response in individuals exposed to higher levels of environmental stress by performing a coordinate-based meta-analysis on 54 functional MRI studies using activation likelihood estimation (ALE), including an overall sample of 3044 participants. We performed separate ALE analyses on studies examining adults (mean age ⩾18 years) and children/adolescents (mean age <18 years) and a contrast analysis comparing the two types of study.ResultsAcross both adult and children/adolescent studies, ALE meta-analysis revealed several clusters in which differences in BOLD response were associated with social environmental stress across multiple studies. These clusters incorporated several brain regions, among which the right amygdala was most frequently implicated.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that a variety of social environmental stressors is associated with differences in the BOLD response of specific brain regions such as the right amygdala in both children/adolescents and adults. What remains unknown is whether these environmental stressors have differential effects on treatment response in these brain regions.

Neural Correlates of Anti-appetite Medications: an fMRI Meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Wai Kan Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Physiological Effect ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Food Cues ◽  
The Right ◽  
Cerebral Processing

: Food craving is a health issue for a considerable proportion of the general population. Medications have been introduced to alleviate the craving or reduce the appetite via a neuropharmacological approach. However, the underlying cerebral processing of the medications was largely unknown. This study aimed to meta-analyze existing neuroimaging findings. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify relevant publications. Original studies that reported brain imaging findings using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were initially included. The reported coordinates of brain activation available from the studies were extracted and meta-analyzed with the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) approach via the software GingerALE. The overall analysis pooling data from 24 studies showed that the right claustrum and insula were the targeted sites of altered cerebral processing of food cues by the medications. Subgroup analysis pooling data from 11 studies showed that these sites had reduced activity level under medications compared to placebo. The location of this significant cluster partially overlapped with that attributable to affective value processing of food cue in a prior meta-analysis. No brain regions were found to have increased activity level by medications. These neural correlates may help explain the physiological effect of food consumption by anti-appetite and anti-obesity medications.

scholarly journals From ATOM to GradiATOM: Cortical gradients support time and space processing as revealed by a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgia Cona ◽  
Martin Wiener ◽  
Cristina Scarpazza
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
General System ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural System ◽  
Gradient Theory ◽  
Time Processing ◽  
Space And Time ◽  
Space Processing ◽  
The Right

AbstractAccording to the ATOM (A Theory Of Magnitude), formulated by Walsh more than fifteen years ago, there is a general system of magnitude in the brain that comprises regions, such as the parietal cortex, shared by space, time and other magnitudes (Walsh, 2003).The present meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies used the Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) method in order to determine the set of regions commonly activated in space and time processing and to establish the neural activations specific to each magnitude domain. Following PRISMA guidelines, we included in the analysis a total of 112 and 114 experiments, exploring space and time processing, respectively.We clearly identified the presence of a system of brain regions commonly recruited in both space and time and that includes: bilateral insula, the pre-supplementary motor area (SMA), the right frontal operculum and the intraparietal sulci. These regions might be the best candidates to form the core magnitude neural system. Surprisingly, along each of these regions but the insula, ALE values progressed in a cortical gradient from time to space. The SMA exhibited an anterior-posterior gradient, with space activating more-anterior regions (i.e., pre-SMA) and time activating more-posterior regions (i.e., SMA-proper). Frontal and parietal regions showed a dorsal-ventral gradient: space is mediated by dorsal frontal and parietal regions, and time recruits ventral frontal and parietal regions.Our study supports but also expands the ATOM theory. Therefore, we here re-named it the ‘GradiATOM’ theory (Gradient Theory of Magnitude), proposing that gradient organization can facilitate the transformations and integrations of magnitude representations by allowing space- and time-related neural populations to interact with each other over minimal distances.

scholarly journals Willingness to Pay in the Human Brain: A fMRI Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqiang Yao ◽  
Zhigang Huang ◽  
Yiwen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Activation Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Medial Cortex ◽  
The Brain

The neural substrate of willingness to pay (WTP) ultimately supports human economic exchange activities and plays a crucial role in daily life. This paper aimed to identify the neural basis of WTP for food and nonfood, as well as the brain regions related to real and hypothetical WTP choices. We found the human brain centers of WTP by performing an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis (27 experiments, 796 subjects) on the existing neuroimaging studies. The conjunction analysis revealed that WTP for food and nonfood engaged a common cluster in the paracingulate and cingulate gyrus, revealing a common reward circuit in the brain. The frontal medial cortex and paracingulate gyrus were particularly activated by WTP for nonfood. Furthermore, the left caudate, left thalamus, angular gyrus and supramarginal gyrus (subregions of inferior parietal lobule) were more convergently activated by hypothetical WTP choice. Our findings support the idea that a common currency representation in the brain and reward-specific neural basis. Results also provide evidence of neural representations of the hypothetical bias.

scholarly journals Sense of Agency Beyond Sensorimotor Process: Decoding Self-Other Action Attribution in the Human Brain

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 4076-4091
Author(s):  
Ryu Ohata ◽  
Tomohisa Asai ◽  
Hiroshi Kadota ◽  
Hiroaki Shigemasu ◽  
Kenji Ogawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Sense Of Agency ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
Sensorimotor Information ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract The sense of agency is defined as the subjective experience that “I” am the one who is causing the action. Theoretical studies postulate that this subjective experience is developed through multistep processes extending from the sensorimotor to the cognitive level. However, it remains unclear how the brain processes such different levels of information and constitutes the neural substrates for the sense of agency. To answer this question, we combined two strategies: an experimental paradigm, in which self-agency gradually evolves according to sensorimotor experience, and a multivoxel pattern analysis. The combined strategies revealed that the sensorimotor, posterior parietal, anterior insula, and higher visual cortices contained information on self-other attribution during movement. In addition, we investigated whether the found regions showed a preference for self-other attribution or for sensorimotor information. As a result, the right supramarginal gyrus, a portion of the inferior parietal lobe (IPL), was found to be the most sensitive to self-other attribution among the found regions, while the bilateral precentral gyri and left IPL dominantly reflected sensorimotor information. Our results demonstrate that multiple brain regions are involved in the development of the sense of agency and that these show specific preferences for different levels of information.

scholarly journals Modification of both functional neurological symptoms and neuroimaging patterns with a good anatomoclinical concordance: a case report

BMC Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvio Galli ◽  
Selma Aybek ◽  
Sylvie Chokron ◽  
Thierry Moulin ◽  
Eloi Magnin
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disorder ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Single Photon ◽  
Photon Emission ◽  
Conversion Disorder ◽  
Emission Computed Tomography ◽  
Sensorimotor Deficit ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
The Right ◽  
Functional Neurological Disorder

Abstract Background In the nineteenth century, Jean Martin Charcot explained functional neurological disorder (formerly called conversion disorder) as a “psychodynamic” lesion. Numerous advances in neuroimaging have permitted identification of the neural underpinnings of this disorder. Case presentation Herein we describe a case of functional neurological disorder (FND) with initial left sensorimotor deficit, in-coordinated limb movements, neglect, clouded consciousness, slurred speech and a semiology of visual impairment. A single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed a right thalamic hypoperfusion, which is rather concordant with the initial semiology. Later, the semiology changed, presenting with a predominantly neurovisual complex presentation. The second SPECT showed no more thalamic abnormalities but an hypoperfusion in the right temporo-occipital junction, right inferior parietal lobe and left superior frontal lobe, which is also rather concordant with the changing semiology. Conclusions This case illustrates the evolving neuroimaging patterns of FND but also the concordance between semiology and neuroimaging findings in FND supporting Charcot's theory of “dynamic lesion”.

scholarly journals Creating Colored Letters: Familial Markers of Grapheme–Color Synesthesia in Parietal Lobe Activation and Structure

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1239-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olympia Colizoli ◽  
Jaap M. J. Murre ◽  
H. Steven Scholte ◽  
Romke Rouw
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
The Family ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Right ◽  
First Time

Perception is inherently subjective, and individual differences in phenomenology are well illustrated by the phenomenon of synesthesia (highly specific, consistent, and automatic cross-modal experiences, in which the external stimulus corresponding to the additional sensation is absent). It is unknown why some people develop synesthesia and others do not. In the current study, we tested whether neural markers related to having synesthesia in the family were evident in brain function and structure. Relatives of synesthetes (who did not have any type of synesthesia themselves) and matched controls read specially prepared books with colored letters for several weeks and were scanned before and after reading using magnetic resonance imaging. Effects of acquired letter–color associations were evident in brain activation. Training-related activation (while viewing black letters) in the right angular gyrus of the parietal lobe was directly related to the strength of the learned letter–color associations (behavioral Stroop effect). Within this obtained angular gyrus ROI, the familial trait of synesthesia related to brain activation differences while participants viewed both black and colored letters. Finally, we compared brain structure using voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging to test for group differences and training effects. One cluster in the left superior parietal lobe had significantly more coherent white matter in the relatives compared with controls. No evidence for experience-dependent plasticity was obtained. For the first time, we present evidence suggesting that the (nonsynesthete) relatives of grapheme–color synesthetes show atypical grapheme processing as well as increased brain connectivity.

scholarly journals A Meta-Analysis of Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Transcriptomic Data

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamel Patel ◽  
Richard J.B Dobson ◽  
Stephen J Newhouse
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Biological Pathways ◽  
Transcriptomic Changes

ABSTRACTBackgroundMicroarray technologies have identified imbalances in the expression of specific genes and biological pathways in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains. However, there is a lack of reproducibility across individual AD studies, and many related neurodegenerative and mental health disorders exhibit similar perturbations. We are yet to identify robust transcriptomic changes specific to AD brains.Methods and ResultsTwenty-two AD, eight Schizophrenia, five Bipolar Disorder, four Huntington's disease, two Major Depressive Disorder and one Parkinson’s disease dataset totalling 2667 samples and mapping to four different brain regions (Temporal lobe, Frontal lobe, Parietal lobe and Cerebellum) were analysed. Differential expression analysis was performed independently in each dataset, followed by meta-analysis using a combining p-value method known as Adaptively Weighted with One-sided Correction. This identified 323, 435, 1023 and 828 differentially expressed genes specific to the AD temporal lobe, frontal lobe, parietal lobe and cerebellum brain regions respectively. Seven of these genes were consistently perturbed across all AD brain regions with SPCS1 gene expression pattern replicating in RNA-seq data. A further nineteen genes were perturbed specifically in AD brain regions affected by both plaques and tangles, suggesting possible involvement in AD neuropathology. Biological pathways involved in the “metabolism of proteins” and viral components were significantly enriched across AD brains.ConclusionThis study solely relied on publicly available microarray data, which too often lacks appropriate phenotypic information for robust data analysis and needs to be addressed by future studies. Nevertheless, with the information available, we were able to identify specific transcriptomic changes in AD brains which could make a significant contribution towards the understanding of AD disease mechanisms and may also provide new therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Seeking the “beauty center” in the brain: A meta-analysis of fMRI studies of beautiful human faces and visual art

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan-Peng Hu ◽  
Yi Huang ◽  
Simon B. Eickhoff ◽  
Kaiping Peng ◽  
Jie Sui
Keyword(s):  
Visual Art ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
The Common ◽  
Conjunction Analysis ◽  
Human Faces ◽  
The Brain

AbstractThe existence of a common beauty is a long-standing debate in philosophy and related disciplines. In the last two decades, cognitive neuroscientists have sought to elucidate this issue by exploring the common neural basis of the experience of beauty. Still, empirical evidence for such common neural basis of different forms of beauty is not conclusive. To address this question, we performed an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on the existing neuroimaging studies of beauty appreciation of faces and visual art by non-expert adults (49 studies, 982 participants, meta-data are available at https://osf.io/s9xds/). We observed that perceiving these two forms of beauty activated distinct brain regions: while the beauty of faces convergently activated the left ventral striatum, the beauty of visual art convergently activated the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC). However, a conjunction analysis failed to reveal any common brain regions for the beauty of visual art and faces. The implications of these results are discussed.

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