HIV-Associated Structural and Functional Brain Alterations in Homosexual Males

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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Cortical abnormalities in episodic migraine: A multi-center 3T MRI study

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/0333102418795163 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (5) ◽

pp. 665-673 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Stefano Magon ◽

Arne May ◽

Anne Stankewitz ◽

Peter J Goadsby ◽

Christoph Schankin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cortical Thickness ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Small Sample ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Middle Frontal Gyrus ◽

Central Sulcus ◽

Control Subjects ◽

Visual Cortices ◽

The Right ◽

The Impact

Background Several previous studies have investigated cortical abnormalities, specifically cortical thickness, in patients with migraine, with variable results. The relatively small sample sizes of most previous studies may partially explain these inconsistencies. Objective To investigate differences of cortical thickness between control subjects and migraineurs in a large cohort. Methods Three Tesla MRI data of 131 patients (38 with and 93 without aura) and 115 control subjects were analysed. A vertex-wise linear model was applied controlling for age, gender and MRI scanner to investigate differences between groups and determine the impact of clinical factors on cortical thickness measures. Results Migraineurs showed areas of thinned cortex compared with controls bilaterally in the central sulcus, in the left middle-frontal gyrus, in left visual cortices and the right occipito-temporal gyrus. Frequency of migraine attacks and the duration of the disorder had a significant impact on cortical thickness in the sensorimotor cortex and middle-frontal gyrus. Patients without aura showed thinner cortex than controls bilaterally in the central sulcus and in the middle frontal gyrus, in the left primary visual cortices, in the left supramarginal gyrus and in the right cuneus. Patients with aura showed clusters of thinner cortex bilaterally in the subparietal sulcus (between the precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex), in the left intraparietal sulcus and in the right anterior cingulate. Conclusion These results indicate cortical abnormalities in specific brain regions in migraineurs. Some of the observed abnormalities may reflect a genetic susceptibility towards developing migraine attacks, while others are probably a consequence of repeated head pain attacks.

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

10.21203/rs.3.rs-198584/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ming Lei ◽

Jun-Jian Zhang ◽

Dong-Mei Wu

Keyword(s):

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Regional Homogeneity ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Control Group ◽

Hamilton Depression Scale ◽

Montreal Neurological Institute ◽

Lingual Gyrus ◽

The Brain

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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Decreased effective connection from the parahippocampal gyrus to the prefrontal cortex in Internet gaming disorder: A MVPA and spDCM study

Journal of Behavioral Addictions ◽

10.1556/2006.2020.00012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 105-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ziliang Wang ◽

Haohao Dong ◽

Xiaoxia Du ◽

Jin-Tao Zhang ◽

Guang-Heng Dong

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Internet Gaming Disorder ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Series Data ◽

Support Vector ◽

Gaming Disorder ◽

Internet Gaming ◽

The Right ◽

The Brain

Abstract Objectives Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is essential for the condition's diagnosis and treatment. Nevertheless, the pathological mechanisms of IGD remain elusive at present. Hence, we employed multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) and spectral dynamic causal modeling (spDCM) to explore this issue. Methods Resting-state fMRI data were collected from 103 IGD subjects (male = 57) and 99 well-matched recreational game users (RGUs, male = 51). Regional homogeneity was calculated as the feature for MVPA based on the support vector machine (SVM) with leave-one- out cross-validation. Mean time series data extracted from the brain regions in accordance with the MVPA results were used for further spDCM analysis. Results Results display a high accuracy of 82.67% (sensitivity of 83.50% and specificity of 81.82%) in the classification of the two groups. The most discriminative brain regions that contributed to the classification were the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus (PG), right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Significant correlations were found between addiction severity (IAT and DSM scores) and the ReHo values of the brain regions that contributed to the classification. Moreover, the results of spDCM showed that compared with RGU, IGD showed decreased effective connectivity from the left PG to the right MFG and from the right PG to the ACC and decreased self-connection in the right PG. Conclusions These results show that the weakening of the PG and its connection with the prefrontal cortex, including the ACC and MFG, may be an underlying mechanism of IGD.

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Mapping a cognitive theory onto neurology

10.31234/osf.io/9mbuv ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lorin Friesen

Keyword(s):

Frontal Cortex ◽

Left Hemisphere ◽

Cognitive Theory ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Cognitive Styles ◽

Brain Regions ◽

The Other ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

The Right ◽

The Brain

Neurological research has made amazing strides in recent years. Enough is now known about what specific brain areas do to make it possible to start examining how various parts of the brain interact. What is missing is a general theory of cognition to tie all of this information together. Back in the 1980s, a cognitive theory was developed that began with a system of cognitive styles and was expanded through an in-depth study of biographies. It was discovered at that time that this theory mapped in a general way onto the brain. This cognitive theory, known as the theory of mental symmetry, has recently been tested as a meta-theory by using it to analyze a number of fields and theories dealing with human thought and behavior. This paper shows that personality traits that were discovered by mental symmetry correspond in detail to the functioning of brain regions described in current neurological papers. In brief, the cognitive model suggests that there are seven cognitive styles: There are four simple styles, and there are three composite styles that combine the thinking of the simple styles. Two of the simple styles use emotions and emphasize a circuit composed of orbitofrontal cortex, inferior frontal cortex, temporal lobe, and amygdala, with one in the left hemisphere and the other in the right hemisphere. The other two simple styles use confidence and emphasize a circuit consisting of dorsolateral frontal cortex, frontopolar cortex, parietal cortex, and hippocampus, again with one in the left hemisphere and the other in the right hemisphere. The three composite styles form a processing chain. The first composite style combines the two simple emotional styles and emphasizes the ventral striatum, and dopamine. This leads to the second composite style, which combines the two simple confidence styles and emphasizes the anterior cingulate, the dorsal striatum, and serotonin. This is followed by the third composite style which balances the functioning of the mind and emphasizes the thalamus and noradrenaline.

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Developmental cannabidiol exposure increases anxiety and modifies genome-wide brain DNA methylation in adult female mice

Clinical Epigenetics ◽

10.1186/s13148-020-00993-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nicole M. Wanner ◽

Mathia Colwell ◽

Chelsea Drown ◽

Christopher Faulk

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Coat Color ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Nulliparous Female ◽

The Impact ◽

The Brain

Abstract Background Use of cannabidiol (CBD), the primary non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, has recently risen dramatically, while relatively little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms of its effects. Previous work indicates that direct CBD exposure strongly impacts the brain, with anxiolytic, antidepressant, antipsychotic, and other effects being observed in animal and human studies. The epigenome, particularly DNA methylation, is responsive to environmental input and can direct persistent patterns of gene regulation impacting phenotype. Epigenetic perturbation is particularly impactful during embryogenesis, when exogenous exposures can disrupt critical resetting of epigenetic marks and impart phenotypic effects lasting into adulthood. The impact of prenatal CBD exposure has not been evaluated; however, studies using the psychomimetic cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have identified detrimental effects on psychological outcomes in developmentally exposed adult offspring. We hypothesized that developmental CBD exposure would have similar negative effects on behavior mediated in part by the epigenome. Nulliparous female wild-type Agouti viable yellow (Avy) mice were exposed to 20 mg/kg CBD or vehicle daily from two weeks prior to mating through gestation and lactation. Coat color shifts, a readout of DNA methylation at the Agouti locus in this strain, were measured in F1 Avy/a offspring. Young adult F1 a/a offspring were then subjected to tests of working spatial memory and anxiety/compulsive behavior. Reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing was performed on both F0 and F1 cerebral cortex and F1 hippocampus to identify genome-wide changes in DNA methylation for direct and developmental exposure, respectively. Results F1 offspring exposed to CBD during development exhibited increased anxiety and improved memory behavior in a sex-specific manner. Further, while no significant coat color shift was observed in Avy/a offspring, thousands of differentially methylated loci (DMLs) were identified in both brain regions with functional enrichment for neurogenesis, substance use phenotypes, and other psychologically relevant terms. Conclusions These findings demonstrate for the first time that despite positive effects of direct exposure, developmental CBD is associated with mixed behavioral outcomes and perturbation of the brain epigenome.

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HIV Infection Is Associated with Attenuated Frontostriatal Intrinsic Connectivity: A Preliminary Study

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617715000156 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 203-213 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Jonathan C. Ipser ◽

Gregory G. Brown ◽

Amanda Bischoff-Grethe ◽

Colm G. Connolly ◽

Ronald J. Ellis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hiv Infection ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Group Differences ◽

Hiv Rna ◽

Functional Connections ◽

Intrinsic Connectivity ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽

Independent Replication ◽

Subcortical Regions ◽

The Brain

AbstractHIV-associated cognitive impairments are prevalent, and are consistent with injury to both frontal cortical and subcortical regions of the brain. The current study aimed to assess the association of HIV infection with functional connections within the frontostriatal network, circuitry hypothesized to be highly vulnerable to HIV infection. Fifteen HIV-positive and 15 demographically matched control participants underwent 6 min of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). Multivariate group comparisons of age-adjusted estimates of connectivity within the frontostriatal network were derived from BOLD data for dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), dorsal caudate and mediodorsal thalamic regions of interest. Whole-brain comparisons of group differences in frontostriatal connectivity were conducted, as were pairwise tests of connectivity associations with measures of global cognitive functioning and clinical and immunological characteristics (nadir and current CD4 count, duration of HIV infection, plasma HIV RNA). HIV – associated reductions in connectivity were observed between the DLPFC and the dorsal caudate, particularly in younger participants (<50 years, N=9). Seropositive participants also demonstrated reductions in dorsal caudate connectivity to frontal and parietal brain regions previously demonstrated to be functionally connected to the DLPFC. Cognitive impairment, but none of the assessed clinical/immunological variables, was also associated with reduced frontostriatal connectivity. In conclusion, our data indicate that HIV is associated with attenuated intrinsic frontostriatal connectivity. Intrinsic connectivity of this network may therefore serve as a marker of the deleterious effects of HIV infection on the brain, possibly via HIV-associated dopaminergic abnormalities. These findings warrant independent replication in larger studies. (JINS, 2015, 21, 1–11)

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Cerebral Activity Changes in Different Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns of Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction Patients

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2015/503536 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Qi Liu ◽

Peihai Zhang ◽

Junjie Pan ◽

Zhengjie Li ◽

Jixin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Erectile Dysfunction ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Cingulate Cortex ◽

Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Cerebral Activity ◽

The Right

Background.Pattern differentiation is the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aims to investigate the differences in cerebral activity in ED patients with different TCM patterns.Methods.27 psychogenic ED patients and 27 healthy subjects (HS) were enrolled in this study. Each participant underwent an fMRI scan in resting state. The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) was used to detect the brain activity changes in ED patients with different patterns.Results.Compared to HS, ED patients showed an increased cerebral activity in bilateral cerebellum, insula, globus pallidus, parahippocampal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and middle cingulate cortex (MCC). Compared to the patients with liver-qi stagnation and spleen deficiency pattern (LSSDP), the patients with kidney-yang deficiency pattern (KDP) showed an increased activity in bilateral brainstem, cerebellum, hippocampus, and the right insula, thalamus, MCC, and a decreased activity in bilateral putamen, medial frontal gyrus, temporal pole, and the right caudate nucleus, OFC, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex (P<0.005).Conclusions.The ED patients with different TCM patterns showed different brain activities. The differences in cerebral activity between LSSDP and KDP were mainly in the emotion-related regions, including prefrontal cortex and cingulated cortex.

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The effects of the form of sugar (solid vs. beverage) on body weight and fMRI activation: A randomized controlled pilot study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0251700 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. e0251700

Author(s):

John W. Apolzan ◽

Owen T. Carmichael ◽

Krystal M. Kirby ◽

Sreekrishna R. Ramakrishnapillai ◽

Robbie A. Beyl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Energy Homeostasis ◽

Pilot Trial ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Reward Processing ◽

Daily Consumption ◽

Fed State ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Right ◽

The Brain

Objective To test if sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) and sugar sweetened solids (SSSs) have differential effects on body weight and reward processing in the brain. Methods In a single blind randomized controlled pilot trial (RCT), twenty participants with BMI between 20 and 40 kg/m2 were randomized to consume a 20 fluid ounce soda (SSB, 248 kcal) or the equivalent in solid form (SSS; similar to thick gelatin or gummy candy) daily. At baseline and day 28, fasting body weight and fed-state BOLD fMRI of the brain were assessed. Differences in fMRI signals between views of low-fat (LF (<30%)) high sugar (HS (>30%)) food, and non-food images were calculated in brain regions implicated in energy homeostasis, taste, and reward. Results All participants in the SSB (6F 4M; 8 Caucasian; 36±14 y, 28.2±5.5 kg/m2; Mean±SD) and SSS (3F 7M; 6 Caucasian; 39±12; 26.3±4.4) groups completed the study. Weight change was 0.27±0.78 kg between SSB and SSS participants. Changes in the fMRI response to LF/HS foods in reward, homeostatic and taste regions tended to not be different between the groups over the four weeks. However, activation of the right substantia nigra increased following the SSB but decreased activation following the SSS in response to LF/HS foods over 28 days (-0.32±0.12). Ratings of wanting for LF/HS foods were correlated with activation in several brain regions, including the OFC. Conclusions Change in weight was modest between the groups in this study. Daily consumption of a SSB over 28 days led to mixed responses to LF/HS foods in areas of the brain associated with reward. Ratings of wanting are correlated with fMRI activation inside an MRI scanner.

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Exploring Cortical Attentional System by Using fMRI during a Continuous Perfomance Test

Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience ◽

10.1155/2010/329213 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2010 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

M. G. Tana ◽

E. Montin ◽

S. Cerutti ◽

A. M. Bianchi

Keyword(s):

Performance Test ◽

Continuous Performance Test ◽

Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Brain Network ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Visual Object ◽

Bold Response ◽

Object Processing ◽

The Right

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in eight healthy subjects to identify the localization, magnitude, and volume extent of activation in brain regions that are involved in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response during the performance of Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT). An extensive brain network was activated during the task including frontal, temporal, and occipital cortical areas and left cerebellum. The more activated cluster in terms of volume extent and magnitude was located in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Analyzing the dynamic trend of the activation in the identified areas during the entire duration of the sustained attention test, we found a progressive decreasing of BOLD response probably due to a habituation effect without any deterioration of the performances. The observed brain network is consistent with existing models of visual object processing and attentional control and may serve as a basis for fMRI studies in clinical populations with neuropsychological deficits in Conners' CPT performance.

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Neuronal Substrates Underlying Performance Variability in Well-Trained Skillful Motor Task in Humans

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2016/1245259 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Nobuaki Mizuguchi ◽

Shintaro Uehara ◽

Satoshi Hirose ◽

Shinji Yamamoto ◽

Eiichi Naito

Keyword(s):

Task Performance ◽

Motor Skill ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Motor Task ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Cerebellar Hemisphere ◽

Intensive Training ◽

Performance Variability ◽

The Right

Motor performance fluctuates trial by trial even in a well-trained motor skill. Here we show neural substrates underlying such behavioral fluctuation in humans. We first scanned brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging while healthy participants repeatedly performed a 10 s skillful sequential finger-tapping task. Before starting the experiment, the participants had completed intensive training. We evaluated task performance per trial (number of correct sequences in 10 s) and depicted brain regions where the activity changes in association with the fluctuation of the task performance across trials. We found that the activity in a broader range of frontoparietocerebellar network, including the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior cingulate and anterior insular cortices, and left cerebellar hemisphere, was negatively correlated with the task performance. We further showed in another transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) experiment that task performance deteriorated, when we applied anodal tDCS to the right DLPFC. These results indicate that fluctuation of brain activity in the nonmotor frontoparietocerebellar network may underlie trial-by-trial performance variability even in a well-trained motor skill, and its neuromodulation with tDCS may affect the task performance.

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