scholarly journals Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Correlate with Psychosocial Development in Contemplative Practitioners and Controls

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 728
Author(s):  
Omar Singleton ◽  
Max Newlon ◽  
Andres Fossas ◽  
Beena Sharma ◽  
Susanne R. Cook-Greuter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
Psychosocial Development ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Contemplative Practice ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Posterior Cingulate

Jane Loevinger’s theory of adult development, termed ego development (1966) and more recently maturity development, provides a useful framework for understanding the development of the self throughout the lifespan. However, few studies have investigated its neural correlates. In the present study, we use structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the neural correlates of maturity development in contemplative practitioners and controls. Since traits possessed by individuals with higher levels of maturity development are similar to those attributed to individuals at advanced stages of contemplative practice, we chose to investigate levels of maturity development in meditation practitioners as well as matched controls. We used the Maturity Assessment Profile (MAP) to measure maturity development in a mixed sample of participants composed of 14 long-term meditators, 16 long-term yoga practitioners, and 16 demographically matched controls. We investigated the relationship between contemplative practice and maturity development with behavioral, seed-based resting state functional connectivity, and cortical thickness analyses. The results of this study indicate that contemplative practitioners possess higher maturity development compared to a matched control group, and in addition, maturity development correlates with cortical thickness in the posterior cingulate. Furthermore, we identify a brain network implicated in theory of mind, narrative, and self-referential processing, comprising the posterior cingulate cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, and inferior frontal cortex, as a primary neural correlate.

scholarly journals The Long-Term Effects of Acupuncture on Hippocampal Functional Connectivity in aMCI with Hippocampal Atrophy: A Randomized Longitudinal fMRI Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Li ◽  
Zhiqun Wang ◽  
Haikuo Yu ◽  
Ran Pang ◽  
Hong Ni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Acupuncture Treatment ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The Right

Background. Acupuncture has been used to treat amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) for many years in China. However, the long-term effects of continuous acupuncture treatment remained unclear. Objective. We aimed to explore the long-term effects of continuous acupuncture treatment on hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) in aMCI. Methods. Fifty healthy control (HC) participants and 28 aMCI patients were recruited for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at baseline. The 28 aMCI patients were then divided into the aMCI acupuncture group, which received acupuncture treatment for 6 months, and the aMCI control group, which received no intervention. All aMCI patients completed the second resting-state fMRI scanning after 6 months of acupuncture treatment. Analysis based on the region of interest and two-way analysis of covariance were both used to explore the long-term effects of acupuncture on cognition change and hippocampal FC in aMCI. Results. Compared to HC, aMCI showed decreased right hippocampal FC with the right inferior/middle temporal gyrus (ITG/MTG), left amygdala, and the right fusiform and increased FC with bilateral caudates at baseline. After acupuncture treatment, the right hippocampal FC with right ITG/MTG enhanced significantly in the aMCI acupuncture group, but continued to decrease in the aMCI control group. Whole brain FC analysis showed enhanced right hippocampal FC with the right ITG and the left MTG in the aMCI acupuncture group relative to the aMCI control group. Furthermore, FC strength of the right hippocampus with right ITG at baseline was negatively correlated with the changes in memory scores of aMCI acupuncture patients. Conclusion. Acupuncture treatment could alleviate the progression of cognitive decline and could enhance hippocampal FC with ITG and MTG in aMCI that may be associated with resilience to resistant against neurodegeneration. The findings provided a better understanding of the long-term effects of acupuncture treatment and confirmed the therapeutic role of acupuncture in aMCI.

scholarly journals Long-Term Effects of Musical Training and Functional Plasticity in Salience System

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Luo ◽  
Shipeng Tu ◽  
Yueheng Peng ◽  
Shan Gao ◽  
Jianfu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Connectivity Analysis ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Functional Connectivity Analysis ◽  
Left Insula

Musicians undergoing long-term musical training show improved emotional and cognitive function, which suggests the presence of neuroplasticity. The structural and functional impacts of the human brain have been observed in musicians. In this study, we used data-driven functional connectivity analysis to map local and distant functional connectivity in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 28 professional musicians and 28 nonmusicians. Compared with nonmusicians, musicians exhibited significantly greater local functional connectivity density in 10 regions, including the bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and anterior temporoparietal junction. A distant functional connectivity analysis demonstrated that most of these regions were included in salience system, which is associated with high-level cognitive control and fundamental attentional process. Additionally, musicians had significantly greater functional integration in this system, especially for connections to the left insula. Increased functional connectivity between the left insula and right temporoparietal junction may be a response to long-term musical training. Our findings indicate that the improvement of salience network is involved in musical training. The salience system may represent a new avenue for exploration regarding the underlying foundations of enhanced higher-level cognitive processes in musicians.

scholarly journals Effects of long-term administration of vitamin D3 analogs to mice

2000 ◽  
Vol 165 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
EA Smith ◽  
EP Frankenburg ◽  
SA Goldstein ◽  
K Koshizuka ◽  
E Elstner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Vitamin D 3

This study explores the effects of chronic administration of vitamin D(3) compounds on several biological functions in mice. Knowledge of long-term tolerability of vitamin D(3) analogs may be of interest in view of their potential clinical utility in the management of various pathologies such as malignancies, immunological disorders and bone diseases. Four unique vitamin D(3) analogs (code names, compounds V, EO, LH and LA) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1, 25(OH)(2)D(3)) were administered i.p. for 55 weeks to Balb/c mice. Each analog had previously been shown to have potent in vitro activities. After 55 weeks of administration, the mice had a profound decrease in their serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2). Likewise, several analogs depressed serum immunoglobulin G concentrations (compounds LH and LA), but levels of blood lymphocytes and splenic lymphocyte subsets (CD4, CD8 and CD19) were not remarkably depressed. The percent of committed myeloid hematopoietic stem cells was 4- to 5-fold elevated in the bone marrow of the mice that received analogs LH and V; nevertheless, their peripheral blood white and red cell counts and platelets were not significantly different in any of the groups. The mice that received 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) had a decrease in bone quantity and quality with a decrease in cross-sectional area and cortical thickness, and a 50% reduction in both stiffness and failure load compared with the control group. In contrast, the cohort that received a fluorinated analog (compound EO) developed bones with significantly larger cross-sectional area and cortical thickness as well as stronger mechanical properties compared with the control group. At the conclusion of the study, body weights were significantly decreased in all experimental mice. Their blood chemistries were normal. Extensive gross and microscopic autopsy analyses of the mice at the conclusion of the study were normal, including those of their kidneys. In conclusion, the vitamin D(3) analogs were fairly well tolerated. They did suppress immunity as measured by serum IL-2 and may provide a means to depress the immune response after organ transplantation and for autoimmune diseases. Use of these analogs prevented the detrimental effects of vitamin D(3) administration on mechanical and geometric properties of bone, while one analog (compound EO) actually enhanced bone properties. These results suggest that long-term clinical trials with the analogs are feasible.

scholarly journals Increased Resting-State Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity of Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus and Posterior Cingulate Cortex in Congenital Amusia

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhishuai Jin ◽  
Sizhu Huyang ◽  
Lichen Jiang ◽  
Yajun Yan ◽  
Ming Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Music Perception ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Posterior Cingulate ◽  
Congenital Amusia

Interhemispheric connectivity of the two cerebral hemispheres is crucial for a broad repertoire of cognitive functions including music and language. Congenital amusia has been reported as a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by impaired music perception and production. However, little is known about the characteristics of the interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) in amusia. In the present study, we used a newly developed voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method to investigate the interhemispheric FC of the whole brain in amusia at resting-state. Thirty amusics and 29 matched participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. An automated VMHC approach was used to analyze the fMRI data. Compared to the control group, amusics showed increased VMHC within the posterior part of the default mode network (DMN) mainly in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Correlation analyses revealed negative correlations between the VMHC value in pSTG/PCC and the music perception ability among amusics. Further ROC analyses showed that the VMHC value of pSTG/PCC showed a good sensibility/specificity to differentiate the amusics from the controls. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the neural basis of congenital amusia and imply the immature state of DMN may be a credible neural marker of amusia.

scholarly journals Brain magnetic resonance imaging surface-based analysis and cortical thickness measurement in relapsing remission multiple sclerosis

2022 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Baghdadi ◽  
Manal Ezzat Badwey ◽  
Mohamed Khalil ◽  
Rasha Mahmoud Dawoud
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Thickness Measurement ◽  
Cortical Atrophy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Posterior Cingulate ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Abstract Background Damage occurs in the brain tissue in MS which appears normal on standard conventional imaging (normal appearing brain tissue). This slow, evolving damage can be monitored by nonconventional advanced MR imaging techniques. New techniques for the measurement of cortical thickness have been validated against histological analysis and manual measurements. The aim of our study was to study the role of MRI surface-based analysis and cortical thickness measurement in the evaluation of patients with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis and to detect if there is localized rather than generalized cortical atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis patients and correlating these findings with clinical data. Results 30 patients and 30 healthy control were included in this study and they were subjected to cortical thickness analysis using MRI. The patients in our study showed decreased thickness of the precentral, paracentral, postcentral, posterior cingulate cortices and mean cortical thickness in both hemispheres when compared with the normal control group. Statistical analysis was significant (P value < 0.05) for the precentral, paracentral, postcentral, posterior cingulate cortices and mean cortical thickness in both hemispheres. On the other hand, statistical analysis was not significant (P value > 0.05) for other cortices. There was a significant negative correlation between the precentral, paracentral, postcentral, posterior cingulate cortices and mean cortical thickness in both hemispheres and EDSS scores with correlation coefficients ranging from − 0.9878 to − 0.7977. Conclusions MRI and post-processing segmentation analysis for cortical thickness is non-invasive imaging techniques that can increase the level of diagnostic confidence in diagnosis of MS patients and should be included as routine modality when evaluating patients with MS.

The response of skin perfusion and of rheological and immunological variables to intravenous prostanoid administration in Raynaud’s phenomenon secondary to collagenosis

VASA ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drinda ◽  
Neumann ◽  
Pöhlmann ◽  
Vogelsang ◽  
Stein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Doppler Flowmetry ◽  
Raynaud’S Phenomenon ◽  
Raynaud's Phenomenon ◽  
Plasma Viscosity ◽  
Laser Doppler ◽  
Erythrocyte Aggregation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Doppler Flowmetry

Background: Prostanoids are used in the treatment of Raynaud’s phenomenon and acral perfusion disorders secondary to collagenosis. In subjective terms, intravenous administration of these agents produces success in more than 50% of patients. The therapeutic outcome of clinical administration of alprostadil or iloprost may vary from individual to individual. Patients and methods: The following variables were analysed in a cross-over study in 27 patients with collagenosis and Raynaud’s phenomenon: plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation (rheological variables), partial pressure of oxygen and laser Doppler flowmetry in the finger region, and lymphocyte phenotyping and interleukin (IL) determinations (immunological variables). Results: Laser Doppler flowmetry revealed significant differences between patients with secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon and a control group of 25 healthy subjects. Laser Doppler readings did not change significantly as a result of the treatments. Therapy with iloprost produced a reduction in IL-1beta, L-selectin (CD 62 L) and IL-6. Conclusion: The change in immunological variables due to iloprost may explain the long-term effects of prostaglandins in the treatment of Raynaud’s phenomenon. From our results it is not possible to infer any preference for iloprost or alprostadil.

Acute and Chronic Changes in Platelet Volume and Count After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Induced Thrombocytopenia in Man

1987 ◽  
Vol 57 (01) ◽  
pp. 55-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
J F Martin ◽  
T D Daniel ◽  
E A Trowbridge
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Count ◽  
Mean Platelet Volume ◽  
Artery Bypass ◽  
Bypass Graft ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Artery Bypass Graft ◽  
Platelet Volume ◽  
Young Males ◽  
The Mean

SummaryPatients undergoing surgery for coronary artery bypass graft or heart valve replacement had their platelet count and mean volume measured pre-operatively, immediately post-operatively and serially for up to 48 days after the surgical procedure. The mean pre-operative platelet count of 1.95 ± 0.11 × 1011/1 (n = 26) fell significantly to 1.35 ± 0.09 × 1011/1 immediately post-operatively (p <0.001) (n = 22), without a significant alteration in the mean platelet volume. The average platelet count rose to a maximum of 5.07 ± 0.66 × 1011/1 between days 14 and 17 after surgery while the average mean platelet volume fell from preparative and post-operative values of 7.25 ± 0.14 and 7.20 ± 0.14 fl respectively to a minimum of 6.16 ± 0.16 fl by day 20. Seven patients were followed for 32 days or longer after the operation. By this time they had achieved steady state thrombopoiesis and their average platelet count was 2.44 ± 0.33 × 1011/1, significantly higher than the pre-operative value (p <0.05), while their average mean platelet volume was 6.63 ± 0.21 fl, significantly lower than before surgery (p <0.001). The pre-operative values for the platelet volume and counts of these patients were significantly different from a control group of 32 young males, while the chronic post-operative values were not. These long term changes in platelet volume and count may reflect changes in the thrombopoietic control system secondary to the corrective surgery.

Comparing the Genetic Detox Ability and Heavy Metal Burden in a Cohort of Samples of Egyptian Children and those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaurock-Busch E
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Potentially Toxic Metals ◽  
Gstt1 Null Genotype ◽  
Egyptian Children ◽  
Glutathione S Transferases ◽  
Metal Burden ◽  
Detoxification Pathway

The heavy metal burden of patients with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been widely discussed [1-5]. Present knowledge suggests that ASD patients, compared to ‘normal’s’ show a greater metal burden, which may be a cause of the ASD pathogenesis, possibly due to a limited detoxification potential. We thus aimed to evaluate if the metal burden of ASD children is due to comprised detoxification ability, and if missing of enzymes such as the glutathione-S-transferases provide an explanation, or if additional factors play a role. Genetically, we noticed a slight difference in the detoxification ability of the ASD group compared to the Control group. In the ASD group, carrier of the genotype GSTT1 null genotype (i.e. the homozygous loss) are 1.7 times more common as in the Control group and the GSTT1 allele is more frequent in the ASD patient collective. These findings are not statistically significant but indicate a trend. In addition, our data indicates that levels of potentially toxic metals in blood and hair of both groups demonstrate a similar immediate and long-term exposure. However, 36% of the ASD group showed signs of zinc deficiency compared to 11% of the Control group and this points towards inefficiency of the Phase I detoxification pathway. More research is needed to explore the role of other elements in the detoxification pathway.

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