Emotional Autobiographical Memory Associated with Insular Resection in Epileptic Patients: A Comparison with Temporal Lobe Resection

The insula is involved in a wide variety of functions, including social and emotional processing. Despite the numerous connections it shares with brain structures known to play a role in autobiographical memory (AM), little is known on the contribution of the insula to AM processing. The aim of the study was to examine emotional AM retrieval in patients with insular resection for drug-resistant epilepsy. Ten patients who underwent partial or complete insular resection (IR) were matched on age, sex, and education, to fifteen patients who underwent temporal lobectomy (TL), and to fifteen healthy controls. Participants were asked to recall four positive, four negative, and four neutral memories from their past using the autobiographical interview procedure. The results suggest that AM for emotional and neutral events after IR was comparable to that of healthy controls, whereas deficits were observed after TL. However, an independent examiner judged IR patients’ memories as poorer than those of healthy controls on the episodic richness scale, suggesting a lack of some aspects of rich and vivid remembering. Furthermore, analysis on subjective self-rated scales revealed that, contrary to healthy controls, patients with IR judged their neutral memories as more emotional. This study suggests that AM is generally preserved after IR. However, given the small sample size and varied lesion location, one cannot totally exclude a potential role of specific insular sub-regions on some aspects of autobiographical memory. In addition, IR patients showed poor emotional judgment for neutral memories, which is congruent with previous findings of altered emotional processing in this population.

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Hunger and appetite during visual perception of food in eating disorders

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1017/s0924933800003862 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 237-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

S Bossert-Zaudig ◽

R Laessle ◽

C Meiller ◽

H Ellgring ◽

KM Pirke

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Small Sample ◽

Hospital Treatment ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Food Items ◽

Per Se ◽

Analogue Scales

SummaryNineteen different slides of food items and their effects on appetite and hunger as rated on visual analogue scales were investigated in 20 bulimics and 9 anorexics (DSM-III-R) at the onset and after 8 weeks of behavioral hospital treatment; 9 controls were examined at the maximum of weight loss during a diet and at normal weight. At the onset of treatment appetite ratings were significantly lower in patients than in dieting controls. In anorexics and bulimics appetite ratings increased significantly during treatment. The sight of food did not increase reported hunger in bulimics but did so in controls. Appetite ratings, however, were significantly increased by the sight of food in bulimics as well as in controls. Despite the small sample size, it may be concluded that dieting and weight loss have different psychological implications in healthy controls and in patients with eating disorders, that dieting rather than weight per se influences appetite and that differences in hunger responsiveness to the sight of food in anorexics and bulimics seem likely.

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Epidemiological and clinical aspects will guide the neuroimaging research in bipolar disorder

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796014000766 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 117-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J. Houenou ◽

C. Perlini ◽

P. Brambilla

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Emotional Processing ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Small Sample ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

Diagnostic Categories ◽

Parahippocampal Cortex ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽

The Brain

Although neurobiological mechanisms of bipolar disorder (BD) are still unclear, neural models of the disease have recently been conceptualised thanks to neuroimaging. Indeed, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies investigating structural and functional connectivity between different areas of the brain suggest an altered prefrontal–limbic coupling leading to disrupted emotional processing in BD, including uncinate fasciculus, amygdala, parahippocampal cortex, cingulate cortex as well corpus callosum. Specifically, these models assume an altered prefrontal control over a hyperactivity of the subcortical limbic structures implicated in automatic emotional processing. This impaired mechanism may finally trigger emotional hyper-reactivity and mood episodes. In this review, we first summarised some key neuroimaging studies on BD. In the second part of the work, we focused on the heterogeneity of the available studies. This variability is partly due to methodological factors (i.e., small sample size) and differences among studies (i.e., MRI acquisition and post-processing analyses) and partly to the clinical heterogeneity of BD. We finally outlined how epidemiological studies should indicate which risk factors and clinical dimensions of BD are relevant to be studied with neuroimaging in order to reduce heterogeneity and go beyond diagnostic categories.

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Attachment and Parenting in Adult Patients with Anxiety Disorders

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health ◽

10.2174/1745017901309010157 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 157-163 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Angelo Picardi ◽

Emanuele Caroppo ◽

Elisa Fabi ◽

Serena Proietti ◽

Giancarlo Di Gennaro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Small Sample ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Drug Resistant ◽

Attachment Insecurity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Increase Risk ◽

Drug Resistant Epilepsy

Background:The literature suggests that dysfunctional parenting and insecure attachment may increase risk of anxiety-related psychopathology. This study aimed at testing the association between anxiety disorders, attachment insecurity and dysfunctional parenting while controlling for factors usually not controlled for in previous studies, such as gender, age, and being ill.Methods:A sample of 32 non-psychotic inpatients with SCID-I diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, either alone or in comorbidity, was compared with two age- and sex-matched control groups consisting of 32 non-clinical participants and 32 in-patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Study measures included the Experience in Close Relationships questionnaire (ECR) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI).Results:The patients with anxiety disorders scored significantly higher on attachment-related anxiety and avoidance than patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and non-clinical participants. These findings were independent of comorbidity for mood disorders. ECR scores did not differ among diagnostic subgroups (generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, other anxiety disorders). Patients with anxiety disorders scored significantly lower on PBI mother’s care and borderline significantly lower on PBI father's care than patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.Conclusions:Although limitations such as the relatively small sample size and the cross-sectional nature suggest caution in interpreting these findings, they are consistent with the few previous adult studies performed on this topic and corroborate Bowlby's seminal hypothesis of a link between negative attachment-related experiences, attachment insecurity, and clinical anxiety. Attachment theory provides a useful theoretical framework for integrating research findings from several fields concerning the development of anxiety disorders and for planning therapeutic interventions.

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Initial evidence for the role of CACNA1C on subcortical brain morphology in patients with bipolar disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2010.10.004 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 135-137 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

E. Perrier ◽

F. Pompei ◽

G. Ruberto ◽

E. Vassos ◽

D. Collier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Emotional Processing ◽

Risk Allele ◽

Anatomical Variation ◽

Brain Structures ◽

Brain Morphology ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Subcortical Brain ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Subcortical Regions

AbstractBackgroundThe polymorphism rs1006737 within the CACNA1C gene is associated with increased risk for bipolar disorder (BD) and variations in brain morphology and function of subcortical regions. Here we sought to investigate the influence of CACNA1C polymorphism on key subcortical brain structures implicated in the pathophysiology of BD.MethodsStructural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 41 euthymic patients with BD and 40 healthy controls, who were also genotyped for the CACNA1C rs1006737 polymorphism. The effect of diagnosis, genotype and their interaction was examined in predefined volumes of interest in the basal ganglia, hypothalamus and amygdala extracted using SPM5.ResultsCarriers of the CACNA1C rs1006737 risk allele showed increased grey matter density in the right amygdala and right hypothalamus irrespective of diagnosis. An interaction between genotype and diagnosis was observed in the left putamen which was smaller in BD patients carrying the risk allele than in healthy controls.Conclusions:The CACNA1C rs1006737 polymorphism influences anatomical variation within subcortical regions involved in emotional processing.

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Microstructural Abnormalities in Gray Matter of Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging Study

January 2018 - Pain Physician ◽

10.36076/ppj/2019.19.e601 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4;19 (4;5) ◽

pp. E601-E611

Author(s):

Buwei Yu

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Postherpetic Neuralgia ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Small Sample ◽

University Hospital ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging ◽

Microstructural Alterations

Background: Changes in functional activity and connectivity have been shown in patients experiencing postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) pain. However, PHN-induced structural changes, particularly in the gray matter of which volume and density was widely reported to be altered by other chronic pain, have not been well characterized. Objective: In this study, we aimed to detect the difference in the microstructure of gray matter of PHN patients as compared to the healthy controls, and to analyze the correlation between microstructural alterations and clinical features of PHN patients. Study Design: Observational study. Setting: University hospital. Methods: Diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) was performed in 19 patients with PHN and in 19 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Maps of axial kurtosis (K//), mean kurtosis (MK), radial kurtosis (K⊥) in gray matter were calculated and compared between the 2 groups. Correlations between kurtosis metrics in the regions where between-group difference was detected and pain intensity as well as lesion duration were tested by Pearson’s correlation. Results: Compared with healthy controls, PHN patients exhibited significantly decreased DKI parameters in the bilateral insula and superior temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus and occipital lobe, right cerebellum anterior lobe, right thalamus, caudate and parahippocampal gyrus. K// in the bilateral insula and MK in the right insula were negatively correlated with visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of PHN patients, whereas no correlation was found between DKI parameters and lesion duration of PHN pain. Limitation: Relatively small sample size. We still cannot determine the causal and effect relationship between the microstructural abnormalities in the gray matter and PHN. Conclusions: DKI can specifically reflect pathophysiological microstructural alterations in the cerebral gray matters of PHN patients. This feature enables magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to be a potentially valuable technique for objectively estimating the severity of PHN pain, which would provide an opportunity for elucidating the central mechanisms underlying PHN as well. Key words: Postherpetic neuralgia, diffusional kurtosis imaging, insula cortex, gray matter, voxel-based analysis

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GATA3 rs3824662 gene polymorphism as possible risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus ◽

10.1177/0961203318804894 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (13) ◽

pp. 2112-2119 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Y M Mosaad ◽

A Hammad ◽

A A Elghzaly ◽

Z M E Tawhid ◽

E M Hammad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Positive Association ◽

Small Sample ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Genotype Frequencies

Background There is no report about the association between GATA3 rs3824662 polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Objective To investigate the possible role of GATA3 rs3824662 polymorphism as a susceptibility risk factor for either adult SLE (aSLE) or pediatric SLE (pSLE) and to evaluate its role in the development of lupus nephritis (LN) in pSLE. Methods Typing of GATA3 rs3824662 polymorphism was done using real-time polymerase chain reaction for three groups; 104 pSLE patients, 140 aSLE patients and 436 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results Non-significant differences were found between SLE patients and healthy controls for the allele and genotype frequencies of GATA3 rs3824662 ( p > 0.05). In pSLE; the AC genotype was associated with LN ( p = 0.04); the A allele and AC genotype were associated with persistent proteinuria ( p = 0.036 and 0.01, respectively) and both the A allele and AA genotype were associated with higher chronicity index ( p = 0.031 and 0.04, respectively). In aSLE; the C allele was associated with cellular cast ( p = 0.03) and thrombocytopenia ( p = 0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed significant association between the AC+AA genotypes and the prediction of LN and renal active disease in pSLE ( p = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). Conclusion GATA3 rs3824662 is not associated with susceptibility to SLE either in adult or in pediatric patients; however, in pSLE patients, the heterozygous AC genotype could be considered a risk factor for LN. At the same time, the AC and AA genotypes could be considered as predictors for LN and active renal disease. However, the small sample size is a limiting factor of the present study when interpreting the positive association.

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Microbial dysbiosis is associated with aggressive histology and adverse clinical outcome in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Blood Advances ◽

10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 1194-1198

Author(s):

Catherine S. Diefenbach ◽

Brandilyn A. Peters ◽

Huilin Li ◽

Bruce Raphael ◽

Tibor Moskovits ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cell ◽

Treatment Outcomes ◽

Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Small Sample ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Non Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽

The Impact

Abstract B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell survival depends on poorly understood immune evasion mechanisms. In melanoma, the composition of the gut microbiota (GMB) is associated with immune system regulation and response to immunotherapy. We investigated the association of GMB composition and diversity with lymphoma biology and treatment outcome. Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), marginal zone (MZL), and follicular lymphoma (FL) were recruited at Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, and Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health. The pretreatment GMB was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. We examined GMB compositions in 3 contexts: lymphoma patients (51) compared with healthy controls (58), aggressive (DLBCL) (8) compared with indolent (FL, MZL) (18), and the association of GMB with immunochemotherapy treatment outcomes (8 responders, 6 nonresponders). Respectively, we found that the pretreatment GMB in lymphoma patients had a distinct composition compared with healthy controls (P < .001); GMB compositions in DLBCL patients were significantly different than indolent patients (P = .01) with a trend toward reduced microbial diversity in DLBCL patients (P = .08); and pretreatment GMB diversity and composition were significant predictors of treatment responses (P = .01). The impact of these pilot results is limited by our small sample size, and should be considered a proof of principle. If validated, our results could lead toward improved treatment outcomes by improving medication stewardship and informing which GMB-targeted therapies should be tested to improve patient outcomes.

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The Gut Microbiome and Metabolomics Profiles of Restricting and Binge-Purging Type Anorexia Nervosa

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13020507 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 507

Author(s):

Alessio Maria Monteleone ◽

Jacopo Troisi ◽

Gloria Serena ◽

Alessio Fasano ◽

Riccardo Dalle Grave ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Small Sample ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Gut Dysbiosis ◽

Patient Groups ◽

Relative Abundances ◽

Gut Microorganisms

Alterations in the gut microbiome and fecal metabolites have been detected in anorexia nervosa (AN), but differences in those profiles between restricting AN (ANR) and binge-purging AN (ANBP) type have not been explored. We made a secondary analysis of our previous data concerning microbiome and metabolomics profiles of 17 ANR women, six ANBP women and 20 healthy controls (HC). Twelve fecal metabolites differentiating ANR patients, ANBP patients and HC were identified. Both patient groups showed decreased intra-individual bacterial richness with respect to healthy controls (HC). Compared to ANR subjects, ANBP patients had a significant increase in relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Bifidobacteriaceae, Bifidobacteriales, and Eubacteriacae and a significant decrease in relative abundances of Odoribacter, Haemophilus, Pasteurellaceae, and Pasteurellales. The heatmaps of the relationships of selected fecal metabolites with microbial families showed different structures among the three groups, with the heatmap of ANBP patients being drastically different from that of HC, while that of ANR patients resulted more similar to HC. These findings, although preliminary because of the relatively small sample size, confirm the occurrence of different gut dysbiosis in ANR and ANBP and demonstrate different connections between gut microorganisms and fecal metabolites in the two AN types.

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Probing the ultrastructure of the mitotic and meiotic spindle in eggs: An expeditious approach based on semi-thin (0.25 μm) serial sections

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100076408 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 552-555

Author(s):

Conly L. Rieder ◽

S. Bowser ◽

R. Nowogrodzki ◽

K. Ross ◽

G. Sluder

Keyword(s):

Small Sample Size ◽

Small Sample ◽

Meiotic Spindle ◽

Serial Sections ◽

Mitotic Apparatus ◽

Thin Sections ◽

Cell Cycles ◽

Ultrastructural Studies

Eggs have long been a favorite material for studying the mechanism of karyokinesis in-vivo and in-vitro. They can be obtained in great numbers and, when fertilized, divide synchronously over many cell cycles. However, they are not considered to be a practical system for ultrastructural studies on the mitotic apparatus (MA) for several reasons, the most obvious of which is that sectioning them is a formidable task: over 1000 ultra-thin sections need to be cut from a single 80-100 μm diameter egg and of these sections only a small percentage will contain the area or structure of interest. Thus it is difficult and time consuming to obtain reliable ultrastructural data concerning the MA of eggs; and when it is obtained it is necessarily based on a small sample size.We have recently developed a procedure which will facilitate many studies concerned with the ultrastructure of the MA in eggs. It is based on the availability of biological HVEM's and on the observation that 0.25 μm thick serial sections can be screened at high resolution for content (after mounting on slot grids and staining with uranyl and lead) by phase contrast light microscopy (LM; Figs 1-2).

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Validating the Factor Structure of the Stigma of Suicide Scale–Short Form Spanish Version Among Healthcare Students

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000728 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Ruthmarie Hernández-Torres ◽

Paola Carminelli-Corretjer ◽

Nelmit Tollinchi-Natali ◽

Ernesto Rosario-Hernández ◽

Yovanska Duarté-Vélez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Factor Structure ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Short Form ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Small Sample ◽

Spanish Version ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthcare Students ◽

Spanish Speaking

Abstract. Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among Spanish-speaking individuals. Suicide stigma can be a risk factor for suicide. A widely used measure is the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form (SOSS-SF; Batterham, Calear, & Christensen, 2013 ). Although the SOSS-SF has established psychometric properties and factor structure in other languages and cultural contexts, no evidence is available from Spanish-speaking populations. Aim: This study aims to validate a Spanish translation of the SOSS-SF among a sample of Spanish-speaking healthcare students ( N = 277). Method: We implemented a cross-sectional design with quantitative techniques. Results: Following a structural equation modeling approach, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the three-factor model proposed by Batterham and colleagues (2013) . Limitations: The study was limited by the small sample size and recruitment by availability. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the Spanish version of the SOSS-SF is a valid and reliable tool with which to examine suicide stigma among Spanish-speaking populations.

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