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Bian B, Hou L, Chai Y, Jiang Y, Pan X, Sun Y, Wang H, Qiu D, Yu Z, Zhao H, Zhang H, Meng F, Zhang L. Visualizing the Habenula Using 3T High-Resolution MP2RAGE and QSM: A Preliminary Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2024; 45:504-510. [PMID: 38453416 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a8156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The habenula is a key node in the regulation of emotion-related behavior. Accurate visualization of the habenula and its reliable quantitative analysis is vital for the assessment of psychiatric disorders. To obtain high-contrast habenula images and allow them to be compatible with clinical applications, this preliminary study compared 3T MP2RAGE and quantitative susceptibility mapping with MPRAGE by evaluating the habenula segmentation performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten healthy volunteers were scanned twice with 3T MPRAGE and MP2RAGE and once with quantitative susceptibility mapping. Image quality and visibility of habenula anatomic features were analyzed by 3 radiologists using a 5-point scale. Contrast assessments of the habenula and thalamus were also performed. The reproducibility of the habenula volume from MPRAGE and MP2RAGE was evaluated by manual segmentation and the Multiple Automatically Generated Template brain segmentation algorithm (MAGeTbrain). T1 values and susceptibility were measured in the whole habenula and habenula geometric subregion using MP2RAGE T1-mapping and quantitative susceptibility mapping. RESULTS The 3T MP2RAGE and quantitative susceptibility mapping demonstrated clear boundaries and anatomic features of the habenula compared with MPRAGE, with a higher SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio (all P < .05). Additionally, 3T MP2RAGE provided reliable habenula manual and MAGeTbrain segmentation volume estimates with greater reproducibility. T1-mapping derived from MP2RAGE was highly reliable, and susceptibility contrast was highly nonuniform within the habenula. CONCLUSIONS We identified an optimized sequence combination (3T MP2RAGE combined with quantitative susceptibility mapping) that may be useful for enhancing habenula visualization and yielding more reliable quantitative data.
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Affiliation(s)
- BingYang Bian
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Lin Hou
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - YaTing Chai
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - YueLuan Jiang
- MR Scientific Marketing, Diagnostic Imaging (Y.J.), Siemens Healthineers Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - XingChen Pan
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yang Sun
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - HongChao Wang
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - DongDong Qiu
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - ZeChen Yu
- Siemens Healthineers Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd (Z.Y.), Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Zhao
- Department of Physiology (H. Zhao), College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - HuiMao Zhang
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - FanYang Meng
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- From the Department of Radiology (B.B., L.H., Y.C., X.P., Y.S., H.W., D.Q., H. Zhang, F.M., L.Z.), Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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2
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Yalcinbas EA, Ajanaku B, Nelson ED, Garcia-Flores R, Montgomery KD, Stolz JM, Wu J, Divecha HR, Chandra A, Bharadwaj RA, Bach S, Rajpurohit A, Tao R, Shin JH, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Weinberger DR, Huuki-Myers LA, Collado-Torres L, Maynard KR. Transcriptomic analysis of the human habenula in schizophrenia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582081. [PMID: 38463979 PMCID: PMC10925152 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Importance Habenula (Hb) pathophysiology is involved in many neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Deep brain stimulation and pharmacological targeting of the Hb are emerging as promising therapeutic treatments. However, little is known about the cell type-specific transcriptomic organization of the human Hb or how it is altered in schizophrenia. Objective To define the molecular neuroanatomy of the human habenula and identify transcriptomic changes in individuals with schizophrenia compared to neurotypical controls. Design Setting and Participants This study utilized Hb-enriched postmortem human brain tissue. Single nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) and single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) experiments were conducted to identify molecularly defined Hb cell types and map their spatial location (n=3-7 donors). Bulk RNA-sequencing and cell type deconvolution were used to investigate transcriptomic changes in Hb-enriched tissue from 35 individuals with schizophrenia and 33 neurotypical controls. Gene expression changes associated with schizophrenia in the Hb were compared to those previously identified in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), hippocampus, and caudate. Main Outcomes and Measures Semi-supervised snRNA-seq cell type clustering. Transcript visualization and quantification of smFISH probes. Bulk RNA-seq cell type deconvolution using reference snRNA-seq data. Schizophrenia-associated gene differential expression analysis adjusting for Hb and thalamus fractions, RNA degradation-associated quality surrogate variables, and other covariates. Cross-brain region schizophrenia-associated gene expression comparison. Results snRNA-seq identified 17 cell type clusters across 16,437 nuclei, including 3 medial and 7 lateral Hb populations. Cell types were conserved with those identified in a rodent model. smFISH for cell type marker genes validated snRNA-seq Hb cell types and depicted the spatial organization of subpopulations. Bulk RNA-seq analyses yielded 45 schizophrenia-associated differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05), with 32 (71%) unique to Hb-enriched tissue. Conclusions These results identify topographically organized cell types with distinct molecular signatures in the human Hb. They further demonstrate unique transcriptomic changes in the epithalamus associated with schizophrenia, thereby providing molecular insights into the role of Hb in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ege A Yalcinbas
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Bukola Ajanaku
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Erik D Nelson
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Renee Garcia-Flores
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Kelsey D Montgomery
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joshua M Stolz
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joshua Wu
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Heena R Divecha
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Atharv Chandra
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Rahul A Bharadwaj
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Svitlana Bach
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Anandita Rajpurohit
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ran Tao
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joo-Heon Shin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joel E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Thomas M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Daniel R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Louise A Huuki-Myers
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Leonardo Collado-Torres
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Kristen R Maynard
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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Yang L, Jin C, Qi S, Teng Y, Li C, Yao Y, Ruan X, Wei X. Alterations of functional connectivity of the lateral habenula in subclinical depression and major depressive disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:588. [PMID: 36064380 PMCID: PMC9442927 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04221-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common cause of disability and morbidity, affecting about 10% of the population worldwide. Subclinical depression (SD) can be understood as a precursor of MDD, and therefore provides an MDD risk indicator. The pathogenesis of MDD and SD in humans is still unclear, and the current diagnosis lacks accurate biomarkers and gold standards. METHODS A total of 40 MDD, 34 SD, and 40 healthy control (HC) participants matched by age, gender, and education were included in this study. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images (rs-fMRI) were used to analyze the functional connectivity (FC) of the posterior parietal thalamus (PPtha), which includes the lateral habenula, as the region of interest. Analysis of variance with the post hoc t-test test was performed to find significant differences in FC and clarify the variations in FC among the HC, SD, and MDD groups. RESULTS Increased FC was observed between PPtha and the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) for MDD versus SD, and between PPtha and the right ITG for SD versus HC. Conversely, decreased FC was observed between PPtha and the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) for MDD versus SD and MDD versus HC. The FC between PPtha and the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) in SD was higher than that in MDD and HC. Compared with the HC group, the FC of PPtha-ITG (left and right) increased in both the SD and MDD groups, PPtha-MTG (right) decreased in both the SD and MDD groups and PPtha-MFG (right) increased in the SD group and decreased in the MDD group. CONCLUSION Through analysis of FC measured by rs-fMRI, the altered FC between PPtha and several brain regions (right and left ITG, right MTG, and right MFG) has been identified in participants with SD and MDD. Different alterations in FC between PPtha and these regions were identified for patients with depression. These findings might provide insights into the potential pathophysiological mechanisms of SD and MDD, especially related to PPtha and the lateral habenula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yang
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chaoyang Jin
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shouliang Qi
- College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China. .,Key Laboratory of Intelligent Computing in Medical Image, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China.
| | - Yueyang Teng
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chen Li
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yudong Yao
- grid.217309.e0000 0001 2180 0654Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, USA
| | - Xiuhang Ruan
- grid.79703.3a0000 0004 1764 3838Department of Radiology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinhua Wei
- grid.79703.3a0000 0004 1764 3838Department of Radiology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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4
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Gouveia FV, Baker PM, Mameli M, Germann J. Editorial: The Habenula and Its Role in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:929507. [PMID: 35685273 PMCID: PMC9172991 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.929507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
| | | | - Manuel Mameli
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- INSERM, UMR-S 839, Paris, France
| | - Jurgen Germann
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Jurgen Germann
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5
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Elias GJB, Germann J, Loh A, Boutet A, Pancholi A, Beyn ME, Bhat V, Woodside DB, Giacobbe P, Kennedy SH, Lozano AM. Habenular Involvement in Response to Subcallosal Cingulate Deep Brain Stimulation for Depression. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:810777. [PMID: 35185654 PMCID: PMC8854862 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.810777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is a small, evolutionarily conserved epithalamic structure implicated in functions such as reward and mood regulation. Prior imaging work suggests that Hb's structural and functional properties may relate to treatment response in depression and other mood disorders. We used multimodal MRI techniques to investigate the potential involvement of Hb in response to subcallosal cingulate area deep brain stimulation (SCC-DBS) for treatment-resistant mood disorders. Using an automated segmentation technique, we compared Hb volume at baseline and at a subsequent post-operative timepoint (4.4 ± 3.0 years after surgery) in a cohort of 32 patients who received SCC-DBS. Clinical response to treatment (≥50% decrease in HAMD-17 from baseline to 12 months post-operation) was significantly associated with longitudinal Hb volume change: responders tended to have increased Hb volume over time, while non-responders showed decreased Hb volume (t = 2.4, p = 0.021). We additionally used functional MRI (fMRI) in a subcohort of SCC-DBS patients (n = 12) to investigate immediate within-patient changes in Hb functional connectivity associated with SCC-DBS stimulation. Active DBS was significantly associated with increased Hb connectivity to several prefrontal and corticolimbic regions (TFCE-adjusted p Bonferroni < 0.0001), many of which have been previously implicated in the neurocircuitry of depression. Taken together, our results suggest that Hb may play an important role in the antidepressant effect of SCC-DBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin J B Elias
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jürgen Germann
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron Loh
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandre Boutet
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aditya Pancholi
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle E Beyn
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Venkat Bhat
- Centre for Mental Health and Krembil Research Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D Blake Woodside
- Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Giacobbe
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sidney H Kennedy
- Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andres M Lozano
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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6
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Gouveia FV, Ibrahim GM. Habenula as a Neural Substrate for Aggressive Behavior. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:817302. [PMID: 35250669 PMCID: PMC8891498 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.817302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decades, an ever growing body of literature has explored the anatomy, connections, and functions of the habenula (Hb). It has been postulated that the Hb plays a central role in the control of the monoaminergic system, thus influencing a wide range of behavioral responses, and participating in the pathophysiology of a number of psychiatric disorders and neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as aggressive behaviors. Aggressive behaviors are frequently accompanied by restlessness and agitation, and are commonly observed in patients with psychiatric disorders, intellectual disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Recently, the Hb has been explored as a new target for neuromodulation therapies, such as deep brain stimulation, with promising results. Here we review the anatomical organization of the habenula and discuss several distinct mechanisms by which the Hb is involved in the modulation of aggressive behaviors, and propose new investigations for the development of novel treatments targeting the habenula to reduce aggressive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - George M Ibrahim
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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7
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Germann J, Gouveia FV, Brentani H, Bedford SA, Tullo S, Chakravarty MM, Devenyi GA. Involvement of the habenula in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21168. [PMID: 34707133 PMCID: PMC8551275 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00603-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenula is a small epithalamic structure with widespread connections to multiple cortical, subcortical and brainstem regions. It has been identified as the central structure modulating the reward value of social interactions, behavioral adaptation, sensory integration and circadian rhythm. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits, restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and is frequently associated with altered sensory perception and mood and sleep disorders. The habenula is implicated in all these behaviors and results of preclinical studies suggest a possible involvement of the habenula in the pathophysiology of this disorder. Using anatomical magnetic resonance imaging and automated segmentation we show that the habenula is significantly enlarged in ASD subjects compared to controls across the entire age range studied (6-30 years). No differences were observed between sexes. Furthermore, support-vector machine modeling classified ASD with 85% accuracy (model using habenula volume, age and sex) and 64% accuracy in cross validation. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) significantly differed between groups, however, it was not related to individual habenula volume. The present study is the first to provide evidence in human subjects of an involvement of the habenula in the pathophysiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Germann
- grid.231844.80000 0004 0474 0428University Health Network, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Helena Brentani
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil ,grid.500696.cNational Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Saashi A. Bedford
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Tullo
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - M. Mallar Chakravarty
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Gabriel A. Devenyi
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
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8
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Sevigny JP, Bryant EN, Encarnacion É, Smith DF, Acosta R, Baker PM. Lateral Habenula Inactivation Alters Willingness to Exert Physical Effort Using a Maze Task in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:652793. [PMID: 34447300 PMCID: PMC8382800 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.652793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
An impairment in willingness to exert physical effort in daily activities is a noted aspect of several psychiatric conditions. Previous studies have supported an important role for the lateral habenula (LHb) in dynamic decision-making, including decisions associated with discounting costly high value rewards. It is unknown whether a willingness to exert physical effort to obtain higher rewards is also mediated by the LHb. It also remains unclear whether the LHb is critical to monitoring the task contingencies generally as they change, or whether it also mediates choices in otherwise static reward environments. The present study indicates that the LHb might have an integrative role in effort-based decision-making even when no alterations in choice contingencies occur. Specifically, pharmacological inactivation of the LHb showed differences in motivational behavior by reducing choices for the high effort (30cm barrier) high reward (2 pellets) choice versus the low effort (0 cm) low reward (1 pellet) choice. In sessions where the barrier was removed, rats demonstrated a similar preference for the high reward arm under both control and LHb inactivation. Further, no differences were observed when accounting for sex as a biological variable. These results support that effort to receive a high-value reward is considered on a trial-by-trial basis and the LHb is part of the circuit responsible for integrating this information during decision-making. Therefore, it is likely that previously observed changes in the LHb may be a key contributor to changes in a willingness to exert effort in psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Sevigny
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Emily N Bryant
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Érica Encarnacion
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Dylan F Smith
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Rudith Acosta
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Phillip M Baker
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, United States
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Germann J, Mameli M, Elias GJB, Loh A, Taha A, Gouveia FV, Boutet A, Lozano AM. Deep Brain Stimulation of the Habenula: Systematic Review of the Literature and Clinical Trial Registries. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:730931. [PMID: 34484011 PMCID: PMC8415908 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.730931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenula is a small bilateral epithalamic structure that plays a key role in the regulation of the main monoaminergic systems. It is implicated in many aspects of behavior such as reward processing, motivational behavior, behavioral adaptation, and sensory integration. A role of the habenula has been indicated in the pathophysiology of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. Neuromodulation of the habenula using deep brain stimulation (DBS) as potential treatment has been proposed and a first successful case of habenula DBS was reported a decade ago. To provide an overview of the current state of habenula DBS in human subjects for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders we conducted a systematic review of both the published literature using PUBMED and current and past registered clinical trials using ClinicalTrials.gov as well as the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Using PRISMA guidelines five articles and five registered clinical trials were identified. The published articles detailed the results of habenula DBS for the treatment of schizophrenia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. Four are single case studies; one reports findings in two patients and positive clinical outcome is described in five of the six patients. Of the five registered clinical trials identified, four investigate habenula DBS for the treatment of depression and one for obsessive-compulsive disorder. One trial is listed as terminated, one is recruiting, two are not yet recruiting and the status of the fifth is unknown. The planned enrollment varies between 2 to 13 subjects and four of the five are open label trials. While the published studies suggest a potential role of habenula DBS for a number of indications, future trials and studies are necessary. The outcomes of the ongoing clinical trials will provide further valuable insights. Establishing habenula DBS, however, will depend on successful randomized clinical trials to confirm application and clinical benefit of this promising intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Germann
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Manuel Mameli
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- INSERM, UMR-S 839, Paris, France
| | - Gavin J. B. Elias
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron Loh
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alaa Taha
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandre Boutet
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andres M. Lozano
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Lim SH, Yoon J, Kim YJ, Kang CK, Cho SE, Kim KG, Kang SG. Reproducibility of automated habenula segmentation via deep learning in major depressive disorder and normal controls with 7 Tesla MRI. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13445. [PMID: 34188141 PMCID: PMC8241874 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92952-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenula is one of the most important brain regions for investigating the etiology of psychiatric diseases such as major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the habenula is challenging to delineate with the naked human eye in brain imaging due to its low contrast and tiny size, and the manual segmentation results vary greatly depending on the observer. Therefore, there is a great need for automatic quantitative analytic methods of the habenula for psychiatric research purposes. Here we propose an automated segmentation and volume estimation method for the habenula in 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging based on a deep learning-based semantic segmentation network. The proposed method, using the data of 69 participants (33 patients with MDD and 36 normal controls), achieved an average precision, recall, and dice similarity coefficient of 0.869, 0.865, and 0.852, respectively, in the automated segmentation task. Moreover, the intra-class correlation coefficient reached 0.870 in the volume estimation task. This study demonstrates that this deep learning-based method can provide accurate and quantitative analytic results of the habenula. By providing rapid and quantitative information on the habenula, we expect our proposed method will aid future psychiatric disease studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Heon Lim
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Gachon Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology (GAIHST), Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Yoon
- Department of Family Medicine, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Jae Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Ki Kang
- Department of Radiological Science, College of Health Science, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo-Eun Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Gi Kim
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Gachon Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology (GAIHST), Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seung-Gul Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
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Lee YA, Goto Y. The Habenula in the Link Between ADHD and Mood Disorder. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:699691. [PMID: 34248519 PMCID: PMC8264146 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.699691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood-onset, neurodevelopmental disorder, whereas major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder that typically emerges in adulthood. Accumulating evidence suggests that these seemingly unrelated psychiatric disorders, whose symptoms even appear antithetical [e.g., psychomotor retardation in depression vs. hyperactivity (psychomotor acceleration) in ADHD], are in fact associated with each other. Thus, individuals with ADHD exhibit high comorbidity with MDD later in life. Moreover, genetic studies have shown substantial overlaps of susceptibility genes between ADHD and MDD. Here, we propose a novel and testable hypothesis that the habenula, the epithalamic brain region important for the regulation of monoamine transmission, may be involved in both ADHD and MDD. The hypothesis suggests that an initially hypoactive habenula during childhood in individuals with ADHD may undergo compensatory changes during development, priming the habenula to be hyperactive in response to stress exposure and thereby increasing vulnerability to MDD in adulthood. Moreover, we propose a new perspective on habenular deficits in psychiatric disorders that consider the habenula a neural substrate that could explain multiple psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-A Lee
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Yukiori Goto
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
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