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Adil D, Duerden EG, Eagleson R, de Ribaupierre S. Structural Alterations of the Corpus Callosum in Children With Infantile Hydrocephalus. J Child Neurol 2024; 39:66-76. [PMID: 38387869 PMCID: PMC11083734 DOI: 10.1177/08830738241231343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates structural alterations of the corpus callosum in children diagnosed with infantile hydrocephalus. We aim to assess both macrostructural (volume) and microstructural (diffusion tensor imaging metrics) facets of the corpus callosum, providing insights into the nature and extent of alterations associated with this condition. Eighteen patients with infantile hydrocephalus (mean age = 9 years) and 18 age- and sex-matched typically developing healthy children participated in the study. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging were used to assess corpus callosum volume and microstructure, respectively. Our findings reveal significant alterations in corpus callosum volume, particularly in the posterior area, as well as distinct microstructural disparities, notably pronounced in these same segments. These results highlight the intricate interplay between macrostructural and microstructural aspects in understanding the impact of infantile hydrocephalus. Examining these structural alterations provides an understanding into the mechanisms underlying the effects of infantile hydrocephalus on corpus callosum integrity, given its pivotal role in interhemispheric communication. This knowledge offers a more nuanced perspective on neurologic disorders and underscores the significance of investigating the corpus callosum's health in such contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derya Adil
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma G. Duerden
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roy Eagleson
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sandrine de Ribaupierre
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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Chen Y, Chen Y, Zheng R, Jiang Y, Zhou B, Xue K, Li S, Pang J, Li H, Zhang Y, Han S, Cheng J. Convergent molecular and structural neuroimaging signatures of first-episode depression. J Affect Disord 2023; 320:22-28. [PMID: 36181910 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Convergent studies have demonstrated morphological abnormalities in various brain regions in depression patients. However, the molecular underpinnings of the structural impairments remain largely unknown, despite a pressing need for treatment targets and mechanisms. Here, we investigated the gray matter volume (GMV) alteration in patients with depression and its underlying molecular architecture. METHODS We recruited 195 first-episode, treatment-naïve depression patients and 78 gender-, age-, and education level-matched healthy controls (HCs) who underwent high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance scans. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was adopted to calculate the GMV differences between two groups. Then we analyzed the spatial correlation between depression-induced alteration in GMV and density maps of 10 receptors/transporters deriving from prior molecular imaging in healthy people. RESULTS Compared to HCs, the depression group had significantly increased GMV in the left ventral portions of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, the right superior parietal lobule and precuneus while decreased GMV in the bilateral hippocampus extending to the thalamus and cerebellum. The GMV alteration introduced by depression was spatially correlated with serotonin receptors (5-HT1a, 5-HT1b, and 5-HT2a), dopamine receptors (D1 and D2) and GABAergic receptor (GABAa) densities. LIMITATIONS The conclusions drawn in this study were obtained from a single dataset. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals abnormal GMV alteration and provides a series of neurotransmitters receptors possibly related to GMV alteration in depression, which facilitates an integrative understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the structural abnormalities in depression and may provide clues to new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Chen
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Clinical Research Service Center, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, China
| | - Ruiping Zheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Bingqian Zhou
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Kangkang Xue
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Shuying Li
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Jianyue Pang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Hengfen Li
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
| | - Shaoqiang Han
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Imaging of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Detection and Application of Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Engineering Research Center of Medical Imaging Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Imaging Intelligence Research Medicine of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
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Parvaz MA, Rabin RA, Adams F, Goldstein RZ. Structural and functional brain recovery in individuals with substance use disorders during abstinence: A review of longitudinal neuroimaging studies. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 232:109319. [PMID: 35077955 PMCID: PMC8885813 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies reveal structural and functional including neurochemical brain abnormalities in individuals with substance use disorders compared to healthy controls. However, whether and to what extent such dysfunction is reversible with abstinence remains unclear, and a review of studies with longitudinal within-subject designs is lacking. We performed a systematic review of longitudinal neuroimaging studies to explore putative brain changes associated with abstinence in treatment-seeking individuals with substance use disorders. METHODS Following PRISMA guidelines, we examined articles published up to May 2021 that employed a neuroimaging technique and assessed neurobiological recovery in treatment-seeking participants at a minimum of two time-points separated by a period of abstinence (longer than 24 h apart) or significant reduction in drug use. RESULTS Forty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Encouragingly, in this limited but growing literature, the majority of studies demonstrated at least partial neurobiological recovery with abstinence. Structural recovery appeared to occur predominantly in frontal cortical regions, the insula, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Functional and neurochemical recovery was similarly observed in prefrontal cortical regions but also in subcortical structures. The onset of structural recovery appears to precede neurochemical recovery, which begins soon after cessation (particularly for alcohol); functional recovery may require longer periods of abstinence. CONCLUSIONS The literature is still growing and more studies are warranted to better understand abstinence-mediated neural recovery in individuals with substance use disorders. Elucidating the temporal dynamics between neuronal recovery and abstinence will enable evidence-based planning for more effective and targeted treatment of substance use disorders, potentially pre-empting relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad A Parvaz
- Department of Pyschiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Rachel A. Rabin
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and The Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3
| | - Faith Adams
- Department of Pyschiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Rita Z. Goldstein
- Department of Pyschiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
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Broessner G, Ellerbrock I, Menz MM, Frank F, Verius M, Gaser C, May A. Repetitive T1 Imaging Influences Gray Matter Volume Estimations in Structural Brain Imaging. Front Neurol 2021; 12:755749. [PMID: 34777226 PMCID: PMC8581175 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.755749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a widely used tool for studying structural patterns of brain plasticity, brain development and disease. The source of the T1-signal changes is not understood. Most of these changes are discussed to represent loss or possibly gain of brain gray matter and recent publications speculate also about non-structural changes affecting T1-signal. We investigated the potential of pain stimulation to ultra-short-term alter gray matter signal changes in pain relevant brain regions in healthy volunteers using a longitudinal design. Immediately following regional nociceptive input, we detected significant gray matter volume (GMV) changes in central pain processing areas, i.e. anterior cingulate and insula cortex. However, similar results were observed in a control group using the identical time intervals but without nociceptive painful input. These GMV changes could be reproduced in almost 100 scanning sessions enrolling 72 healthy individuals comprising repetitive magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo (MPRAGE) sequences. These data suggest that short-term longitudinal repetitive MPRAGE may produce significant GMV changes without any intervention. Future studies investigating brain plasticity should focus and specifically report a consistent timing at which time-point during the experiment the T1-weighted scan is conducted. There is a necessity of a control group for longitudinal imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregor Broessner
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Isabel Ellerbrock
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mareike M Menz
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Florian Frank
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Verius
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Gaser
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Arne May
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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5
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Babaeeghazvini P, Rueda-Delgado LM, Gooijers J, Swinnen SP, Daffertshofer A. Brain Structural and Functional Connectivity: A Review of Combined Works of Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Electro-Encephalography. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:721206. [PMID: 34690718 PMCID: PMC8529047 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.721206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Implications of structural connections within and between brain regions for their functional counterpart are timely points of discussion. White matter microstructural organization and functional activity can be assessed in unison. At first glance, however, the corresponding findings appear variable, both in the healthy brain and in numerous neuro-pathologies. To identify consistent associations between structural and functional connectivity and possible impacts for the clinic, we reviewed the literature of combined recordings of electro-encephalography (EEG) and diffusion-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It appears that the strength of event-related EEG activity increases with increased integrity of structural connectivity, while latency drops. This agrees with a simple mechanistic perspective: the nature of microstructural white matter influences the transfer of activity. The EEG, however, is often assessed for its spectral content. Spectral power shows associations with structural connectivity that can be negative or positive often dependent on the frequencies under study. Functional connectivity shows even more variations, which are difficult to rank. This might be caused by the diversity of paradigms being investigated, from sleep and resting state to cognitive and motor tasks, from healthy participants to patients. More challenging, though, is the potential dependency of findings on the kind of analysis applied. While this does not diminish the principal capacity of EEG and diffusion-based MRI co-registration, it highlights the urgency to standardize especially EEG analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parinaz Babaeeghazvini
- Department of Human Movements Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Science Institute (AMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam (iBBA), Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Laura M. Rueda-Delgado
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jolien Gooijers
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephan P. Swinnen
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andreas Daffertshofer
- Department of Human Movements Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Science Institute (AMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam (iBBA), Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Using Fractal Dimension Analysis with the Desikan-Killiany Atlas to Assess the Effects of Normal Aging on Subregional Cortex Alterations in Adulthood. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11010107. [PMID: 33466961 PMCID: PMC7829920 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010107] [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: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal aging is associated with functional and structural alterations in the human brain. The effects of normal aging and gender on morphological changes in specific regions of the brain are unknown. The fractal dimension (FD) can be a quantitative measure of cerebral folding. In this study, we used 3D-FD analysis with the Desikan–Killiany (DK) atlas to assess subregional morphological changes in adulthood. A total of 258 participants (112 women and 146 men) aged 30–85 years participated in this study. Participants in the middle-age group exhibited a decreased FD in the lateral frontal lobes, which then spread to the temporal and parietal lobes. Men exhibited an earlier and more significant decrease in FD values, mainly in the right frontal and left parietal lobes. Men exhibited more of a decrease in FD values in the subregions on the left than those in the right, whereas women exhibited more of a decrease in the lateral subregions. Older men were at a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and exhibited age-related memory decline earlier than women. Our FD analysis using the DK atlas-based prediagnosis may provide a suitable tool for assessing normal aging and neurodegeneration between groups or in individual patients.
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Banaszkiewicz A, Matuszewski J, Bola Ł, Szczepanik M, Kossowski B, Rutkowski P, Szwed M, Emmorey K, Jednoróg K, Marchewka A. Multimodal imaging of brain reorganization in hearing late learners of sign language. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:384-397. [PMID: 33098616 PMCID: PMC7776004 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural plasticity underlying language learning is a process rather than a single event. However, the dynamics of training-induced brain reorganization have rarely been examined, especially using a multimodal magnetic resonance imaging approach, which allows us to study the relationship between functional and structural changes. We focus on sign language acquisition in hearing adults who underwent an 8-month long course and five neuroimaging sessions. We assessed what neural changes occurred as participants learned a new language in a different modality-as reflected by task-based activity, connectivity changes, and co-occurring structural alterations. Major changes in the activity pattern appeared after just 3 months of learning, as indicated by increases in activation within the modality-independent perisylvian language network, together with increased activation in modality-dependent parieto-occipital, visuospatial and motion-sensitive regions. Despite further learning, no alterations in activation were detected during the following months. However, enhanced coupling between left-lateralized occipital and inferior frontal regions was observed as the proficiency increased. Furthermore, an increase in gray matter volume was detected in the left inferior frontal gyrus which peaked at the end of learning. Overall, these results showed complexity and temporal distinctiveness of various aspects of brain reorganization associated with learning of new language in different sensory modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Banaszkiewicz
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Matuszewski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bola
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michał Szczepanik
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kossowski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Rutkowski
- Section for Sign Linguistics, Faculty of Polish Studies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Szwed
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Karen Emmorey
- Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Artur Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Demšar J, Forsyth R. Synaptic Scaling Improves the Stability of Neural Mass Models Capable of Simulating Brain Plasticity. Neural Comput 2019; 32:424-446. [PMID: 31835005 DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_01257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Neural mass models offer a way of studying the development and behavior of large-scale brain networks through computer simulations. Such simulations are currently mainly research tools, but as they improve, they could soon play a role in understanding, predicting, and optimizing patient treatments, particularly in relation to effects and outcomes of brain injury. To bring us closer to this goal, we took an existing state-of-the-art neural mass model capable of simulating connection growth through simulated plasticity processes. We identified and addressed some of the model's limitations by implementing biologically plausible mechanisms. The main limitation of the original model was its instability, which we addressed by incorporating a representation of the mechanism of synaptic scaling and examining the effects of optimizing parameters in the model. We show that the updated model retains all the merits of the original model, while being more stable and capable of generating networks that are in several aspects similar to those found in real brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jure Demšar
- Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, and MBLab, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rob Forsyth
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, U.K.
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10
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Popova F, Kovacheva A, Garov P, Sivkov S, Kandilarova S, Sirakov N, Stoeva M, Velkova KG. Adult brain activation during visual learning and memory tasks. An experimental approach to translational neuroscience. J Eval Clin Pract 2018; 24:864-868. [PMID: 29570910 DOI: 10.1111/jep.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES Human brain connectome is a new and rapidly developing field in neuroscience. The pattern of structural and functional connectivity in the brain is not fixed but is continuously changing in response to experiences. Exploring these phenomena opens a powerful arsenal of analyses and computational approaches that could provide important new insights into clinical and cognitive neuroscience. The aim of the present study was to investigate the activations of adult brain cortical areas during a memory task performance by using functional MRI with a specific focus on gender differences. METHODS Twenty-nine right-handed subjects (15 men and 14 women) were scanned. The memory paradigm consisted of 4 consecutive sets of "on" and "off" blocks with a total duration of 4 minutes. The subjects were first presented with 4 pictures (fixation F-part) of the same theme-landscapes, portraits, anatomical images of internal organs, and geometric figures denoted by specific mismatching nouns (seasons, personal names, internal organs, and figures), followed by 3 of the presented pictures and questions for memory evaluation (recall R-part). For the active conditions, the participants were instructed to read the statements carefully and answer with a button press. RESULTS We found reliable occipital and temporal signal responses across the block design contrasts with statistical significant differences within the groups in both genders. Statistical significance in brain cortical activation was not found between men and women. CONCLUSION The results highlighted several detailed distinctions between the genders and potential future directions in brain activation studies as part of the multidisciplinary approach in translational neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferihan Popova
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | | | - Petar Garov
- Faculty of Medicine, Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Stefan Sivkov
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Sevdalina Kandilarova
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Translational Neuroscience Complex, Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Nickolay Sirakov
- Department of Image Diagnostics, Dental Allergology and Physiotherapy, Translational Neuroscience Complex, Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Magdalena Stoeva
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Translational Neuroscience Complex Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Kichka G Velkova
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Translational Neuroscience Complex Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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Tétreault P, Baliki MN, Baria AT, Bauer WR, Schnitzer TJ, Apkarian AV. Inferring distinct mechanisms in the absence of subjective differences: Placebo and centrally acting analgesic underlie unique brain adaptations. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:2210-2223. [PMID: 29417694 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Development and maintenance of chronic pain is associated with structural and functional brain reorganization. However, few studies have explored the impact of drug treatments on such changes. The extent to which long-term analgesia is related to brain adaptations and its effects on the reversibility of brain reorganization remain unclear. In a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, we contrasted pain relief (3-month treatment period), and anatomical (gray matter density [GMD], assessed by voxel-based morphometry) and functional connectivity (resting state fMRI nodal degree count [DC]) adaptations, in 39 knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients (22 females), randomized to duloxetine (DLX, 60 mg once daily) or placebo. Pain relief was equivalent between treatment types. However, distinct circuitry (GMD and DC) could explain pain relief in each group: up to 85% of variance for placebo analgesia and 49% of variance for DLX analgesia. No behavioral measures (collected at entry into the study) could independently explain observed analgesia. Identified circuitry were outside of nociceptive circuitry and minimally overlapped with OA-abnormal or placebo response predictive brain regions. Mediation analysis revealed that changes in GMD and DC can influence each other across remote brain regions to explain observed analgesia. Therefore, we can conclude that distinct brain mechanisms underlie DLX and placebo analgesia in OA. The results demonstrate that even in the absence of differences in subjective pain relief, pharmacological treatments can be differentiated from placebo based on objective brain biomarkers. This is a crucial step to untangling mechanisms and advancing personalized therapy approaches for chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Tétreault
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, 60611
| | - Marwan N Baliki
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.,Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois, 60611
| | - Alexis T Baria
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, 60611
| | - William R Bauer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, 43614-2598
| | - Thomas J Schnitzer
- Department of Rheumatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, 60611
| | - A Vania Apkarian
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.,Anesthesiology Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, 60611
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12
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Coynel D, Gschwind L, Fastenrath M, Freytag V, Milnik A, Spalek K, Papassotiropoulos A, de Quervain DJF. Picture free recall performance linked to the brain's structural connectome. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00721. [PMID: 28729929 PMCID: PMC5516597 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Memory functions are highly variable between healthy humans. The neural correlates of this variability remain largely unknown. METHODS Here, we investigated how differences in free recall performance are associated with DTI-based properties of the brain's structural connectome and with grey matter volumes in 664 healthy young individuals tested in the same MR scanner. RESULTS Global structural connectivity, but not overall or regional grey matter volumes, positively correlated with recall performance. Moreover, a set of 22 inter-regional connections, including some with no previously reported relation to human memory, such as the connection between the temporal pole and the nucleus accumbens, explained 7.8% of phenotypic variance. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, this large-scale study indicates that individual memory performance is associated with the level of structural brain connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Coynel
- Division of Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Leo Gschwind
- Division of Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Division of Molecular Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Matthias Fastenrath
- Division of Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Virginie Freytag
- Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Division of Molecular Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Annette Milnik
- Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Division of Molecular Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Psychiatric University Clinics University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Klara Spalek
- Division of Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Andreas Papassotiropoulos
- Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Division of Molecular Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Psychiatric University Clinics University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Department Biozentrum Life Sciences Training Facility University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Dominique J-F de Quervain
- Division of Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Transfaculty Research Platform University of Basel Basel Switzerland.,Psychiatric University Clinics University of Basel Basel Switzerland
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13
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Kraus C, Castrén E, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Serotonin and neuroplasticity - Links between molecular, functional and structural pathophysiology in depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 77:317-326. [PMID: 28342763 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin modulates neuroplasticity, especially during early life, and dysfunctions in both systems likewise contribute to pathophysiology of depression. Recent findings demonstrate that serotonin reuptake inhibitors trigger reactivation of juvenile-like neuroplasticity. How these findings translate to clinical antidepressant treatment in major depressive disorder remains unclear. With this review, we link preclinical with clinical work on serotonin and neuroplasticity to bring two pathophysiologic models in clinical depression closer together. Dysfunctional developmental plasticity impacts on later-life cognitive and emotional functions, changes of synaptic serotonin levels and receptor levels are coupled with altered synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. Structural magnetic resonance imaging in patients reveals disease-state-specific reductions of gray matter, a marker of neuroplasticity, and reversibility upon selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment. Translational evidence from magnetic resonance imaging in animals support that reduced densities and sizes of neurons and reduced hippocampal volumes in depressive patients could be attributable to changes of serotonergic neuroplasticity. Since ketamine, physical exercise or learning enhance neuroplasticity, combinatory paradigms with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors could enhance clinical treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Kraus
- NEUROIMAGING LABs (NIL) - PET & MRI & EEG & Chemical Lab Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Medical University of Vienna
| | - Eero Castrén
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- NEUROIMAGING LABs (NIL) - PET & MRI & EEG & Chemical Lab Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Medical University of Vienna.
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14
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Roth TC, Stocker K, Mauck R. Morphological changes in hippocampal cytoarchitecture as a function of spatial treatment in birds. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:93-101. [PMID: 27326700 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining cognitive processes comes with neurological costs. Thus, enhanced cognition and its underlying neural mechanisms should change in response to environmental pressures. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that variation in spatially based cognitive abilities is reflected in the morphology of the hippocampus (Hp), the region of the brain involved in spatial memory. Moreover, recent work on this region establishes a dynamic link between brain plasticity and cognitive experiences both across populations and within individuals. However, the mechanisms involved in neurological changes as a result of differential space use and the reversibility of such effects are unknown. Using a house sparrow (Passer domesticus) model, we experimentally manipulated the space available to birds, testing the hypothesis that reductions in dendritic branching is associated with reduced Hp volume and that such reductions in volume are reversible. We found that reduced spatial availability associated with captivity had a profound and significant reduction in sparrow hippocampal volumes, which was highly correlated with the total length of dendrites in the region. This result suggests that changes to the dendritic structure of neurons may, in part, explain volumetric reductions in region size associated with captivity. In addition, small changes in available space even within captivity produced significant changes in the spine structure on Hp dendrites. These reductions were reversible following increased spatial opportunities. Overall, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that reductions to the Hp in captivity, often assumed to reflect a deleterious process, may be adaptive and a consequence of the trade-off between cognitive and energetic demands. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 93-101, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Roth
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.,Biological Foundations of Behavior, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
| | - Kurtis Stocker
- Biological Foundations of Behavior, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert Mauck
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio
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15
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Malchow B, Keeser D, Keller K, Hasan A, Rauchmann BS, Kimura H, Schneider-Axmann T, Dechent P, Gruber O, Ertl-Wagner B, Honer WG, Hillmer-Vogel U, Schmitt A, Wobrock T, Niklas A, Falkai P. Effects of endurance training on brain structures in chronic schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Schizophr Res 2016; 173:182-191. [PMID: 25623601 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this longitudinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging study was to examine the effects of endurance training on hippocampal and grey matter volumes in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. 20 chronic schizophrenia patients and 21 age- and gender-matched healthy controls underwent 3months of endurance training (30min, 3 times per week). 19 additionally recruited schizophrenia patients played table soccer ("foosball" in the USA) over the same period. MR imaging with 3D-volumetric T1-weighted sequences was performed on a 3T MR scanner at baseline, after 6weeks and after the 3-month intervention and 3 additional training-free months. In addition to voxel-based morphometry (VBM), we performed manual and automatic delineation of the hippocampus and its substructures. Endurance capacity and psychopathological symptoms were measured as secondary endpoints. No significant increases in the volumes of the hippocampus or hippocampal substructures were observed in schizophrenia patients or healthy controls. However, VBM analyses displayed an increased volume of the left superior, middle and inferior anterior temporal gyri compared to baseline in schizophrenia patients after the endurance training, whereas patients playing table soccer showed increased volumes in the motor and anterior cingulate cortices. After the additional training-free period, the differences were no longer present. While endurance capacity improved in exercising patients and healthy controls, psychopathological symptoms did not significantly change. The subtle changes in the left temporal cortex indicate an impact of exercise on brain volumes in schizophrenia. Subsequent studies in larger cohorts are warranted to address the question of response variability of endurance training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berend Malchow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany.
| | - Daniel Keeser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany; Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Katriona Keller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany; Department of Sports Medicine, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Alkomiet Hasan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Hiroshi Kimura
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | | | - Peter Dechent
- MR Research in Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Gruber
- Centre for Translational Research in Systems Neuroscience and Clinical Psychiatry, Georg August University, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Ertl-Wagner
- Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | - William G Honer
- Institute of Mental Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ursula Hillmer-Vogel
- Department of Sports Medicine, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany; Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thomas Wobrock
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Centre of Mental Health, County Hospitals Darmstadt-Dieburg, Groß-Umstadt, Germany
| | - Andree Niklas
- Department of Sports Medicine, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
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16
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Neural Plasticity following Abacus Training in Humans: A Review and Future Directions. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:1213723. [PMID: 26881089 PMCID: PMC4736326 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1213723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain has an enormous capacity to adapt to a broad variety of environmental demands. Previous studies in the field of abacus training have shown that this training can induce specific changes in the brain. However, the neural mechanism underlying these changes remains elusive. Here, we reviewed the behavioral and imaging findings of comparisons between abacus experts and average control subjects and focused on changes in activation patterns and changes in brain structure. Finally, we noted the limitations and the future directions of this field. We concluded that although current studies have provided us with information about the mechanisms of abacus training, more research on abacus training is needed to understand its neural impact.
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17
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Ripollés P, Rojo N, Grau-Sánchez J, Amengual JL, Càmara E, Marco-Pallarés J, Juncadella M, Vaquero L, Rubio F, Duarte E, Garrido C, Altenmüller E, Münte TF, Rodríguez-Fornells A. Music supported therapy promotes motor plasticity in individuals with chronic stroke. Brain Imaging Behav 2015; 10:1289-1307. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-015-9498-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Abstract
Neurofeedback is a technique to learn to control brain signals by means of real time feedback. In the present study, the individual ability to learn two EEG neurofeedback protocols - sensorimotor rhythm and gamma rhythm - was related to structural properties of the brain. The volumes in the anterior insula bilaterally, left thalamus, right frontal operculum, right putamen, right middle frontal gyrus, and right lingual gyrus predicted the outcomes of sensorimotor rhythm training. Gray matter volumes in the supplementary motor area and left middle frontal gyrus predicted the outcomes of gamma rhythm training. These findings combined with further evidence from the literature are compatible with the existence of a more general self-control network, which through self-referential and self-control processes regulates neurofeedback learning.
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19
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Chavan CF, Mouthon M, Draganski B, van der Zwaag W, Spierer L. Differential patterns of functional and structural plasticity within and between inferior frontal gyri support training-induced improvements in inhibitory control proficiency. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:2527-43. [PMID: 25801718 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ample evidence indicates that inhibitory control (IC), a key executive component referring to the ability to suppress cognitive or motor processes, relies on a right-lateralized fronto-basal brain network. However, whether and how IC can be improved with training and the underlying neuroplastic mechanisms remains largely unresolved. We used functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging to measure the effects of 2 weeks of training with a Go/NoGo task specifically designed to improve frontal top-down IC mechanisms. The training-induced behavioral improvements were accompanied by a decrease in neural activity to inhibition trials within the right pars opercularis and triangularis, and in the left pars orbitalis of the inferior frontal gyri. Analyses of changes in brain anatomy induced by the IC training revealed increases in grey matter volume in the right pars orbitalis and modulations of white matter microstructure in the right pars triangularis. The task-specificity of the effects of training was confirmed by an absence of change in neural activity to a control working memory task. Our combined anatomical and functional findings indicate that differential patterns of functional and structural plasticity between and within inferior frontal gyri enhanced the speed of top-down inhibition processes and in turn IC proficiency. The results suggest that training-based interventions might help overcoming the anatomic and functional deficits of inferior frontal gyri manifesting in inhibition-related clinical conditions. More generally, we demonstrate how multimodal neuroimaging investigations of training-induced neuroplasticity enable revealing novel anatomo-functional dissociations within frontal executive brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille F Chavan
- Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Michael Mouthon
- Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Bogdan Draganski
- LREN, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Vaudois Hospital University Center, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wietske van der Zwaag
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Spierer
- Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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20
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Englander ZA, Sun J, Laura Case, Mikati MA, Kurtzberg J, Song AW. Brain structural connectivity increases concurrent with functional improvement: evidence from diffusion tensor MRI in children with cerebral palsy during therapy. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015; 7:315-24. [PMID: 25610796 PMCID: PMC4297884 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral Palsy (CP) refers to a heterogeneous group of permanent but non-progressive movement disorders caused by injury to the developing fetal or infant brain (Bax et al., 2005). Because of its serious long-term consequences, effective interventions that can help improve motor function, independence, and quality of life are critically needed. Our ongoing longitudinal clinical trial to treat children with CP is specifically designed to meet this challenge. To maximize the potential for functional improvement, all children in this trial received autologous cord blood transfusions (with order randomized with a placebo administration over 2 years) in conjunction with more standard physical and occupational therapies. As a part of this trial, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to improve our understanding of how these interventions affect brain development, and to develop biomarkers of treatment efficacy. In this report, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and subsequent brain connectome analyses were performed in a subset of children enrolled in the clinical trial (n = 17), who all exhibited positive but varying degrees of functional improvement over the first 2-year period of the study. Strong correlations between increases in white matter (WM) connectivity and functional improvement were demonstrated; however no significant relationships between either of these factors with the age of the child at time of enrollment were identified. Thus, our data indicate that increases in brain connectivity reflect improved functional abilities in children with CP. In future work, this potential biomarker can be used to help differentiate the underlying mechanisms of functional improvement, as well as to identify treatments that can best facilitate functional improvement upon un-blinding of the timing of autologous cord blood transfusions at the completion of this study. DTI was used to assess changes in WM connectivity in children with CP. Changes in connectivity correlate with changes in functional abilities during therapy. Changes in connectivity were diffusely distributed throughout the brain. Brain connectivity is a potential biomarker for functional improvement in CP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë A Englander
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, United States ; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Medical Center, United States
| | - Jessica Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, United States ; The Robertson Cell and Translational Therapy Center, Duke University Medical Center, United States
| | - Laura Case
- Division of Physical Therapy, Duke University Medical Center, United States
| | - Mohamad A Mikati
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, United States
| | - Joanne Kurtzberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, United States ; The Robertson Cell and Translational Therapy Center, Duke University Medical Center, United States
| | - Allen W Song
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, United States ; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Medical Center, United States ; Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, United States
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21
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Abstract
BACKGROUND An increasing number of studies have examined the effects of training of cognitive and other tasks on brain structure, using magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS Studies combining cognitive and other tasks training with longitudinal imaging designs were reviewed, with a view to identify paradigms potentially applicable to treatment of cognitive impairment. RESULTS We identified 36 studies, employing training as variable as juggling, working memory, meditation, learning abstract information, and aerobic exercise. There were training-related structural changes, increases in gray matter volume, decreases, increases and decreases in different regions, or no change at all. There was increased integrity in white matter following training, but other patterns of results were also reported. CONCLUSIONS Questions still to be answered are: Are changes due to use-dependent effects or are they specific to learning? What are the underlying neural correlates of learning, the temporal dynamics of changes, the relations between structure and function, and the upper limits of improvement? How can gains be maintained? The question whether neuroplasticity will contribute to the treatment of dementia will need to be posed again at that stage.
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22
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Sumiyoshi A, Taki Y, Nonaka H, Takeuchi H, Kawashima R. Regional gray matter volume increases following 7days of voluntary wheel running exercise: a longitudinal VBM study in rats. Neuroimage 2014; 98:82-90. [PMID: 24816532 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.04.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of physical exercise on brain morphology in rodents have been well documented in histological studies. However, to further understand when and where morphological changes occur in the whole brain, a noninvasive neuroimaging method allowing an unbiased, comprehensive, and longitudinal investigation of brain morphology should be used. In this study, we investigated the effects of 7days of voluntary wheel running exercise on regional gray matter volume (rGMV) using longitudinal voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in rats. Eighteen pairs of adult male naïve Wistar rats were randomized to the exercise or control condition (one rat for each condition from each pair). Each rat was scanned in a 7.0-T MRI scanner at three time points: before exercise, after 7days of exercise, and after 7days of follow-up. The T2-weighted MRI images were segmented using the rat brain tissue priors that were recently published by our laboratory, and the intra- and inter-subject template creation steps were followed. Longitudinal VBM analysis revealed significant increases in rGMV in the motor, somatosensory, association, and visual cortices in the exercise group. Among these brain regions, rGMV changes in the motor cortex were positively correlated with the total distance that was run during the 7days of exercise. In addition, the effects of 7days of exercise on rGMV persisted after 7days of follow-up. These results support the utility of a longitudinal VBM study in rats and provide new insights into experience-dependent structural brain plasticity in naïve adult animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Sumiyoshi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
| | - Yasuyuki Taki
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Division of Medical Image Analysis, Department of Community Medical Supports, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hiroi Nonaka
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hikaru Takeuchi
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Smart Ageing International Research Center, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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23
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Vaessen MJ, Jansen JFA, Braakman HMH, Hofman PAM, De Louw A, Aldenkamp AP, Backes WH. Functional and structural network impairment in childhood frontal lobe epilepsy. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90068. [PMID: 24594874 PMCID: PMC3942412 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In childhood frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), cognitive impairment and educational underachievement are serious, well-known co-morbidities. The broad scale of affected cognitive domains suggests wide-spread network disturbances that not only involves, but also extends beyond the frontal lobe. In this study we have investigated whole brain connectional properties of children with FLE in relation to their cognitive impairment and compared them with healthy controls. Functional connectivity (FC) of the networks was derived from dynamic fluctuations of resting state fMRI and structural connectivity (SC) was obtained from fiber tractograms of diffusion weighted MRI. The whole brain network was characterized with graph theoretical metrics and decomposed into modules. Subsequently, the graph metrics and the connectivity within and between modules were related to cognitive performance. Functional network disturbances in FLE were related to increased clustering, increased path length, and stronger modularity compared to healthy controls, which was accompanied by stronger within- and weaker between-module functional connectivity. Although structural path length and clustering appeared normal in children with FLE, structural modularity increased with stronger cognitive impairment. It is concluded that decreased coupling between large-scale functional network modules is a hallmark for impaired cognition in childhood FLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten J. Vaessen
- Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Research and Development, Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jacobus F. A. Jansen
- Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Hilde M. H. Braakman
- Department of Research and Development, Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Paul A. M. Hofman
- Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Research and Development, Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Anton De Louw
- Department of Research and Development, Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
| | - Albert P. Aldenkamp
- Department of Research and Development, Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Walter H. Backes
- Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Dynamic neural network reorganization associated with second language vocabulary acquisition: a multimodal imaging study. J Neurosci 2013; 33:13663-72. [PMID: 23966688 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0410-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It remains unsettled whether human language relies exclusively on innately privileged brain structure in the left hemisphere or is more flexibly shaped through experiences, which induce neuroplastic changes in potentially relevant neural circuits. Here we show that learning of second language (L2) vocabulary and its cessation can induce bidirectional changes in the mirror-reverse of the traditional language areas. A cross-sectional study identified that gray matter volume in the inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis (IFGop) and connectivity of the IFGop with the caudate nucleus and the superior temporal gyrus/supramarginal (STG/SMG), predominantly in the right hemisphere, were positively correlated with L2 vocabulary competence. We then implemented a cohort study involving 16 weeks of L2 training in university students. Brain structure before training did not predict the later gain in L2 ability. However, training intervention did increase IFGop volume and reorganization of white matter including the IFGop-caudate and IFGop-STG/SMG pathways in the right hemisphere. These "positive" plastic changes were correlated with the gain in L2 ability in the trained group but were not observed in the control group. We propose that the right hemispheric network can be reorganized into language-related areas through use-dependent plasticity in young adults, reflecting a repertoire of flexible reorganization of the neural substrates responding to linguistic experiences.
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Grau-Sánchez J, Amengual JL, Rojo N, Veciana de Las Heras M, Montero J, Rubio F, Altenmüller E, Münte TF, Rodríguez-Fornells A. Plasticity in the sensorimotor cortex induced by Music-supported therapy in stroke patients: a TMS study. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:494. [PMID: 24027507 PMCID: PMC3759754 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Playing a musical instrument demands the engagement of different neural systems. Recent studies about the musician's brain and musical training highlight that this activity requires the close interaction between motor and somatosensory systems. Moreover, neuroplastic changes have been reported in motor-related areas after short and long-term musical training. Because of its capacity to promote neuroplastic changes, music has been used in the context of stroke neurorehabilitation. The majority of patients suffering from a stroke have motor impairments, preventing them to live independently. Thus, there is an increasing demand for effective restorative interventions for neurological deficits. Music-supported Therapy (MST) has been recently developed to restore motor deficits. We report data of a selected sample of stroke patients who have been enrolled in a MST program (1 month intense music learning). Prior to and after the therapy, patients were evaluated with different behavioral motor tests. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) was applied to evaluate changes in the sensorimotor representations underlying the motor gains observed. Several parameters of excitability of the motor cortex were assessed as well as the cortical somatotopic representation of a muscle in the affected hand. Our results revealed that participants obtained significant motor improvements in the paretic hand and those changes were accompanied by changes in the excitability of the motor cortex. Thus, MST leads to neuroplastic changes in the motor cortex of stroke patients which may explain its efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Grau-Sánchez
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL Barcelona, Spain
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Chemobrain: A systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:1311-21. [PMID: 23660455 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Revised: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Li Y, Wang Y, Hu Y, Liang Y, Chen F. Structural changes in left fusiform areas and associated fiber connections in children with abacus training: evidence from morphometry and tractography. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:335. [PMID: 23847506 PMCID: PMC3701285 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence supports the notion that the fusiform gyrus (FG), as an integral part of the ventral occipitotemporal junction, is involved widely in cognitive processes as perceiving faces, objects, places or words, and this region also might represent the visual form of an abacus in the abacus-based mental calculation process. The current study uses a combined voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis to test whether long-term abacus training could induce structural changes in the left FG and in the white matter (WM) tracts distribution connecting with this region in school children. We found that, abacus-trained children exhibited significant smaller gray matter (GM) volume than controls in the left FG. And the connectivity mapping identified left forceps major as a key pathway connecting left FG with other brain areas in the trained group, but not in the controls. Furthermore, mean fractional anisotropy (FA) values within left forceps major were significantly increased in the trained group. Interestingly, a significant negative correlation was found in the trained group between the GM volume in left FG and the mean FA value in left forceps major, suggesting an inverse effect of the reported GM and WM structural changes. In the control group, a positive correlation between left FG GM volume and tract FA was found as well. This analysis visualized the group level differences in GM volume, FA and fiber tract between the abacus-trained children and the controls, and provided the first evidence that GM volume change in the left FG is intimately linked with the micro-structural properties of the left forceps major tracts. The present results demonstrate the structural changes in the left FG from the intracortical GM to the subcortical WM regions and provide insights into the neural mechanism of structural plasticity induced by abacus training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxin Li
- Bio-X Laboratory, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University Hangzhou, P. R. China
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Burke E, Cramer SC. Biomarkers and predictors of restorative therapy effects after stroke. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2013; 13:329. [PMID: 23299824 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-012-0329-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Many restorative therapies that promote brain repair are under development. Stroke is very heterogeneous, highlighting the need to identify target populations and to understand intersubject differences in treatment response. Several neuroimaging measures have shown promise as biomarkers and predictors, including measures of structure and function, in gray matter and white matter. The choice of biomarker and predictor can differ with the content of therapy and with the population under study, for example, contralesional hemisphere measures may be of particular importance in patients with more severe injury. Studies of training effects in healthy subjects provide insights useful to brain repair. Limitations of published studies include a focus on chronic stroke, however the brain is most galvanized to respond to restorative therapies in the early days after stroke. Multimodal approaches might be the most robust approach for stratifying patients and so for optimizing prescription of restorative therapies after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Burke
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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Thomas C, Baker CI. On evidence, biases and confounding factors: Response to commentaries. Neuroimage 2013; 73:265-7. [PMID: 23160116 PMCID: PMC3626420 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Revised: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 11/09/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In a critical review (Thomas and Baker, 2012), we argued for caution in evaluating reports of training-dependent adult structural plasticity measured with MRI. Here, we respond to the commentaries on our review, clarifying our position and addressing some of the specific criticisms raised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cibu Thomas
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Section on Tissue Biophysics and Biomimetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Mutschler I, Reinbold C, Wankerl J, Seifritz E, Ball T. Structural basis of empathy and the domain general region in the anterior insular cortex. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:177. [PMID: 23675334 PMCID: PMC3648769 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy is key for healthy social functioning and individual differences in empathy have strong implications for manifold domains of social behavior. Empathy comprises of emotional and cognitive components and may also be closely linked to sensorimotor processes, which go along with the motivation and behavior to respond compassionately to another person's feelings. There is growing evidence for local plastic change in the structure of the healthy adult human brain in response to environmental demands or intrinsic factors. Here we have investigated changes in brain structure resulting from or predisposing to empathy. Structural MRI data of 101 healthy adult females was analyzed. Empathy in fictitious as well as real-life situations was assessed using a validated self-evaluation measure. Furthermore, empathy-related structural effects were also put into the context of a functional map of the anterior insular cortex (AIC) determined by activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis of previous functional imaging studies. We found that gray matter (GM) density in the left dorsal AIC correlates with empathy and that this area overlaps with the domain general region (DGR) of the anterior insula that is situated in-between functional systems involved in emotion-cognition, pain, and motor tasks as determined by our meta-analysis. Thus, we propose that this insular region where we find structural differences depending on individual empathy may play a crucial role in modulating the efficiency of neural integration underlying emotional, cognitive, and sensorimotor information which is essential for global empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Mutschler
- Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Basel Basel, Switzerland ; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego (UCSD) La Jolla, California, USA
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Orban de Xivry JJ, Ahmadi-Pajouh MA, Harran MD, Salimpour Y, Shadmehr R. Changes in corticospinal excitability during reach adaptation in force fields. J Neurophysiol 2012; 109:124-36. [PMID: 23034365 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00785.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Both abrupt and gradually imposed perturbations produce adaptive changes in motor output, but the neural basis of adaptation may be distinct. Here, we measured the state of the primary motor cortex (M1) and the corticospinal network during adaptation by measuring motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) before reach onset using transcranial magnetic stimulation of M1. Subjects reached in a force field in a schedule in which the field was introduced either abruptly or gradually over many trials. In both groups, by end of the training, muscles that countered the perturbation in a given direction increased their activity during the reach (labeled as the on direction for each muscle). In the abrupt group, in the period before the reach toward the on direction, MEPs in these muscles also increased, suggesting a direction-specific increase in the excitability of the corticospinal network. However, in the gradual group, these MEP changes were missing. After training, there was a period of washout. The MEPs did not return to baseline. Rather, in the abrupt group, off direction MEPs increased to match on direction MEPs. Therefore, we observed changes in corticospinal excitability in the abrupt but not gradual condition. Abrupt training includes the repetition of motor commands, and repetition may be the key factor that produces this plasticity. Furthermore, washout did not return MEPs to baseline, suggesting that washout engaged a new network that masked but did not erase the effects of previous adaptation. Abrupt but not gradual training appears to induce changes in M1 and/or corticospinal networks.
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