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Mograbi DC, Rodrigues R, Bienemann B, Huntley J. Brain Networks, Neurotransmitters and Psychedelics: Towards a Neurochemistry of Self-Awareness. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2024; 24:323-340. [PMID: 38980658 PMCID: PMC11258181 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-024-01353-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Self-awareness can be defined as the capacity of becoming the object of one's own awareness and, increasingly, it has been the target of scientific inquiry. Self-awareness has important clinical implications, and a better understanding of the neurochemical basis of self-awareness may help clarifying causes and developing interventions for different psychopathological conditions. The current article explores the relationship between neurochemistry and self-awareness, with special attention to the effects of psychedelics. RECENT FINDINGS The functioning of self-related networks, such as the default-mode network and the salience network, and how these are influenced by different neurotransmitters is discussed. The impact of psychedelics on self-awareness is reviewed in relation to specific processes, such as interoception, body ownership, agency, metacognition, emotional regulation and autobiographical memory, within a framework based on predictive coding. Improved outcomes in emotional regulation and autobiographical memory have been observed in association with the use of psychedelics, suggesting higher-order self-awareness changes, which can be modulated by relaxation of priors and improved coping mechanisms linked to cognitive flexibility. Alterations in bodily self-awareness are less consistent, being potentially impacted by doses employed, differences in acute/long-term effects and the presence of clinical conditions. Future studies investigating the effects of different molecules in rebalancing connectivity between resting-state networks may lead to novel therapeutic approaches and the refinement of existing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Mograbi
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Rafael Rodrigues
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bheatrix Bienemann
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jonathan Huntley
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
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Cai J, Wang Y, McKeown MJ. Advances in functional and structural imaging of the brainstem: implications for disease. Curr Opin Neurol 2024; 37:361-368. [PMID: 38884636 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000001284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The brainstem's complex anatomy and relatively small size means that structural and functional assessment of this structure is done less frequently compared to other brain areas. However, recent years have seen substantial progress in brainstem imaging, enabling more detailed investigations into its structure and function, as well as its role in neuropathology. RECENT FINDINGS Advancements in ultrahigh field MRI technology have allowed for unprecedented spatial resolution in brainstem imaging, facilitating the new creation of detailed brainstem-specific atlases. Methodological improvements have significantly enhanced the accuracy of physiological (cardiac and respiratory) noise correction within brainstem imaging studies. These technological and methodological advancements have allowed for in-depth analyses of the brainstem's anatomy, including quantitative assessments and examinations of structural connectivity within both gray and white matter. Furthermore, functional studies, including assessments of activation patterns and functional connectivity, have revealed the brainstem's roles in both specialized functions and broader neural integration. Notably, these investigations have identified alterations in brainstem structure and function associated with various neurological disorders. SUMMARY The aforementioned developments have allowed for a greater appreciation of the importance of the brainstem in the wider context of neuroscience and clinical neurology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Cai
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuheng Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty of Medicine
| | - Martin J McKeown
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty of Medicine
- Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Janet R, Derrington E, Dreher JC. Relationships between Serotonin Transporter Availability and the Global Efficiency of the Executive Control Brain Network. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5713. [PMID: 38891901 PMCID: PMC11171774 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The diverse effects of serotonin on cognition may emerge from the modulation of large-scale brain networks that support distinct cognitive processes. Yet, the specific effect of serotoninergic modulation on the properties of these networks remains elusive. Here, we used a simultaneous PET-fMRI scanner combined with graph theory analyses to investigate the modulation of network properties by the Serotonin Transporter (SERT) availability measured in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). We defined global efficiency as the average mean of efficiencies over all pairs of distinct nodes of specific brain networks, and determined whether SERT levels correlated with the global efficiency of each network. SERT availability in the DRN correlated negatively with the global efficiency of the executive control brain network, which is engaged in cognitive control and directed attention. No relationship was observed between SERT availability and the global efficiency of the default mode or the salience brain networks. These findings indicate a specific role of serotoninergic modulation in the executive control brain network via a change in its global efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jean-Claude Dreher
- UMR5229, Neuroeconomics Laboratory, CNRS-Institut de Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, 69500 Lyon, France; (R.J.); (E.D.)
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Seoane S, van den Heuvel M, Acebes Á, Janssen N. The subcortical default mode network and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae128. [PMID: 38665961 PMCID: PMC11043657 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The default mode network is a central cortical brain network suggested to play a major role in several disorders and to be particularly vulnerable to the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Subcortical involvement in the default mode network and its alteration in Alzheimer's disease remains largely unknown. We performed a systematic review, meta-analysis and empirical validation of the subcortical default mode network in healthy adults, combined with a systematic review, meta-analysis and network analysis of the involvement of subcortical default mode areas in Alzheimer's disease. Our results show that, besides the well-known cortical default mode network brain regions, the default mode network consistently includes subcortical regions, namely the thalamus, lobule and vermis IX and right Crus I/II of the cerebellum and the amygdala. Network analysis also suggests the involvement of the caudate nucleus. In Alzheimer's disease, we observed a left-lateralized cluster of decrease in functional connectivity which covered the medial temporal lobe and amygdala and showed overlap with the default mode network in a portion covering parts of the left anterior hippocampus and left amygdala. We also found an increase in functional connectivity in the right anterior insula. These results confirm the consistency of subcortical contributions to the default mode network in healthy adults and highlight the relevance of the subcortical default mode network alteration in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Seoane
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies (ITB), University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
| | - Martijn van den Heuvel
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Section Complex Trait Genetics, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Ángel Acebes
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies (ITB), University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
| | - Niels Janssen
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies (ITB), University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
- Department of Cognitive, Social and Organizational Psychology, University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38200, Spain
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Deng L, Wei W, Qiao C, Yin Y, Li X, Yu H, Jian L, Ma X, Zhao L, Wang Q, Deng W, Guo W, Li T. Dynamic aberrances of substantia nigra-relevant coactivation patterns in first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia. Psychol Med 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38523252 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724000655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although dopaminergic disturbances are well-known in schizophrenia, the understanding of dopamine-related brain dynamics remains limited. This study investigates the dynamic coactivation patterns (CAPs) associated with the substantia nigra (SN), a key dopaminergic nucleus, in first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia (FES). METHODS Resting-state fMRI data were collected from 84 FES and 94 healthy controls (HCs). Frame-wise clustering was implemented to generate CAPs related to SN activation or deactivation. Connectome features of each CAP were derived using an edge-centric method. The occurrence for each CAP and the balance ratio for antagonistic CAPs were calculated and compared between two groups, and correlations between temporal dynamic metrics and symptom burdens were explored. RESULTS Functional reconfigurations in CAPs exhibited significant differences between the activation and deactivation states of SN. During SN activation, FES more frequently recruited a CAP characterized by activated default network, language network, control network, and the caudate, compared to HCs (F = 8.54, FDR-p = 0.030). Moreover, FES displayed a tilted balance towards a CAP featuring SN-coactivation with the control network, caudate, and thalamus, as opposed to its antagonistic CAP (F = 7.48, FDR-p = 0.030). During SN deactivation, FES exhibited increased recruitment of a CAP with activated visual and dorsal attention networks but decreased recruitment of its opposing CAP (F = 6.58, FDR-p = 0.034). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that neuroregulatory dysfunction in dopaminergic pathways involving SN potentially mediates aberrant time-varying functional reorganizations in schizophrenia. This finding enriches the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia from the perspective of brain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Deng
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chunxia Qiao
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yubing Yin
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hua Yu
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lingqi Jian
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaohong Ma
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Liansheng Zhao
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Deng
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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6
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Guo Y, Xia M, Ye R, Bai T, Wu Y, Ji Y, Yu Y, Ji GJ, Wang K, He Y, Tian Y. Electroconvulsive Therapy Regulates Brain Connectome Dynamics in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01171-5. [PMID: 38521158 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), but its underlying neural mechanisms remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to identify changes in brain connectome dynamics after ECT in MDD and to explore their associations with treatment outcome. METHODS We collected longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 80 patients with MDD (50 with suicidal ideation [MDD-SI] and 30 without [MDD-NSI]) before and after ECT and 37 age- and sex-matched healthy control participants. A multilayer network model was used to assess modular switching over time in functional connectomes. Support vector regression was used to assess whether pre-ECT network dynamics could predict treatment response in terms of symptom severity. RESULTS At baseline, patients with MDD had lower global modularity and higher modular variability in functional connectomes than control participants. Network modularity increased and network variability decreased after ECT in patients with MDD, predominantly in the default mode and somatomotor networks. Moreover, ECT was associated with decreased modular variability in the left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex of MDD-SI but not MDD-NSI patients, and pre-ECT modular variability significantly predicted symptom improvement in the MDD-SI group but not in the MDD-NSI group. CONCLUSIONS We highlight ECT-induced changes in MDD brain network dynamics and their predictive value for treatment outcome, particularly in patients with SI. This study advances our understanding of the neural mechanisms of ECT from a dynamic brain network perspective and suggests potential prognostic biomarkers for predicting ECT efficacy in patients with MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Guo
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Mingrui Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Ye
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tongjian Bai
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Psychology and Sleep Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Ji
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yue Yu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Gong-Jun Ji
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, China; Anhui Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Psychology and Sleep Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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7
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Rabellino D, Thome J, Densmore M, Théberge J, McKinnon MC, Lanius RA. The Vestibulocerebellum and the Shattered Self: a Resting-State Functional Connectivity Study in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Its Dissociative Subtype. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 22:1083-1097. [PMID: 36121553 PMCID: PMC10657293 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01467-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The flocculus is a region of the vestibulocerebellum dedicated to the coordination of neck, head, and eye movements for optimal posture, balance, and orienting responses. Despite growing evidence of vestibular and oculomotor impairments in the aftermath of traumatic stress, little is known about the effects of chronic psychological trauma on vestibulocerebellar functioning. Here, we investigated alterations in functional connectivity of the flocculus at rest among individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its dissociative subtype (PTSD + DS) as compared to healthy controls. Forty-four healthy controls, 57 PTSD, and 32 PTSD + DS underwent 6-min resting-state MRI scans. Seed-based functional connectivity analyses using the right and left flocculi as seeds were performed. These analyses revealed that, as compared to controls, PTSD and PTSD + DS showed decreased resting-state functional connectivity of the left flocculus with cortical regions involved in bodily self-consciousness, including the temporo-parietal junction, the supramarginal and angular gyri, and the superior parietal lobule. Moreover, as compared to controls, the PTSD + DS group showed decreased functional connectivity of the left flocculus with the medial prefrontal cortex, the precuneus, and the mid/posterior cingulum, key regions of the default mode network. Critically, when comparing PTSD + DS to PTSD, we observed increased functional connectivity of the right flocculus with the right anterior hippocampus, a region affected frequently by early life trauma. Taken together, our findings point toward the crucial role of the flocculus in the neurocircuitry underlying a coherent and embodied self, which can be compromised in PTSD and PTSD + DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Rabellino
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, University Hospital, (Room C3-103), 339 Windermere Road, London, ON, N6A 5A5, Canada.
- Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
| | - Janine Thome
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Densmore
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, University Hospital, (Room C3-103), 339 Windermere Road, London, ON, N6A 5A5, Canada
- Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jean Théberge
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, University Hospital, (Room C3-103), 339 Windermere Road, London, ON, N6A 5A5, Canada
- Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Mood Disorders Program and Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, University Hospital, (Room C3-103), 339 Windermere Road, London, ON, N6A 5A5, Canada
- Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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8
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Zarghami TS. A new causal centrality measure reveals the prominent role of subcortical structures in the causal architecture of the extended default mode network. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1917-1941. [PMID: 37658184 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02697-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Network representation has been an incredibly useful concept for understanding the behavior of complex systems in social sciences, biology, neuroscience, and beyond. Network science is mathematically founded on graph theory, where nodal importance is gauged using measures of centrality. Notably, recent work suggests that the topological centrality of a node should not be over-interpreted as its dynamical or causal importance in the network. Hence, identifying the influential nodes in dynamic causal models (DCM) remains an open question. This paper introduces causal centrality for DCM, a dynamics-sensitive and causally-founded centrality measure based on the notion of intervention in graphical models. Operationally, this measure simplifies to an identifiable expression using Bayesian model reduction. As a proof of concept, the average DCM of the extended default mode network (eDMN) was computed in 74 healthy subjects. Next, causal centralities of different regions were computed for this causal graph, and compared against several graph-theoretical centralities. The results showed that the subcortical structures of the eDMN were more causally central than the cortical regions, even though the graph-theoretical centralities unanimously favored the latter. Importantly, model comparison revealed that only the pattern of causal centrality was causally relevant. These results are consistent with the crucial role of the subcortical structures in the neuromodulatory systems of the brain, and highlight their contribution to the organization of large-scale networks. Potential applications of causal centrality-to study causal models of other neurotypical and pathological functional networks-are discussed, and some future lines of research are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahereh S Zarghami
- Bio-Electric Department, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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Hansen JY, Cauzzo S, Singh K, García-Gomar MG, Shine JM, Bianciardi M, Misic B. Integrating brainstem and cortical functional architectures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.564245. [PMID: 37961347 PMCID: PMC10634864 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The brainstem is a fundamental component of the central nervous system yet it is typically excluded from in vivo human brain mapping efforts, precluding a complete understanding of how the brainstem influences cortical function. Here we use high-resolution 7 Tesla fMRI to derive a functional connectome encompassing cortex as well as 58 brainstem nuclei spanning the midbrain, pons and medulla. We identify a compact set of integrative hubs in the brainstem with widespread connectivity with cerebral cortex. Patterns of connectivity between brainstem and cerebral cortex manifest as multiple emergent phenomena including neurophysiological oscillatory rhythms, patterns of cognitive functional specialization, and the unimodal-transmodal functional hierarchy. This persistent alignment between cortical functional topographies and brainstem nuclei is shaped by the spatial arrangement of multiple neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. We replicate all findings using 3 Tesla data from the same participants. Collectively, we find that multiple organizational features of cortical activity can be traced back to the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Y. Hansen
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Center for Rare Neurological Diseases (ERN-RND), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México
| | - James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Groot JM, Miletic S, Isherwood SJS, Tse DHY, Habli S, Håberg AK, Forstmann BU, Bazin PL, Mittner M. Echoes from Intrinsic Connectivity Networks in the Subcortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6609-6618. [PMID: 37562962 PMCID: PMC10538587 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1020-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have greatly improved our understanding of intrinsic human brain organization in terms of functional networks and the transmodal hubs within the cortex at which they converge. However, substrates of multinetwork integration in the human subcortex are relatively uncharted. Here, we leveraged recent advances in subcortical atlasing and ultra-high field (7 T) imaging optimized for the subcortex to investigate the functional architecture of 14 individual structures in healthy adult males and females with a fully data-driven approach. We revealed that spontaneous neural activity in subcortical regions can be decomposed into multiple independent subsignals that correlate with, or "echo," the activity in functional networks across the cortex. Distinct subregions of the thalamus, striatum, claustrum, and hippocampus showed a varied pattern of echoes from attention, control, visual, somatomotor, and default mode networks, demonstrating evidence for a heterogeneous organization supportive of functional integration. Multiple network activity furthermore converged within the globus pallidus externa, substantia nigra, and ventral tegmental area but was specific to one subregion, while the amygdala and pedunculopontine nucleus preferentially affiliated with a single network, showing a more homogeneous topography. Subregional connectivity of the globus pallidus interna, subthalamic nucleus, red nucleus, periaqueductal gray, and locus coeruleus did not resemble patterns of cortical network activity. Together, these finding describe potential mechanisms through which the subcortex participates in integrated and segregated information processing and shapes the spontaneous cognitive dynamics during rest.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Despite the impact of subcortical dysfunction on brain health and cognition, large-scale functional mapping of subcortical structures severely lags behind that of the cortex. Recent developments in subcortical atlasing and imaging at ultra-high field provide new avenues for studying the intricate functional architecture of the human subcortex. With a fully data-driven analysis, we reveal subregional connectivity profiles of a large set of noncortical structures, including those rarely studied in fMRI research. The results have implications for understanding how the functional organization of the subcortex facilitates integrative processing through cross-network information convergence, paving the way for future work aimed at improving our knowledge of subcortical contributions to intrinsic brain dynamics and spontaneous cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine M Groot
- Department of Psychology, UiT-Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9037, Norway
- Integrative Model-based Cognitive Neuroscience research unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK, The Netherlands
| | - Steven Miletic
- Integrative Model-based Cognitive Neuroscience research unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK, The Netherlands
| | - Scott J S Isherwood
- Integrative Model-based Cognitive Neuroscience research unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK, The Netherlands
| | - Desmond H Y Tse
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Habli
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 8900, Norway
| | - Asta K Håberg
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 8900, Norway
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, 7006, Norway
| | - Birte U Forstmann
- Integrative Model-based Cognitive Neuroscience research unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1001 NK, The Netherlands
| | - Pierre-Louis Bazin
- Department of Psychology, UiT-Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9037, Norway
- Departments of Neurophysics and Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, 04303, Germany
| | - Matthias Mittner
- Department of Psychology, UiT-Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9037, Norway
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11
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Zhang J, Chen D, Srirangarajan T, Theriault J, Kragel PA, Hartley L, Lee KM, McVeigh K, Wager TD, Wald LL, Satpute AB, Quigley KS, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Barrett LF, Bianciardi M. Cortical and subcortical mapping of the allostatic-interoceptive system in the human brain: replication and extension with 7 Tesla fMRI. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.20.548178. [PMID: 37546889 PMCID: PMC10401932 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.20.548178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The brain continuously anticipates the energetic needs of the body and prepares to meet those needs before they arise, a process called allostasis. In support of allostasis, the brain continually models the internal state of the body, a process called interoception. Using published tract-tracing studies in non-human animals as a guide, we previously identified a large-scale system supporting allostasis and interoception in the human brain with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3 Tesla. In the present study, we replicated and extended this system in humans using 7 Tesla fMRI (N = 91), improving the precision of subgenual and pregenual anterior cingulate topography as well as brainstem nuclei mapping. We verified over 90% of the anatomical connections in the hypothesized allostatic-interoceptive system observed in non-human animal research. We also identified functional connectivity hubs verified in tract-tracing studies but not previously detected using 3 Tesla fMRI. Finally, we demonstrated that individuals with stronger fMRI connectivity between system hubs self-reported greater interoceptive awareness, building on construct validity evidence from our earlier paper. Taken together, these results strengthen evidence for the existence of a whole-brain system supporting interoception in the service of allostasis and we consider the implications for mental and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahe Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Danlei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | | | - Jordan Theriault
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
| | | | - Ludger Hartley
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Kent M. Lee
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Kieran McVeigh
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Tor D. Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Lawrence L. Wald
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
| | - Ajay B. Satpute
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Karen S. Quigley
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | | | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA
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12
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Koban L, Lee S, Schelski DS, Simon MC, Lerman C, Weber B, Kable JW, Plassmann H. An fMRI-Based Brain Marker of Individual Differences in Delay Discounting. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1600-1613. [PMID: 36657973 PMCID: PMC10008056 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1343-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in delay discounting-how much we discount future compared to immediate rewards-are associated with general life outcomes, psychopathology, and obesity. Here, we use machine learning on fMRI activity during an intertemporal choice task to develop a functional brain marker of these individual differences in human adults. Training and cross-validating the marker in one dataset (Study 1, N = 110 male adults) resulted in a significant prediction-outcome correlation (r = 0.49), generalized to predict individual differences in a completely independent dataset (Study 2: N = 145 male and female adults, r = 0.45), and predicted discounting several weeks later. Out-of-sample responses of the functional brain marker, but not discounting behavior itself, differed significantly between overweight and lean individuals in both studies, and predicted fasting-state blood levels of insulin, c-peptide, and leptin in Study 1. Significant predictive weights of the marker were found in cingulate, insula, and frontoparietal areas, among others, suggesting an interplay among regions associated with valuation, conflict processing, and cognitive control. This new functional brain marker is a step toward a generalizable brain model of individual differences in delay discounting. Future studies can evaluate it as a potential transdiagnostic marker of altered decision-making in different clinical and developmental populations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT People differ substantially in how much they prefer smaller sooner rewards or larger later rewards such as spending money now versus saving it for retirement. These individual differences are generally stable over time and have been related to differences in mental and bodily health. What is their neurobiological basis? We applied machine learning to brain-imaging data to identify a novel brain activity pattern that accurately predicts how much people prefer sooner versus later rewards, and which can be used as a new brain-based measure of intertemporal decision-making in future studies. The resulting functional brain marker also predicts overweight and metabolism-related blood markers, providing new insight into the possible links between metabolism and the cognitive and brain processes involved in intertemporal decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Koban
- Marketing Area, INSEAD, F-77300 Fontainebleau, France
- Control-Interoception-Attention Team, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne University, 75013 Paris, France
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Sangil Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6018
| | - Daniela S Schelski
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn Medical Center, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marie-Christine Simon
- Institute for Nutrition and Food Science, Nutrition and Microbiota, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Caryn Lerman
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033
| | - Bernd Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn Medical Center, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6018
| | - Hilke Plassmann
- Marketing Area, INSEAD, F-77300 Fontainebleau, France
- Control-Interoception-Attention Team, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne University, 75013 Paris, France
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13
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Lee D, Lee Y, Lee Y, Kim K. Functional Connectivity in the Mouse Brainstem Represents Signs of Recovery from Concussion. J Neurotrauma 2023; 40:240-249. [PMID: 36103389 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is one of the most frequent neurological disorders. Diagnostic criteria for mTBI are based on cognitive or neurological symptoms without fully understanding the neuropathological basis for explaining behaviors. From the neuropathological perspective of mTBI, recent neuroimaging studies have focused on structural or functional differences in motor-related cortical regions but did not compare topological network properties between the post-concussion days in the brainstem. We investigated temporal changes in functional connectivity and evaluated network properties of functional networks in the mouse brainstem. We observed a significantly decreased functional connectivity and global and local network properties on post-concussion day 7, which normalized on post-concussion day 14. Functional connectivity and local network properties on post-concussion day 2 were also significantly decreased compared with those on post-concussion day 14, but there were no significant group differences in global network properties between days 2 and 14. We also observed that the local efficiency and clustering coefficient of the brainstem network were significantly correlated with anxiety-like behaviors on post-concussion days 7 and 14. This study suggests that functional connectivity in the mouse brainstem provides vital recovery signs from concussion through functional reorganization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongha Lee
- Cognitive Science Research Group and Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujeong Lee
- Cognitive Science Research Group and Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonsang Lee
- Cognitive Science Research Group and Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Kipom Kim
- Research Strategy Office, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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14
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Komiyama T. Effects of Genetic Mutation Sites in ADR Genes on Modern Chickens Produced and Domesticated by Artificial Selection. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020169. [PMID: 36829448 PMCID: PMC9952598 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Associations between neurotransmitters, adrenergic receptor (ADR) mutations, and behaviors in chickens produced and domesticated by artificial selection remain unclear. This study investigates the association of neurotransmitters and ADR mutations with egg laying and cockfighting-behaviors associated with significantly different breeding backgrounds-in Shaver Brown and Shamo chickens. Accordingly, the whole sequences of nine ADR genes were determined, and nine amino acid-specific mutation sites from five genes (ADRα1A: S365G, ADRα1D: T440N, ADRα2A: D273E, ADRβ1: N443S, S445N, ADRβ3: R342C, Q404L, and P406S) were extracted. Evolutionary analysis showed that these mutations were not ancestrally derived. These results confirm that the mutations at these sites were artificially selected for domestication and are breed specific. NST population analysis confirmed a difference in the degree of genetic differentiation between the two populations in seven genes. The results further confirm differences in the degree of genetic differentiation between the two populations in Shaver Brown (ADRA1B and ADRA1D) and Shamo (ADRA1A and ADRA2B) chickens, indicating that the ADR gene differs between the two breeds. The effects of artificial selection, guided by the human-driven selection of desirable traits, are reflected in adrenaline gene mutations. Furthermore, certain gene mutations may affect domestication, while others may affect other traits in populations or individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyoshi Komiyama
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara 259-1193, Kanagawa, Japan
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15
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Zhang Y, Huang CC, Zhao J, Liu Y, Xia M, Wang X, Wei D, Chen Y, Liu B, Zheng Y, Wu Y, Chen T, Cheng Y, Xu X, Gong Q, Si T, Qiu S, Cheng J, Tang Y, Wang F, Qiu J, Xie P, Li L, He Y, Lin CP, Zac Lo CY. Resting-state functional connectivity of the raphe nuclei in major depressive Disorder: A Multi-site study. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 37:103359. [PMID: 36878150 PMCID: PMC9999207 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence showed that major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by a dysfunction of serotonin neurotransmission. Raphe nuclei are the sources of most serotonergic neurons that project throughout the brain. Incorporating measurements of activity within the raphe nuclei into the analysis of connectivity characteristics may contribute to understanding how neurotransmitter synthesized centers are involved in thepathogenesisof MDD. Here, we analyzed the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) dataset from 1,148 MDD patients and 1,079 healthy individuals recruited across nine centers. A seed-based analysis with the dorsal raphe and median raphe nuclei was performed to explore the functional connectivity (FC) alterations. Compared to controls, for dorsal raphe, the significantly decreased FC linking with the right precuneus and median cingulate cortex were found; for median raphe, the increased FC linking with right superior cerebellum (lobules V/VI) was found in MDD patients. In further exploratory analyzes, MDD-related connectivity alterations in dorsal and median raphe nuclei in different clinical factors remained highly similar to the main findings, indicating these abnormal connectivities are a disease-related alteration. Our study highlights a functional dysconnection pattern of raphe nuclei in MDD with multi-site big data. These findings help improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and provide evidence of the theoretical foundation for the development of novel pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chu-Chung Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jiajia Zhao
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yuchen Liu
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Mingrui Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bangshan Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hunan Medical Center for Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yanting Zheng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yankun Wu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Taolin Chen
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuqi Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiufeng Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Tianmei Si
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shijun Qiu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanqing Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Peng Xie
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingjiang Li
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hunan Medical Center for Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Ching-Po Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | | | - Chun-Yi Zac Lo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, 32023, Taiwan.
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16
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Katsumi Y, Theriault JE, Quigley KS, Barrett LF. Allostasis as a core feature of hierarchical gradients in the human brain. Netw Neurosci 2022; 6:1010-1031. [PMID: 38800458 PMCID: PMC11117115 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper integrates emerging evidence from two broad streams of scientific literature into one common framework: (a) hierarchical gradients of functional connectivity that reflect the brain's large-scale structural architecture (e.g., a lamination gradient in the cerebral cortex); and (b) approaches to predictive processing and one of its specific instantiations called allostasis (i.e., the predictive regulation of energetic resources in the service of coordinating the body's internal systems). This synthesis begins to sketch a coherent, neurobiologically inspired framework suggesting that predictive energy regulation is at the core of human brain function, and by extension, psychological and behavioral phenomena, providing a shared vocabulary for theory building and knowledge accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Katsumi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Karen S. Quigley
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Sacca V, Zhang Y, Cao J, Li H, Yan Z, Ye Y, Hou X, McDonald CM, Todorova N, Kong J, Liu B. Evaluation of the Modulation Effects Evoked by Different Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Frequencies Along the Central Vagus Nerve Pathway in Migraine: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Neuromodulation 2022; 26:620-628. [PMID: 36307355 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.08.459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising treatment option for migraines. This study aims to investigate the modulation effects of different taVNS frequencies along the central vagus nerve pathway in migraineurs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-four migraineurs were recruited for a single-blind, crossover magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. The study consisted of two taVNS MRI scan sessions, in which either 1-Hz or 20-Hz taVNS was applied in a random order. Seed-based static and dynamic functional connectivity (FC) analyses were performed using two key nodes of the vagus nerve pathway, the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and the locus coeruleus (LC). RESULTS Static FC (sFC) analysis showed that 1) continuous 1-Hz taVNS resulted in an increase of NTS/LC-occipital cortex sFC and a decrease of NTS-thalamus sFC compared with the pre-1-Hz taVNS resting state, 2) continuous 20-Hz taVNS resulted in an increase of the LC-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) sFC compared with the pre-20-Hz taVNS resting state, 3) 1-Hz taVNS produced a greater LC-precuneus and LC-inferior parietal cortex sFC than 20 Hz, and 4) 20-Hz taVNS increased LC-ACC and LC-super temporal gyrus/insula sFC in comparison with 1 Hz. Dynamic FC (dFC) analysis showed that compared with the pre-taVNS resting state, 1-Hz taVNS decreased NTS-postcentral gyrus dFC (less variability), 20-Hz taVNS decreased dFC of the LC-superior temporal gyrus and the LC-occipital cortex. Finally, a positive correlation was found between the subjects' number of migraine attacks in the past four weeks and the NTS-thalamus sFC during pre-taVNS resting state. CONCLUSIONS 1-Hz and 20-Hz taVNS may modulate the sFC and dFC of key nodes in the central vagus nerve pathway differently. Our findings highlight the importance of stimulation parameters (frequencies) in taVNS treatment.
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18
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Comparing resting-state connectivity of working memory networks in U.S. Service members with mild traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder. Brain Res 2022; 1796:148099. [PMID: 36162495 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent among military populations, and both have been associated with working memory (WM) impairments. Previous resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) research conducted separately in PTSD and mTBI populations suggests that there may be similar and distinct abnormalities in WM-related networks. However, no studies have compared rsFC of WM brain regions in participants with mTBI versus PTSD. We used resting-state fMRI to investigate rsFC of WM networks in U.S. Service Members (n = 127; ages 18-59) with mTBI only (n = 46), PTSD only (n = 24), and an orthopedically injured (OI) control group (n = 57). We conducted voxelwise rsFC analyses with WM brain regions to test for differences in WM network connectivity in mTBI versus PTSD. Results revealed reduced rsFC between ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), lateral premotor cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) WM regions and brain regions in the dorsal attention and somatomotor networks in both mTBI and PTSD groups versus controls. When compared to those with mTBI, individuals with PTSD had lower rsFC between both the lateral premotor WM seed region and middle occipital gyrus as well as between the dlPFC WM seed region and paracentral lobule. Interestingly, only vlPFC connectivity was significantly associated with WM performance across the samples. In conclusion, we found primarily overlapping patterns of reduced rsFC in WM brain regions in both mTBI and PTSD groups. Our finding of decreased vlPFC connectivity associated with WM is consistent with previous clinical and neuroimaging studies. Overall, these results provide support for shared neural substrates of WM in individuals with either mTBI or PTSD.
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19
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Thome J, Densmore M, Terpou BA, Théberge J, McKinnon MC, Lanius RA. Contrasting Associations Between Heart Rate Variability and Brainstem-Limbic Connectivity in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Its Dissociative Subtype: A Pilot Study. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:862192. [PMID: 35706833 PMCID: PMC9190757 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.862192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increasing evidence points toward the need to extend the neurobiological conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to include evolutionarily conserved neurocircuitries centered on the brainstem and the midbrain. The reticular activating system (RAS) helps to shape the arousal state of the brain, acting as a bridge between brain and body. To modulate arousal, the RAS is closely tied to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Individuals with PTSD often reveal altered arousal patterns, ranging from hyper- to blunted arousal states, as well as altered functional connectivity profiles of key arousal-related brain structures that receive direct projections from the RAS. Accordingly, the present study aims to explore resting state functional connectivity of the RAS and its interaction with the ANS in participants with PTSD and its dissociative subtype. Methods Individuals with PTSD (n = 57), its dissociative subtype (PTSD + DS, n = 32) and healthy controls (n = 40) underwent a 6-min resting functional magnetic resonance imaging and pulse data recording. Resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of a central node of the RAS – the pedunculopontine nuclei (PPN) – was investigated along with its relation to ANS functioning as indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is a prominent marker indexing the flexibility of an organism to react adaptively to environmental needs, with higher HRV representing greater effective adaptation. Results Both PTSD and PTSD + DS demonstrated reduced HRV as compared to controls. HRV measures were then correlated with rsFC of the PPN. Critically, participants with PTSD and participants with PTSD + DS displayed inverse correlations between HRV and rsFC between the PPN and key limbic structures, including the amygdala. Whereas participants with PTSD displayed a positive relationship between HRV and PPN rsFC with the amygdala, participants with PTSD + DS demonstrated a negative relationship between HRV and PPN rsFC with the amygdala. Conclusion The present exploratory investigation reveals contrasting patterns of arousal-related circuitry among participants with PTSD and PTSD + DS, providing a neurobiological lens to interpret hyper- and more blunted arousal states in PTSD and PTSD + DS, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Thome
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Maria Densmore
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Braeden A. Terpou
- Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jean Théberge
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret C. McKinnon
- Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Mood Disorders Programs, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth A. Lanius
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
- Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Ruth A. Lanius,
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20
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Shaffer C, Westlin C, Quigley KS, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Barrett LF. Allostasis, Action, and Affect in Depression: Insights from the Theory of Constructed Emotion. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2022; 18:553-580. [PMID: 35534123 PMCID: PMC9247744 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-115627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The theory of constructed emotion is a systems neuroscience approach to understanding the nature of emotion. It is also a general theoretical framework to guide hypothesis generation for how actions and experiences are constructed as the brain continually anticipates metabolic needs and attempts to meet those needs before they arise (termed allostasis). In this review, we introduce this framework and hypothesize that allostatic dysregulation is a trans-disorder vulnerability for mental and physical illness. We then review published findings consistent with the hypothesis that several symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD), such as fatigue, distress, context insensitivity, reward insensitivity, and motor retardation, are associated with persistent problems in energy regulation. Our approach transforms the current understanding of MDD as resulting from enhanced emotional reactivity combined with reduced cognitive control and, in doing so, offers novel hypotheses regarding the development, progression, treatment, and prevention of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Shaffer
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
| | - Christiana Westlin
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
| | - Karen S Quigley
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
- Department of Psychiatry and the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
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21
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Guardia T, Geerligs L, Tsvetanov KA, Ye R, Campbell KL. The role of the arousal system in age-related differences in cortical functional network architecture. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:985-997. [PMID: 34713955 PMCID: PMC8764482 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A common finding in the aging literature is that of the brain's decreased within- and increased between-network functional connectivity. However, it remains unclear what is causing this shift in network organization with age. Given the essential role of the ascending arousal system (ARAS) in cortical activation and previous findings of disrupted ARAS functioning with age, it is possible that age differences in ARAS functioning contribute to disrupted cortical connectivity. We test this possibility here using resting state fMRI data from over 500 individuals across the lifespan from the Cambridge Center for Aging and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) population-based cohort. Our results show that ARAS-cortical connectivity declines with age and, consistent with our expectations, significantly mediates some age-related differences in connectivity within and between association networks (specifically, within the default mode and between the default mode and salience networks). Additionally, connectivity between the ARAS and association networks predicted cognitive performance across several tasks over and above the effects of age and connectivity within the cortical networks themselves. These findings suggest that age differences in cortical connectivity may be driven, at least in part, by altered arousal signals from the brainstem and that ARAS-cortical connectivity relates to cognitive performance with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Guardia
- Department of PsychologyBrock UniversitySt. CatharinesOntarioCanada
| | - Linda Geerligs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and BehaviourRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Rong Ye
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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22
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Cauzzo S, Singh K, Stauder M, García-Gomar MG, Vanello N, Passino C, Staab J, Indovina I, Bianciardi M. Functional connectome of brainstem nuclei involved in autonomic, limbic, pain and sensory processing in living humans from 7 Tesla resting state fMRI. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118925. [PMID: 35074504 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable advances in mapping the functional connectivity of the cortex, the functional connectivity of subcortical regions is understudied in living humans. This is the case for brainstem nuclei that control vital processes, such as autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory functions. This is because of the lack of precise brainstem nuclei localization, of adequate sensitivity and resolution in the deepest brain regions, as well as of optimized processing for the brainstem. To close the gap between the cortex and the brainstem, on 20 healthy subjects, we computed a correlation-based functional connectome of 15 brainstem nuclei involved in autonomic, limbic, nociceptive, and sensory function (superior and inferior colliculi, ventral tegmental area-parabrachial pigmented nucleus complex, microcellular tegmental nucleus-prabigeminal nucleus complex, lateral and medial parabrachial nuclei, vestibular and superior olivary complex, superior and inferior medullary reticular formation, viscerosensory motor nucleus, raphe magnus, pallidus, and obscurus, and parvicellular reticular nucleus - alpha part) with the rest of the brain. Specifically, we exploited 1.1mm isotropic resolution 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI, ad-hoc coregistration and physiological noise correction strategies, and a recently developed probabilistic template of brainstem nuclei. Further, we used 2.5mm isotropic resolution resting-state fMRI data acquired on a 3 Tesla scanner to assess the translatability of our results to conventional datasets. We report highly consistent correlation coefficients across subjects, confirming available literature on autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory pathways, as well as high interconnectivity within the central autonomic network and the vestibular network. Interestingly, our results showed evidence of vestibulo-autonomic interactions in line with previous work. Comparison of 7 Tesla and 3 Tesla findings showed high translatability of results to conventional settings for brainstem-cortical connectivity and good yet weaker translatability for brainstem-brainstem connectivity. The brainstem functional connectome might bring new insight in the understanding of autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Life Sciences Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Matthew Stauder
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nicola Vanello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Passino
- Life Sciences Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy; Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - Jeffrey Staab
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Iole Indovina
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA.
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23
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Singh K, Cauzzo S, García-Gomar MG, Stauder M, Vanello N, Passino C, Bianciardi M. Functional connectome of arousal and motor brainstem nuclei in living humans by 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI. Neuroimage 2022; 249:118865. [PMID: 35031472 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Brainstem nuclei play a pivotal role in many functions, such as arousal and motor control. Nevertheless, the connectivity of arousal and motor brainstem nuclei is understudied in living humans due to the limited sensitivity and spatial resolution of conventional imaging, and to the lack of atlases of these deep tiny regions of the brain. For a holistic comprehension of sleep, arousal and associated motor processes, we investigated in 20 healthy subjects the resting-state functional connectivity of 18 arousal and motor brainstem nuclei in living humans. To do so, we used high spatial-resolution 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI, as well as a recently developed in-vivo probabilistic atlas of these nuclei in stereotactic space. Further, we verified the translatability of our brainstem connectome approach to conventional (e.g. 3 Tesla) fMRI. Arousal brainstem nuclei displayed high interconnectivity, as well as connectivity to the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain and frontal cortex, in line with animal studies and as expected for arousal regions. Motor brainstem nuclei showed expected connectivity to the cerebellum, basal ganglia and motor cortex, as well as high interconnectivity. Comparison of 3 Tesla to 7 Tesla connectivity results indicated good translatability of our brainstem connectome approach to conventional fMRI, especially for cortical and subcortical (non-brainstem) targets and to a lesser extent for brainstem targets. The functional connectome of 18 arousal and motor brainstem nuclei with the rest of the brain might provide a better understanding of arousal, sleep and accompanying motor function in living humans in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Institute of Life Sciences, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
| | - María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Matthew Stauder
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nicola Vanello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Passino
- Institute of Life Sciences, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy; Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA.
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24
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Demchenko I, Tassone VK, Kennedy SH, Dunlop K, Bhat V. Intrinsic Connectivity Networks of Glutamate-Mediated Antidepressant Response: A Neuroimaging Review. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:864902. [PMID: 35722550 PMCID: PMC9199367 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.864902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional monoamine-based pharmacotherapy, considered the first-line treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), has several challenges, including high rates of non-response. To address these challenges, preclinical and clinical studies have sought to characterize antidepressant response through monoamine-independent mechanisms. One striking example is glutamate, the brain's foremost excitatory neurotransmitter: since the 1990s, studies have consistently reported altered levels of glutamate in MDD, as well as antidepressant effects following molecular targeting of glutamatergic receptors. Therapeutically, this has led to advances in the discovery, testing, and clinical application of a wide array of glutamatergic agents, particularly ketamine. Notably, ketamine has been demonstrated to rapidly improve mood symptoms, unlike monoamine-based interventions, and the neurobiological basis behind this rapid antidepressant response is under active investigation. Advances in brain imaging techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and positron emission tomography, enable the identification of the brain network-based characteristics distinguishing rapid glutamatergic modulation from the effect of slow-acting conventional monoamine-based pharmacology. Here, we review brain imaging studies that examine brain connectivity features associated with rapid antidepressant response in MDD patients treated with glutamatergic pharmacotherapies in contrast with patients treated with slow-acting monoamine-based treatments. Trends in recent brain imaging literature suggest that the activity of brain regions is organized into coherent functionally distinct networks, termed intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs). We provide an overview of major ICNs implicated in depression and explore how treatment response following glutamatergic modulation alters functional connectivity of limbic, cognitive, and executive nodes within ICNs, with well-characterized anti-anhedonic effects and the enhancement of "top-down" executive control. Alterations within and between the core ICNs could potentially exert downstream effects on the nodes within other brain networks of relevance to MDD that are structurally and functionally interconnected through glutamatergic synapses. Understanding similarities and differences in brain ICNs features underlying treatment response will positively impact the trajectory and outcomes for adults suffering from MDD and will facilitate the development of biomarkers to enable glutamate-based precision therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Demchenko
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, Mental Health and Addictions Service, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Center for Depression and Suicide Studies, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Vanessa K Tassone
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, Mental Health and Addictions Service, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sidney H Kennedy
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, Mental Health and Addictions Service, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Center for Depression and Suicide Studies, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Keenan Research Center for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Katharine Dunlop
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, Mental Health and Addictions Service, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Center for Depression and Suicide Studies, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Keenan Research Center for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Venkat Bhat
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, Mental Health and Addictions Service, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Center for Depression and Suicide Studies, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Keenan Research Center for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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25
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Mandino F, Vrooman RM, Foo HE, Yeow LY, Bolton TAW, Salvan P, Teoh CL, Lee CY, Beauchamp A, Luo S, Bi R, Zhang J, Lim GHT, Low N, Sallet J, Gigg J, Lerch JP, Mars RB, Olivo M, Fu Y, Grandjean J. A triple-network organization for the mouse brain. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:865-872. [PMID: 34650202 PMCID: PMC9054663 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01298-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The triple-network model of psychopathology is a framework to explain the functional and structural neuroimaging phenotypes of psychiatric and neurological disorders. It describes the interactions within and between three distributed networks: the salience, default-mode, and central executive networks. These have been associated with brain disorder traits in patients. Homologous networks have been proposed in animal models, but their integration into a triple-network organization has not yet been determined. Using resting-state datasets, we demonstrate conserved spatio-temporal properties between triple-network elements in human, macaque, and mouse. The model predictions were also shown to apply in a mouse model for depression. To validate spatial homologies, we developed a data-driven approach to convert mouse brain maps into human standard coordinates. Finally, using high-resolution viral tracers in the mouse, we refined an anatomical model for these networks and validated this using optogenetics in mice and tractography in humans. Unexpectedly, we find serotonin involvement within the salience rather than the default-mode network. Our results support the existence of a triple-network system in the mouse that shares properties with that of humans along several dimensions, including a disease condition. Finally, we demonstrate a method to humanize mouse brain networks that opens doors to fully data-driven trans-species comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Mandino
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore ,grid.5379.80000000121662407Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK ,grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Radiology and Bioimaging Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Roël M. Vrooman
- grid.10417.330000 0004 0444 9382Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi E. Foo
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore ,grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Centre for Healthy Brain Aging, CHeBA, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales Medicine, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Ling Yun Yeow
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Thomas A. W. Bolton
- grid.8515.90000 0001 0423 4662Neurosurgery Service and Gamma Knife Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Piergiorgio Salvan
- grid.8348.70000 0001 2306 7492Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chai Lean Teoh
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Chun Yao Lee
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Antoine Beauchamp
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Sarah Luo
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Renzhe Bi
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Jiayi Zhang
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore ,grid.59025.3b0000 0001 2224 0361Centre for Research and Development in Learning, Nanyang Technological University, 61 Nanyang Drive, Level 1, Singapore, 637460 Singapore
| | - Guan Hui Tricia Lim
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201University College London Medical School, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nathaniel Low
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Jerome Sallet
- grid.8348.70000 0001 2306 7492Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK ,grid.457382.fUniv Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, 69500 Bron, France
| | - John Gigg
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jason P. Lerch
- grid.8348.70000 0001 2306 7492Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Rogier B. Mars
- grid.8348.70000 0001 2306 7492Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK ,grid.5590.90000000122931605Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Malini Olivo
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Yu Fu
- grid.452254.00000 0004 0393 4167Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667 Singapore
| | - Joanes Grandjean
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667, Singapore. .,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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26
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van 't Hof SR, Van Oudenhove L, Janssen E, Klein S, Reddan MC, Kragel PA, Stark R, Wager TD. The Brain Activation-Based Sexual Image Classifier (BASIC): A Sensitive and Specific fMRI Activity Pattern for Sexual Image Processing. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:3014-3030. [PMID: 34905775 PMCID: PMC9290618 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab397] [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: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies suggest there is a complex relationship between sexual and general affective stimulus processing, which varies across individuals and situations. We examined whether sexual and general affective processing can be distinguished at the brain level. In addition, we explored to what degree possible distinctions are generalizable across individuals and different types of sexual stimuli, and whether they are limited to the engagement of lower-level processes, such as the detection of visual features. Data on sexual images, nonsexual positive and negative images, and neutral images from Wehrum et al. (2013) (N = 100) were reanalyzed using multivariate support vector machine models to create the brain activation-based sexual image classifier (BASIC) model. This model was tested for sensitivity, specificity, and generalizability in cross-validation (N = 100) and an independent test cohort (N = 18; Kragel et al. 2019). The BASIC model showed highly accurate performance (94–100%) in classifying sexual versus neutral or nonsexual affective images in both datasets with forced choice tests. Virtual lesions and tests of individual large-scale networks (e.g., visual or attention networks) show that individual networks are neither necessary nor sufficient to classify sexual versus nonsexual stimulus processing. Thus, responses to sexual images are distributed across brain systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie R van 't Hof
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Medical Centre, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.,Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Erick Janssen
- Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Sanja Klein
- Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35390, Germany.,Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35390, Germany
| | - Marianne C Reddan
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.,Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Philip A Kragel
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.,Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rudolf Stark
- Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35390, Germany.,Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35390, Germany
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.,Institute of Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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27
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Li J, Curley WH, Guerin B, Dougherty DD, Dalca AV, Fischl B, Horn A, Edlow BL. Mapping the subcortical connectivity of the human default mode network. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118758. [PMID: 34838949 PMCID: PMC8945548 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) mediates self-awareness and introspection, core components of human consciousness. Therapies to restore consciousness in patients with severe brain injuries have historically targeted subcortical sites in the brainstem, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain, and basal ganglia, with the goal of reactivating cortical DMN nodes. However, the subcortical connectivity of the DMN has not been fully mapped, and optimal subcortical targets for therapeutic neuromodulation of consciousness have not been identified. In this work, we created a comprehensive map of DMN subcortical connectivity by combining high-resolution functional and structural datasets with advanced signal processing methods. We analyzed 7 Tesla resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data from 168 healthy volunteers acquired in the Human Connectome Project. The rs-fMRI blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) data were temporally synchronized across subjects using the BrainSync algorithm. Cortical and subcortical DMN nodes were jointly analyzed and identified at the group level by applying a novel Nadam-Accelerated SCAlable and Robust (NASCAR) tensor decomposition method to the synchronized dataset. The subcortical connectivity map was then overlaid on a 7 Tesla 100 µm ex vivo MRI dataset for neuroanatomic analysis using automated segmentation of nuclei within the brainstem, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain, and basal ganglia. We further compared the NASCAR subcortical connectivity map with its counterpart generated from canonical seed-based correlation analyses. The NASCAR method revealed that BOLD signal in the central lateral nucleus of the thalamus and ventral tegmental area of the midbrain is strongly correlated with that of the DMN. In an exploratory analysis, additional subcortical sites in the median and dorsal raphe, lateral hypothalamus, and caudate nuclei were correlated with the cortical DMN. We also found that the putamen and globus pallidus are negatively correlated (i.e., anti-correlated) with the DMN, providing rs-fMRI evidence for the mesocircuit hypothesis of human consciousness, whereby a striatopallidal feedback system modulates anterior forebrain function via disinhibition of the central thalamus. Seed-based analyses yielded similar subcortical DMN connectivity, but the NASCAR result showed stronger contrast and better spatial alignment with dopamine immunostaining data. The DMN subcortical connectivity map identified here advances understanding of the subcortical regions that contribute to human consciousness and can be used to inform the selection of therapeutic targets in clinical trials for patients with disorders of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - William H Curley
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bastien Guerin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Darin D Dougherty
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adrian V Dalca
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bruce Fischl
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andreas Horn
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Movement Disorders & Neuromodulation Section, Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Brian L Edlow
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
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28
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McIntosh RC, Lobo JD, Yang A, Schneiderman N. Brainstem network connectivity with mid-anterior insula predicts lower systolic blood pressure at rest in older adults with hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 2021; 35:1098-1108. [PMID: 33462388 PMCID: PMC8919345 DOI: 10.1038/s41371-020-00476-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Central regulation of heart rate and blood pressure provides the bases for a neurogenic mechanism of hypertension (HTN). Post menopause (PM) age coincides with changes in resting state functional brain connectivity (rsFC) as well as increased risk for HTN. Whether the neural networks underpinning cardioautonomic control differ between PM women with and without HTN is unclear. Phenotypic and functional neuroimaging data from the Nathan Kline Institute was first evaluated for group differences in intrinsic network connectivity between 22 HTN post menopausal women and 22 normotensive controls. Intrinsic rsFC of the midbrain-brainstem-cerebellar network with bilateral mid-anterior insula was lower in women with HTN (FWE-corrected, p < 0.05). Z-scores indicating rsFC of these regions were extracted from the 44 PM women and a cohort of 111 adults, not presenting with metabolic or neurodegenerative disease, and compared to in-office systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Lower rsFC of the left (r = -0.17, p = 0.019) and right (r = -0.14, p = 0.048) mid-anterior insula with brainstem nuclei was associated with higher systolic blood pressure in the combined sample. The magnitude of this effect in men and women of post menopausal age supports a neurogenic mechanism for blood pressure regulation in older adults with HTN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger C McIntosh
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
| | - Judith D Lobo
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Anting Yang
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Neil Schneiderman
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
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29
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Contribution of animal models toward understanding resting state functional connectivity. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118630. [PMID: 34644593 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity, which reflects the spatial and temporal organization of intrinsic activity throughout the brain, is one of the most studied measures in human neuroimaging research. The noninvasive acquisition of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) allows the characterization of features designated as functional networks, functional connectivity gradients, and time-varying activity patterns that provide insight into the intrinsic functional organization of the brain and potential alterations related to brain dysfunction. Functional connectivity, hence, captures dimensions of the brain's activity that have enormous potential for both clinical and preclinical research. However, the mechanisms underlying functional connectivity have yet to be fully characterized, hindering interpretation of rs-fMRI studies. As in other branches of neuroscience, the identification of the neurophysiological processes that contribute to functional connectivity largely depends on research conducted on laboratory animals, which provide a platform where specific, multi-dimensional investigations that involve invasive measurements can be carried out. These highly controlled experiments facilitate the interpretation of the temporal correlations observed across the brain. Indeed, information obtained from animal experimentation to date is the basis for our current understanding of the underlying basis for functional brain connectivity. This review presents a compendium of some of the most critical advances in the field based on the efforts made by the animal neuroimaging community.
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30
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In vivo evidence of functional disconnection between brainstem monoaminergic nuclei and brain networks in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2021; 56:103224. [PMID: 34461571 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND brainstem monoaminergic (dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotoninergic) nuclei (BrMn) contain a variety of ascending neurons that diffusely project to the whole brain, crucially regulating normal brain function. BrMn are directly affected in multiple sclerosis (MS) by inflammation and neurodegeneration. Moreover, inflammation reduces the synthesis of monoamines. Aberrant monoaminergic neurotransmission contributes to the pathogenesis of MS and explains some clinical features of MS. We used resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) to characterize abnormal patterns of BrMn functional connectivity (FC) in MS. METHODS BrMn FC was studied with multi-echo RS-fMRI in n = 68 relapsing-remitting MS patients and n = 39 healthy controls (HC), by performing a seed-based analysis, after producing standard space seed masks of the BrMn. FC was assessed between ventral tegmental area (VTA), locus coeruleus (LC), median raphe (MR), dorsal raphe (DR), and the rest of the brain and compared between MS patients and HC. Between-group comparisons were carried out only within the main effect observed in HC, setting p<0.05 family-wise-error corrected (FWE). RESULTS in HC, VTA displayed FC with the core regions of the default-mode network. As compared to HC, MS patients showed altered FC between VTA and posterior cingulate cortex (p<0.05FWE). LC displayed FC with core regions of the executive-control network with a reduced functional connection between LC and right prefrontal cortex in MS patients (p<0.05FWE). Raphe nuclei was functionally connected with cerebellar cortex, with a significantly lower FC between these nuclei and cerebellum in MS patients, as compared to HC (p<0.05FWE). CONCLUSIONS our study demonstrated in MS patients a functional disconnection between BrMn and cortical/subcortical efferent targets of central brain networks, possibly due to a loss or a dysregulation of BrMn neurons. This adds new information about how monoaminergic systems contribute to MS pathogenesis and suggests new potential therapeutic targets.
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Serra L, D'Amelio M, Esposito S, Di Domenico C, Koch G, Marra C, Mercuri NB, Caltagirone C, Artusi CA, Lopiano L, Cercignani M, Bozzali M. Ventral Tegmental Area Disconnection Contributes Two Years Early to Correctly Classify Patients Converted to Alzheimer's Disease: Implications for Treatment. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 82:985-1000. [PMID: 34120905 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent cross-sectional studies highlighted the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as an early pathophysiological event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE In this study, we longitudinally investigated by resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) a cohort of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD to evaluate the impact of VTA disconnection in predicting the conversion to AD. METHODS A cohort of 35 patients with MCI due to AD were recruited and followed-up for 24 months. They underwent cognitive evaluation and rs-fMRI to assess VTA connectivity at baseline and at follow-up. RESULTS At 24-month follow-up, 16 out of 35 patients converted to AD. Although converters and non-converters to AD did not differ in demographic and behavioral characteristics at baseline, the first group showed a significant reduction of VTA-driven connectivity in the posterior cingulate and precentral cortex. This pattern of additional disconnection in MCI-Converters compared to non-converters remained substantially unchanged at 24-month follow-up. CONCLUSION This study reinforces the hypothesis of an early contribution of dopaminergic dysfunction to AD evolution by targeting the default-mode network. These results have potential implications for AD staging and prognosis and support new opportunities for therapeutic interventions to slow down disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Laboratory Molecular Neurosciences, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Unit of Molecular Neurosciences, Department of Medicine, University Campus-Biomedico, Rome, Italy
| | - Sharon Esposito
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giacomo Koch
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit/Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Alberto Artusi
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Leonardo Lopiano
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Cardiff University Brain Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Bozzali
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience University of Torino, Turin, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom
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32
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Dopaminergic brainstem disconnection is common to pharmacological and pathological consciousness perturbation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2026289118. [PMID: 34301891 PMCID: PMC8325270 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2026289118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neural bases of consciousness is of basic scientific and clinical importance. Human neuroimaging has established that a network of interconnected brain regions known as the default mode network disintegrates in anesthesia and after brain damage that causes disorders of consciousness. However, the neurochemical underpinnings of this network change remain largely unknown. Motivated by preclinical animal work and clinical observations, we found that across pharmacological (sedation) and pathological (disorders of consciousness) consciousness perturbation, the dopaminergic source nucleus, the ventral tegmental area, disconnects from the main nodes of the default mode network. As the severity of this dopaminergic disconnection was associated with default mode network disintegration, we propose that dopaminergic modulation may be a central mechanism for consciousness maintenance. Clinical research into consciousness has long focused on cortical macroscopic networks and their disruption in pathological or pharmacological consciousness perturbation. Despite demonstrating diagnostic utility in disorders of consciousness (DoC) and monitoring anesthetic depth, these cortico-centric approaches have been unable to characterize which neurochemical systems may underpin consciousness alterations. Instead, preclinical experiments have long implicated the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the brainstem. Despite dopaminergic agonist efficacy in DoC patients equally pointing to dopamine, the VTA has not been studied in human perturbed consciousness. To bridge this translational gap between preclinical subcortical and clinical cortico-centric perspectives, we assessed functional connectivity changes of a histologically characterized VTA using functional MRI recordings of pharmacologically (propofol sedation) and pathologically perturbed consciousness (DoC patients). Both cohorts demonstrated VTA disconnection from the precuneus and posterior cingulate (PCu/PCC), a main default mode network node widely implicated in consciousness. Strikingly, the stronger VTA–PCu/PCC connectivity was, the more the PCu/PCC functional connectome resembled its awake configuration, suggesting a possible neuromodulatory relationship. VTA-PCu/PCC connectivity increased toward healthy control levels only in DoC patients who behaviorally improved at follow-up assessment. To test whether VTA–PCu/PCC connectivity can be affected by a dopaminergic agonist, we demonstrated in a separate set of traumatic brain injury patients without DoC that methylphenidate significantly increased this connectivity. Together, our results characterize an in vivo dopaminergic connectivity deficit common to reversible and chronic consciousness perturbation. This noninvasive assessment of the dopaminergic system bridges preclinical and clinical work, associating dopaminergic VTA function with macroscopic network alterations, thereby elucidating a critical aspect of brainstem–cortical interplay for consciousness.
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33
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Structural and resting state functional connectivity beyond the cortex. Neuroimage 2021; 240:118379. [PMID: 34252527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping the structural and functional connectivity of the central nervous system has become a key area within neuroimaging research. While detailed network structures across the entire brain have been probed using animal models, non-invasive neuroimaging in humans has thus far been dominated by cortical investigations. Beyond the cortex, subcortical nuclei have traditionally been less accessible due to their smaller size and greater distance from radio frequency coils. However, major neuroimaging developments now provide improved signal and the resolution required to study these structures. Here, we present an overview of the connectivity between the amygdala, brainstem, cerebellum, spinal cord and the rest of the brain. While limitations to their imaging and analyses remain, we also provide some recommendations and considerations for mapping brain connectivity beyond the cortex.
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34
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Liu J, Tao J, Xia R, Li M, Huang M, Li S, Chen X, Wilson G, Park J, Zheng G, Chen L, Kong J. Mind-Body Exercise Modulates Locus Coeruleus and Ventral Tegmental Area Functional Connectivity in Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:646807. [PMID: 34194314 PMCID: PMC8236862 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.646807] [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: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a common global health problem. Recently, the potential of mind-body intervention for MCI has drawn the interest of investigators. This study aims to comparatively explore the modulation effect of Baduanjin, a popular mind-body exercise, and physical exercise on the cognitive function, as well as the norepinephrine and dopamine systems using the resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) method in patients with MCI. 69 patients were randomized to the Baduanjin, brisk walking, or healthy education control group for 6 months. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were applied at baseline and at the end of the experiment. Results showed that (1) compared to the brisk walking, the Baduanjin significantly increased MoCA scores; (2) Baduanjin significantly increased the right locus coeruleus (LC) and left ventral tegmental area (VTA) rsFC with the right insula and right amygdala compared to that of the control group; and the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) compared to that of the brisk walking group; (3) the increased right LC-right insula rsFC and right LC-right ACC rsFC were significantly associated with the corresponding MoCA score after 6-months of intervention; (4) both exercise groups experienced an increased effective connectivity from the right ACC to the left VTA compared to the control group; and (5) Baduanjin group experienced an increase in gray matter volume in the right ACC compared to the control group. Our results suggest that Baduanjin can significantly modulate intrinsic functional connectivity and the influence of the norepinephrine (LC) and dopamine (VTA) systems. These findings may shed light on the mechanisms of mind-body intervention and aid the development of new treatments for MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Liu
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States.,Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Research Center of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jing Tao
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Research Center of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Orthopedics & Traumatology of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
| | - Rui Xia
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Moyi Li
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Maomao Huang
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shuzhen Li
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiangli Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Georgia Wilson
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Joe Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Guohua Zheng
- School of Nursing and Health Management, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Lidian Chen
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jian Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
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Carandini T, Cercignani M, Galimberti D, Scarpini E, Bozzali M. The distinct roles of monoamines in multiple sclerosis: A bridge between the immune and nervous systems? Brain Behav Immun 2021; 94:381-391. [PMID: 33662501 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The monoaminergic neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin are pivotal actors of the interplay between the nervous and the immune system due to their ability of binding to cell-receptors of both systems, crucially regulating their function within the central nervous system and the periphery. As monoamines are dysfunctional in many neurological and psychiatric diseases, they have been successfully used as pharmacological targets. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the best examples of neurological disease caused by an altered interaction between the nervous and immune system and emerging evidence supports a dysregulation of monoaminergic systems in the pathogenesis of MS, secondary to both inflammation-induced reduction of monoamines' synthesis and structural damage to monoaminergic pathways within the brain. Here we review the evidence for monoamines being key mediators of neuroimmune interaction, affecting MS pathogenesis and course. Moreover, we discuss how the reduction/dysfunction of monoamines in MS may contribute to some clinical features typical of the disease, particularly fatigue and depression. Finally, we summarize different drugs targeting monoamines that are currently under evaluation for their potential efficacy to treat MS, as well as to alleviate fatigue and depression in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Carandini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Galimberti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Elio Scarpini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
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Abstract
Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objective The aims of this study were to investigate changes in regional brain volume after concussion (mild traumatic brain injury) and to examine the relationship between change in brain volume and cognitive deficits. Design Twenty-eight patients with mild traumatic brain injury and 27 age-matched controls were included in this study. Magnetic resonance imaging (3 T) data were obtained from the participants. Structural brain volume changes were examined using tensor-based morphometry, which identifies regional structural differences in the whole brain, including cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, and white matter. Volume contraction and expansion were compared between groups using a two-sample t test. The association between time post-injury or neurocognitive function and volumetric changes was examined using regression analysis. Results Individuals with mild traumatic brain injury exhibited volume reduction in the brainstem, including the pontine reticular formation. Regional cerebral volume changes were not associated with time post-injury but were significantly associated with neurocognitive function, especially with executive card sorting test, forward digit span test, and performance on verbal learning test. The greater regional cerebral volume was associated with better cognitive performance after mild traumatic brain injury. Conclusion Decreased brainstem volume may indicate its vulnerability to traumatic injury, and cerebral volume in specific regions was positively associated with patients’ cognitive function after injury.
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37
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Suttkus S, Schumann A, de la Cruz F, Bär KJ. Working memory in schizophrenia: The role of the locus coeruleus and its relation to functional brain networks. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02130. [PMID: 33784023 PMCID: PMC8119871 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests functional brain networks, especially the executive control network (ECN) and default mode network (DMN), to be abnormal in schizophrenia. Dysfunctions within the locus coeruleus (LC)-noradrenaline (NE) system, which is supposed to be pivotal to modulate neuronal network activation during executive control (e.g., working memory function), are also considered to play a vital role in the occurrence of positive (e.g., hallucinatory) or negative (e.g., inattentive) symptoms in these patients. In the present study, we sought to shed further light on the role of the LC-NE system in patients with schizophrenia. More specifically, we wanted to improve our understanding of the relationship and possible disturbances of the ECN and DMN during a working memory task in patients. A total of 58 healthy control subjects and 40 medicated patients with schizophrenia were investigated using a working memory 3-back task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Main findings of our present study were differential dynamics of ECN and DMN blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activations with increasing task demands in both patients and controls. Moreover, we found increased BOLD activation in the LC in patients compared to controls in the interaction contrast between groups and conditions. LC BOLD activation significantly correlated with both, the main hub of the ECN, that is, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and of the DMN, that is, the posterior cingulate cortex. Thus, the LC-NE system seems to be crucial in modulating neuronal network activity in a 3-back working memory task and might significantly contribute to cognitive impairments in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Suttkus
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Germany
| | - Andy Schumann
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Germany
| | - Feliberto de la Cruz
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Germany
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Germany
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Droby A, Pelosin E, Putzolu M, Bommarito G, Marchese R, Mazzella L, Avanzino L, Inglese M. A Multimodal Imaging Approach Demonstrates Reduced Midbrain Functional Network Connectivity Is Associated With Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurol 2021; 12:583593. [PMID: 33995237 PMCID: PMC8120105 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.583593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying freezing of gait (FOG) are poorly defined. MRI studies in FOG showed a distinct pattern of cortical atrophy and decreased functional connectivity (FC) within motor and cognitive networks. Furthermore, reduced rs-FC within midbrain, frontal, and temporal areas has been also described. This study investigated the patterns of whole-brain FC alterations within midbrain inter-connected regions in PD-FOG patients, and whether these patterns are linked to midbrain structural damage using a multi-modal imaging approach, combing structural and functional imaging techniques. Methods: Thirty three PD patients (16 PD-FOG, 17 PD noFOG), and 21 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were prospectively enrolled. All subjects underwent MRI scan at 1.5T, whereas only PD patients underwent clinical and cognitive assessment. Grey matter (GM) integrity was measured using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). VBM findings served as basis to localize midbrain damage, and were further used as a seed region for investigating whole-brain FC alterations using rs-fMRI. Results: In rs-fMRI, patients with PD and FOG demonstrated significant decrease of midbrain-cortical FC levels in the R PCG, right postcentral, and supramarginal gyri compared to controls and the middle cingulate compared to noFOG group. Based on the regression analysis, MOCA, UPDRS-III total score, and FOG severity scores were associated with FC levels in several frontal, parietal and temporal regions. Discussion: The present results suggest that midbrain structural damage as well as decreased FC within the brainstem functional network might contribute to FOG occurrence in PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amgad Droby
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elisa Pelosin
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Genoa, Italy
| | - Martina Putzolu
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Bommarito
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberta Marchese
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Mazzella
- Asl3, Genovese Centri per i Disturbi Cognitivi e le Demenze (CDCD) Ponente, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Avanzino
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Genoa, Italy.,Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matilde Inglese
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Genoa, Italy
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Turker HB, Riley E, Luh WM, Colcombe SJ, Swallow KM. Estimates of locus coeruleus function with functional magnetic resonance imaging are influenced by localization approaches and the use of multi-echo data. Neuroimage 2021; 236:118047. [PMID: 33905860 PMCID: PMC8517932 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) plays a central role in regulating human cognition, arousal, and autonomic states. Efforts to characterize the LC’s function in humans using functional magnetic resonance imaging have been hampered by its small size and location near a large source of noise, the fourth ventricle. We tested whether the ability to characterize LC function is improved by employing neuromelanin-T1 weighted images (nmT1) for LC localization and multi-echo functional magnetic resonance imaging (ME-fMRI) for estimating intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC). Analyses indicated that, relative to a probabilistic atlas, utilizing nmT1 images to individually localize the LC increases the specificity of seed time series and clusters in the iFC maps. When combined with independent components analysis (ME-ICA), ME-fMRI data provided significant improvements in the temporal signal to noise ratio and DVARS relative to denoised single echo data (1E-fMRI). The effects of acquiring nmT1 images and ME-fMRI data did not appear to only reflect increases in power: iFC maps for each approach overlapped only moderately. This is consistent with findings that ME-fMRI offers substantial advantages over 1E-fMRI acquisition and denoising. It also suggests that individually identifying LC with nmT1 scans is likely to reduce the influence of other nearby brainstem regions on estimates of LC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid B Turker
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Riley
- Department of Human Development, Cornell University, 163 Human Ecology Building, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Wen-Ming Luh
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 3001 S Hanover St, Baltimore, MD 21225, USA.
| | - Stan J Colcombe
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd. Orangeburg, NY. 10962.
| | - Khena M Swallow
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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40
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Hanson A. Spontaneous electrical low-frequency oscillations: a possible role in Hydra and all living systems. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190763. [PMID: 33487108 PMCID: PMC7934974 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As one of the first model systems in biology, the basal metazoan Hydra has been revealing fundamental features of living systems since it was first discovered by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in the early eighteenth century. While it has become well-established within cell and developmental biology, this tiny freshwater polyp is only now being re-introduced to modern neuroscience where it has already produced a curious finding: the presence of low-frequency spontaneous neural oscillations at the same frequency as those found in the default mode network in the human brain. Surprisingly, increasing evidence suggests such spontaneous electrical low-frequency oscillations (SELFOs) are found across the wide diversity of life on Earth, from bacteria to humans. This paper reviews the evidence for SELFOs in diverse phyla, beginning with the importance of their discovery in Hydra, and hypothesizes a potential role as electrical organism organizers, which supports a growing literature on the role of bioelectricity as a 'template' for developmental memory in organism regeneration. This article is part of the theme issue 'Basal cognition: conceptual tools and the view from the single cell'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Hanson
- Neurotechnology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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41
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Edlow BL, Claassen J, Schiff ND, Greer DM. Recovery from disorders of consciousness: mechanisms, prognosis and emerging therapies. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:135-156. [PMID: 33318675 PMCID: PMC7734616 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-00428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Substantial progress has been made over the past two decades in detecting, predicting and promoting recovery of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) caused by severe brain injuries. Advanced neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques have revealed new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying recovery of consciousness and have enabled the identification of preserved brain networks in patients who seem unresponsive, thus raising hope for more accurate diagnosis and prognosis. Emerging evidence suggests that covert consciousness, or cognitive motor dissociation (CMD), is present in up to 15-20% of patients with DoC and that detection of CMD in the intensive care unit can predict functional recovery at 1 year post injury. Although fundamental questions remain about which patients with DoC have the potential for recovery, novel pharmacological and electrophysiological therapies have shown the potential to reactivate injured neural networks and promote re-emergence of consciousness. In this Review, we focus on mechanisms of recovery from DoC in the acute and subacute-to-chronic stages, and we discuss recent progress in detecting and predicting recovery of consciousness. We also describe the developments in pharmacological and electrophysiological therapies that are creating new opportunities to improve the lives of patients with DoC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Edlow
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Jan Claassen
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas D Schiff
- Feil Family Brain Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - David M Greer
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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42
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de la Cruz F, Wagner G, Schumann A, Suttkus S, Güllmar D, Reichenbach JR, Bär KJ. Interrelations between dopamine and serotonin producing sites and regions of the default mode network. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:811-823. [PMID: 33128416 PMCID: PMC7814772 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies showed that blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal fluctuations in the default mode network (DMN) are functionally tightly connected to those in monoaminergic nuclei, producing dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) transmitters, in the midbrain/brainstem. We combined accelerated fMRI acquisition with spectral Granger causality and coherence analysis to investigate causal relationships between these areas. Both methods independently lead to similar results and confirm the existence of a top-down information flow in the resting-state condition, where activity in core DMN areas influences activity in the neuromodulatory centers producing DA/5-HT. We found that latencies range from milliseconds to seconds with high inter-subject variability, likely attributable to the resting condition. Our novel findings provide new insights into the functional organization of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feliberto de la Cruz
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Gerd Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Andy Schumann
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Stefanie Suttkus
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Daniel Güllmar
- Medical Physics Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Jürgen R Reichenbach
- Medical Physics Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Germany
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Germany
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43
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Carandini T, Mancini M, Bogdan I, Rae CL, Barritt AW, Sethi A, Harrison N, Rashid W, Scarpini E, Galimberti D, Bozzali M, Cercignani M. Disruption of brainstem monoaminergic fibre tracts in multiple sclerosis as a putative mechanism for cognitive fatigue: a fixel-based analysis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102587. [PMID: 33610097 PMCID: PMC7903010 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In multiple sclerosis (MS), monoaminergic systems are altered as a result of both inflammation-dependent reduced synthesis and direct structural damage. Aberrant monoaminergic neurotransmission is increasingly considered a major contributor to fatigue pathophysiology. In this study, we aimed to compare the integrity of the monoaminergic white matter fibre tracts projecting from brainstem nuclei in a group of patients with MS (n = 68) and healthy controls (n = 34), and to investigate its association with fatigue. Fibre tracts integrity was assessed with the novel fixel-based analysis that simultaneously estimates axonal density, by means of 'fibre density', and white matter atrophy, by means of fibre 'cross section'. We focused on ventral tegmental area, locus coeruleus, and raphe nuclei as the main source of dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotoninergic fibres within the brainstem, respectively. Fourteen tracts of interest projecting from these brainstem nuclei were reconstructed using diffusion tractography, and compared by means of the product of fibre-density and cross-section (FDC). Finally, correlations of monoaminergic axonal damage with the modified fatigue impact scale scores were evaluated in MS. Fixel-based analysis revealed significant axonal damage - as measured by FDC reduction - within selective monoaminergic fibre-tracts projecting from brainstem nuclei in MS patients, in comparison to healthy controls; particularly within the dopaminergic-mesolimbic pathway, the noradrenergic-projections to prefrontal cortex, and serotoninergic-projections to cerebellum. Moreover, we observed significant correlations between severity of cognitive fatigue and axonal damage within the mesocorticolimbic tracts projecting from ventral tegmental area, as well as within the locus coeruleus projections to prefrontal cortex, suggesting a potential contribution of dopaminergic and noradrenergic pathways to central fatigue in MS. Our findings support the hypothesis that axonal damage along monoaminergic pathways contributes to the reduction/dysfunction of monoamines in MS and add new information on the mechanisms by which monoaminergic systems contribute to MS pathogenesis and fatigue. This supports the need for further research into monoamines as therapeutic targets aiming to combat and alleviate fatigue in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Carandini
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Matteo Mancini
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; NeuroPoly Lab, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Canada; CUBRIC, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Iulia Bogdan
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK
| | | | - Andrew W Barritt
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK
| | - Arjun Sethi
- Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Neil Harrison
- Department of Psychology and Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Waqar Rashid
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK
| | - Elio Scarpini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Galimberti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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44
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Muller AM, Pennington DL, Meyerhoff DJ. Substance-Specific and Shared Gray Matter Signatures in Alcohol, Opioid, and Polysubstance Use Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:795299. [PMID: 35115969 PMCID: PMC8803650 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.795299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUD) have been shown to be associated with gray matter (GM) loss, particularly in the frontal cortex. However, unclear is to what degree these regional GM alterations are substance-specific or shared across different substances, and if these regional GM alterations are independent of each other or the result of system-level processes at the intrinsic connectivity network level. The T1 weighted MRI data of 65 treated patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27 patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) on maintenance therapy, 21 treated patients with stimulant use disorder comorbid with alcohol use disorder (polysubstance use disorder patients, PSU), and 21 healthy controls were examined via data-driven vertex-wise and voxel-wise GM analyses. Then, structural covariance analyses and open-access fMRI database analyses were used to map the cortical thinning patterns found in the three SUD groups onto intrinsic functional systems. Among AUD and OUD, we identified both common cortical thinning in right anterior brain regions as well as SUD-specific regional GM alterations that were not present in the PSU group. Furthermore, AUD patients had not only the most extended regional thinning but also significantly smaller subcortical structures and cerebellum relative to controls, OUD and PSU individuals. The system-level analyses revealed that AUD and OUD showed cortical thinning in several functional systems. In the AUD group the default mode network was clearly most affected, followed by the salience and executive control networks, whereas the salience and somatomotor network were highlighted as critical for understanding OUD. Structural brain alterations in groups with different SUDs are largely unique in their spatial extent and functional network correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M Muller
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,VA Advanced Imaging Research Center (VAARC), San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - David L Pennington
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System (SFVAHCS), San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Dieter J Meyerhoff
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,VA Advanced Imaging Research Center (VAARC), San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
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45
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Mercante B, Loi N, Ginatempo F, Biggio M, Manca A, Bisio A, Enrico P, Bove M, Deriu F. Transcutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation modulates the hand blink reflex. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21116. [PMID: 33273638 PMCID: PMC7713378 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78092-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The hand-blink reflex (HBR) is a subcortical response, elicited by the electrical stimulation of the median nerve, whose magnitude is specifically modulated according to the spatial properties of the defensive peripersonal space (DPPS) of the face. For these reasons, the HBR is commonly used as a model to assess the DPPS of the face. Little is known on the effects induced by the activation of cutaneous afferents from the face on the DPPS of the face. Therefore, we tested the effect of non-painful transcutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) on the amplitude of the HBR. Fifteen healthy participants underwent HBR recording before and after 20 min of sham- and real-TNS delivered bilaterally to the infraorbital nerve in two separate sessions. The HBR was recorded bilaterally from the orbicularis oculi muscles, following non-painful median nerve stimulation at the wrist. The HBR amplitude was assessed in the "hand-far" and "hand-near" conditions, relative to the hand position in respect to the face. The amplitudes of the hand-far and hand-near HBR were measured bilaterally before and after sham- and real-TNS. Real-TNS significantly reduced the magnitude of the HBR, while sham-TNS had no significant effect. The inhibitory effect of TNS was of similar extent on both the hand-far and hand-near components of the HBR, which suggests an action exerted mainly at brainstem level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamina Mercante
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Nicola Loi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Francesca Ginatempo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Monica Biggio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Manca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Ambra Bisio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paolo Enrico
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Marco Bove
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Franca Deriu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
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46
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Belloy ME, Billings J, Abbas A, Kashyap A, Pan WJ, Hinz R, Vanreusel V, Van Audekerke J, Van der Linden A, Keilholz SD, Verhoye M, Keliris GA. Resting Brain Fluctuations Are Intrinsically Coupled to Visual Response Dynamics. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:1511-1522. [PMID: 33108464 PMCID: PMC7869084 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
How do intrinsic brain dynamics interact with processing of external sensory stimuli? We sought new insights using functional magnetic resonance imaging to track spatiotemporal activity patterns at the whole brain level in lightly anesthetized mice, during both resting conditions and visual stimulation trials. Our results provide evidence that quasiperiodic patterns (QPPs) are the most prominent component of mouse resting brain dynamics. These QPPs captured the temporal alignment of anticorrelation between the default mode (DMN)- and task-positive (TPN)-like networks, with global brain fluctuations, and activity in neuromodulatory nuclei of the reticular formation. Specifically, the phase of QPPs prior to stimulation could significantly stratify subsequent visual response magnitude, suggesting QPPs relate to brain state fluctuations. This is the first observation in mice that dynamics of the DMN- and TPN-like networks, and particularly their anticorrelation, capture a brain state dynamic that affects sensory processing. Interestingly, QPPs also displayed transient onset response properties during visual stimulation, which covaried with deactivations in the reticular formation. We conclude that QPPs appear to capture a brain state fluctuation that may be orchestrated through neuromodulation. Our findings provide new frontiers to understand the neural processes that shape functional brain states and modulate sensory input processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël E Belloy
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jacob Billings
- Department of Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Anzar Abbas
- Department of Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Amrit Kashyap
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Wen-Ju Pan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Rukun Hinz
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Verdi Vanreusel
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Shella D Keilholz
- Department of Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Georgios A Keliris
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
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47
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Kelberman M, Keilholz S, Weinshenker D. What's That (Blue) Spot on my MRI? Multimodal Neuroimaging of the Locus Coeruleus in Neurodegenerative Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:583421. [PMID: 33122996 PMCID: PMC7573566 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.583421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) has long been underappreciated for its role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and other neurodegenerative disorders. While AD and PD are distinct in clinical presentation, both are characterized by prodromal protein aggregation in the LC, late-stage degeneration of the LC, and comorbid conditions indicative of LC dysfunction. Many of these early studies were limited to post-mortem histological techniques due to the LC’s small size and location deep in the brainstem. Thus, there is a growing interest in utilizing in vivo imaging of the LC as a predictor of preclinical neurodegenerative processes and biomarker of disease progression. Simultaneously, neuroimaging in animal models of neurodegenerative disease holds promise for identifying early alterations to LC circuits, but has thus far been underutilized. While still in its infancy, a handful of studies have reported effects of single gene mutations and pathology on LC function in disease using various neuroimaging techniques. Furthermore, combining imaging and optogenetics or chemogenetics allows for interrogation of network connectivity in response to changes in LC activity. The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to review what magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have revealed about LC dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease and its potential as a biomarker in humans, and (2) to explore how animal models can be used to test hypotheses derived from clinical data and establish a mechanistic framework to inform LC-focused therapeutic interventions to alleviate symptoms and impede disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kelberman
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shella Keilholz
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - David Weinshenker
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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48
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Mäki-Marttunen V, Espeseth T. Uncovering the locus coeruleus: Comparison of localization methods for functional analysis. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117409. [PMID: 33011416 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging of small brainstem structures in humans is gaining interest due to their potential importance in aging and many clinical conditions. Researchers have used different methods to measure activity in the locus coeruleus (LC), the main noradrenergic nucleus in the brain. However, the extent to which these different LC localization methods yield similar results is unclear. In the present article, we compared four different approaches to estimate localization of the LC in a large sample (N = 98): 1) a probabilistic map from a previous study, 2) masks segmented from neuromelanin-sensitive scans, both manually and semi-automatically, 3) components from a masked-independent components analysis of the functional data, and 4) a mask from pupil regression of the functional data. The four methods have all been used previously in the imaging community to localize the LC in vivo in humans. We report several measures of similarity between the LC masks obtained from the different methods. In addition, we compare functional connectivity maps obtained from the different masks. We conclude that sample-specific masks appear more suitable than masks obtained from an independent sample, that masks based on structural versus functional methods may capture different portions of LC, and that, at the group level, the creation of a "consensus" mask using more than one approach may give a better estimate of LC localization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Espeseth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Postboks 1094, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway; Bjørknes College, Lovisenberggata 13, 0456 Oslo, Norway
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Steven Waterstone T, Niazi IK, Navid MS, Amjad I, Shafique M, Holt K, Haavik H, Samani A. Functional Connectivity Analysis on Resting-State Electroencephalography Signals Following Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation in Stroke Patients. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E644. [PMID: 32957711 PMCID: PMC7564276 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke impairments often present as cognitive and motor deficits, leading to a decline in quality of life. Recovery strategy and mechanisms, such as neuroplasticity, are important factors, as these can help improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation. The present study investigated chiropractic spinal manipulation (SM) and its effects on resting-state functional connectivity in 24 subacute to chronic stroke patients monitored by electroencephalography (EEG). Functional connectivity of both linear and non-linear coupling was estimated by coherence and phase lag index (PLI), respectively. Non-parametric cluster-based permutation tests were used to assess the statistical significance of the changes in functional connectivity following SM. Results showed a significant increase in functional connectivity from the PLI metric in the alpha band within the default mode network (DMN). The functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and parahippocampal regions increased following SM, t (23) = 10.45, p = 0.005. No significant changes occurred following the sham control procedure. These findings suggest that SM may alter functional connectivity in the brain of stroke patients and highlights the potential of EEG for monitoring neuroplastic changes following SM. Furthermore, the altered connectivity was observed between areas which may be affected by factors such as decreased pain perception, episodic memory, navigation, and space representation in the brain. However, these factors were not directly monitored in this study. Therefore, further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and clinical significance of the observed changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Imran Khan Niazi
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Centre for Chiropractic Research, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland 1060, New Zealand
- Faculty of Health & Environmental Sciences, Health & Rehabilitation Research Institute, AUT University, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Muhammad Samran Navid
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Centre for Chiropractic Research, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland 1060, New Zealand
| | - Imran Amjad
- Centre for Chiropractic Research, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland 1060, New Zealand
- Faculty of Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences & Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shafique
- Faculty of Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences & Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Kelly Holt
- Centre for Chiropractic Research, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland 1060, New Zealand
| | - Heidi Haavik
- Centre for Chiropractic Research, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland 1060, New Zealand
| | - Afshin Samani
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
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50
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Li G, Chen Z, Zhou L, Zhao A, Niu M, Li Y, Luo N, Kang W, Liu J. Altered structure and functional connectivity of the central autonomic network in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. J Sleep Res 2020; 30:e13136. [PMID: 32608031 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests peripheral autonomic structures may contribute to autonomic dysfunction in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD). However, whether the central autonomic network (CAN) is affected in iRBD remains unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 65 participants (32 patients with iRBD and 33 matched healthy controls). We investigated the CAN in patients with iRBD using a combined voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity analysis and characterised the relationships between alterations of the CAN and autonomic symptoms. Patients with iRBD had significantly reduced grey matter volume in the brainstem, anterior cingulate and insula compared with healthy controls. Functional connectivity analysis revealed reduced functional connectivity between the brainstem and the cerebellum posterior lobe, temporal lobe and anterior cingulate in patients with iRBD. In patients with iRBD, both reduced grey matter volume and decreased functional connectivity of the CAN were negatively correlated with the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic scores. The present study demonstrated that both the structure and the functional connectivity of the CAN were abnormal in patients with iRBD. In addition, correlation analysis suggested that CAN abnormalities may also play a role in the development of autonomic symptoms in iRBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanglu Li
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhichun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liche Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Aonan Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengyue Niu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ningdi Luo
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyan Kang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital/Lu Wan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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