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Bore MC, Liu X, Huang X, Kendrick KM, Zhou B, Zhang J, Klugah-Brown B, Becker B. Common and separable neural alterations in adult and adolescent depression - Evidence from neuroimaging meta-analyses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105835. [PMID: 39084585 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105835] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a highly prevalent and debilitating mental disorder that often begins in adolescence. However, it remains unclear whether adults and adolescents with depression exhibit common or distinct brain dysfunctions during reward processing. We aimed to identify common and separable neurofunctional alterations during receipt of rewards and brain structure in adolescents and adults with depression. A coordinate-based meta-analysis was employed using Seed-based d mapping with permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI). Compared with healthy controls, both age groups exhibited common activity decreases in the right striatum (putamen, caudate) and subgenual ACC. Adults with depression showed decreased reactivity in the right putamen and subgenual ACC, while adolescents with depression showed decreased activity in the left mid cingulate, right caudate but increased reactivity in the right postcentral gyrus. This meta-analysis revealed shared (caudate) and separable (putamen and mid cingulate cortex) reward-related alterations in adults and adolescents with depression. The findings suggest age-specific neurofunctional alterations and stress the importance of adolescent-specific interventions that target social functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Chepngetich Bore
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; The Xiaman Key Lab of Psychoradiology and Neuromodulation, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Liao GZ, He CH, Li XQ, Xiong Y, Huang LY, Xin AR, Ai G, Luo MQ, Zhang YH, Zhang J. Exploring the heart-brain and brain-heart axes: Insights from a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study on brain cortical structure and cardiovascular disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 200:106636. [PMID: 39142612 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The bidirectional relationship between the brain cortex and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains inadequately explored. METHODS This study used bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the interactions between nine phenotypes associated with hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation (AF), and coronary heart disease (CHD), and brain cortex measurements. These measurements included total surface area (SA), average thickness (TH), and the SA and TH of 34 regions defined by the Desikan-Killiany atlas. The nine traits were obtained from sources such as the UK Biobank and FinnGen, etc., while MRI-derived traits of cortical structure were sourced from the ENIGMA Consortium. The primary estimate was obtained using the inverse-variance weighted approach. A false discovery rate adjustment was applied to the p-values (resulting in q-values) in the analyses of regional cortical structures. RESULTS A total of 1,260 two-sample MR analyses were conducted. Existing CHD demonstrated an influence on the SA of the banks of the superior temporal sulcus (bankssts) (q=0.018) and the superior frontal lobe (q=0.018), while hypertension was associated with changes in the TH of the lateral occipital region (q=0.02). Regarding the effects of the brain cortex on CVD incidence, total SA was significantly associated with the risk of CHD. Additionally, 16 and 3 regions exhibited significant effects on blood pressure and AF risk, respectively (q<0.05). These regions were primarily located in the frontal, temporal, and cingulate areas, which are associated with cognitive function and mood regulation. CONCLUSION The detection of cortical changes through MRI could aid in screening for potential neuropsychiatric disorders in individuals with established CVD. Moreover, abnormalities in cortical structure may predict future CVD risk, offering new insights for prevention and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Zhi Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Hui He
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Xiong
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Li-Yan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - An-Ran Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guo Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Man-Qing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Cardiovascular Medications, National Health Committee, 10037 Beijing, China.
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Klugah-Brown B, Bore MC, Liu X, Gan X, Biswal BB, Kendrick KM, Chang DHF, Zhou B, Becker B. The neurostructural consequences of glaucoma and their overlap with disorders exhibiting emotional dysregulations: A voxel-based meta-analysis and tripartite system model. J Affect Disord 2024; 358:487-499. [PMID: 38705527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glaucoma, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to irreversible blindness, is associated with heightened rates of generalized anxiety and depression. This study aims to comprehensively investigate brain morphological changes in glaucoma patients, extending beyond visual processing areas, and explores overlaps with morphological alterations observed in anxiety and depression. METHODS A comparative meta-analysis was conducted, using case-control studies of brain structural integrity in glaucoma patients. We aimed to identify regions with gray matter volume (GMV) changes, examine their role within distinct large-scale networks, and assess overlap with alterations in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). RESULTS Glaucoma patients exhibited significant GMV reductions in visual processing regions (lingual gyrus, thalamus). Notably, volumetric reductions extended beyond visual systems, encompassing the left putamen and insula. Behavioral and functional network decoding revealed distinct large-scale networks, implicating visual, motivational, and affective domains. The insular region, linked to pain and affective processes, displayed reductions overlapping with alterations observed in GAD. LIMITATIONS While the study identified significant morphological alterations, the number of studies from both the glaucoma and GAD cohorts remains limited due to the lack of independent studies meeting our inclusion criteria. CONCLUSION The study proposes a tripartite brain model for glaucoma, with visual processing changes related to the lingual gyrus and additional alterations in the putamen and insular regions tied to emotional or motivational functions. These neuroanatomical changes extend beyond the visual system, implying broader implications for brain structure and potential pathological developments, providing insights into the overall neurological consequences of glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Mercy C Bore
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianyang Gan
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, USA
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Dorita H F Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Kalisch R, Russo SJ, Müller MB. Neurobiology and systems biology of stress resilience. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:1205-1263. [PMID: 38483288 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2023] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress resilience is the phenomenon that some people maintain their mental health despite exposure to adversity or show only temporary impairments followed by quick recovery. Resilience research attempts to unravel the factors and mechanisms that make resilience possible and to harness its insights for the development of preventative interventions in individuals at risk for acquiring stress-related dysfunctions. Biological resilience research has been lagging behind the psychological and social sciences but has seen a massive surge in recent years. At the same time, progress in this field has been hampered by methodological challenges related to finding suitable operationalizations and study designs, replicating findings, and modeling resilience in animals. We embed a review of behavioral, neuroimaging, neurobiological, and systems biological findings in adults in a critical methods discussion. We find preliminary evidence that hippocampus-based pattern separation and prefrontal-based cognitive control functions protect against the development of pathological fears in the aftermath of singular, event-type stressors [as found in fear-related disorders, including simpler forms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)] by facilitating the perception of safety. Reward system-based pursuit and savoring of positive reinforcers appear to protect against the development of more generalized dysfunctions of the anxious-depressive spectrum resulting from more severe or longer-lasting stressors (as in depression, generalized or comorbid anxiety, or severe PTSD). Links between preserved functioning of these neural systems under stress and neuroplasticity, immunoregulation, gut microbiome composition, and integrity of the gut barrier and the blood-brain barrier are beginning to emerge. On this basis, avenues for biological interventions are pointed out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Kalisch
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
- Brain and Body Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
| | - Marianne B Müller
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
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Meinke C, Lueken U, Walter H, Hilbert K. Predicting treatment outcome based on resting-state functional connectivity in internalizing mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 160:105640. [PMID: 38548002 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105640] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Predicting treatment outcome in internalizing mental disorders prior to treatment initiation is pivotal for precision mental healthcare. In this regard, resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) and machine learning have often shown promising prediction accuracies. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates these studies, considering their risk of bias through the Prediction Model Study Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). We examined the predictive performance of features derived from rs-FC, identified features with the highest predictive value, and assessed the employed machine learning pipelines. We searched the electronic databases Scopus, PubMed and PsycINFO on the 12th of December 2022, which resulted in 13 included studies. The mean balanced accuracy for predicting treatment outcome was 77% (95% CI: [72%- 83%]). rs-FC of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex had high predictive value in most studies. However, a high risk of bias was identified in all studies, compromising interpretability. Methodological recommendations are provided based on a comprehensive exploration of the studies' machine learning pipelines, and potential fruitful developments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Meinke
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Henrik Walter
- Charité Universtätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of FU Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatrie and Psychotherapy, CCM, Germany.
| | - Kevin Hilbert
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychology, Health and Medical University Erfurt, Germany.
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Ma Y, Zou Y, Liu X, Chen T, Kemp GJ, Gong Q, Wang S. Social intelligence mediates the protective role of resting-state brain activity in the social cognition network against social anxiety. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2024; 4:kkae009. [PMID: 38799033 PMCID: PMC11119848 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkae009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Background Social intelligence refers to an important psychosocial skill set encompassing an array of abilities, including effective self-expression, understanding of social contexts, and acting wisely in social interactions. While there is ample evidence of its importance in various mental health outcomes, particularly social anxiety, little is known on the brain correlates underlying social intelligence and how it can mitigate social anxiety. Objective This research aims to investigate the functional neural markers of social intelligence and their relations to social anxiety. Methods Data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral measures were collected from 231 normal students aged 16 to 20 years (48% male). Whole-brain voxel-wise correlation analysis was conducted to detect the functional brain clusters related to social intelligence. Correlation and mediation analyses explored the potential role of social intelligence in the linkage of resting-state brain activities to social anxiety. Results Social intelligence was correlated with neural activities (assessed as the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, fALFF) among two key brain clusters in the social cognition networks: negatively correlated in left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and positively correlated in right middle temporal gyrus. Further, the left SFG fALFF was positively correlated with social anxiety; brain-personality-symptom analysis revealed that this relationship was mediated by social intelligence. Conclusion These results indicate that resting-state activities in the social cognition networks might influence a person's social anxiety via social intelligence: lower left SFG activity → higher social intelligence → lower social anxiety. These may have implication for developing neurobehavioral interventions to mitigate social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqiao Ma
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuhan Zou
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Taolin Chen
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
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Carlson JM, Foley J, Fang L. Climate change on the brain: Neural correlates of climate anxiety. J Anxiety Disord 2024; 103:102848. [PMID: 38431988 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is a global crisis impacting individuals' mental health. Climate anxiety is an emerging area of interest within popular culture and the scientific community. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms underlying climate anxiety. We provide evidence that climate anxiety is related to gray matter volume in the midcingulate cortex as well as its level of functional connectivity with the insula cortex. These neuroanatomical and neurofunctional features of climate anxiety are involved in identifying and anticipating potential threats within the environment and preparing an appropriate action response to such threats. These neural correlates align with those observed in anxiety disorders. Yet, climate anxiety itself as well as the neural correlates of climate anxiety were related to pro-environmental behavior. This may suggest that the midcingulate and insula are part of a network linked to an adaptive aspect of climate anxiety in motivating behavioral engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Carlson
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA.
| | - John Foley
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Lin Fang
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
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Kasper S, Volz HP, Möller HJ, Schläfke S, Klement S, Anghelescu IG, Seifritz E. Lavender oil preparation Silexan is effective in mild-to-moderate major depression: a randomized, placebo- and reference-controlled trial. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-024-01783-2. [PMID: 38558147 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01783-2] [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: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive disorders have overlapping symptoms and share common neurobiological pathways. Antidepressant drugs have been demonstrated to be efficacious in anxiety as well. Vice versa, it may also be promising to investigate the efficacy of anxiolytic drugs such as silexan in major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients with a mild or moderate, single or recurrent episode of MDD and a total score of 19-34 points on the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) were randomized to receive 1 × 80 mg/d silexan, 1 × 50 mg/d sertraline, or placebo double-blind, double-dummy for 56 days. The primary outcome measure was the MADRS total score change between baseline and treatment end. Treatment groups were compared using a treatment policy estimand. 498 subjects (silexan 170, sertraline 171, placebo 157) were treated and analyzed. After 8 weeks, silexan and sertraline were superior to placebo for MADRS total score reduction, with absolute differences to placebo of 2.17 (95% confidence interval: 0.58; 3.76) points and 2.59 (1.02; 4.17) points, respectively (p < 0.01). Moreover, silexan was superior to placebo for alleviation of functional impairment according to the Sheehan Disability Scale with a difference of 2.40 (1.04; 3.76) points (p < 0.001). Both treatments were well tolerated; eructation was the most frequent adverse effect of silexan. The study confirms the antidepressant efficacy of silexan in mild or moderate MDD, including significant improvements in the subjects' functional capacity. The results for sertraline confirm the assay sensitivity of the trial. Both drugs were well tolerated.Trial registrationEudraCT2020-000688-22 first entered on 12/08/2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siegfried Kasper
- Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Hans-Peter Volz
- Würzburg, Former Medical Director Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine Schloss Werneck, Werneck, Germany
| | - Hans-Jürgen Möller
- Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Sandra Schläfke
- Department of Research and Development, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stephan Klement
- Department of Research and Development, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ion-George Anghelescu
- Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Mental Health Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Liu H, Hao Z, Qiu S, Wang Q, Zhan L, Huang L, Shao Y, Wang Q, Su C, Cao Y, Sun J, Wang C, Lv Y, Li M, Shen W, Li H, Jia X. Grey matter structural alterations in anxiety disorders: a voxel-based meta-analysis. Brain Imaging Behav 2024; 18:456-474. [PMID: 38150133 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-023-00842-x] [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: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders (ADs) are a group of prevalent and destructive mental illnesses, but the current understanding of their underlying neuropathology is still unclear. Employing voxel-based morphometry (VBM), previous studies have demonstrated several common brain regions showing grey matter volume (GMV) abnormalities. However, contradictory results have been reported among these studies. Considering that different subtypes of ADs exhibit common core symptoms despite different diagnostic criteria, and previous meta-analyses have found common core GMV-altered brain regions in ADs, the present research aimed to combine the results of individual studies to identify common GMV abnormalities in ADs. Therefore, we first performed a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science on studies investigating GMV differences between patients with ADs and healthy controls (HCs). Then, the anisotropic effect-size signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) was applied in this meta-analysis. A total of 24 studies (including 25 data sets) were included in the current study, and 906 patients with ADs and 1003 HCs were included. Compared with the HCs, the patients with ADs showed increased GMV in the left superior parietal gyrus, right angular gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and right lingual gyrus, and decreased GMV in the bilateral insula, bilateral thalamus, left caudate, and right putamen. In conclusion, the current study has identified some abnormal GMV brain regions that are related to the pathological mechanisms of anxiety disorders. These findings could contribute to a better understanding of the underlying neuropathology of ADs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Liu
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Zeqi Hao
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Shasha Qiu
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Linlin Zhan
- School of Western Languages, Heilongjiang University, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Lina Huang
- Department of Radiology, Changshu No.2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, Jiangsu, China
| | - Youbin Shao
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Chang Su
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yikang Cao
- School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Jiawei Sun
- School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Chunjie Wang
- Institute of Brain Science, Department of Psychology, School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yating Lv
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengting Li
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Wenbin Shen
- Department of Radiology, Changshu No.2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huayun Li
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.
| | - Xize Jia
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.
- Intelligent Laboratory of Zhejiang Province in Mental Health and Crisis Intervention for Children and Adolescents, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.
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10
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Bore MC, Liu X, Gan X, Wang L, Xu T, Ferraro S, Li L, Zhou B, Zhang J, Vatansever D, Biswal B, Klugah-Brown B, Becker B. Distinct neurofunctional alterations during motivational and hedonic processing of natural and monetary rewards in depression - a neuroimaging meta-analysis. Psychol Med 2024; 54:639-651. [PMID: 37997708 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Reward processing dysfunctions are considered a candidate mechanism underlying anhedonia and apathy in depression. Neuroimaging studies have documented that neurofunctional alterations in mesocorticolimbic circuits may neurally mediate these dysfunctions. However, common and distinct neurofunctional alterations during motivational and hedonic evaluation of monetary and natural rewards in depression have not been systematically examined. Here, we capitalized on pre-registered neuroimaging meta-analyses to (1) establish general reward-related neural alterations in depression, (2) determine common and distinct alterations during the receipt and anticipation of monetary v. natural rewards, and, (3) characterize the differences on the behavioral, network, and molecular level. The pre-registered meta-analysis (https://osf.io/ay3r9) included 633 depressed patients and 644 healthy controls and revealed generally decreased subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and striatal reactivity toward rewards in depression. Subsequent comparative analyses indicated that monetary rewards led to decreased hedonic reactivity in the right ventral caudate while natural rewards led to decreased reactivity in the bilateral putamen in depressed individuals. These regions exhibited distinguishable profiles on the behavioral, network, and molecular level. Further analyses demonstrated that the right thalamus and left putamen showed decreased activation during the anticipation of monetary reward. The present results indicate that distinguishable neurofunctional alterations may neurally mediate reward-processing alterations in depression, in particular, with respect to monetary and natural rewards. Given that natural rewards prevail in everyday life, our findings suggest that reward-type specific interventions are warranted and challenge the generalizability of experimental tasks employing monetary incentives to capture reward dysregulations in everyday life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Chepngetich Bore
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianyang Gan
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lan Wang
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Liyuan Li
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Deniz Vatansever
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Bharat Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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11
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Liu X, Jiao G, Zhou F, Kendrick KM, Yao D, Gong Q, Xiang S, Jia T, Zhang XY, Zhang J, Feng J, Becker B. A neural signature for the subjective experience of threat anticipation under uncertainty. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1544. [PMID: 38378947 PMCID: PMC10879105 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45433-6] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty about potential future threats and the associated anxious anticipation represents a key feature of anxiety. However, the neural systems that underlie the subjective experience of threat anticipation under uncertainty remain unclear. Combining an uncertainty-variation threat anticipation paradigm that allows precise modulation of the level of momentary anxious arousal during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with multivariate predictive modeling, we train a brain model that accurately predicts subjective anxious arousal intensity during anticipation and test it across 9 samples (total n = 572, both gender). Using publicly available datasets, we demonstrate that the whole-brain signature specifically predicts anxious anticipation and is not sensitive in predicting pain, general anticipation or unspecific emotional and autonomic arousal. The signature is also functionally and spatially distinguishable from representations of subjective fear or negative affect. We develop a sensitive, generalizable, and specific neuroimaging marker for the subjective experience of uncertain threat anticipation that can facilitate model development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiqin Liu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Guojuan Jiao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Chongqing, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Shitong Xiang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianye Jia
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- The Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), ISTBI, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Xiao-Yong Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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12
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Stolicyn A, Lyall LM, Lyall DM, Høier NK, Adams MJ, Shen X, Cole JH, McIntosh AM, Whalley HC, Smith DJ. Comprehensive assessment of sleep duration, insomnia, and brain structure within the UK Biobank cohort. Sleep 2024; 47:zsad274. [PMID: 37889226 PMCID: PMC10851840 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES To assess for associations between sleeping more than or less than recommended by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), and self-reported insomnia, with brain structure. METHODS Data from the UK Biobank cohort were analyzed (N between 9K and 32K, dependent on availability, aged 44 to 82 years). Sleep measures included self-reported adherence to NSF guidelines on sleep duration (sleeping between 7 and 9 hours per night), and self-reported difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia). Brain structural measures included global and regional cortical or subcortical morphometry (thickness, surface area, volume), global and tract-related white matter microstructure, brain age gap (difference between chronological age and age estimated from brain scan), and total volume of white matter lesions. RESULTS Longer-than-recommended sleep duration was associated with lower overall grey and white matter volumes, lower global and regional cortical thickness and volume measures, higher brain age gap, higher volume of white matter lesions, higher mean diffusivity globally and in thalamic and association fibers, and lower volume of the hippocampus. Shorter-than-recommended sleep duration was related to higher global and cerebellar white matter volumes, lower global and regional cortical surface areas, and lower fractional anisotropy in projection fibers. Self-reported insomnia was associated with higher global gray and white matter volumes, and with higher volumes of the amygdala, hippocampus, and putamen. CONCLUSIONS Sleeping longer than recommended by the NSF is associated with a wide range of differences in brain structure, potentially indicative of poorer brain health. Sleeping less than recommended is distinctly associated with lower cortical surface areas. Future studies should assess the potential mechanisms of these differences and investigate long sleep duration as a putative marker of brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleks Stolicyn
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Laura M Lyall
- School of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Donald M Lyall
- School of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nikolaj Kjær Høier
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health CORE, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mark J Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xueyi Shen
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James H Cole
- Dementia Research Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Heather C Whalley
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel J Smith
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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13
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Guo M, Zhong Y, Xu J, Zhang G, Xu A, Kong J, Wang Q, Hang Y, Xie Y, Wu Z, Lang N, Tang Y, Zhang N, Wang C. Altered brain function in patients with acrophobia: A voxel-wise degree centrality analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 164:59-65. [PMID: 37315355 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.05.058] [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: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
AIM To explore the local spontaneous neural activity and whole-brain functional connectivity patterns in the resting brain of acrophobia patients. METHODS 50 patients with acrophobia and 47 healthy controls were selected for this study. All participants underwent resting-state MRI scans after enrollment. The imaging data were then analyzed using a voxel-based degree centrality (DC) method, and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between abnormal functional connectivity and clinical symptom scales in acrophobia. The severity of symptoms was evaluated using self-report and behavioral measures. RESULTS Compared to controls, acrophobia patients showed higher DC in the right cuneus and left middle occipital gyrus and significantly lower DC in the right cerebellum and left orbitofrontal cortex (p < 0.01, GRF corrected). Additionally, there were negative correlations between the acrophobia questionnaire avoidance (AQ- Avoidance) scores and right cerebellum-left perirhinal cortex FC (r = -0.317, p = 0.025) and between scores of the 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale and left middle occipital gyrus-right cuneus FC (r = -0.379, p = 0.007). In the acrophobia group, there was a positive correlation between behavioral avoidance scale and right cerebellum-right cuneus FC (r = 0.377, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicated that there are local abnormalities in spontaneous neural activity and functional connectivity in the visual cortex, cerebellum, and orbitofrontal cortex in patients with acrophobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meilin Guo
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Yuan Zhong
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Jingren Xu
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Guojia Zhang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Aoran Xu
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Jingya Kong
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Qiuyu Wang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Yaming Hang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Ya Xie
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Zhou Wu
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Nan Lang
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China
| | - Yibin Tang
- College of Internet of Things Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
| | - Chun Wang
- Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China; School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210097, China; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
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14
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Moraga-Amaro R, Muñoz P, Villalobos T, Linsambarth S, Maldonado F, Meirone V, Femopase B, Stehberg J. Real-world data of non-invasive stimulation of the human insula-prefrontal cortices using deep TMS to treat anxiety for occupational stress and generalized anxiety disorder. Psychiatry Res 2023; 320:115036. [PMID: 36586377 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.115036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the insula is found in all anxiety-related disorders and increased insular-prefrontal cortex (PFC) functional connectivity is associated with reduced anxiety. In this study, the combined stimulation of the insula and PFC using the dTMS H4 (insula+LPFC) and H2 (PFC) coils were used to reduce anxiety in 13 subjects experiencing occupational stress, and 55 participants suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The combined HF stimulation of the insula and PFC significantly decreased anxiety scores according to the HARS, CAS, and STAI anxiety scales, leading to a reduction in anxiety according to HARS of 88.7% and 70.7% in participants with occupational stress and the clinical sample of participants diagnosed with GAD, respectively. The findings suggest that the prefrontal-insular axis is critical for the regulation of anxiety and its stimulation can be used for the treatment of anxiety in people suffering from occupational stress and GAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Moraga-Amaro
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paula Muñoz
- Clínica Nova Vita. Del Inca 4446 of. 708. Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tomás Villalobos
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Francisco Maldonado
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valeria Meirone
- Clínica Nova Vita. Del Inca 4446 of. 708. Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Bruno Femopase
- Clínica Nova Vita. Del Inca 4446 of. 708. Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jimmy Stehberg
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
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15
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Montag C, Becker B. Neuroimaging the effects of smartphone (over-)use on brain function and structure-a review on the current state of MRI-based findings and a roadmap for future research. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2023; 3:kkad001. [PMID: 38666109 PMCID: PMC10917376 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The smartphone represents a transformative device that dramatically changed our daily lives, including how we communicate, work, entertain ourselves, and navigate through unknown territory. Given its ubiquitous availability and impact on nearly every aspect of our lives, debates on the potential impact of smartphone (over-)use on the brain and whether smartphone use can be "addictive" have increased over the last years. Several studies have used magnetic resonance imaging to characterize associations between individual differences in excessive smartphone use and variations in brain structure or function. Therefore, it is an opportune time to summarize and critically reflect on the available studies. Following this overview, we present a roadmap for future research to improve our understanding of how excessive smartphone use can affect the brain, mental health, and cognitive and affective functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 611731, China
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16
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A Voxel-Based Morphometric Study of Gray Matter in Specific Phobia. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 13:life13010119. [PMID: 36676068 PMCID: PMC9864817 DOI: 10.3390/life13010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to analyze the neurostructural abnormalities of brain areas responsible for the acquisition and maintenance of fear in small animal phobia by comparing gray matter volume (GMV) in individuals with phobia and non-fearful controls. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was obtained from 62 adults (79% female) assigned to one of two groups: 31 were diagnosed with small animal phobia and 31 were non-fearful controls. To investigate structural alterations, a whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis was conducted to compare the GMV of the brain areas involved in fear between both groups. The results indicated that individuals with a small animal specific phobia showed smaller GMV in cortical regions, such as the orbitofrontal (OFC) and medial frontal cortex, and greater GMV in the putamen than non-fearful controls. These brain areas are responsible for avoidant behavior (putamen) and emotional regulation processes or inhibitory control (prefrontal cortex (PFC)), which might suggest a greater vulnerability of phobic individuals to acquiring non-adaptive conditioned responses and emotional dysregulation. The findings provide preliminary support for the involvement of structural deficits in OFC and medial frontal cortex in phobia, contributing to clarify the neurobiological substrates for phobias.
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17
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Klugah-Brown B, Zhou X, Wang L, Gan X, Zhang R, Liu X, Song X, Zhao W, Biswal BB, Yu F, Montag C, Becker B. Associations between levels of Internet Gaming Disorder symptoms and striatal morphology-replication and associations with social anxiety. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2022; 2:207-215. [PMID: 38665272 PMCID: PMC10917202 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Brain structural alterations of the striatum have been frequently observed in internet gaming disorder (IGD); however, the replicability of the results and the associations with social-affective dysregulations such as social anxiety remain to be determined. Methods The present study combined a dimensional neuroimaging approach with both voxel-wise and data-driven multivariate approaches to (i) replicate our previous results on a negative association between IGD symptom load (assessed by the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form) and striatal volume, (ii) extend these findings to female individuals, and (iii) employ multivariate and mediation models to determine common brain structural representations of IGD and social anxiety (assessed by the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale). Results In line with the original study, the voxel-wise analyses revealed a negative association between IGD and volumes of the bilateral caudate. Going beyond the earlier study investigating only male participants, the present study demonstrates that the association in the right caudate was comparable in both the male and the female subsamples. Further examination using the multivariate approach revealed regionally different associations between IGD and social anxiety with striatal density representations in the dorsal striatum (caudate) and ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens). Higher levels of IGD were associated with higher social anxiety and the association was critically mediated by the multivariate neurostructural density variations of the striatum. Conclusions Altered striatal volumes may represent a replicable and generalizable marker of IGD symptoms. However, exploratory multivariate analyses revealed more complex and regional specific associations between striatal density and IGD as well as social anxiety symptoms. Variations in both tendencies may share common structural brain representations, which mediate the association between increased IGD and social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610101, China
| | - Lan Wang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Xianyang Gan
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Ran Zhang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Xiqin Liu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Xinwei Song
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA
| | - Fangwen Yu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.2006, Xiyuan Ave, West Hi-Tech Zone, 611731, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
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