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Hsu TT, Huang TN, Wang CY, Hsueh YP. Deep brain stimulation of the Tbr1-deficient mouse model of autism spectrum disorder at the basolateral amygdala alters amygdalar connectivity, whole-brain synchronization, and social behaviors. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002646. [PMID: 39012916 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are considered neural dysconnectivity syndromes. To better understand ASD and uncover potential treatments, it is imperative to know and dissect the connectivity deficits under conditions of autism. Here, we apply a whole-brain immunostaining and quantification platform to demonstrate impaired structural and functional connectivity and aberrant whole-brain synchronization in a Tbr1+/-autism mouse model. We express a channelrhodopsin variant oChIEF fused with Citrine at the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to outline the axonal projections of BLA neurons. By activating the BLA under blue light theta-burst stimulation (TBS), we then evaluate the effect of BLA activation on C-FOS expression at a whole brain level to represent neural activity. We show that Tbr1 haploinsufficiency almost completely disrupts contralateral BLA axonal projections and results in mistargeting in both ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres, thereby globally altering BLA functional connectivity. Based on correlated C-FOS expression among brain regions, we further show that Tbr1 deficiency severely disrupts whole-brain synchronization in the absence of salient stimulation. Tbr1+/-and wild-type (WT) mice exhibit opposing responses to TBS-induced amygdalar activation, reducing synchronization in WT mice but enhancing it in Tbr1+/-mice. Whole-brain modular organization and intermodule connectivity are also affected by Tbr1 deficiency and amygdalar activation. Following BLA activation by TBS, the synchronizations of the whole brain and the default mode network, a specific subnetwork highly relevant to ASD, are enhanced in Tbr1+/-mice, implying a potential ameliorating effect of amygdalar stimulation on brain function. Indeed, TBS-mediated BLA activation increases nose-to-nose social interactions of Tbr1+/-mice, strengthening evidence for the role of amygdalar connectivity in social behaviors. Our high-resolution analytical platform reveals the inter- and intrahemispheric connectopathies arising from ASD. Our study emphasizes the defective synchronization at a whole-brain scale caused by Tbr1 deficiency and implies a potential beneficial effect of deep brain stimulation at the amygdala for TBR1-linked autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsan-Ting Hsu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Tzyy-Nan Huang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chien-Yao Wang
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ping Hsueh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
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2
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Wu X, Zhang Y, Xue M, Li J, Li X, Cui Z, Gao JH, Yang G. Heritability of functional gradients in the human subcortico-cortical connectivity. Commun Biol 2024; 7:854. [PMID: 38997510 PMCID: PMC11245549 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06551-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The human subcortex plays a pivotal role in cognition and is widely implicated in the pathophysiology of many psychiatric disorders. However, the heritability of functional gradients based on subcortico-cortical functional connectivity remains elusive. Here, leveraging twin functional MRI (fMRI) data from both the Human Connectome Project (n = 1023) and the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (n = 936) datasets, we construct large-scale subcortical functional gradients and delineate an increased principal functional gradient pattern from unimodal sensory/motor networks to transmodal association networks. We observed that this principal functional gradient is heritable, and the strength of heritability exhibits a heterogeneous pattern along a hierarchical unimodal-transmodal axis in subcortex for both young adults and children. Furthermore, employing a machine learning framework, we show that this heterogeneous pattern of the principal functional gradient in subcortex can accurately discern the relationship between monozygotic twin pairs and dizygotic twin pairs with an accuracy of 76.2% (P < 0.001). The heritability of functional gradients is associated with the anatomical myelin proxied by MRI-derived T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) ratio mapping in subcortex. This study provides new insights into the biological basis of subcortical functional hierarchy by revealing the structural and genetic properties of the subcortical functional gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wu
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Mufan Xue
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jinlong Li
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xuesong Li
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Hong Gao
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institution of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China.
| | - Guoyuan Yang
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
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3
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Wu N, Xu M, Liu C, Chen Q, Gao JH, Wang Z, Lv H. Treatment outcomes in tinnitus patients are associated with brain functional network: evidence from connectome gradient and gene expression analysis. Neuroscience 2024:S0306-4522(24)00313-0. [PMID: 38992565 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.008] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
The neuroimaging mechanisms underlying differences in the outcomes of sound therapy for tinnitus patients remain unclear. We hypothesize that abnormal hierarchical architecture is the neuro-biomarker for treatment outcome explanation. We conducted functional connectome gradient analyses on resting-state functional MRI images that acquired before intervention to investigate differences among the patients with effective treatment (ET, n = 27), ineffective treatment (IT, n = 41), and healthy controls (HC, n = 59). General linear models were used to analyze the associations between intergroup differential regions and clinical characteristics. Partial least squares regression was employed to reveal correlations with gene expression. Compared to HC, both ET and IT groups displayed significant differences in the default mode network. Moreover, the ET group exhibited wider gradient range and greater gradient variance. Also, the gradient scores of the differential regions between the ET and HC groups were significantly correlated with Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale scores, and exhibited positive correlations with the transcriptional profiles of genes related to depression and anxiety. Our results indicated that the abnormalities of ET group, may be more relevant to psychiatric disorders, bringing a higher possible therapeutic potential due to the plasticity of the nervous system. Connectome gradient dysfunction with genetic evidence may serve as an indicator for identifying diverse treatment outcomes of the sound therapy for tinnitus patients before treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Yanjing Medical College, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101300, China.
| | - Mingze Xu
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Chunli Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College, Hebei 067000, China.
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Jia-Hong Gao
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Zhenchang Wang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Han Lv
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
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4
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Wang X, Chen H, Wen R, Ou P, Huang Y, Deng L, Shi L, Chen W, Chen H, Wang J, He C, Liu C. Exploring functional and structural connectivity disruptions in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: Insights from gradient analysis. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14842. [PMID: 39014518 PMCID: PMC11251871 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14842] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3) is a rare genetic ataxia that impacts the entire brain and is characterized as a neurodegenerative disorder affecting the neural network. This study explores how alterations in the functional hierarchy, connectivity, and structural changes within specific brain regions significantly contribute to the heterogeneity of symptom manifestations in patients with SCA3. METHODS We prospectively recruited 51 patients with SCA3 and 59 age-and sex-matched healthy controls. All participants underwent comprehensive multimodal neuroimaging and clinical assessments. In SCA3 patients, an innovative approach utilizing gradients in resting-state functional connectivity (FC) was employed to examine atypical patterns of hierarchical processing topology from sensorimotor to supramodal regions in the cerebellum and cerebrum. Coupling analyses of abnormal FC and structural connectivity among regions of interest (ROIs) in the brain were also performed to characterize connectivity alterations. Additionally, relationships between quantitative ROI values and clinical variables were explored. RESULTS Patients with SCA3 exhibited either compression or expansion within the primary sensorimotor-to-supramodal gradient through four distinct calculation methods, along with disruptions in FC and structural connectivity coupling. A comprehensive correlation was identified between the altered gradients and the clinical manifestations observed in patients. Notably, altered fractional anisotropy values were not significantly correlated with clinical variables. CONCLUSION Abnormal gradients and connectivity in the cerebellar and cerebral cortices in SCA3 patients may contribute to disrupted motor-to-supramodal functions. Moreover, these findings support the potential utility of FCG analysis as a biomarker for diagnosing SCA3 and assessing treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingang Wang
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Ru Wen
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Peiling Ou
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Yonghua Huang
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Lihua Deng
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Linfeng Shi
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Wei Chen
- MR Research Collaboration TeamSiemens Healthineers Ltd.WuhanChina
| | - Huafu Chen
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
- Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Changchun He
- College of Blockchain IndustryChengdu University of Information TechnologyChengduChina
| | - Chen Liu
- Department of Radiology, 7T Magnetic Resonance Translational Medicine Research Center, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
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5
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Yang D, Tan Y, Zhou Z, Ke Z, Huang L, Mo Y, Tang L, Mao C, Hu Z, Cheng Y, Shao P, Zhang B, Zhu X, Xu Y. Connectome gradient dysfunction contributes to white matter hyperintensity-related cognitive decline. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14843. [PMID: 38997814 PMCID: PMC11245402 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14843] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although white matter hyperintensity (WMH) is closely associated with cognitive decline, the precise neurobiological mechanisms underlying this relationship are not fully elucidated. Connectome studies have identified a primary-to-transmodal gradient in functional brain networks that support the spectrum from sensation to cognition. However, whether connectome gradient structure is altered as WMH progresses and how this alteration is associated with WMH-related cognitive decline remain unknown. METHODS A total of 758 WMH individuals completed cognitive assessment and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). The functional connectome gradient was reconstructed based on rs-fMRI by using a gradient decomposition framework. Interrelations among the spatial distribution of WMH, functional gradient measures, and specific cognitive domains were explored. RESULTS As the WMH volume increased, the executive function (r = -0.135, p = 0.001) and information-processing speed (r = -0.224, p = 0.001) became poorer, the gradient range (r = -0.099, p = 0.006), and variance (r = -0.121, p < 0.001) of the primary-to-transmodal gradient reduced. A narrower gradient range (r = 0.131, p = 0.001) and a smaller gradient variance (r = 0.136, p = 0.001) corresponded to a poorer executive function. In particular, the relationship between the frontal/occipital WMH and executive function was partly mediated by gradient range/variance of the primary-to-transmodal gradient. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicated that WMH volume, the primary-to-transmodal gradient, and cognition were interrelated. The detrimental effect of the frontal/occipital WMH on executive function was partly mediated by the decreased differentiation of the connectivity pattern between the primary and transmodal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yang
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Tan
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - ZhiXin Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhihong Ke
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lili Huang
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuting Mo
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Limoran Tang
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - ChengLu Mao
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheqi Hu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pengfei Shao
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Institute of Translational Medicine for Brain Critical Diseases, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Xu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Institute of Translational Medicine for Brain Critical Diseases, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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6
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Ottoy J, Kang MS, Tan JXM, Boone L, Vos de Wael R, Park BY, Bezgin G, Lussier FZ, Pascoal TA, Rahmouni N, Stevenson J, Fernandez Arias J, Therriault J, Hong SJ, Stefanovic B, McLaurin J, Soucy JP, Gauthier S, Bernhardt BC, Black SE, Rosa-Neto P, Goubran M. Tau follows principal axes of functional and structural brain organization in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5031. [PMID: 38866759 PMCID: PMC11169286 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49300-2] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a brain network disorder where pathological proteins accumulate through networks and drive cognitive decline. Yet, the role of network connectivity in facilitating this accumulation remains unclear. Using in-vivo multimodal imaging, we show that the distribution of tau and reactive microglia in humans follows spatial patterns of connectivity variation, the so-called gradients of brain organization. Notably, less distinct connectivity patterns ("gradient contraction") are associated with cognitive decline in regions with greater tau, suggesting an interaction between reduced network differentiation and tau on cognition. Furthermore, by modeling tau in subject-specific gradient space, we demonstrate that tau accumulation in the frontoparietal and temporo-occipital cortices is associated with greater baseline tau within their functionally and structurally connected hubs, respectively. Our work unveils a role for both functional and structural brain organization in pathology accumulation in AD, and supports subject-specific gradient space as a promising tool to map disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Ottoy
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Min Su Kang
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Lyndon Boone
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Reinder Vos de Wael
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bo-Yong Park
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Gleb Bezgin
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Neuroinformatics for Personalized Medicine lab, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Firoza Z Lussier
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tharick A Pascoal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nesrine Rahmouni
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jenna Stevenson
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jaime Fernandez Arias
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Joseph Therriault
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bojana Stefanovic
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - JoAnne McLaurin
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jean-Paul Soucy
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Serge Gauthier
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sandra E Black
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Translational Neuroimaging laboratory, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maged Goubran
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Qiao M. Deciphering the genetic code of neuronal type connectivity through bilinear modeling. eLife 2024; 12:RP91532. [PMID: 38857169 PMCID: PMC11164534 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91532] [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] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how different neuronal types connect and communicate is critical to interpreting brain function and behavior. However, it has remained a formidable challenge to decipher the genetic underpinnings that dictate the specific connections formed between neuronal types. To address this, we propose a novel bilinear modeling approach that leverages the architecture similar to that of recommendation systems. Our model transforms the gene expressions of presynaptic and postsynaptic neuronal types, obtained from single-cell transcriptomics, into a covariance matrix. The objective is to construct this covariance matrix that closely mirrors a connectivity matrix, derived from connectomic data, reflecting the known anatomical connections between these neuronal types. When tested on a dataset of Caenorhabditis elegans, our model achieved a performance comparable to, if slightly better than, the previously proposed spatial connectome model (SCM) in reconstructing electrical synaptic connectivity based on gene expressions. Through a comparative analysis, our model not only captured all genetic interactions identified by the SCM but also inferred additional ones. Applied to a mouse retinal neuronal dataset, the bilinear model successfully recapitulated recognized connectivity motifs between bipolar cells and retinal ganglion cells, and provided interpretable insights into genetic interactions shaping the connectivity. Specifically, it identified unique genetic signatures associated with different connectivity motifs, including genes important to cell-cell adhesion and synapse formation, highlighting their role in orchestrating specific synaptic connections between these neurons. Our work establishes an innovative computational strategy for decoding the genetic programming of neuronal type connectivity. It not only sets a new benchmark for single-cell transcriptomic analysis of synaptic connections but also paves the way for mechanistic studies of neural circuit assembly and genetic manipulation of circuit wiring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu Qiao
- LinkedInMountain ViewUnited States
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8
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Hu J, Chen G, Zeng Z, Ran H, Zhang R, Yu Q, Xie Y, He Y, Wang F, Li X, Huang K, Liu H, Zhang T. Systematically altered connectome gradient in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: Potential effect on cognitive function. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 43:103628. [PMID: 38850833 PMCID: PMC11201345 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103628] [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: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) affects brain network hierarchy and cognitive function; however, itremainsunclearhowhierarchical changeaffectscognition in patients with BECTS. A major aim of this study was to examine changes in the macro-network function hierarchy in BECTS and its potential contribution to cognitive function. METHODS Overall, the study included 50 children with BECTS and 69 healthy controls. Connectome gradient analysis was used to determine the brain network hierarchy of each group. By comparing gradient scores at each voxel level and network between groups, we assessed changes in whole-brain voxel-level and network hierarchy. Functional connectivity was used to detect the functional reorganization of epilepsy caused by these abnormal brain regions based on these aberrant gradients. Lastly, we explored the relationships between the change gradient and functional connectivity values and clinical variables and further predicted the cognitive function associated with BECTS gradient changes. RESULTS In children with BECTS, the gradient was extended at different network and voxel levels. The gradient scores frontoparietal network was increased in the principal gradient of patients with BECTS. The left precentral gyrus (PCG) and right angular gyrus gradient scores were significantly increased in the principal gradient of children with BECTS. Moreover, in regions of the brain with abnormal principal gradients, functional connectivity was disrupted. The left PCG gradient score of children with BECTS was correlated with the verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ), and the disruption of functional connectivity in brain regions with abnormal principal gradients was closely related to cognitive function. VIQ was significantly predicted by the principal gradient map of patients. SIGNIFICANCE The results indicate connectome gradient disruption in children with BECTS and its relationship to cognitive function, thereby increasing our understanding of the functional connectome hierarchy and providing potential biomarkers for cognitive function of children with BECTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Hu
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guiqin Chen
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of TCM, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Zhen Zeng
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Haifeng Ran
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Ruoxi Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of TCM, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Qiane Yu
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Yuxin Xie
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Yulun He
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Fuqin Wang
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Xuhong Li
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Kexing Huang
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China.
| | - Tijiang Zhang
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China.
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9
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Li J, Zhang C, Meng Y, Yang S, Xia J, Chen H, Liao W. Morphometric brain organization across the human lifespan reveals increased dispersion linked to cognitive performance. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002647. [PMID: 38900742 PMCID: PMC11189252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The human brain is organized as segregation and integration units and follows complex developmental trajectories throughout life. The cortical manifold provides a new means of studying the brain's organization in a multidimensional connectivity gradient space. However, how the brain's morphometric organization changes across the human lifespan remains unclear. Here, leveraging structural magnetic resonance imaging scans from 1,790 healthy individuals aged 8 to 89 years, we investigated age-related global, within- and between-network dispersions to reveal the segregation and integration of brain networks from 3D manifolds based on morphometric similarity network (MSN), combining multiple features conceptualized as a "fingerprint" of an individual's brain. Developmental trajectories of global dispersion unfolded along patterns of molecular brain organization, such as acetylcholine receptor. Communities were increasingly dispersed with age, reflecting more disassortative morphometric similarity profiles within a community. Increasing within-network dispersion of primary motor and association cortices mediated the influence of age on the cognitive flexibility of executive functions. We also found that the secondary sensory cortices were decreasingly dispersed with the rest of the cortices during aging, possibly indicating a shift of secondary sensory cortices across the human lifespan from an extreme to a more central position in 3D manifolds. Together, our results reveal the age-related segregation and integration of MSN from the perspective of a multidimensional gradient space, providing new insights into lifespan changes in multiple morphometric features of the brain, as well as the influence of such changes on cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao Meng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Siqi Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Xia
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Liao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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10
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Wang L, Qin Y, Yang S, Jin D, Zhu Y, Li X, Li W, Wang Y, Jin C. Posterior default mode network is associated with the social performance in male children with autism spectrum disorder: A dynamic causal modeling analysis based on triple-network model. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26750. [PMID: 38853710 PMCID: PMC11163228 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26750] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The triple-network model has been widely applied in neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the mechanism of causal regulations within the triple-network and their relations with symptoms of ASD remains unclear. 81 male ASD and 80 well matched typically developing control (TDC) were included in this study, recruited from Autism Brain Image Data Exchange-I datasets. Spatial reference-based independent component analysis was used to identify the anterior and posterior part of default-mode network (aDMN and pDMN), salience network (SN), and bilateral executive-control network (ECN) from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Spectral dynamic causal model and parametric empirical Bayes with Bayesian model reduction/average were adopted to explore the effective connectivity (EC) within triple-network and the relationship between EC and autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) scores. After adjusting for age and site effect, ASD and TDC groups both showed inhibition patterns. Compared with TDC, ASD group showed weaker self-inhibition in aDMN and pDMN, stronger inhibition in pDMN→aDMN, weaker inhibition in aDMN→LECN, pDMN→SN, LECN→SN, and LECN→RECN. Furthermore, negative relationships between ADOS scores and pDMN self-inhibition strength, as well as with the EC of pDMN→aDMN were observed in ASD group. The present study reveals imbalanced effective connections within triple-networks in ASD children. More attentions should be focused at the pDMN, which modulates the core symptoms of ASD and may serve as an important region for ASD diagnosis and the target region for ASD treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- Department of RadiologyXi'an Daxing HospitalXi'anChina
| | - Yue Qin
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- Department of RadiologyXi'an Daxing HospitalXi'anChina
| | - Shuhan Yang
- Department of Disease Control and PreventionNinth Hospital of Xi'anXi'anChina
| | - Dayong Jin
- Department of RadiologyXi'an Daxing HospitalXi'anChina
| | - Yinhu Zhu
- Department of RadiologyXi'an Daxing HospitalXi'anChina
| | - Xin Li
- Department of RadiologyXi'an Daxing HospitalXi'anChina
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Radiology, Tangdu HospitalAir Force Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Yarong Wang
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Chenwang Jin
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
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11
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Petersen SE, Seitzman BA, Nelson SM, Wig GS, Gordon EM. Principles of cortical areas and their implications for neuroimaging. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00355-6. [PMID: 38834069 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Cortical organization should constrain the study of how the brain performs behavior and cognition. A fundamental concept in cortical organization is that of arealization: that the cortex is parceled into discrete areas. In part one of this report, we review how non-human animal studies have illuminated principles of cortical arealization by revealing: (1) what defines a cortical area, (2) how cortical areas are formed, (3) how cortical areas interact with one another, and (4) what "computations" or "functions" areas perform. In part two, we discuss how these principles apply to neuroimaging research. In doing so, we highlight several examples where the commonly accepted interpretation of neuroimaging observations requires assumptions that violate the principles of arealization, including nonstationary areas that move on short time scales, large-scale gradients as organizing features, and cortical areas with singular functionality that perfectly map psychological constructs. Our belief is that principles of neurobiology should strongly guide the nature of computational explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven E Petersen
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Benjamin A Seitzman
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Steven M Nelson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Gagan S Wig
- Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Evan M Gordon
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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12
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Xie K, Royer J, Larivière S, Rodriguez-Cruces R, Frässle S, Cabalo DG, Ngo A, DeKraker J, Auer H, Tavakol S, Weng Y, Abdallah C, Arafat T, Horwood L, Frauscher B, Caciagli L, Bernasconi A, Bernasconi N, Zhang Z, Concha L, Bernhardt BC. Atypical connectome topography and signal flow in temporal lobe epilepsy. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 236:102604. [PMID: 38604584 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102604] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common pharmaco-resistant epilepsy in adults. While primarily associated with mesiotemporal pathology, recent evidence suggests that brain alterations in TLE extend beyond the paralimbic epicenter and impact macroscale function and cognitive functions, particularly memory. Using connectome-wide manifold learning and generative models of effective connectivity, we examined functional topography and directional signal flow patterns between large-scale neural circuits in TLE at rest. Studying a multisite cohort of 95 patients with TLE and 95 healthy controls, we observed atypical functional topographies in the former group, characterized by reduced differentiation between sensory and transmodal association cortices, with most marked effects in bilateral temporo-limbic and ventromedial prefrontal cortices. These findings were consistent across all study sites, present in left and right lateralized patients, and validated in a subgroup of patients with histopathological validation of mesiotemporal sclerosis and post-surgical seizure freedom. Moreover, they were replicated in an independent cohort of 30 TLE patients and 40 healthy controls. Further analyses demonstrated that reduced differentiation related to decreased functional signal flow into and out of temporolimbic cortical systems and other brain networks. Parallel analyses of structural and diffusion-weighted MRI data revealed that topographic alterations were independent of TLE-related cortical thinning but partially mediated by white matter microstructural changes that radiated away from paralimbic circuits. Finally, we found a strong association between the degree of functional alterations and behavioral markers of memory dysfunction. Our work illustrates the complex landscape of macroscale functional imbalances in TLE, which can serve as intermediate markers bridging microstructural changes and cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Xie
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Jessica Royer
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Analytical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Sara Larivière
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Raul Rodriguez-Cruces
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Stefan Frässle
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Donna Gift Cabalo
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alexander Ngo
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Jordan DeKraker
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Hans Auer
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Shahin Tavakol
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Yifei Weng
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chifaou Abdallah
- Analytical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Thaera Arafat
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Linda Horwood
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Analytical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Birgit Frauscher
- Analytical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Lorenzo Caciagli
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Sleep-Wake-Epilepsy-Center, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3 BG, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Bernasconi
- Neuroimaging of Epilepsy Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Neda Bernasconi
- Neuroimaging of Epilepsy Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Luis Concha
- Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.
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13
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He R, Al-Tamimi J, Sánchez-Benavides G, Montaña-Valverde G, Domingo Gispert J, Grau-Rivera O, Suárez-Calvet M, Minguillon C, Fauria K, Navarro A, Hinzen W. Atypical cortical hierarchy in Aβ-positive older adults and its reflection in spontaneous speech. Brain Res 2024; 1830:148806. [PMID: 38365129 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148806] [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: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Abnormal deposition of Aβ amyloid is an early neuropathological marker of Alzheimer's disease (AD), arising long ahead of clinical symptoms. Non-invasive measures of associated early neurofunctional changes, together with easily accessible behavioral readouts of these changes, could be of great clinical benefit. We pursued this aim by investigating large-scale cortical gradients of functional connectivity with functional MRI, which capture the hierarchical integration of cortical functions, together with acoustic-prosodic features from spontaneous speech, in cognitively unimpaired older adults with and without Aβ positivity (total N = 188). We predicted distortions of the cortical hierarchy associated with prosodic changes in the Aβ + group. Results confirmed substantially altered cortical hierarchies and less variability in these in the Aβ + group, together with an increase in quantitative prosodic measures, which correlated with gradient variability as well as digit span test scores. Overall, these findings confirm that long before the clinical stage and objective cognitive impairment, increased risk of cognitive decline as indexed by Aβ accumulation is marked by neurofunctional changes in the cortical hierarchy, which are related to automatically extractable speech patterns and alterations in working memory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui He
- Department of Translation & Language Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08018 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jalal Al-Tamimi
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire de Linguistique Formelle (LLF), CNRS, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Neurosciences Department, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Juan Domingo Gispert
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Neurosciences Department, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBERBBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oriol Grau-Rivera
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Neurosciences Department, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Servei de Neurologia, Hospital del Mar, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Suárez-Calvet
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Neurosciences Department, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Servei de Neurologia, Hospital del Mar, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carolina Minguillon
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Neurosciences Department, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Karine Fauria
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Arcadi Navarro
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wolfram Hinzen
- Department of Translation & Language Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08018 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Park Y, Lee MJ, Yoo S, Kim CY, Namgung JY, Park Y, Park H, Lee EC, Yoon YD, Paquola C, Bernhardt BC, Park BY. GAN-MAT: Generative adversarial network-based microstructural profile covariance analysis toolbox. Neuroimage 2024; 291:120595. [PMID: 38554782 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120595] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides complementary information for investigating brain structure and function; for example, an in vivo microstructure-sensitive proxy can be estimated using the ratio between T1- and T2-weighted structural MRI. However, acquiring multiple imaging modalities is challenging in patients with inattentive disorders. In this study, we proposed a comprehensive framework to provide multiple imaging features related to the brain microstructure using only T1-weighted MRI. Our toolbox consists of (i) synthesizing T2-weighted MRI from T1-weighted MRI using a conditional generative adversarial network; (ii) estimating microstructural features, including intracortical covariance and moment features of cortical layer-wise microstructural profiles; and (iii) generating a microstructural gradient, which is a low-dimensional representation of the intracortical microstructure profile. We trained and tested our toolbox using T1- and T2-weighted MRI scans of 1,104 healthy young adults obtained from the Human Connectome Project database. We found that the synthesized T2-weighted MRI was very similar to the actual image and that the synthesized data successfully reproduced the microstructural features. The toolbox was validated using an independent dataset containing healthy controls and patients with episodic migraine as well as the atypical developmental condition of autism spectrum disorder. Our toolbox may provide a new paradigm for analyzing multimodal structural MRI in the neuroscience community and is openly accessible at https://github.com/CAMIN-neuro/GAN-MAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeongjun Park
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Mi Ji Lee
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Chae Yeon Kim
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea
| | | | - Yunseo Park
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Hyunjin Park
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, South Korea
| | | | | | - Casey Paquola
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bo-Yong Park
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, South Korea; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea.
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15
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Yang Y, Zhen Y, Wang X, Liu L, Zheng Y, Zheng Z, Zheng H, Tang S. Altered asymmetry of functional connectome gradients in major depressive disorder. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1385920. [PMID: 38745933 PMCID: PMC11092381 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1385920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating disease involving sensory and higher-order cognitive dysfunction. Previous work has shown altered asymmetry in MDD, including abnormal lateralized activation and disrupted hemispheric connectivity. However, it remains unclear whether and how MDD affects functional asymmetries in the context of intrinsic hierarchical organization. Methods Here, we evaluate intra- and inter-hemispheric asymmetries of the first three functional gradients, characterizing unimodal-transmodal, visual-somatosensory, and somatomotor/default mode-multiple demand hierarchies, to study MDD-related alterations in overarching system-level architecture. Results We find that, relative to the healthy controls, MDD patients exhibit alterations in both primary sensory regions (e.g., visual areas) and transmodal association regions (e.g., default mode areas). We further find these abnormalities are woven in heterogeneous alterations along multiple functional gradients, associated with cognitive terms involving mind, memory, and visual processing. Moreover, through an elastic net model, we observe that both intra- and inter-asymmetric features are predictive of depressive traits measured by BDI-II scores. Discussion Altogether, these findings highlight a broad and mixed effect of MDD on functional gradient asymmetry, contributing to a richer understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqian Yang
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhen
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Zhongguancun Laboratory, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Blockchain and Privacy Computing, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- PengCheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Longzhao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Zhongguancun Laboratory, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Blockchain and Privacy Computing, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- PengCheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Zheng
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiming Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Zhongguancun Laboratory, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Blockchain and Privacy Computing, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- PengCheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
- State Key Lab of Software Development Environment, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Zheng
- Beijing Academy of Blockchain and Edge Computing, Beijing, China
| | - Shaoting Tang
- Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Zhongguancun Laboratory, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Blockchain and Privacy Computing, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- PengCheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
- State Key Lab of Software Development Environment, Beihang University, Beijing, China
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16
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Zhou B, Zhao Y, Wu X. Differences of individual gray matter networks between MCI patients who converted to AD within 3 Years and nonconverters. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28874. [PMID: 38623255 PMCID: PMC11016615 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28874] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Here we aimed to explore the differences in individual gray matter (GM) networks at baseline in mild cognitive impairment patients who converted to Alzheimer's disease (AD) within 3 years (MCI-C) and nonconverters (MCI-NC). Materials and methods Data from 461 MCI patients (180 MCI-C and 281 MCI-NC) were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). For each subject, a GM network was constructed using 3D-T1 imaging and the Kullback-Leibler divergence method. Gradient and topological analyses of individual GM networks were performed, and partial correlations were calculated to evaluate relationships among network properties, cognitive function, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) €4 alleles. Subsequently, a support vector machine (SVM) model was constructed to discriminate the MCI-C and MCI-NC patients at baseline. Results The gradient analysis revealed that the principal gradient score distribution was more compressed in the MCI-C group than in the MCI-NC group, with scores for the left lingual gyrus, right fusiform gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus being increased in the MCI-C group (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). The topological analysis showed significant differences in nodal efficiency in four nodes between the two groups. Furthermore, the regional gradient scores or nodal efficiency were found to be significantly related to the neuropsychological test scores, and the left middle temporal gyrus gradient scores were positively associated with the number of APOE €4 alleles (r = 0.192, p = 0.002). Ultimately, the SVM model achieved a balanced accuracy of 79.4% in classifying MCI-C and MCI-NC patients (p < 0.001). Conclusion The whole-brain GM network hierarchy in the MCI-C group was more compressed than that in the MCI-NC group, suggesting more serious cognitive impairments in the MCI-C group. The left middle temporal gyrus gradient scores were related to both cognitive function and APOE €4 alleles, thus serving as potential biomarkers distinguishing MCI-C from MCI-NC at baseline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiwan Zhou
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yueqi Zhao
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaojia Wu
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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17
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Osaki T, Duenki T, Chow SYA, Ikegami Y, Beaubois R, Levi T, Nakagawa-Tamagawa N, Hirano Y, Ikeuchi Y. Complex activity and short-term plasticity of human cerebral organoids reciprocally connected with axons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2945. [PMID: 38600094 PMCID: PMC11006899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46787-7] [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: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
An inter-regional cortical tract is one of the most fundamental architectural motifs that integrates neural circuits to orchestrate and generate complex functions of the human brain. To understand the mechanistic significance of inter-regional projections on development of neural circuits, we investigated an in vitro neural tissue model for inter-regional connections, in which two cerebral organoids are connected with a bundle of reciprocally extended axons. The connected organoids produced more complex and intense oscillatory activity than conventional or directly fused cerebral organoids, suggesting the inter-organoid axonal connections enhance and support the complex network activity. In addition, optogenetic stimulation of the inter-organoid axon bundles could entrain the activity of the organoids and induce robust short-term plasticity of the macroscopic circuit. These results demonstrated that the projection axons could serve as a structural hub that boosts functionality of the organoid-circuits. This model could contribute to further investigation on development and functions of macroscopic neuronal circuits in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Osaki
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Tomoya Duenki
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
- LIMMS/CNRS, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Siu Yu A Chow
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Ikegami
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Romain Beaubois
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- LIMMS/CNRS, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- IMS Laboratory, UMR5218, University of Bordeaux, Talence, France
| | - Timothée Levi
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- LIMMS/CNRS, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- IMS Laboratory, UMR5218, University of Bordeaux, Talence, France
| | - Nao Nakagawa-Tamagawa
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yoji Hirano
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Yoshiho Ikeuchi
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan.
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
- LIMMS/CNRS, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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18
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Kang E, Heo DW, Lee J, Suk HI. A Learnable Counter-Condition Analysis Framework for Functional Connectivity-Based Neurological Disorder Diagnosis. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2024; 43:1377-1387. [PMID: 38019623 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2023.3337074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
To understand the biological characteristics of neurological disorders with functional connectivity (FC), recent studies have widely utilized deep learning-based models to identify the disease and conducted post-hoc analyses via explainable models to discover disease-related biomarkers. Most existing frameworks consist of three stages, namely, feature selection, feature extraction for classification, and analysis, where each stage is implemented separately. However, if the results at each stage lack reliability, it can cause misdiagnosis and incorrect analysis in afterward stages. In this study, we propose a novel unified framework that systemically integrates diagnoses (i.e., feature selection and feature extraction) and explanations. Notably, we devised an adaptive attention network as a feature selection approach to identify individual-specific disease-related connections. We also propose a functional network relational encoder that summarizes the global topological properties of FC by learning the inter-network relations without pre-defined edges between functional networks. Last but not least, our framework provides a novel explanatory power for neuroscientific interpretation, also termed counter-condition analysis. We simulated the FC that reverses the diagnostic information (i.e., counter-condition FC): converting a normal brain to be abnormal and vice versa. We validated the effectiveness of our framework by using two large resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) datasets, Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) and REST-meta-MDD, and demonstrated that our framework outperforms other competing methods for disease identification. Furthermore, we analyzed the disease-related neurological patterns based on counter-condition analysis.
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Wang X, Lin J, Lu H, Xiong Y, Duan C, Zhang D, Huang J, Deng L, Li C, Li R, Zhang D, Bian X, Zhou J, Pan L, Lou X. Alteration of White Matter Connectivity for MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound in the Treatment of Essential Tremor. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:1358-1370. [PMID: 37491872 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28896] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy has been implemented as a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of drug-refractory essential tremor (ET). However, its impact on the brain structural network is still unclear. PURPOSE To investigate both global and local alterations of the white matter (WM) connectivity network in ET after MRgFUS thalamotomy. STUDY TYPE Retrospective. SUBJECTS Twenty-seven ET patients (61 ± 11 years, 19 males) with MRgFUS thalamotomy and 28 healthy controls (HC) (61 ± 11 years, 20 males) were recruited for comparison. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE A 3 T/single shell diffusion tensor imaging by using spin-echo-based echo-planar imaging, three-dimensional T1 weighted imaging by using gradient-echo-based sequence. ASSESSMENT Patients were undergoing MRgFUS thalamotomy and their clinical data were collected from pre-operation to 6-month post-operation. Network topological metrics, including rich-club organization, small-world, and efficiency properties were calculated. Correlation between the topological metrics and tremor scores in ET groups was also calculated to assess the role of neural remodeling in the brain. STATISTICAL TESTS Two-sample independent t-tests, chi-squared test, ANOVA, Bonferroni test, and Spearman's correlation. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS For ET patients, the strength of rich-club connection and clustering coefficient significantly increased vs. characteristic path length decreased at 6-month post-operation compared with pre-operation. The distribution pattern of rich-club regions was different in ET groups. Specifically, the order of the rich-club regions was changed according to the network degree value after MRgFUS thalamotomy. Moreover, the altered nodal efficiency in the right temporal pole of the superior temporal gyrus (R = 0.434-0.596) and right putamen (R = 0.413-0.436) was positively correlated with different tremor improvement. DATA CONCLUSION These findings might improve understanding of treatment-induced modulation from a network perspective and may work as an objective marker in the assessment of ET tremor control with MRgFUS thalamotomy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wang
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaji Lin
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Haoxuan Lu
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yongqin Xiong
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Caohui Duan
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayu Huang
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Linlin Deng
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chenxi Li
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Runze Li
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dekang Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangbing Bian
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayou Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Longsheng Pan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Lou
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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20
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Yin X, Yang J, Xiang Q, Peng L, Song J, Liang S, Wu J. Brain network hierarchy reorganization in subthreshold depression. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 42:103594. [PMID: 38518552 PMCID: PMC10973537 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103594] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hierarchy is the organizing principle of human brain network. How network hierarchy changes in subthreshold depression (StD) is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the altered brain network hierarchy and its clinical significance in patients with StD. METHODS A total of 43 patients with StD and 43 healthy controls matched for age, gender and years of education participated in this study. Alterations in the hierarchy of StD brain networks were depicted by connectome gradient analysis. We assessed changes in network hierarchy by comparing gradient scores in each network in patients with StD and healthy controls. The study compared different brain subdivisions if there was a different network. Finally, we analysed the relationship between the altered gradient scores and clinical characteristics. RESULTS Patients with StD had contracted network hierarchy and suppressed cortical range gradients. In the principal gradient, the gradient scores of default mode network were significantly reduced in patients with StD compared to controls. In the default network, the subdivisions of reduced gradient scores were mainly located in the precuneus, superior temporal gyrus, and anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus. Reduced gradient scores in the default mode network, the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus were correlated with severity of depression. CONCLUSIONS The network hierarchy of the StD changed and was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms and severity. These results provided new insights into further understanding of the neural mechanisms of StD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Yin
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; Rehabilitation Industry Institute, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Junchao Yang
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Qing Xiang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; Rehabilitation Industry Institute, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Lixin Peng
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Jian Song
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Shengxiang Liang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; Rehabilitation Industry Institute, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Research Center of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.
| | - Jingsong Wu
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.
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21
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Yoo S, Jang Y, Hong SJ, Park H, Valk SL, Bernhardt BC, Park BY. Whole-brain structural connectome asymmetry in autism. Neuroimage 2024; 288:120534. [PMID: 38340881 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120534] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a common neurodevelopmental condition that manifests as a disruption in sensory and social skills. Although it has been shown that the brain morphology of individuals with autism is asymmetric, how this differentially affects the structural connectome organization of each hemisphere remains under-investigated. We studied whole-brain structural connectivity-based brain asymmetry in individuals with autism using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange initiative. By leveraging dimensionality reduction techniques, we constructed low-dimensional representations of structural connectivity and calculated their asymmetry index. Comparing the asymmetry index between individuals with autism and neurotypical controls, we found atypical structural connectome asymmetry in the sensory and default-mode regions, particularly showing weaker asymmetry towards the right hemisphere in autism. Network communication provided topological underpinnings by demonstrating that the inferior temporal cortex and limbic and frontoparietal regions showed reduced global network communication efficiency and decreased send-receive network navigation in the inferior temporal and lateral visual cortices in individuals with autism. Finally, supervised machine learning revealed that structural connectome asymmetry could be used as a measure for predicting communication-related autistic symptoms and nonverbal intelligence. Our findings provide insights into macroscale structural connectome alterations in autism and their topological underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seulki Yoo
- Convergence Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yurim Jang
- Artificial Intelligence Convergence Research Center, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjin Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea; School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Forschungszentrum Julich, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bo-Yong Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
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22
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Wu J, Ma L, Luo D, Jin Z, Wang L, Wang L, Li T, Zhang J, Liu T, Lv D, Yan T, Fang B. Functional and structural gradients reveal atypical hierarchical organization of Parkinson's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26647. [PMID: 38488448 PMCID: PMC10941507 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibit deficits in primary sensorimotor and higher-order executive functions. The gradient reflects the functional spectrum in sensorimotor-associated areas of the brain. We aimed to determine whether the gradient is disrupted in PD patients and how this disruption is associated with treatment outcome. Seventy-six patients (mean age, 59.2 ± 12.4 years [standard deviation], 44 women) and 34 controls participants (mean age, 58.1 ± 10.0 years [standard deviation], 19 women) were evaluated. We explored functional and structural gradients in PD patients and control participants. Patients were followed during 2 weeks of multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation therapy (MIRT). The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-III) was administered to patients before and after treatment. We investigated PD-related alterations in the principal functional and structural gradients. We further used a support vector machine (SVM) and correlation analysis to assess the classification ability and treatment outcomes related to PD gradient alterations, respectively. The gradients showed significant differences between patients and control participants, mainly in somatosensory and visual networks involved in primary function, and higher-level association networks (dorsal attentional network (DAN) and default mode network (DMN)) related to motor control and execution. On the basis of the combined functional and structural gradient features of these networks, the SVM achieved an accuracy of 91.2% in discriminating patients from control participants. Treatment reduced the gradient difference. The altered gradient exhibited a significant correlation with motor improvement and was mainly distributed across the visual network, DAN and DMN. This study revealed damage to gradients in the brain characterized by sensorimotor and executive control deficits in PD patients. The application of gradient features to neurological disorders could lead to the development of potential diagnostic and treatment markers for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglong Wu
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Lihua Ma
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Di Luo
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Zhaohui Jin
- Parkinson Medical Center, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Li Wang
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Luyao Wang
- School of Life Science, Shanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ting Li
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Tiantian Liu
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Diyang Lv
- Parkinson Medical Center, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Tianyi Yan
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Boyan Fang
- Parkinson Medical Center, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
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23
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Wei Q, Lin S, Xu S, Zou J, Chen J, Kang M, Hu J, Liao X, Wei H, Ling Q, Shao Y, Yu Y. Graph theoretical analysis and independent component analysis of diabetic optic neuropathy: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14579. [PMID: 38497532 PMCID: PMC10945884 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14579] [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: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS This study aimed to investigate the resting-state functional connectivity and topologic characteristics of brain networks in patients with diabetic optic neuropathy (DON). METHODS Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed on 23 patients and 41 healthy control (HC) subjects. We used independent component analysis and graph theoretical analysis to determine the topologic characteristics of the brain and as well as functional network connectivity (FNC) and topologic properties of brain networks. RESULTS Compared with HCs, patients with DON showed altered global characteristics. At the nodal level, the DON group had fewer nodal degrees in the thalamus and insula, and a greater number in the right rolandic operculum, right postcentral gyrus, and right superior temporal gyrus. In the internetwork comparison, DON patients showed significantly increased FNC between the left frontoparietal network (FPN-L) and ventral attention network (VAN). Additionally, in the intranetwork comparison, connectivity between the left medial superior frontal gyrus (MSFG) of the default network (DMN) and left putamen of auditory network was decreased in the DON group. CONCLUSION DON patients altered node properties and connectivity in the DMN, auditory network, FPN-L, and VAN. These results provide evidence of the involvement of specific brain networks in the pathophysiology of DON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wei
- Department of Endocrine and MetabolicThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jiangxi Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic DiseaseNanchangJiangxiChina
- Queen Mary SchoolThe Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Si‐Min Lin
- Department of RadiologyXiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenFujianChina
| | - San‐Hua Xu
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Jie Zou
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Min Kang
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Jin‐Yu Hu
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Xu‐Lin Liao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Qian Ling
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
| | - Yi Shao
- Department of OphthalmologyThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang UniversityNanchangJiangxiChina
- Department of OphthalmologyEye & ENT Hospital of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yao Yu
- Department of Endocrine and MetabolicThe First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jiangxi Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic DiseaseNanchangJiangxiChina
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24
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Liu X, Guo J, Jiang Z, Liu X, Chen H, Zhang Y, Wang J, Liu C, Gao Q, Chen H. Compressed cerebellar functional connectome hierarchy in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26624. [PMID: 38376240 PMCID: PMC10878347 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26624] [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: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is an inherited movement disorder characterized by a progressive decline in motor coordination. Despite the extensive functional connectivity (FC) alterations reported in previous SCA3 studies in the cerebellum and cerebellar-cerebral pathways, the influence of these FC disturbances on the hierarchical organization of cerebellar functional regions remains unclear. Here, we compared 35 SCA3 patients with 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls using a combination of voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether cerebellar hierarchical organization is altered in SCA3. Utilizing connectome gradients, we identified the gradient axis of cerebellar hierarchical organization, spanning sensorimotor to transmodal (task-unfocused) regions. Compared to healthy controls, SCA3 patients showed a compressed hierarchical organization in the cerebellum at both voxel-level (p < .05, TFCE corrected) and network-level (p < .05, FDR corrected). This pattern was observed in both intra-cerebellar and cerebellar-cerebral gradients. We observed that decreased intra-cerebellar gradient scores in bilateral Crus I/II both negatively correlated with SARA scores (left/right Crus I/II: r = -.48/-.50, p = .04/.04, FDR corrected), while increased cerebellar-cerebral gradients scores in the vermis showed a positive correlation with disease duration (r = .48, p = .04, FDR corrected). Control analyses of cerebellar gray matter atrophy revealed that gradient alterations were associated with cerebellar volume loss. Further FC analysis showed increased functional connectivity in both unimodal and transmodal areas, potentially supporting the disrupted cerebellar functional hierarchy uncovered by the gradients. Our findings provide novel evidence regarding alterations in the cerebellar functional hierarchy in SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Liu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
- School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Jing Guo
- School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's HospitalUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Zhouyu Jiang
- School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Xingli Liu
- School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Radiology, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Yuhan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Radiology, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Chen Liu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Qing Gao
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Huafu Chen
- Department of Radiology, Southwest HospitalArmy Medical University (Third Military Medical University)ChongqingChina
- School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's HospitalUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
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25
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Tan JB, Müller EJ, Orlando IF, Taylor NL, Margulies DS, Szeto J, Lewis SJG, Shine JM, O'Callaghan C. Abnormal higher-order network interactions in Parkinson's disease visual hallucinations. Brain 2024; 147:458-471. [PMID: 37677056 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad305] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual hallucinations in Parkinson's disease can be viewed from a systems-level perspective, whereby dysfunctional communication between brain networks responsible for perception predisposes a person to hallucinate. To this end, abnormal functional interactions between higher-order and primary sensory networks have been implicated in the pathophysiology of visual hallucinations in Parkinson's disease, however the precise signatures remain to be determined. Dimensionality reduction techniques offer a novel means for simplifying the interpretation of multidimensional brain imaging data, identifying hierarchical patterns in the data that are driven by both within- and between-functional network changes. Here, we applied two complementary non-linear dimensionality reduction techniques-diffusion-map embedding and t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding (t-SNE)-to resting state functional MRI data, in order to characterize the altered functional hierarchy associated with susceptibility to visual hallucinations. Our study involved 77 people with Parkinson's disease (31 with hallucinations; 46 without hallucinations) and 19 age-matched healthy control subjects. In patients with visual hallucinations, we found compression of the unimodal-heteromodal gradient consistent with increased functional integration between sensory and higher order networks. This was mirrored in a traditional functional connectivity analysis, which showed increased connectivity between the visual and default mode networks in the hallucinating group. Together, these results suggest a route by which higher-order regions may have excessive influence over earlier sensory processes, as proposed by theoretical models of hallucinations across disorders. By contrast, the t-SNE analysis identified distinct alterations in prefrontal regions, suggesting an additional layer of complexity in the functional brain network abnormalities implicated in hallucinations, which was not apparent in traditional functional connectivity analyses. Together, the results confirm abnormal brain organization associated with the hallucinating phenotype in Parkinson's disease and highlight the utility of applying convergent dimensionality reduction techniques to investigate complex clinical symptoms. In addition, the patterns we describe in Parkinson's disease converge with those seen in other conditions, suggesting that reduced hierarchical differentiation across sensory-perceptual systems may be a common transdiagnostic vulnerability in neuropsychiatric disorders with perceptual disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B Tan
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Eli J Müller
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
- Centre for Complex Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Isabella F Orlando
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Natasha L Taylor
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Daniel S Margulies
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Jennifer Szeto
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Simon J G Lewis
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
- Centre for Complex Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
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Luo J, Qin P, Bi Q, Wu K, Gong G. Individual variability in functional connectivity of human auditory cortex. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae007. [PMID: 38282455 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae007] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Individual variability in functional connectivity underlies individual differences in cognition and behaviors, yet its association with functional specialization in the auditory cortex remains elusive. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project, this study was designed to investigate the spatial distribution of auditory cortex individual variability in its whole-brain functional network architecture. An inherent hierarchical axis of the variability was discerned, which radiates from the medial to lateral orientation, with the left auditory cortex demonstrating more pronounced variations than the right. This variability exhibited a significant correlation with the variations in structural and functional metrics in the auditory cortex. Four auditory cortex subregions, which were identified from a clustering analysis based on this variability, exhibited unique connectional fingerprints and cognitive maps, with certain subregions showing specificity to speech perception functional activation. Moreover, the lateralization of the connectional fingerprint exhibited a U-shaped trajectory across the subregions. These findings emphasize the role of individual variability in functional connectivity in understanding cortical functional organization, as well as in revealing its association with functional specialization from the activation, connectome, and cognition perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhao Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Peipei Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qiuhui Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ke Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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Jang Y, Choi H, Yoo S, Park H, Park BY. Structural connectome alterations between individuals with autism and neurotypical controls using feature representation learning. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:2. [PMID: 38267953 PMCID: PMC10807082 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00228-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions associated with sensory and social communication impairments. Previous neuroimaging studies reported that atypical nodal- or network-level functional brain organization in individuals with autism was associated with autistic behaviors. Although dimensionality reduction techniques have the potential to uncover new biomarkers, the analysis of whole-brain structural connectome abnormalities in a low-dimensional latent space is underinvestigated. In this study, we utilized autoencoder-based feature representation learning for diffusion magnetic resonance imaging-based structural connectivity in 80 individuals with autism and 61 neurotypical controls that passed strict quality controls. We generated low-dimensional latent features using the autoencoder model for each group and adopted an integrated gradient approach to assess the contribution of the input data for predicting latent features during the encoding process. Subsequently, we compared the integrated gradient values between individuals with autism and neurotypical controls and observed differences within the transmodal regions and between the sensory and limbic systems. Finally, we identified significant associations between integrated gradient values and communication abilities in individuals with autism. Our findings provide insights into the whole-brain structural connectome in autism and may help identify potential biomarkers for autistic connectopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurim Jang
- Artificial Intelligence Convergence Research Center, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoungshin Choi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seulki Yoo
- Convergence Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjin Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Yong Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
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Huang Z, Mashour GA, Hudetz AG. Propofol Disrupts the Functional Core-Matrix Architecture of the Thalamus in Humans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576934. [PMID: 38328136 PMCID: PMC10849566 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Research into the role of thalamocortical circuits in anesthesia-induced unconsciousness is difficult due to anatomical and functional complexity. Prior neuroimaging studies have examined either the thalamus as a whole or focused on specific subregions, overlooking the distinct neuronal subtypes like core and matrix cells. We conducted a study of heathy volunteers and functional magnetic resonance imaging during conscious baseline, deep sedation, and recovery. We advanced the functional gradient mapping technique to delineate the functional geometry of thalamocortical circuits, within a framework of the unimodal-transmodal functional axis of the cortex. We observed a significant shift in this geometry during unconsciousness, marked by the dominance of unimodal over transmodal geometry. This alteration was closely linked to the spatial variations in the density of matrix cells within the thalamus. This research bridges cellular and systems-level understanding, highlighting the crucial role of thalamic core-matrix functional architecture in understanding the neural mechanisms of states of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirui Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - George A Mashour
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Anthony G Hudetz
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Wang X, Huang CC, Tsai SJ, Lin CP, Cai Q. The aging trajectories of brain functional hierarchy and its impact on cognition across the adult lifespan. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1331574. [PMID: 38313436 PMCID: PMC10837851 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1331574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The hierarchical network architecture of the human brain, pivotal to cognition and behavior, can be explored via gradient analysis using restingstate functional MRI data. Although it has been employed to understand brain development and disorders, the impact of aging on this hierarchical architecture and its link to cognitive decline remains elusive. Methods This study utilized resting-state functional MRI data from 350 healthy adults (aged 20-85) to investigate the functional hierarchical network using connectome gradient analysis with a cross-age sliding window approach. Gradient-related metrics were estimated and correlated with age to evaluate trajectory of gradient changes across lifespan. Results The principal gradient (unimodal-to-transmodal) demonstrated a significant non-linear relationship with age, whereas the secondary gradient (visual-to-somatomotor) showed a simple linear decreasing pattern. Among the principal gradient, significant age-related changes were observed in the somatomotor, dorsal attention, limbic and default mode networks. The changes in the gradient scores of both the somatomotor and frontal-parietal networks were associated with greater working memory and visuospatial ability. Gender differences were found in global gradient metrics and gradient scores of somatomotor and default mode networks in the principal gradient, with no interaction with age effect. Discussion Our study delves into the aging trajectories of functional connectome gradient and its cognitive impact across the adult lifespan, providing insights for future research into the biological underpinnings of brain function and pathological models of atypical aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chu-Chung Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Po Lin
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Qing Cai
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
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30
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Nguyen TT, Qian X, Ng EKK, Ong MQW, Ngoh ZM, Yeo SSP, Lau JM, Tan AP, Broekman BFP, Law EC, Gluckman PD, Chong YS, Cortese S, Meaney MJ, Zhou JH. Variations in Cortical Functional Gradients Relate to Dimensions of Psychopathology in Preschool Children. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 63:80-89. [PMID: 37394176 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.05.029] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It is unclear how the functional brain hierarchy is organized in preschool-aged children, and whether alterations in the brain organization are linked to mental health in this age group. Here, we assessed whether preschool-aged children exhibit a brain organizational structure similar to that of older children, how this structure might change over time, and whether it might reflect mental health. METHOD This study derived functional gradients using diffusion embedding from resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 4.5-year-old children (N = 100, 42 male participants) and 6.0-year-old children (N = 133, 62 male participants) from the longitudinal Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort. We then conducted partial least-squares correlation analyses to identify the association between the impairment ratings of different mental disorders and network gradient values. RESULTS The main organizing axis of functional connectivity (ie, principal gradient) separated the visual and somatomotor regions (ie, unimodal) in preschool-aged children, whereas the second axis delineated the unimodal-transmodal gradient. This pattern of organization was stable from 4.5 to 6 years of age. The second gradient separating the high- and low-order networks exhibited a diverging pattern across mental health severity, differentiating dimensions related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and phobic disorders. CONCLUSION This study characterized, for the first time, the functional brain hierarchy in preschool-aged children. A divergence in functional gradient pattern across different disease dimensions was found, highlighting how perturbations in functional brain organization can relate to the severity of different mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuan Tinh Nguyen
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), NUS Graduate School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xing Qian
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eric Kwun Kei Ng
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Marcus Qin Wen Ong
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhen Ming Ngoh
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore
| | - Shayne S P Yeo
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore
| | - Jia Ming Lau
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ai Peng Tan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore; National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Birit F P Broekman
- OLVG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Evelyn C Law
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore; National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Peter D Gluckman
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore; Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yap-Seng Chong
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore; National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Samuele Cortese
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; Clinical and Experimental Sciences (CNS and Psychiatry), University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom; Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York City, New York; University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and the Strategic Research Program, A∗STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore
| | - Juan Helen Zhou
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), NUS Graduate School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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31
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Park BY, Benkarim O, Weber CF, Kebets V, Fett S, Yoo S, Martino AD, Milham MP, Misic B, Valk SL, Hong SJ, Bernhardt BC. Connectome-wide structure-function coupling models implicate polysynaptic alterations in autism. Neuroimage 2024; 285:120481. [PMID: 38043839 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120481] [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: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental diagnoses. Although incompletely understood, structural and functional network alterations are increasingly recognized to be at the core of the condition. We utilized multimodal imaging and connectivity modeling to study structure-function coupling in ASD and probed mono- and polysynaptic mechanisms on structurally-governed network function. We examined multimodal magnetic resonance imaging data in 80 ASD and 61 neurotypical controls from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) II initiative. We predicted intrinsic functional connectivity from structural connectivity data in each participant using a Riemannian optimization procedure that varies the times that simulated signals can unfold along tractography-derived personalized connectomes. In both ASD and neurotypical controls, we observed improved structure-function prediction at longer diffusion time scales, indicating better modeling of brain function when polysynaptic mechanisms are accounted for. Prediction accuracy differences (∆prediction accuracy) were marked in transmodal association systems, such as the default mode network, in both neurotypical controls and ASD. Differences were, however, lower in ASD in a polysynaptic regime at higher simulated diffusion times. We compared regional differences in ∆prediction accuracy between both groups to assess the impact of polysynaptic communication on structure-function coupling. This analysis revealed that between-group differences in ∆prediction accuracy followed a sensory-to-transmodal cortical hierarchy, with an increased gap between controls and ASD in transmodal compared to sensory/motor systems. Multivariate associative techniques revealed that structure-function differences reflected inter-individual differences in autistic symptoms and verbal as well as non-verbal intelligence. Our network modeling approach sheds light on atypical structure-function coupling in autism, and suggests that polysynaptic network mechanisms are implicated in the condition and that these can help explain its wide range of associated symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Yong Park
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, South Korea.
| | - Oualid Benkarim
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Clara F Weber
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Valeria Kebets
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Serena Fett
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Seulki Yoo
- Convergence Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, United States
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, United States
| | - Bratislav Misic
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, South Korea; Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Del Río M, Racey C, Ren Z, Qiu J, Wang HT, Ward J. Higher Sensory Sensitivity is Linked to Greater Expansion Amongst Functional Connectivity Gradients. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:56-74. [PMID: 36227443 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05772-z] [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: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Insofar as the autistic-like phenotype presents in the general population, it consists of partially dissociable traits, such as social and sensory issues. Here, we investigate individual differences in cortical organisation related to autistic-like traits. Connectome gradient decomposition based on resting state fMRI data reliably reveals a principal gradient spanning from unimodal to transmodal regions, reflecting the transition from perception to abstract cognition. In our non-clinical sample, this gradient's expansion, indicating less integration between visual and default mode networks, correlates with subjective sensory sensitivity (measured using the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire, GSQ), but not other autistic-like traits (measured using the Autism Spectrum Quotient, AQ). This novel brain-based correlate of the GSQ demonstrates sensory issues can be disentangled from the wider autistic-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris Racey
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Sussex Neuroscience, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Zhiting Ren
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hao-Ting Wang
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Laboratory for Brain Simulation and Exploration (SIMEXP), Montreal Geriatrics Institute (CRIUGM), University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jamie Ward
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Sussex Neuroscience, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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Choi H, Byeon K, Lee J, Hong S, Park B, Park H. Identifying subgroups of eating behavior traits unrelated to obesity using functional connectivity and feature representation learning. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26581. [PMID: 38224537 PMCID: PMC10789215 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26581] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Eating behavior is highly heterogeneous across individuals and cannot be fully explained using only the degree of obesity. We utilized unsupervised machine learning and functional connectivity measures to explore the heterogeneity of eating behaviors measured by a self-assessment instrument using 424 healthy adults (mean ± standard deviation [SD] age = 47.07 ± 18.89 years; 67% female). We generated low-dimensional representations of functional connectivity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and estimated latent features using the feature representation capabilities of an autoencoder by nonlinearly compressing the functional connectivity information. The clustering approaches applied to latent features identified three distinct subgroups. The subgroups exhibited different levels of hunger traits, while their body mass indices were comparable. The results were replicated in an independent dataset consisting of 212 participants (mean ± SD age = 38.97 ± 19.80 years; 35% female). The model interpretation technique of integrated gradients revealed that the between-group differences in the integrated gradient maps were associated with functional reorganization in heteromodal association and limbic cortices and reward-related subcortical structures such as the accumbens, amygdala, and caudate. The cognitive decoding analysis revealed that these systems are associated with reward- and emotion-related systems. Our findings provide insights into the macroscopic brain organization of eating behavior-related subgroups independent of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoungshin Choi
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringSungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
| | | | - Jong‐eun Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringSungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Seok‐Jun Hong
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
- Center for the Developing BrainChild Mind InstituteNew YorkUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringSungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Bo‐yong Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
- Department of Data ScienceInha UniversityIncheonRepublic of Korea
- Department of Statistics and Data ScienceInha UniversityIncheonRepublic of Korea
| | - Hyunjin Park
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging ResearchInstitute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
- School of Electronic and Electrical EngineeringSungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
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34
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Xu T, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Zuo XN, Chen F, Zhou C. Reshaping the Cortical Connectivity Gradient by Long-Term Cognitive Training During Development. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:50-64. [PMID: 37715923 PMCID: PMC10774512 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01108-8] [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: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of the brain follows a topological hierarchy that changes dynamically during development. However, it remains unknown whether and how cognitive training administered over multiple years during development can modify this hierarchical topology. By measuring the brain and behavior of school children who had carried out abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) training for five years (starting from 7 years to 12 years old) in pre-training and post-training, we revealed the reshaping effect of long-term AMC intervention during development on the brain hierarchical topology. We observed the development-induced emergence of the default network, AMC training-promoted shifting, and regional changes in cortical gradients. Moreover, the training-induced gradient changes were located in visual and somatomotor areas in association with the visuospatial/motor-imagery strategy. We found that gradient-based features can predict the math ability within groups. Our findings provide novel insights into the dynamic nature of network recruitment impacted by long-term cognitive training during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyong Xu
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yunying Wu
- Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Xi-Nian Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Developmental Population Neuroscience Research Center, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Feiyan Chen
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Devices, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Changsong Zhou
- Bio-X Laboratory, School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Devices, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
- Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies and Beijing-Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Centre for Nonlinear and Complex Systems (Hong Kong), Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
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35
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Dong D, Wang Y, Zhou F, Chang X, Qiu J, Feng T, He Q, Lei X, Chen H. Functional Connectome Hierarchy in Schizotypy and Its Associations With Expression of Schizophrenia-Related Genes. Schizophr Bull 2023:sbad179. [PMID: 38156676 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Schizotypy has been conceptualized as a continuum of symptoms with marked genetic, neurobiological, and sensory-cognitive overlaps to schizophrenia. Hierarchical organization represents a general organizing principle for both the cortical connectome supporting sensation-to-cognition continuum and gene expression variability across the cortex. However, a mapping of connectome hierarchy to schizotypy remains to be established. Importantly, the underlying changes of the cortical connectome hierarchy that mechanistically link gene expressions to schizotypy are unclear. STUDY DESIGN The present study applied novel connectome gradient on resting-state fMRI data from 1013 healthy young adults to investigate schizotypy-associated sensorimotor-to-transmodal connectome hierarchy and assessed its similarity with the connectome hierarchy of schizophrenia. Furthermore, normative and differential postmortem gene expression data were utilized to examine transcriptional profiles linked to schizotypy-associated connectome hierarchy. STUDY RESULTS We found that schizotypy was associated with a compressed functional connectome hierarchy. Moreover, the pattern of schizotypy-related hierarchy exhibited a positive correlation with the connectome hierarchy observed in schizophrenia. This pattern was closely colocated with the expression of schizophrenia-related genes, with the correlated genes being enriched in transsynaptic, receptor signaling and calcium ion binding. CONCLUSIONS The compressed connectome hierarchy suggests diminished functional system differentiation, providing a novel and holistic system-level basis for various sensory-cognition deficits in schizotypy. Importantly, its linkage with schizophrenia-altered hierarchy and schizophrenia-related gene expression yields new insights into the neurobiological continuum of psychosis. It also provides mechanistic insight into how gene variation may drive alterations in functional hierarchy, mediating biological vulnerability of schizotypy to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debo Dong
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Yulin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Sleep and NeuroImaging Center, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuebin Chang
- Department of Information Sciences, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qinghua He
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Lei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Sleep and NeuroImaging Center, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Dai R, Huang Z, Larkin TE, Tarnal V, Picton P, Vlisides PE, Janke E, McKinney A, Hudetz AG, Harris RE, Mashour GA. Psychedelic concentrations of nitrous oxide reduce functional differentiation in frontoparietal and somatomotor cortical networks. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1284. [PMID: 38114805 PMCID: PMC10730842 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05678-1] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the longstanding use of nitrous oxide and descriptions of its psychological effects more than a century ago, there is a paucity of neurobiological investigation of associated psychedelic experiences. We measure the brain's functional geometry (through analysis of cortical gradients) and temporal dynamics (through analysis of co-activation patterns) using human resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquired before and during administration of 35% nitrous oxide. Both analyses demonstrate that nitrous oxide reduces functional differentiation in frontoparietal and somatomotor networks. Importantly, the subjective psychedelic experience induced by nitrous oxide is inversely correlated with the degree of functional differentiation. Thus, like classical psychedelics acting on serotonin receptors, nitrous oxide flattens the functional geometry of the cortex and disrupts temporal dynamics in association with psychoactive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Dai
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Zirui Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Tony E Larkin
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Vijay Tarnal
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Paul Picton
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Phillip E Vlisides
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ellen Janke
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Amy McKinney
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Anthony G Hudetz
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Richard E Harris
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - George A Mashour
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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Peraza JA, Salo T, Riedel MC, Bottenhorn KL, Poline JB, Dockès J, Kent JD, Bartley JE, Flannery JS, Hill-Bowen LD, Lobo RP, Poudel R, Ray KL, Robinson JL, Laird RW, Sutherland MT, de la Vega A, Laird AR. Methods for decoding cortical gradients of functional connectivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.01.551505. [PMID: 37577598 PMCID: PMC10418206 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.01.551505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Macroscale gradients have emerged as a central principle for understanding functional brain organization. Previous studies have demonstrated that a principal gradient of connectivity in the human brain exists, with unimodal primary sensorimotor regions situated at one end and transmodal regions associated with the default mode network and representative of abstract functioning at the other. The functional significance and interpretation of macroscale gradients remains a central topic of discussion in the neuroimaging community, with some studies demonstrating that gradients may be described using meta-analytic functional decoding techniques. However, additional methodological development is necessary to fully leverage available meta-analytic methods and resources and quantitatively evaluate their relative performance. Here, we conducted a comprehensive series of analyses to investigate and improve the framework of data-driven, meta-analytic methods, thereby establishing a principled approach for gradient segmentation and functional decoding. We found that a two-segment solution determined by a k-means segmentation approach and an LDA-based meta-analysis combined with the NeuroQuery database was the optimal combination of methods for decoding functional connectivity gradients. Finally, we proposed a method for decoding additional components of the gradient decomposition. The current work aims to provide recommendations on best practices and flexible methods for gradient-based functional decoding of fMRI data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio A. Peraza
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Taylor Salo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Katherine L. Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Baptiste Poline
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jérôme Dockès
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - James D. Kent
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Jessica S. Flannery
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Ranjita Poudel
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Kimberly L. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Robert W. Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Angela R. Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Knodt AR, Elliott ML, Whitman ET, Winn A, Addae A, Ireland D, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Caspi A, Moffitt TE, Hariri AR. Test-retest reliability and predictive utility of a macroscale principal functional connectivity gradient. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6399-6417. [PMID: 37851700 PMCID: PMC10681655 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26517] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mapping individual differences in brain function has been hampered by poor reliability as well as limited interpretability. Leveraging patterns of brain-wide functional connectivity (FC) offers some promise in this endeavor. In particular, a macroscale principal FC gradient that recapitulates a hierarchical organization spanning molecular, cellular, and circuit level features along a sensory-to-association cortical axis has emerged as both a parsimonious and interpretable measure of individual differences in behavior. However, the measurement reliabilities of this FC gradient have not been fully evaluated. Here, we assess the reliabilities of both global and regional principal FC gradient measures using test-retest data from the young adult Human Connectome Project (HCP-YA) and the Dunedin Study. Analyses revealed that the reliabilities of principal FC gradient measures were (1) consistently higher than those for traditional edge-wise FC measures, (2) higher for FC measures derived from general FC (GFC) in comparison with resting-state FC, and (3) higher for longer scan lengths. We additionally examined the relative utility of these principal FC gradient measures in predicting cognition and aging in both datasets as well as the HCP-aging dataset. These analyses revealed that regional FC gradient measures and global gradient range were significantly associated with aging in all three datasets, and moderately associated with cognition in the HCP-YA and Dunedin Study datasets, reflecting contractions and expansions of the cortical hierarchy, respectively. Collectively, these results demonstrate that measures of the principal FC gradient, especially derived using GFC, effectively capture a reliable feature of the human brain subject to interpretable and biologically meaningful individual variation, offering some advantages over traditional edge-wise FC measures in the search for brain-behavior associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annchen R. Knodt
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Maxwell L. Elliott
- Department of Psychology, Center for Brain ScienceHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ethan T. Whitman
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Alex Winn
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Angela Addae
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - David Ireland
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Sandhya Ramrakha
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Terrie E. Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ahmad R. Hariri
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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Tong Z, Zhang J, Xing C, Xu X, Wu Y, Salvi R, Yin X, Zhao F, Chen YC, Cai Y. Reorganization of the cortical connectome functional gradient in age-related hearing loss. Neuroimage 2023; 284:120475. [PMID: 38013009 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120475] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), one of the most common sensory deficits in elderly individuals, is a risk factor for dementia; however, it is unclear how ARHL affects the decline in cognitive function. To address this issue, a connectome gradient framework was used to identify critical features of information integration between sensory and cognitive processing centers using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 40 individuals with ARHL and 36 healthy controls (HCs). The first three functional gradient alterations associated with ARHL were investigated at the global, network and regional levels. Using a support vector machine (SVM) model, our analysis distinguished individuals with ARHL with normal cognitive function from those with cognitive decline. Compared to HCs, individuals with ARHL had a contracted principal primary-to-transmodal gradient axis, especially in the visual and default mode networks, with an altered gradient explained ratio and variance. Among individuals with ARHL, cognitive decline was detected in the visual network in the principal gradient as well as in the limbic, salience and default mode networks in the third gradient (salience to frontoparietal/default mode). These results suggest that ARHL is associated with disrupted information processing from the primary sensory networks to higher-order cognitive networks and highlight the key nodes closely associated with cognitive decline during cognitive processing in ARHL, providing new insights into the mechanism of cognitive impairment and suggesting potential treatments related to ARHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaopeng Tong
- Department of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Hearing and Speech-Language Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Yuhua Hospital, Yuhua Branch of Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunhua Xing
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, Nanjing 210006, China
| | - Xiaomin Xu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, Nanjing 210006, China
| | - Yuanqing Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Richard Salvi
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, United States
| | - Xindao Yin
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, Nanjing 210006, China
| | - Fei Zhao
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy and Hearing Science, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Yu-Chen Chen
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, Nanjing 210006, China.
| | - Yuexin Cai
- Department of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Hearing and Speech-Language Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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Mckeown B, Strawson WH, Zhang M, Turnbull A, Konu D, Karapanagiotidis T, Wang HT, Leech R, Xu T, Hardikar S, Bernhardt B, Margulies D, Jefferies E, Wammes J, Smallwood J. Experience sampling reveals the role that covert goal states play in task-relevant behavior. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21710. [PMID: 38066069 PMCID: PMC10709616 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48857-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience has gained insight into covert states using experience sampling. Traditionally, this approach has focused on off-task states. However, task-relevant states are also maintained via covert processes. Our study examined whether experience sampling can also provide insights into covert goal-relevant states that support task performance. To address this question, we developed a neural state space, using dimensions of brain function variation, that allows neural correlates of overt and covert states to be examined in a common analytic space. We use this to describe brain activity during task performance, its relation to covert states identified via experience sampling, and links between individual variation in overt and covert states and task performance. Our study established deliberate task focus was linked to faster target detection, and brain states underlying this experience-and target detection-were associated with activity patterns emphasizing the fronto-parietal network. In contrast, brain states underlying off-task experiences-and vigilance periods-were linked to activity patterns emphasizing the default mode network. Our study shows experience sampling can not only describe covert states that are unrelated to the task at hand, but can also be used to highlight the role fronto-parietal regions play in the maintenance of covert task-relevant states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brontë Mckeown
- Psychology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Will H Strawson
- Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Meichao Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioural Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Adam Turnbull
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Delali Konu
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | | | - Hao-Ting Wang
- Centre de Recherche de l'institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montreal, QC, H3W 1W5, Canada
| | - Robert Leech
- Centre for Neuroimaging Science, King's College, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Ting Xu
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, 10022, USA
| | - Samyogita Hardikar
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Boris Bernhardt
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Daniel Margulies
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (UMR 8002, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université de Paris, 75006, Paris, France
| | | | - Jeffrey Wammes
- Psychology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
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Ostrolenk A, Courchesne V, Mottron L. A longitudinal study on language acquisition in monozygotic twins concordant for autism and hyperlexia. Brain Cogn 2023; 173:106099. [PMID: 37839243 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.106099] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hyperlexia, a strong orientation towards written materials, along with a discrepancy between the precocious acquisition of decoding skills and weaker comprehension abilities, characterizes up to 20% of autistic children. Sometimes perceived as an obstacle to oral language acquisition, hyperlexia may alternatively be the first step in a non-social pathway of language acquisition in autism. METHOD We describe two monozygotic twin brothers, both autistic and hyperlexic, from the ages of 4 to 8 years old. Following an in-depth diagnostic assessment, we investigated cross-sectionally and longitudinally their verbal and non-verbal cognitive abilities, language, reading and writing skills, interests, and strengths. RESULTS The twins' features, including their high non-verbal level of intelligence, their special interests, and their skills in various domains, were highly similar. Their language consisted exclusively of letters and numbers until their fourth year. After that, their vocabulary broadened until they developed full sentences, and their perception-related interests expanded and merged over time to serve the development of other skills. CONCLUSION Our results show that hyperlexic skills can be harnessed to favor oral language development. Given the strong concordance between the twins' cognitive and behavioral phenotypes, we discuss the environmental and genetic influence that could explain their abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Ostrolenk
- Département de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie, Université de Montréal, H3T 1J4 Québec, Canada; Montreal Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'île-de-Montréal, 7070 boulevard Perras, Montreal, QC H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Valérie Courchesne
- Montreal Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'île-de-Montréal, 7070 boulevard Perras, Montreal, QC H1E 1A4, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 80 Workman Way, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Laurent Mottron
- Département de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie, Université de Montréal, H3T 1J4 Québec, Canada; Montreal Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'île-de-Montréal, 7070 boulevard Perras, Montreal, QC H1E 1A4, Canada.
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42
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Xiao Y, Zhao L, Zang X, Xue S. Compressed primary-to-transmodal gradient is accompanied with subcortical alterations and linked to neurotransmitters and cellular signatures in major depressive disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5919-5935. [PMID: 37688552 PMCID: PMC10619397 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26485] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been shown to involve widespread changes in low-level sensorimotor and higher-level cognitive functions. Recent research found that a primary-to-transmodal gradient could capture a cortical hierarchical organization ranging from perception and action to cognition in healthy subjects, but a prominent gradient dysfunction in MDD patients. However, whether and how this cortical gradient is linked to subcortical impairments and whether it is reflected in the microscale neurotransmitter systems and cell type-specific transcriptional signatures remain largely unknown. Data were acquired from 323 MDD patients and 328 sex- and age-matched healthy controls derived from the REST-meta-MDD project, and the human brain neurotransmitter systems density maps and gene expression data were drawn from two publicly available datasets. We investigated alterations of the primary-to-transmodal gradient in MDD patients and their correlations with clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as their paralleled subcortical impairments. The correlations between MDD-related gradient alterations and densities of the neurotransmitter systems and gene expression information were assessed, respectively. The results demonstrated that MDD patients had a compressed primary-to-transmodal gradient accompanied by paralleled alterations in subcortical regions including the caudate, amygdala, and thalamus. The case-control gradient differences were spatially correlated with the densities of the neurotransmitter systems including the serotonin and dopamine receptors, and meanwhile with gene expression enriched in astrocytes, excitatory and inhibitory neuronal cells. These findings mapped the paralleled subcortical impairments in cortical hierarchical organization and also helped us understand the possible molecular and cellular substrates of the co-occurrence of high-level cognitive impairments with low-level sensorimotor abnormalities in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xiao
- Center for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentsHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Center for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentsHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
| | - Xuelian Zang
- Center for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentsHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
| | - Shao‐Wei Xue
- Center for Cognition and Brain DisordersThe Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Institute of Psychological ScienceHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive ImpairmentsHangzhouZhejiang ProvincePR China
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Holmes A, Levi PT, Chen YC, Chopra S, Aquino KM, Pang JC, Fornito A. Disruptions of Hierarchical Cortical Organization in Early Psychosis and Schizophrenia. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:1240-1250. [PMID: 37683727 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cerebral cortex is organized hierarchically along an axis that spans unimodal sensorimotor to transmodal association areas. This hierarchy is often characterized using low-dimensional embeddings, termed gradients, of interregional functional coupling estimates measured with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Such analyses may offer insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, which has been frequently linked to dysfunctional interactions between association and sensorimotor areas. METHODS To examine disruptions of hierarchical cortical function across distinct stages of psychosis, we applied diffusion map embedding to 2 independent functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets: one comprising 114 patients with early psychosis and 48 control participants, and the other comprising 50 patients with established schizophrenia and 121 control participants. Then, we analyzed the primary sensorimotor-to-association and secondary visual-to-sensorimotor gradients of each participant in both datasets. RESULTS There were no significant differences in regional gradient scores between patients with early psychosis and control participants. Patients with established schizophrenia showed significant differences in the secondary, but not primary, gradient compared with control participants. Gradient differences in schizophrenia were characterized by lower within-network dispersion in the dorsal attention (false discovery rate [FDR]-corrected p [pFDR] < .001), visual (pFDR = .003), frontoparietal (pFDR = .018), and limbic (pFDR = .020) networks and lower between-network dispersion between the visual network and other networks (pFDR < .001). CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that differences in cortical hierarchical function occur along the secondary visual-to-sensorimotor axis rather than the primary sensorimotor-to-association axis as previously thought. The absence of differences in early psychosis suggests that visual-sensorimotor abnormalities may emerge as the illness progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Holmes
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Priscila T Levi
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yu-Chi Chen
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sidhant Chopra
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kevin M Aquino
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James C Pang
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Weber CF, Lake EMR, Haider SP, Mozayan A, Bobba PS, Mukherjee P, Scheinost D, Constable RT, Ment L, Payabvash S. Autism spectrum disorder-specific changes in white matter connectome edge density based on functionally defined nodes. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1285396. [PMID: 38075286 PMCID: PMC10702224 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1285396] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with both functional and microstructural connectome disruptions. We deployed a novel methodology using functionally defined nodes to guide white matter (WM) tractography and identify ASD-related microstructural connectome changes across the lifespan. Methods We used diffusion tensor imaging and clinical data from four studies in the national database for autism research (NDAR) including 155 infants, 102 toddlers, 230 adolescents, and 96 young adults - of whom 264 (45%) were diagnosed with ASD. We applied cortical nodes from a prior fMRI study identifying regions related to symptom severity scores and used these seeds to construct WM fiber tracts as connectome Edge Density (ED) maps. Resulting ED maps were assessed for between-group differences using voxel-wise and tract-based analysis. We then examined the association of ASD diagnosis with ED driven from functional nodes generated from different sensitivity thresholds. Results In ED derived from functionally guided tractography, we identified ASD-related changes in infants (pFDR ≤ 0.001-0.483). Overall, more wide-spread ASD-related differences were detectable in ED based on functional nodes with positive symptom correlation than negative correlation to ASD, and stricter thresholds for functional nodes resulted in stronger correlation with ASD among infants (z = -6.413 to 6.666, pFDR ≤ 0.001-0.968). Voxel-wise analysis revealed wide-spread ED reductions in central WM tracts of toddlers, adolescents, and adults. Discussion We detected early changes of aberrant WM development in infants developing ASD when generating microstructural connectome ED map with cortical nodes defined by functional imaging. These were not evident when applying structurally defined nodes, suggesting that functionally guided DTI-based tractography can help identify early ASD-related WM disruptions between cortical regions exhibiting abnormal connectivity patterns later in life. Furthermore, our results suggest a benefit of involving functionally informed nodes in diffusion imaging-based probabilistic tractography, and underline that different age cohorts can benefit from age- and brain development-adapted image processing protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara F Weber
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Lübeck University, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), Lübeck University, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Evelyn M R Lake
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Stefan P Haider
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ali Mozayan
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Pratheek S Bobba
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Robert T Constable
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Laura Ment
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Seyedmehdi Payabvash
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
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Lin S, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Chen S, Lin X, Peng B, Xu Z, Hou G, Qiu Y. Shared and specific neurobiology in bipolar disorder and unipolar disorder: Evidence based on the connectome gradient and a transcriptome-connectome association study. J Affect Disord 2023; 341:304-312. [PMID: 37661059 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.139] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Distinguishing bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar disorder (UD) remains challenging. To identify the common and diagnosis-specific neuropathological alterations and their potential molecular mechanisms in patients with UD and BD (with a current depressive episode). METHODS Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained from 279 participants (95 BD patients, 107 UD patients and 77 health controls). Connectome gradients analysis was performed to explore the shared and diagnosis-specific gradient alterations in BD and UD. The Allen Human Brain Atlas data was used to explore the potential gene mechanisms of the gradient alterations. RESULTS BD and UD had shared hierarchical disorganisation, including downgrading and contraction from the unimodal sensory networks (vision and sensorimotor) to the transmodal cognitive networks (limbic, frontoparietal, dorsal attention, and default) (all P < 0.05, FDR corrected) in gradient 1 and gradient 2. The BD patients had specific connectome gradient dysfunction in the subcortical network. Moreover, the hierarchical disorganisation was closely correlated with profiles of gene expression specific to the neuroglial cells in the prefrontal cortex in BD and UD, while the most correlated gene ontology biological processes and function were concentrated in synaptic signalling, calcium ion binding, and transmembrane transporter activity. CONCLUSION These findings reveal the shared and diagnosis-specific neurobiological mechanism underlying BD and UD patients, which advances our understanding of the neuromechanisms of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Lin
- Department of Radiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Taoyuan Ave 89, Nanshan district, Shenzhen 518000, PR China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingli Zhang
- Department of Depressive Disorder, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengli Chen
- Department of Radiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Taoyuan Ave 89, Nanshan district, Shenzhen 518000, PR China
| | - Xiaoshan Lin
- Department of Radiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Taoyuan Ave 89, Nanshan district, Shenzhen 518000, PR China
| | - Bo Peng
- Department of Depressive Disorder, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziyun Xu
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Cuizhu AVE 1080, Luohu district, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Gangqiang Hou
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Cuizhu AVE 1080, Luohu district, Shenzhen 518020, China.
| | - Yingwei Qiu
- Department of Radiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Taoyuan Ave 89, Nanshan district, Shenzhen 518000, PR China.
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Liu Q, Zhou B, Zhang X, Qing P, Zhou X, Zhou F, Xu X, Zhu S, Dai J, Huang Y, Wang J, Zou Z, Kendrick KM, Becker B, Zhao W. Abnormal multi-layered dynamic cortico-subcortical functional connectivity in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 167:23-31. [PMID: 37820447 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.10.004] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Comorbidity has been frequently observed between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), however, common and distinguishable alterations in the topological organization of functional brain networks remain poorly understood. We sought to determine a robust and sensitive functional connectivity marker for diagnostic classification and symptom severity prediction. Multi-layered dynamic functional connectivity including whole brain, network-node and node-node layers via graph theory and gradient analyses were applied to functional MRI resting-state data obtained from 31 unmedicated GAD and 34 unmedicated MDD patients as well as 33 age and education matched healthy controls (HC). GAD and MDD symptoms were assessed using Penn State Worry Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory II, respectively. Three network measures including global properties (i.e., global efficiency, characteristic path length), regional nodal property (i.e., degree) and connectivity gradients were computed. Results showed that both patient groups exhibited abnormal dynamic cortico-subcortical topological organization compared to healthy controls, with MDD > GAD > HC in degree of randomization. Furthermore, our multi-layered dynamic functional connectivity network model reached 77% diagnostic accuracy between GAD and MDD and was highly predictive of symptom severity, respectively. Gradients of functional connectivity for superior frontal cortex-subcortical regions, middle temporal gyrus-subcortical regions and amygdala-cortical regions contributed more in this model compared to other gradients. We found shared and distinct cortico-subcortical connectivity features in dynamic functional brain networks between GAD and MDD, which together can promote the understanding of common and disorder-specific topological organization dysregulations and facilitate early neuroimaging-based diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- 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, 610072, 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, 610072, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- 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, 610072, China
| | - Peng Qing
- 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, 610072, China
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Faculty of Psychology, Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xiaolei Xu
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- School of Sport Training, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jing Dai
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Yulan Huang
- 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, 610072, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- 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, 610072, China
| | - Zhili Zou
- 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, 610072, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, 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, 610072, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China.
| | - Weihua Zhao
- 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, 610072, China; The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China.
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Zang Z, Zhang X, Song T, Li J, Nie B, Mei S, Hu Z, Zhang Y, Lu J. Association between gene expression and functional-metabolic architecture in Parkinson's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5387-5401. [PMID: 37605831 PMCID: PMC10543112 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26443] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). How gene expression profiles are correlated with functional-metabolic architecture remains obscure. We enrolled 34 PD patients and 25 age-and-sex-matched healthy controls for simultaneous 18 F-FDG-PET/functional MRI scanning during resting state. We investigated the functional gradients and the ratio of standard uptake value. Principal component analysis was used to further combine the functional gradients and glucose metabolism into functional-metabolic architecture. Using partial least squares (PLS) regression, we introduced the transcriptomic data from the Allen Institute of Brain Sciences to identify gene expression patterns underlying the affected functional-metabolic architecture in PD. Between-group comparisons revealed significantly higher gradient variation in the visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, frontoparietal, default mode, and subcortical network (pFDR < .048) in PD. Increased FDG-uptake was found in the somatomotor and ventral attention network while decreased FDG-uptake was found in the visual network (pFDR < .008). Spatial correlation analysis showed consistently affected patterns of functional gradients and metabolism (p = 2.47 × 10-8 ). PLS analysis and gene ontological analyses further revealed that genes were mainly enriched for metabolic, catabolic, cellular response to ions, and regulation of DNA transcription and RNA biosynthesis. In conclusion, our study provided genetic pathological mechanism to explain imaging-defined brain functional-metabolic architecture of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenxiang Zang
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain InformaticsBeijingChina
| | - Xiaolong Zhang
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical SciencesArmy Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Tianbin Song
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain InformaticsBeijingChina
| | - Jiping Li
- Beijing Institute of Functional NeurosurgeryXuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Binbin Nie
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy PhysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shanshan Mei
- Department of NeurologyXuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zhi'an Hu
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical SciencesArmy Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Functional NeurosurgeryXuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jie Lu
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain InformaticsBeijingChina
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48
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He Y, Li Q, Fu Z, Zeng D, Han Y, Li S. Functional gradients reveal altered functional segregation in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10836-10847. [PMID: 37718155 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad328] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment are associated with disrupted functional organization in brain networks, involved with alteration of functional segregation. Connectome gradients are a new tool representing brain functional topological organization to smoothly capture the human macroscale hierarchy. Here, we examined altered topological organization in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease by connectome gradient mapping. We further quantified functional segregation by gradient dispersion. Then, we systematically compared the alterations observed in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease patients with those in normal controls in a two-dimensional functional gradient space from both the whole-brain level and module level. Compared with normal controls, the first gradient, which described the neocortical hierarchy from unimodal to transmodal regions, showed a more distributed and significant suppression in Alzheimer's disease than amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients. Furthermore, gradient dispersion showed significant decreases in Alzheimer's disease at both the global level and module level, whereas this alteration was limited only to limbic areas in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Notably, we demonstrated that suppressed gradient dispersion in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease was associated with cognitive scores. These findings provide new evidence for altered brain hierarchy in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, which strengthens our understanding of the progressive mechanism of cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qiongling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhenrong Fu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Debin Zeng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
- Biomedical Engineering Institute, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100050, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Shuyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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49
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Li D, Nguyen P, Zhang Z, Dunson D. Tree representations of brain structural connectivity via persistent homology. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1200373. [PMID: 37901431 PMCID: PMC10603366 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1200373] [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: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain structural connectome is generated by a collection of white matter fiber bundles constructed from diffusion weighted MRI (dMRI), acting as highways for neural activity. There has been abundant interest in studying how the structural connectome varies across individuals in relation to their traits, ranging from age and gender to neuropsychiatric outcomes. After applying tractography to dMRI to get white matter fiber bundles, a key question is how to represent the brain connectome to facilitate statistical analyses relating connectomes to traits. The current standard divides the brain into regions of interest (ROIs), and then relies on an adjacency matrix (AM) representation. Each cell in the AM is a measure of connectivity, e.g., number of fiber curves, between a pair of ROIs. Although the AM representation is intuitive, a disadvantage is the high-dimensionality due to the large number of cells in the matrix. This article proposes a simpler tree representation of the brain connectome, which is motivated by ideas in computational topology and takes topological and biological information on the cortical surface into consideration. We demonstrate that our tree representation preserves useful information and interpretability, while reducing dimensionality to improve statistical and computational efficiency. Applications to data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) are considered and code is provided for reproducing our analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didong Li
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Zhengwu Zhang
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - David Dunson
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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50
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Li H, Shi H, Jiang S, Hou C, Wu H, Yao G, Yao D, Luo C. Atypical Hierarchical Connectivity Revealed by Stepwise Functional Connectivity in Aging. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1166. [PMID: 37892896 PMCID: PMC10604600 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10101166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hierarchical functional structure plays a crucial role in brain function. We aimed to investigate how aging affects hierarchical functional structure and to evaluate the relationship between such effects and molecular, microvascular, and cognitive features. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 95 older adults (66.94 ± 7.23 years) and 44 younger adults (21.8 ± 2.53 years) and employed an innovative graph-theory-based analysis (stepwise functional connectivity (SFC)) to reveal the effects of aging on hierarchical functional structure in the brain. In the older group, an SFC pattern converged on the primary sensory-motor network (PSN) rather than the default mode network (DMN). Moreover, SFC decreased in the DMN and increased in the PSN at longer link-steps in aging, indicating a reconfiguration of brain hub systems during aging. Subsequent correlation analyses were performed between SFC values and molecular, microvascular features, and behavioral performance. Altered SFC patterns were associated with dopamine and serotonin, suggesting that altered hierarchical functional structure in aging is linked to the molecular fundament with dopamine and serotonin. Furthermore, increased SFC in the PSN, decreased SFC in the DMN, and accelerated convergence rate were all linked to poorer microvascular features and lower executive function. Finally, a mediation analysis among SFC features, microvascular features, and behavioral performance indicated that the microvascular state may influence executive function through SFC features, highlighting the interactive effects of SFC features and microvascular state on cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hechun Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Hongru Shi
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Sisi Jiang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
- Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Changyue Hou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Hanxi Wu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Gang Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
| | - Dezhong Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
- Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; (H.L.); (H.S.); (S.J.); (C.H.); (H.W.); (D.Y.)
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
- Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035, Chengdu 610054, China
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