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Mo X, Jiang P, Sun J, Lu L, Li L, Huang X, Xu J, Li J, Zhang J, Gong Q. Mapping structural covariance networks of emotional withdrawal symptoms in males with methamphetamine use disorder during abstinence. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13394. [PMID: 38627958 PMCID: PMC11021798 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13394] [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: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) often experience anxiety and depressive symptoms during abstinence, which can worsen the likelihood of relapse. Thus, it is essential to understand the neuro-mechanism behind methamphetamine use and its associated emotional withdrawal symptoms in order to develop effective clinical strategies. This study aimed to evaluate associations between emotional withdrawal symptoms and structural covariance networks (SCNs) based on cortical thickness (CTh) across the brain. The CTh measures were obtained from Tl-weighted MRI data from a sample of 48 males with MUD during abstinence and 48 male healthy controls. The severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms was assessed by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and depression (HAMD) scales. Two important nodes belonging to the brain reward system, the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (medPFC), were selected as seeds to conduct SCNs and modulation analysis by emotional symptoms. MUDs showed higher structural covariance between the right rACC and regions in the dorsal attention, right frontoparietal, auditory, visual and limbic networks. They also displayed higher structural covariance between the right medPFC and regions in the limbic network. Moreover, the modulation analysis showed that higher scores on HAMA were associated with increased covariance between the right rACC and the left parahippocampal and isthmus cingulate cortex in the default mode network. These outcomes shed light on the complex neurobiological mechanisms underlying methamphetamine use and its associated emotional withdrawal symptoms and may provide new insights into the development of effective treatments for MUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Mo
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- College of Electrical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Ping Jiang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- West China Medical Publishers, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
| | - Jiayu Sun
- Department of RadiologyWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
| | - Jiajun Xu
- Mental Health CenterWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jing Li
- Mental Health CenterWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Junran Zhang
- College of Electrical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Research Unit of PsychoradiologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesChengduChina
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Ren X, Dong B, Luan Y, Wu Y, Huang Y. Alterations via inter-regional connective relationships in Alzheimer's disease. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1276994. [PMID: 38021241 PMCID: PMC10672243 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1276994] [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: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Disruptions in the inter-regional connective correlation within the brain are believed to contribute to memory impairment. To detect these corresponding correlation networks in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we conducted three types of inter-regional correlation analysis, including structural covariance, functional connectivity and group-level independent component analysis (group-ICA). The analyzed data were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, comprising 52 cognitively normal (CN) participants without subjective memory concerns, 52 individuals with late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI) and 52 patients with AD. We firstly performed vertex-wise cortical thickness analysis to identify brain regions with cortical thinning in AD and LMCI patients using structural MRI data. These regions served as seeds to construct both structural covariance networks and functional connectivity networks for each subject. Additionally, group-ICA was performed on the functional data to identify intrinsic brain networks at the cohort level. Through a comparison of the structural covariance and functional connectivity networks with ICA networks, we identified several inter-regional correlation networks that consistently exhibited abnormal connectivity patterns among AD and LMCI patients. Our findings suggest that reduced inter-regional connectivity is predominantly observed within a subnetwork of the default mode network, which includes the posterior cingulate and precuneus regions, in both AD and LMCI patients. This disruption of connectivity between key nodes within the default mode network provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that impairments in brain networks may contribute to memory deficits in AD and LMCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Ren
- College of Electrical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bowen Dong
- College of Electrical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Luan
- Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ye Wu
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunzhi Huang
- Institute for AI in Medicine, School of Artificial Intelligence (School of Future Technology), Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
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Valk SL, Kanske P, Park BY, Hong SJ, Böckler A, Trautwein FM, Bernhardt BC, Singer T. Functional and microstructural plasticity following social and interoceptive mental training. eLife 2023; 12:e85188. [PMID: 37417306 PMCID: PMC10414971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain supports social cognitive functions, including Theory of Mind, empathy, and compassion, through its intrinsic hierarchical organization. However, it remains unclear how the learning and refinement of social skills shapes brain function and structure. We studied if different types of social mental training induce changes in cortical function and microstructure, investigating 332 healthy adults (197 women, 20-55 years) with repeated multimodal neuroimaging and behavioral testing. Our neuroimaging approach examined longitudinal changes in cortical functional gradients and myelin-sensitive T1 relaxometry, two complementary measures of cortical hierarchical organization. We observed marked changes in intrinsic cortical function and microstructure, which varied as a function of social training content. In particular, cortical function and microstructure changed as a result of attention-mindfulness and socio-cognitive training in regions functionally associated with attention and interoception, including insular and parietal cortices. Conversely, socio-affective and socio-cognitive training resulted in differential microstructural changes in regions classically implicated in interoceptive and emotional processing, including insular and orbitofrontal areas, but did not result in functional reorganization. Notably, longitudinal changes in cortical function and microstructure predicted behavioral change in attention, compassion and perspective-taking. Our work demonstrates functional and microstructural plasticity after the training of social-interoceptive functions, and illustrates the bidirectional relationship between brain organisation and human social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Louise Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- INM-7, FZ JülichJülichGermany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Bo-yong Park
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Lab, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
- Department of Data Science, Inha UniversityIncheonRepublic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind InstituteNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Psychology, Wurzburg UniversityWurzburgGermany
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Lab, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck SocietyBerlinGermany
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Blasberg JU, Kanske P, Böckler A, Trautwein FM, Singer T, Engert V. Associations of social processing abilities with psychosocial stress sensitivity. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 12:100159. [PMID: 36164367 PMCID: PMC9508502 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Bray KO, Pozzi E, Vijayakumar N, Richmond S, Deane C, Pantelis C, Anderson V, Whittle S. Individual differences in brain structure and self-reported empathy in children. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:1078-1089. [PMID: 35338471 PMCID: PMC9458571 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00993-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Empathy refers to the understanding and sharing of others' emotions and comprises cognitive and affective components. Empathy is important for social functioning, and alterations in empathy have been demonstrated in many developmental or psychiatric disorders. While several studies have examined associations between empathy and brain structure in adults, few have investigated this relationship in children. Investigating associations between empathy and brain structure during childhood will help us to develop a deeper understanding of the neural correlates of empathy across the lifespan. A total of 125 children (66 females, mean age 10 years) underwent magnetic resonance imaging brain scans. Grey matter volume and cortical thickness from structural images were examined using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12) within Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12) software. Children completed questionnaire measures of empathy (cognitive empathy, affective empathy: affective sharing, empathic concern, and empathic distress). In hypothesised region of interest analyses, individual differences in affective and cognitive empathy were related to grey matter volume in the insula and the precuneus. Although these relationships were of similar strength to those found in previous research, they did not survive correction for the total number of models computed. While no significant findings were detected between grey matter volume and empathy in exploratory whole-brain analysis, associations were found between cortical thickness and empathic concern in the right precentral gyrus. This study provides preliminary evidence that individual differences in self-reported empathy in children may be related to aspects of brain structure. Findings highlight the need for more research investigating the neurobiological correlates of empathy in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine O Bray
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia.
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Elena Pozzi
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Sally Richmond
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Camille Deane
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Vicki Anderson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
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6
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Sha Z, van Rooij D, Anagnostou E, Arango C, Auzias G, Behrmann M, Bernhardt B, Bolte S, Busatto GF, Calderoni S, Calvo R, Daly E, Deruelle C, Duan M, Duran FLS, Durston S, Ecker C, Ehrlich S, Fair D, Fedor J, Fitzgerald J, Floris DL, Franke B, Freitag CM, Gallagher L, Glahn DC, Haar S, Hoekstra L, Jahanshad N, Jalbrzikowski M, Janssen J, King JA, Lazaro L, Luna B, McGrath J, Medland SE, Muratori F, Murphy DGM, Neufeld J, O'Hearn K, Oranje B, Parellada M, Pariente JC, Postema MC, Remnelius KL, Retico A, Rosa PGP, Rubia K, Shook D, Tammimies K, Taylor MJ, Tosetti M, Wallace GL, Zhou F, Thompson PM, Fisher SE, Buitelaar JK, Francks C. Subtly altered topological asymmetry of brain structural covariance networks in autism spectrum disorder across 43 datasets from the ENIGMA consortium. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2114-2125. [PMID: 35136228 PMCID: PMC9126820 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01452-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Small average differences in the left-right asymmetry of cerebral cortical thickness have been reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing controls, affecting widespread cortical regions. The possible impacts of these regional alterations in terms of structural network effects have not previously been characterized. Inter-regional morphological covariance analysis can capture network connectivity between different cortical areas at the macroscale level. Here, we used cortical thickness data from 1455 individuals with ASD and 1560 controls, across 43 independent datasets of the ENIGMA consortium's ASD Working Group, to assess hemispheric asymmetries of intra-individual structural covariance networks, using graph theory-based topological metrics. Compared with typical features of small-world architecture in controls, the ASD sample showed significantly altered average asymmetry of networks involving the fusiform, rostral middle frontal, and medial orbitofrontal cortex, involving higher randomization of the corresponding right-hemispheric networks in ASD. A network involving the superior frontal cortex showed decreased right-hemisphere randomization. Based on comparisons with meta-analyzed functional neuroimaging data, the altered connectivity asymmetry particularly affected networks that subserve executive functions, language-related and sensorimotor processes. These findings provide a network-level characterization of altered left-right brain asymmetry in ASD, based on a large combined sample. Altered asymmetrical brain development in ASD may be partly propagated among spatially distant regions through structural connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Sha
- Department of Language & Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Daan van Rooij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Celso Arango
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gregorio Maran General University Hospital, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillaume Auzias
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix Marseille Universit, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Marlene Behrmann
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Boris Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sven Bolte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Geraldo F Busatto
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sara Calderoni
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rosa Calvo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Hospital Clinic, Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, 2017SGR881, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eileen Daly
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience King's College London, London, UK
| | - Christine Deruelle
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix Marseille Universit, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Meiyu Duan
- BioKnow Health Informatics Lab, College of Computer Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130012, China
| | - Fabio Luis Souza Duran
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sarah Durston
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
- The Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Damien Fair
- Institute of Child Development, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jennifer Fedor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jacqueline Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Dorothea L Floris
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115-5724, USA
- Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Shlomi Haar
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Liesbeth Hoekstra
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Maria Jalbrzikowski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Joost Janssen
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gregorio Maran General University Hospital, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joseph A King
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Luisa Lazaro
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Hospital Clinic, Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, 2017SGR881, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jane McGrath
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sarah E Medland
- Psychiatric Genetics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- The Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley Foundation NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Janina Neufeld
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kirsten O'Hearn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Bob Oranje
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mara Parellada
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gregorio Maran General University Hospital, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose C Pariente
- Magnetic Resonance Image Core Facility, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomdiques August Pi i Sunyer), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Merel C Postema
- Department of Language & Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Karl Lundin Remnelius
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alessandra Retico
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Pisa Division, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pedro Gomes Penteado Rosa
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Katya Rubia
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Devon Shook
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kristiina Tammimies
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Womens and Childrens Health, Karolinska Institutet and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Fengfeng Zhou
- BioKnow Health Informatics Lab, College of Computer Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130012, China
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Department of Language & Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Clyde Francks
- Department of Language & Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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7
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Shany O, Greental A, Gilam G, Perry D, Bleich-Cohen M, Ovadia M, Cohen A, Raz G. Somatic engagement alters subsequent neurobehavioral correlates of affective mentalizing. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:5846-5861. [PMID: 34651382 PMCID: PMC8596949 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Socio‐emotional encounters involve a resonance of others' affective states, known as affect sharing (AS); and attribution of mental states to others, known as theory‐of‐mind (ToM). Empathy necessitates the integration of both processes, yet their interaction during emotional episodes and subsequent generation of inferences on others' affective states has rarely been tested. To address this, we developed a novel experimental design, wherein we manipulated AS by presenting nonverbal emotionally negative movies twice—each time accompanied by one of two soundtracks that accentuated either somatic cues or externally generated sounds. Movies were followed by questions addressing affective‐ToM (emotional inferences), cognitive‐ToM (inferences on beliefs and knowledge), and non‐ToM aspects. Results revealed a neural differentiation between AS, affective‐ToM, and cognitive‐ToM. AS movies activated regions that have been implicated in emotional (e.g., amygdala) and somatosensory processing, and synchronized brain activity between participants in the latter. Affective‐ToM activated the middle insula, limbic regions, and both ventral and dorsal portions of the medial prefrontal cortex (ventral medial prefrontal cortex [VMPFC] and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex [DMPFC], respectively), whereas cognitive‐ToM activated posteromedial and lateral–prefrontal and temporal cortices. Critically, AS movies specifically altered neural activation in AS and ToM‐related regions during subsequent affective‐ToM inferences, most notably in the DMPFC. Moreover, DMPFC–VMPFC connectivity correlated with affective‐ToM accuracy, when such questions followed AS movies. Our results associate empathic processes with designated neural activations and shed light on how neuro‐behavioral indices of affective ToM are shaped by preceding somatic engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Shany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ayam Greental
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gadi Gilam
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Daniella Perry
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Maya Bleich-Cohen
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Moran Ovadia
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Avihay Cohen
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gal Raz
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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8
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Kraljević N, Schaare HL, Eickhoff SB, Kochunov P, Yeo BTT, Kharabian Masouleh S, Valk SL. Behavioral, Anatomical and Heritable Convergence of Affect and Cognition in Superior Frontal Cortex. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118561. [PMID: 34506912 PMCID: PMC8526801 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities and affective experience are key human traits that are interrelated in behavior and brain. Individual variation of cognitive and affective traits, as well as brain structure, has been shown to partly underlie genetic effects. However, to what extent affect and cognition have a shared genetic relationship with local brain structure is incompletely understood. Here we studied phenotypic and genetic correlations of cognitive and affective traits in behavior and brain structure (cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volumes) in the pedigree-based Human Connectome Project sample (N = 1091). Both cognitive and affective trait scores were highly heritable and showed significant phenotypic correlation on the behavioral level. Cortical thickness in the left superior frontal cortex showed a phenotypic association with both affect and cognition. Decomposing the phenotypic correlations into genetic and environmental components showed that the associations were accounted for by shared genetic effects between the traits. Quantitative functional decoding of the left superior frontal cortex further indicated that this region is associated with cognitive and emotional functioning. This study provides a multi-level approach to study the association between affect and cognition and suggests a convergence of both in superior frontal cortical thickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevena Kraljević
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - H Lina Schaare
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Otto Hahn group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1A, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Centre for Translational MR Research, N.1 Institute for Health and Institute for Digital Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shahrzad Kharabian Masouleh
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Otto Hahn group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1A, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
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9
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Xu Q, Zhang Q, Liu G, Dai XJ, Xie X, Hao J, Yu Q, Liu R, Zhang Z, Ye Y, Qi R, Zhang LJ, Zhang Z, Lu G. BCCT: A GUI Toolkit for Brain Structural Covariance Connectivity Analysis on MATLAB. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:641961. [PMID: 33958993 PMCID: PMC8093864 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.641961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain structural covariance network (SCN) can delineate the brain synchronized alterations in a long-range time period. It has been used in the research of cognition or neuropsychiatric disorders. Recently, causal analysis of structural covariance network (CaSCN), winner-take-all and cortex–subcortex covariance network (WTA-CSSCN), and modulation analysis of structural covariance network (MOD-SCN) have expended the technology breadth of SCN. However, the lack of user-friendly software limited the further application of SCN for the research. In this work, we developed the graphical user interface (GUI) toolkit of brain structural covariance connectivity based on MATLAB platform. The software contained the analysis of SCN, CaSCN, MOD-SCN, and WTA-CSSCN. Also, the group comparison and result-showing modules were included in the software. Furthermore, a simple showing of demo dataset was presented in the work. We hope that the toolkit could help the researchers, especially clinical researchers, to do the brain covariance connectivity analysis in further work more easily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Xu
- College of Automation Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.,Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qirui Zhang
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gaoping Liu
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi-Jian Dai
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xinyu Xie
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingru Hao
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qianqian Yu
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruoting Liu
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yulu Ye
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rongfeng Qi
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Long Jiang Zhang
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangming Lu
- College of Automation Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.,Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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10
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Tavakol S, Li Q, Royer J, Vos de Wael R, Larivière S, Lowe A, Paquola C, Jefferies E, Hartley T, Bernasconi A, Bernasconi N, Smallwood J, Bohbot V, Caciagli L, Bernhardt B. A Structure-Function Substrate of Memory for Spatial Configurations in Medial and Lateral Temporal Cortices. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3213-3225. [PMID: 33667310 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior research has shown a role of the medial temporal lobe, particularly the hippocampal-parahippocampal complex, in spatial cognition. Here, we developed a new paradigm, the conformational shift spatial task (CSST), which examines the ability to encode and retrieve spatial relations between unrelated items. This task is short, uses symbolic cues, incorporates two difficulty levels, and can be administered inside the scanner. A cohort of 48 healthy young adults underwent the CSST, together with a set of behavioral measures and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Inter-individual differences in CSST performance correlated with scores on an established spatial memory paradigm, but neither with episodic memory nor mnemonic discrimination, supporting specificity. Analyzing high-resolution structural MRI data, individuals with better spatial memory showed thicker medial and lateral temporal cortices. Functional relevance of these findings was supported by task-based functional MRI analysis in the same participants and ad hoc meta-analysis. Exploratory resting-state functional MRI analyses centered on clusters of morphological effects revealed additional modulation of intrinsic network integration, particularly between lateral and medial temporal structures. Our work presents a novel spatial memory paradigm and supports an integrated structure-function substrate in the human temporal lobe. Task paradigms are programmed in python and made open access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Tavakol
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Qiongling Li
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Jessica Royer
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Reinder Vos de Wael
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Sara Larivière
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alex Lowe
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Casey Paquola
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | | | | | - Andrea Bernasconi
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Neda Bernasconi
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | | | - Veronique Bohbot
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Lorenzo Caciagli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WC1N 3BG London, United Kingdom.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Boris Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
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11
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Ribeiro da Costa C, Soares JM, Oliveira-Silva P, Sampaio A, Coutinho JF. Interplay Between the Salience and the Default Mode Network in a Social-Cognitive Task Toward a Close Other. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:718400. [PMID: 35197871 PMCID: PMC8859259 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.718400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Social cognition relies on two main subsystems to construct the understanding of others, which are sustained by different social brain networks. One of these social networks is the default mode network (DMN) associated with the socio-cognitive subsystem (i.e., mentalizing), and the other is the salience network (SN) associated with the socio-affective route (i.e., empathy). The DMN and the SN are well-known resting state networks that seem to constitute a baseline for the performance of social tasks. We aimed to investigate both networks' functional connectivity (FC) pattern in the transition from resting state to social task performance. A sample of 38 participants involved in a monogamous romantic relationship completed a questionnaire of dyadic empathy and underwent an fMRI protocol that included a resting state acquisition followed by a task in which subjects watched emotional videos of their romantic partner and elaborated on their partner's (Other condition) or on their own experience (Self condition). Independent component and ROI-to-ROI correlation analysis were used to assess alterations in task-independent (Rest condition) and task-dependent (Self and Other conditions) FC. We found that the spatial FC maps of the DMN and SN evidenced the traditional regions associated with these networks in the three conditions. Anterior and posterior DMN regions exhibited increased FC during the social task performance compared to resting state. The Other condition revealed a more limited SN's connectivity in comparison to the Self and Rest conditions. The results revealed an interplay between the main nodes of the DMN and the core regions of the SN, particularly evident in the Self and Other conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia Ribeiro da Costa
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Jose M Soares
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | | | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana F Coutinho
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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12
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Hong SJ, Hyung B, Paquola C, Bernhardt BC. The Superficial White Matter in Autism and Its Role in Connectivity Anomalies and Symptom Severity. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4415-4425. [PMID: 30566613 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the majority of neuroimaging studies have focused on the analysis of cortical morphology. White matter changes remain less understood, particularly their association to cortical structure and function. Here, we focused on region that has gained only little attention in ASD neuroimaging: the superficial white matter (SWM) immediately beneath the cortical interface, a compartment playing a prominent role in corticogenesis that incorporates long- and short-range fibers implicated in corticocortical connectivity. Studying a multicentric dataset of ASD and neurotypical controls, we harnessed surface-based techniques to aggregate microstructural SWM diffusion features. Multivariate analysis revealed SWM anomalies in ASD compared with controls in medial parietal and temporoparietal regions. Effects were similar in children and adolescents/adults and consistent across sites. Although SWM anomalies were more confined when correcting for cortical thickness and surface area, findings were overall robust. Diffusion anomalies modulated functional connectivity reductions in ASD and related to symptom severity. Furthermore, mediation models indicated a link between SWM changes, functional connectivity, and symptom load. Analyses targeting the SWM offer a novel perspective on the interplay between structural and functional network perturbations in ASD, highlighting a potentially important neurobiological substrate contributing to its diverse behavioral phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Jun Hong
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, 101 E 56th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
| | - Brian Hyung
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Casey Paquola
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - 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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Barlati S, Minelli A, Ceraso A, Nibbio G, Carvalho Silva R, Deste G, Turrina C, Vita A. Social Cognition in a Research Domain Criteria Perspective: A Bridge Between Schizophrenia and Autism Spectra Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:806. [PMID: 33005149 PMCID: PMC7485015 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders are currently conceptualized as distinct clinical categories. However, the relationship between these two nosological entities has been revisited in recent years due to the evidence that they share some important clinical and neurobiological features, putting into question the nature and the extent of their commonalities and differences. In this respect, some core symptoms that are present in both disorders, such as social cognitive deficits, could be a primary target of investigation. This review briefly summarizes the commonalities and overlapping features between schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders in social cognitive functions, considering this construct in a Research Domain Criteria perspective. The clinical manifestation of deficits in social cognition are similar in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and autism spectrum disorders, and brain areas that appear to be altered in relation to these impairments are largely shared; however, the results of various studies suggest that, in some cases, the qualitative nature of these alterations may be different in the two spectra. Moreover, relevant differences could be present at the level of brain networks and connections. More research is required in this field, regarding molecular and genetic aspects of both spectra, to better define the neurobiological mechanisms involved in social cognition deficits, with the objective of developing specific and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Ceraso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rosana Carvalho Silva
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cesare Turrina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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14
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Tholen MG, Trautwein FM, Böckler A, Singer T, Kanske P. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) item analysis of empathy and theory of mind. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2611-2628. [PMID: 32115820 PMCID: PMC7294056 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to conventional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis across participants, item analysis allows generalizing the observed neural response patterns from a specific stimulus set to the entire population of stimuli. In the present study, we perform an item analysis on an fMRI paradigm (EmpaToM) that measures the neural correlates of empathy and Theory of Mind (ToM). The task includes a large stimulus set (240 emotional vs. neutral videos to probe empathic responding and 240 ToM or factual reasoning questions to probe ToM), which we tested in two large participant samples (N = 178, N = 130). Both, the empathy‐related network comprising anterior insula, anterior cingulate/dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, and dorsal temporoparietal junction/supramarginal gyrus (TPJ) and the ToM related network including ventral TPJ, superior temporal gyrus, temporal poles, and anterior and posterior midline regions, were observed across participants and items. Regression analyses confirmed that these activations are predicted by the empathy or ToM condition of the stimuli, but not by low‐level features such as video length, number of words, syllables or syntactic complexity. The item analysis also allowed for the selection of the most effective items to create optimized stimulus sets that provide the most stable and reproducible results. Finally, reproducibility was shown in the replication of all analyses in the second participant sample. The data demonstrate (a) the generalizability of empathy and ToM related neural activity and (b) the reproducibility of the EmpaToM task and its applicability in intervention and clinical imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias G Tholen
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Psychology, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Max Planck Society, Social Neuroscience Lab, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Research Group Social Stress and Family Health, Leipzig, Germany
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15
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Kamps S, van den Heuvel OA, van der Werf YD, Berendse HW, Weintraub D, Vriend C. Smaller subcortical volume in Parkinson patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Brain Imaging Behav 2020; 13:1352-1360. [PMID: 30155787 PMCID: PMC6395547 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9939-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson disease (PD) patients with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have worse motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms than patients without RBD. The aim of this study was to examine underlying differences in brain structure from a network perspective. Baseline data were obtained from Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) participants. We divided PD patients and healthy controls (HC) into RBD positive and RBD negative using a cutoff score of ≥5 on the RBD screening questionnaire. HC with probable RBD were excluded. We first carried out a region-of-interest analysis of structural MRIs using voxel-based morphometry to study volumetric differences for the putamen, thalamus and hippocampus in a cross-sectional design. Additionally, an exploratory whole-brain analysis was performed. To study group differences from a network perspective, we then performed a 'seed-based' analysis of structural covariance, using the bilateral dorsal-caudal putamen, mediodorsal thalamus and anterior hippocampus as seed regions. The volume of the right putamen was smaller in PD patients with RBD. RBD symptom severity correlated negatively with volume of the right putamen, left hippocampus and left thalamus. We did not find any differences in structural covariance between PD patients with and without RBD. Presence of RBD and severity of RBD symptoms in PD are associated with smaller volumes of the putamen, thalamus and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Kamps
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Odile A van den Heuvel
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ysbrand D van der Werf
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk W Berendse
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Weintraub
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Parkinson's Disease and Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECC and MIRECC), Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chris Vriend
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1108, P.O. Box 705, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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16
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Trautwein FM, Kanske P, Böckler A, Singer T. Differential benefits of mental training types for attention, compassion, and theory of mind. Cognition 2020; 194:104039. [PMID: 31450018 PMCID: PMC6891878 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mindfulness- and, more generally, meditation-based interventions increasingly gain popularity, effectively promoting cognitive, affective, and social capacities. It is unclear, however, if different types of practice have the same or specific effects on mental functioning. Here we tested three consecutive three-month training modules aimed at cultivating either attention, socio-affective qualities (such as compassion), or socio-cognitive skills (such as theory of mind), in three training cohorts and a retest control cohort (N = 332). While attentional performance improved most consistently after attention training, compassion increased most after socio-affective training and theory of mind partially improved after socio-cognitive training. These results show that specific mental training practices are needed to induce plasticity in different domains of mental functioning, providing a foundation for evidence-based development of more targeted interventions adapted to the needs of different education, labor, and health settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Psychology, Würzburg University, Röntgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Max Planck Society, Social Neuroscience Lab, Berlin, Germany
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17
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Cerniglia L, Bartolomeo L, Capobianco M, Lo Russo SLM, Festucci F, Tambelli R, Adriani W, Cimino S. Intersections and Divergences Between Empathizing and Mentalizing: Development, Recent Advancements by Neuroimaging and the Future of Animal Modeling. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:212. [PMID: 31572143 PMCID: PMC6754072 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Both mentalization and empathy allow humans to understand others, through the representation of their mental states or their mood, respectively. The present review aims to explain those characteristics which are shared between empathy and the Theory of Mind. Research in neuroscience, based on naturalistic paradigms, has shown that abilities to mentalize and to empathize are associated with the activation of different neuro-cognitive circuits. As far as mirror-neuron processes are concerned, some structures (like Anterior Insula, AI; Anterior Cingulate Cortex, ACC) play a role both in the representation of one's own affective states and in comprehension of the same affective state when experienced by others. As for mentalization, the temporal parietal junction (TPj) and temporal poles (TP), the upper posterior temporal sulcus (pSTS) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are greatly involved: the latter appears involved in the attribution of one's own and others' temperaments. Interestingly, the ventral/orbital portion of the PFC (orbito-frontal cortex, OFC) is involved in subserving shared affective experience during cognitive mentalizing. This brain region represents a point of overlap, from a psycho-biological point of view, where emotional mirroring and affective cognition meet up. As for animal models, laboratory rodents can well be tested for prosocial behavior. Some examples include deliberate actions, allowing another conspecific the possibility to feed ("giving food"): this willingness can vary across donors, depending on how the recipient is perceived. Other examples include the possibility to let a trapped conspecific come out ("giving help"). The state-of-the-art knowledge about this theme can inform the programming of specific clinical interventions, based on the reinforcement of empathic and/or mentalization abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Cerniglia
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
| | - Letizia Bartolomeo
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
| | - Micaela Capobianco
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Lucia M. Lo Russo
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Fabiana Festucci
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Renata Tambelli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Walter Adriani
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Cimino
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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18
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Puhlmann LMC, Valk SL, Engert V, Bernhardt BC, Lin J, Epel ES, Vrtička P, Singer T. Association of Short-term Change in Leukocyte Telomere Length With Cortical Thickness and Outcomes of Mental Training Among Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e199687. [PMID: 31553468 PMCID: PMC6763984 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Telomere length is associated with the development of age-related diseases and structural differences in multiple brain regions. It remains unclear, however, whether change in telomere length is linked to brain structure change, and to what extent telomere length can be influenced through mental training. Objectives To assess the dynamic associations between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and cortical thickness (CT), and to determine whether LTL is affected by a longitudinal contemplative mental training intervention. Design, Setting, and Participants An open-label efficacy trial of three 3-month mental training modules with healthy, meditation-naive adults was conducted. Data on LTL and CT were collected 4 times over 9 months between April 22, 2013, and March 31, 2015, as part of the ReSource Project. Data analysis was performed between September 23, 2016, and June 21, 2019. Of 1582 eligible individuals, 943 declined to participate; 362 were randomly selected for participation and assigned to training or retest control cohorts, with demographic characteristics matched. The retest control cohorts underwent all testing but no training. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Interventions Training cohort participants completed 3 modules cultivating interoception and attention (Presence), compassion (Affect), or perspective taking (Perspective). Main Outcomes and Measures Change in LTL and CT. Results Of the 362 individuals randomized, 30 participants dropped out before study initiation (initial sample, 332). Data were available for analysis of the training intervention in 298 participants (n = 222 training; n = 76 retest control) (175 women [58.7%]; mean [SD] age, 40.5 [9.3] years). The training modules had no effect on LTL. In 699 observations from all 298 participants, mean estimated changes in the relative ratios of telomere repeat copy number to single-copy gene (T/S) were for no training, 0.004 (95% CI, -0.010 to 0.018); Presence, -0.007 (95% CI, -0.025 to 0.011); Affect, -0.005 (95% CI, -0.019 to 0.010); and Perspective, -0.001 (95% CI, -0.017 to 0.016). Cortical thickness change data were analyzed in 167 observations from 67 retest control participants (37 women [55.2%], mean [SD] age, 39.6 [9.0] years). In this retest control cohort subsample, naturally occurring LTL change was related to CT change in the left precuneus extending to the posterior cingulate cortex (mean t161 = 3.22; P < .001; r = 0.246). At the individual participant level, leukocyte telomere shortening as well as lengthening were observed. Leukocyte telomere shortening was related to cortical thinning (t77 = 2.38; P = .01; r = 0.262), and leukocyte telomere lengthening was related to cortical thickening (t77 = 2.42; P = .009; r = 0.266). All analyses controlled for age, sex, and body mass index. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this trial indicate an association between short-term change in LTL and concomitant change in plasticity of the left precuneus extending to the posterior cingulate cortex. This result contributes to the evidence that LTL changes more dynamically on the individual level than previously thought. Further studies are needed to determine potential long-term implications of such change in relation to cellular aging and the development of neurodegenerative disorders. No effect of contemplative mental training was noted in what may be, to date, the longest intervention with healthy adults. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01833104.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M. C. Puhlmann
- Research Group, “Social Stress and Family Health,” Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sofie L. Valk
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain & Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Research Group, “Social Stress and Family Health,” Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Boris C. Bernhardt
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Pascal Vrtička
- Research Group, “Social Stress and Family Health,” Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Uribe C, Puig-Davi A, Abos A, Baggio HC, Junque C, Segura B. Neuroanatomical and Functional Correlates of Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Young Healthy Adults. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:85. [PMID: 31118891 PMCID: PMC6504763 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural substrates of empathy are mainly investigated through task-related functional MRI. However, the functional neural mechanisms at rest underlying the empathic response have been poorly studied. We aimed to investigate neuroanatomical and functional substrates of cognitive and affective empathy. The self-reported empathy questionnaire Cognitive and Affective Empathy Test (TECA), T1 and T2∗-weighted 3-Tesla MRI were obtained from 22 healthy young females (mean age: 19.6 ± 2.4) and 20 males (mean age: 22.5 ± 4.4). Groups of low and high empathy were established for each scale. FreeSurfer v6.0 was used to estimate cortical thickness and to automatically segment the subcortical structures. FSL v5.0.10 was used to compare resting-state connectivity differences between empathy groups in six defined regions: the orbitofrontal, cingulate, and insular cortices, and the amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus using a non-parametric permutation approach. The high empathy group in the Perspective Taking subscale (cognitive empathy) had greater thickness in the left orbitofrontal and ventrolateral frontal cortices, bilateral anterior cingulate, superior frontal, and occipital regions. Within the affective empathy scales, subjects with high Empathic Distress had higher thalamic volumes than the low-empathy group. Regarding resting-state connectivity analyses, low-empathy individuals in the Empathic Happiness scale had increased connectivity between the orbitofrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate when compared with the high-empathy group. In conclusion, from a structural point of view, there is a clear dissociation between the brain correlates of affective and cognitive factors of empathy. Neocortical correlates were found for the cognitive empathy dimension, whereas affective empathy is related to lower volumes in subcortical structures. Functionally, affective empathy is linked to connectivity between the orbital and cingulate cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carme Uribe
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arnau Puig-Davi
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandra Abos
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hugo C Baggio
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Junque
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Barbara Segura
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Qi T, Schaadt G, Cafiero R, Brauer J, Skeide MA, Friederici AD. The emergence of long-range language network structural covariance and language abilities. Neuroimage 2019; 191:36-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin G. DeYoung
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Robert F. Krueger
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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22
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Patil I, Zanon M, Novembre G, Zangrando N, Chittaro L, Silani G. Neuroanatomical basis of concern-based altruism in virtual environment. Neuropsychologia 2018; 116:34-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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23
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Lumma AL, Valk SL, Böckler A, Vrtička P, Singer T. Change in emotional self-concept following socio-cognitive training relates to structural plasticity of the prefrontal cortex. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00940. [PMID: 29670822 PMCID: PMC5893336 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Self-referential processing is a key component of the emotional self-concept. Previous studies have shown that emotional self-referential processing is related to structure and function of cortical midline areas such as medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and that it can be altered on a behavioral level by specific mental training practices. However, it remains unknown how behavioral training-related change in emotional self-concept content relates to structural plasticity. METHODS To address this issue, we examined the relationship between training-induced change in participant's emotional self-concept measured through emotional word use in the Twenty Statement Test and change in cortical thickness in the context of a large-scale longitudinal mental training study called the ReSource Project. RESULTS Based on prior behavioral findings showing increased emotional word use particularly after socio-cognitive training targeting perspective-taking capacities, this study extended these results by revealing that individual differences in the degree to which participants changed their emotional self-concept after training was positively related to cortical thickness change in right mPFC extending to dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC). Furthermore, increased self-related negative emotional word use after training was positively associated with cortical thickness change in left pars orbitalis and bilateral dlPFC. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal training-related structural brain change in regions known to be involved in self-referential processing and cognitive control, and could indicate a relationship between restructuring of the emotional self-concept content as well as reappraisal of negative aspects and cortical thickness change. As such, our findings can guide the development of psychological interventions targeted to alter specific facets of the self-concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Lumma
- Department of Social Neuroscience Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany.,Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy University of Witten/Herdecke Witten Germany
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Department of Social Neuroscience Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Social Neuroscience Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany.,Department of Psychology III University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Pascal Vrtička
- Department of Social Neuroscience Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Department of Social Neuroscience Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany
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24
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Neural correlates of impaired self-regulation in male youths with autism spectrum disorder: A voxel-based morphometry study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 82:233-241. [PMID: 29129723 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although recent studies revealed impaired self-regulation (dysregulation) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neural correlates of dysregulation and its impacts on autistic neuroanatomy remain unclear. Voxel-based morphometry was applied on structural MRI images in 81 ASD and 61 typically developing (TD) boys aged 7-17years. Dysregulation was defined by the sum of T-scores of Attention, Aggression, and Anxiety/Depression subscales in the Child Behavior Checklist>180. There were 53 and 28 boys in the ASD+Dysregulation and ASD-Dysregulation groups, respectively. First, we compared regional gray matter (GM) volume for ASD and TD. Second, we investigated regional GM volumetric differences among the ASD+Dysregulation, ASD-Dysregulation and TD groups. Lastly, shared and distinct neurostructural correlates of dysregulation were investigated in the ASD and TD groups. The ASD-TD difference on neuroanatomy no longer existed after controlling the dysregulation severity. ASD+Dysregulation had larger regional GM volumes in the right fusiform gyrus, and smaller GM volumes in the anterior prefrontal cortex than ASD-Dysregulation and TD, respectively. ASD+Dysregulation had smaller GM volumes in the left lateral occipital/superior parietal cortex than TD boys. No GM difference was identified between ASD-Dysregulation and TD. ASD and TD had a shared association between GM volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex and dysregulation levels. Our findings suggest that atypical neuroanatomy associated with ASD might partially reflect a disproportionate level of impaired self-regulation. Categorical and dimensional considerations of dysregulation should be implemented in future ASD studies.
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25
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Winter K, Spengler S, Bermpohl F, Singer T, Kanske P. Social cognition in aggressive offenders: Impaired empathy, but intact theory of mind. Sci Rep 2017; 7:670. [PMID: 28386118 PMCID: PMC5429629 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00745-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive, violent behaviour is a major burden and challenge for society. It has been linked to deficits in social understanding, but the evidence is inconsistent and the specifics of such deficits are unclear. Here, we investigated affective (empathy) and cognitive (Theory of Mind) routes to understanding other people in aggressive individuals. Twenty-nine men with a history of legally relevant aggressive behaviour (i.e. serious assault) and 32 control participants were tested using a social video task (EmpaToM) that differentiates empathy and Theory of Mind and completed questionnaires on aggression and alexithymia. Aggressive participants showed reduced empathic responses to emotional videos of others' suffering, which correlated with aggression severity. Theory of Mind performance, in contrast, was intact. A mediation analysis revealed that reduced empathy in aggressive men was mediated by alexithymia. These findings stress the importance of distinguishing between socio-affective and socio-cognitive deficits for understanding aggressive behaviour and thereby contribute to the development of more efficient treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korina Winter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapie, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Krankenhaus d. Maßregelvollzugs Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephanie Spengler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapie, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Bermpohl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapie, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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26
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The Neurobiology of Human Attachments. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:80-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 380] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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27
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Mitchell RLC, Jazdzyk A, Stets M, Kotz SA. Recruitment of Language-, Emotion- and Speech-Timing Associated Brain Regions for Expressing Emotional Prosody: Investigation of Functional Neuroanatomy with fMRI. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:518. [PMID: 27803656 PMCID: PMC5067951 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to progress understanding of prosodic emotion expression by establishing brain regions active when expressing specific emotions, those activated irrespective of the target emotion, and those whose activation intensity varied depending on individual performance. BOLD contrast data were acquired whilst participants spoke non-sense words in happy, angry or neutral tones, or performed jaw-movements. Emotion-specific analyses demonstrated that when expressing angry prosody, activated brain regions included the inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri, the insula, and the basal ganglia. When expressing happy prosody, the activated brain regions also included the superior temporal gyrus, insula, and basal ganglia, with additional activation in the anterior cingulate. Conjunction analysis confirmed that the superior temporal gyrus and basal ganglia were activated regardless of the specific emotion concerned. Nevertheless, disjunctive comparisons between the expression of angry and happy prosody established that anterior cingulate activity was significantly higher for angry prosody than for happy prosody production. Degree of inferior frontal gyrus activity correlated with the ability to express the target emotion through prosody. We conclude that expressing prosodic emotions (vs. neutral intonation) requires generic brain regions involved in comprehending numerous aspects of language, emotion-related processes such as experiencing emotions, and in the time-critical integration of speech information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L C Mitchell
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London London, UK
| | | | - Manuela Stets
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex Colchester, UK
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Section of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
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28
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Kanske P, Böckler A, Trautwein FM, Parianen Lesemann FH, Singer T. Are strong empathizers better mentalizers? Evidence for independence and interaction between the routes of social cognition. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:1383-92. [PMID: 27129794 PMCID: PMC5015801 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the processes that underlie sharing others' emotions (empathy) and understanding others' mental states (mentalizing, Theory of Mind) have received increasing attention, it is yet unclear how they relate to each other. For instance, are people who strongly empathize with others also more proficient in mentalizing? And (how) do the neural networks supporting empathy and mentalizing interact? Assessing both functions simultaneously in a large sample (N = 178), we show that people's capacities to empathize and mentalize are independent, both on a behavioral and neural level. Thus, strong empathizers are not necessarily proficient mentalizers, arguing against a general capacity of social understanding. Second, we applied dynamic causal modeling to investigate how the neural networks underlying empathy and mentalizing are orchestrated in naturalistic social settings. Results reveal that in highly emotional situations, empathic sharing can inhibit mentalizing-related activity and thereby harm mentalizing performance. Taken together, our findings speak against a unitary construct of social understanding and suggest flexible interplay of distinct social functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Kanske
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany Department of Psychology, Würzburg University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franca H Parianen Lesemann
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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29
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Valk SL, Bernhardt BC, Böckler A, Kanske P, Singer T. Substrates of metacognition on perception and metacognition on higher-order cognition relate to different subsystems of the mentalizing network. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:3388-99. [PMID: 27151776 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have the ability to reflect upon their perception, thoughts, and actions, known as metacognition (MC). The brain basis of MC is incompletely understood, and it is debated whether MC on different processes is subserved by common or divergent networks. We combined behavioral phenotyping with multi-modal neuroimaging to investigate whether structural substrates of individual differences in MC on higher-order cognition (MC-C) are dissociable from those underlying MC on perceptual accuracy (MC-P). Motivated by conceptual work suggesting a link between MC and cognitive perspective taking, we furthermore tested for overlaps between MC substrates and mentalizing networks. In a large sample of healthy adults, individual differences in MC-C and MC-P did not correlate. MRI-based cortical thickness mapping revealed a structural basis of this independence, by showing that individual differences in MC-P related to right prefrontal cortical thickness, while MC-C scores correlated with measures in lateral prefrontal, temporo-parietal, and posterior midline regions. Surface-based superficial white matter diffusivity analysis revealed substrates resembling those seen for cortical thickness, confirming the divergence of both MC faculties using an independent imaging marker. Despite their specificity, substrates of MC-C and MC-P fell clearly within networks known to participate in mentalizing, confirmed by task-based fMRI in the same subjects, previous meta-analytical findings, and ad-hoc Neurosynth-based meta-analyses. Our integrative multi-method approach indicates domain-specific substrates of MC; despite their divergence, these nevertheless likely rely on component processes mediated by circuits also involved in mentalizing. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3388-3399, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie L Valk
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Neuroimaging of Epilepsy Lab and McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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