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Fu Y, Xue L, Niu M, Gao Y, Huang Y, Zhang H, Tian M, Zhuo C. Sex-dependent nonlinear Granger connectivity patterns of brain aging in healthy population. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 135:111088. [PMID: 39033955 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain aging is a complex process that involves functional alterations in multiple subnetworks and brain regions. However, most previous studies investigating aging-related functional connectivity (FC) changes using resting-state functional magnetic resonance images (rs-fMRIs) have primarily focused on the linear correlation between brain subnetworks, ignoring the nonlinear casual properties of fMRI signals. METHODS We introduced the neural Granger causality technique to investigate the sex-dependent nonlinear Granger connectivity (NGC) during aging on a publicly available dataset of 227 healthy participants acquired cross-sectionally in Leipzig, Germany. RESULTS Our findings indicate that brain aging may cause widespread declines in NGC at both regional and subnetwork scales. These findings exhibit high reproducibility across different network sparsities, demonstrating the efficacy of static and dynamic analysis strategies. Females exhibit greater heterogeneity and reduced stability in NGC compared to males during aging, especially the NGC between the visual network and other subnetworks. Besides, NGC strengths can well reflect the individual cognitive function, which may therefore work as a sensitive metric in cognition-related experiments for individual-scale or group-scale mechanism understanding. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that NGC analysis is a potent tool for identifying sex-dependent brain aging patterns. Our results offer valuable perspectives that could substantially enhance the understanding of sex differences in neurological diseases in the future, especially in degenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Fu
- Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Le Xue
- Huashan Hospital and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Niu
- Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | | | | | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Mei Tian
- Huashan Hospital and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Nippert KE, Rowland CP, Vazey EM, Moorman DE. Alcohol, flexible behavior, and the prefrontal cortex: Functional changes underlying impaired cognitive flexibility. Neuropharmacology 2024; 260:110114. [PMID: 39134298 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility enables individuals to alter their behavior in response to changing environmental demands, facilitating optimal behavior in a dynamic world. The inability to do this, called behavioral inflexibility, is a pervasive behavioral phenotype in alcohol use disorder (AUD), driven by disruptions in cognitive flexibility. Research has repeatedly shown that behavioral inflexibility not only results from alcohol exposure across species but can itself be predictive of future drinking. Like many high-level executive functions, flexible behavior requires healthy functioning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The scope of this review addresses two primary themes: first, we outline tasks that have been used to investigate flexibility in the context of AUD or AUD models. We characterize these based on the task features and underlying cognitive processes that differentiate them from one another. We highlight the neural basis of flexibility measures, focusing on the PFC, and how acute or chronic alcohol in humans and non-human animal models impacts flexibility. Second, we consolidate findings on the molecular, physiological and functional changes in the PFC elicited by alcohol, that may contribute to cognitive flexibility deficits seen in AUD. Collectively, this approach identifies several key avenues for future research that will facilitate effective treatments to promote flexible behavior in the context of AUD, to reduce the risk of alcohol related harm, and to improve outcomes following AUD. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Nippert
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Courtney P Rowland
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - David E Moorman
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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3
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Serio B, Hettwer MD, Wiersch L, Bignardi G, Sacher J, Weis S, Eickhoff SB, Valk SL. Sex differences in functional cortical organization reflect differences in network topology rather than cortical morphometry. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7714. [PMID: 39231965 PMCID: PMC11375086 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51942-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Differences in brain size between the sexes are consistently reported. However, the consequences of this anatomical difference on sex differences in intrinsic brain function remain unclear. In the current study, we investigate whether sex differences in intrinsic cortical functional organization may be associated with differences in cortical morphometry, namely different measures of brain size, microstructure, and the geodesic distance of connectivity profiles. For this, we compute a low dimensional representation of functional cortical organization, the sensory-association axis, and identify widespread sex differences. Contrary to our expectations, sex differences in functional organization do not appear to be systematically associated with differences in total surface area, microstructural organization, or geodesic distance, despite these morphometric properties being per se associated with functional organization and differing between sexes. Instead, functional sex differences in the sensory-association axis are associated with differences in functional connectivity profiles and network topology. Collectively, our findings suggest that sex differences in functional cortical organization extend beyond sex differences in cortical morphometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Serio
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Meike D Hettwer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lisa Wiersch
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Brain-Based Predictive Modeling Lab, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Glen Oaks, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giacomo Bignardi
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Sacher
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig Center for Female Health & Gender Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susanne Weis
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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4
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Arenaza‐Urquijo EM, Boyle R, Casaletto K, Anstey KJ, Vila‐Castelar C, Colverson A, Palpatzis E, Eissman JM, Kheng Siang Ng T, Raghavan S, Akinci M, Vonk JMJ, Machado LS, Zanwar PP, Shrestha HL, Wagner M, Tamburin S, Sohrabi HR, Loi S, Bartrés‐Faz D, Dubal DB, Vemuri P, Okonkwo O, Hohman TJ, Ewers M, Buckley RF. Sex and gender differences in cognitive resilience to aging and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:5695-5719. [PMID: 38967222 PMCID: PMC11350140 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13844] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Sex and gender-biological and social constructs-significantly impact the prevalence of protective and risk factors, influencing the burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD; amyloid beta and tau) and other pathologies (e.g., cerebrovascular disease) which ultimately shape cognitive trajectories. Understanding the interplay of these factors is central to understanding resilience and resistance mechanisms explaining maintained cognitive function and reduced pathology accumulation in aging and AD. In this narrative review, the ADDRESS! Special Interest Group (Alzheimer's Association) adopted a multidisciplinary approach to provide the foundations and recommendations for future research into sex- and gender-specific drivers of resilience, including a sex/gender-oriented review of risk factors, genetics, AD and non-AD pathologies, brain structure and function, and animal research. We urge the field to adopt a sex/gender-aware approach to resilience to advance our understanding of the intricate interplay of biological and social determinants and consider sex/gender-specific resilience throughout disease stages. HIGHLIGHTS: Sex differences in resilience to cognitive decline vary by age and cognitive status. Initial evidence supports sex-specific distinctions in brain pathology. Findings suggest sex differences in the impact of pathology on cognition. There is a sex-specific change in resilience in the transition to clinical stages. Gender and sex factors warrant study: modifiable, immune, inflammatory, and vascular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eider M. Arenaza‐Urquijo
- Environment and Health Over the Life Course Programme, Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health ProgrammeBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)BarcelonaSpain
- University of Pompeu FabraBarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Rory Boyle
- Massachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Kaitlin Casaletto
- Department of NeurologyMemory and Aging CenterUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kaarin J. Anstey
- University of New South Wales Ageing Futures InstituteSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Psychology, University of New South WalesSidneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Aaron Colverson
- University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine Interdisciplinary Research LabUniversity of Florida, Center of Arts in MedicineGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Eleni Palpatzis
- Environment and Health Over the Life Course Programme, Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health ProgrammeBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)BarcelonaSpain
- University of Pompeu FabraBarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Jaclyn M. Eissman
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Department of NeurologyVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Vanderbilt Genetics InstituteVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Ted Kheng Siang Ng
- Rush Institute for Healthy Aging and Department of Internal MedicineRush University Medical CenterChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | | | - Muge Akinci
- Environment and Health Over the Life Course Programme, Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health ProgrammeBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)BarcelonaSpain
- University of Pompeu FabraBarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Jet M. J. Vonk
- Department of NeurologyMemory and Aging CenterUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Luiza S. Machado
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, FarroupilhaPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Preeti P. Zanwar
- Jefferson College of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- The Network on Life Course and Health Dynamics and Disparities, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Maude Wagner
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical CenterChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Stefano Tamburin
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement SciencesUniversity of VeronaVeronaItaly
| | - Hamid R. Sohrabi
- Centre for Healthy AgeingHealth Future InstituteMurdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Psychology, Murdoch UniversityMurdochWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Samantha Loi
- Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne HospitalParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - David Bartrés‐Faz
- Department of MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences & Institut de NeurociènciesUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques (IDIBAPS)BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la Universitat Autónoma de BarcelonaBadalonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Dena B. Dubal
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute of NeurosciencesUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Biomedical and Neurosciences Graduate ProgramsUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Ozioma Okonkwo
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Department of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Timothy J. Hohman
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Department of NeurologyVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Vanderbilt Genetics InstituteVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Michael Ewers
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia ResearchKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians Universität (LMU)MunichGermany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE, Munich)MunichGermany
| | - Rachel F. Buckley
- Massachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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5
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Jacob SM, Lee S, Kim SH, Sharkey KA, Pfeffer G, Nguyen MD. Brain-body mechanisms contribute to sexual dimorphism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:475-494. [PMID: 38965379 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00991-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of human motor neuron disease. It is characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, leading to generalized motor weakness and, ultimately, respiratory paralysis and death within 3-5 years. The disease is shaped by genetics, age, sex and environmental stressors, but no cure or routine biomarkers exist for the disease. Male individuals have a higher propensity to develop ALS, and a different manifestation of the disease phenotype, than female individuals. However, the mechanisms underlying these sex differences remain a mystery. In this Review, we summarize the epidemiology of ALS, examine the sexually dimorphic presentation of the disease and highlight the genetic variants and molecular pathways that might contribute to sex differences in humans and animal models of ALS. We advance the idea that sexual dimorphism in ALS arises from the interactions between the CNS and peripheral organs, involving vascular, metabolic, endocrine, musculoskeletal and immune systems, which are strikingly different between male and female individuals. Finally, we review the response to treatments in ALS and discuss the potential to implement future personalized therapeutic strategies for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Jacob
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sukyoung Lee
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, Hanyang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Keith A Sharkey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gerald Pfeffer
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Minh Dang Nguyen
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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6
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Peng L, Su J, Hu D, Yu Y, Wei H, Li M. Measuring functional connectivity in frequency-domain helps to better characterize brain function. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26726. [PMID: 38949487 PMCID: PMC11215841 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) is widely used in multivariate pattern analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), including identifying the locations of putative brain functional borders, predicting individual phenotypes, and diagnosing clinical mental diseases. However, limited attention has been paid to the analysis of functional interactions from a frequency perspective. In this study, by contrasting coherence-based and correlation-based FC with two machine learning tasks, we observed that measuring FC in the frequency domain helped to identify finer functional subregions and achieve better pattern discrimination capability relative to the temporal correlation. This study has proven the feasibility of coherence in the analysis of fMRI, and the results indicate that modeling functional interactions in the frequency domain may provide richer information than that in the time domain, which may provide a new perspective on the analysis of functional neuroimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Peng
- College of Intelligence Science and TechnologyNational University of Defense TechnologyChangshaChina
| | - Jianpo Su
- College of Intelligence Science and TechnologyNational University of Defense TechnologyChangshaChina
| | - Dewen Hu
- College of Intelligence Science and TechnologyNational University of Defense TechnologyChangshaChina
| | - Yang Yu
- College of Intelligence Science and TechnologyNational University of Defense TechnologyChangshaChina
| | - Huilin Wei
- Systems Engineering InstituteAcademy of Military SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ming Li
- College of Intelligence Science and TechnologyNational University of Defense TechnologyChangshaChina
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7
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Dhamala E, Bassett DS, Yeo T, Holmes AJ. Functional brain networks are associated with both sex and gender in children. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn4202. [PMID: 38996031 PMCID: PMC11244548 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn4202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Sex and gender are associated with human behavior throughout the life span and across health and disease, but whether they are associated with similar or distinct neural phenotypes is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that, in children, sex and gender are uniquely reflected in the intrinsic functional connectivity of the brain. Somatomotor, visual, control, and limbic networks are preferentially associated with sex, while network correlates of gender are more distributed throughout the cortex. These results suggest that sex and gender are irreducible to one another not only in society but also in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvisha Dhamala
- Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Uniondale, NY, USA
| | - Dani S. Bassett
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Thomas Yeo
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Avram J. Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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8
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Omidvarnia A, Sasse L, Larabi DI, Raimondo F, Hoffstaedter F, Kasper J, Dukart J, Petersen M, Cheng B, Thomalla G, Eickhoff SB, Patil KR. Individual characteristics outperform resting-state fMRI for the prediction of behavioral phenotypes. Commun Biol 2024; 7:771. [PMID: 38926486 PMCID: PMC11208538 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06438-5] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to compare imaging-based features of brain function, measured by resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI), with individual characteristics such as age, gender, and total intracranial volume to predict behavioral measures. We developed a machine learning framework based on rsfMRI features in a dataset of 20,000 healthy individuals from the UK Biobank, focusing on temporal complexity and functional connectivity measures. Our analysis across four behavioral phenotypes revealed that both temporal complexity and functional connectivity measures provide comparable predictive performance. However, individual characteristics consistently outperformed rsfMRI features in predictive accuracy, particularly in analyses involving smaller sample sizes. Integrating rsfMRI features with demographic data sometimes enhanced predictive outcomes. The efficacy of different predictive modeling techniques and the choice of brain parcellation atlas were also examined, showing no significant influence on the results. To summarize, while individual characteristics are superior to rsfMRI in predicting behavioral phenotypes, rsfMRI still conveys additional predictive value in the context of machine learning, such as investigating the role of specific brain regions in behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Omidvarnia
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany.
| | - Leonard Sasse
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Stephanstrasse 1a, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daouia I Larabi
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Federico Raimondo
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Jan Kasper
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Jürgen Dukart
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Marvin Petersen
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie, Kopf- und Neurozentrum, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bastian Cheng
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie, Kopf- und Neurozentrum, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Götz Thomalla
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie, Kopf- und Neurozentrum, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, Jülich, 52428, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
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9
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Zarifkar P, Wagner MK, Fisher PM, Stenbæk DS, Berg SK, Knudsen GM, Benros ME, Kondziella D, Hassager C. Brain network changes and cognitive function after cardiac arrest. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae174. [PMID: 39045091 PMCID: PMC11264146 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae174] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Survival rates after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have improved over the past two decades. Despite this progress, long-term cognitive impairment remains prevalent even in those with early recovery of consciousness after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; however, little is known about the determinants and underlying mechanisms. We utilized the REcovery after cardiac arrest surVIVAL cohort of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors who fully regained consciousness to correlate cognition measurements with brain network changes using resting-state functional MRI and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment at hospital discharge and a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment at three-month follow-up. About half of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors displayed cognitive impairments at discharge, and in most, cognitive deficits persisted at three-month follow-up, particularly in the executive and visuospatial functions. Compared to healthy controls, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors exhibited increased connectivity between resting-state networks, particularly involving the frontoparietal network. The increased connectivity between the frontoparietal and visual networks was associated with less favourable cognitive outcomes (β = 14.0, P = 0.01), while higher education seemed to confer some cognitive protection (β = -2.06, P = 0.03). In sum, the data highlight the importance of subtle cognitive impairment, also in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors who are eligible for home discharge, and the potential of functional MRI to identify alterations in brain networks correlating with cognitive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pardis Zarifkar
- Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Kirstine Wagner
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Patrick MacDonald Fisher
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dea Siggaard Stenbæk
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Selina Kikkenborg Berg
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte Moos Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael E Benros
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Copenhagen Research Centre for Biological and Precision Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2870 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Hassager
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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10
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Matte Bon G, Kraft D, Comasco E, Derntl B, Kaufmann T. Modeling brain sex in the limbic system as phenotype for female-prevalent mental disorders. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:42. [PMID: 38750598 PMCID: PMC11097569 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences exist in the prevalence and clinical manifestation of several mental disorders, suggesting that sex-specific brain phenotypes may play key roles. Previous research used machine learning models to classify sex from imaging data of the whole brain and studied the association of class probabilities with mental health, potentially overlooking regional specific characteristics. METHODS We here investigated if a regionally constrained model of brain volumetric imaging data may provide estimates that are more sensitive to mental health than whole brain-based estimates. Given its known role in emotional processing and mood disorders, we focused on the limbic system. Using two different cohorts of healthy subjects, the Human Connectome Project and the Queensland Twin IMaging, we investigated sex differences and heritability of brain volumes of limbic structures compared to non-limbic structures, and subsequently applied regionally constrained machine learning models trained solely on limbic or non-limbic features. To investigate the biological underpinnings of such models, we assessed the heritability of the obtained sex class probability estimates, and we investigated the association with major depression diagnosis in an independent clinical sample. All analyses were performed both with and without controlling for estimated total intracranial volume (eTIV). RESULTS Limbic structures show greater sex differences and are more heritable compared to non-limbic structures in both analyses, with and without eTIV control. Consequently, machine learning models performed well at classifying sex based solely on limbic structures and achieved performance as high as those on non-limbic or whole brain data, despite the much smaller number of features in the limbic system. The resulting class probabilities were heritable, suggesting potentially meaningful underlying biological information. Applied to an independent population with major depressive disorder, we found that depression is associated with male-female class probabilities, with largest effects obtained using the limbic model. This association was significant for models not controlling for eTIV whereas in those controlling for eTIV the associations did not pass significance correction. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results highlight the potential utility of regionally constrained models of brain sex to better understand the link between sex differences in the brain and mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Matte Bon
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Dominik Kraft
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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11
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Madar A, Kurtz-David V, Hakim A, Levy DJ, Tavor I. Pre-acquired Functional Connectivity Predicts Choice Inconsistency. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0453232024. [PMID: 38508713 PMCID: PMC11063819 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0453-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Economic choice theories usually assume that humans maximize utility in their choices. However, studies have shown that humans make inconsistent choices, leading to suboptimal behavior, even without context-dependent manipulations. Previous studies showed that activation in value and motor networks are associated with inconsistent choices at the moment of choice. Here, we investigated if the neural predispositions, measured before a choice task, can predict choice inconsistency in a later risky choice task. Using functional connectivity (FC) measures from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), derived before any choice was made, we aimed to predict subjects' inconsistency levels in a later-performed choice task. We hypothesized that rsfMRI FC measures extracted from value and motor brain areas would predict inconsistency. Forty subjects (21 females) completed a rsfMRI scan before performing a risky choice task. We compared models that were trained on FC that included only hypothesized value and motor regions with models trained on whole-brain FC. We found that both model types significantly predicted inconsistency levels. Moreover, even the whole-brain models relied mostly on FC between value and motor areas. For external validation, we used a neural network pretrained on FC matrices of 37,000 subjects and fine-tuned it on our data and again showed significant predictions. Together, this shows that the tendency for choice inconsistency is predicted by predispositions of the nervous system and that synchrony between the motor and value networks plays a crucial role in this tendency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asaf Madar
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Vered Kurtz-David
- Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, New York 10016
| | - Adam Hakim
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Dino J Levy
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ido Tavor
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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12
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Sorooshyari SK. Beyond network connectivity: A classification approach to brain age prediction with resting-state fMRI. Neuroimage 2024; 290:120570. [PMID: 38467344 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The brain is a complex, dynamic organ that shows differences in the same subject at various periods. Understanding how brain activity changes across age as a function of the brain networks has been greatly abetted by fMRI. Canonical analysis consists of determining how alterations in connectivity patterns (CPs) of certain regions are affected. An alternative approach is taken here by not considering connectivity but rather features computed from recordings at the regions of interest (ROIs). Using machine learning (ML) we assess how neural signals are altered by and prospectively predictive of age and sex via a methodology that is novel in drawing upon pairwise classification across six decades of subjects' chronological ages. ML is used to answer the equally important questions of what properties of the computed features are most predictive as well as which brain networks are most affected by aging. It was found that there is decreased differentiation among the neural signals of older subjects that are separated in age by the same number of years as younger subjects. Furthermore, the burstiness of the signals change at different rates between males and females. The findings provide insight into brain aging via an ROI-based analysis, the consideration of several feature groups, and a novel classification-based ML pipeline. There is also a contribution to understanding the effects of data aggregated from different recording centers on the conclusions of fMRI studies.
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13
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Wiersch L, Friedrich P, Hamdan S, Komeyer V, Hoffstaedter F, Patil KR, Eickhoff SB, Weis S. Sex classification from functional brain connectivity: Generalization to multiple datasets. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26683. [PMID: 38647035 PMCID: PMC11034006 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) approaches are increasingly being applied to neuroimaging data. Studies in neuroscience typically have to rely on a limited set of training data which may impair the generalizability of ML models. However, it is still unclear which kind of training sample is best suited to optimize generalization performance. In the present study, we systematically investigated the generalization performance of sex classification models trained on the parcelwise connectivity profile of either single samples or compound samples of two different sizes. Generalization performance was quantified in terms of mean across-sample classification accuracy and spatial consistency of accurately classifying parcels. Our results indicate that the generalization performance of parcelwise classifiers (pwCs) trained on single dataset samples is dependent on the specific test samples. Certain datasets seem to "match" in the sense that classifiers trained on a sample from one dataset achieved a high accuracy when tested on the respected other one and vice versa. The pwCs trained on the compound samples demonstrated overall highest generalization performance for all test samples, including one derived from a dataset not included in building the training samples. Thus, our results indicate that both a large sample size and a heterogeneous data composition of a training sample have a central role in achieving generalizable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wiersch
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Patrick Friedrich
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Sami Hamdan
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Vera Komeyer
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural SciencesHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Kaustubh R. Patil
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Simon B. Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Susanne Weis
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐7: Brain and Behaviour)Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
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14
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Kopetzky SJ, Li Y, Kaiser M, Butz-Ostendorf M. Predictability of intelligence and age from structural connectomes. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301599. [PMID: 38557681 PMCID: PMC10984540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, structural images of 1048 healthy subjects from the Human Connectome Project Young Adult study and 94 from ADNI-3 study were processed by an in-house tractography pipeline and analyzed together with pre-processed data of the same subjects from braingraph.org. Whole brain structural connectome features were used to build a simple correlation-based regression machine learning model to predict intelligence and age of healthy subjects. Our results showed that different forms of intelligence as well as age are predictable to a certain degree from diffusion tensor imaging detecting anatomical fiber tracts in the living human brain. Though we did not identify significant differences in the prediction capability for the investigated features depending on the imaging feature extraction method, we did find that crystallized intelligence was consistently better predictable than fluid intelligence from structural connectivity data through all datasets. Our findings suggest a practical and scalable processing and analysis framework to explore broader research topics employing brain MR imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian J. Kopetzky
- Labvantage—Biomax GmbH, Planegg, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Yong Li
- Labvantage—Biomax GmbH, Planegg, Germany
| | - Marcus Kaiser
- Precision Imaging Beacon, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Rui Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Markus Butz-Ostendorf
- Labvantage—Biomax GmbH, Planegg, Germany
- Laboratory for Parallel Programming, Department of Computer Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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15
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Jockwitz C, Krämer C, Dellani P, Caspers S. Differential predictability of cognitive profiles from brain structure in older males and females. GeroScience 2024; 46:1713-1730. [PMID: 37730943 PMCID: PMC10828131 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00934-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Structural brain imaging parameters may successfully predict cognitive performance in neurodegenerative diseases but mostly fail to predict cognitive abilities in healthy older adults. One important aspect contributing to this might be sex differences. Behaviorally, older males and females have been found to differ in terms of cognitive profiles, which cannot be captured by examining them as one homogenous group. In the current study, we examined whether the prediction of cognitive performance from brain structure, i.e. region-wise grey matter volume (GMV), would benefit from the investigation of sex-specific cognitive profiles in a large sample of older adults (1000BRAINS; N = 634; age range 55-85 years). Prediction performance was assessed using a machine learning (ML) approach. Targets represented a) a whole-sample cognitive component solution extracted from males and females, and b) sex-specific cognitive components. Results revealed a generally low predictability of cognitive profiles from region-wise GMV. In males, low predictability was observed across both, the whole sample as well as sex-specific cognitive components. In females, however, predictability differences across sex-specific cognitive components were observed, i.e. visual working memory (WM) and executive functions showed higher predictability than fluency and verbal WM. Hence, results accentuated that addressing sex-specific cognitive profiles allowed a more fine-grained investigation of predictability differences, which may not be observable in the prediction of the whole-sample solution. The current findings not only emphasize the need to further investigate the predictive power of each cognitive component, but they also emphasize the importance of sex-specific analyses in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Jockwitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Camilla Krämer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paulo Dellani
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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16
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Wiersch L, Friedrich P, Hamdan S, Komeyer V, Hoffstaedter F, Patil KR, Eickhoff SB, Weis S. Sex classification from functional brain connectivity: Generalization to multiple datasets Generalizability of sex classifiers. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.30.555495. [PMID: 37693374 PMCID: PMC10491190 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.30.555495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) approaches are increasingly being applied to neuroimaging data. Studies in neuroscience typically have to rely on a limited set of training data which may impair the generalizability of ML models. However, it is still unclear which kind of training sample is best suited to optimize generalization performance. In the present study, we systematically investigated the generalization performance of sex classification models trained on the parcelwise connectivity profile of either single samples or a compound sample containing data from four different datasets. Generalization performance was quantified in terms of mean across-sample classification accuracy and spatial consistency of accurately classifying parcels. Our results indicate that generalization performance of pwCs trained on single dataset samples is dependent on the specific test samples. Certain datasets seem to "match" in the sense that classifiers trained on a sample from one dataset achieved a high accuracy when tested on the respected other one and vice versa. The pwC trained on the compound sample demonstrated overall highest generalization performance for all test samples, including one derived from a dataset not included in building the training samples. Thus, our results indicate that a big and heterogenous training sample comprising data of multiple datasets is best suited to achieve generalizable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wiersch
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Patrick Friedrich
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sami Hamdan
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Vera Komeyer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Susanne Weis
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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17
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Rabini G, Funghi G, Meli C, Pierotti E, Saviola F, Jovicich J, Dodich A, Papagno C, Turella L. Functional alterations in resting-state networks for Theory of Mind in Parkinson's disease. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1213-1226. [PMID: 37670685 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16145] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD), impairment of Theory of Mind (ToM) has recently attracted an increasing number of neuroscientific investigations. If and how functional connectivity of the ToM network is altered in PD is still an open question. First, we explored whether ToM network connectivity shows potential PD-specific functional alterations when compared to healthy controls (HC). Second, we tested the role of the duration of PD in the evolution of functional alterations in the ToM network. Between-group connectivity alterations were computed adopting resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data of four groups: PD patients with short disease duration (PD-1, n = 72); PD patients with long disease duration (PD-2, n = 22); healthy controls for PD-1 (HC-1, n = 69); healthy controls for PD-2 (HC-2, n = 22). We explored connectivity differences in the ToM network within and between its three subnetworks: Affective, Cognitive and Core. PD-1 presented a global pattern of decreased functional connectivity within the ToM network, compared to HC-1. The alterations mainly involved the Cognitive and Affective ToM subnetworks and their reciprocal connections. PD-2-those with longer disease duration-showed an increased connectivity spanning the entire ToM network, albeit less consistently in the Core ToM network, compared to both the PD-1 and the HC-2 groups. Functional connectivity within the ToM network is altered in PD. The alterations follow a graded pattern, with decreased connectivity at short disease duration, which broadens to a generalized increase with longer disease duration. The alterations involve both the Cognitive and Affective subnetworks of ToM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Rabini
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giulia Funghi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Claudia Meli
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Enrica Pierotti
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesca Saviola
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Jorge Jovicich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Costanza Papagno
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Luca Turella
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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18
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Ryali S, Zhang Y, de los Angeles C, Supekar K, Menon V. Deep learning models reveal replicable, generalizable, and behaviorally relevant sex differences in human functional brain organization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310012121. [PMID: 38377194 PMCID: PMC10907309 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310012121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex plays a crucial role in human brain development, aging, and the manifestation of psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, our understanding of sex differences in human functional brain organization and their behavioral consequences has been hindered by inconsistent findings and a lack of replication. Here, we address these challenges using a spatiotemporal deep neural network (stDNN) model to uncover latent functional brain dynamics that distinguish male and female brains. Our stDNN model accurately differentiated male and female brains, demonstrating consistently high cross-validation accuracy (>90%), replicability, and generalizability across multisession data from the same individuals and three independent cohorts (N ~ 1,500 young adults aged 20 to 35). Explainable AI (XAI) analysis revealed that brain features associated with the default mode network, striatum, and limbic network consistently exhibited significant sex differences (effect sizes > 1.5) across sessions and independent cohorts. Furthermore, XAI-derived brain features accurately predicted sex-specific cognitive profiles, a finding that was also independently replicated. Our results demonstrate that sex differences in functional brain dynamics are not only highly replicable and generalizable but also behaviorally relevant, challenging the notion of a continuum in male-female brain organization. Our findings underscore the crucial role of sex as a biological determinant in human brain organization, have significant implications for developing personalized sex-specific biomarkers in psychiatric and neurological disorders, and provide innovative AI-based computational tools for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanth Ryali
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Carlo de los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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19
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Krämer C, Stumme J, da Costa Campos L, Dellani P, Rubbert C, Caspers J, Caspers S, Jockwitz C. Prediction of cognitive performance differences in older age from multimodal neuroimaging data. GeroScience 2024; 46:283-308. [PMID: 37308769 PMCID: PMC10828156 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00831-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Differences in brain structure and functional and structural network architecture have been found to partly explain cognitive performance differences in older ages. Thus, they may serve as potential markers for these differences. Initial unimodal studies, however, have reported mixed prediction results of selective cognitive variables based on these brain features using machine learning (ML). Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the general validity of cognitive performance prediction from imaging data in healthy older adults. In particular, the focus was with examining whether (1) multimodal information, i.e., region-wise grey matter volume (GMV), resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), and structural connectivity (SC) estimates, may improve predictability of cognitive targets, (2) predictability differences arise for global cognition and distinct cognitive profiles, and (3) results generalize across different ML approaches in 594 healthy older adults (age range: 55-85 years) from the 1000BRAINS study. Prediction potential was examined for each modality and all multimodal combinations, with and without confound (i.e., age, education, and sex) regression across different analytic options, i.e., variations in algorithms, feature sets, and multimodal approaches (i.e., concatenation vs. stacking). Results showed that prediction performance differed considerably between deconfounding strategies. In the absence of demographic confounder control, successful prediction of cognitive performance could be observed across analytic choices. Combination of different modalities tended to marginally improve predictability of cognitive performance compared to single modalities. Importantly, all previously described effects vanished in the strict confounder control condition. Despite a small trend for a multimodal benefit, developing a biomarker for cognitive aging remains challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Krämer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Johanna Stumme
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lucas da Costa Campos
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paulo Dellani
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Rubbert
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Julian Caspers
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christiane Jockwitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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20
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Wang X, Huang CC, Tsai SJ, Lin CP, Cai Q. The aging trajectories of brain functional hierarchy and its impact on cognition across the adult lifespan. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1331574. [PMID: 38313436 PMCID: PMC10837851 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1331574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The hierarchical network architecture of the human brain, pivotal to cognition and behavior, can be explored via gradient analysis using restingstate functional MRI data. Although it has been employed to understand brain development and disorders, the impact of aging on this hierarchical architecture and its link to cognitive decline remains elusive. Methods This study utilized resting-state functional MRI data from 350 healthy adults (aged 20-85) to investigate the functional hierarchical network using connectome gradient analysis with a cross-age sliding window approach. Gradient-related metrics were estimated and correlated with age to evaluate trajectory of gradient changes across lifespan. Results The principal gradient (unimodal-to-transmodal) demonstrated a significant non-linear relationship with age, whereas the secondary gradient (visual-to-somatomotor) showed a simple linear decreasing pattern. Among the principal gradient, significant age-related changes were observed in the somatomotor, dorsal attention, limbic and default mode networks. The changes in the gradient scores of both the somatomotor and frontal-parietal networks were associated with greater working memory and visuospatial ability. Gender differences were found in global gradient metrics and gradient scores of somatomotor and default mode networks in the principal gradient, with no interaction with age effect. Discussion Our study delves into the aging trajectories of functional connectome gradient and its cognitive impact across the adult lifespan, providing insights for future research into the biological underpinnings of brain function and pathological models of atypical aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chu-Chung Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Po Lin
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Qing Cai
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
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21
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Chaudhary S, Hu S, Hu K, Dominguez JC, Chao HH, Li CSR. Sex differences in the effects of trait anxiety and age on resting-state functional connectivities of the amygdala. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2023; 14:100646. [PMID: 38105798 PMCID: PMC10723810 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2023.100646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous studies characterized how resting-state functional connectivities (rsFCs) of the amygdala were disrupted in emotional disorders and varied with emotional traits, including anxiety. With trait anxiety known to diminish with age, a critical issue concerns disambiguating the effects of age and anxiety on amygdala rsFCs in studying the neural bases of individual differences in anxiety. Methods Two-hundred adults (83 women) 19-85 years of age underwent fMRI and assessment for trait anxiety. Amygdala rsFC correlates were identified using multiple regression with age and anxiety in the same model for all and separately in men and women. The rsFC correlates were examined for age-anxiety interaction. Results Anxiety was negatively correlated with amygdala-temporooccipital gyri rsFC in all and in men alone. In women, amgydala rsFC with the thalamus/pallidum, angular/supramarginal gyri, inferior temporal gyrus, and posterior insula correlated positively and rsFC with calcarine cortex and caudate correlated negatively with anxiety. We also observed sex differences in age correlation of amgydala-posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus and -insula/temporoparietal rsFCs, with stronger associations in women. In women alone, anxiety and age interacted to determine amygdala rsFC with the thalamus/pallidum, calcarine cortex, and caudate, with older age associated with stronger correlation between anxiety and the rsFCs. Limitations The findings need to be validated in an independent sample and further explored using task-based data. Conclusion Highlighting anxiety- and age- specific as well as interacting correlates of amygdala rsFCs and sex differences in the correlates, the findings may shed light on the neural markers of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Sien Hu
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, USA
| | - Kesong Hu
- Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA
| | | | - Herta H. Chao
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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22
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Wilson JD, Gerlach AR, Karim HT, Aizenstein HJ, Andreescu C. Sex matters: acute functional connectivity changes as markers of remission in late-life depression differ by sex. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5228-5236. [PMID: 37414928 PMCID: PMC10919097 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02158-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy of antidepressant treatment in late-life is modest, a problem magnified by an aging population and increased prevalence of depression. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of treatment response in late-life depression (LLD) is imperative. Despite established sex differences in depression and neural circuits, sex differences associated with fMRI markers of antidepressant treatment response are underexplored. In this analysis, we assess the role of sex on the relationship of acute functional connectivity changes with treatment response in LLD. Resting state fMRI scans were collected at baseline and day one of SSRI/SNRI treatment for 80 LLD participants. One-day changes in functional connectivity (differential connectivity) were related to remission status after 12 weeks. Sex differences in differential connectivity profiles that distinguished remitters from non-remitters were assessed. A random forest classifier was used to predict the remission status with models containing various combinations of demographic, clinical, symptomatological, and connectivity measures. Model performance was assessed with area under the curve, and variable importance was assessed with permutation importance. The differential connectivity profile associated with remission status differed significantly by sex. We observed evidence for a difference in one-day connectivity changes between remitters and non-remitters in males but not females. Additionally, prediction of remission was significantly improved in male-only and female-only models over pooled models. Predictions of treatment outcome based on early changes in functional connectivity show marked differences between sexes and should be considered in future MR-based treatment decision-making algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Wilson
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew R Gerlach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Helmet T Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Howard J Aizenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carmen Andreescu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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23
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Serio B, Hettwer MD, Wiersch L, Bignardi G, Sacher J, Weis S, Eickhoff SB, Valk SL. Sex differences in intrinsic functional cortical organization reflect differences in network topology rather than cortical morphometry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.23.568437. [PMID: 38045320 PMCID: PMC10690290 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.23.568437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Brain size robustly differs between sexes. However, the consequences of this anatomical dimorphism on sex differences in intrinsic brain function remain unclear. We investigated the extent to which sex differences in intrinsic cortical functional organization may be explained by differences in cortical morphometry, namely brain size, microstructure, and the geodesic distances of connectivity profiles. For this, we computed a low dimensional representation of functional cortical organization, the sensory-association axis, and identified widespread sex differences. Contrary to our expectations, observed sex differences in functional organization were not fundamentally associated with differences in brain size, microstructural organization, or geodesic distances, despite these morphometric properties being per se associated with functional organization and differing between sexes. Instead, functional sex differences in the sensory-association axis were associated with differences in functional connectivity profiles and network topology. Collectively, our findings suggest that sex differences in functional cortical organization extend beyond sex differences in cortical morphometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Serio
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Meike D. Hettwer
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lisa Wiersch
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Giacomo Bignardi
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Sacher
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susanne Weis
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B. Eickhoff
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sofie L. Valk
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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24
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Dhamala E, Bassett DS, Yeo BT, Homes AJ. Functional brain networks are associated with both sex and gender in children. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.12.566592. [PMID: 38013996 PMCID: PMC10680589 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.12.566592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Sex and gender are associated with human behavior throughout the lifespan and across health and disease, but whether they are associated with similar or distinct neural phenotypes is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that, in children, sex and gender are uniquely reflected in the intrinsic functional connectivity of the brain. Unimodal networks are more strongly associated with sex while heteromodal networks are more strongly associated with gender. These results suggest sex and gender are irreducible to one another not only in society but also in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvisha Dhamala
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
- Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York, USA
| | - Dani S. Bassett
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - Avram J. Homes
- Rutgers University, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
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25
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Jochmann T, Seibel MS, Jochmann E, Khan S, Hämäläinen MS, Haueisen J. Sex-related patterns in the electroencephalogram and their relevance in machine learning classifiers. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:4848-4858. [PMID: 37461294 PMCID: PMC10472918 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep learning is increasingly being proposed for detecting neurological and psychiatric diseases from electroencephalogram (EEG) data but the method is prone to inadvertently incorporate biases from training data and exploit illegitimate patterns. The recent demonstration that deep learning can detect the sex from EEG implies potential sex-related biases in deep learning-based disease detectors for the many diseases with unequal prevalence between males and females. In this work, we present the male- and female-typical patterns used by a convolutional neural network that detects the sex from clinical EEG (81% accuracy in a separate test set with 142 patients). We considered neural sources, anatomical differences, and non-neural artifacts as sources of differences in the EEG curves. Using EEGs from 1140 patients, we found electrocardiac artifacts to be leaking into the supposedly brain activity-based classifiers. Nevertheless, the sex remained detectable after rejecting heart-related and other artifacts. In the cleaned data, EEG topographies were critical to detect the sex, but waveforms and frequencies were not. None of the traditional frequency bands was particularly important for sex detection. We were able to determine the sex even from EEGs with shuffled time points and therewith completely destroyed waveforms. Researchers should consider neural and non-neural sources as potential origins of sex differences in their data, they should maintain best practices of artifact rejection, even when datasets are large, and they should test their classifiers for sex biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Jochmann
- Department of Computer Science and AutomationTechnische Universität IlmenauIlmenauGermany
| | - Marc S. Seibel
- Department of Computer Science and AutomationTechnische Universität IlmenauIlmenauGermany
| | | | - Sheraz Khan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical ImagingMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Matti S. Hämäläinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical ImagingMassachusetts General HospitalCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of ScienceAalto UniversityEspooFinland
| | - Jens Haueisen
- Department of Computer Science and AutomationTechnische Universität IlmenauIlmenauGermany
- Department of NeurologyJena University HospitalJenaGermany
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26
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Wiersch L, Hamdan S, Hoffstaedter F, Votinov M, Habel U, Clemens B, Derntl B, Eickhoff SB, Patil KR, Weis S. Accurate sex prediction of cisgender and transgender individuals without brain size bias. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13868. [PMID: 37620339 PMCID: PMC10449927 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37508-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing use of machine learning approaches on neuroimaging data comes with the important concern of confounding variables which might lead to biased predictions and in turn spurious conclusions about the relationship between the features and the target. A prominent example is the brain size difference between women and men. This difference in total intracranial volume (TIV) can cause bias when employing machine learning approaches for the investigation of sex differences in brain morphology. A TIV-biased model will not capture qualitative sex differences in brain organization but rather learn to classify an individual's sex based on brain size differences, thus leading to spurious and misleading conclusions, for example when comparing brain morphology between cisgender- and transgender individuals. In this study, TIV bias in sex classification models applied to cis- and transgender individuals was systematically investigated by controlling for TIV either through featurewise confound removal or by matching the training samples for TIV. Our results provide strong evidence that models not biased by TIV can classify the sex of both cis- and transgender individuals with high accuracy, highlighting the importance of appropriate modeling to avoid bias in automated decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wiersch
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sami Hamdan
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Mikhail Votinov
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10: Brain Structure-Function Relationships), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10: Brain Structure-Function Relationships), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Benjamin Clemens
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10: Brain Structure-Function Relationships), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Susanne Weis
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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27
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Verovnik B, Hajduk S, Hulle MV. Predicting phenotypes of elderly from resting state fMRI. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3201603. [PMID: 37609310 PMCID: PMC10441519 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3201603/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Machine learning techniques are increasingly embraced in neuroimaging studies of healthy and diseased human brains. They have been used successfully in predicting phenotypes, or even clinical outcomes, and in turning functional connectome metrics into phenotype biomarkers of both healthy individuals and patients. In this study, we used functional connectivity characteristics based on resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to accurately classify healthy elderly in terms of their phenotype status. Additionally, as the functional connections that contribute to the classification can be identified, we can draw inferences about the network that is predictive of the investigated phenotypes. Our proposed pipeline for phenotype classification can be expanded to other phenotypes (cognitive, psychological, clinical) and possibly be used to shed light on the modifiable risk and protective factors in normative and pathological brain aging.
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28
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Rosenblatt M, Rodriguez RX, Westwater ML, Dai W, Horien C, Greene AS, Constable RT, Noble S, Scheinost D. Connectome-based machine learning models are vulnerable to subtle data manipulations. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 4:100756. [PMID: 37521052 PMCID: PMC10382940 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2023.100756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging-based predictive models continue to improve in performance, yet a widely overlooked aspect of these models is "trustworthiness," or robustness to data manipulations. High trustworthiness is imperative for researchers to have confidence in their findings and interpretations. In this work, we used functional connectomes to explore how minor data manipulations influence machine learning predictions. These manipulations included a method to falsely enhance prediction performance and adversarial noise attacks designed to degrade performance. Although these data manipulations drastically changed model performance, the original and manipulated data were extremely similar (r = 0.99) and did not affect other downstream analysis. Essentially, connectome data could be inconspicuously modified to achieve any desired prediction performance. Overall, our enhancement attacks and evaluation of existing adversarial noise attacks in connectome-based models highlight the need for counter-measures that improve the trustworthiness to preserve the integrity of academic research and any potential translational applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Rosenblatt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Raimundo X. Rodriguez
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Margaret L. Westwater
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Corey Horien
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Abigail S. Greene
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - R. Todd Constable
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Stephanie Noble
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Statistics & Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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29
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Sasse L, Larabi DI, Omidvarnia A, Jung K, Hoffstaedter F, Jocham G, Eickhoff SB, Patil KR. Intermediately synchronised brain states optimise trade-off between subject specificity and predictive capacity. Commun Biol 2023; 6:705. [PMID: 37429937 PMCID: PMC10333234 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05073-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity (FC) refers to the statistical dependencies between activity of distinct brain areas. To study temporal fluctuations in FC within the duration of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning session, researchers have proposed the computation of an edge time series (ETS) and their derivatives. Evidence suggests that FC is driven by a few time points of high-amplitude co-fluctuation (HACF) in the ETS, which may also contribute disproportionately to interindividual differences. However, it remains unclear to what degree different time points actually contribute to brain-behaviour associations. Here, we systematically evaluate this question by assessing the predictive utility of FC estimates at different levels of co-fluctuation using machine learning (ML) approaches. We demonstrate that time points of lower and intermediate co-fluctuation levels provide overall highest subject specificity as well as highest predictive capacity of individual-level phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Sasse
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Stephanstrasse 1a, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daouia I Larabi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Amir Omidvarnia
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kyesam Jung
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gerhard Jocham
- Institute for Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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30
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Li Q, Zhang N. Sex differences in resting-state functional networks in awake rats. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1411-1423. [PMID: 37261489 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02657-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Sex-related differences can be found in many brain disorders and psychophysiological traits, highlighting the importance to systematically understand the sex differences in brain function in humans and animal models. Despite emerging effort to address sex differences in behaviors and disease models in rodents, how brain-wide functional connectivity (FC) patterns differ between male and female rats remains largely unknown. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) to investigate regional and systems-level differences between female and male rats. Our data show that female rats display stronger hypothalamus connectivity, whereas male rats exhibit more prominent striatum-related connectivity. At the global scale, female rats demonstrate stronger segregation within the cortical and subcortical systems, while male rats display more prominent cortico-subcortical interactions, particularly between the cortex and striatum. Taken together, these data provide a comprehensive framework of sex differences in resting-state connectivity patterns in the awake rat brain, and offer a reference for studies aiming to reveal sex-related FC differences in different animal models of brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, USA
| | - Nanyin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, USA.
- Center for Neurotechnology in Mental Health Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, 16802, USA.
- Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, 16802, USA.
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31
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Gallo S, El-Gazzar A, Zhutovsky P, Thomas RM, Javaheripour N, Li M, Bartova L, Bathula D, Dannlowski U, Davey C, Frodl T, Gotlib I, Grimm S, Grotegerd D, Hahn T, Hamilton PJ, Harrison BJ, Jansen A, Kircher T, Meyer B, Nenadić I, Olbrich S, Paul E, Pezawas L, Sacchet MD, Sämann P, Wagner G, Walter H, Walter M, van Wingen G. Functional connectivity signatures of major depressive disorder: machine learning analysis of two multicenter neuroimaging studies. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3013-3022. [PMID: 36792654 PMCID: PMC10615764 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01977-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The promise of machine learning has fueled the hope for developing diagnostic tools for psychiatry. Initial studies showed high accuracy for the identification of major depressive disorder (MDD) with resting-state connectivity, but progress has been hampered by the absence of large datasets. Here we used regular machine learning and advanced deep learning algorithms to differentiate patients with MDD from healthy controls and identify neurophysiological signatures of depression in two of the largest resting-state datasets for MDD. We obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the REST-meta-MDD (N = 2338) and PsyMRI (N = 1039) consortia. Classification of functional connectivity matrices was done using support vector machines (SVM) and graph convolutional neural networks (GCN), and performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation. Features were visualized using GCN-Explainer, an ablation study and univariate t-testing. The results showed a mean classification accuracy of 61% for MDD versus controls. Mean accuracy for classifying (non-)medicated subgroups was 62%. Sex classification accuracy was substantially better across datasets (73-81%). Visualization of the results showed that classifications were driven by stronger thalamic connections in both datasets, while nearly all other connections were weaker with small univariate effect sizes. These results suggest that whole brain resting-state connectivity is a reliable though poor biomarker for MDD, presumably due to disease heterogeneity as further supported by the higher accuracy for sex classification using the same methods. Deep learning revealed thalamic hyperconnectivity as a prominent neurophysiological signature of depression in both multicenter studies, which may guide the development of biomarkers in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Gallo
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ahmed El-Gazzar
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Paul Zhutovsky
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rajat M Thomas
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nooshin Javaheripour
- Department Of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Meng Li
- Department Of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Lucie Bartova
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christopher Davey
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German center for mental health, CIRC, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ian Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Simone Grimm
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Paul J Hamilton
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department Of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department Of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department Of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Olbrich
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth Paul
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lukas Pezawas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew D Sacchet
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | | | - Gerd Wagner
- Department Of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German center for mental health, CIRC, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Guido van Wingen
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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32
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Li X, Friedrich P, Patil KR, Eickhoff SB, Weis S. A topography-based predictive framework for naturalistic viewing fMRI. Neuroimage 2023:120245. [PMID: 37353099 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during naturalistic viewing (NV) provides exciting opportunities for studying brain functions in more ecologically valid settings. Understanding individual differences in brain functions during NV and their behavioural relevance has recently become an important goal. However, methods specifically designed for this purpose remain limited. Here, we propose a topography-based predictive framework (TOPF) to fill this methodological gap. TOPF identifies individual-specific evoked activity topographies in a data-driven manner and examines their behavioural relevance using a machine learning-based predictive framework. We validate TOPF on both NV and task-based fMRI data from multiple conditions. Our results show that TOPF effectively and stably captures individual differences in evoked brain activity and successfully predicts phenotypes across cognition, emotion and personality on unseen subjects from their activity topographies. Moreover, TOPF compares favourably with functional connectivity-based approaches in prediction performance, with the identified predictive brain regions being neurobiologically interpretable. Crucially, we highlight the importance of examining individual evoked brain activity topographies in advancing our understanding of the brain-behaviour relationship. We believe that the TOPF approach provides a simple but powerful tool for understanding brain-behaviour relationships on an individual level with a strong potential for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Li
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany;; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Patrick Friedrich
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany;; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany;; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany;; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Susanne Weis
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany;; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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33
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Putkinen V, Nazari-Farsani S, Karjalainen T, Santavirta S, Hudson M, Seppälä K, Sun L, Karlsson HK, Hirvonen J, Nummenmaa L. Pattern recognition reveals sex-dependent neural substrates of sexual perception. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:2543-2556. [PMID: 36773282 PMCID: PMC10028630 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in brain activity evoked by sexual stimuli remain elusive despite robust evidence for stronger enjoyment of and interest toward sexual stimuli in men than in women. To test whether visual sexual stimuli evoke different brain activity patterns in men and women, we measured hemodynamic brain activity induced by visual sexual stimuli in two experiments with 91 subjects (46 males). In one experiment, the subjects viewed sexual and nonsexual film clips, and dynamic annotations for nudity in the clips were used to predict hemodynamic activity. In the second experiment, the subjects viewed sexual and nonsexual pictures in an event-related design. Men showed stronger activation than women in the visual and prefrontal cortices and dorsal attention network in both experiments. Furthermore, using multivariate pattern classification we could accurately predict the sex of the subject on the basis of the brain activity elicited by the sexual stimuli. The classification generalized across the experiments indicating that the sex differences were task-independent. Eye tracking data obtained from an independent sample of subjects (N = 110) showed that men looked longer than women at the chest area of the nude female actors in the film clips. These results indicate that visual sexual stimuli evoke discernible brain activity patterns in men and women which may reflect stronger attentional engagement with sexual stimuli in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesa Putkinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Sanaz Nazari-Farsani
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Tomi Karjalainen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Severi Santavirta
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Matthew Hudson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Kerttu Seppälä
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Lihua Sun
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Henry K Karlsson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Jussi Hirvonen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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34
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Li Q, Zhang N. Sex differences in resting-state functional networks in awake rats. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2684325. [PMID: 36993730 PMCID: PMC10055639 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2684325/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Sex-related differences can be found in many brain disorders and psychophysiological traits, highlighting the importance to systematically understand the sex differences in brain function in humans and animal models. Despite emerging effort to address sex differences in behaviors and disease models in rodents, how brain-wide functional connectivity (FC) patterns differ between male and female rats remains largely unknown. Here we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) to investigate regional and systems-level differences between female and male rats. Our data show that female rats display stronger hypothalamus connectivity, whereas male rats exhibit more prominent striatum-related connectivity. At the global scale, female rats demonstrate stronger segregation within the cortical and subcortical systems, while male rats display more prominent cortico-subcortical interactions, particularly between the cortex and striatum. Taken together, these data provide a comprehensive framework of sex differences in resting-state connectivity patterns in the awake rat brain, and offer a reference for studies aiming to reveal sex-related FC differences in different animal models of brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Li
- The Pennsylvania State University
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35
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Effects of exogenous oxytocin and estradiol on resting-state functional connectivity in women and men. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3113. [PMID: 36813823 PMCID: PMC9947123 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29754-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Possible interactions of the neuropeptide oxytocin and the sex hormone estradiol may contribute to previously observed sex-specific effects of oxytocin on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala and hippocampus. Therefore, we used a placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-group functional magnetic resonance imaging study design and measured amygdala and hippocampus rsFC in healthy men (n = 116) and free-cycling women (n = 111), who received estradiol gel (2 mg) or placebo before the intranasal administration of oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo. Our results reveal significant interaction effects of sex and treatments on rsFC of the amygdala and hippocampus in a seed-to-voxel analysis. In men, both oxytocin and estradiol significantly decreased rsFC between the left amygdala and the right and left lingual gyrus, the right calcarine fissure, and the right superior parietal gyrus compared to placebo, while the combined treatment produced a significant increase in rsFC. In women, the single treatments significantly increased the rsFC between the right hippocampus and the left anterior cingulate gyrus, whereas the combined treatment had the opposite effect. Collectively, our study indicates that exogenous oxytocin and estradiol have different region-specific effects on rsFC in women and men and that the combined treatment may produce antagonistic effects.
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36
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Lawrence KE, Abaryan Z, Laltoo E, Hernandez LM, Gandal MJ, McCracken JT, Thompson PM. White matter microstructure shows sex differences in late childhood: Evidence from 6797 children. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:535-548. [PMID: 36177528 PMCID: PMC9842921 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in white matter microstructure have been robustly demonstrated in the adult brain using both conventional and advanced diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging approaches. However, sex differences in white matter microstructure prior to adulthood remain poorly understood; previous developmental work focused on conventional microstructure metrics and yielded mixed results. Here, we rigorously characterized sex differences in white matter microstructure among over 6000 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study who were between 9 and 10 years old. Microstructure was quantified using both the conventional model-diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-and an advanced model, restriction spectrum imaging (RSI). DTI metrics included fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean, axial, and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD). RSI metrics included normalized isotropic, directional, and total intracellular diffusion (N0, ND, NT). We found significant and replicable sex differences in DTI or RSI microstructure metrics in every white matter region examined across the brain. Sex differences in FA were regionally specific. Across white matter regions, boys exhibited greater MD, AD, and RD than girls, on average. Girls displayed increased N0, ND, and NT compared to boys, on average, suggesting greater cell and neurite density in girls. Together, these robust and replicable findings provide an important foundation for understanding sex differences in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Lawrence
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Zvart Abaryan
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Emily Laltoo
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Leanna M. Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael J. Gandal
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - James T. McCracken
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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37
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Abstract
There is now a significant body of literature concerning sex/gender differences in the human brain. This chapter will critically review and synthesise key findings from several studies that have investigated sex/gender differences in structural and functional lateralisation and connectivity. We argue that while small, relative sex/gender differences reliably exist in lateralisation and connectivity, there is considerable overlap between the sexes. Some inconsistencies exist, however, and this is likely due to considerable variability in the methodologies, tasks, measures, and sample compositions between studies. Moreover, research to date is limited in its consideration of sex/gender-related factors, such as sex hormones and gender roles, that can explain inter-and inter-individual differences in brain and behaviour better than sex/gender alone. We conclude that conceptualising the brain as 'sexually dimorphic' is incorrect, and the terms 'male brain' and 'female brain' should be avoided in the neuroscientific literature. However, this does not necessarily mean that sex/gender differences in the brain are trivial. Future research involving sex/gender should adopt a biopsychosocial approach whenever possible, to ensure that non-binary psychological, biological, and environmental/social factors related to sex/gender, and their interactions, are routinely accounted for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Hodgetts
- School of Psychology, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK
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38
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Asadi N, Olson IR, Obradovic Z. A transformer model for learning spatiotemporal contextual representation in fMRI data. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:22-47. [PMID: 37334006 PMCID: PMC10270708 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00281] [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: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Representation learning is a core component in data-driven modeling of various complex phenomena. Learning a contextually informative representation can especially benefit the analysis of fMRI data because of the complexities and dynamic dependencies present in such datasets. In this work, we propose a framework based on transformer models to learn an embedding of the fMRI data by taking the spatiotemporal contextual information in the data into account. This approach takes the multivariate BOLD time series of the regions of the brain as well as their functional connectivity network simultaneously as the input to create a set of meaningful features that can in turn be used in various downstream tasks such as classification, feature extraction, and statistical analysis. The proposed spatiotemporal framework uses the attention mechanism as well as the graph convolution neural network to jointly inject the contextual information regarding the dynamics in time series data and their connectivity into the representation. We demonstrate the benefits of this framework by applying it to two resting-state fMRI datasets, and provide further discussion on various aspects and advantages of it over a number of other commonly adopted architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima Asadi
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ingrid R. Olson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Decision Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zoran Obradovic
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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39
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Novi SL, Carvalho AC, Forti RM, Cendes F, Yasuda CL, Mesquita RC. Revealing the spatiotemporal requirements for accurate subject identification with resting-state functional connectivity: a simultaneous fNIRS-fMRI study. NEUROPHOTONICS 2023; 10:013510. [PMID: 36756003 PMCID: PMC9896013 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.10.1.013510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Brain fingerprinting refers to identifying participants based on their functional patterns. Despite its success with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain fingerprinting with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) still lacks adequate validation. AIM We investigated how fNIRS-specific acquisition features (limited spatial information and nonneural contributions) influence resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) patterns at the intra-subject level and, therefore, brain fingerprinting. APPROACH We performed multiple simultaneous fNIRS and fMRI measurements in 29 healthy participants at rest. Data were preprocessed following the best practices, including the removal of motion artifacts and global physiology. The rsFC maps were extracted with the Pearson correlation coefficient. Brain fingerprinting was tested with pairwise metrics and a simple linear classifier. RESULTS Our results show that average classification accuracy with fNIRS ranges from 75% to 98%, depending on the number of runs and brain regions used for classification. Under the right conditions, brain fingerprinting with fNIRS is close to the 99.9% accuracy found with fMRI. Overall, the classification accuracy is more impacted by the number of runs and the spatial coverage than the choice of the classification algorithm. CONCLUSIONS This work provides evidence that brain fingerprinting with fNIRS is robust and reliable for extracting unique individual features at the intra-subject level once relevant spatiotemporal constraints are correctly employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio L. Novi
- University of Campinas, “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, Campinas, Brazil
- Western University, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alex C. Carvalho
- University of Campinas, “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, Campinas, Brazil
- University of Campinas, Laboratory of Neuroimaging, Campinas, Brazil
| | - R. M. Forti
- University of Campinas, “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, Campinas, Brazil
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Division of Neurology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Fernado Cendes
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
- University of Campinas, School of Medical Sciences, Department of Neurology, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Clarissa L. Yasuda
- University of Campinas, Laboratory of Neuroimaging, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
- University of Campinas, School of Medical Sciences, Department of Neurology, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rickson C. Mesquita
- University of Campinas, “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
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40
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Chen J, Patil KR, Yeo BTT, Eickhoff SB. Leveraging Machine Learning for Gaining Neurobiological and Nosological Insights in Psychiatric Research. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:18-28. [PMID: 36307328 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Much attention is currently devoted to developing diagnostic classifiers for mental disorders. Complementing these efforts, we highlight the potential of machine learning to gain biological insights into the psychopathology and nosology of mental disorders. Studies to this end have mainly used brain imaging data, which can be obtained noninvasively from large cohorts and have repeatedly been argued to reveal potentially intermediate phenotypes. This may become particularly relevant in light of recent efforts to identify magnetic resonance imaging-derived biomarkers that yield insight into pathophysiological processes as well as to refine the taxonomy of mental illness. In particular, the accuracy of machine learning models may be used as dependent variables to identify features relevant to pathophysiology. Moreover, such approaches may help disentangle the dimensional (within diagnosis) and often overlapping (across diagnoses) symptomatology of psychiatric illness. We also point out a multiview perspective that combines data from different sources, bridging molecular and system-level information. Finally, we summarize recent efforts toward a data-driven definition of subtypes or disease entities through unsupervised and semisupervised approaches. The latter, blending unsupervised and supervised concepts, may represent a particularly promising avenue toward dissecting heterogeneous categories. Finally, we raise several technical and conceptual aspects related to the reviewed approaches. In particular, we discuss common pitfalls pertaining to flawed input data or analytic procedures that would likely lead to unreliable outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences & Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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41
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Weber KA, Teplin ZM, Wager TD, Law CSW, Prabhakar NK, Ashar YK, Gilam G, Banerjee S, Delp SL, Glover GH, Hastie TJ, Mackey S. Confounds in neuroimaging: A clear case of sex as a confound in brain-based prediction. Front Neurol 2022; 13:960760. [PMID: 36601297 PMCID: PMC9806266 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.960760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscle weakness is common in many neurological, neuromuscular, and musculoskeletal conditions. Muscle size only partially explains muscle strength as adaptions within the nervous system also contribute to strength. Brain-based biomarkers of neuromuscular function could provide diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive value in treating these disorders. Therefore, we sought to characterize and quantify the brain's contribution to strength by developing multimodal MRI pipelines to predict grip strength. However, the prediction of strength was not straightforward, and we present a case of sex being a clear confound in brain decoding analyses. While each MRI modality-structural MRI (i.e., gray matter morphometry), diffusion MRI (i.e., white matter fractional anisotropy), resting state functional MRI (i.e., functional connectivity), and task-evoked functional MRI (i.e., left or right hand motor task activation)-and a multimodal prediction pipeline demonstrated significant predictive power for strength (R 2 = 0.108-0.536, p ≤ 0.001), after correcting for sex, the predictive power was substantially reduced (R 2 = -0.038-0.075). Next, we flipped the analysis and demonstrated that each MRI modality and a multimodal prediction pipeline could significantly predict sex (accuracy = 68.0%-93.3%, AUC = 0.780-0.982, p < 0.001). However, correcting the brain features for strength reduced the accuracy for predicting sex (accuracy = 57.3%-69.3%, AUC = 0.615-0.780). Here we demonstrate the effects of sex-correlated confounds in brain-based predictive models across multiple brain MRI modalities for both regression and classification models. We discuss implications of confounds in predictive modeling and the development of brain-based MRI biomarkers, as well as possible strategies to overcome these barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A. Weber
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Kenneth A. Weber II
| | - Zachary M. Teplin
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Tor D. Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Christine S. W. Law
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Nitin K. Prabhakar
- Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Yoni K. Ashar
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gadi Gilam
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States,The Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Scott L. Delp
- Department of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Gary H. Glover
- Radiological Sciences Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Trevor J. Hastie
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Sean Mackey
- Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
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42
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Voskuhl R, Itoh Y. The X factor in neurodegeneration. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20211488. [PMID: 36331399 PMCID: PMC9641640 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the aging population, it is important to better understand neurodegeneration in aging healthy people and to address the increasing incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. It is imperative to apply novel strategies to identify neuroprotective therapeutics. The study of sex differences in neurodegeneration can reveal new candidate treatment targets tailored for women and men. Sex chromosome effects on neurodegeneration remain understudied and represent a promising frontier for discovery. Here, we will review sex differences in neurodegeneration, focusing on the study of sex chromosome effects in the context of declining levels of sex hormones during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda Voskuhl
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Yuichiro Itoh
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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43
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Mahmood U, Fu Z, Ghosh S, Calhoun V, Plis S. Through the looking glass: Deep interpretable dynamic directed connectivity in resting fMRI. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119737. [PMID: 36356823 PMCID: PMC9844250 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain network interactions are commonly assessed via functional (network) connectivity, captured as an undirected matrix of Pearson correlation coefficients. Functional connectivity can represent static and dynamic relations, but often these are modeled using a fixed choice for the data window Alternatively, deep learning models may flexibly learn various representations from the same data based on the model architecture and the training task. However, the representations produced by deep learning models are often difficult to interpret and require additional posthoc methods, e.g., saliency maps. In this work, we integrate the strengths of deep learning and functional connectivity methods while also mitigating their weaknesses. With interpretability in mind, we present a deep learning architecture that exposes a directed graph layer that represents what the model has learned about relevant brain connectivity. A surprising benefit of this architectural interpretability is significantly improved accuracy in discriminating controls and patients with schizophrenia, autism, and dementia, as well as age and gender prediction from functional MRI data. We also resolve the window size selection problem for dynamic directed connectivity estimation as we estimate windowing functions from the data, capturing what is needed to estimate the graph at each time-point. We demonstrate efficacy of our method in comparison with multiple existing models that focus on classification accuracy, unlike our interpretability-focused architecture. Using the same data but training different models on their own discriminative tasks we are able to estimate task-specific directed connectivity matrices for each subject. Results show that the proposed approach is also more robust to confounding factors compared to standard dynamic functional connectivity models. The dynamic patterns captured by our model are naturally interpretable since they highlight the intervals in the signal that are most important for the prediction. The proposed approach reveals that differences in connectivity among sensorimotor networks relative to default-mode networks are an important indicator of dementia and gender. Dysconnectivity between networks, specially sensorimotor and visual, is linked with schizophrenic patients, however schizophrenic patients show increased intra-network default-mode connectivity compared to healthy controls. Sensorimotor connectivity was important for both dementia and schizophrenia prediction, but schizophrenia is more related to dysconnectivity between networks whereas, dementia bio-markers were mostly intra-network connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Mahmood
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia State University, Department of Computer Science, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Zening Fu
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia State University, Department of Computer Science, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Satrajit Ghosh
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Vince Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia State University, Department of Computer Science, Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sergey Plis
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia State University, Department of Computer Science, Atlanta, GA, USA
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44
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Horien C, Floris DL, Greene AS, Noble S, Rolison M, Tejavibulya L, O'Connor D, McPartland JC, Scheinost D, Chawarska K, Lake EMR, Constable RT. Functional Connectome-Based Predictive Modeling in Autism. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:626-642. [PMID: 35690495 PMCID: PMC10948028 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition, and functional magnetic resonance imaging-based studies have helped advance our understanding of its effects on brain network activity. We review how predictive modeling, using measures of functional connectivity and symptoms, has helped reveal key insights into this condition. We discuss how different prediction frameworks can further our understanding of the brain-based features that underlie complex autism symptomatology and consider how predictive models may be used in clinical settings. Throughout, we highlight aspects of study interpretation, such as data decay and sampling biases, that require consideration within the context of this condition. We close by suggesting exciting future directions for predictive modeling in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey Horien
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; MD-PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
| | - Dorothea L Floris
- Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland; Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Abigail S Greene
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; MD-PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Stephanie Noble
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Max Rolison
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Link Tejavibulya
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - David O'Connor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - James C McPartland
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Katarzyna Chawarska
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Evelyn M R Lake
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - R Todd Constable
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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45
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Spets DS, Slotnick SD. Sex is predicted by spatial memory multivariate activation patterns. Learn Mem 2022; 29:297-301. [PMID: 36206398 PMCID: PMC9488029 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053608.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Whether sex differences exist in the brain at the macroscopic level, as measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a topic of debate. The present spatial long-term memory functional MRI (fMRI) study predicted sex based on event-related patterns of brain activity. Within spatial memory regions of interest, patterns of activity associated with females and males were used to predict the sex of each member of left-out female-male pairs at above-chance accuracy. The current results provide evidence for sex differences in the brain processes underlying spatial long-term memory. This is the first time that sex has been predicted using event-related fMRI activation patterns. The present findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that there are functional and anatomic sex differences in the brain and, more broadly, question the widespread practice of collapsing across sex in the field of cognitive neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan S Spets
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Scott D Slotnick
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
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46
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Sanchis-Segura C, Aguirre N, Cruz-Gómez ÁJ, Félix S, Forn C. Beyond "sex prediction": Estimating and interpreting multivariate sex differences and similarities in the brain. Neuroimage 2022; 257:119343. [PMID: 35654377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that machine-learning (ML) algorithms can "predict" sex based on brain anatomical/ functional features. The high classification accuracy achieved by ML algorithms is often interpreted as revealing large differences between the brains of males and females and as confirming the existence of "male/female brains". However, classification and estimation are different concepts, and using classification metrics as surrogate estimates of between-group differences may result in major statistical and interpretative distortions. The present study avoids these distortions and provides a novel and detailed assessment of multivariate sex differences in gray matter volume (GMVOL) that does not rely on classification metrics. Moreover, appropriate regression methods were used to identify the brain areas that contribute the most to these multivariate differences, and clustering techniques and analyses of similarities (ANOSIM) were employed to empirically assess whether they assemble into two sex-typical profiles. Results revealed that multivariate sex differences in GMVOL: (1) are "large" if not adjusted for total intracranial volume (TIV) variation, but "small" when controlling for this variable; (2) differ in size between individuals and also depends on the ML algorithm used for their calculation (3) do not stem from two sex-typical profiles, and so describing them in terms of "male/female brains" is misleading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Sanchis-Segura
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN., Castelló 12071, Spain.
| | - Naiara Aguirre
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN., Castelló 12071, Spain
| | - Álvaro Javier Cruz-Gómez
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN., Castelló 12071, Spain
| | - Sonia Félix
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN., Castelló 12071, Spain
| | - Cristina Forn
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN., Castelló 12071, Spain
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47
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Tretyak V, Kirsch DE, Le V, Fromme K, Strakowski SM, Lippard ET. Coping drinking motives, neural functional coupling during emotion processing, and alcohol use in young adults with bipolar disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1482-1496. [PMID: 35702929 PMCID: PMC9478569 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rates of alcohol use disorders in individuals with bipolar disorder are 3 to 5 times greater than in the general population and exceed rates of alcohol use disorders reported in other affective and anxiety disorders. Despite this high rate of comorbidity, our understanding of the psychosocial and neural mechanisms that underlie the initiation of alcohol misuse in young adults with bipolar disorder remains limited. Prior work suggests that individuals with bipolar disorder may misuse alcohol as a coping mechanism, yet the neural correlates of coping drinking motives and associated alcohol use have not been previously investigated in this population. METHODS Forty-eight young adults (22 bipolar disorder type I, 26 typically developing; 71% women; average age ± standard deviation = 22 ± 2 years) completed the Drinking Motives and Daily Drinking Questionnaires, and a Continuous Performance Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Task with Emotional and Neutral Distracters. We calculated the relative difference in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) functional coupling with the anterior insula and amygdala in response to emotional distracters compared with neutral stimuli and investigated the relations with coping drinking motives and alcohol use. RESULTS Across all participants, coping drinking motives were associated with greater quantity of recent alcohol use. In individuals with bipolar disorder, greater ACC-anterior insula functional coupling was associated with greater coping drinking motives, and greater quantity and frequency of recent alcohol use. The relative difference in ACC-anterior insula functional coupling was not associated with coping drinking motives or alcohol use in the typically developing group. Greater ACC-anterior insula functional coupling in individuals with bipolar disorder was also associated with greater anxiety symptoms and recent perceived psychological stress. Exploratory analyses suggest that the relations between ACC-anterior insula functional coupling and coping drinking motives may be confounded by anticonvulsant use. CONCLUSION Results suggest that a difference in ACC-anterior insula functional coupling during emotion processing may underlie alcohol use as a maladaptive coping mechanism in young adults with bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Tretyak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Dylan E. Kirsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin,
TX, USA
| | - Vanessa Le
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kim Fromme
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Stephen M. Strakowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin,
TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth T.C. Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX,
USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin,
TX, USA,Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, University of
Texas, Austin, TX, USA
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48
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Abstract
Chronic pain affects 20% of adults and is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Women and girls are disproportionally affected by chronic pain. About half of chronic pain conditions are more common in women, with only 20% having a higher prevalence in men. There are also sex and gender differences in acute pain sensitivity. Pain is a subjective experience made up of sensory, cognitive, and emotional components. Consequently, there are multiple dimensions through which sex and gender can influence the pain experience. Historically, most preclinical pain research was conducted exclusively in male animals. However, recent studies that included females have revealed significant sex differences in the physiological mechanisms underlying pain, including sex specific involvement of different genes and proteins as well as distinct interactions between hormones and the immune system that influence the transmission of pain signals. Human neuroimaging has revealed sex and gender differences in the neural circuitry associated with pain, including sex specific brain alterations in chronic pain conditions. Clinical pain research suggests that gender can affect how an individual contextualizes and copes with pain. Gender may also influence the susceptibility to develop chronic pain. Sex and gender biases can impact how pain is perceived and treated clinically. Furthermore, the efficacy and side effects associated with different pain treatments can vary according to sex and gender. Therefore, preclinical and clinical research must include sex and gender analyses to understand basic mechanisms of pain and its relief, and to develop personalized pain treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie R Osborne
- Krembil Brain Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Karen D Davis
- Krembil Brain Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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49
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Hassanzadeh R, Calhoun V. A Supervised Contrastive Learning-based Analysis of rs-tMRI Data Captures Gender Differences in Nonlinear Functional Network Coupling. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022; 2022:4641-4644. [PMID: 36085950 DOI: 10.1109/embc48229.2022.9871796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many studies in neuroscience have focused on interpreting brain activity using functional connectivity (FC). The most widely used approach for measuring FC is based on linear correlation (e.g., the Pearson correlation), where the temporal cofluctuations between functional brain regions are computed. However, such approaches ignore nonlinear dependencies among regions that might carry distinctive information across groups of subjects. In this study, we offer a deep learning-based approach that also captures nonlinear temporal relationships between brain networks. Our approach consists of two main parts: an encoder that learns domain-specific embeddings of time courses estimated from independent component analysis (ICA) and a similarity metric that measures the similarities between the embeddings. We call such similarities as nonlinear functional relationships between networks. Our findings on a large dataset (including above 11k normal control subjects) suggest that male subjects exhibit stronger nonlinear network-network relationships than female subjects in most cases. Furthermore, we observe that, unlike FC, our approach could capture some intra-network relationships, especially between cognitive control and visual networks, which are significantly different between males and females, suggesting that our approach can provide a complementary interpretation of the functional brain activity to FC.
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50
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A deep graph neural network architecture for modelling spatio-temporal dynamics in resting-state functional MRI data. Med Image Anal 2022; 79:102471. [PMID: 35580429 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2022.102471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has been successfully employed to understand the organisation of the human brain. Typically, the brain is parcellated into regions of interest (ROIs) and modelled as a graph where each ROI represents a node and association measures between ROI-specific blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) time series are edges. Recently, graph neural networks (GNNs) have seen a surge in popularity due to their success in modelling unstructured relational data. The latest developments with GNNs, however, have not yet been fully exploited for the analysis of rs-fMRI data, particularly with regards to its spatio-temporal dynamics. In this paper, we present a novel deep neural network architecture which combines both GNNs and temporal convolutional networks (TCNs) in order to learn from both the spatial and temporal components of rs-fMRI data in an end-to-end fashion. In particular, this corresponds to intra-feature learning (i.e., learning temporal dynamics with TCNs) as well as inter-feature learning (i.e., leveraging interactions between ROI-wise dynamics with GNNs). We evaluate our model with an ablation study using 35,159 samples from the UK Biobank rs-fMRI database, as well as in the smaller Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset, both in a unimodal and in a multimodal fashion. We also demonstrate that out architecture contains explainability-related features which easily map to realistic neurobiological insights. We suggest that this model could lay the groundwork for future deep learning architectures focused on leveraging the inherently and inextricably spatio-temporal nature of rs-fMRI data.
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