Aberrant Gray Matter Volume and Cortical Surface in Paranoid-Type Delusional Disorder

Connectome-based predictive modeling predicts paranoid ideation in young men with paranoid personality disorder: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Paranoid personality disorder (PPD), a mental disorder that affects interpersonal relationships and work, is frequently neglected during diagnosis and evaluation at the individual-level. This preliminary study aimed to investigate whether connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) can predict paranoia scores of young men with PPD using whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC). College students with paranoid tendencies were screened using paranoia scores ≥60 derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; 18 participants were ultimately diagnosed with PPD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and subsequently underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain rs-FC was constructed, and the ability of this rs-FC to predict paranoia scores was evaluated using CPM. The significance of the models was assessed using permutation tests. The model constructed based on the negative prediction network involving the limbic system-temporal lobe was observed to have significant predictive ability for paranoia scores, whereas the model constructed using the positive and combined prediction network had no significant predictive ability. In conclusion, using CPM, whole-brain rs-FC predicted the paranoia score of patients with PPD. The limbic system-temporal lobe FC pattern is expected to become an important neurological marker for evaluating paranoid ideation.

Delusional Disorder in Old Age: A Hypothesis-Driven Review of Recent Work Focusing on Epidemiology, Clinical Aspects, and Outcomes

The theme, strength, and duration of a delusion are considered important in distinguishing one psychosis of old age from another. Research results, however, are mostly based on studies conducted on one form of psychosis, namely schizophrenia. The aim of this hypothesis-driven narrative review is to gather clinically important information about the psychosis identified as delusional disorder (DD), as it affects persons of senior age. We hypothesized that DD becomes relatively prevalent in old age, especially in women; and that it is associated with demonstrable brain changes, which, in turn, are associated with cognitive defects and poor pharmacological response, thus increasing the risk of aggression and suicide. Computerized searches in PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov were conducted using the following search terms: (delusional disorder) AND (elderly OR old OR aged OR psychogeriatrics). A total of 16 recent studies (including case reports) were reviewed. Our hypotheses could not be definitively confirmed because research evidence is lacking. In order to improve eventual outcomes, our literature search demonstrates the need for more targeted, well-designed studies.

Cortical surface variation in individuals with excessive smartphone use

Excessive smartphone use has been repeatedly related to adverse effects on mental health and psychological well-being in young adults. The continued investigation of the neurobiological mechanism underlying excessive smartphone use - sometimes also referred to as "smartphone addiction" (SPA) - is considered a top priority in system neuroscience research. Despite progress in the past years, cortical morphology associated with SPA is still poorly understood. Here, we used structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 T to investigate two cortical surface markers of distinct neurodevelopmental origin such as the complexity of cortical folding (CCF) and cortical thickness (CTh) in individuals with excessive smartphone use (n = 19) compared to individuals not fulfilling SPA criteria (n-SPA; n = 22). SPA was assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI). CCF and CTh were investigated using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12). SPA individuals showed lower CCF in the right superior frontal gyrus as well as in the right caudal (cACC) and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) compared to n-SPA individuals (TFCE, uncorrected at p < 0.001). Following a dimensional approach, across the entire sample CCF of the right cACC was significantly associated with SPAI total score, as well as with distinct SPAI subdimensions, particularly time spent with the device, compulsivity, and sleep interference in all participants (n = 41; p < 0.05, FDR-corrected). Collectively, these findings suggest that SPA is associated with aberrant structural maturation of regions important for cognitive control and emotional regulation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Surface values, volumetric measurements and radiomics of structural MRI for the diagnosis and subtyping of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed subjectively based on an individual's behaviour and performance. The clinical community has no objective biomarker to inform the diagnosis and subtyping of ADHD. This study aimed to explore the potential diagnostic biomarkers of ADHD among surface values, volumetric metrics and radiomic features that were extracted from structural MRI images. Public data of New York University and Peking University were downloaded from the ADHD-200 Consortium. MRI T1-weighted images were pre-processed using CAT12. We calculated surface values based on the Desikan-Killiany atlas. The volumetric metrics (mean grey matter volume and mean white matter volume) and radiomic features within each automated anatomical labelling (AAL) brain area were calculated using DPABI and IBEX, respectively. The differences among three groups of participants were tested using ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test depending on the normality of the data. We selected discriminative features and classified typically developing controls (TDCs) and ADHD patients as well as two ADHD subtypes using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and support vector machine algorithms. Our results showed that the radiomics-based model outperformed the others in discriminating ADHD from TDC and classifying ADHD subtypes (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.78 and 0.94 in training test; 0.79 and 0.85 in testing set). Combining grey matter volumes, surface values and clinical factors with radiomic features can improve the performance for classifying ADHD patients and TDCs with training and testing AUCs of 0.82 and 0.83, respectively. This study demonstrates that MRI T1-weighted features, especially radiomic features, are potential diagnostic biomarkers of ADHD.

[Negative valence systems in the system of research domain criteria : Empirical results and new developments]

BACKGROUND

The research domain criteria (RDoC) domain of negative valence systems can be used to subsume long established and recently developed research approaches, which build upon theoretical knowledge and clinical practice of various psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVE

This article outlines how the five constructs within the RDoC domain of negative valence systems can contribute to integrating empirical studies into a coherent and differentiated biopsychosocial model.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a qualitative review article that summarizes empirical results and discusses new developments on the basis of exemplary studies and selected reviews.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The RDoC domain of negative valence systems differentiates in three constructs the time horizon, in which persons need to adequately react to (1) acute, (2) potential, and (3) sustained threats elicited by negative stimuli or situations. These three constructs can be outlined relatively well with specific experimental paradigms and neuronal circuits. Two further constructs focus on the negative consequences of (4) losses and (5) frustrative non-rewards. The former seems to be currently relatively diffusely defined whereas the latter is clearly circumscribed by its relation to specific forms of aggression. Behavioral, physiological, and neuronal reactions to acute and potential threats can be well compared between humans and animals and can be specified with the help of mathematical models. These models can contribute to a better understanding of how healthy and diseased persons process negative stimuli or situations.

A neurodevelopmental signature of parkinsonism in schizophrenia

While sensorimotor abnormalities in schizophrenia (SZ) are of increasing scientific interest, little is known about structural changes and their developmental origins that may underlie parkinsonism. This multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study examined healthy controls (HC, n = 20) and SZ patients with (SZ-P, n = 38) and without (SZ-nonP, n = 35) parkinsonism, as defined by Simpson-Angus Scale total scores of ≥4 or ≤1, respectively. Using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12), voxel- and surface-based morphometry were applied to investigate cortical and subcortical gray matter volume (GMV) and three cortical surface markers of distinct neurodevelopmental origin: cortical thickness (CTh), complexity of cortical folding (CCF) and sulcus depth. In a subgroup of patients (29 SZ-nonP, 25 SZ-P), resting-state fMRI data were also analyzed using a regions-of-interest approach based on fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF). SZ-P patients showed increased CCF in the left supplementary motor cortex (SMC) and decreased left postcentral sulcus (PCS) depth compared to SZ-nonP patients (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected at cluster level). In SMC, CCF was associated negatively with activity, which also differed significantly between the patient groups and between patients and HC. In regression models, severity of parkinsonism was associated negatively with left middle frontal CCF and left anterior cingulate CTh. These data provide novel insights into altered trajectories of cortical development in SZ patients with parkinsonism. These cortical surface changes involve the sensorimotor system, suggesting abnormal neurodevelopmental processes tightly coupled with cortical activity and subcortical morphology that convey increased risk for sensorimotor abnormalities in SZ.

Cortical thickness in chronic pain: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies using a variety of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques in vivo have demonstrated that chronic pain (CP) is associated with brain alterations. Cortical thickness (CTh) via surface-based morphometry (SBM) analysis of magnetic resonance imaging data is a valid and sensitive method to investigate the structure of brain gray matter. Many studies have employed SBM to measure CTh difference between patients with CP and pain-free controls and provided important insights into the brain basis of CP. However, the findings from these studies were inconsistent and have not been quantitatively reviewed.

METHODS

Three major electronic medical databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched for eligible studies published in English on April 3, 2020. This protocol was prepared based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. The Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images software package will be employed to conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) to identify consistent CTh differences between patients with CP and pain-free controls. Several complementary analyses, including sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity analysis, publication bias, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression analysis, will be further conducted to test the robustness of the results.

RESULTS

This CBMA will tell us whether CP with different subtypes shares common CTh alterations and what the pattern of its characterized alterations is.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first CBMA of SBM studies that characterizes brain CTh alterations in CP. The CBMA will provide the quantitative evidence of common brain cortical morphometry of CP. The findings will help us to understand the neural basis underlying CP.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202050069.