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Coronel-Oliveros C, Medel V, Orellana S, Rodiño J, Lehue F, Cruzat J, Tagliazucchi E, Brzezicka A, Orio P, Kowalczyk-Grębska N, Ibáñez A. Gaming expertise induces meso‑scale brain plasticity and efficiency mechanisms as revealed by whole-brain modeling. Neuroimage 2024; 293:120633. [PMID: 38704057 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Video games are a valuable tool for studying the effects of training and neural plasticity on the brain. However, the underlying mechanisms related to plasticity-associated brain structural changes and their impact on brain dynamics are unknown. Here, we used a semi-empirical whole-brain model to study structural neural plasticity mechanisms linked to video game expertise. We hypothesized that video game expertise is associated with neural plasticity-mediated changes in structural connectivity that manifest at the meso‑scale level, resulting in a more segregated functional network topology. To test this hypothesis, we combined structural connectivity data of StarCraft II video game players (VGPs, n = 31) and non-players (NVGPs, n = 31), with generic fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project and computational models, to generate simulated fMRI recordings. Graph theory analysis on simulated data was performed during both resting-state conditions and external stimulation. VGPs' simulated functional connectivity was characterized by a meso‑scale integration, with increased local connectivity in frontal, parietal, and occipital brain regions. The same analyses at the level of structural connectivity showed no differences between VGPs and NVGPs. Regions that increased their connectivity strength in VGPs are known to be involved in cognitive processes crucial for task performance such as attention, reasoning, and inference. In-silico stimulation suggested that differences in FC between VGPs and NVGPs emerge in noisy contexts, specifically when the noisy level of stimulation is increased. This indicates that the connectomes of VGPs may facilitate the filtering of noise from stimuli. These structural alterations drive the meso‑scale functional changes observed in individuals with gaming expertise. Overall, our work sheds light on the mechanisms underlying structural neural plasticity triggered by video game experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Coronel-Oliveros
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, Peñalolén, Santiago 2640, Chile; Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), California US and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 287, Chile
| | - Vicente Medel
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, Peñalolén, Santiago 2640, Chile; Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 94 Mallett St, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia; Department of Neuroscience, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastián Orellana
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 287, Chile
| | - Julio Rodiño
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 287, Chile; Brain Dynamics Laboratory, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Valparaíso, General Cruz 222, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Fernando Lehue
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 287, Chile
| | - Josephine Cruzat
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, Peñalolén, Santiago 2640, Chile
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, Peñalolén, Santiago 2640, Chile; Buenos Aires Physics Institute and Physics Department, University of Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160 - Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aneta Brzezicka
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Chodakowska 19/31, Warsaw, 03-815, Poland
| | - Patricio Orio
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso 287, Chile; Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1091, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Natalia Kowalczyk-Grębska
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Chodakowska 19/31, Warsaw, 03-815, Poland.
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, Peñalolén, Santiago 2640, Chile; Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), California US and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Vito Dumas 284, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Lloyd Building, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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Coronel‐Oliveros C, Gómez RG, Ranasinghe K, Sainz‐Ballesteros A, Legaz A, Fittipaldi S, Cruzat J, Herzog R, Yener G, Parra M, Aguillon D, Lopera F, Santamaria‐Garcia H, Moguilner S, Medel V, Orio P, Whelan R, Tagliazucchi E, Prado P, Ibañez A. Viscous dynamics associated with hypoexcitation and structural disintegration in neurodegeneration via generative whole-brain modeling. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:3228-3250. [PMID: 38501336 PMCID: PMC11095480 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13788] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) lack mechanistic biophysical modeling in diverse, underrepresented populations. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a high temporal resolution, cost-effective technique for studying dementia globally, but lacks mechanistic models and produces non-replicable results. METHODS We developed a generative whole-brain model that combines EEG source-level metaconnectivity, anatomical priors, and a perturbational approach. This model was applied to Global South participants (AD, bvFTD, and healthy controls). RESULTS Metaconnectivity outperformed pairwise connectivity and revealed more viscous dynamics in patients, with altered metaconnectivity patterns associated with multimodal disease presentation. The biophysical model showed that connectome disintegration and hypoexcitability triggered altered metaconnectivity dynamics and identified critical regions for brain stimulation. We replicated the main results in a second subset of participants for validation with unharmonized, heterogeneous recording settings. DISCUSSION The results provide a novel agenda for developing mechanistic model-inspired characterization and therapies in clinical, translational, and computational neuroscience settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Coronel‐Oliveros
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University of California San Francisco (UCSFA)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV)Universidad de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
| | - Raúl Gónzalez Gómez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Center for Social and Cognitive NeuroscienceSchool of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo IbáñezSantiagoChile
| | - Kamalini Ranasinghe
- Memory and Aging CenterDepartment of NeurologyUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Agustina Legaz
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Provincia de Buenos AiresVictoriaArgentina
| | - Sol Fittipaldi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University of California San Francisco (UCSFA)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Provincia de Buenos AiresVictoriaArgentina
| | - Josephine Cruzat
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
| | - Rubén Herzog
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
| | - Gorsev Yener
- Izmir University of Economics, Faculty of Medicine, Fevzi Çakmak, Balçova/İzmirSakaryaTurkey
- Dokuz Eylül University, Brain Dynamics Multidisciplinary Research Center, KonakAlsancakTurkey
| | - Mario Parra
- School of Psychological Sciences and HealthUniversity of StrathclydeGlasgowScotland
| | - David Aguillon
- Neuroscience Research Group, University of AntioquiaBogotáColombia
| | - Francisco Lopera
- Neuroscience Research Group, University of AntioquiaBogotáColombia
| | - Hernando Santamaria‐Garcia
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, PhD Program of NeuroscienceBogotáColombia
- Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Center for Memory and Cognition IntellectusBogotáColombia
| | - Sebastián Moguilner
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Provincia de Buenos AiresVictoriaArgentina
| | - Vicente Medel
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversidad de Chile, IndependenciaSantiagoChile
| | - Patricio Orio
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV)Universidad de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
- Instituto de NeurocienciaFacultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Playa AnchaValparaísoChile
| | - Robert Whelan
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University of California San Francisco (UCSFA)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Buenos Aires Physics Institute and Physics DepartmentUniversity of Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160 – Ciudad UniversitariaBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Pavel Prado
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Escuela de Fonoaudiología, Facultad de Odontología y Ciencias de la RehabilitaciónUniversidad San Sebastián, Región MetropolitanaSantiagoChile
| | - Agustín Ibañez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, PeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University of California San Francisco (UCSFA)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Provincia de Buenos AiresVictoriaArgentina
- Trinity College Institute of NeuroscienceTrinity College DublinDublinIreland
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Ponce-Alvarez A, Deco G. The Hopf whole-brain model and its linear approximation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2615. [PMID: 38297071 PMCID: PMC10831083 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53105-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Whole-brain models have proven to be useful to understand the emergence of collective activity among neural populations or brain regions. These models combine connectivity matrices, or connectomes, with local node dynamics, noise, and, eventually, transmission delays. Multiple choices for the local dynamics have been proposed. Among them, nonlinear oscillators corresponding to a supercritical Hopf bifurcation have been used to link brain connectivity and collective phase and amplitude dynamics in different brain states. Here, we studied the linear fluctuations of this model to estimate its stationary statistics, i.e., the instantaneous and lagged covariances and the power spectral densities. This linear approximation-that holds in the case of heterogeneous parameters and time-delays-allows analytical estimation of the statistics and it can be used for fast parameter explorations to study changes in brain state, changes in brain activity due to alterations in structural connectivity, and modulations of parameter due to non-equilibrium dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Ponce-Alvarez
- Departament de Matemàtiques, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08005, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010, Barcelona, Spain
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4
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Coronel-Oliveros C, Medel V, Orellana S, Rodiño J, Lehue F, Cruzat J, Tagliazucchi E, Brzezicka A, Orio P, Kowalczyk-Grębska N, Ibáñez A. Gaming expertise induces meso-scale brain plasticity and efficiency mechanisms as revealed by whole-brain modeling Gaming expertise, neuroplasticity and functional dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.21.554072. [PMID: 38077041 PMCID: PMC10705274 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.21.554072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Video games are a valuable tool for studying the effects of training and neural plasticity on the brain. However, the underlaying mechanisms related to plasticity-induced brain structural changes and their impact in brain dynamics are unknown. Here, we used a semi-empirical whole-brain model to study structural neural plasticity mechanisms linked to video game expertise. We hypothesized that video game expertise is associated with neural plasticity-mediated changes in structural connectivity that manifest at the meso-scale level, resulting in a more segregated functional network topology. To test this hypothesis, we combined structural connectivity data of StarCraft II video game players (VGPs, n = 31) and non-players (NVGPs, n = 31), with generic fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project and computational models, with the aim of generating simulated fMRI recordings. Graph theory analysis on simulated data was performed during both resting-state conditions and external stimulation. VGPs' simulated functional connectivity was characterized by a meso-scale integration, with increased local connectivity in frontal, parietal and occipital brain regions. The same analyses at the level of structural connectivity showed no differences between VGPs and NVGPs. Regions that increased their connectivity strength in VGPs are known to be involved in cognitive processes crucial for task performance such as attention, reasoning, and inference. In-silico stimulation suggested that differences in FC between VGPs and NVGPs emerge in noisy contexts, specifically when the noisy level of stimulation is increased. This indicates that the connectomes of VGPs may facilitate the filtering of noise from stimuli. These structural alterations drive the meso-scale functional changes observed in individuals with gaming expertise. Overall, our work sheds light into the mechanisms underlying structural neural plasticity triggered by video game experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Coronel-Oliveros
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Penalolen, Santiago (Chile)
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), California US and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington 287, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso (Chile)
| | - Vicente Medel
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Penalolen, Santiago (Chile)
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 94 Mallett St, Camperdown NSW 2050 (Australia)
- Department of Neuroscience, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Independencia, Santiago (Chile)
| | - Sebastián Orellana
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington 287, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso (Chile)
| | - Julio Rodiño
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington 287, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso (Chile)
- Brain Dynamics Laboratory, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Valparaíso, General Cruz 222, Valparaíso (Chile)
| | - Fernando Lehue
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington 287, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso (Chile)
| | - Josephine Cruzat
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Penalolen, Santiago (Chile)
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Penalolen, Santiago (Chile)
- Buenos Aires Physics Institute and Physics Department, University of Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160 - Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
| | - Aneta Brzezicka
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Chodakowska 19/31, 03-815 Warsaw (Poland)
| | - Patricio Orio
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Harrington 287, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso (Chile)
- Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1091, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso (Chile)
| | - Natalia Kowalczyk-Grębska
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Chodakowska 19/31, 03-815 Warsaw (Poland)
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Penalolen, Santiago (Chile)
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), California US and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés & CONICET, Vito Dumas 284, Provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Lloyd Building, Dublin 2 (Ireland)
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Padilla N, Escrichs A, del Agua E, Kringelbach M, Donaire A, Deco G, Åden U. Disrupted resting-sate brain network dynamics in children born extremely preterm. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8101-8109. [PMID: 37083266 PMCID: PMC10321088 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad101] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The developing brain has to adapt to environmental and intrinsic insults after extremely preterm (EPT) birth. Ongoing maturational processes maximize their fit to the environment and this can provide a substrate for neurodevelopmental failures. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to scan 33 children born EPT, at < 27 weeks of gestational age, and 26 full-term controls at 10 years of age. We studied the capability of a brain area to propagate neural information (intrinsic ignition) and its variability across time (node-metastability). This framework was computed for the dorsal attention network (DAN), frontoparietal, default-mode network (DMN), and the salience, limbic, visual, and somatosensory networks. The EPT group showed reduced intrinsic ignition in the DMN and DAN, compared with the controls, and reduced node-metastability in the DMN, DAN, and salience networks. Intrinsic ignition and node-metastability values correlated with cognitive performance at 12 years of age in both groups, but only survived in the term group after adjustment. Preterm birth disturbed the signatures of functional brain organization at rest in 3 core high-order networks: DMN, salience, and DAN. Identifying vulnerable resting-state networks after EPT birth may lead to interventions that aim to rebalance brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelly Padilla
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm S- 171 76, Sweden
| | - Anira Escrichs
- Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/ de Ramon Trias Fargas, 25, 08018 Barcelona, España
| | - Elvira del Agua
- Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/ de Ramon Trias Fargas, 25, 08018 Barcelona, España
| | - Morten Kringelbach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Warneford Ln, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
- Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University Hospital Nørrebrogade 44, Building 10G, 4th and 5th floor, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Antonio Donaire
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, Universidad de Barcelona and Institut D’investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11. Planta 0 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/ de Ramon Trias Fargas, 25, 08018 Barcelona, España
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Ulrika Åden
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm S- 171 76, Sweden
- Department of Neonatology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm S- 171 76, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SE 58183, Sweden
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High-order functional redundancy in ageing explained via alterations in the connectome in a whole-brain model. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010431. [PMID: 36054198 PMCID: PMC9477425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain generates a rich repertoire of spatio-temporal activity patterns, which support a wide variety of motor and cognitive functions. These patterns of activity change with age in a multi-factorial manner. One of these factors is the variations in the brain’s connectomics that occurs along the lifespan. However, the precise relationship between high-order functional interactions and connnectomics, as well as their variations with age are largely unknown, in part due to the absence of mechanistic models that can efficiently map brain connnectomics to functional connectivity in aging. To investigate this issue, we have built a neurobiologically-realistic whole-brain computational model using both anatomical and functional MRI data from 161 participants ranging from 10 to 80 years old. We show that the differences in high-order functional interactions between age groups can be largely explained by variations in the connectome. Based on this finding, we propose a simple neurodegeneration model that is representative of normal physiological aging. As such, when applied to connectomes of young participant it reproduces the age-variations that occur in the high-order structure of the functional data. Overall, these results begin to disentangle the mechanisms by which structural changes in the connectome lead to functional differences in the ageing brain. Our model can also serve as a starting point for modeling more complex forms of pathological ageing or cognitive deficits. Modern neuroimaging techniques allow us to study how the human brain’s anatomical architecture (a.k.a. structural connectome) changes under different conditions or interventions. Recently, using functional neuroimaging data, we have shown that complex patterns of interactions between brain areas change along the lifespan, exhibiting increased redundant interactions in the older population. However, the mechanisms that underlie these functional differences are still unclear. Here, we extended this work and hypothesized that the variations of functional patterns can be explained by the dynamics of the brain’s anatomical networks, which are known to degenerate as we age. To test this hypothesis, we implemented a whole-brain model of neuronal activity, where different brain regions are anatomically wired using real connectomes from 161 participants with ages ranging from 10 to 80 years old. Analyzing different functional aspects of brain activity when varying the empirical connectomes, we show that the increased redundancy found in the older group can indeed be explained by precise rules affecting anatomical connectivity, thus emphasizing the critical role that the brain connectome plays for shaping complex functional interactions and the efficiency in the global communication of the human brain.
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Song I, Neal J, Lee TH. Age-Related Intrinsic Functional Connectivity Changes of Locus Coeruleus from Childhood to Older Adults. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1485. [PMID: 34827484 PMCID: PMC8615904 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus is critical for selective information processing by modulating the brain's connectivity configuration. Increasingly, studies have suggested that LC controls sensory inputs at the sensory gating stage. Furthermore, accumulating evidence has shown that young children and older adults are more prone to distraction and filter out irrelevant information less efficiently, possibly due to the unoptimized LC connectivity. However, the LC connectivity pattern across the life span is not fully examined yet, hampering our ability to understand the relationship between LC development and the distractibility. In this study, we examined the intrinsic network connectivity of the LC using a public fMRI dataset with wide-range age samples. Based on LC-seed functional connectivity maps, we examined the age-related variation in the LC connectivity with a quadratic model. The analyses revealed two connectivity patterns explicitly. The sensory-related brain regions showed a positive quadratic age effect (u-shape), and the frontal regions for the cognitive control showed a negative quadratic age effect (inverted u-shape). Our results imply that such age-related distractibility is possibly due to the impaired sensory gating by the LC and the insufficient top-down controls by the frontal regions. We discuss the underlying neural mechanisms and limitations of our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inuk Song
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA; (I.S.); (J.N.)
| | - Joshua Neal
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA; (I.S.); (J.N.)
| | - Tae-Ho Lee
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA; (I.S.); (J.N.)
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
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