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ObjectiveTo explore the impact of autonomic nerve function on motor function in patients with post-stroke depression (PSD) from the perspective of regional homogeneity (ReHo). MethodsFrom January to December, 2020, a total of 60 inpatients and outpatients with cerebral infarction in the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were divided into control group (n = 30) and PSD group (n = 30). Two groups were assessed using Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), modified Barthel Index (MBI) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured. Ten patients in each group were selected randomly to undergo resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to calculate ReHo. ResultsAll HRV indices were lower in PSD group than in the control group (|t| > 2.092, P < 0.05). In PSD group, FMA and MBI scores showed positive correlations with 24-hour standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats over 24 hours (RMSSD), the percentage of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals over 24 hours that were greater than 50 ms (PNN50), total power (TP), very low frequency power (VLF) and low frequency power (LF) (r > 0.394, P < 0.05), and showed negative correlations with HAMD scores (|r| > 0.919, P < 0.001). HAMD scores in PSD group were negatively correlated with SDNN, RMSSD, PNN50, TP and VLF (|r| > 0.769, P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the ReHo increased in PSD group in the right rectus gyrus (142 voxels, t = 6.575), the left medial and paracingulate gyri (204 voxels, t = 4.925) (GRF correction, P-Voxel < 0.005，P-Cluster < 0.05); and reduced in the right cerebellum (191 voxels, t = -6.487), the left middle temporal gyrus (140 voxels, t = -5.516), and the left precentral gyrus (119 voxels, t = -4.764) (GRF correction, P-Voxel < 0.005，P-Cluster < 0.05) in PSD group. ConclusionAutonomic nerve function is related to motor dysfunction in patients with PSD. The modulation of emotional, cognitive and motor brain regions by the autonomic nervous system may play a role in influencing the motor function in patients with PSD.
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RESUMEN Las técnicas de neuroimagenología otorgan información relevante del estado funcional y anatómico del cerebro humano. Esta información es particularmente importante cuando existe una lesión cerebral causada por alguna patología, tal como la enfermedad vascular cerebral (EVC). En pacientes afectados por esta enfermedad, se ha determinado que la neuroplasticidad es el mecanismo principal de recuperación de la función motora perdida. Debido a la alta prevalencia de la EVC a nivel mundial y especialmente en países en vías de desarrollo, es necesario continuar investigando los mecanismos de recuperación involucrados en esta patología. La resonancia magnética funcional (RMF) y la imagenología por tensor de difusión (ITD) son dos de las técnicas de neuroimagenología más utilizadas con este fin. La RMF permite analizar la actividad neuronal generada al ejecutar tareas de movimiento, mientras que la ITD proporciona información estructural de la anatomía cerebral. En esta revisión narrativa, se presentan diversos estudios que han utilizado estas técnicas de neuroimagenología en la cuantificación de los cambios de neuroplasticidad en pacientes con EVC tras participar en algún programa de neurorrehabilitación. Comprender mejor estos cambios de neuroplasticidad permitiría diseñar esquemas de rehabilitación que proporcionen un mayor beneficio a los pacientes con EVC.
ABSTRACT Neuroimaging techniques provide relevant information of the functional and anatomical status of the human brain. This information is of particular importance when a pathology, like stroke, produces a brain injury. In stroke patients, it has been determined that neuroplasticity is the primary recovery mechanism of the lost motor function. Due to worldwide high prevalence, especially in developing countries, it is necessary to continue the research of the recovery mechanisms involved in this pathology. To this end, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are two of the most used neuroimaging techniques. In stroke patients, fMRI allows the analysis of the neural activity produced by the execution of motor tasks, whereas DTI provides structural information of the brain anatomy. In this narrative review, multiple studies that employ these neuroimaging techniques for quantification of neuroplasticity changes in stroke patients after undergoing a neurorehabilitation program are presented. Better understanding of these neuroplasticity changes would allow researchers to design and provide more beneficial rehabilitation schemes to stroke patients.
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Resumen Objetivo: Explorar si voluntarios sanos presentarían correlación entre su puntaje en un test psicológico emocional y las activaciones de áreas cerebrales relacionadas con las emociones medidas con resonancia magnética funcional (RMf). Material y métodos: Estudio exploratorio de prueba diagnóstica, prospectivo, con diseño del propio individuo como control, con muestra de 12 participantes. Se categorizó a cada participante con un puntaje de estabilidad emocional derivado de un test psicológico y se utilizaron estímulos emocionales audiovisuales durante las adquisiciones de RMf. Resultados: La sumatoria de clusters de activación medidos en cantidad total de vóxeles durante los estímulos negativos en áreas cerebrales relacionadas con las emociones mostró una correlación negativa estadísticamente significativa para nuestro tamaño de muestra respecto de los puntajes en el test emocional, con rho de Spearman de −0,623 y p = 0,0428. Conclusiones: Los paradigmas de RMf utilizados permitieron cuantificar las activaciones cerebrales ante estímulos emocionales de valencia positiva y negativa, y los resultados obtenidos abren una perspectiva hacia la posibilidad de utilizar test psicológicos y secuencias de RMf para predecir la posibilidad de aparición de síntomas de patologías psicológicas o psiquiátricas ante factores desencadenantes en población sana que presente en estos test valores cercanos al límite de la normalidad.
Abstract Objective: To explore if healthy volunteers would present a correlation between their score in emotional psychological test and the activations of brain areas related to emotions measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Material and methods: Exploratory study of a prospective diagnostic test, with the individuals own design as a control, with a sample of 12 participants. Each participant was categorized with an emotional stability score derived from a psychological test and audiovisual emotional stimuli were used during fMRI acquisitions. Results: The sum of activation clusters measured in total number of voxels during negative stimuli in brain areas related to emotions showed a statistically significant negative correlation for our sample size with respect to the scores in the emotional test, with Spearmans rho of −0.623 and p = 0.0428. Conclusions: The fMRI paradigms used made it possible to quantify brain activations in response to emotional stimuli of positive and negative valence, and the results obtained open a perspective towards the possibility of using psychological tests and fMRI sequences to predict the possibility of the appearance of symptoms of psychological or psychiatric pathologies in response to triggering factors in a healthy population that present values close to the normal limit in these tests.
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ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of acupuncture intervention for children with monocular refractive-parallax amblyopia and the possible mechanisms of brain function based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance （rs-fMRI）. MethodsSeventy-six children with anisometropic amblyopia were randomly divided into routine treatment group （38 cases） and acupuncture treatment group （38 cases）. In the conventional group， the children were given three regular treatments of red flash， grating and visual stimulation for 5 mins each time； in the acupuncture group， on the basis of the conventional treatment， the children were given acupuncture for 20 mins each time on bilateral Jingming （BL 1）， Cuanzhu （BL 2）， Guangming （GB 37） and Fengchi （GB 20）； the children in both groups were treated once every other day and three times a week for 4 weeks. The corrected visual acuity was compared between groups before and after treatment. Fifteen children with left-sided refractive amblyopia were randomly selected from each of the above two groups and underwent brain rs-fMRI scans before and after treatment， and 10 healthy children with normal visual acuity of the matched gender and age were included in the normal group and underwent brain rs-fMRI scans. Based on the activation likelihood estimation （ALE） method， we constructed the what visual pathway network， and compared and analyzed the spherical regions of interest （ROIs） of the children with normal children， and both groups of children with differences in functional connectivity （FC values） within the what pathway in the brain before and after treatment. ResultsTwo cases dropout in the acupuncture group， and finally 36 cases in the acupuncture group and 38 cases in the conventional group were included in the analysis. Compared with before treatment， the best corrected visual acuity of amblyopia in both groups was significantly improved after treatment （P＜0.05）， and the improvement of vision in the acupuncture group was significantly better than that in the conventional group （P＜0.05）. The results of rs-fMRI showed that the FC values of the primary optic cortex and the right fusiform gyrus， the left lingual gyrus and the right fusiform gyrus， and the right infraoccipital gyrus and the right middle temporal gyrus were significantly elevated in the brain of the refractive amblyopia children with the whitepathic amblyopia， compared with that of the normal children （P＜0.05）. The FC values of the left lingual gyrus， the right suboccipital gyrus with the right fusiform gyrus， the left lingual gyrus with the right middle temporal gyrus， the right and left lateral middle occipital gyrus， and the right and left lateral middle occipital gyrus with the right suboccipital gyrus were significantly （P＜0.05） lower in the conventional group compared with those in the conventional group before treatment. Compared with that before acupuncture treatment， the FC values of the right lingual gyrus and the right fusiform gyrus， the primary visual cortex and the right middle temporal gyrus increased significantly after acupuncture treatment （P＜0.05）， and the FC values of the left inferior occipital gyrus and the right middle temporal gyrus， the FC values of the left lingual gyrus and the right middle occipital gyrus decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared between groups after treatment， the FC between the left suboccipital gyrus and the right fusiform gyrus in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the conventional group （P＜0.05）， and the FC between the left middle occipital gyrus and the right and left suboccipital gyrus was significantly lower than that in the conventional group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionAcupuncture can significantly improve the corrected vision of anisometropic amblyopic children， and its effect mechanism may focus on regulating the occipito-temporal interlobular functional connectivity within the what pathway， thus improving the children's visual function of shape and color vision and visual learning and memory ability.
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Objective:To comprehensively evaluate the ability of common resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) indices to detect abnormal brain activity in childhood absence epilepsy (CAE).Methods:Simultaneous electroencephalography-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 20 patients with CAE who were treated in the Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine from February 2010 to September 2021 were retrospectively collected. After excluding 2 patients with CAE with greater head movement, 44 fMRI data containing discharges from 18 patients were obtained finally. The generalized spike and slow-wave discharges (GSWD) related fMRI activation mappings were obtained by using the generalized linear model. At the same time, 94 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent rs-fMRI scanning. Meanwhile, 12 indices of rs-fMRI were calculated respectively [amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), functional connectivity density (FCD), long FCD, local FCD, granger causality density (GCD)-in, GCD-out, GCD-int, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging lag analysis (RSLA), Hurst index and brain entropy]. Two-sample t-tests were employed to detect significant differences in 12 indices of rs-fMRI. The Dice coefficient was used to evaluate the overlap between different brain maps of 12 indices of rs-fMRI and the GSWD-related blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activation. Results:Positive activation of GSWD-related BOLD in CAE was mainly in the bilateral thalamus, and negative activation was mainly in default mode network (DMN) related brain regions. There was a significant overlap between the abnormal brain regions detected by various resting-state indicators: compared with normal controls, ALFF, fALFF, ReHo, GCD-in, GCD-out and local FCD were elevated in the bilateral thalamus, while FCD, long FCD, GCD-int and RSLA were decreased in CAE; ALFF, fALFF, ReHo, local FCD, GCD-out, RSLA and brain entropy were decreased in the DMN, while FCD, long FCD, GCD-in and GCD-int were increased in CAE. The Dice coefficient of long FCD was the highest (0.365),FCD was 0.362, while the Hurst index showed the lowest (0.142).Conclusions:Rs-fMRI indices variously revealed abnormal brain activity in CAE, in which the FCD is better for detection of epileptic activity. Rs-fMRI could be helpful to understand the pathophysiological mechanism of CAE, and to find reliable imaging markers.
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Objective:To explore the effect of adult growth hormone deficiency on cognitive function in adults.Methods:A total of 19 hypophyseal or craniopharyngioma patients who underwent surgical treatment and were diagnosed with adult growth hormone deficiency in Department of Endocrinolog, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University from June 2017 to June 2018 were selected as the case group, and 19 normal people were included as the control group. All the members were assessed with the cognitive function scale and brain functional magnetic resonance examination, data between the groups were analyzed.Results:The body weight within a year of case group was significantly increased than that of the control group( P=0.017). Compared with the control group, the case group was relatively inattentive and had decreased memory(Time of stroop color words test-a, test-c, and trail-making test-A, P values were 0.009, 0.018, 0.020 respectively; Auditory word learning test N6, P=0.008). The executive function and language ability of the case group were weakened compared with the control group(Raven′s matrices score E1-E12, P=0.022; Time cost and the number of arrivals in 1 min of connection test B, P values were 0.023, 0.004; Symbol digit modalities test, P=0.037; The number of words spoken in 46-60 s and total number in 0-60 s of the case group was less than the control, P values were 0.030, 0.006). The general mental state of the case group was worse than the control group( P=0.018). The accuracy of the 2-back task of the case group was significantly lower and the activation signal of the left frontal lobe in the case group was significantly weaker( P<0.005). Conclusions:Adult growth hormone deficiency may increase obesity risk and have a detrimental influence on patients′ overall mental health, resulting in varying degrees of cognitive impairment. Working memory impairments associated with adult growth hormone deficiency may be a result of decreased frontal lobe brain activity.
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Objective:To explore the differences of resting-state spontaneous neural activity between migraine without aura (MwoA) patients with response or nonresponse to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and its correlation with migraine-related features.Methods:From February 2021 to April 2022, thirty MwoA patients with response to NSAIDs, 30 MwoA patients with nonresponse to NSAIDs, and 30 healthy controls were recruited in the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University.All subjects were scanned with a 3.0 T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner.The percent amplitude of fluctuation (perAF) approach was used to calculate the differences of the resting state brain functional activities among the three groups (Bonferroni multiple comparison correction). SPSS 24.0 software and RESTplus software were used for statistical analysis.Analysis of variance was used for the perAF values of three groups.Correlation analysis was performed between perAF values of brain regions with significant differences and migraine-related features.Results:The brain areas showing significant differences of perAF among the three groups located in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)( x, y, z = -6, 9, -3), left middle frontal gyrus (MFG)( x, y, z =-39, 48, 9) and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG)( x, y, z = -57, -30, -15)(all P<0.05, Bonferroni correction). Compared with nonresponse group, the perAF in response group showed significant decreased in the left ACC, MFG and MTG.There was positive correlation between the perAF of left ACC and disease duration ( r=0.506, P=0.007). Compared with healthy controls, the perAF of nonresponse group showed increased in the left ACC, which was negatively correlated with frequency ( r=-0.414, P=0.032). Conclusion:The neural activity of prefrontal cortex and ACC may be the neuropathological basis underlying response to NSAIDs in MwoA treatment.Moreover, the ACC has certain correlations with migraine-related characteristics, which may serve as a potential neuroimaging biomarker to evaluate the efficacy of NSAIDs.
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Objective:To explore differences of resting brain regional homogeneity (ReHo) between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and their siblings.Methods:From January to December 2013, the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 87 patients with MDD and 21 healthy siblings were collected.DPABI v5.1 software was used to preprocess the resting-state fMRI data, and ReHo maps of each subject was obtained. A two-sample t-test was used to compare differences between the patients with MDD and their siblings in ReHo values throughout the brain. ReHo values within the significant brain regions were extracted out, and used to calculate Spearman correlation with the total score of 17-items Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD-17) in the patients with MDD and their siblings respectively.The software of SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results:The patients with MDD exhibited lower ReHo values in the precuneus extending to the posterior cingulate cortex (PCu/PCC) compared with their siblings (cluster-size=126 voxel, cluster-level PFDR=0.033; MNI: x=-4, y=-58, z=38, t=4.30). ReHo values of the PCu/PCC in patient with MDD were positively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms ( r=0.255, P=0.021). Conclusion:Compared with the siblings, local brain activity of the PCu/PCC in the patients with MDD was decreased, and related to the severity of depressive symptoms. It is helpful to further reveal the intrinsic neural mechanism of MDD.
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Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, is an important blinding disease in people over 50 years old.Various optical methods are used to detect retinal angiopathy and evaluate the progress of DR.However, there are also changes in microstructure and function of visual pathways in DR patients, which may occur earlier than retinal angiopathy.Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can detect ocular blood flow biological parameters and visual pathway function, and has the advantages of noninvasive procedure, precise positioning and high repeatability.fMRI includes perfusion-weighted MRI (PWI), voxel-based morphometry (VBM), magnetic resonance spectrum (MRS), diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI (BOLD-fMRI). PWI can be used to investigate the early retinopathy of DR, and manganese-enhanced MRI can be used to explore the changes of retina and choroid activity in the early stage of DR.Arterial spin labeling can be used to detect ocular blood flow.VBM is able to detect changes in gray matter.MRS can be used to detect biochemical reactions of the cerebrum by calculating the peak value of metabolites.DWI reflects brain injury by apparent diffusion coefficients.BOLD-fMRI is used to detect changes in the brain neuron activity and brain network function of DR.In this paper, the role of fMRI in the functional evaluation of visual pathways in DR was reviewed.
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OBJECTIVES@#To analyze the effect of acupuncture at the acupoints for Yizhi Tiaoshen (benefiting the intelligence and regulating the spirit) on the functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the whole brain in the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and reveal the brain function mechanism of acupuncture in treatment of AD using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).@*METHODS@#Sixty patients with mild to moderate AD were randomly divided into an acupuncture + medication group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a western medication group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped out). In the western medication group, the donepezil hydrochloride tablets were administered orally, 2.5 mg to 5 mg each time, once daily; and adjusted to be 10 mg each time after 4 weeks of medication. Besides the therapy as the western medication group, in the acupuncture + medication group, acupuncture was supplemented at the acupoints for Yizhi Tiaoshen, i.e. Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), and bilateral Shenmen (HT 7), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Xuanzhong (GB 39). The needles were retained for 30 min in one treatment, once daily; and 6 treatments were required weekly. The duration of treatment was 6 weeks in each group. The general cognitive function was assessed by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cognitive part (ADAS-Cog) before and after treatment in the two groups. Using the rs-fMRI, the changes in the functional connectivity (FC) of the left hippocampus and the whole brain before and after treatment were analyzed in the patients of the two groups (11 cases in the acupuncture + medication group and 12 cases in the western medication group).@*RESULTS@#After treatment, compared with those before treatment, MMSE scores increased and ADAS-Cog scores decreased in the two groups (P<0.05); MMSE score was higher, while the ADAS-Cog score was lower in the acupuncture + medication group when compared with those in the western medication group (P≤0.05). After treatment, in the western medication group, FC of the left hippocampus was enhanced with the left fusiform gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus of the left triangular region, the bilateral superior temporal gyrus and the right superior parietal gyrus (P<0.05), while FC was weakened with the left inferior temporal gyrus, the left middle frontal gyrus and the right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus when compared with that before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, in the acupuncture + medication group, FC of the left hippocampus was increased with the right gyrus rectus, the left inferior occipital gyrus, the right superior temporal gyrus and the left middle occipital gyrus (P<0.05), and it was declined with the left thalamus (P<0.05) when compared with those before treatment. After treatment, in the acupuncture + medication group, FC of the left hippocampus was strengthened with the bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, the bilateral middle temporal gyrus, the right gyrus rectus, the bilateral superior occipital gyrus, the left lenticular nucleus putamen, the left calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus of the left insulae operculum, the left medial superior frontal gyrus and the right posterior central gyrus (P<0.05) compared with that of the western medication group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Acupuncture at the acupoints for Yizhi Tiaoshen improves the cognitive function of AD patients, and its main brain functional mechanism is related to intensifying the functional connectivity of the left hippocampus with the default network (inferior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus, gyrus rectus), as well as with the sensory (posterior central gyrus) and visual (calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex and superior occipital gyrus) brain regions.
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Humans , Acupuncture Points , Alzheimer Disease/therapy , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Brain/physiology , Acupuncture Therapy , Hippocampus/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
【Objective】 To investigate dynamic regional homogeneity (dReHo) abnormality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). 【Methods】 A total of 26 ESRD patients and 26 healthy controls (HC) matched in gender, education level and age were included. Rs-fMRI scanning was performed in all subjects. All the subjects were tested by using auditory verbal learning test Huashan version (AVLT-H) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to assess cognitive function before collection of MRI data. T-test was used to observe the difference in dReHo at global level between the two groups. Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were made to estimate the correlation between abnormal brain regions and clinical scales. 【Results】 Compared with HC group, the dReHo value in ESRD patients reduced on the bilateral superior margin gyrus, left insula, left posterior central gyrus, and left putamen (P<0.05, replacement test correction). The dReHo values of left superior margin gyrus (r=-0.534, P=0.005) and left insula in ESRD patients (r=-0.422, P=0.032) were negatively correlated with the LR-S score, and the dReHo value of the left margin was negatively correlated with the SR-S score (r=-0.468, P=0.016). 【Conclusion】 There are abnormal dReHo values in several brain regions in ESRD patients during resting state, which is related to the patients’ cognitive function. The variation of dReHo value provides a new objective imaging basis for evaluating the cognitive function of ESRD patients.
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Myopia is a harmful ophthalmic disease that may change the activity of the visual cortex and affect the corresponding neural function. At present, the incidence rate of myopia in China has been rising unprecedentedly, especially in high myopia(HM). Therefore, efficacious prevention and treatment of myopia are extremely important. However, since the specific pathogenesis of myopia has not been clarified so far, it is difficult to achieve the prevention and control of the disease at its source. Recently, there have been studies on the pathogenesis of myopia from the perspective of genetics, environment, neurotransmitters, etc., but few studies have explored the neuroimaging mechanism of myopia from the perspective of brain structure and function. With the development of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technology, brain images gradually appear in the study of myopia-related mechanisms. Therefore, this paper summarizes the research on myopia-related brain images, to provide an important reference for the clinical prevention and control of myopia.
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ObjectiveTo explore the brain mechanism of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on dysfunction after stroke using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). MethodsLiteratures about the functional magnetic resonance imaging study about repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for dysfunction after stroke were retrieved in PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI and Wanfang data from establishment to June 1st, 2021. The quality of the literature was evaluated with Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Literature screening, and data extraction were performed by two researchers. ResultsA total of 14 randomized controlled trials were finally enrolled. They were of high or very high quality. They mainly involved the therapeutic effect and imaging mechanisms of rTMS on dysfunction after stroke. ConclusionrTMS could change the excitability of the cerebral cortex and the effective connections between brain regions after stroke, promote the reorganization of brain function, and achieve the recovery of post-stroke dysfunction.
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In this study, we explored the neural mechanism underlying impaired stereopsis and possible functional plasticity after strabismus surgery. We enrolled 18 stereo-deficient patients with intermittent exotropia before and after surgery, along with 18 healthy controls. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected when participants viewed three-dimensional stimuli. Compared with controls, preoperative patients showed hypoactivation in higher-level dorsal (visual and parietal) areas and ventral visual areas. Pre- and postoperative activation did not significantly differ in patients overall; patients with improved stereopsis showed stronger postoperative activation than preoperative activation in the right V3A and left intraparietal sulcus. Worse stereopsis and fusional control were correlated with preoperative hypoactivation, suggesting that cortical deficits along the two streams might reflect impaired stereopsis in intermittent exotropia. The correlation between improved stereopsis and activation in the right V3A after surgery indicates that functional plasticity may underlie the improvement of stereopsis. Thus, additional postoperative strategies are needed to promote functional plasticity and enhance the recovery of stereopsis.
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Humans , Exotropia/surgery , Depth Perception/physiology , Strabismus/surgery , Oculomotor Muscles/surgeryABSTRACT
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that damages patients' memory and cognitive abilities. Therefore, the diagnosis of AD holds significant importance. The interactions between regions of interest (ROIs) in the brain often involve multiple areas collaborating in a nonlinear manner. Leveraging these nonlinear higher-order interaction features to their fullest potential contributes to enhancing the accuracy of AD diagnosis. To address this, a framework combining nonlinear higher-order feature extraction and three-dimensional (3D) hypergraph neural networks is proposed for computer-assisted diagnosis of AD. First, a support vector machine regression model based on the radial basis function kernel was trained on ROI data to obtain a base estimator. Then, a recursive feature elimination algorithm based on the base estimator was applied to extract nonlinear higher-order features from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. These features were subsequently constructed into a hypergraph, leveraging the complex interactions captured in the data. Finally, a four-dimensional (4D) spatiotemporal hypergraph convolutional neural network model was constructed based on the fMRI data for classification. Experimental results on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database demonstrated that the proposed framework outperformed the Hyper Graph Convolutional Network (HyperGCN) framework by 8% and traditional two-dimensional (2D) linear feature extraction methods by 12% in the AD/normal control (NC) classification task. In conclusion, this framework demonstrates an improvement in AD classification compared to mainstream deep learning methods, providing valuable evidence for computer-assisted diagnosis of AD.
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Humans , Alzheimer Disease/diagnostic imaging , Neural Networks, Computer , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Neuroimaging/methods , Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted , Brain , Cognitive DysfunctionABSTRACT
The optimal antidepressant therapies for different patients have been identified mostly by trial and error. Selecting an effective treatment based on the specific biomarkers may be an important step toward personalized treatment of depression. Deep learning is a branch of machine learning, that is capable of processing high-dimensional and complex data.It automatically extracts and learns from large amounts of demographic, clinical symptoms, genomics and neuroimaging data. Researchers have been using deep learning algorithms to develop prediction model of anti-depressant response in order to guide clinicians to make a precise prescription for depression and further advance personalized treatment globally. This article reviews the application of deep learning in predicting the treatment outcomes of depression. Additionally, deep learning based on multi-omics data applied in treatment outcome's prediction is direction with prospects in the future.
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Objective:To analyze the functional connectivity (FC) characteristics of sensory motor network (SMN) in patients with bipolar disorder type Ⅰ (BD-Ⅰ) by independent component analysis (ICA), and explore the correlation between abnormal SMN and clinical symptoms.Methods:Eighteen patients with BD-Ⅰ (BD-Ⅰ group) and 20 matched normal controls (HC group) were included.Both groups received resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) scanning.Based on ICA-fMRI data, one-sample t-test and two-sample t-test were used to analyze the components of SMN and to explore abnormal brain regions between the two groups.Functional network analysis (FNC) was also used to explore the functional connectivity between SMN and other brain networks.Pearson correlation analysis were conducted by SPSS 17.0 to measure the potential associations between intra-and inter-network functional connectivity and age, education, score of Bech-Rafaelsen mania rating scale (BRMS), score of positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and other indicators. Results:In BD-Ⅰ group, the functional connection in the right paracentral lobule (MIN: x=8, y=-32, z=68, t=4.86, P<0.001) and the right postcentral gyrus (MIN: x=41, y=-26, z=53, t=3.33, P<0.001) in SMN were higher than those in HC group.Compared with HC group, the connectivity value in patients with BD-Ⅰ increased between SMN-DAN (0.247±0.073, -0.078±0.080, t=-2.974, P<0.01, FDR adjusted), while the connectivity value decreased between SMN-DMN(-0.037±0.054, 0.272±0.067, t=3.520, P<0.01, FDR adjusted) and between SMN-rFPN(-0.034±0.055, 0.231±0.070, t=2.939, P<0.01, FDR adjusted). Conclusion:The sensorimotor network of patients with BD-Ⅰ has abnormal functional connections within and between networks, and FC values in some networks are positively correlated with manic symptoms, which may be part of the neural mechanisms of patients with BD-Ⅰ.
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Objective:To investigate the effects and significance of acute and chronic trauma on brain degree centrality (DC) in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who lost their only child at resting state.Methods:Retrospectively, the study enrolled a total of 51 parents with PTSD, including 35 PTSD parents whose children was lost in emergencies (acute bereaved PTSD group) and 16 PTSD parents whose children was lost of chronic causes such as diseases (chronic bereaved PTSD group). Fifty local adults were also included as healthy controls (HC group). The clinical administered PTSD scale(CAPS) was used to evaluate the severity of the subjects' clinical symptoms.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) data of all subjects were collected and DC values were calculated.SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Covariance analysis was performed among three groups, while post hoc was performed between any two groups.What's more, correlation analyses were utilized between abnormal brain regions and the scores of CAPS.Results:Significant group effects were found in multiple regions, including the right inferior temporal gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=66, -27, -21), right temporal pole (MNI: x, y, z=54, 15, -9), right orbital inferior frontal gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=42, 21, -15), bilateral medial superior frontal gyri (MNI: right x, y, z=6, 63, 12; left x, y, z=-3, 60, 18), left inferior parietal angular gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=-45, -36, 51) and left postcentral gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=-45, -33, 51). Compared with HC group, the DC of two patient groups increased in the right inferior temporal gyrus (MNI: acute x, y, z=63, -27, -21; chronic x, y, z=63, -21, -27); the DC of acute bereaved PTSD group decreased in the right temporal pole (MNI: x, y, z=45, 21, -15) and the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=48, 24, -12), while the DC of chronic bereaved PTSD group decreased in the left inferior parietal angular gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=-45, -36, 51) and left postcentral gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=-45, -33, 51). Compared with chronic bereaved PTSD group, the DC of acute bereaved PTSD group increased in the left inferior parietal angular gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=-33, -39, 42) and left postcentral gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=-45, -33, 51), while decreased in the right temporal pole (MNI: x, y, z=51, 12, -9), right orbital inferior frontal gyrus (MNI: x, y, z=42, 21, -15) and bilateral medial superior frontal gyri (MNI: left x, y, z=0, 57, 15; right x, y, z=3, 57, 15). In chronic bereaved PTSD group, the DC of the left postcentral gyrus was negatively correlated with C1 (avoid trauma-related thoughts, feelings) score in CAPS ( r=-0.606, P=0.028). In acute bereaved PTSD group, the DC of the left medial superior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with D4 (high vigilance) score ( r=-0.416, P=0.020). Conclusion:There exist functional abnormalities of multiple brain regions in acute and chronic bereaved parents with PTSD.The high arousal symptoms of the former may be related with the abnormalities of prefrontal-amygdala neural circuit, while the latter show higher avoidance which may be associated with the dysfunction of somatosensory brain regions such as postcentral gyrus.
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Objective:To observe the characteristics of resting-state brain activity in Parkinson disease (PD) patients with peak-dose dyskinesia, and to explore its pathogenesis.Methods:From March 2017 to November 2019, totally 27 PD patients with peak-dose dyskinesia (dyskinetic group), and 29 PD patients without dyskinesia (non-dyskinetic group) treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and 27 healthy controls from the community were recruited.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical scale data were collected.SPSS 26.0 software and REST software were used for data analysis.The whole brain amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values were compared among the three groups.Correlation analysis was performed between ALFF values of the significant brain regions and the scale scores.Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of ALFF values of significant brain regions in identifying three groups of subjects.Results:The peak-dose dyskinetic group showed decreased ALFF in right inferior frontal gyrus(MNI: x=36, y=21, z=30; x=36, y=18, z=30)and increased ALFF in right supplementary motor area (MNI: x=9, y=0, z=69; x=6, y=-3, z=72)(all P<0.05, Alphasim correction) compared with non-dyskinetic group and healthy controls.ALFF value in right inferior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with unified dyskinesia rating scale (UDysRS) scores ( r=-0.47, P=0.018). The ALFF value of the right inferior frontal gyrus was more effective in identifying peak-dose dyskinetic patients from non-dyskinetic patients and healthy controls, and the area under the curve of right inferior frontal gyrus were 0.881 and 0.787 (both P<0.01), respectively. Conclusion:Abnormal spontaneous brain activity in right inferior frontal gyrus and right supplementary motor area can be the neurobiological basis of peak-dose dyskinesia in PD patients.The severity of peak-dose dyskinesia is associated with abnormal brain activity of right inferior frontal gyrus.The ALFF value of right inferior frontal gyrus is a potential imaging marker for identifying peak-dose dyskinetic patient.
ABSTRACT
Cognitive impairment is one of the important clinical manifestations in depression. The particularly vulnerable cognition domains included executive function, attention, memory, and processing speed. Depression with cognitive impairment is not only a predictor of poor efficacy, but also closely related to dementia. Previous studies have suggested that multiple physiological mechanisms may be altered between depression and cognitive impairment. With the rapid development of neuroimaging technology, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used to explore the neurobiological mechanisms of depression and cognitive impairment. After reviewing the resting-state functional MRI manifestations of the comorbidity, it was found that the default mode network, cognitive control network, and salience network were activated or weakened in the brain. In addition, the inter-network functional connectivity was altered with the co-existence of impairment and compensation. The aforementioned changes of brain function are expected to be the therapeutic targets for depression with cognitive dysfunction.