Mapping the modulating effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on voxel-based analyses in patients with first-episode major depressive disorder: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Introduction: Seed-based analysis has shown that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) can modulate the dysfunctional brain network in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the voxel-based neuropsychological mechanism of taVNS on patients with first-episode MDD is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of an 8-week course of taVNS on patients with first-episode MDD. Methods: Twenty-two patients with first-episode MDD accepted an 8-week course of taVNS treatment. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans were performed before and after treatment. Voxel-based analyses were performed to characterize spontaneous brain activity. Healthy controls (n=23) were recruited to minimize test-retest effects. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to ascertain treatment-related changes. Then, correlations between changes in brain activity and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)/Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) remission rate were estimated. Results: Significant group-by-time interactions on voxel-based analyses were observed in the inferior ventral striatum (VSi) and precuneus. Post-hoc analyses showed that taVNS inhibited higher brain activity in the VSi, while upregulating it in the precuneus. Functional connectivity (FC) between the VSi and precuneus decreased. Positive correlations were found between the HAM-D remission rate and changes in brain activity in the VSi. Conclusion: taVNS reduced the FC between VSi and precuneus by normalizing the abnormal spontaneous brain activity of VSi in first-episode MDD patients.

Changes of gray matter volume and brain functional connectivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder comorbid with oppositional defiant disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To analyze the changes of gray matter volume and resting-state functional connectivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbid with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).Methods:A total of 22 ADHD comorbid with ODD children (ADHD-ODD group, n=22) were selected from a public-assess resting-state fMRI ADHD cohort, namely, ADHD-200.Meanwhile, 22 age- and sex- matched ADHD children without ODD (ADHD group, n=22) and 22 healthy children(control group, n=22) were also included.T1-weighted MRI and resting-state fMRI scans were performed on all of the participants.The voxel-based morphometric (VBM) method was used to compare the volume of gray matter in three groups.The gray matter with aberrant volume was set as the region of interest(ROI) for mapping the functional connectivity of the whole brain.For comparison of gray matter volumes, one-way ANOVA and two-sample t-test analysis were applied, while two-sample t-test analysis was used for comparison of functional connectivity. Results:Compared with the control group, ADHD-ODD group showed decreased gray matter volume in the left cerebellum anterior lobe (MNI coordinate: x, y, z=-19.5, -42, -18) and right cerebellum anterior lobe (MNI coordinate: x, y, z=19.5, -39, -21). The left cerebellum anterior lobe showed increased functional connectivity with left superior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus (MNI coordinate: x, y, z=-24, 19, 43), right superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus (MNI coordinate: x, y, z=30, 9, 45) and bilateral precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus(MNI coordinate: x, y, z=-6, -35, 24). Compared with the ADHD group, ADHD-ODD group showed decreased gray matter volume in the right cerebellum anterior lobe (MNI coordinate: x, y, z=19.5, -37.5, -22.5). The right cerebellum anterior lobe showed increased functional connectivity with bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral medial frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus(MNI coordinate: x, y, z=18, -12, 42), bilateral cuneus, bilateral lingual gyrus(MNI coordinate: x, y, z=9, -87, 27).Conclusion:ADHD comorbid with ODD children show decreased cerebellum volume and excessive functional connectivity with several brain regions of the cerebral hemispheres, which may be one of the neuropathological bases of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Selective Aberrant Functional–Structural Coupling of Multiscale Brain Networks in Subcortical Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment / 神经科学通报·英文版

Subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI) is a common prodromal stage of vascular dementia. Although mounting evidence has suggested abnormalities in several single brain network metrics, few studies have explored the consistency between functional and structural connectivity networks in svMCI. Here, we constructed such networks using resting-state fMRI for functional connectivity and diffusion tensor imaging for structural connectivity in 30 patients with svMCI and 30 normal controls. The functional networks were then parcellated into topological modules, corresponding to several well-defined functional domains. The coupling between the functional and structural networks was finally estimated and compared at the multiscale network level (whole brain and modular level). We found no significant intergroup differences in the functional–structural coupling within the whole brain; however, there was significantly increased functional–structural coupling within the dorsal attention module and decreased functional–structural coupling within the ventral attention module in the svMCI group. In addition, the svMCI patients demonstrated decreased intramodular connectivity strength in the visual, somatomotor, and dorsal attention modules as well as decreased intermodular connectivity strength between several modules in the functional network, mainly linking the visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, ventral attention, and frontoparietal control modules. There was no significant correlation between the altered module-level functional–structural coupling and cognitive performance in patients with svMCI. These findings demonstrate for the first time that svMCI is reflected in a selective aberrant topological organization in multiscale brain networks and may improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying svMCI.

Cerebral regional and network characteristics in asthma patients: a resting-state fMRI study / 医学前沿

Asthma is a serious health problem that involves not only the respiratory system but also the central nervous system. Previous studies identified either regional or network alterations in patients with asthma, but inconsistent results were obtained. A key question remains unclear: are the regional and neural network deficits related or are they two independent characteristics in asthma? Answering this question is the aim of this study. By collecting resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging from 39 patients with asthma and 40 matched health controls, brain functional measures including regional activity (amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) and neural network function (degree centrality (DC) and functional connectivity) were calculated to systematically characterize the functional alterations. Patients exhibited regional abnormities in the left angular gyrus, right precuneus, and inferior temporal gyrus within the default mode network. Network abnormalities involved both the sensorimotor network and visual network with key regions including the superior frontal gyrus and occipital lobes. Altered DC in the lingual gyrus was correlated with the degree of airway obstruction. This study elucidated different patterns of regional and network changes, thereby suggesting that the two parameters reflect different brain characteristics of asthma. These findings provide evidence for further understanding the potential cerebral alterations in the pathophysiology of asthma.

Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Patients with and without Psychotic Symptoms / 神经科学通报·英文版

Mood disorders/psychosis have been associated with dysfunctions in the default mode network (DMN). However, the relative contributions of DMN regions to state and trait disturbances in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms of PBD through brain imaging and explore the influence of psychotic symptoms on functional alterations in PBD patients. Twenty-nine psychotic and 26 non-psychotic PBD patients, as well as 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a resting-state functional MRI scan and the data were analyzed by independent component analysis. The DMN component from the fMRI data was extracted for each participant. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed between aberrant connectivity and clinical measurements. The results demonstrated that psychotic PBD was characterized by aberrant DMN connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex, bilateral caudate nucleus, bilateral angular gyri, and left middle temporal gyrus, while non-psychotic PBD was not, suggesting further impairment with the development of psychosis. In summary, we demonstrated unique impairment in DMN functional connectivity in the psychotic PBD group. These specific neuroanatomical abnormalities may shed light on the underlying pathophysiology and presentation of PBD.

Effect of tDCS on Aberrant Functional Network Connectivity in Refractory Hallucinatory Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study

We aim to investigate the effect of fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the interactions among functional networks and its association with psychotic symptoms. In this pilot study, we will determine possible candidate functional networks and an adequate sample size for future research. Seven schizophrenia patients with treatment-refractory auditory hallucinations underwent tDCS twice daily for 5 days. Resting-state fMRI data and measures of the severity of psychotic symptoms were acquired at baseline and after completion of the tDCS sessions. At baseline, decreased functional network interaction was negatively correlated with increased hallucinatory behavior. After tDCS, the previously reduced functional network connectivity significantly increased. Our results showed that fronto-temporal tDCS could possibly remediate aberrant hallucination-related functional network interactions in patients with schizophrenia.

The Feasibility for Whole-Night Sleep Brain Network Research Using Synchronous EEG-fMRI / 수면정신생리

OBJECTIVES: Synchronous electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to explore sleep stage dependent functional brain networks. Despite a growing number of sleep studies using EEG-fMRI, few studies have conducted network analysis on whole night sleep due to difficulty in data acquisition, artifacts, and sleep management within the MRI scanner. METHODS: In order to perform network analysis for whole night sleep, we proposed experimental procedures and data processing techniques for EEG-fMRI. We acquired 6–7 hours of EEG-fMRI data per participant and conducted signal processing to reduce artifacts in both EEG and fMRI. We then generated a functional brain atlas with 68 brain regions using independent component analysis of sleep fMRI data. Using this functional atlas, we constructed sleep level dependent functional brain networks. RESULTS: When we evaluated functional connectivity distribution, sleep showed significantly reduced functional connectivity for the whole brain compared to that during wakefulness. REM sleep showed statistically different connectivity patterns compared to non-REM sleep in sleep-related subcortical brain circuits. CONCLUSION: This study suggests the feasibility of exploring functional brain networks using sleep EEG-fMRI for whole night sleep via appropriate experimental procedures and signal processing techniques for fMRI and EEG.

Alteration in the Local and Global Functional Connectivity of Resting State Networks in Parkinson's Disease

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that mainly leads to the impairment of patients’ motor function, as well as of cognition, as it progresses. This study tried to investigate the impact of PD on the resting state functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN), as well as of the entire brain. METHODS: Sixty patients with PD were included and compared to 60 matched normal control (NC) subjects. For the local connectivity analysis, the resting state fMRI data were analyzed by seed-based correlation analyses, and then a novel persistent homology analysis was implemented to examine the connectivity from a global perspective. RESULTS: The functional connectivity of the DMN was decreased in the PD group compared to the NC, with a stronger difference in the medial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the results of the persistent homology analysis indicated that the PD group had a more locally connected and less globally connected network compared to the NC. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the DMN is altered in PD, and persistent homology analysis, as a useful measure of the topological characteristics of the networks from a broader perspective, was able to identify changes in the large-scale functional organization of the patients’ brain.

The impact of different infarction regions on functional connectivity in motor execution network / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective@#To explore the influence of the location of the infarction lesion on the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the motor execution network.@*Methods@#A total of 144 patients with infarction of the motor pathway were involved in the study, including 97 patients with capsule stroke (CS) and 47 patients with pontine stroke (PS).50 age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled.After acquiring the structural images and the resting-state functional MRI data of all the subjects by 3.0-Tesla MR scanner, the functional connectivity was calculated in different regions of interest and the differences of the rsFC within the motor execution network among patients with different infarction location were compared.@*Results@#Left CS patients exhibited increased rsFC in L_PMd (MNI x, y, z: -22, -13, 57) -R_M1 (MNI x, y, z: 38, -22, 56) (F=3.951, P=0.022), the increased rsFC than healthy controls (P=0.031); Left CS patients exhibited increased rsFC in R_PMv (MNI x, y, z: 53, 0, 25)-L_SPL (MNI x, y, z: -22, -64, 54) than healthy controls (F=4.017, P=0.021), left CS patients exhibited decreased rsFC in R_PCG (MNI x, y, z: 37, -34, 53) -R_PMv (MNI x, y, z: 53, 0, 25) than healthy controls(F=-3.788, P=0.025). Right CS patients exhibited increased rsFC than healthy controls in R_PMd(MNI x, y, z: 28, -10, 54)-L_M1(MNI x, y, z: -38, -22, 56) (F=4.438, P=0.014), right CS patients exhibited increased rsFC than healthy controls in R_PMv(MNI x, y, z: 53, 0, 25)-R_PCG(MNI x, y, z: 37, -34, 53)(F=4.830, P=0.010), right CS patients exhibited decreased rsFC in L_M1(MNI x, y, z: -38, -22, 56)-L_SMA(MNI x, y, z: -5, -4, 57) than healthy controls (F=-5.102, P=0.007). And the left PS patients showed increased rsFC than healthy controls in R_DN -L_SMA (F=4.939, P=0.009), left PS patients exhibited increased rsFC than healthy controls in L_DN-R_SMA (F=3.431, P=0.036), left PS patients exhibited reduced rsFC than healthy controls in R_AICb -R_PMd (F=-4.114, P=0.019). Right PS patients showed increased rsFC compared with healthy controls in L_DN-R_M1(F=3.075, P=0.049), and increased rsFC compared with healthy controls in L_AICb-R_SCb (F=3.725, P=0.027).@*Conclusion@#The infarction location poses influence on the FC alteration of the motor network after stroke.

Neuroplasticity of motor aphasia patients with stroke: a resting state BOLD-fMRI study / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the recovery mechanism of brain function in patients with mo-tor aphasia after cerebral infarction by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) functional connectivity. Methods 10 patients with aphasia after cerebral infarction (aphasia group),and 10 patients without aphasia (control group)in the same period were enrolled.Both patients underwent resting-state fMRI examination.Patients with aphasia received a second fMRI examination 1 month later.The SPM8 software and DPARSF software were used to process the data.The back of the left middle frontal gyrus ( LFMG) was se-lected as the seed point for functional connectivity analysis.REST was used for pairing and two-sample t-tests. Results Compared with the control group,the brain regions with increased LMFG-ROI functional connectiv-ity were right insula(MNI:x,y,z:45,12,0,t＝7.98),right inferior frontal gyrus (triangular,ankle,island cap) (MNI:x,y,z:42,6,27,t＝6.75),right upper temporal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus( MNI:x, y,z:48,－45,6,t＝10.57),right superior border gyrus(MNI:x,y,z:15,－66,60,t＝5.59) and right angle gy-rus(MNI:x,y,z:54,－50,12,t＝9.55) in the aphasia group (before rehabilitation),and the brain regions with reduced functional connectivity were left posterior cingulate gyrus( MNI:x,y,z:6,－75,9,t＝－10.05), and left anterior wedge lobe(MNI:x,y,z:－6,－69,33,t＝－9.07).Compared with the control group,the brain regions with enhanced LMFG-ROI functional connectivity in the aphasia group (after rehabilitation 1 month) included head of left caudate nucleus,left middle frontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus,left globus pallidus, left central anterior gyrus,central posterior gyrus,left insula; the brain regions with reduced functional con-nectivity were right hippocampus,left cerebellum,right lingual gyrus,posterior left cingulate gyrus,right oc-cipital lobe and right anterior wedge lobe.Compared with aphasia group before rehabilitation,the brain regions with increased LMFG-ROI functional connectivity after rehabilitation 1 month were the left frontal frontal gy-rus(MNI:x,y,z:－51,15,24),t＝15.87),left frontal parietal island cover(MNI:x,y,z:－24,－66,42,t＝5.20),left central anterior gyrus and central posterior gyrus(MNI:x,y,z:－15,－16,55,t＝6.53); and the reduced brain regions were the right superior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus(MNI:x,y,z:57,－18,30,t＝－15.21),right insula (MNI:x,y,z:－24,－66,42,t＝－5.20)and right superior border gyrus (MNI:x,y,z:15,－66,60,t＝－7.69). Conclusion The functional reorganization of the brain regions around the left hemisphere's injury lingual area may be the main mechanism of brain functional plasticity in patients with aphasia after cerebral infarction,and the right hemisphere is also involved in this process.In both the a-cute and chronic phases of motor aphasia,activation of the posterior left cingulate gyrus is reduced.

Abnormal changes of functional connectivity between anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala in ado-lescents patients with first-episode depression / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To study the resting-state functional connectivity( FC) changes of anterior cingulate cortex(ACC) and amygdala in adolescent patients with medication-naive first-episode major de-pressive disorder(MDD).Methods Medication-naive first-episode MDD adolescents( n＝30) and pair-wise matched healthy controls(HCs,n＝29) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance images(fM-RI).To study whether there were different in FC changes between amygdala and ACC and whole brain re-gions,and whether abnormal FC was related to clinical characteristics.Results Compared with HCs,the ado-lescent MDD patients showed decreased FC between the left amygdala and right thalamus( MNI x,y,z:15,－21,18)(t＝－2.85)and increased FC between the left amygdala and the bilateral temporal middle gyrus,left occipital gyrus,right medial prefrontal cortex(MPFC)(MNI x,y,z:9,66,15) ( t＝2.80).The right amygdale showed decreased FC with bilateral middle frontal gyrus,left caudate(MNI x,y,z:－15,－9,21)(t＝－2.53), right thalamus(MNI x,y,z:12,－36,12)(t＝－3.01),right cerebellum(MNI x,y,z:3,－84,－33)(t＝－2.45) and increased FC with right temporal middle gyrus,right MPFC( MNI x,y,z:6,69,12) ( t＝2.41).The left ACC showed decreased FC with left cerebellum( MNI x,y,z:12,－87,－24) ( t＝－2.36),left frontal inferior triangle gyrus,right frontal inferior orbital gyrus and increased FC with right frontal middle orbital gyrus.The right ACC showed decreased FC with left caudate(MNI x,y,z:－15,21,6)(t＝－2.29),right temporal middle gyrus,right MPFC(MNI x,y,z:9,54,36)(t＝－2.29),right frontal inferior orbital gyrus,right angular(MNI x,y,z:45,－51,21)(t＝－3.01),left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(MNI x,y,z:－21,33,36) ( t＝－2.61).The increased FC between the left amygdale and bilateral temporal middle gyrus showed positive correlation with the score of HAMD(r＝0.50,P＜0.05;r＝0.45,P＜0.05).And the FC between the right amygdale and right middle frontal gyrus was positive correlation with duration of disease( r＝0.63,P＜0.05).Conclusion There is widespread FC disorder in amygdala and ACC in adolescents patients with first-episode depression.Abnor-mal FC changes may be the neuropathological mechanism of depression.

Change of Whole Brain Degree in Primary Insomnia / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

[Objective] Based on the resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the abnormal features of the functional connectivity of resting brain neural network in the patients with primary insomnia,by using voxel-wise whole-brain finctional networks analysis of degree centrality (DC) for imaging evidence of neural mechanisms underlying primary insomnia.[Methods] The resting state fMRI were performed in 59 PI patients and 47 age,education,and sex-matched normal healthy subjects.Analysis of DC map changes between the two patient groups and the control group were performed by two sample t test.(threshold at P ＜ 0.05).[Results] Compared with the control group,the patients with PI showed significantly reduced DC value in bilateral medial frontal gyrus (MFG),bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG),and right insula;and increased DC value in right middle temporal gyrus (MTG),and left cuneus,(CUN),P ＜ 0.05.[Conclusion]Changes of DC value occurred in some region of brain in the P[patient groups when compared with the control group.It was indicated that DC,as a novel resting-state fMRI parameter in the voxel-wise whole-brain functional networks,might be an appealing alternative approach for further study on pathologic and neuropsychological states of PI.

Resting-state fMRI study of adolescents with conduct disorder: an ALFF analysis / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the functional characteristic of adolescents with conduct disorder (CD) in the resting state.Methods Resting-sate fMRI (rs-fMRI) scans were administered to 28 male adolescents with CD and 28 age-,gender-and IQ-matched healthy controls (HCs).The rs-fMRI data were subjected to amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis and ALFF values were compared between the two groups.Additionally,the region ROIs showed significant difference and correlation analysis was conducted between ALFF in each ROI and Barratt's scores.Results ① Compared to HCs,the CD group showed decreased ALFF (P＜0.005) bilaterally in the superior frontal gyrus,right middle frontal gyrus,right posterior cingulate gyrus,right inferior parietal lobule (MNI coordinates:-21,48,27;21,24,48;36,24,33 6,-36,39;48,-45,57 respectively) as well as increased ALFF (P＜O.005) in the left thalamus and left lingual gyrus (MNI coordinates:-15,-27,-3;-18,-87,-12 respectively).② There was no significant correlation between ALFF and Barratt's scores in ROIs.Conclusion The results suggest that CD is associated with abnormal intrinsic brain activity,mainly in frontal-parietal-occipital-limbic cortices,which is related to emotional and cognitive processing and behavioral functions.

Accelerated Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Multiband Echo-Planar Imaging with Controlled Aliasing

PURPOSE: To report the use of multiband accelerated echo-planar imaging (EPI) for resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to achieve rapid high temporal resolution at 3T compared to conventional EPI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: rs-fMRI data were acquired from 20 healthy right-handed volunteers by using three methods: conventional single-band gradient-echo EPI acquisition (Data 1), multiband gradient-echo EPI acquisition with 240 volumes (Data 2) and 480 volumes (Data 3). Temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) maps were obtained by dividing the mean of the time course of each voxel by its temporal standard deviation. The resting-state sensorimotor network (SMN) and default mode network (DMN) were estimated using independent component analysis (ICA) and a seed-based method. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed between the tSNR map, SMN, and DMN from the three data sets for between-group analysis. P < 0.05 with a family-wise error (FWE) correction for multiple comparisons was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: One-way ANOVA and post-hoc two-sample t-tests showed that the tSNR was higher in Data 1 than Data 2 and 3 in white matter structures such as the striatum and medial and superior longitudinal fasciculus. One-way ANOVA revealed no differences in SMN or DMN across the three data sets. CONCLUSION: Within the adapted metrics estimated under specific imaging conditions employed in this study, multiband accelerated EPI, which substantially reduced scan times, provides the same quality image of functional connectivity as rs-fMRI by using conventional EPI at 3T. Under employed imaging conditions, this technique shows strong potential for clinical acceptance and translation of rs-fMRI protocols with potential advantages in spatial and/or temporal resolution. However, further study is warranted to evaluate whether the current findings can be generalized in diverse settings.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Arterial Spin Labeling: Techniques and Potential Clinical and Research Applications

PURPOSE: To describe technical methods for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with arterial spin labeling (ASL) compared to blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) technique and discuss the potential of ASL for research and clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Task-based (n = 1) and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) (n = 20) were performed using ASL and BOLD techniques. Results of both techniques were compared. RESULTS: For task-based fMRI with finger-tapping, the primary motor cortex of the contralateral frontal lobe and the ipsilateral cerebellum were activated by both BOLD and ASL fMRI. For rs-fMRI of sensorimotor network, functional connectivity showed similar results between BOLD and ASL. CONCLUSION: ASL technique has potential application in clinical and research fields because all brain perfusion imaging, CBF measurement, and rs-fMRI study can be performed in a single acquisition.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Arterial Spin Labeling: Techniques and Potential Clinical and Research Applications

PURPOSE: To describe technical methods for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with arterial spin labeling (ASL) compared to blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) technique and discuss the potential of ASL for research and clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Task-based (n = 1) and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) (n = 20) were performed using ASL and BOLD techniques. Results of both techniques were compared. RESULTS: For task-based fMRI with finger-tapping, the primary motor cortex of the contralateral frontal lobe and the ipsilateral cerebellum were activated by both BOLD and ASL fMRI. For rs-fMRI of sensorimotor network, functional connectivity showed similar results between BOLD and ASL. CONCLUSION: ASL technique has potential application in clinical and research fields because all brain perfusion imaging, CBF measurement, and rs-fMRI study can be performed in a single acquisition.

Resting state fMRI study of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in early onset schizophrenia / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To investigate brain function alteration in early onset schizophrenia by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) based on resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). Method Twenty patients with early on?set schizophrenia and 20 sex, age, education years matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional MRI. The difference in ALFF was compared between patients and controls. Result Compared with control group, the ALFF values in patient group increased in the left frontal gyrus, precuneus, cingulate cortex, occipital lobe, parahippocampal gyrus and calcarine (P<0.05, AlphaSim revised), while decreased in the right superior temporal lobe and the posterior lobe of cerebellum (P<0.05, AlphaSim revised). Conclusion There are abnormal ALFF in multiple regions in early onset schizo?phrenia, suggesting that early onset schizophrenia may have altered in resting-state brain activity.

Resting-state fMRI study on brain network in depression / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness,with high morbidity rates and great social impairment.Increasingly studies show the abnormalities of brain networks.We summarized the results of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging study of depression,and demonstrated the neural loops mechanism from neuroimaing perspective.Methods The key words depression, resting state and network were searched in PubMed,CNKI and Wan Fang databases from January 2000 to December 2014.The nodes of depression related network and the alterations of cortex resting-state networks were summarized.Results 24 studies focusing on resting state network of depression were identified.40 studies based on ROI (region of interest) analysis,which included amygdala,frontal lobe,pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and cerebellum.The functional connectivity of ROIs were calculated and compared between groups.8 studies based on ICA (independent component analysis),the resting state networks were extracted and compared between groups.Two based on graph theory,the functional connectivity of whole brain were analyzed and compared.Conclusion There are abnormalities of functional connectivity among limbic system-thalamus-frontal cortex,and the changes of functional connectivity were associated with clinical symptom and drug efficacy of depression.

Resting-state functional MRI study on properties of emotional memory networks in late-life depression / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore properties of emotion memory circuits in late-life depression,and differences in functional connectivity of emotional memory network between late-life depression and healthy controls who were investigated by resting-state fMRI.Methods Eighteen late life depression patients and twenty four healthy controls were involved in our study.Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired via 3.0T MRI scanner.Functional MRI data were analyzed.Behavioral data were acquired during retrieval.The independent samples t-test of functional MRI data and ANOVA of behavioral performance were performed with AFNI and SPSS 13.0 statistical software,respectively.Results Decreased connectivities had been shown in depression,including amygdala-thalamus,amygdala-left inferior frontal gyrus,supramarginal gyrus-dorsomedial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex (ACC),middle temporal gyrus-middle frontal gyrus and thalamus-inferior frontal gyros/left frontal eye fields (FEF) connectivity;while increased connectivities included hippocampus-middle temporal gyrus,hippocampusventromedial prefrontal cortex/middle temporal gyrus/ACC/FEF,middle temporal gyrus-fusiform gyrus/FEF,insula-middle temporal gyrus/FEF and thalamus-caudate connectivity (P＜0.05).For depression,global hubs included left amygdale,right hippocampus,right middle frontal gyrus,and right insula.For healthy group,global hubs included bilateral amygdale and middle frontal gyrus,right anterior inferior parietal lobe and right insula.Conclusion There are common and different characters in functional connectivity of emotional memory network between depression and healthy control.Global hub function decreases in the right amygdale and left inferior frontal gyrus,while right hippocampus shows compensatory increase.

Does premotor connectivity on resting fMRI reflect stereotyped behavior in ASD children / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To probe the relationship between the connectivity of premotor area detected by resting state functional MRI and stereotyped behavior of ASD.Methods 39 children patients with ASD and 42 healthy controls with matched age,sex and IQ were recruited.All the 81 subjects performed scaling with behavior scale index and underwent resting-state fMRI scans.After the fMRI data precession,the premotors in left and right sides were selected as ROI seeds to perform functional connectivity.Results Compared with healthy controls,children patients showed significant increased connectivity between the left premotor area and posterior cingulate cortex,as well as decreased functional connectivity between the left premotor area and the left insula.In addition, a negative linear correlation was showed between the connectivity of the left premotor and the insula and the behavioral scores.Con-clusion Imbalanced premotor functional connectivity may be one possible mechanism of stereotyped behavior of ASD,representing an attention deficit and/or impaired sensory perception to the external salient stimuli.