The immediate brain effect of acupuncture at Fengchi in patients with posterior circulation ischemia vertigo:a resting-state functional MRI study / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the immediate brain effect of acupuncture at Fengchi using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(ALFF)and functional connectivity by the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)in patients with posterior circulation ischemia vertigo(PCIV).Methods Twenty patients with PCIV were enrolled.The dizziness handicap inventory(DHI)was used to evaluate the severity of vertigo.The patients were randomly divided into acupuncture group and sham acupoint acupuncture group.Rs-fMRI scan was performed before and after acupuncture.MATLAB-based DPABI 6.1 software was used to analyze rs-fMRI data.Correlation analysis was used between the altered ALFF values and DHI scores.The regions of altered ALFF were taken as seeds to analyze functional connectivity.Results Compared with the sham acupoint acupuncture group,the increased ALFF values were mainly located on the left precuneus,left superior frontal gyrus and left caudate nucleus after acupuncture in the acupuncture group;the decreased ALFF values were mainly located on the left cerebellum and right inferior occipital gyrus.The ALFF value of the left superior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with the DHI score(P=0.04).The increased functional connectivity was mainly found between left precuneus and the right middle frontal gyrus,the right superior frontal gyrus,the decreased functional connectivity was mainly found between left precuneus and the bilateral paracentral lobule and right cerebellum.Conclusion The ALFF value and functional connectivity are different before and after acupuncture,indicating that the vestibular network,visual and motor brain regions functional activities are changed after needling at Fengchi,which may be the brain functional basis of Fengchi for vertigo in PCIV.

Resting-state brain function MRI study of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 based on amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore functional brain region changes and their correlation with behavioral variables based on amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3).Methods:In this prospective study, patients with SCA3 and healthy controls (HC) were recruited by Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University from May 2017 to March 2022. All subjects completed the scale for assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA), the international cooperative ataxia rating scale-posture and gait (ICARS-p&g), the rapid verbal retrieval (RVR) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Meanwhile, the subjects underwent structural MRI and rs-fMRI scans. The MRI data were processed by DPABI software based on MATLAB. The normalized ALFF values of the two groups were compared using two-sample t-test, and the changes of ALFF values in the brain regions of SCA3 and HC groups were analyzed with the t-test of partial correlation coefficient. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the ALFF values of abnormal brain area and the score of neurobehavioral scale in SCA3. Results:Compared with HC group, ALFF significantly increased in the left cerebellum (Crus1, Crus2, 4_5, 6, 7b, 8, 9), right cerebelum_9, left fusiform gyrus and vermis_8; while ALFF significantly decreased in the vermis_4_5 in patients with SCA3. Correlation analysis showed that ALFF values in the left cerebellar_8 were negatively correlated with RVR scores ( r=-0.293, P=0.035), ALFF values in the left cerebellar_9 were negatively correlated with MoCA scores ( r=-0.324, P=0.019), ALFF values in the right cerebellar_9 were negatively correlated with RVR scores ( r=-0.401, P=0.003) in the SCA3 patients. ALFF in the vermis_8 was positively correlated with SARA scores ( r=0.308, P=0.026) and ICARS-p&g scores ( r=0.313, P=0.024) in the SCA3 patients. Conclusion:There are significant changes in ALFF values in the cerebellum and left fusiform gyrus in patients with SCA3, and the changes of ALFF values are closely related with communication, cognitive and movement disorders.

A resting-state functional MRI study on amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and functional connectivity alteration of parkinson′s disease with apathy / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To investigate the alterations of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) in patients with Parkinson′s disease (PD) with apathy.Methods:From May 2016 to August 2019, PD patients and age-, gender-and education level-matched healthy controls (HC) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were prospectively recruited. The clinical and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data of PD patients and HC were analyzed. According to the Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS) scores, PD patients were divided into PD with apathy (PD-A) group and PD without apathy (PD-NA) group. Rs-fMRI images were processed by DPABI based on MATLAB. ALFF values were calculated and the standard ALFF (zALFF) were obtained. ANOVA and Post-Hoc t test were performed to compare the differences in local brain activity among the three groups. The brain regions with significant different zALFF values were selected as the seeds to calculate the FC values of the whole brain. The associations between FC values and the SAS scores were performed using pearson correlation analyses. Results:A total of 75 PD patients (50 males, 25 females, aged from 44 to 88 years) and 41 HC (25 males, 16 females, aged from 54 to 72 years) were enrolled. There were 42 patients in the PD-A group and 33 patients in the PD-NA group. Significant differences were found in zALFF values among the PD-A, PD-NA and HC groups ( P<0.05). After Post-Hoc t test, compared with the HC group, zALFF values were significantly increased in the right middle frontal gyrus in the PD-A group ( P<0.05) and significantly decreased in the left precuneus in the PD-NA group; The zALFF values of the right middle frontal gyrus and left precuneus in the PD-A group were significantly higher than those in PD-NA group ( P<0.05). Brain regions with different zALFF values were used as seeds for whole-brain FC. Compared with PD-NA group, FC values between the right middle frontal gyrus and bilateral precuneus, left superior frontal gyrus and its medial side, left middle frontal gyrus, left angular, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left posterior cingulate gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus were significantly decreased in the PD-A group ( P<0.05). Additionally, FC values of PD patients between the right middle frontal gyrus with the left precuneus, the left superior frontal gyrus and its medial side, and the left middle frontal gyrus were negatively correlated with SAS scores ( r=-0.31, -0.30 and -0.34, both P<0.05). Conclusion:PD-A and PD-NA patients have different brain functional activities and connections in the frontal lobe, parietal lobe and limbic system, suggesting that apathy in PD may be associated with the abnormal functional connections of the frontal-parietal cortical circuit and the frontal-limbic-striatal loop.

Functional connectivity and regional spontaneous brain activity in a minimally-conscious state / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To explore the characteristics of functional connectivity (FC) and regional spontaneous brain activity in patients in a minimally-conscious state (MCS).Methods:Resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (rs-fNIRS) was used. Ten minimally-conscious patients were studied along with 12 healthy counterparts as healthy controls (HC). Five minutes of rs-fNIRS data were recorded from each subject and FC and the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFFs) of 53 channels were computed using the NIRS-KIT toolbox. The results were compared between the two groups.Results:Compared with the HC group, a significant decrease was observed in the average FC strength of seventeen channel pairs after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Most were in the right and left frontal pole, as well as the dorsolateral prefrontal lobe. Compared with the HC group, the average fALFF values of Broca′s area (channel 2), the premotor cortex and the supplementary motor cortex (channels 4, 10, and 40), the dorsolateral prefrontal lobe (channels 6, 11, 25, 39), the eye motor area of the frontal lobe (channel 12) and the frontal pole (channels 23, 27, 36) were significantly greater in the MCS group. The fluctuations of the frontal pole (channel 19) were significantly less (after FDR correction).Conclusion:In an MCS spontaneous neural activity is over-active in the prefrontal lobe and some speech- and motor-related brain regions, and coordination of the internal prefrontal functional network is disordered.

A pilot study of gray matter volume and function changes in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To explore the structural and functional alterations of related brain regions in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods:A single-center, observational, cross-sectional study design was used. Patients who had brain MRI scans during hospitalization between July 2020 and July 2021 in Emergency Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and had good neurologic outcomes were consecutive enrolled in this study. The healthy control (HC) group consisted of age- and sex-matched volunteers. The demographic and clinical data were recorded. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to check the recovery and degree of continued disabilities when patients performed MRI. Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) was used to assess cognitive functions. The analyses of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) were conducted. After data preprocessing, comparison of gray matter volume (GMV) and fALFF values between the case group and HC group were carried out, and the information of different brain regions was obtained. Partial correlation analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between the image parameters of different clusters and clinical parameters.Results:Totally 13 patients were enrolled in this study and 13 were in the HC group. All patients achieved good neurologic outcome; mRS was 3 in 1 case, 2 in 3 cases, and 1 in 5 cases during MEI examination. The case group showed significantly lower MoCA score compared with the HC group ( P<0.001). There were significantly decreased GMVs in the right inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and transverse temporal gyrus in the case group. The patients showed significantly decreased fALFF values in the left postcentral gyrus and precentral gyrus, while increased fALFF values in the right putamen than the HC group (voxel-level P<0.001 and cluster-level P<0.05 with GRF correction). In addition, mean fALFF value in the right putamen was negatively correlated with MoCA score in the case group ( r=-0.710, P=0.021). Conclusions:Patients after CPR may have GMVs and neuronal spontaneous activity changes in some brain regions, and VBM and fALFF methods can be used to objectively evaluate the impaired brain functional activity in patients after successful CPR.

Multi-index analysis of regional brain activity in patients with Alzheimer's disease during resting state / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the spontaneous neural activity in the brain of patients with Alzheimer' s disease (AD) used 3 indicators of resting state-functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and percentage amplitude fluctuation (PerAF). Methods Totally 36 clinically diagnosed AD patients and 40 healthy volunteers were scanned by fMRI in resting state respectively. ALFF, fALFF and PerAF were used to calculate and compare the changes of brain regions between the two groups. Results Compared with the normal control group, mALFF value in AD group increased significantly in bilateral caudate nucleus, medial frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, gyrus rectus, anterior cingulate gyrus, olfactive cortex, left middle frontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus (P<0. 05). mALFF values decreased significantly in the right middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, inferior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, bilateral calcarine, cuneus, lingual gyrus, superior occipital gyrus, vermis, precuneus and other regions (P<0. 05). In AD group, mfALFF value of right inferior temporal gyrus, anterior cerebellar lobe, fusiform gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, gyrus rectus and anterior cingulate gyrus increased significantly (P<0. 05); mfALFF values decreased significantly in bilateral lingual gyrus, left calcarine, cuneus, superior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus and vermis (P<0. 05). In AD group, mPerAF value increased significantly in bilateral gyrus rectus, anterior cingulate gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, caudate nucleus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, olfactive cortex and insula (P<0. 05); mPerAF values decreased significantly in bilateral calcarine, cuneus, superior occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, precuneus, left fusiform gyrus, inferior occipital gyrus, right superior parietal lobule, angular gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus and middle occipital gyrus (P < 0. 05). Conclusion The default mode network (DMN) and visual network of AD patients are characterized by abnormal brain activity, with the most significant neural activity in the prefrontal cortex and visual cortex.

Resting-state fMRI study of Parkinson disease patients with peak-dose dyskinesia: an ALFF analysis / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

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.

The grey matter volume and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation alterations in cerebral small vessel disease patients with subcortical ischemic depression and their relationship with brain derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphism / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphism and the change of grey matter volume (GMV) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) patients with subcortical ischemic depression (SID).Methods:Eighty-seven CSVD patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were enrolled from July 2017 to November 2020 and divided into CSVD-SID group [Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score>10] and CSVD-non - depression group (CSVD-ND group, GDS score≤10) according to GDS. Both GMV and fALFF were calculated based on structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging data, and the interactions between SID diagnosis and BDNF gene on brain function and structure alteration were explored.Results:GMV was significantly increased in the posterior default network (pDMN; such as posterior cingulate gyrus/precuneus and middle temporal gyrus) in the CSVD-SID group compared with the CSVD-ND group. On GMV property, significant interactions between BDNF gene and SID were found in the cuneus ( F=25.50, P<0.001), precuneus lobe ( F=13.61, P<0.001) and cerebellum ( F=17.23, P<0.001). In the aspect of fALFF, the brain functional activity in the superior frontal gyrus was significantly increased in the CSVD-SID group compared with that in the CSVD-ND group (0.363±0.648 vs -0.427±0.514,cluster size=48 voxels, t=5.63, P<0.001). But there was no significant interaction between diagnosis and BDNF genotype on brain function. Conclusions:Both the GMV and fALFF were increased in CSVD-SID, mainly located in the pDMN and frontal lobe. Significant interaction was found between CSVD-SID and BDNF genotype on GMV.

Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations of behavioral characteristics in different phenotypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the difference in behavioral characteristics among different phenotypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), so as to provide insights into clinical differentiation of behavioral characteristics among different phenotypes of ADHD.@*Methods@#The children with ADHD admitted to The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University were enrolled and classified into the inattentive type (ADHD-I), hyperactive/impulsive type (ADHD-HI) and combined type (ADHD-C). The reaction time (RT) was measured using integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test, and the mean (RT-mean) and standard deviation of RT (RT-SD) were estimated. In addition, the ALFF was calculated at 0.010 to 0.027, 0.027 to 0.073, 0.073 to 0.167 Hz, and the difference of ALFF was compared among children with different types of ADHD.@*Results@#A total of 107 children with ADHD were enrolled, including 95 boys and 12 girls, with a mean age of (8.89±1.93) years. There were 69 children with ADHD-I, 8 children with ADHD-HI and 30 children with ADHD-C. The RT-SD was significantly higher among children with ADHD-C than among children with ADHD-I [(126.003±51.619) ms vs. (97.720±45.302) ms; P=0.007]; however, there was no significant difference in RT-mean among children with various ADHD phenotypes (F=1.386, P=0.255). There was an interaction between frequency and ADHD phenotypes (F=2.754, P=0.032), and the ALFF was significantly higher among children with ADHD-C than among children with ADHD-I at 0.010 to 0.027 [(5 590.567±231.595) ms vs. (4 694.001±154.397) ms; P=0.002] and 0.073 to 0.167 Hz [(4 312.609±174.709) ms vs. (3 690.805±116.473) ms; P=0.005].@*Conclusions@#The ALFF varies in ADHD phenotypes, and there is a frequency-specific difference.

Characteristics of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation in patients with knee osteoarthritis and low back pain / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo compare the brain imaging characteristics in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and low back pain (LBP) based on amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of functional magnetic resonance imaging. MethodsFrom August, 2015 to September, 2021, 16 KOA patients and 16 healthy subjects (controls 1) with similar age and gender were recruited from the communities of Fuzhou, Fujian. Other 27 patients with LBP and 32 healthy subjects (controls 2) with similar age and gender were obtained from the Openpain database. The ALFF were analyzed. KOA patients were assessed the pain with Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and LBP patients were assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The correlation between ALFF and pain scores was analyzed. ResultsCompared with their own controls, the ALFF decreased in the left anterior insula for both KOA and LBP patients. The ALFF decreased in the hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex in KOA patients, while increased in LBP patients. ALFF in the left precuneus, left middle cingulate cortex and right periaqueductal gray matter decreased in KOA patients, and ALFF increased in the right precentral/postcentral gyrus. ALFF of bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral orbital anterior frontal cortex, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right medial prefrontal cortex decreased in LBP patients, and ALFF increased in the right parahippocampal gyrus and right amygdala. ALFF of the left middle cingulate cortex negatively correlated with BPI score in KOA patients (r = -0.73, P = 0.003), and ALFF of the right hippocampus/amygdala positively correlated with VAS score in LBP patients (r = 0.73, P = 0.003). ConclusionThere are common and specific brain imaging features in different types of chronic pain. The alteration in the left anterior insula, hippocampus and posterior cingulate gyrus may be the common mechanism for KOA and LBP.

Resting-state fMRI study of hippocampus in patients with Crohn′s disease / 中华全科医师杂志

Fifteen patients with Crohn′s disease (CD) in remission diagnosed at Shanghai Jing′an District Central Hospital from February 2018 to June 2019, and 26 matched healthy subjects were recruited. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans of hippocampus. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) was calculated to determine differences in the brain. Left hippocampus was selected as seeds for functional connectivity (FC) analysis, and the results were compared between two groups. The relationship between disease duration and ALFF/FC values in abnormal regions were analyzed with Pearson correlation. Compared with the controls, the ALFF of the left hippocampus (voxel size 32) of CD patients decreased [family-wise error correstion(FWE correction), cluster level P<0.05], and the ALFF of the left medial superior frontal gyrus (voxel size 126), left supplementary motor area (voxel size 126) and left anterior cingulate gyrus increased (voxel size 37) (FWE corrected, cluster level P<0.05). Using the left hippocampus as the seed point for the whole brain functional connectivity analysis, CD patients showed increased FC strength with the left superior temporal gyrus, left medial superior frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus (opercular part), and right supplementary motor area(FEW corrected, cluster level P<0.05). Correlation analysis did not show a significantly differences between ALFF/FC value of altered brain areas and the disease duration. It suggests that there are changes in spontaneous activities and functional connectivity in the left hippocampus in patients with CD.

Changes of fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation and their correlation with cognitive function in patients with different side (left/right) cerebellar infarction / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the abnormal changes of fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) values in resting-state magnetic resonance imaging and their correlation with cognitive function in patients with different side (left/right) cerebellar infarction.Methods:A total of 22 patients with acute left cerebellar infarction at the posterior lobe (left cerebellar infarction group) and 20 patients with acute right cerebellar infarction at the posterior lobe (right cerebellar infarction group), admitted to our hospital from July 2018 to December 2019, were enrolled; and 22 gender-, age and education level-matched healthy subjects (healthy control group) were chosen at the same time period. Head resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological cognitive scale were performed; the correlations between characteristics of fALFF changes and cognitive function changes of these patients were investigated.Results:(1) As compared with the healthy control group, patients in the left cerebellar infarction group and right cerebellar infarction group had significantly lower scores of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT), and significantly longer Trail Making Test (TMT) time-consuming ( P<0.05); the TMT time-consuming in right cerebellar infarction group was significantly longer than that in left cerebellar infarction group ( P<0.05). (2) There were significant differences in fALFF values among the 3 groups in the right cingulate gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus ( P<0.05, Alphasim-revised). As compared with the healthy control group, the fALFF values in the right middle frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus and right cingulate gyrus of left cerebellar infarction group were significantly increased, and fALFF values in the right hippocampus of right cerebellar infarction group were significantly increased ( P<0.05, Alphasim-revised). (3) In patients from left cerebellar infarction group, MoCA scores were negatively correlated with the fALFF values in the right frontal lobe, right inferior parietal lobule and right cingulate gyrus ( P<0.05); RAVLT scores were negatively correlated with fALFF values in right inferior parietal lobule and positively correlated with fALFF values in occipital lobe ( P<0.05); correlation analysis between fALFF values and TMT scores demonstrated a positive correlation in the right parietal lobe and right cingulate gyrus ( P<0.05). In patients from right cerebellar infarction group, MoCA scores were positively correlated with the fALFF values in the right frontal lobe ( P<0.05); MoCA scores were negatively correlated with the fALFF values in the right inferior parietal lobule ( P<0.05); RAVLT scores were positively correlated with fALFF values in the left cingulate gyrus, and TMT time-consuming was negatively correlated with fALFF values in left parietal lobe ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Patients with cerebellar infarction have cognitive dysfunction. Unilateral cerebellar infarction can cause compensatory increase of fALFF values in key brain regions of the contralateral cerebral hemisphere. Abnormal fALFF changes are closely related to the degrees of cognitive dysfunction.

Frequency-dependent Alterations in Amplitude of Low-frequency Fluctuations in Resting-state Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Post Stroke Aphasia / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the characteristics of local brain neural activity in post stroke aphasia (PSA) patients in different frequency bands and the relationship between Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) scores and specific frequency bands. Methods:From March, 2015 to May, 2018, 15 PSA patients, and 15 healthy adults as controls matched for age, gender and education were recruited. They were assessed with WAB and scaned with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) on the frequency bands of 0.01-0.08 Hz, 0.027-0.073 Hz, and 0.01-0.027 Hz were calculated. The ALFF and fALFF in different frequency bands were extracted and the correlation with the WAB scores in the patients were analyzed. Results:On 0.01-0.08 Hz, ALFF increased in the right precentral gyrus in the patients. On 0.027-0.073 Hz, ALFF increased values in the right precentral gyrus, and fALFF decreased in the right cerebellar Crus2 region; fALFF in the right cerebellar Crus2 region negatively correlated with the scores of information content (r = -0.576, P = 0.025), auditory comprehension (r = -0.658, P = 0.008), repetition (r = -0.616, P = 0.014) and aphasia quotient (r = -0.611, P = 0.016) of WAB. On 0.01-0.027 Hz, the fALFF decreased in the left inferior parietal limbic gyrus, and positively correlated with the scores of information content (r = 0.538, P = 0.039) and aphasia quotient (r = 0.526, P = 0.044). Conclusion:Resting-state fALFF abnormalities in PSA patients are frequency-dependent, which associate with some frequency-specific neurofunctional alterations.

Effect of Music Therapy Based on Scalp Acupuncture on Post-stroke Depression: Study with Resting-state Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To observe the effects of music therapy combined with scalp acupuncture on post-stroke depression (PSD) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods:From December, 2018 to November, 2019, 40 patients with PSD from Rehabilitation Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were randomly divided into control group (n = 20) and observation group (n = 20). Both groups received routine rehabilitation and scalp acupuncture, while the observation group received music therapy as acupuncture, for four weeks. They were assessed with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) before and after treatment, and scanned with rs-fMRI to obtain amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). The patients with definite improvement were followed up with HAMD-17 through telephone four weeks after treatment. Results:There were three cases dropped down in each group. The scores of HAMD-17, PSQI and MBI improved in both groups (|t| > 11.446,P < 0.001), and improved more in the observation group than in the control group (|t| > 2.314, P < 0.05). ALFF of bilateral wedge lobe, bilateral lingual gyrus, right orbitofrontal cortex, right anterior cingulate gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus increased in the observation group, and it increased in the right lingual gyrus, right angular gyrus and lateral groove of right occipital lobe in the control group. A total of 29 patients were followed up successfully, and the HAMD-17 scores were still less than that before treatment (t > 13.558, P < 0.001). Conclusion:Music therapy can further alleviate depression under scalp acupuncture in patients with PSD for a long time after treatment, and improve sleep and activities of daily living, which may relate with the activation of the emotional circuit, such as orbitofrontal cortex and the middle temporal gyrus, and the primary visual cortex.

Functional magnetic resonance study on static and dynamic amplitude of low frequency fluctuation in male smoking addicts / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the differences of static and dynamic spontaneous brain activity between male smoking addicts and healthy controls, and analyze the mechanism of smoking addiction.Methods:Based on static amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (sALFF) and dynamic amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (dALFF), the differences of static and dynamic spontaneous brain activity were compared between male smoking addicts ( n=63) and healthy controls ( n=30) by independent sample t-test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between the altered dALFF values and score of Fagerstr?m test for nicotine dependence(FTND) and pack-years of smoking addicted males. Results:Compared with healthy controls, the values of sALFF in the left superior/middle/inferior orbitofrontal gyrus ( t=5.17, clusters≥108) were increased and the variation of dALFF in the right superior temporal/middle gyrus, left orbitofrontal region, left orbital superior/middle/inferior frontal gyrus, right orbitofrontal gyrus/middle/inferior frontal gyrus and right putamen ( t=4.90, 4.37, 4.91, 4.62, 4.59, clusters≥96) were also increased in the smoking addicted group. It was noteworthy that the dALFF values of the right superior temporal/middle gyrus( r=0.252, P=0.047), left orbital region superior frontal gyrus( r=0.281, P=0.026) and right putamen( r=0.313, P=0.012) were positively correlated with pack-years of male smoking addicts. Conclusion:Male smoking addicts may have abnormal static and dynamics spontaneous neural activity in prefrontal cortex (including orbital frontal lobe), putamen and superior temporal/middle gyrus, which are correlated with pack-years.

Abnormal static and dynamic brain function in patients with temporomandibular disorders: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#This study was conducted to investigate the brain function of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by combining the static and dynamic amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF).@*METHODS@#Thirty patients with TMD and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. All the participants completed their questionnaires, received clinical examinations, and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. We compared the static and dynamic ALFF between the patients and healthy controls by conducting a two-sample @*RESULTS@#The patients with TMD showed increased static and dynamic ALFF in the posterior cingulate cortex compared with that of the controls (whole-brain level, uncorrected @*CONCLUSIONS@#Our findings revealed that the resting-state brain function of the posterior cingulate cortex and the medial orbitofrontal cortex of patient with TMD increased. These changes probably indicated the potential central mechanisms underlying the increased self-relevant thoughts, negative emotion, and abnormal emotion regulation in TMD.

Alteration of low frequency fluctuation amplitude at brain-resting state in patients with chronic discogenic low back pain / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging studies have shown that chronic pain could cause functional and structural alterations; however, the neural mechanism of psychosomatic symptoms caused by chronic discogenic low back pain (CDLBP) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the alterations of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of resting spontaneous brain activity in CDLBP patients and their relationships with clinical symptoms. METHODS: Resting-state brain functional MRI scans were performed in 67 CDLBP patients (CDLBP group) and 78 age-, sex-and education level-matched healthy controls (control group). The disease course, Visual Analogue Scale score, Oswestry Disability Index and Self-rating Depression Scale score were analyzed for CDLBP patients. The average ALFF values of the two groups were calculated using DPARSF and REST software, the differences of ALFF values between the two groups were compared by independent two-sample t-test, and the relationships between the ALFF values derived from significant regions and the course of disease and clinical symptoms were analyzed. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University (approval No. 20150210). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, the regions with significantly increased ALFF values in the CDLBP group included the left insular lobe, right parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral prefrontal lobe, left caudate nucleus and right inferior frontal gyrus (all P < 0.05, Gaussian random field (GRF) corrected). Compared with the control group, the regions with significantly decreased ALFF values in the CDLBP group included the right superior orbital frontal gyrus and right lingual gyrus (both P <0.05, GRF corrected). Correlation analysis showed that the mean ALFF values in the right inferior frontal gyrus and left caudate nucleus were positively correlated with the Visual Analogue Scale (all P < 0.05). All these findings suggest that patients with CDLBP have abnormal spontaneous brain activities in multiple brain regions, and these alterations are correlated with the degree of pain.

Correlation between changes of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and cognitive impairment in patients with mild hepatic encephalopathy / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To explore the correlation of cognitive impairment with abnormal brain regions having low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) by resting-state blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) in patients with mild hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).Methods:Fifty-nine patients (28 patients with chronic cirrhosis and 31 patients with MHE, according to results of digital symbol test [DST] scores/digital connection test A [NCT-A] scores) admitted to our hospital from March 2018 to January 2020 were enrolled; 33 healthy control subjects matched in gender, age and years of education were chosen as controls. Resting-state BOLD-fMRI was performed in all subjects, and the original images were processed to obtain ALFF brain map. Statistical methods were used to obtain the brain regions with different ALFF values in the three groups, and the brain regions enjoying correlations between ALFF values and venous blood ammonia content/DST scores/NCFA scores in patients from the MHE group.Results:As compared with the control group, patients in the MHE group exhibited significantly lower ALFF values in the right central posterior gyrus, bilateral cuneiform lobe, left lateral occipital gyrus, left occipital gyrus, and left pars opercularis, and significantly increased ALFF values in the right thalamus, left parahippocampal gyrus and surrounding ventricle (bilateral caudate nucleus head)( P<0.05). Bivariate correlation analysis suggested that ALFF values were negatively correlated with blood ammonia in the left pars opercularis, left margin superior gyrus, bilateral precuneus, left superior temporal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus and surrounding area, and right insula ( P<0.05); ALFF values were positively correlated with DST scores in left medial cingulate gyrus and right cerebellar hemisphere; ALFF values in the left frontal lobe and left posterior cerebellar lobe were positively correlated with NCT-A scores, and ALFF values in the left parahippocampal gyrus were negatively correlated with NCT-A scores ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The ALFF differences in multiple brain regions of patients with MHE may be related to cognitive impairment.

Functional MRI observation on spontaneous neural activity based on resting-state fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in patients with postpartum depression / 中国医学影像技术

Objective: To explore spontaneous neuronal activity in patients with postpartum depression (PPD) under fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) with resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). Methods: Resting-state fMRI data of 23 PPD patients (PPD group), 28 healthy postpartum women (HPW group) and 20 women with major depressive disorder (MDD group) were collected. fALFF technology was used to observe spontaneous neural activity of all subjects. fALFF values were extracted from different regions in PPD group and HPW group, and their correlations with Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) score were analyzed. Results: Compared with HPW group, fALFF values of left posterior cingulate gyrus, left precuneus, left middle occipital gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus and right calcarine cortex increased (AlphaSim correction, all P<0.05), whereas of right orbital inferior frontal gyrus, right insula, right olfactory cortex and right hippocampus decreased in PPD group (AlphaSim correction, all P<0.05). Compared with MDD group, fALFF values of right lingual gyrus and right cerebellum increased (AlphaSim correction, both P<0.05), but of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right precuneus, left superior parietal gyrus, left angular gyrus, right medial lateral cingulate gyrus and right inferior temporal gyrus decreased in PPD group (AlphaSim correction, all P<0.05). fALFF value of right orbital inferior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with EPDS score in PPD group (r=-0.53, P=0.01). Conclusion: Abnormal spontaneous activities exist in brain regions related with emotional and cognitive function in PPD patients, and fALFF value of right orbital inferior frontal gyrus is closely related to the severity of depression. fALFF expression of PPD is not completely consistent with that of MDD patients, and the neurological changes of PPD may have some characteristics.

MR structural and functional changes in patients with long?term abstinence of methamphetamine / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the changes of brain gray matter volume (GMV) and brain activity in patients with long?term methamphetamine (MA) abstinence compared with healthy controls. Methods This study included 44 abstinent MA patients and 40 demographically equivalent healthy controls. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting?state functional MRI (rs?fMRI) were obtained on Siemens 3.0 T MR. Differences in GMV between abstinent MA group and control group were assessed using voxel?based morphometry (VBM) method. Within each region showed significant differences between two groups, the value of the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) was calculated using the rs?fMRI data. Differences of fALFF between groups were also evaluated. Furthermore, partial correlation coefficients adjusted for age, years of education, smoking and drinking were calculated in the abstinent MA group to assess associations between the mean GMV and fALFF values in significant clusters and variables of MA use and abstinence. Results Compared with controls, abstinent MA group showed increased GMV in the right cerebellum crus and decreased GMV in the right calcarine. While fALFF values within bilateral cerebellum crus in abstinent MA patients were significantly increased. Moreover, GMV of the left cerebellar crus was positively correlated with the withdrawal time among abstinent MA patients. Conclusions Both structural and functional abnormalities were found in abstinent MA patients even after long?term abstinence. The positive correlation between GMV of left cerebellum crus and abstinent duration suggested that prolonged abstinence may be beneficial to brain recovery. The fALFF of the right calcarine was increased even with decreased GVM in the abstinent MA group. It indicates that the brain activity of this area is increased, which may imply that drug cue?induced craving is significant among methamphetamine patients even after long?term abstinence.