Altered individual gray matter structural covariance networks in early abstinence patients with alcohol dependence.

While alterations in cortical thickness have been widely observed in individuals with alcohol dependence, knowledge about cortical thickness-based structural covariance networks is limited. This study aimed to explore the topological disorganization of structural covariance networks based on cortical thickness at the single-subject level among patients with alcohol dependence. Structural imaging data were obtained from 61 patients with alcohol dependence during early abstinence and 59 healthy controls. The single-subject structural covariance networks were constructed based on cortical thickness data from 68 brain regions and were analyzed using graph theory. The relationships between network architecture and clinical characteristics were further investigated using partial correlation analysis. In the structural covariance networks, both patients with alcohol dependence and healthy controls displayed small-world topology. However, compared to controls, alcohol-dependent individuals exhibited significantly altered global network properties characterized by greater normalized shortest path length, greater shortest path length, and lower global efficiency. Patients exhibited lower degree centrality and nodal efficiency, primarily in the right precuneus. Additionally, scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test were negatively correlated with the degree centrality and nodal efficiency of the left middle temporal gyrus. The results of this correlation analysis did not survive after multiple comparisons in the exploratory analysis. Our findings may reveal alterations in the topological organization of gray matter networks in alcoholism patients, which may contribute to understanding the mechanisms of alcohol addiction from a network perspective.

The volume of gray matter mediates the relationship between glucolipid metabolism and neurocognition in first-episode, drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia.

We aimed to examine the hypotheses that glucolipid metabolism is linked to neurocognition and gray matter volume (GMV) and that GMV mediates the association of glucolipid metabolism with neurocognition in first-episode, drug-naïve (FEDN) patients with schizophrenia. Parameters of glucolipid metabolism, neurocognition, and magnetic resonance imaging were assessed in 63 patients and 31 controls. Compared to controls, patients exhibited higher levels of fasting glucose, triglyceride, and insulin resistance index, lower levels of cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, poorer neurocognitive functions, and decreased GMV in the bilateral insula, left middle occipital gyrus, and left postcentral gyrus. In the patient group, triglyceride levels and the insulin resistance index exhibited a negative correlation with Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP) mean latency, a measure of attention within the Cambridge Neurocognitive Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), while showing a positive association with GMV in the right insula. The mediation model revealed that triglyceride and insulin resistance index had a significant positive indirect (mediated) influence on RVP mean latency through GMV in the right insula. Glucolipid metabolism was linked to both neurocognitive functions and GMV in FEDN patients with schizophrenia, with the effect pattern differing from that observed in chronic schizophrenia or schizophrenia comorbid with metabolic syndrome. Moreover, glucolipid metabolism might indirectly contribute to neurocognitive deficits through the mediating role of GMV in these patients.

Interactions between overweight/obesity and alcohol dependence impact human brain white matter microstructure: evidence from DTI.

There is inconsistent evidence for an association of obesity with white matter microstructural alterations. Such inconsistent findings may be related to the cumulative effects of obesity and alcohol dependence. This study aimed to investigate the possible interactions between alcohol dependence and overweight/obesity on white matter microstructure in the human brain. A total of 60 inpatients with alcohol dependence during early abstinence (44 normal weight and 16 overweight/obese) and 65 controls (42 normal weight and 23 overweight/obese) were included. The diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures [fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD)] of the white matter microstructure were compared between groups. We observed significant interactive effects between alcohol dependence and overweight/obesity on DTI measures in several tracts. The DTI measures were not significantly different between the overweight/obese and normal-weight groups (although widespread trends of increased FA and decreased RD were observed) among controls. However, among the alcohol-dependent patients, the overweight/obese group had widespread reductions in FA and widespread increases in RD, most of which significantly differed from the normal-weight group; among those with overweight/obesity, the alcohol-dependent group had widespread reductions in FA and widespread increases in RD, most of which were significantly different from the control group. This study found significant interactive effects between overweight/obesity and alcohol dependence on white matter microstructure, indicating that these two controllable factors may synergistically impact white matter microstructure and disrupt structural connectivity in the human brain.

The mutual overlapping impact of stress and infection on mental health problems in adolescents and youths during and after COVID-19 pandemic in China.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear about the mutual impact of COVID-19 related psychological stress and infection on mental health of adolescent and youth students. This study aimed to explore the mutual impact of COVID-19 related psychological stress and infection on mental health problems among students. METHODS: This study was conducted from December 14, 2022 to February 28, 2023 in Sichuan, China. Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Insomnia Severity Index, and Internet Addiction Test were used. Participants were grouped by COVID-19 infection and psychological stress level. The differences among groups were compared, and logistic regression analysis was used to investigate risk factors for depression, anxiety, PTSD and insomnia among groups. RESULTS: Of 90,118 participants, 82,873 (92.0 %) finished the questionnaires and were included in the study. Of 82,873 participants, 33,314 (40.2 %) reported to be infected with COVID-19. Participants had depression symptoms (38.1 %), anxiety symptoms (31.8 %), PTSD (33.9 %), insomnia (34.0 %), and internet addiction (60.3 %). Compared with participants uninfected with low psychological stress level, the risk for symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and insomnia increased by 9.6 %, 12.3 %, 6.6 %, and 12.0 % in participants infected with low psychological stress level (p < 0.001), 106.8 %, 125.9 %, 125.2 %, and 95.7 % in participants uninfected with high psychological stress level (p < 0.001), and 147.3 %, 161.1 %, 158.7 %, and 141.0 % in participants infected with high psychological stress level (p < 0.001). LIMITATION: This study is a cross-sectional design, and no causal associations should be inferred. Infection status was based on self-report of participants with infectious symptoms. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 related psychological stress and infection per se have mutually overlapping impacts on mental health problems among students. Further health policies and psychosocial interventions should be developed to reduce mutually overlapping impact and improve the long-term mental health among students.

Effects of internet addiction and academic satisfaction on mental health among college students after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in China.

Background: Internet addiction (IA) among students, worsened by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has become a social problem with the digitalization of school learning and many aspects of daily life. However, few studies on IA have been conducted among students after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in China. Method: This large-sample, cross-sectional, online survey was conducted to explore the characteristics of IA and the association among IA, academic satisfaction, and mental health problems from December 14, 2022 to February 28, 2023 in Sichuan, China. All participants (N = 22,605) were students in colleges and universities, recruited via their teachers and professors. Results: Of all the participants, 14,921 (66.0%) participants had IA. Participants with IA were more likely to have depression symptom, anxiety symptom, insomnia, and lifetime suicidal ideation. In addition, participants with severe IA had significantly higher rates of mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, insomnia, and suicidal ideation) than those with mild IA. A significant IA-by-academic satisfactory-interaction on mental health was identified: participants with higher level of IA showed particularly severe symptom of depression, anxiety and insomnia when affected by low satisfactory of academy (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study reveals that IA has a significantly negative impact on mental health among college students after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in China. IA and academic satisfaction have interactive impacts on mental health problems among students. Further educational and health policies and psychosocial interventions should be developed to reduce IA and enhance academic satisfaction for improving students' mental health.

Disrupted white matter structural networks in individuals with alcohol dependence.

Previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have demonstrated widespread white matter microstructure damage in individuals with alcoholism. However, very little is known about the alterations in the topological architecture of white matter structural networks in alcohol dependence (AD). This study included 67 AD patients and 69 controls. The graph theoretical analysis method was applied to examine the topological organization of the white matter structural networks, and network-based statistics (NBS) were employed to detect structural connectivity alterations. Compared to controls, AD patients exhibited abnormal global network properties characterized by increased small-worldness, normalized clustering coefficient, clustering coefficient, and shortest path length; and decreased global efficiency and local efficiency. Further analyses revealed decreased nodal efficiency and degree centrality in AD patients mainly located in the default mode network (DMN), including the precuneus, anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus, median cingulate and paracingulate gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and medial part of the superior frontal gyrus. Furthermore, based on NBS approaches, patients displayed weaker subnetwork connectivity mainly located in the region of the DMN. Additionally, altered network metrics were correlated with intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and global assessment function (GAF) scores. Our results may reveal the disruption of whole-brain white matter structural networks in AD individuals, which may contribute to our comprehension of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of alcohol addiction at the level of white matter structural networks.

Multivariate classification based on large-scale brain networks during early abstinence predicted lapse among male detoxified alcohol-dependent patients.

Identifying biomarkers to predict lapse of alcohol-dependence (AD) is essential for treatment and prevention strategies, but remains remarkably challenging. With an aim to identify neuroimaging features for predicting AD lapse, 66 male AD patients during early-abstinence (baseline) after hospitalized detoxification underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and were then followed-up for 6 months. The relevance-vector-machine (RVM) analysis on baseline large-scale brain networks yielded an elegant model for differentiating relapsing patients (n = 38) from abstainers, with the area under the curve of 0.912 and the accuracy by leave-one-out cross-validation of 0.833. This model captured key information about neuro-connectome biomarkers for predicting AD lapse.

Stereotactic neurosurgery as a symptomatic treatment for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review.

Stereotactic neurosurgery has been employed in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, its safety and effectiveness remain unclear owing to limited sample size and other methodological limitations. We aimed to systematically investigate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic neurosurgery for ASD. Eleven studies with 36 patients were included. Stereotactic neurosurgery alleviated the obsessive-compulsive disorder and aggressive behavior symptoms in ASD, with a mean improvement of 42.74% and 59.59% in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Overt Aggression Scale scores, respectively. Systematic studies are necessary to explore the role of deep brain stimulation for social and communication difficulties in ASD.

Data-driven study on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging during early abstinence of alcohol dependence in male patients and its predictive value for relapse.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol dependence is a mental disorder with a high relapse rate. However, specific neuroimaging biomarkers have not been determined for alcohol dependence and its relapse. We conducted data-driven research to investigate resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) during early abstinence from alcohol dependence and its potential ability to predict relapse. METHODS: Participants included 68 alcohol-dependent patients and 68 healthy controls (HCs). The regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) were compared between the alcohol dependence group and the HCs and between the relapse group and the nonrelapse group. The brain regions that presented significantly different ReHo and/or fALFF between the alcohol-dependent patients and HCs and/or between the relapsed and nonrelapsed patients were selected as the seeds to calculate the functional connectivities (FCs). RESULTS: During a 6-month follow-up period, 52.24% of alcohol-dependent patients relapsed. A regression model for differentiating alcohol-dependent patients and HCs showed that reductions in ReHo in the left postcentral region, fALFF in the right fusiform region, and FC in the right fusiform region to the right middle cingulum were independently associated with alcohol dependence, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.841. The baseline FC of the left precentral to the left cerebellum of the relapse group was significantly lower than that of the nonrelapse group. The AUC of this FC to predict relapse was 0.774. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to advancing research on the neurobiological etiology and predictive biomarkers for relapse associated with alcohol dependence.

A bidirectional association between internet addiction and depression: A large-sample longitudinal study among Chinese university students.

BACKGROUND: Internet addiction (IA) is associated with adverse consequences, especially for younger people. Evidence indicates that IA is associated with depression, but no studies have yet investigated potential common vulnerability between them. METHODS: IA (measured by the Young's 20-item Internet Addiction Test Scale) and depressive symptoms (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Scale) among 12 043 undergraduates were surveyed at baseline and at a respective 12 month follow-up for each participant. Application of a cross-lagged panel model approach (CLPM) revealed an association between IA and depression after adjusting for demographic variables. RESULTS: Rates of baseline IA and depression were 5.47% (95% CI: 5.07%, 5.88%) and 3.85% (95% CI: 3.51%, 4.20%), respectively; increasing to 9.47% (95% CI: 8.94%, 9.99%) and 5.58% (95% CI: 5.17%,5.99%), respectively, at follow-up. Rates of new-incidences of IA and depression over 12 months were 7.43% (95% CI: 6.95%, 7.91%) and 4.47% (95% CI: 4.09%, 4.84%), respectively. Models in the present analysis revealed that baseline depression had a significant net-predictive effect on follow-up IA, and baseline IA had a significant net-predictive effect on follow-up depression. LIMITATIONS: The follow-up survey response rate was moderate (54.69%) in this analysis of university students. Moreover, the IAT-20 scale did not allow differentiate between specific forms of Internet activity. CONCLUSIONS: Common vulnerability and bidirectional cross-causal effects may both contribute to the association between IA and depression, with common vulnerability likely playing a more significant role than cross-causal effects.

The Gender-Sensitive Social Risk Factors for Internet Addiction in College Undergraduate Students.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aims to explore precipitating and social risk factors for internet addiction (IA) in university undergraduate students, and to provide evidence for interventions and the early prevention of IA in different genders. METHODS: Four thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight college sophomores completed an online survey on their internet use-related behaviours and social risk factors. RESULTS: We found that more male (8.3%) than female students (5.4%) had moderate and severe IA. The main online activity in the moderate and severe IA groups was online gaming in males and online streaming in females. Roommates engaging in similar internetbased entertainment was a risk factor of IA only for males, while not being in a romantic relationship was a risk factor of IA for females only. Infatuation with the internet before college and adjustment problems for college life were shared risk factors for both genders in the mild and moderate IA groups. CONCLUSION: IA was a common phenomenon in college students with shared and unique precipitating and social risk factors in males and females. The gender-sensitive risk factors for IA warranted earlier and individualized intervention and prevention strategies for IA in this population.

Lower regional grey matter in alcohol use disorders: evidence from a voxel-based meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous research using whole-brain neuroimaging techniques has revealed structural differences of grey matter (GM) in alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients. However, some of the findings diverge from other neuroimaging studies and require further replication. The quantity of relevant research has, thus far, been limited and the association between GM and abstinence duration of AUD patients has not yet been systematically reviewed. METHODS: The present research conducted a meta-analysis of voxel-based GM studies in AUD patients published before Jan 2021. The study utilised a whole brain-based d-mapping approach to explore GM changes in AUD patients, and further analysed the relationship between GM deficits, abstinence duration and individual differences. RESULTS: The current research included 23 studies with a sample size of 846 AUD patients and 878 controls. The d-mapping approach identified lower GM in brain regions including the right cingulate gyrus, right insula and left middle frontal gyrus in AUD patients compared to controls. Meta-regression analyses found increasing GM atrophy in the right insula associated with the longer mean abstinence duration of the samples in the studies in our analysis. GM atrophy was also found positively correlated with the mean age of the samples in the right insula, and positively correlated with male ratio in the left middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: GM atrophy was found in the cingulate gyrus and insula in AUD patients. These findings align with published meta-analyses, suggesting they are potential deficits for AUD patients. Abstinence duration, age and gender also affect GM atrophy in AUD patients. This research provides some evidence of the underlying neuroanatomical nature of AUD.

Functional Connectivity of Nucleus Accumbens and Medial Prefrontal Cortex With Other Brain Regions During Early-Abstinence Is Associated With Alcohol Dependence and Relapse: A Resting-Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Background: Alcohol dependence (AD) is a chronic recurrent brain disease that causes a heavy disease burden worldwide, partly due to high relapse rates after detoxification. Verified biomarkers are not available for AD and its relapse, although the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) may play important roles in the mechanism of addiction. This study investigated AD- and relapse-associated functional connectivity (FC) of the NAc and mPFC with other brain regions during early abstinence. Methods: Sixty-eight hospitalized early-abstinence AD male patients and 68 age- and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-functional magnetic resonance imaging (r-fMRI). Using the NAc and mPFC as seeds, we calculated changes in FC between the seeds and other brain regions. Over a follow-up period of 6 months, patients were measured with the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) scale to identify relapse outcomes (AUDIT ≥ 8). Results: Thirty-five (52.24%) of the AD patients relapsed during the follow-up period. AD displayed lower FC of the left fusiform, bilateral temporal superior and right postcentral regions with the NAc and lower FC of the right temporal inferior, bilateral temporal superior, and left cingulate anterior regions with the mPFC compared to controls. Among these FC changes, lower FC between the NAc and left fusiform, lower FC between the mPFC and left cingulate anterior cortex, and smoking status were independently associated with AD. Subjects in relapse exhibited lower FC of the right cingulate anterior cortex with NAc and of the left calcarine sulcus with mPFC compared to non-relapsed subjects; both of these reductions in FC independently predicted relapse. Additionally, FC between the mPFC and right frontal superior gyrus, as well as years of education, independently predicted relapse severity. Conclusion: This study found that values of FC between selected seeds (i.e., the NAc and the mPFC) and some other reward- and/or impulse-control-related brain regions were associated with AD and relapse; these FC values could be potential biomarkers of AD or for prediction of relapse. These findings may help to guide further research on the neurobiology of AD and other addictive disorders.

A real-world study on clinical predictors of relapse after hospitalized detoxification in a Chinese cohort with alcohol dependence.

BACKGROUND: The relapse rate of alcohol dependence (AD) after detoxification is high, but few studies have investigated the clinical predictors of relapse after hospitalized detoxification in real-world clinical practice, especially among Chinese patients. METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study followed up 122 AD patients who were discharged from January 1, 2016 to January 30, 2018 from their most recent hospitalization for detoxification. These patients were interviewed by telephone from May 20, 2017, to June 30, 2018, at least 6 months after discharge. During the interview, the relapse were assessed by using a revised Chinese version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Candidate predictors, such as therapeutic modalities during hospitalization and at discharge, medical history data related to alcohol use, and demographic information, were obtained from the medical records in the hospital information system. RESULTS: During the 6-24 months (with a median of 9 months) follow-up period, the relapse rate was 53.3%. Individuals with a college education level and those who had not been treated with the brief comprehensive cognitive-motivational-behavioural intervention (CCMBI) were more likely than their counterparts to relapse after hospitalized detoxification, and their adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were 1.85 (1.09, 3.16) and 2.00 (1.16, 3.46), respectively. The CCMBI use predicted a reduction in the relapse rate by approximately one-fifth. CONCLUSION: Undergoing the CCMBI during detoxification hospitalization and having less than a college-level education could predict a reduced risk of AD relapse. These findings provide useful information both for further clinical research and for real-world practice.

Common and distinct patterns of grey matter alterations in borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder: voxel-based meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Whether borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar disorder are the same or different disorders lacks consistency.AimsTo detect whether grey matter volume (GMV) and grey matter density (GMD) alterations show any similarities or differences between BPD and bipolar disorder. METHOD: Web-based publication databases were searched to conduct a meta-analysis of all voxel-based studies that compared BPD or bipolar disorder with healthy controls. We included 13 BPD studies (395 patients with BPD and 415 healthy controls) and 47 bipolar disorder studies (2111 patients with bipolar disorder and 3261 healthy controls). Peak coordinates from clusters with significant group differences were extracted. Effect-size signed differential mapping meta-analysis was performed to analyse peak coordinates of clusters and thresholds (P < 0.005, uncorrected). Conjunction analyses identified regions in which disorders showed common patterns of volumetric alteration. Correlation analyses were also performed. RESULTS: Patients with BPD showed decreased GMV and GMD in the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex network (mPFC), bilateral amygdala and right parahippocampal gyrus; patients with bipolar disorder showed decreased GMV and GMD in the bilateral medial orbital frontal cortex (mOFC), right insula and right thalamus, and increased GMV and GMD in the right putamen. Multi-modal analysis indicated smaller volumes in both disorders in clusters in the right medial orbital frontal cortex. Decreased bilateral mPFC in BPD was partly mediated by patient age. Increased GMV and GMD of the right putamen was positively correlated with Young Mania Rating Scale scores in bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show different patterns of GMV and GMD alteration and do not support the hypothesis that bipolar disorder and BPD are on the same affective spectrum.Declaration of interestNone.

Neural substrate of unrelenting negative symptoms in schizophrenia: a longitudinal resting-state fMRI study.

Developing a mechanistic insight into the specific brain processes that underpin improvement in negative symptoms can help us design novel chemical and physical treatments against these unrelenting symptoms. The aim of the present study is to explore the longitudinal changes in the brain's regional functional efficiency that accompany improvement in negative symptoms seen in first-episode patients with schizophrenia when treated with antipsychotic for 1 year. Forty-seven first-episode patients with schizophrenia were scanned at a drug-naive baseline state and followed up for 1 year to identify negative symptom responders (Rn) and non-responders (NRn). Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and Granger analysis of effective connectivity (EC) were used to examine the different patterns of regional function and connectivity between Rn and NRn during the 1 year follow-up. Increase of fALFF in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and increase of EC from the left STG to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was found in Rn compared to NRn. We further validated that the identified changes in fALFF/EC of STG occur specifically in relation to negative symptoms only (i.e., not pseudo-specific in relation to positive, extrapyramidal or depressive symptoms), and occur irrespective of arbitrary clinical categorization of treatment response. An increase in fALFF in the precuneus and the inferior parietal lobule, and a decrease in EC from the left STG to the occipital cortex, were also found at the 1 year follow-up irrespective of improvement in negative symptoms. Interventions that improve the functional efficiency of left STG and its prefrontal connectivity may show efficacy in alleviating negative symptoms in first-episode schizophrenia.

[Effects of Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Social Anxiety Disorders].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) on social anxiety disorders (SAD). METHODS: A total of 50 patients with SAD were recruited in this study. A survey containing the Liebowitz social anxiety scale (LSAS),the automatic thoughts questionnaire (ATQ),the fear of negative evaluation questionnaire (FNE),the social support rating scale (SSRS),the tridimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ),and the egna minnen barndoms uppfostran (EMBU) was administered before and (one week) after the GCBT,including in the 50 healthy controls. About 21 patients completed the eight-week GCBT (once a week,2 h a session). Follow-up surveys were conducted on 40 patients (22 patients treated with GCBT and 18 untreated) over a 1-5 year period. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the SAD patients and healthy controls in thinking mode,personality characteristics,social support,parental rearing styles,and social anxiety symptoms. Significant decrease in social anxiety symptom ( t=4.06, P=0.000) , negative automatic thoughts ( t=4.58, P=0.000) and fear for rejection ( t=3.85, P=0.000) were observed after the GCBT therapy. Such improvement was positively correlated with subjective social support (r=0.361, P=0.022) ,and negatively correlated with rejection of father (r=-0.431, P=0.005) . There was also statistical difference between the patients with and without the GCBT therapy ( P=0.033) . CONCLUSION: GCBT treatment can relieve SAD symptoms by changing the negative cognitive of SAD patients. Social support and rejection of father affects the prognosis of SAD.

[Regional Homogeneity Changes in Patients with Social Anxiety Disorders after Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.]

OBJECTIVES: To examine the altered spontaneous brain activity in patients with social anxiety disorders (SAD) before and after cognitive behavior therapy (CBT),and determine the neuromechanism of formation,treatment and recovery of SAD. METHODS: Fifteen SAD patients were treated with an eight-week group CBT.The patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at resting state before and after the treatments.Eighteen healthy controls (HC) were recruited and underwent a baseline fMRI scan.The regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the patients was compared with the healthy controls.Before the baseline scanning,all participants were assessed with the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale(LSAS),the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD). RESULTS: All participants were right-handed.10 males and 4 females were in the patient group,with mean age of (27.07±8.11) years.13 males and 5 females were in the HC group,with mean age of (26.28±2.42) years.There was no difference for gender and age while significant differences were found in LSAS,HAMA,HAMD between patients and controls (P<0.01).After 8 weeks of group CBT,clinical assessments significantly decreased (P<0.05) in patients group.Compared with HC,the pre-treatment SAD patients showed significantly increased ReHo in right cerebellum lobe at baseline [(P<0.05,with Gaussian random field (GRF) correction]; but the difference became insignificant after the group CBT.The post-treatment patients showed increased ReHo in left putamen and right caudate compared with their pre-treatment conditions (P<0.05,with GRF correction).Pre-post ReHo change in right cerebellum posterior in patients was positively correlated with pre-post change of LSAS-fear scores (r=0.62,P=0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The activity of cerebellum might be one of the potential biomakers to modulate the treatment effect of CBT in SAD,which provides a basis for further investigation into the pathophysiology of SAD.

Reward pathway dysfunction in gambling disorder: A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies.

Recent emerging functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified many brain regions in which gambling cues or rewards elicit activation and may shed light upon the ongoing disputes regarding the diagnostic and neuroscientific issues of gambling disorder (GD). However, no studies to date have systemically reviewed fMRI studies of GD to analyze the brain areas activated by gambling-related cues and examine whether these areas were differentially activated between cases and healthy controls (HC). This study reviewed 62 candidate articles and ultimately selected 13 qualified voxel-wise whole brain analysis studies to perform a comprehensive series of meta-analyses using the effect size-signed differential mapping approach. Compared with HC, GD patients showed significant activation in right lentiform nucleus and left middle occipital gyrus. The increased activities in the lentiform nucleus compared to HC were also found in both GD subgroups, regardless of excluding or not excluding any kind of substance use disorder. In addition, the South Oaks Gambling Screen scores were associated with hyperactivity in right lentiform nucleus and bilateral parahippocampus, but negatively related to right middle frontal gyrus. These results suggest dysfunction within the frontostriatal cortical pathway in GD, which could contribute to our understanding of the categories and definition of GD and provide evidence for the reclassification of GD as a behavioral addiction in the DSM-5.