Human Brain Mapping最新文献

{"title":"Mapping Caudolenticular Gray Matter Bridges in the Human Brain Striatum Through Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Tractography","authors":"Graham Little,&nbsp;Charles Poirier,&nbsp;Arnaud Bore,&nbsp;Martin Parent,&nbsp;Laurent Petit,&nbsp;Maxime Descoteaux","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70245","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In primates, the putamen and the caudate nucleus are connected by ~1 mm-thick caudolenticular gray matter bridges (CLGBs) interspersed between the white matter bundles of the internal capsule. Little is understood about the functional or microstructural properties of the CLGBs. In studies proposing high resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) techniques, CLGBs have been qualitatively identified as an example of superior imaging quality; however, the microstructural properties of these structures have yet to be examined. In this study, it is demonstrated for the first time that dMRI is sensitive to an organized anisotropic signal oriented in the direction parallel to the CLGBs, suggesting that dMRI could be a useful imaging method for probing the microstructure of the CLGBs. To demonstrate the anisotropic diffusion signal is coherently organized along the extent of the CLGBs and to enable a subsequent CLGB microstructural measurement, a customized tractography seeding and filtering method is proposed that utilizes the shape of the human striatum (putamen + caudate nucleus) to reconstruct the CLGBs in 3D. The proposed seeding strategy seeds tractography streamlines outward and normal to the surface of a 3D model of the striatum such that reconstructed streamlines are more likely to follow the diffusion signal peaks aligned parallel to the CLGBs. The method is applied to three different diffusion datasets, namely a high resolution 760 μm isotropic diffusion dataset acquired on a single subject, the test–retest cohort included as part of the human connectome project (<i>N</i> = 44) with diffusion data acquired at 1.25 mm isotropic, and a locally acquired “clinical” test–retest dataset acquired at 2.0 mm isotropic (<i>N</i> = 24). Reconstructed CLGBs directly overlap expected gray matter regions in the human brain for all three datasets. In addition, the method is shown to accurately reconstruct CLGBs repeatedly across multiple test–retest cohorts. The tractography CLGB reconstructions are then used to extract a quantitative measurement of microstructure from a local model of the diffusion signal along the CLGBs themselves. This is the first work to comprehensively study the CLGBs in vivo using dMRI and presents techniques suitable for future human neuroscience studies targeting these structures.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70245","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatio-Temporal Signatures of Cognitive Function After Pediatric Arterial Ischemic Stroke—A Pilot Study","authors":"Karl-Heinz Nenning,&nbsp;Florian Ph. S. Fischmeister,&nbsp;Astrid Novak,&nbsp;Rainer Seidl,&nbsp;Smadar Ovadia-Caro,&nbsp;Ting Xu,&nbsp;Gregor Kasprian,&nbsp;Lisa Bartha-Doering,&nbsp;Kathrin Kollndorfer","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70248","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Childhood arterial ischemic stroke is a severe disorder that can cause lasting cognitive impairments, particularly in executive functions. Although early research assumed an improved outcome in childhood stroke patients compared to adults, more recent studies indicate similar rates of disabilities and cognitive impairment, with widespread brain network disruptions underlying these deficits. Here, we used resting-state fMRI to study alterations in functional brain dynamics and their association with cognitive outcome in children and adolescents after childhood stroke. We used co-activation pattern analysis to characterize five recurring brain states and their temporal properties in a cohort of 16 patients and 17 age-matched controls. We found that in pediatric stroke patients, a specific brain state characterizing the frontoparietal network was more prevalent and more frequently involved in state transitions. This was paralleled by lower occurrence rates of a brain state related to default mode network deactivation. Moreover, our analysis showed that these dynamics relate more to the extent to which the lesion impacts functional networks than to lesion size alone. Taken together, our findings suggest that disrupted brain dynamics following childhood stroke relate to cognitive performance and that the location of a focal lesion can have wide-ranging implications on brain state dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70248","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Event-Marked Windowed Communication: Inferring Activity Propagation from Neural Time Series","authors":"Varun Madan Mohan,&nbsp;Thomas F. Varley,&nbsp;Robin F. H. Cash,&nbsp;Caio Seguin,&nbsp;Andrew Zalesky","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70223","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tracking how activity or signal perturbations propagate in nervous systems is crucial to understanding interareal communication in the brain. Current analytical methodologies are not well suited to systematically infer interareal activity propagation from neural time series recordings. Here, we propose Event-marked Windowed Communication (EWC), a framework to infer activity propagation between neural elements by tracking the statistical consequence of spontaneous, endogenous regional perturbations. EWC tracks the downstream effect of these perturbations by subsampling the neural time series and quantifying statistical dependences using established functional connectivity measures. We test EWC on simulations of neural dynamics and demonstrate the retrieval of ground truth motifs of directional signaling, over a range of model configurations. We also show that EWC can capture activity propagation in a computationally efficient manner by benchmarking it against more advanced FC estimation methods such as transfer entropy. Lastly, we showcase the utility of EWC to infer whole-brain activity propagation maps from magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings. Networks computed using EWC were compared to those inferred using transfer entropy and were found to be highly correlated (median <i>r</i> = 0.81 across subjects). Importantly, our framework is flexible and can be applied to activity time series captured by diverse functional neuroimaging modalities, opening new avenues for the study of neural communication.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70223","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prediction Model and Nomogram for Amyloid Positivity Using Clinical and MRI Features in Individuals With Subjective Cognitive Decline","authors":"Qinjie Li,&nbsp;Liang Cui,&nbsp;Yihui Guan,&nbsp;Yuehua Li,&nbsp;Fang Xie,&nbsp;Qihao Guo","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70238","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is an urgent need for the precise prediction of cerebral amyloidosis using noninvasive and accessible indicators to facilitate the early diagnosis of individuals with the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Two hundred and four individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) were enrolled in this study. All subjects completed neuropsychological assessments and underwent 18F-florbetapir PET, structural MRI, and functional MRI. A total of 315 features were extracted from the MRI, demographics, and neuropsychological scales and selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The logistic regression (LR) model, based on machine learning, was trained to classify SCD as either β-amyloid (Aβ) positive or negative. A nomogram was established using a multivariate LR model to predict the risk of Aβ+. The performance of the prediction model and nomogram was assessed with area under the curve (AUC) and calibration. The final model was based on the right rostral anterior cingulate thickness, the grey matter volume of the right inferior temporal, the ReHo of the left posterior cingulate gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus, as well as MoCA-B and AVLT-R. In the training set, the model achieved a good AUC of 0.78 for predicting Aβ+, with an accuracy of 0.72. The validation of the model also yielded a favorable discriminatory ability with an AUC of 0.88 and an accuracy of 0.83. We have established and validated a model based on cognitive, sMRI, and fMRI data that exhibits adequate discrimination. This model has the potential to predict amyloid status in the SCD group and provide a noninvasive, cost-effective way that might facilitate early screening, clinical diagnosis, and drug clinical trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70238","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural Electrical Correlates of Subjective Happiness","authors":"Wataru Sato,&nbsp;Takanori Kochiyama,&nbsp;Shota Uono","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70224","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Happiness is a subjective experience that can serve as the ultimate goal for humans. A recent study that employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reported that spontaneous fluctuation (fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: fALFF) in the precuneus is negatively associated with subjective happiness. However, little is known about the neural electrical correlates of subjective happiness, which can provide direct evidence of neural activity and insights regarding the underlying psychological, cellular, and neurotransmitter mechanisms. Therefore, we measured 400-channel whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) during resting state in participants whose subjective happiness was evaluated using questionnaires. We conducted source reconstruction analysis utilizing bandpass-filtered MEG data and analyzed the fALFF of the band-limited power time series as an index of spontaneous neural fluctuation. Gamma-band fALFF values in the right precuneus were negatively associated with subjective happiness scores (partial correlation coefficient = −0.56). These findings indicate that subjective happiness has a neural electrical correlate of reduced spontaneous fluctuation of gamma-band neuronal oscillations in the right precuneus, and that it could be mediated by a reduction in wandering, clinging self-consciousness through heightened <i>N</i>-methyl-<span>d</span>-aspartate-dependent gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic parvalbumin inhibitory interneuron activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70224","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional Connectivity Patterns Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and the Association With Longitudinal Cognitive Function","authors":"Goretti España-Irla,&nbsp;Emma M. Tinney,&nbsp;Meishan Ai,&nbsp;Mark Nwakamma,&nbsp;Timothy P. Morris","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70237","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has revealed subtle neuroplastic changes in brain networks following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), even when standard clinical imaging fails to detect abnormalities. However, prior findings have been inconsistent, in part due to methodological differences and high researcher degrees of freedom in region-based analyses, which often rely on predefined hypotheses and overlook complex, distributed connectivity patterns. Here, we apply an unbiased, data-driven multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to examine whole-brain functional connectivity differences in a large cohort of individuals with acute mTBI. Unlike conventional statistical approaches, MVPA enables a data-driven analysis of brain-wide connectivity patterns without requiring prior assumptions about the location or nature of abnormalities, allowing for the identification of the most informative features. This approach provides an exploratory characterization of whole-brain functional connectivity patterns and their relationship with cognitive recovery, offering new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying post-injury outcomes. A total of 265 adults (87 women) between 18 and 83 years old with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 13–15 were included in this analysis. Two replicate samples (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 165, &lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 155), with similar demographic characteristics, were also included. Data were collected as part of the prospective multi-center Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI). The goal of this study was to assess whole-brain functional connectivity patterns using fc-MVPA and post hoc seed-to-voxel analyses in a large, well-characterized sample to determine if changes in functional connectivity can differentiate subacute mTBI (within 2 weeks of injury) from a matched group of orthopedic control subjects (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 49). Additionally, we aimed to investigate whether these connectivity patterns were linked to cognitive performance at 2 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months post-injury to better understand cognitive trajectories and recovery over time in individuals with mTBI. Voxel-to-voxel functional connectivity across the entire connectome revealed significant differences between TBI and no TBI in the functional connectivity patterns of 8 clusters (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;-voxel &lt; 0.001, FEW cluster-level &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05) (&lt;i&gt;k&lt;/i&gt; &gt; 40, Fmax = 15.36), including right occipital cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, inferior and middle temporal gyrus, right thalamus, left cerebellum, and the bilateral frontal pole. These clusters belong mainly to the visual network (VIS), frontoparietal network (FPN), default mode network (DMN) and limbic network (LIM). Post hoc characterization of each significant cluster revealed by MVPA using seed-to-voxel analysis showed a mixed pattern of connectivity between relevant networks and subcortico-cortical connections. After connectivity characterization, visual-motor skills assessed with Trail M","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70237","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurometabolite Alterations Associated With Cannabis Use: A Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Meta-Analysis","authors":"Anna E. Kirkland,&nbsp;Brittney D. Browning,&nbsp;ReJoyce Green,&nbsp;Samuel O. Agbeh,&nbsp;Lindsay M. Squeglia","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70236","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Little is known about the neurometabolic effects of cannabis use. Using meta-analytic modeling of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies, this study aimed to assess the differences in brain metabolite levels associated with cannabis use (PROSPERO: CRD42020209890) to inform treatment development for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Hedge's <i>g</i> with random-effects modeling was used, and heterogeneity and publication bias indices were assessed. A complete literature search was conducted, and 15 studies met the inclusion criteria (e.g., 1H-MRS, cannabis group compared to a control group, brain region-specific results, necessary data to complete modeling). There were 29 models across gray matter regions in the brain. All models had between 2 and 5 studies (<i>k</i>), indicating that results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of available studies. Compared to the control groups, the cannabis-using groups showed lower levels of GABA and N-acetylaspartate in the anterior cingulate cortex (<i>k</i> = 3); lower glutamate in the basal ganglia/striatum (<i>k</i> = 2); and lower glutamine and <i>myo</i>-inositol in the thalamus (<i>k</i> = 2; although the two effect sizes came from the same sample). This is the first meta-analysis to consolidate the extant 1H-MRS studies focused on the neurometabolic effects of cannabis. Despite the few studies available, the evidence suggests cannabis use may impact important neural processes, including glutamatergic and GABAergic functioning (glutamate, glutamine, and GABA), neural health (N-acetylaspartate), and glial functioning (<i>myo</i>-inositol). The findings should be interpreted with caution considering the small sample size; the inability to test the impact of demographic, substance use, and methodological factors; and the heterogeneity of studies. Understanding the neurobiological effects of cannabis may inspire novel pharmacotherapy and/or psychosocial interventions for CUD.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70236","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hierarchical Organization of Bilateral Prefrontal-Basal Ganglia Circuits for Response Inhibition Control","authors":"Liyue Lin,&nbsp;Yishu Chen,&nbsp;Zhengyuan Fan,&nbsp;Wei Xiong,&nbsp;Xuan Wang,&nbsp;Hongfei Ji,&nbsp;Jie Li,&nbsp;Jie Zhuang","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70235","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Response inhibition control is primarily supported by the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the prefrontal-basal ganglia network, though the mechanisms behind right lateralization and regional interplay remain unclear. In this fMRI study, we explore the neural substrates supporting efficient inhibition control and examine whether the typical right lateralization of IFG activation can be modulated by stimulus properties (semantic features) and inhibitory demand (reaction times, RT). We chose a Go/No-Go lexical decision task, utilizing concrete and abstract words as Go stimuli and pseudo-word as No-Go stimuli. Behavioral results reveal that inhibition is more effective during concrete word sessions compared to abstract word sessions, suggesting a modulation of cognitive inhibition by semantic features. Neuroimaging results further demonstrate that successful inhibition activates bilateral IFG, indicating a flexible right lateralization pattern of IFG activation that varies with stimulus properties. To examine how varying inhibitory demands modulate neural activation patterns, we reclassified concrete and abstract sessions into fast and slow sessions based on RT, followed by within-group comparisons. Our study highlights the crucial role of the bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) in efficient inhibition, with increased activation associated with rapid response inhibition. Furthermore, we report enhanced neural coupling between the right IFG and multiple functionally connected regions, including bilateral insula, putamen, and pallidum, as well as between the right middle frontal gyrus and other prefrontal regions during rapid inhibitory responses, whereas no engagement of the left IFG was observed in efficient inhibition. These findings imply a hierarchical functional organization of the bilateral fronto-basal ganglia circuits, in which the right prefrontal regions play a dominant role in inhibition control, supported by basal ganglia regions, while the left IFG may serve a supplementary function. Stimulus properties can modulate right lateralization, underscoring the dynamic and flexible nature of the prefrontal-basal ganglia network in inhibition control.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70235","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of Portable Ultra-Low Field MRI Scanners for Multi-Center Structural Neuroimaging","authors":"Emil Ljungberg,&nbsp;Francesco Padormo,&nbsp;Megan Poorman,&nbsp;Petter Clemensson,&nbsp;Niall Bourke,&nbsp;John C. Evans,&nbsp;James Gholam,&nbsp;Irene Vavasour,&nbsp;Shannon H. Kollind,&nbsp;Samson L. Lafayette,&nbsp;Carly Bennallick,&nbsp;Kirsten A. Donald,&nbsp;Layla E. Bradford,&nbsp;Beatrice Lena,&nbsp;Maclean Vokhiwa,&nbsp;Talat Shama,&nbsp;Jasmine Siew,&nbsp;Lydia Sekoli,&nbsp;Jeanne van Rensburg,&nbsp;Michael S. Pepper,&nbsp;Amna Khan,&nbsp;Akber Madhwani,&nbsp;Frank A. Banda,&nbsp;Mwila L. Mwila,&nbsp;Adam R. Cassidy,&nbsp;Kebaiphe Moabi,&nbsp;Dolly Sephi,&nbsp;Richard A. Boakye,&nbsp;Kenneth A. Ae-Ngibise,&nbsp;Kwaku P. Asante,&nbsp;William J. Hollander,&nbsp;Todor Karaulanov,&nbsp;Steven C. R. Williams,&nbsp;Sean Deoni","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70217","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The lower infrastructure requirements of portable ultra-low field MRI (ULF-MRI) systems have enabled their use in diverse settings such as intensive care units and remote medical facilities. The UNITY Project is an international neuroimaging network harnessing this technology, deploying portable ULF-MRI systems globally to expand access to MRI for studies into brain development. Given the wide range of environments where ULF-MRI systems may operate, there are external factors that might influence image quality. This work aims to introduce the quality control (QC) framework used by the UNITY Project to investigate how robust the systems are and how QC metrics compare between sites and over time. We present a QC framework using a commercially available phantom, scanned with 64 mT portable MRI systems at 17 sites across 12 countries on four continents. Using automated, open-source analysis tools, we quantify signal-to-noise, image contrast, and geometric distortions. Our results demonstrated that the image quality is robust to the varying operational environment, for example, electromagnetic noise interference and temperature. The Larmor frequency was significantly correlated to room temperature, as was image noise and contrast. Image distortions were less than 2.5 mm, with high robustness over time. Similar to studies at higher field, we found that changes in pulse sequence parameters from software updates had an impact on QC metrics. This study demonstrates that portable ULF-MRI systems can be deployed in a variety of environments for multi-center neuroimaging studies and produce robust results.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70217","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural Connectivity Differences Reflect Microstructural Heterogeneity of the Human Insular Cortex","authors":"Julian Quabs,&nbsp;Nora Bittner,&nbsp;Svenja Caspers","doi":"10.1002/hbm.70231","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70231","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The insular cortex is renowned for its multitude of functions, intricate structural connectivity patterns, and complex cytoarchitecture, yet a unified multimodal concept remains elusive. Microstructural parcellations provide a promising mediator to integrate connectome data into a combined structural–functional framework. While in the macaque insula, a clear relationship between anatomical connections and cytoarchitecture is well established, such correlation in the human insula remains unclear. By combining diffusion data from two large cohorts, including 914 and 204 subjects, respectively, as well as probabilistic tractography and the microstructural JulichBrain Atlas, we uncover how microstructural diversity reflects structural connectivity patterns in the human insula. Analyzing the connectivity of 16 cytoarchitectonic areas, we identified six clusters, two in the posterior and four in the anterior insula. Posterior clusters exhibited strong connectivity with temporal, occipital, and parietal areas encompassing auditory, visual, and somatosensory systems. Conversely, anterior clusters were specifically linked with (orbito)frontal areas, such as Broca's area or frontal opercular areas. Together, our data demonstrate that structural connectivity differences are reflected by fundamental principles of microstructural organization in the human insula. Additional whole-brain connectivity analyses reveal that two distinct areas within the anterior (Id6) and posterior (Id3) human insula may serve as integrative hubs, mediating between higher-order cognitive and limbic systems, as well as across sensory modalities. All clusters are openly available in MNI space to support future multimodal studies addressing the relations between cytoarchitecture, structure, functions, and pathologies in this complex region of the human neocortex.</p>","PeriodicalId":13019,"journal":{"name":"Human Brain Mapping","volume":"46 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.70231","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}