Neuroimage-Clinical最新文献

{"title":"Structural brain network organization in children with prenatal alcohol exposure","authors":"Xiaoyun Liang ,&nbsp;Claire E. Kelly ,&nbsp;Chun-Hung Yeh ,&nbsp;Thijs Dhollander ,&nbsp;Stephen Hearps ,&nbsp;Peter J. Anderson ,&nbsp;Deanne K. Thompson","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103690","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103690","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>There is growing evidence suggesting that children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) struggle with cognitively demanding tasks, such as learning, attention, and language. Complex structural network analyses can provide insight into the neurobiological underpinnings of these functions, as they may be sensitive for characterizing the effects of PAE on the brain. However, investigations on how PAE affects brain networks are limited. We aim to compare diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tractography-based structural networks between children with low-to-moderate PAE in trimester 1 only (T1) or throughout all trimesters (T1-T3) with those without alcohol exposure prenatally.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Our cohort included three groups of children aged 6 to 8 years: 1) no PAE (n = 24), 2) low-to-moderate PAE during T1 only (n = 30), 3) low-to-moderate PAE throughout T1-T3 (n = 36). Structural networks were constructed using the multi-shell multi-tissue constrained spherical deconvolution tractography technique. Quantitative group-wise analyses were conducted at three levels: (a) at the whole-brain network level, using both network-based statistical analyses and network centrality; and then using network centrality at (b) the modular level, and (c) per-region level, including the regions identified as brain hubs.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with the no PAE group, widespread brain network alterations were observed in the PAE T1-T3 group using network-based statistics, but no alterations were observed for the PAE T1 group. Network alterations were also detected at the module level in the PAE T1-T3 compared with the no PAE group, with lower eigenvector centrality in the module that closely represented the right cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical network. No significant group differences were found in network centrality at the per-region level, including the hub regions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study demonstrated that low-to-moderate PAE throughout pregnancy may alter brain structural connectivity, which may explain the neurodevelopmental deficits associated with PAE. It is possible that timing and duration of alcohol exposure are crucial, as PAE in T1 only did not appear to alter brain structural connectivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 103690"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142535602","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":"Resting-state functional connectivity of amygdala subregions across different symptom subtypes of obsessive–compulsive disorder patients","authors":"Harah Kwon ,&nbsp;Minji Ha ,&nbsp;Sunah Choi ,&nbsp;Sunghyun Park ,&nbsp;Moonyoung Jang ,&nbsp;Minah Kim ,&nbsp;Jun Soo Kwon","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><p>Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition characterized by distinct symptom subtypes, each with varying pathophysiologies and treatment responses. Recent research has highlighted the role of the amygdala, a brain region that is central to emotion processing, in these variations. However, the role of amygdala subregions with distinct functions has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to clarify the biological mechanisms underlying OCD subtype heterogeneity by investigating the functional connectivity (FC) of amygdala subregions across distinct OCD symptom subtypes.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were obtained from 107 medication-free OCD patients and 110 healthy controls (HCs). Using centromedial, basolateral, and superficial subregions of the bilateral amygdala as seed regions, whole-brain FC was compared between OCD patients and HCs and among patients with different OCD symptom subtypes, which included contamination fear and washing, obsessive (i.e., harm due to injury, aggression, sexual, and religious), and compulsive (i.e., symmetry, ordering, counting, and checking) subtypes.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Compared to HCs, compulsive-type OCD patients exhibited hypoconnectivity between the left centromedial amygdala (CMA) and bilateral superior frontal gyri. Compared with patients with contamination fear and washing OCD subtypes, patients with compulsive-type OCD showed hypoconnectivity between the left CMA and left frontal cortex.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>CMA–frontal cortex hypoconnectivity may contribute to the compulsive presentation of OCD through impaired control of behavioral responses to negative emotions. Our findings underscored the potential significance of the distinct neural underpinnings of different OCD manifestations, which could pave the way for more targeted treatment strategies in the future.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 103644"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224000834/pdfft?md5=3ec12fcf3e3f40efc2058845767e15eb&pid=1-s2.0-S2213158224000834-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141639950","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":"Intraoperative changes in large-scale thalamic circuitry following laser ablation of hypothalamic hamartomas","authors":"Karim Mithani ,&nbsp;Oliver L. Richards ,&nbsp;Mark Ebden ,&nbsp;Noor Malik ,&nbsp;Ladina Greuter ,&nbsp;Hrishikesh Suresh ,&nbsp;Farbod Niazi ,&nbsp;Flavia Venetucci Gouveia ,&nbsp;Elysa Widjaja ,&nbsp;Shelly Weiss ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Donner ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Otsubo ,&nbsp;Ayako Ochi ,&nbsp;Puneet Jain ,&nbsp;Ivanna Yau ,&nbsp;Elizabeth N. Kerr ,&nbsp;James T. Rutka ,&nbsp;James M. Drake ,&nbsp;Alexander G. Weil ,&nbsp;George M Ibrahim","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103613","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><p>Gelastic seizures due to hypothalamic hamartomas (HH) are challenging to treat, in part due to an incomplete understanding of seizure propagation pathways. Although magnetic resonance imaging-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a promising intervention to disconnect HH from ictal propagation networks, the optimal site of ablation to achieve seizure freedom is not known. In this study, we investigated intraoperative post-ablation changes in resting-state functional connectivity to identify large-scale networks associated with successful disconnection of HH.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Children who underwent MRgLITT for HH at two institutions were consecutively recruited and followed for a minimum of one year. Seizure freedom was defined as Engel score of 1A at the last available follow-up. Immediate pre- and post- ablation resting-state functional MRI scans were acquired while maintaining a constant depth of general anesthetic. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to identify intraoperative changes in large-scale connectivity associated with seizure outcomes.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Twelve patients underwent MRgLITT for HH, five of whom were seizure-free at their last follow-up. Intraprocedural changes in thalamocortical circuitry involving the anterior cingulate cortex were associated with seizure-freedom. Children who were seizure-free demonstrated an increase and decrease in connectivity to the pregenual and dorsal anterior cingulate cortices, respectively. In addition, children who became seizure-free demonstrated increased thalamic connectivity to the periaqueductal gray immediately following MRgLITT.</p></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><p>Successful disconnection of HH is associated with intraoperative, large-scale changes in thalamocortical connectivity. These changes provide novel insights into the large-scale basis of gelastic seizures and may represent intraoperative biomarkers of treatment success.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 103613"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224000524/pdfft?md5=fd4fa7c1869e26d4f0a6dd5b5488fdac&pid=1-s2.0-S2213158224000524-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140843237","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 covariance, topological organization, and volumetric features of amygdala subnuclei in posttraumatic stress disorder","authors":"Elizabeth M. Haris ,&nbsp;Richard A. Bryant ,&nbsp;Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103619","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The amygdala is divided into functional subnuclei which have been challenging to investigate due to functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) limitations in mapping small neural structures. Hence their role in the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains poorly understood. Examination of covariance of structural MRI measures could be an alternate approach to circumvent this issue. T1-weighted anatomical scans from a 3 T scanner from non-trauma-exposed controls (NEC; n = 71, 75 % female) and PTSD participants (n = 67, 69 % female) were parcellated into 105 brain regions. Pearson’s <em>r</em> partial correlations were computed for three and nine bilateral amygdala subnuclei and every other brain region, corrected for age, sex, and total brain volume. Pairwise correlation comparisons were performed to examine subnuclei covariance profiles between-groups. Graph theory was employed to investigate subnuclei network topology. Volumetric measures were compared to investigate structural changes.</p><p>We found differences between amygdala subnuclei in covariance with the hippocampus for both groups, and additionally with temporal brain regions for the PTSD group. Network topology demonstrated the importance of the right basal nucleus in facilitating network communication only in PTSD. There were no between-group differences for any of the three structural metrics. These findings are in line with previous work that has failed to find structural differences for amygdala subnuclei between PTSD and controls. However, differences between amygdala subnuclei covariance profiles observed in our study highlight the need to investigate amygdala subnuclei functional connectivity in PTSD using higher field strength fMRI for better spatial resolution.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 103619"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224000585/pdfft?md5=8f31737373f39e04bf0b2b139e95eae9&pid=1-s2.0-S2213158224000585-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140913995","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":"Data-driven analysis of whole-brain intrinsic connectivity in patients with chronic low back pain undergoing osteopathic manipulative treatment","authors":"Federica Tomaiuolo ,&nbsp;Francesco Cerritelli ,&nbsp;Stefano Delli Pizzi ,&nbsp;Carlo Sestieri ,&nbsp;Teresa Paolucci ,&nbsp;Piero Chiacchiaretta ,&nbsp;Stefano L. Sensi ,&nbsp;Antonio Ferretti","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103659","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103659","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP) poses a significant health challenge, leading to functional disability and reduced quality of life. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) is emerging as a therapeutic option for cLBP, but the brain mechanisms underlying its analgesic effect remain unclear.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><p>Thirty cLBP patients were randomly exposed to either four weekly sessions of OMT (N=16) or Sham treatment (N=14). Resting-state Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-MRI) scans and pain perception questionnaires were collected before and after treatment. A voxel-wise, rs-fMRI data-driven analysis was conducted to identify changes in the intrinsic functional connectivity across the whole brain that were associated with the OMT. Spearman’s correlations were used to test for the association between changes in intrinsic connectivity and individual reports of pain perception.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Compared to the Sham group, participants who received OMT showed significant alterations in the functional connectivity of several regions belonging to the pain matrix. Specifically, OMT was associated with decreased connectivity of a parietal cluster that includes the somatosensory cortex and an increase of connectivity of the right anterior insula and ventral and dorsal anterolateral prefrontal areas. Crucially, the change in connectivity strength observed in the ventral anterolateral prefrontal cortex, a putative region of the affective-reappraisive layer of the pain matrix, correlates with the reduction in pain perception caused by the OMT.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This study offers insights into the brain mechanisms underlying the analgesic effect of OMT. Our findings support a link between OMT-driven functional cortical architecture alterations and improved clinical outcomes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 103659"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224000986/pdfft?md5=ea432c941acf92c2e08c9e42429ff4e4&pid=1-s2.0-S2213158224000986-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142086496","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":"The imprint of dissociative seizures on the brain","authors":"S.G. Mueller ,&nbsp;N. Garga ,&nbsp;P. Garcia ,&nbsp;S. Rossi ,&nbsp;A. Vu ,&nbsp;T. Neylan ,&nbsp;K.D. Laxer","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103664","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103664","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Increased resting state functional connectivity between regions involved in emotion control with regions with other specializations, e.g. motor control (emotional hyperconnectivity) is one of the most consistent imaging findings in persons suffering from dissociative seizures (DS). The overall goal of this study was to better characterize DS-related emotional hyperconnectivity using dynamic resting state analysis combined with brainstem volumetry to investigate 1. If emotional hyperconnectivity is restricted to a single state. 2. How volume losses within the modulatory and emotional motor subnetworks of the neuromodulatory system influence the expression of the emotional hyperconnectivity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;13 persons with dissociative seizures (PDS) (f/m:10/3, mean age (SD) 44.6 (11.5)) and 15 controls (CON) (f/m:10/5, mean age (SD) 41.7 (13.0)) underwent a mental health test battery and structural and functional imaging at 3 T. Deformation based morphometry was used to assess brain volume loss by extracting the mean Jacobian determinants from 457 brain, forebrain and brainstem structures. The bold signals from 445 brainstem and brain rois were extracted with CONN and a dynamic fMRI analysis combined with graph and hierarchical analysis was used to identify and characterize 9 different brain states. Welch’s t tests and Kendall tau tests were used for group comparisons and correlation analyses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;The duration of Brain state 6 was longer in PDS than in CON (93.1(88.3) vs. 23.4(31.2), p = 0.01) and positively correlated with higher degrees of somatization, depression, PTSD severity and dissociation. Its global connectivity was higher in PDS than CON (90.4(3.2) vs 86.5(4.2) p = 0.01) which was caused by an increased connectivity between regions involved in emotion control and regions involved in sense of agency/body control. The brainstem and brainstem-forebrain modulatory and emotional motor subnetworks of the neuromodulatory system were atrophied in PDS. Atrophy severity within the brainstem-forebrain subnetworks was correlated with state 6 dwell time (modulatory: tau = -0.295, p = 0.03; emotional motor: tau = -0.343, p = 0.015) and atrophy severity within the brainstem subnetwork with somatization severity (modulatory: tau = -0.25, p = 0.036; emotional motor: tau = -0.256, p = 0.033).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;DS-related emotional hyperconnectivity was restricted to state 6 episodes. The remaining states were not different between PDS and CON. The modulatory subnetwork synchronizes brain activity across brain regions. Atrophy and dysfunction within that subnetwork could facilitate the abnormal interaction between regions involved in emotion control with those controlling sense of agency/body ownership during state 6 and contribute to the tendency for somatization in PDS. The emotional motor subnetwork controls the activity of spinal motoneurons. Atrophy and dysfunc","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 103664"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224001037/pdfft?md5=3d2b8299a1666eeb9271113c659b2ac7&pid=1-s2.0-S2213158224001037-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142127323","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":"Brain magnetic resonance imaging of patients with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 and 3","authors":"Marloes Stam ,&nbsp;Harold H.G. Tan ,&nbsp;Ruben Schmidt ,&nbsp;Martijn P. van den Heuvel ,&nbsp;Leonard H. van den Berg ,&nbsp;Renske I. Wadman ,&nbsp;W. Ludo van der Pol","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objective</h3><div>Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by deficiency of the ubiquitously expressed survival motor neuron protein. Although primarily a hereditary lower motor neuron disease, it is probably also characterized by abnormalities in other organs. Brain abnormalities and cognitive impairment have been reported in severe SMA. We aimed to systematically investigate brain structure in SMA using MRI.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We acquired high-resolution T1-weighted images of treatment-naive patients with SMA, age- and sex-matched healthy and disease controls with other neuromuscular diseases, on a 3 T MRI scanner. We performed vertex-wise whole brain analysis and region of interest analysis of cortical thickness (CT), and volumetric analysis of the thalamus and compared findings in patients and controls using multiple linear regression models and Wald test. We correlated structural abnormalities with motor function as assessed by the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) and SMA Functional Rating Scale (SMA-FRS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We included 30 patients, 12–70 years old, with SMA type 2 and 3, 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and 17 disease controls (with distal SMA, hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy, progressive muscular atrophy and segmental SMA). We found a reduced CT in patients with SMA compared to healthy controls at the precentral, postcentral and medial orbitofrontal gyri and at the temporal pole (mean differences −0.059(p = 0.04); −0.055(p = 0.04), −0.06(p = 0.04); −0.17 mm(p = 0.001)). Differences at the precentral gyrus and temporal pole were most pronounced in SMA type 2 (mean differences −0.07(p = 0.045); −0.26 mm(p &lt; 0.001)) and were also present compared to disease controls (mean differences −0.08(p = 0.048); −0.19 mm(p = 0.003)). There was a positive correlation between CT at the temporal pole with motor function. Compared to healthy controls, we found a reduced volume of the whole thalamus (mean difference −325 mm³(p = 0.03)) and of the anterior, ventral and intralaminar thalamic nuclei (mean differences −9.9(p = 0.02); −157(p = 0.01); −24.2 mm³(p = 0.02) in patients with SMA and a positive correlation between these volumes and motor function.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>MRI shows structural changes in motor and non-motor regions of the cortex and the thalamus of patients with SMA type 2 and 3, indicating that SMA pathology is not confined to motor neurons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 103708"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142693959","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":"Longitudinal prognosis of Parkinson’s outcomes using causal connectivity","authors":"Cooper J. Mellema ,&nbsp;Kevin P. Nguyen ,&nbsp;Alex Treacher ,&nbsp;Aixa X. Andrade ,&nbsp;Nader Pouratian ,&nbsp;Vibhash D. Sharma ,&nbsp;Padraig O'Suileabhain ,&nbsp;Albert A. Montillo","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Despite the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease (PD), there are no clinically-accepted neuroimaging biomarkers to predict the trajectory of motor or cognitive decline or differentiate Parkinson’s disease from atypical progressive parkinsonian diseases. Since abnormal connectivity in the motor circuit and basal ganglia have been previously shown as early markers of neurodegeneration, we hypothesize that patterns of interregional connectivity could be useful to form patient-specific predictive models of disease state and of PD progression. We use fMRI data from subjects with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), idiopathic PD, and healthy controls to construct predictive models for motor and cognitive decline and differentiate between the four subgroups. Further, we identify the specific connections most informative for progression and diagnosis. When predicting the one-year progression in the MDS-UPDRS-III<span>^1*</span> and Montreal Cognitive assessment (MoCA), we achieve new state-of-the-art mean absolute error performance. Additionally, the balanced accuracy we achieve in the diagnosis of PD, MSA, PSP, versus healthy controls surpasses that attained in most clinics, underscoring the relevance of the brain connectivity features. Our models reveal the connectivity between deep nuclei, motor regions, and the thalamus as the most important for prediction. Collectively these results demonstrate the potential of fMRI connectivity as a prognostic biomarker for PD and increase our understanding of this disease.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 103571"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221315822400010X/pdfft?md5=02570d886084e248e79da6546c5f84cc&pid=1-s2.0-S221315822400010X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140103811","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":"BOLD signal variability as potential new biomarker of functional neurological disorders","authors":"Ayla Schneider ,&nbsp;Samantha Weber ,&nbsp;Anna Wyss ,&nbsp;Serafeim Loukas ,&nbsp;Selma Aybek","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103625","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common neuropsychiatric condition with established diagnostic criteria and effective treatments but for which the underlying neuropathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed FND as a multi-network brain disorder, unveiling alterations across limbic, self-agency, attentional/salience, and sensorimotor networks. However, the relationship between identified brain alterations and disease progression or improvement is less explored.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>This study included resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 79 patients with FND and 74 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). First, voxel-wise BOLD signal variability was computed for each participant and the group-wise difference was calculated. Second, we investigated the potential of BOLD signal variability to serve as a prognostic biomarker for clinical outcome in 47 patients who attended a follow-up measurement after eight months.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The results demonstrated higher BOLD signal variability in key networks, including the somatomotor, salience, limbic, and dorsal attention networks, in patients compared to controls. Longitudinal analysis revealed an increase in BOLD signal variability in the supplementary motor area (SMA) in FND patients who had an improved clinical outcome, suggesting SMA variability as a potential state biomarker. Additionally, higher BOLD signal variability in the left insula at baseline predicted a worse clinical outcome.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This study contributes to the understanding of FND pathophysiology, emphasizing the dynamic nature of neural activity and highlighting the potential of BOLD signal variability as a valuable research tool. The insula and SMA emerge as promising regions for further investigation as prognostic and state markers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 103625"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224000640/pdfft?md5=63fe340d1767ef84c27b8f7065e8552b&pid=1-s2.0-S2213158224000640-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141240400","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":"Increased iron in the substantia nigra pars compacta identifies patients with early Parkinson’s disease: A 3T and 7T MRI study","authors":"Erind Alushaj ,&nbsp;Nicholas Handfield-Jones ,&nbsp;Alan Kuurstra ,&nbsp;Anisa Morava ,&nbsp;Ravi S. Menon ,&nbsp;Adrian M. Owen ,&nbsp;Manas Sharma ,&nbsp;Ali R. Khan ,&nbsp;Penny A. MacDonald","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Degeneration in the substantia nigra (SN) pars compacta (SNc) underlies motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Currently, there are no neuroimaging biomarkers that are sufficiently sensitive, specific, reproducible, and accessible for routine diagnosis or staging of PD. Although iron is essential for cellular processes, it also mediates neurodegeneration. MRI can localize and quantify brain iron using magnetic susceptibility, which could potentially provide biomarkers of PD.</p><p>We measured iron in the SNc, SN pars reticulata (SNr), total SN, and ventral tegmental area (VTA), using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and R2* relaxometry, in PD patients and age-matched healthy controls (HCs). PD patients, diagnosed within five years of participation and HCs were scanned at 3T (22 PD and 23 HCs) and 7T (17 PD and 21 HCs) MRI. Midbrain nuclei were segmented using a probabilistic subcortical atlas. QSM and R2* values were measured in midbrain subregions. For each measure, groups were contrasted, with Age and Sex as covariates, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed with repeated <em>k</em>-fold cross-validation to test the potential of our measures to classify PD patients and HCs. Statistical differences of area under the curves (AUCs) were compared using the Hanley-MacNeil method (QSM versus R2*; 3T versus 7T MRI).</p><p>PD patients had higher QSM values in the SNc at both 3T (<em>p_adj</em> = 0.001) and 7T (<em>p_adj</em> = 0.01), but not in SNr, total SN, or VTA, at either field strength. No significant group differences were revealed using R2* in any midbrain region at 3T, though increased R2* values in SNc at 7T MRI were marginally significant in PDs compared to HCs (<em>p_adj</em> = 0.052). ROC curve analyses showed that SNc iron measured with QSM, distinguished early PD patients from HCs at the single-subject level with good diagnostic accuracy, using 3T (mean AUC = 0.83, 95 % CI = 0.82–0.84) and 7T (mean AUC = 0.80, 95 % CI = 0.79–0.81) MRI. Mean AUCs reported here are from averages of tests in the hold-out fold of cross-validated samples. The Hanley-MacNeil method demonstrated that QSM outperforms R2* in discriminating PD patients from HCs at 3T, but not 7T. There were no significant differences between 3T and 7T in diagnostic accuracy of QSM values in SNc.</p><p>This study highlights the importance of segmenting midbrain subregions, performed here using a standardized atlas, and demonstrates high accuracy of SNc iron measured with QSM at 3T MRI in identifying early PD patients. QSM measures of SNc show potential for inclusion in neuroimaging diagnostic biomarkers of early PD. An MRI diagnostic biomarker of PD would represent a significant clinical advance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 103577"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158224000160/pdfft?md5=fa42bc5194c8e4a22bf56577a4a9cf7e&pid=1-s2.0-S2213158224000160-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139773787","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}