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Psychiatry Research. Neuroimaging Jun 2020Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive, compulsive behaviors. While a cortico-striatal-limbic network has been...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive, compulsive behaviors. While a cortico-striatal-limbic network has been implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD, the neural correlates of this network in OCD are not well understood. In this study, we examined resting state functional connectivity among regions within the cortico-striatal-limbic OCD neural network, including the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, thalamus and caudate, in 44 OCD and 43 healthy participants. We then examined relationships between OCD neural network connectivity and OCD symptom severity in OCD participants. OCD relative to healthy participants showed significantly greater connectivity between the left caudate and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We also found a positive correlation between left caudate-bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity and depression scores in OCD participants, such that greater positive connectivity was associated with more severe symptoms. This study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of functional networks and their relationship with depression in OCD.
Topics: Adult; Amygdala; Case-Control Studies; Cerebral Cortex; Corpus Striatum; Female; Gyrus Cinguli; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nerve Net; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Prefrontal Cortex; Severity of Illness Index; Thalamus; Young Adult
PubMed: 32344156
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111081 -
Neuron Feb 2023
PubMed: 36796328
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.012 -
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2023Previous research has primarily focused on the association between muscle strength and global cognitive function in older adults, while the connection between muscle...
OBJECTIVE
Previous research has primarily focused on the association between muscle strength and global cognitive function in older adults, while the connection between muscle strength and advanced cognitive function such as inhibition and working memory (WM) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship among muscle strength, WM, and task-related cortex hemodynamics.
METHODS
We recruited eighty-one older adults. Muscle strength was measured using a grip and lower limb strength protocol. We measured the WM performance by using reaction time (RT) and accuracy (ACC) in the N-back task and the cortical hemodynamics of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
RESULTS
We found positive correlations between grip strength ( < 0.05), 30-s sit-up ( < 0.05) and ACC, negative correlation between grip strength ( < 0.05) and RT. Furthermore, we observed positive correlations between grip strength and the level of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontopolar area, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex ( < 0.05), and negative correlations between grip strength and the level of deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb) in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontopolar area, left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex ( < 0.05). Additionally, we noticed positive correlations between RT and the level of Hb in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right frontopolar area ( < 0.05), and negative correlations between RT and the level of HbO in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontopolar area ( < 0.05). However, the cortical hemodynamics did not mediate the relationship between muscle strength and WM performance (RT, ACC).
CONCLUSION
The grip strength of older adults predicted WM in the cross-section study. The level of hemodynamics in PFC can serve as a predictor of WM.
PubMed: 37876877
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1243283 -
Human Brain Mapping Mar 2022The Self-Attention Network (SAN) has been proposed to describe the underlying neural mechanism of the self-prioritization effect, yet the roles of the key nodes in the...
The Self-Attention Network (SAN) has been proposed to describe the underlying neural mechanism of the self-prioritization effect, yet the roles of the key nodes in the SAN-the left posterior superior temporal sulcus (LpSTS) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)-still need to be clarified. One hundred and nine participants were randomly assigned into the LpSTS group, the DLPFC group, or the sham group. We used the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technique to selectively disrupt the functions of the corresponding targeted region, and observed its impacts on self-prioritization effect based on the difference between the performance of the self-matching task before and after the targeted stimulation. We analyzed both model-free performance measures and HDDM-based performance measures for the self-matching task. The results showed that the inhibition of LpSTS could lead to reduced performance in processing self-related stimuli, which establishes a causal role for the LpSTS in self-related processing and provide direct evidence to support the SAN framework. However, the results of the DLPFC group from HDDM analysis were distinct from the results based on response efficiency. Our investigation further the understanding of the differentiated roles of key nodes in the SAN in supporting the self-salience in information processing.
Topics: Adult; Attention; Brain Mapping; Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex; Ego; Female; Humans; Male; Nerve Net; Psychomotor Performance; Social Perception; Temporal Lobe; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Young Adult
PubMed: 34826160
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25730 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2021Competitive sports involve physical and cognitive skills. In traditional sports, there is a greater dependence on the development and performance of both motor and... (Review)
Review
Competitive sports involve physical and cognitive skills. In traditional sports, there is a greater dependence on the development and performance of both motor and cognitive skills, unlike electronic sports (eSports), which depend much more on neurocognitive skills for success. However, little is known about neurocognitive functions and effective strategies designed to develop and optimize neurocognitive performance in eSports athletes. One such strategy is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), characterized as a weak electric current applied on the scalp to induce prolonged changes in cortical excitability. Therefore, our objective is to propose anodal (a)-tDCS as a performance-enhancing tool for neurocognitive functions in eSports. In this manuscript, we discussed the neurocognitive processes that underlie exceptionally skilled performances in eSports and how tDCS could be used for acute modulation of these processes in eSports. Based on the results from tDCS studies in healthy people, professional athletes, and video game players, it seems that tDCS is applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as a potential performance-enhancing tool for neurocognition in eSports.
Topics: Humans; Prefrontal Cortex; Sports; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; Video Games
PubMed: 33916018
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073678 -
Human Brain Mapping Feb 2021Three decades ago a series of parallel circuits were described involving the frontal cortex and deep grey matter structures, with putative roles in control of motor and... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Three decades ago a series of parallel circuits were described involving the frontal cortex and deep grey matter structures, with putative roles in control of motor and oculomotor function, cognition, behaviour and emotion. The circuit comprising the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, caudate, globus pallidus and thalamus has a putative role in regulating executive functions. The aim of this study is to investigate effective connectivity (EC) of the dorsolateral-prefrontal circuit and its association with PASAT-3 performance in people with multiple sclerosis(MS). We use Granger causality analysis of resting-state functional MRI from 52 people with MS and 36 healthy people to infer that reduced EC in the afferent limb of the dorsolateral prefrontal circuit occurs in the people with MS with cognitive dysfunction (left: p = .006; right: p = .029), with bilateral EC reductions in this circuit resulting in more severe cognitive dysfunction than unilateral reductions alone (p = .002). We show that reduced EC in the afferent limb of the dorsolateral prefrontal circuit mediates the relationship between cognitive performance and macrostrucutral and microstructural alterations of white matter tracts in components of the circuit. Specificity is shown by the absence of any relationship between cognition and EC in the analogous and anatomically proximal motor circuit. We demonstrate good stability of the EC measures in people with MS over an interval averaging 8-months. Key positive and negative results are replicated in an independent cohort of people with MS. Our findings identify the dorsolateral prefrontal circuit as a potential target for therapeutic strategies aimed at improving cognition in people with MS.
Topics: Adult; Cohort Studies; Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Nerve Net; Neuropsychological Tests; Prospective Studies; White Matter
PubMed: 33073920
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25239 -
Neuropsychopharmacology : Official... Jan 2021Compulsive alcohol consumption is a core, treatment-resistant feature of alcohol use disorder. The dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum support goal-directed and...
Compulsive alcohol consumption is a core, treatment-resistant feature of alcohol use disorder. The dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum support goal-directed and habitual action strategies, respectively. How ethanol targets dorsolateral striatum to drive compulsive consumption is poorly understood. Parvalbumin-expressing striatal fast-spiking interneurons comprise ~1% of the total neuronal striatal population, are enriched dorsolaterally and are functionally modulated by ethanol. To test whether fast-spiking interneurons are necessary for the development of compulsive ethanol consumption, we selectively ablated these neurons in adult male and female C57BL/6 J mice undergoing a voluntary chronic intermittent ethanol consumption paradigm followed by a compulsive ethanol drinking assay. Fast-spiking interneuron ablation curtailed the development of organized ethanol lick sequence behavior, reduced ethanol consumption, and abrogated compulsive consumption of ethanol with the added bitterant quinine. In contrast, fast-spiking interneuron ablation did not affect any index of water or sucrose consumption. These data causally implicate the minority striatal fast-spiking interneuron population as a key component of compulsive ethanol consumption.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Animals; Compulsive Behavior; Corpus Striatum; Female; Interneurons; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Parvalbumins
PubMed: 32663841
DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0766-0 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2021The efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in depression is nonuniform across patients. This study aims to determine whether baseline...
Functional and Structural Connectivity Between the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Insula Could Predict the Antidepressant Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.
BACKGROUND
The efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in depression is nonuniform across patients. This study aims to determine whether baseline neuroimaging characters can provide a pretreatment predictive effect for rTMS.
METHODS
Twenty-seven treatment-naive patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) were enrolled and scanned with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging. Clinical symptoms were assessed pre- and post-rTMS. Functional and structural connectivity between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and bilateral insula were measured, and the connectivity strength in each modality was then correlated to the clinical efficacy of rTMS.
RESULTS
When the coordinates of left DLPFC were located as a node in the central executive network, the clinical efficacy of rTMS was significantly correlated with the functional connectivity strength between left DLPFC and bilateral insula (left insula: = 0.66; right insula: = 0.65). The structural connectivity strength between the left DLPFC and left insular cortex also had a significantly positive correlation with symptom improvement ( = 0.458).
CONCLUSION
This study provides implications that rTMS might act more effectively when the pretreatment functional and structural connectivity between the insula and left DLPFC is stronger.
PubMed: 33841087
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.645936 -
Neural Regeneration Research May 2022Acupuncture has been shown to be effective on alcohol use disorder. However, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. To investigate the effects of Shenmen...
Acupuncture has been shown to be effective on alcohol use disorder. However, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. To investigate the effects of Shenmen (HT7) acupoint on brain activation induced by cue-elicited alcohol craving, 30 right-handed healthy light to moderate alcohol drinkers were recruited from the community. They were randomly assigned to undergo acupuncture either at HT7 (experimental acupoint, n = 15) or Jingqu (LU8, control acupoint, n = 15) acupoints. This randomized controlled study was performed in Daegu Haany University and Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Republic of Korea. Recruitment and data collection were conducted from December 2018 to May 2019. The results showed that after acupuncture at HT7 acupoint, the activation of orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was greatly increased, while the activation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was obviously reduced, and subject's craving for alcohol was reduced when he/she seeing alcohol-related video clips involving various alcohols (beer, wine, or soju) or drinking scenarios. Acupuncture at HT7 more greatly reduced subject's alcohol cravings than acupuncture at LU8 acupoint. These findings suggest that acupuncture can improve the self-control of mild to moderate social drinkers through the activation of the orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, thereby reducing the craving for alcohol. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Daegu Haany University Korean Medicine Hospital, Republic of Korea (approval No. DHUMC-D-18026-PRO-02) on November 30, 2018.
PubMed: 34558533
DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.324849 -
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2022The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a key node of the frontal cognitive circuit. It is involved in executive control and many cognitive processes. Abnormal... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a key node of the frontal cognitive circuit. It is involved in executive control and many cognitive processes. Abnormal activities of DLPFC are likely associated with many psychiatric diseases. Modulation of DLPFC may have potential beneficial effects in many neural and psychiatric diseases. One of the widely used non-invasive neuromodulation technique is called transcranial direct current stimulation (or tDCS), which is a portable and affordable brain stimulation approach that uses direct electrical currents to modulate brain functions.
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to discuss the results from the past two decades which have shown that tDCS can relieve clinical symptoms in various neurological and psychiatric diseases.
METHODS
Here, we performed searches on PubMed to collect clinical and preclinical studies that using tDCS as neuromodulation technique, DLPFC as the stimulation target in treating neuropsychiatric disorders. We summarized the stimulation sites, stimulation parameters, and the overall effects in these studies.
RESULTS
Overall, tDCS stimulation of DLPFC could alleviate the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia, depression, drug addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other mental disorders.
CONCLUSION
The stimulation parameters used in these studies were different from each other. The lasting effect of stimulation was also not consistent. Nevertheless, DLPFC is a promising target for non-invasive stimulation in many psychiatric disorders. TDCS is a safe and affordable neuromodulation approach that has potential clinical uses. Larger clinical studies will be needed to determine the optimal stimulation parameters in each condition.
PubMed: 35711693
DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.893955