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Frontiers in Neurology 2024Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration is highly prevalent among veterans. Suggested risk factors of IPV perpetration include combat exposure, post-traumatic...
BACKGROUND
Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration is highly prevalent among veterans. Suggested risk factors of IPV perpetration include combat exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). While the underlying brain pathophysiological characteristics associated with IPV perpetration remain largely unknown, previous studies have linked aggression and violence to alterations of the limbic system. Here, we investigate whether IPV perpetration is associated with limbic microstructural abnormalities in military veterans. Further, we test the effect of potential risk factors (i.e., PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, mTBI, and war zone-related stress) on the prevalence of IPV perpetration.
METHODS
Structural and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data were acquired from 49 male veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom; OEF/OIF) of the Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) study. IPV perpetration was assessed using the psychological aggression and physical assault sub-scales of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). Odds ratios were calculated to assess the likelihood of IPV perpetration in veterans with either of the following diagnoses: PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, or mTBI. Fractional anisotropy tissue (FA) measures were calculated for limbic gray matter structures (amygdala-hippocampus complex, cingulate, parahippocampal gyrus, entorhinal cortex). Partial correlations were calculated between IPV perpetration, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and FA.
RESULTS
Veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, or mTBI had higher odds of perpetrating IPV. Greater war zone-related stress, and symptom severity of PTSD, depression, and mTBI were significantly associated with IPV perpetration. CTS2 (psychological aggression), a measure of IPV perpetration, was associated with higher FA in the right amygdala-hippocampus complex ( = 0.400, = 0.005).
CONCLUSION
Veterans with psychiatric disorders and/or mTBI exhibit higher odds of engaging in IPV perpetration. Further, the more severe the symptoms of PTSD, depression, or TBI, and the greater the war zone-related stress, the greater the frequency of IPV perpetration. Moreover, we report a significant association between psychological aggression against an intimate partner and microstructural alterations in the right amygdala-hippocampus complex. These findings suggest the possibility of a structural brain correlate underlying IPV perpetration that requires further research.
PubMed: 38882690
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1360424 -
Social Cognitive and Affective... Jun 2024The COVID-19 pandemic has been related to heightened anxiety in adolescents. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) have been implicated in...
The COVID-19 pandemic has been related to heightened anxiety in adolescents. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) have been implicated in response to stress and may contribute to anxiety. The role of threat- and reward-related circuitry in adolescent anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, is not clear. Ninety-nine adolescents underwent resting-state fMRI approximately one year before the pandemic. Following shelter-in-place orders, adolescents reported their perceived stress and, one month later, their anxiety. Generalized multivariate analyses identified BLA and NAcc seed-based whole-brain connectivity maps with perceived stress. We examined associations between seed-based connectivity in significant clusters and subsequent anxiety. Perceived stress was associated with bilateral BLA and NAcc connectivity across distributed clusters that included prefrontal, limbic, temporal, and cerebellar regions. Several NAcc connectivity clusters located in ventromedial prefrontal, parahippocampal, and temporal cortices were positively associated with anxiety; whereas NAcc connectivity with the inferior frontal gyrus was negatively associated. BLA connectivity was not associated with anxiety. These results underscore the integrative role of the NAcc in responding to acute stressors and its relation to anxiety in adolescents. Elucidating the involvement of subcortical-cortical circuitry in adolescents' capacity to respond adaptively to environmental challenges can inform treatment approaches for anxiety-related disorders.
PubMed: 38874967
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae040 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024The pervasive use of information technologies (IT) has tremendously benefited our daily lives. However, unpredicted technical breakdowns and errors can lead to the...
The pervasive use of information technologies (IT) has tremendously benefited our daily lives. However, unpredicted technical breakdowns and errors can lead to the experience of stress, which has been termed technostress. It remains poorly understood how people dynamically respond to unpredicted system runtime errors occurring while interacting with the IT systems on a behavioral and neuronal level. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying such processes, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in which 15 young adults solved arithmetic problems of three difficulty levels (easy, medium and hard) while two types of system runtime errors (problem errors and feedback errors) occurred in an unexpected manner. The problem error condition consisted of apparently defective displays of the arithmetic problem and the feedback error condition involved erroneous feedback. We found that the problem errors positively influenced participants' problem-solving performance at the high difficulty level (i.e., hard tasks) at the initial stage of the session, while feedback errors disturbed their performance. These dynamic behavioral changes are mainly associated with brain activation changes in the posterior cingulate and the default mode network, including the posterior cingulate cortex, the mPFC, the retrosplenial cortex and the parahippocampal gyrus. Our study illustrates the regulatory role of the posterior cingulate in coping with unpredicted errors as well as with dynamic changes in the environment.
Topics: Humans; Gyrus Cinguli; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Female; Young Adult; Adult; Problem Solving; Default Mode Network; Brain Mapping
PubMed: 38867061
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64409-6 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jun 2024The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a key brain structure for higher cognitive functions such as decision-making and goal-directed behavior, many of which require...
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a key brain structure for higher cognitive functions such as decision-making and goal-directed behavior, many of which require awareness of spatial variables including one's current position within the surrounding environment. Although previous studies have reported spatially tuned activities in mPFC during memory-related trajectory, the spatial tuning of mPFC network during freely foraging behavior remains elusive. Here, we reveal geometric border or border-proximal representations from the neural activity of mPFC ensembles during naturally exploring behavior, with both allocentric and egocentric boundary responses. Unlike most of classical border cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) discharging along a single wall, a large majority of border cells in mPFC fire particularly along four walls. mPFC border cells generate new firing fields to external insert, and remain stable under darkness, across distinct shapes, and in novel environments. In contrast to hippocampal theta entrainment during spatial working memory tasks, mPFC border cells rarely exhibited theta rhythmicity during spontaneous locomotion behavior. These findings reveal spatially modulated activity in mPFC, supporting local computation for cognitive functions involving spatial context and contributing to a broad spatial tuning property of cortical circuits.
Topics: Prefrontal Cortex; Animals; Theta Rhythm; Male; Mice; Entorhinal Cortex; Neurons; Hippocampus; Spatial Memory; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Memory, Short-Term
PubMed: 38857401
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321614121 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024Early initiation of antipsychotic treatment plays a crucial role in the management of first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients, significantly improving their...
Early initiation of antipsychotic treatment plays a crucial role in the management of first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients, significantly improving their prognosis. However, limited attention has been given to the long-term effects of antipsychotic drug therapy on FES patients. In this research, we examined the changes in abnormal brain regions among FES patients undergoing long-term treatment using a dynamic perspective. A total of 98 participants were included in the data analysis, comprising 48 FES patients, 50 healthy controls, 22 patients completed a follow-up period of more than 6 months with qualified data. We processed resting-state fMRI data to calculate coefficient of variation of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (CVfALFF), which reflects the brain regional activity stability. Data analysis was performed at baseline and after long-term treatment. We observed that compared with HCs, patients at baseline showed an elevated CVfALFF in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG), parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), caudate, orbital part of inferior frontal gyrus (IOG), insula, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). After long-term treatment, the instability in SMG, PHG, caudate, IOG, insula and inferior IFG have ameliorated. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between the decrease in dfALFF in the SMG and the reduction in the SANS total score following long-term treatment. In conclusion, FES patients exhibit unstable regional activity in widespread brain regions at baseline, which can be ameliorated with long-term treatment. Moreover, the extent of amelioration in SMG instability is associated with the amelioration of negative symptoms.
PubMed: 38846088
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1387123 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Only a third of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progress to dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT). Identifying biomarkers that distinguish individuals...
Estimating individual trajectories of structural and cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment for early prediction of progression to dementia of the Alzheimer's type.
Only a third of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progress to dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT). Identifying biomarkers that distinguish individuals with MCI who will progress to DAT (MCI-Converters) from those who will not (MCI-Non-Converters) remains a key challenge in the field. In our study, we evaluate whether the individual rates of loss of volumes of the Hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC) with age in the MCI stage can predict progression to DAT. Using data from 758 MCI patients in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Database, we employ Linear Mixed Effects (LME) models to estimate individual trajectories of regional brain volume loss over 12 years on average. Our approach involves three key analyses: (1) mapping age-related volume loss trajectories in MCI-Converters and Non-Converters, (2) using logistic regression to predict progression to DAT based on individual rates of hippocampal and EC volume loss, and (3) examining the relationship between individual estimates of these volumetric changes and cognitive decline across different cognitive functions-episodic memory, visuospatial processing, and executive function. We find that the loss of Hippocampal volume is significantly more rapid in MCI-Converters than Non-Converters, but find no such difference in EC volumes. We also find that the rate of hippocampal volume loss in the MCI stage is a significant predictor of conversion to DAT, while the rate of volume loss in the EC and other additional regions is not. Finally, individual estimates of rates of regional volume loss in both the Hippocampus and EC, and other additional regions, correlate strongly with individual rates of cognitive decline. Across all analyses, we find significant individual variation in the initial volumes and the rates of changes in volume with age in individuals with MCI. This study highlights the importance of personalized approaches in predicting AD progression, offering insights for future research and intervention strategies.
Topics: Humans; Cognitive Dysfunction; Alzheimer Disease; Disease Progression; Male; Aged; Female; Hippocampus; Aged, 80 and over; Entorhinal Cortex; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Organ Size; Middle Aged; Neuroimaging
PubMed: 38839800
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63301-7 -
Acta Neuropathologica May 2024The SARS-CoV-2 virus that led to COVID-19 is associated with significant and long-lasting neurologic symptoms in many patients, with an increased mortality risk for...
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that led to COVID-19 is associated with significant and long-lasting neurologic symptoms in many patients, with an increased mortality risk for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and/or Down syndrome (DS). However, few studies have evaluated the neuropathological and inflammatory sequelae in postmortem brain tissue obtained from AD and people with DS with severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. We examined tau, beta-amyloid (Aβ), inflammatory markers and SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein in DS, AD, and healthy non-demented controls with COVID-19 and compared with non-infected brain tissue from each disease group (total n = 24). A nested ANOVA was used to determine regional effects of the COVID-19 infection on arborization of astrocytes (Sholl analysis) and percent-stained area of Iba-1 and TMEM 119. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies labeled neurons and glial cells in the frontal cortex of all subjects with COVID-19, and in the hippocampus of two of the three DS COVID-19 cases. SARS-CoV-2-related alterations were observed in peri-vascular astrocytes and microglial cells in the gray matter of the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and para-hippocampal gyrus. Bright field microscopy revealed scattered intracellular and diffuse extracellular Aβ deposits in the hippocampus of controls with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. Overall, the present preliminary findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections induce abnormal inflammatory responses in Down syndrome.
Topics: Humans; Down Syndrome; Alzheimer Disease; COVID-19; Male; Female; Aged; Middle Aged; Brain; Aged, 80 and over; Astrocytes; Amyloid beta-Peptides; SARS-CoV-2; Microglia; Adult; tau Proteins
PubMed: 38801558
DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02743-9 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) are a distressful aspect of dementia and the knowledge of structural correlates of NPSs is limited. We aimed to identify associations of...
BACKGROUND
Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) are a distressful aspect of dementia and the knowledge of structural correlates of NPSs is limited. We aimed to identify associations of fronto-limbic circuit with specific NPSs in patients with various types of cognitive impairment.
METHODS
Of 84 participants, 27 were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 41 with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia and 16 with non-AD dementia. In all patients we assessed regional brain morphometry using a region of interest (ROI)-based analysis. The mean cortical thickness (CT) of 20 cortical regions and the volume (V) of 4 subcortical areas of the fronto-limbic system were extracted. NPSs were rated with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). We used multiple linear regression models adjusted for age and disease duration to identify significant associations between scores of NPI sub-domains and MRI measures of brain morphometry.
RESULTS
All significant associations found were negative, except those between and the fronto-opercular regions in MCI patients (corresponding to a 40-50% increase in CT) and between and hippocampus and anterior cingulate gyrus (with a 40-60% increase). showed predominant involvement of the inferior frontal regions in AD group (a 30% decrease in CT) and of the cingulate cortex in non-AD group (a 50-60% decrease in CT). correlated in MCI patients with the cingulate gyrus and caudate, with a CT and V decrease of about 40%, while were associated with left enthorinal gyrus and right amygdala and temporal pole. showed associations in the AD group with the frontal regions and the temporal pole, corresponding to a 30-40% decrease in CT. and were associated in the MCI group with the entorhinal, para-hippocampal and fusiform gyri, the temporal pole and the amygdala (with a 40-70% decrease in CT and V). Finally, reported a significant association with frontal and cingulate regions with a 50% decrease in CT.
CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate that specific NPSs are associated with the structural involvement of the fronto-limbic circuit across different types of neurocognitive disorders. Factors, such as age and disease duration, can partly account for the variability of the associations observed.
PubMed: 38800068
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1231361 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2024is an important prerequisite for acupuncture to achieve optimal efficacy. Chinese medicine has long been concerned with the relationship between and the clinical... (Review)
Review
is an important prerequisite for acupuncture to achieve optimal efficacy. Chinese medicine has long been concerned with the relationship between and the clinical efficacy of acupuncture. However, the underlying mechanisms of are complex and there is a lack of systematic summaries of objective quantitative studies of . Acupuncture can achieve the purpose of treating diseases by regulating the interaction of local and neighboring acupoints, brain centers, and target organs. At local and neighboring acupoints, can change their tissue structure, temperature, blood perfusion, energy metabolism, and electrophysiological indicators. At the central brain level, can activate the brain regions of the thalamus, parahippocampal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, insular, middle temporal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, etc. It also has extensive effects on the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical-network and default mode network. The brain mechanisms of vary depending on the acupuncture techniques and points chosen. In addition, 's mechanism of action involves correcting abnormalities in target organs. The mechanisms of acupuncture are multi-targeted and multi-layered. The biological mechanisms of Deqi are closely related to brain centers. This study will help to explore the mechanism of from a local-central-target-organ perspective and provide information for future clinical decision-making.
PubMed: 38765671
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1386108 -
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B Jul 2024In this paper we look at non-pharmaceutical treatments for intractable epilepsy based on neurophysiological methods especially with EEG analysis. In summary, there are a... (Review)
Review
In this paper we look at non-pharmaceutical treatments for intractable epilepsy based on neurophysiological methods especially with EEG analysis. In summary, there are a number of limbic and thalamo-cortical related structures involved in the processing of musical emotion (exposure), including the amygdala (arousal, expression of mood, fear), hippocampus (memory, regulation of HPA axis, stress), parahippocampal gyrus (recognition, memory retrieval), insula (valence), temporal poles (connectivity), ventral striatum (expectation and experience of reward), orbitofrontal cortex (valence) and cingulate cortex (autonomic regulation). One method is to audify (a form of sonification) EEG activity to find music by feedback to entrain abnormal EEG activity. We discuss various methods and our use of X-System (https://www.x-system.co.uk/) which is a computational model of the musical brain capable of predicting the neurophysiological effects of music. It models structures and pathways related to responses to music, including the cochlea, brain stem, auditory and motor cortex, as well as basal ganglia, cerebellum and limbic structures. It can predict autonomic and endocrine activity as well as the substrates of electrical activity to select music which can regularise EEG abnormalities to decrease epileptic activity and seizures, especially in those unresponsive to antiepileptic medication or invasive treatments.
Topics: Humans; Epilepsy; Music Therapy; Music; Electroencephalography; Brain; Auditory Perception; Precision Medicine
PubMed: 38761451
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2024.109829