-
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2023Neuroimaging studies have identified aberrant activity patterns in multiple brain regions in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients. However, due to the differences in study...
BACKGROUND
Neuroimaging studies have identified aberrant activity patterns in multiple brain regions in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients. However, due to the differences in study design, these previous findings are inconsistent, and the underlying neuropathological characteristics of FD remain unclear.
METHODS
Eight databases were systematically searched for literature from inception to October 2022 with the keywords "Functional dyspepsia" and "Neuroimaging." Thereafter, the anisotropic effect size signed the differential mapping (AES-SDM) approach that was applied to meta-analyze the aberrant brain activity pattern of FD patients.
RESULTS
A total of 11 articles with 260 FD patients and 202 healthy controls (HCs) were included. The AES-SDM meta-analysis demonstrated that FD patients manifested increased activity in the bilateral insula, left anterior cingulate gyrus, bilateral thalamus, right precentral gyrus, left supplementary motor area, right putamen, and left rectus gyrus and decreased functional activity in the right cerebellum compared to the HCs. Sensitivity analysis showed that all these above regions were highly reproducible, and no significant publication bias was detected.
CONCLUSION
The current study demonstrated that FD patients had significantly abnormal activity patterns in several brain regions involved in visceral sensation perception, pain modulation, and emotion regulation, which provided an integrated insight into the neuropathological characteristics of FD.
PubMed: 37250423
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1174287 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Sep 2023This systematic review examined whether neural responses to visual food-cues measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are influenced by physical... (Review)
Review
This systematic review examined whether neural responses to visual food-cues measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are influenced by physical activity. Seven databases were searched up to February 2023 for human studies evaluating visual food-cue reactivity using fMRI alongside an assessment of habitual physical activity or structured exercise exposure. Eight studies (1 exercise training, 4 acute crossover, 3 cross-sectional) were included in a qualitative synthesis. Structured acute and chronic exercise appear to lower food-cue reactivity in several brain regions, including the insula, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), postcentral gyrus and putamen, particularly when viewing high-energy-density food cues. Exercise, at least acutely, may enhance appeal of low-energy-density food-cues. Cross-sectional studies show higher self-reported physical activity is associated with lower reactivity to food-cues particularly of high-energy-density in the insula, OFC, postcentral gyrus and precuneus. This review shows that physical activity may influence brain food-cue reactivity in motivational, emotional, and reward-related processing regions, possibly indicative of a hedonic appetite-suppressing effect. Conclusions should be drawn cautiously given considerable methodological variability exists across limited evidence.
Topics: Humans; Cues; Cross-Sectional Studies; Food; Brain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Exercise
PubMed: 37236384
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105247 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2023Pathological tau accumulates in the cerebral cortex of Parkinson's disease (PD), resulting in cognitive deterioration. Positron emission tomography (PET) can be used for...
BACKGROUND
Pathological tau accumulates in the cerebral cortex of Parkinson's disease (PD), resulting in cognitive deterioration. Positron emission tomography (PET) can be used for imaging of tau protein. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of tau protein burden in PD cognitive impairment (PDCI), PD dementia (PDD), and other neurodegenerative diseases and explored the potential of the tau PET tracer as a biomarker for the diagnosis of PDCI.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for studies published till 1 June 2022 that used PET imaging to detect tau burden in the brains of PD patients. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) of tau tracer uptake were calculated using random effects models. Subgroup analysis based on the type of tau tracers, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis was conducted.
RESULTS
A total of 15 eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. PDCI patients ( = 109) had a significantly higher tau tracer uptake in the inferior temporal lobe than healthy controls (HCs) ( = 237) and had a higher tau tracer uptake in the entorhinal region than PD with normal cognition (PDNC) patients ( = 61). Compared with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients ( = 215), PD patients ( = 178) had decreased tau tracer uptake in the midbrain, subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, cerebellar deep white matter, thalamus, striatum, substantia nigra, dentate nucleus, red nucleus, putamen, and frontal lobe. Tau tracer uptake values of PD patients ( = 178) were lower than those of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) ( = 122) in the frontal lobe and occipital lobe and lower than those in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) ( = 55) in the occipital lobe and infratemporal lobe.
CONCLUSION
imaging studies with PET could reveal region-specific binding patterns of the tau tracer in PD patients and help in the differential diagnosis of PD from other neurodegenerative diseases.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/.
PubMed: 37181568
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1145939 -
Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal... 2023Recent evidence has suggested that reversal of gray or white matter abnormalities could be a criterion of recovery in patients with chronic pain. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Recent evidence has suggested that reversal of gray or white matter abnormalities could be a criterion of recovery in patients with chronic pain.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions in reversing gray and white matter abnormalities in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
METHODS
An electronic search was performed in the MEDLINE (Via PubMed), EMBASE, Web of Science, LILACS, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, PEDro, and CENTRAL databases. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) including patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, which assessed the change in gray and white matter abnormalities after exercise-based interventions were selected. The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias II tool.
RESULTS
Four RCTs were included (n= 386). Three studies showed reversal of abnormalities with exercise-based interventions compared to control groups. The reversal was observed in the gray matter volume in the medial orbital prefrontal cortex and in the supplementary motor area of patients with osteoarthritis, in the hippocampus, insula, amygdala and thalamus in fibromyalgia patients. Furthermore, in patients with chronic spinal pain, reversal was observed in the gray matter thickness of the frontal middle caudal cortex and in the caudate, putamen and thalamus gray matter volume.
CONCLUSIONS
There is insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions for reversing gray and white matter abnormalities in patients with chronic pain. Further studies are still needed in this field.
Topics: Humans; Chronic Pain; Musculoskeletal Pain; White Matter; Fibromyalgia; Osteoarthritis
PubMed: 37092215
DOI: 10.3233/BMR-220349 -
British Journal of Anaesthesia Jun 2023Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to increased multimorbidity, with physical and mental health consequences throughout life. Chronic pain is often... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to increased multimorbidity, with physical and mental health consequences throughout life. Chronic pain is often associated with mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD); both have been linked to adverse childhood experiences. It is unclear how the effect of adverse childhood experiences on neural processing impacts on vulnerability to chronic pain, MDD, or both, and whether there are shared mechanisms. We aimed to assess evidence for central neural changes associated with adverse childhood experiences in subjects with chronic pain, MDD, or both using systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
Electronic databases were systematically searched for neuroimaging studies of adverse childhood experiences, with chronic pain, MDD, or both. Two independent reviewers screened title, abstracts, and full text, and assessed quality. After extraction of neuroimaging data, activation likelihood estimate meta-analysis was performed to identify significant brain regions associated with these comorbidities.
RESULTS
Forty-nine of 2414 studies were eligible, of which 43 investigated adverse childhood experiences and MDD and six investigated adverse childhood experiences and chronic pain. None investigated adverse childhood experiences, chronic pain, and MDD together. Functional and structural brain abnormalities were identified in the superior frontal, lingual gyrus, hippocampus, insula, putamen, superior temporal, inferior temporal gyrus, and anterior cerebellum in patients with MDD exposed to adverse childhood experiences. In addition, brain function abnormalities were identified for patients with MDD or chronic pain and exposure to adverse childhood experiences in the cingulate gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and precuneus in task-based functional MRI studies.
CONCLUSIONS
We found that adverse childhood experiences exposure can result in different functional and structural brain alterations in adults with MDD or chronic pain compared with those without adverse childhood experiences.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL
PROSPERO CRD42021233989.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Depressive Disorder, Major; Chronic Pain; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Depression; Likelihood Functions; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Brain
PubMed: 37087334
DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.03.008 -
The International Journal of... Apr 2023Aberrant striatal responses to reward anticipation have been observed in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether these dysfunctions predate the onset of psychosis... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Aberrant striatal responses to reward anticipation have been observed in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether these dysfunctions predate the onset of psychosis and whether reward anticipation is impaired in individuals at clinical high risk for schizophrenia (CHR).
METHODS
To examine the neural correlates of monetary anticipation in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia, we performed a whole-brain meta-analysis of 13 functional neuroimaging studies that compared reward anticipation signals between CHR individuals and healthy controls (HC). Three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect) were systematically searched from January 1, 2000, to May 1, 2022.
RESULTS
Thirteen whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging studies including 318 CHR individuals and 426 HC were identified through comprehensive literature searches. Relative to HC, CHR individuals showed increased brain responses in the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex and decreased activation in the mesolimbic circuit, including the putamen, parahippocampal gyrus, insula, cerebellum, and supramarginal gyrus, during reward anticipation.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings in the CHR group confirmed the existence of abnormal motivational-related activation during reward anticipation, thus demonstrating the pathophysiological characteristics of the risk populations. These results have the potential to lead to the early identification and more accurate prediction of subsequent psychosis as well as a deeper understanding of the neurobiology of high-risk state of psychotic disorder.
Topics: Humans; Schizophrenia; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Anticipation, Psychological; Brain; Reward
PubMed: 36893068
DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyad009 -
Pharmacological Reviews Oct 2022Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation tool currently used as a treatment in multiple psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Despite its... (Review)
Review
Changing Cerebral Blood Flow, Glucose Metabolism, and Dopamine Binding Through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Systematic Review of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Positron Emission Tomography Literature.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation tool currently used as a treatment in multiple psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Despite its widespread use, we have an incomplete understanding of the way in which acute and chronic sessions of TMS affect various neural and vascular systems. This systematic review summarizes the state of our knowledge regarding the effects TMS may be having on cerebral blood flow, glucose metabolism, and neurotransmitter release. Forty-five studies were identified. Several key themes emerged: 1) TMS transiently increases cerebral blood flow in the area under the coil; 2) TMS to the prefrontal cortex increases glucose metabolism in the anterior cingulate cortex of patients with depression; and 3) TMS to the motor cortex and prefrontal cortex decreases dopamine receptor availability in the ipsilateral putamen and caudate respectively. There is, however, a paucity of literature regarding the effects TMS may have on other neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems of interest, all of which may shed vital light on existing biologic mechanisms and future therapeutic development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation tool currently used as a treatment in multiple psychiatric and neurologic disorders. This systematic review summarizes the state of our knowledge regarding the effects TMS on cerebral blood flow, glucose metabolism, and neurotransmitter release.
Topics: Humans; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Dopamine; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Positron-Emission Tomography; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Glucose
PubMed: 36779330
DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.122.000579 -
Physiology & Behavior May 2023The gastrointestinal hormones ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) have opposite secretion patterns, as well as opposite effects on metabolism and food intake.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The gastrointestinal hormones ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) have opposite secretion patterns, as well as opposite effects on metabolism and food intake. Beyond their role in energy homeostasis, gastrointestinal hormones have also been suggested to modulate the reward system. However, the potential of ghrelin and GLP-1 to modulate reward responses in humans has not been systematically reviewed before. To evaluate the convergence of published results, we first conduct a multi-level kernel density meta-analysis of studies reporting a positive association of ghrelin (N = 353, 18 contrasts) and a negative association of GLP-1 (N = 258, 12 contrasts) and reward responses measured using task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Second, we complement the meta-analysis using a systematic literature review, focusing on distinct reward phases and applications in clinical populations that may account for variability across studies. In line with preclinical research, we find that ghrelin increases reward responses across studies in key nodes of the motivational circuit, such as the nucleus accumbens, pallidum, putamen, substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and the dorsal mid insula. In contrast, for GLP-1, we did not find sufficient convergence in support of reduced reward responses. Instead, our systematic review identifies potential differences of GLP-1 on anticipatory versus consummatory reward responses. Based on a systematic synthesis of available findings, we conclude that there is considerable support for the neuromodulatory potential of gut-based circulating peptides on reward responses. To unlock their potential for clinical applications, it may be useful for future studies to move beyond anticipated rewards to cover other reward facets.
Topics: Humans; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; Ghrelin; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Gastrointestinal Hormones; Reward
PubMed: 36740132
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114111 -
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2022The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing crisis in psychiatric and psychological care, contributing to what we have identified as . Psychotherapy is an...
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing crisis in psychiatric and psychological care, contributing to what we have identified as . Psychotherapy is an effective method for easing the psychological suffering experienced also by the various impacts of COVID-19. This treatment can be examined from a neurological perspective, through the application of brain imaging techniques. Specifically, the meta-analysis of imaging studies can aid in expanding researchers' understanding of the many beneficial applications of psychotherapy.
OBJECTIVES
We examined the functional brain changes accompanying different mental disorders with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), through a meta-analysis, and systematic review in order to better understand the general neural mechanism involved in psychotherapy and the potential neural difference between psychodynamic and non-psychodynamic approaches.
DATA SOURCES
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed for our systematic review and meta-analysis. We conducted a computer-based literature search, following the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICO) approach, to retrieve all published articles in English regarding the above-described topics from PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS
We combined terms related to psychotherapy and fMRI: ("psychotherapy" [All Fields] OR "psychotherapy" [MeSH Terms] OR "psychotherapy" [All Fields] OR "psychotherapies" [All Fields] OR "psychotherapy s" [All Fields]) AND ("magnetic resonance imaging" [MeSH Terms]) OR ("magnetic"[All Fields] AND "resonance"[All Fields] AND "imaging"[All Fields]) OR ("magnetic resonance imaging"[All Fields] OR "fmri"[All Fields]). We considered (1) whole brain fMRI studies; (2) studies in which participants have been involved in a clinical trial with psychotherapy sessions, with pre/post fMRI; (3) fMRI results presented in coordinate-based (x, y, and z) in MNI or Talairach space; (4) presence of neuropsychiatric patients. The exclusion criteria were: (1) systematic review or meta-analysis; (2) behavioral study; (3) single-case MRI or fMRI study; and (4) other imaging techniques (i.e., PET, SPECT) or EEG.
RESULTS
After duplicates removal and assessment of the content of each published study, we included 38 sources. The map including all studies that assessed longitudinal differences in brain activity showed two homogeneous clusters in the left inferior frontal gyrus, and caudally involving the anterior insular cortex ( < 0.0001, corr.). Similarly, studies that assessed psychotherapy-related longitudinal changes using emotional or cognitive tasks (TASK map) showed a left-sided homogeneity in the anterior insula ( < 0.000) extending to Broca's area of the inferior frontal gyrus ( < 0.0001) and the superior frontal gyrus ( < 0.0001). Studies that applied psychodynamic psychotherapy showed Family-Wise Error (FWE) cluster-corrected ( < 0.05) homogeneity values in the right superior and inferior frontal gyri, with a small cluster in the putamen. No FWE-corrected homogeneity foci were observed for Mindful- based and cognitive behavioral therapy psychotherapy. In both pre- and post-therapy results, studies showed two bilateral clusters in the dorsal anterior insulae ( = 0.00001 and = 0.00003, respectively) and involvement of the medial superior frontal gyrus ( = 0.0002).
LIMITATIONS
Subjective experiences, such as an individual's response to therapy, are intrinsically challenging to quantify as objective, factual realities. Brain changes observed both pre- and post-therapy could be related to other factors, not necessary to the specific treatment received. Therapeutic modalities and study designs are generally heterogeneous. Differences exist in sample characteristics, such as the specificity of the disorder and number and duration of sessions. Moreover, the sample size is relatively small, particularly due to the paucity of studies in this field and the little contribution of PDT.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS
All psychological interventions seem to influence the brain from a functional point of view, showing their efficacy from a neurological perspective. Frontal, prefrontal regions, insular cortex, superior and inferior frontal gyrus, and putamen seem involved in these neural changes, with the psychodynamic more linked to the latter three regions.
PubMed: 36644207
DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1029256 -
Autonomic Neuroscience : Basic &... Mar 2023Nausea is a common clinical symptom, poorly managed with anti-emetic drugs. To identify potential brain regions which may be therapeutic targets we systematically... (Review)
Review
Nausea is a common clinical symptom, poorly managed with anti-emetic drugs. To identify potential brain regions which may be therapeutic targets we systematically reviewed brain imaging in subjects reporting nausea. The systematic review followed PRISMA statements with methodological quality (MINORS) and risk of bias (ROBINS-I) assessed. Irrespective of the nauseagenic stimulus the common (but not only) cortical structures activated were the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the anterior insula (AIns) with some evidence for lateralization (Left-IFG, Right-AIns, Right-ACC). Basal ganglia structures (e.g., putamen) were also consistently activated. Inactivation was rarely reported but occurred mainly in the cerebellum and occipital lobe. During nausea, functional connectivity increased, mainly between the posterior and mid- cingulate cortex. Limitations include, a paucity of studies and stimuli, subject demographics, inconsistent definition and measurement of nausea. Structures implicated in nausea are discussed in the context of knowledge of central pathways for interoception, emotion and autonomic control. Comparisons are made between nausea and other aversive sensations as multimodal aversive conscious experiences.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Brain; Nausea; Gyrus Cinguli; Neural Networks, Computer; Brain Mapping; Neural Pathways
PubMed: 36580746
DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2022.103059