scholarly journals Meditation effect in changing functional integrations across large-scale brain networks: Preliminary evidence from a meta-analysis of seed-based functional connectivity

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang-Qian Shen ◽  
Hui-Xia Zhou ◽  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Francisco Xavier Castellanos ◽  
Chao-Gan Yan
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Frontoparietal Network ◽  
Brain Functional Connectivity

Abstract Meditation is a type of mental training commonly applied in clinical settings and also practiced for general well-being. Brain functional connectivity (FC) patterns associated with meditation have revealed its brain mechanisms. However, the variety of FC methods applied has made it difficult to identify brain communication patterns associated with meditation. Here we carried out a coordinate-based meta-analysis to get preliminary evidence of meditation effects on changing brain network interactions. Fourteen seed-based, voxel-wise FC studies reported in 13 publications were reviewed; 10 studies with seeds in the default mode network (DMN) were meta-analyzed. Seed coordinates and the effect sizes in statistically significant regions were extracted, based on 170 subjects in meditation groups and 163 subjects in control groups. Seed-based d-mapping was used to analyze meditation versus control FC differences with DMN seeds. Meditation was associated with increased connectivity within DMN and between DMN and somatomotor network and with decreased connectivity between DMN and frontoparietal network (FPN) as well as ventral attention network (VAN). The pattern of decreased within-DMN FC and increased between-network FC (FPN and DAN with DMN) was more robust in highly experienced meditators compared to less experienced individuals. The identified neural network interactions may also promote meditation’s effectiveness in clinical interventions for treating physical and mental disorders.

scholarly journals Functional brain network reconfiguration during learning in a dynamic environment

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Hao Kao ◽  
Ankit N. Khambhati ◽  
Danielle S. Bassett ◽  
Matthew R. Nassar ◽  
Joseph T. McGuire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Uncertain Environments ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Functional Brain Network ◽  
Brain Pattern ◽  
Brain Functional Connectivity

AbstractWhen learning about dynamic and uncertain environments, people should update their beliefs most strongly when new evidence is most informative, such as when the environment undergoes a surprising change or existing beliefs are highly uncertain. Here we show that modulations of surprise and uncertainty are encoded in a particular, temporally dynamic pattern of whole-brain functional connectivity, and this encoding is enhanced in individuals that adapt their learning dynamics more appropriately in response to these factors. The key feature of this whole-brain pattern of functional connectivity is stronger connectivity, or functional integration, between the fronto-parietal and other functional systems. Our results provide new insights regarding the association between dynamic adjustments in learning and dynamic, large-scale changes in functional connectivity across the brain.

Relationship between total plasma homocysteine and the risk of aneurysms – a meta-analysis

VASA ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Hanji Zhang ◽  
Dexin Yin ◽  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Yezhou Li ◽  
Dejiang Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Total Plasma ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Randomized Controlled Studies ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Healthy Participants

Summary: Our meta-analysis focused on the relationship between homocysteine (Hcy) level and the incidence of aneurysms and looked at the relationship between smoking, hypertension and aneurysms. A systematic literature search of Pubmed, Web of Science, and Embase databases (up to March 31, 2020) resulted in the identification of 19 studies, including 2,629 aneurysm patients and 6,497 healthy participants. Combined analysis of the included studies showed that number of smoking, hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in aneurysm patients was higher than that in the control groups, and the total plasma Hcy level in aneurysm patients was also higher. These findings suggest that smoking, hypertension and HHcy may be risk factors for the development and progression of aneurysms. Although the heterogeneity of meta-analysis was significant, it was found that the heterogeneity might come from the difference between race and disease species through subgroup analysis. Large-scale randomized controlled studies of single species and single disease species are needed in the future to supplement the accuracy of the results.

scholarly journals Effect of a One-Week Spiritual Retreat on Brain Functional Connectivity: A Preliminary Study

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Nancy A. Wintering ◽  
David B. Yaden ◽  
Christopher Conklin ◽  
Mahdi Alizadeh ◽  
Feroze B. Mohamed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Retreat ◽  
Baseline Evaluation ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Brain Functional Connectivity ◽  
Spiritual Impact

Background: Many individuals participate in spiritual retreats to enhance their sense of spirituality or to improve their overall mental and spiritual well-being. We are not aware of any studies specifically evaluating changes in functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in individuals undergoing an intense spiritual retreat program. The goal of this study was to determine whether such changes occur as a result of participating in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Methods: We conducted psychological and spiritual measures in conjunction with functional connectivity analysis of fMRI in 14 individuals prior to and following shortly after their participation in a one-week spiritual retreat. Results: Significant changes in functional connectivity were observed after the retreat program, compared to baseline evaluation, particularly in the posterior cingulate cortex, pallidum, superior frontal lobe, superior parietal lobe, superior and inferior temporal lobe, and the cerebellum. Significant changes in a variety of psychological and spiritual measures were identified as result of participation in the retreat. Conclusion: Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that this intensive spiritual retreat resulted in significant changes in brain functional connectivity, and warrants further investigation to evaluate the physiological, psychological, and spiritual impact of these changes.

scholarly journals Large-scale network integration in the human brain tracks temporal fluctuations in memory encoding performance

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruedeerat Keerativittayayut ◽  
Ryuta Aoki ◽  
Mitra Taghizadeh Sarabi ◽  
Koji Jimura ◽  
Kiyoshi Nakahara
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Memory Encoding ◽  
Graph Metrics ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Network States

Although activation/deactivation of specific brain regions has been shown to be predictive of successful memory encoding, the relationship between time-varying large-scale brain networks and fluctuations of memory encoding performance remains unclear. Here, we investigated time-varying functional connectivity patterns across the human brain in periods of 30–40 s, which have recently been implicated in various cognitive functions. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants performed a memory encoding task, and their performance was assessed with a subsequent surprise memory test. A graph analysis of functional connectivity patterns revealed that increased integration of the subcortical, default-mode, salience, and visual subnetworks with other subnetworks is a hallmark of successful memory encoding. Moreover, multivariate analysis using the graph metrics of integration reliably classified the brain network states into the period of high (vs. low) memory encoding performance. Our findings suggest that a diverse set of brain systems dynamically interact to support successful memory encoding.

Effects of Tai Chi-based cardiac rehabilitation on aerobic endurance, psychosocial well-being, and cardiovascular risk reduction among patients with coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Liu ◽  
Aileen WK Chan ◽  
Yun Hong Liu ◽  
Ruth E Taylor-Piliae
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Cardiac Rehabilitation ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Introduction: Tai Chi is an attractive exercise to improve cardiovascular health. This review aimed to synthesize articles written both in Chinese and in English to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi-based cardiac rehabilitation on aerobic endurance, psychosocial well-being and cardiovascular diseases risk reduction for coronary heart diseases patients. Methods: PRISMA guidelines were used to search major health databases to identify randomized controlled trials or non-randomized controlled clinical trials that evaluated Tai Chi intervention compared with active or non-active control groups in coronary heart disease patients. When suitable, data were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis model. Results: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Tai Chi groups showed a large and significant improvement in aerobic endurance compared with both active and non-active control interventions (standard mean difference (SMD) 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.58–1.66; p <0.001). Tai Chi groups also showed a significantly lower level of anxiety (SMD=9.28; CI: 17.46–1.10; p=0.03) and depression (SMD=9.42; CI: 13.59–5.26; p <0.001), and significantly better quality of life (SMD=0.73; 95% CI: 0.39–1.08; p <0.001) compared with non-active control groups. Conclusion: Significant effects of Tai Chi have been found in improving aerobic endurance and psychosocial well-being among coronary heart disease patients. Tai Chi could be a cost-effective and safe exercise option in cardiac rehabilitation. However, the effect of Tai Chi on cardiovascular disease risk reduction has not been amply investigated among coronary heart disease patients. Caution is also warranted in view of a small number of studies for this meta-analysis and potential heterogeneity in differences in the varied designs of Tai Chi intervention.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity of EEG resting-state brain networks in absolute pitch

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marielle Greber ◽  
Carina Klein ◽  
Simon Leipold ◽  
Silvano Sele ◽  
Lutz Jäncke
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Absolute Pitch ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Whole Brain

AbstractThe neural basis of absolute pitch (AP), the ability to effortlessly identify a musical tone without an external reference, is poorly understood. One of the key questions is whether perceptual or cognitive processes underlie the phenomenon as both sensory and higher-order brain regions have been associated with AP. One approach to elucidate the neural underpinnings of a specific expertise is the examination of resting-state networks.Thus, in this paper, we report a comprehensive functional network analysis of intracranial resting-state EEG data in a large sample of AP musicians (n = 54) and non-AP musicians (n = 51). We adopted two analysis approaches: First, we applied an ROI-based analysis to examine the connectivity between the auditory cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using several established functional connectivity measures. This analysis is a replication of a previous study which reported increased connectivity between these two regions in AP musicians. Second, we performed a whole-brain network-based analysis on the same functional connectivity measures to gain a more complete picture of the brain regions involved in a possibly large-scale network supporting AP ability.In our sample, the ROI-based analysis did not provide evidence for an AP-specific connectivity increase between the auditory cortex and the DLPFC. In contrast, the whole-brain analysis revealed three networks with increased connectivity in AP musicians comprising nodes in frontal, temporal, subcortical, and occipital areas. Commonalities of the networks were found in both sensory and higher-order brain regions of the perisylvian area. Further research will be needed to confirm these exploratory results.

scholarly journals Adolescent development of multiscale cortical wiring and functional connectivity in the human connectome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo-yong Park ◽  
Casey Paquola ◽  
Richard A.I. Bethlehem ◽  
Oualid Benkarim ◽  
Bratislav Misic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Network Development ◽  
Network Function ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Mri Features ◽  
Functional Brain Network ◽  
Structural Networks ◽  
Advanced Model

Adolescence is a time of profound changes in the structural wiring of the brain and maturation of large-scale functional interactions. Here, we analyzed structural and functional brain network development in an accelerated longitudinal cohort spanning 14-25 years (n = 199). Core to our work was an advanced model of cortical wiring that incorporates multimodal MRI features of (i) cortico-cortical proximity, (ii) microstructural similarity, and (iii) diffusion tractography. Longitudinal analyses assessing age-related changes in cortical wiring during adolescence identified increases in cortical wiring within attention and default-mode networks, as well as between transmodal and attention, and sensory and limbic networks, indicative of a continued differentiation of cortico-cortical structural networks. Cortical wiring changes were statistically independent from age-related cortical thinning seen in the same subjects. Conversely, resting-state functional MRI analysis in the same subjects indicated an increasing segregation of sensory and transmodal systems during adolescence, with age-related reductions in their functional connectivity alongside with an increase in structural wiring distance. Our findings provide new insights into adolescent brain network development, illustrating how the maturation of structural wiring interacts with the development of macroscale network function.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of the Contribution of Dance Movement Psychotherapy Towards the Well-Being of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supritha Aithal ◽  
Zoe Moula ◽  
Vicky Karkou ◽  
Themis Karaminis ◽  
Joanne Powell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Dance Movement ◽  
Protocol Registration

Background: The present review provides an original examination of published literature on the use of Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) as an intervention for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).Method: The review was systematically conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A protocol consisting of four phases: identification; screening and selection; data extraction and synthesis; quality assurance was developed and registered with the PROSPERO. A search strategy was developed using population and intervention as the key concepts and ten databases were searched between 6.1.2018 to 4.4.2018 and 10.07.2021 to 20.07.2021. The intervention characteristics were extracted based on the TIDieR template for intervention description and replication checklist. Quality assessment and level of evidence of all the included studies were evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) for treatment criteria.Results: Nine research studies with a total of 133 participants were identified through a systematic search process. There was only one mixed-methods study with the component of randomisation found during the literature search. Collected information was synthesised in relation to (a) ways in which dance movement psychotherapists work with children; (b) data collection methods and findings. Results from the reviewed literature suggest that DMP can potentially promote various aspects of well-being in children with ASD. Eight out of nine studies mentioned the effects of DMP on improving different social and communication skills. However, results from quality assessments and synthesised outcomes indicate that research in DMP is still in its infancy.Conclusions: We conclude that further large-scale, high-quality studies are required to generate further evidence that explains the processes involved in DMP, the effectiveness of DMP, the relationship between therapeutic factors of DMP, and research findings for children on the autism spectrum.Systematic Review Protocol Registration: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42018087912.

scholarly journals Identifying optimal working points of individual Virtual Brains: A large-scale brain network modelling study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Triebkorn ◽  
Joelle Zimmermann ◽  
Leon Stefanovski ◽  
Dipanjan Roy ◽  
Ana Solodkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Network Modelling ◽  
Neural Populations ◽  
Global Coupling ◽  
The Brain

AbstractUsing The Virtual Brain (TVB, thevirtualbrian.org) simulation platform, we explored for 50 individual adult human brains (ages 18-80), how personalized connectome based brain network modelling captures various empirical observations as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). We compare simulated activity based on individual structural connectomes (SC) inferred from diffusion weighted imaging with fMRI and EEG in the resting state. We systematically explore the role of the following model parameters: conduction velocity, global coupling and graph theoretical features of individual SC. First, a subspace of the parameter space is identified for each subject that results in realistic brain activity, i.e. reproducing the following prominent features of empirical EEG-fMRI activity: topology of resting-state fMRI functional connectivity (FC), functional connectivity dynamics (FCD), electrophysiological oscillations in the delta (3-4 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) frequency range and their bimodality, i.e. low and high energy modes. Interestingly, FCD fit, bimodality and static FC fit are highly correlated. They all show their optimum in the same range of global coupling. In other words, only when our local model is in a bistable regime we are able to generate switching of modes in our global network. Second, our simulations reveal the explicit network mechanisms that lead to electrophysiological oscillations, their bimodal behaviour and inter-regional differences. Third, we discuss biological interpretability of the Stefanescu-Jirsa-Hindmarsh-Rose-3D model when embedded inside the large-scale brain network and mechanisms underlying the emergence of bimodality of the neural signal.With the present study, we set the cornerstone for a systematic catalogue of spatiotemporal brain activity regimes generated with the connectome-based brain simulation platform The Virtual Brain.Author SummaryIn order to understand brain dynamics we use numerical simulations of brain network models. Combining the structural backbone of the brain, that is the white matter fibres connecting distinct regions in the grey matter, with dynamical systems describing the activity of neural populations we are able to simulate brain function on a large scale. In order to make accurate prediction with this network, it is crucial to determine optimal model parameters. We here use an explorative approach to adjust model parameters to individual brain activity, showing that subjects have their own optimal point in the parameter space, depending on their brain structure and function. At the same time, we investigate the relation between bistable phenomena on the scale of neural populations and the changed in functional connectivity on the brain network scale. Our results are important for future modelling approaches trying to make accurate predictions of brain function.

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