scholarly journals Ballroom Dancing Promotes Neural Activity in the Sensorimotor System: A Resting-State fMRI Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingzhi Lu ◽  
Qi Zhao ◽  
Yingying Wang ◽  
Chenglin Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Sensorimotor System ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Action Perception ◽  
Ballroom Dancing ◽  
Left Middle

Objective. This study aims at investigating differences in the spontaneous brain activity and functional connectivity in the sensorimotor system between ballroom dancers and nondancers, to further support the functional alteration in people with expertise. Materials and Methods. Twenty-three ballroom dancers and twenty-one matched novices with no dance experience were recruited in this study. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and seed-based functional connectivity, as methods for assessing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data, were used to reveal the resting-state brain function in these participants. Results. Compared to the novices, ballroom dancers showed increased ALFF in the left middle temporal gyrus, bilateral precentral gyrus, bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus. The ballroom dancers also demonstrated lower ALFF in the left lingual gyrus and altered functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and temporal, parietal regions. Conclusions. Our results indicated that ballroom dancers showed elevated neural activity in sensorimotor regions relative to novices and functional alterations in frontal-temporal and frontal-parietal connectivity, which may reflect specific training experience related to ballroom dancing, including high-capacity action perception, attentional control, and movement adjustment.

scholarly journals Altered Spontaneous Neural Activity and Functional Connectivity in Parkinson’s Disease With Subthalamic Microlesion

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bei Luo ◽  
Yue Lu ◽  
Chang Qiu ◽  
Wenwen Dong ◽  
Chen Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus

BackgroundTransient improvement in motor symptoms are immediately observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) after an electrode has been implanted into the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for deep brain stimulation (DBS). This phenomenon is known as the microlesion effect (MLE). However, the underlying mechanisms of MLE is poorly understood.PurposeWe utilized resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to evaluate changes in spontaneous brain activity and networks in PD patients during the microlesion period after DBS.MethodOverall, 37 PD patients and 13 gender- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for this study. Rs-MRI information was collected from PD patients three days before DBS and one day after DBS, whereas the HCs group was scanned once. We utilized the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method in order to analyze differences in spontaneous whole-brain activity among all subjects. Furthermore, functional connectivity (FC) was applied to investigate connections between other brain regions and brain areas with significantly different ALFF before and after surgery in PD patients.ResultRelative to the PD-Pre-DBS group, the PD-Post-DBS group had higher ALFF in the right putamen, right inferior frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus and lower ALFF in right angular gyrus, right precuneus, right posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC), left insula, left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), bilateral middle frontal gyrus and bilateral superior frontal gyrus (dorsolateral). Functional connectivity analysis revealed that these brain regions with significantly different ALFF scores demonstrated abnormal FC, largely in the temporal, prefrontal cortices and default mode network (DMN).ConclusionThe subthalamic microlesion caused by DBS in PD was found to not only improve the activity of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit, but also reduce the activity of the DMN and executive control network (ECN) related brain regions. Results from this study provide new insights into the mechanism of MLE.

scholarly journals Altered Interhemispheric Functional Coordination in Chronic Tinnitus Patients

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Chen Chen ◽  
Wenqing Xia ◽  
Yuan Feng ◽  
Xiaowei Li ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Hearing Threshold ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Chronic Tinnitus ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Temporal Pole ◽  
Tinnitus Distress

Purpose. Recent studies suggest that tinnitus may be due in part to aberrant callosal structure and interhemispheric interaction. To explore this hypothesis we use a novel method, voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC), to examine the resting-state interhemispheric functional connectivity and its relationships with clinical characteristics in chronic tinnitus patients. Materials and Methods. Twenty-eight chronic tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds and 30 age-, sex-, education-, and hearing threshold-matched healthy controls were included in this study and underwent the resting-state fMRI scanning. We computed the VMHC to analyze the interhemispheric functional coordination between homotopic points of the brain in both groups. Results. Compared to the controls, tinnitus patients showed significantly increased VMHC in the middle temporal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and superior occipital gyrus. In tinnitus patients, a positive correlation was found between tinnitus duration and VMHC of the uncus. Moreover, correlations between VMHC changes and tinnitus distress were observed in the transverse temporal gyrus, superior temporal pole, precentral gyrus, and calcarine cortex. Conclusions. These results show altered interhemispheric functional connectivity linked with specific tinnitus characteristics in chronic tinnitus patients, which may be implicated in the neuropathophysiology of tinnitus.

scholarly journals Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity Patterns and Functional Connectivity in Adults With Intermittent Exotropia: A Resting-State fMRI Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueying He ◽  
Jie Hong ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Yanan Guo ◽  
Ting Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Intermittent Exotropia ◽  
Parietal Lobule ◽  
The Right ◽  
Left Middle

The purpose of this study is to investigate brain functional changes in patients with intermittent exotropia (IXT) by analyzing the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of brain activity and functional connectivity (FC) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). There were 26 IXT patients and 22 age-, sex-, education-, and handedness-matched healthy controls (HCs) enrolled who underwent rs-fMRI. The ALFF, fractional ALFF (fALFF) values in the slow 4 and slow 5 bands, and FC values were calculated and compared. The correlations between ALFF/fALFF values in discrepant brain regions and clinical features were evaluated. Compared with HCs, ALFF/fALFF values were significantly increased in the right angular gyrus (ANG), supramarginal gyrus (SMG), inferior parietal lobule (IPL), precentral gyrus (PreCG), and the bilateral inferior frontal gyri (IFG), and decreased in the right precuneus gyrus (PCUN), left middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and postcentral gyrus (PoCG) in IXT patients. The Newcastle Control Test score was negatively correlated with ALFF values in the right IFG (r = −0.738, p < 0.001). The duration of IXT was negatively correlated with ALFF values in the right ANG (r = −0.457, p = 0.049). Widespread increases in FC were observed between brain regions, mainly including the right cuneus (CUN), left superior parietal lobule (SPL), right rolandic operculum (ROL), left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), left IFG, left median cingulate gyrus (DCG), left PoCG, right PreCG, and left paracentral gyrus (PCL) in patients with IXT. No decreased FC was observed. Patients with IXT exhibited aberrant intrinsic brain activities and FC in vision- and eye movement-related brain regions, which extend current understanding of the neuropathological mechanisms underlying visual and oculomotor impairments in IXT patients.

Role of habenula and amygdala dysfunction in Parkinson disease patients with punding

Neurology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 88 (23) ◽  
pp. 2207-2215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladana Markovic ◽  
Federica Agosta ◽  
Elisa Canu ◽  
Alberto Inuggi ◽  
Igor Petrovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Parkinson Disease ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Contributory Factor ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity

Objective:To assess whether a functional dysregulation of the habenula and amygdala, as modulators of the reward brain circuit, contributes to Parkinson disease (PD) punding.Methods:Structural and resting-state functional MRI were obtained from 22 patients with PD punding, 30 patients with PD without any impulsive-compulsive behavior (ICB) matched for disease stage and duration, motor impairment, and cognitive status, and 30 healthy controls. Resting-state functional connectivity of the habenula and amygdala bilaterally was assessed using a seed-based approach. Habenula and amygdala volumes and cortical thickness measures were obtained.Results:Compared to both healthy controls and PD cases without any ICB (PD–no ICB), PD-punding patients showed higher functional connectivity of habenula and amygdala with thalamus and striatum bilaterally, and lower connectivity between bilateral habenula and left frontal and precentral cortices. In PD-punding relative to PD–no ICB patients, a lower functional connectivity between right amygdala and hippocampus was also observed. Habenula and amygdala volumes were not different among groups. PD-punding patients showed a cortical thinning of the left superior frontal and precentral gyri and right middle temporal gyrus and isthmus cingulate compared to healthy controls, and of the right inferior frontal gyrus compared to both controls and PD–no ICB patients.Conclusions:A breakdown of the connectivity among the crucial nodes of the reward circuit (i.e., habenula, amygdala, basal ganglia, frontal cortex) might be a contributory factor to punding in PD. This study provides potential instruments to detect and monitor punding in patients with PD.

scholarly journals Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations and Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Trait Positive Empathy: A Resting-State fMRI Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Yue ◽  
Jia Zhao ◽  
Anguo Fu
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Frequency Fluctuations ◽  
The Right ◽  
Left Middle

Positive empathy is the ability to share and understand the positive emotions of others. In recent years, although positive empathy has received more and more attention, trait positive empathy (TPE)-related spontaneous brain activity during the resting state has not been extensively explored. We used the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging signal to explore TPE-associated brain regions. We found that higher TPE was associated with higher ALFFs in the right insula and lower ALFFs in the right subgenual cingulate (SGC), right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and right precuneus. RSFC analyses showed that higher functional connectivity between the right insula and left parahippocampal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule and left middle temporal gyrus were related to higher TPE. Moreover, the connection between the right dmPFC and the left medial orbitofrontal cortex, left middle occipital gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex were positively related to TPE. Meanwhile, the strength of functional connectivity between the right SGC and left supplementary motor area was positively associated with TPE. These findings may indicate that TPE is linked to emotional (especially the experience of more positive emotions and better negative emotion regulation) and self-referential processing.

scholarly journals Cortical Areas Associated With Multisensory Integration Showing Altered Morphology and Functional Connectivity in Relation to Reduced Life Quality in Vestibular Migraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Zhe ◽  
Li Chen ◽  
Dongsheng Zhang ◽  
Min Tang ◽  
Jie Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Multisensory Integration ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Vestibular Migraine ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal ◽  
Parietal Lobule ◽  
The Right ◽  
Left Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Left Middle

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that the temporal and parietal lobes are associated with multisensory integration and vestibular migraine. However, temporal and parietal lobe structural and functional connectivity (FC) changes related to vestibular migraine need to be further investigated.Methods: Twenty-five patients with vestibular migraine (VM) and 27 age- and sex- matched healthy controls participated in this study. Participants completed standardized questionnaires assessing migraine and vertigo-related clinical features. Cerebral cortex characteristics [i.e., thickness (CT), fractal dimension (FD), sulcus depth (SD), and the gyrification index (GI)] were evaluated using an automated Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12). Regions with significant differences were used in a seed-based comparison of resting-state FC conducted with DPABI. The relationship between changes in cortical characteristics or FC and clinical features was also analyzed in the patients with VM.Results: Relative to controls, patients with VM showed significantly thinner CT in the bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and the right superior parietal lobule. A shallower SD was observed in the right superior and inferior parietal lobule. FD and GI did not differ significantly between the two groups. A negative correlation was found between CT in the right inferior temporal gyrus, as well as the left middle temporal gyrus, and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) score in VM patients. Furthermore, patients with VM exhibited weaker FC between the left inferior/middle temporal gyrus and the left medial superior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area.Conclusion: Our data revealed cortical structural and resting-state FC abnormalities associated with multisensory integration, contributing to a lower quality of life. These observations suggest a role for multisensory integration in patients with VM pathophysiology. Future research should focus on using a task-based fMRI to measure multisensory integration.

scholarly journals Distinctive Alterations of Functional Connectivity Strength between Vascular and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Hui Li ◽  
Shuai Gao ◽  
Xiuqin Jia ◽  
Tao Jiang ◽  
Kuncheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Functional Connectivity Strength ◽  
Connectivity Strength

Widespread structural and functional alterations have been reported in the two highly prevalent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes, amnestic MCI (aMCI) and vascular MCI (VaMCI). However, the changing pattern in functional connectivity strength (FCS) remains largely unclear. The aim of the present study is to detect the differences of FCS and to further explore the detailed resting-state functional connectivity (FC) alterations among VaMCI subjects, aMCI subjects, and healthy controls (HC). Twenty-six aMCI subjects, 31 VaMCI participants, and 36 HC participants underwent cognitive assessments and resting-state functional MRI scans. At first, one-way ANCOVA and post hoc analysis indicated significant decreased FCS in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) in aMCI and VaMCI groups compared to HC, especially in the VaMCI group. Then, we selected the left MTG as a seed to further explore the detailed resting-state FC alterations among the three groups, and the results indicated that FC between the left MTG and some frontal brain regions were significantly decreased mainly in VaMCI. Finally, partial correlation analysis revealed that the FC values between the left MTG and left inferior frontal gyrus were positively correlated with the cognitive performance episodic memory and negatively related to the living status. The present study demonstrated that different FCS alterations existed in aMCI and VaMCI. These findings may provide a novel insight into the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying different MCI subtypes.

scholarly journals Identifying Diurnal Variability of Brain Connectivity Patterns Using Graph Theory

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Farzad V. Farahani ◽  
Magdalena Fafrowicz ◽  
Waldemar Karwowski ◽  
Bartosz Bohaterewicz ◽  
Anna Maria Sobczak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Network Organization ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Sleep Inertia ◽  
Brain Functions

Significant differences exist in human brain functions affected by time of day and by people’s diurnal preferences (chronotypes) that are rarely considered in brain studies. In the current study, using network neuroscience and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data, we examined the effect of both time of day and the individual’s chronotype on whole-brain network organization. In this regard, 62 participants (39 women; mean age: 23.97 ± 3.26 years; half morning- versus half evening-type) were scanned about 1 and 10 h after wake-up time for morning and evening sessions, respectively. We found evidence for a time-of-day effect on connectivity profiles but not for the effect of chronotype. Compared with the morning session, we found relatively higher small-worldness (an index that represents more efficient network organization) in the evening session, which suggests the dominance of sleep inertia over the circadian and homeostatic processes in the first hours after waking. Furthermore, local graph measures were changed, predominantly across the left hemisphere, in areas such as the precentral gyrus, putamen, inferior frontal gyrus (orbital part), inferior temporal gyrus, as well as the bilateral cerebellum. These findings show the variability of the functional neural network architecture during the day and improve our understanding of the role of time of day in resting-state functional networks.

scholarly journals Disentangling Mathematics from Executive Functions by Investigating Unique Functional Connectivity Patterns Predictive of Mathematics Ability

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 560-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenny Skagerlund ◽  
Taylor Bolt ◽  
Jason S. Nomi ◽  
Mikael Skagenholt ◽  
Daniel Västfjäll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Mathematical Ability ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Intraparietal Sulcus ◽  
Supramarginal Gyrus ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
The Right

What are the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms that give rise to mathematical competence? This study investigated the relationship between tests of mathematical ability completed outside the scanner and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of cytoarchitectonically defined subdivisions of the parietal cortex in adults. These parietal areas are also involved in executive functions (EFs). Therefore, it remains unclear whether there are unique networks for mathematical processing. We investigate the neural networks for mathematical cognition and three measures of EF using resting-state fMRI data collected from 51 healthy adults. Using 10 ROIs in seed to whole-brain voxel-wise analyses, the results showed that arithmetical ability was correlated with FC between the right anterior intraparietal sulcus (hIP1) and the left supramarginal gyrus and between the right posterior intraparietal sulcus (hIP3) and the left middle frontal gyrus and the right premotor cortex. The connection between the posterior portion of the left angular gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus was also correlated with mathematical ability. Covariates of EF eliminated connectivity patterns with nodes in inferior frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus, suggesting neural overlap. Controlling for EF, we found unique connections correlated with mathematical ability between the right hIP1 and the left supramarginal gyrus and between hIP3 bilaterally to premotor cortex bilaterally. This is partly in line with the “mapping hypothesis” of numerical cognition in which the right intraparietal sulcus subserves nonsymbolic number processing and connects to the left parietal cortex, responsible for calculation procedures. We show that FC within this circuitry is a significant predictor of math ability in adulthood.

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