scholarly journals Brain Activations and Functional Connectivity Patterns Associated with Insight-Based and Analytical Anagram Solving

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 170
Author(s):  
Dmitry O. Sinitsyn ◽  
Ilya S. Bakulin ◽  
Alexandra G. Poydasheva ◽  
Liudmila A. Legostaeva ◽  
Elena I. Kremneva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Frontal Eye Field ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Active Research ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

Insight is one of the most mysterious problem-solving phenomena involving the sudden emergence of a solution, often preceded by long unproductive attempts to find it. This seemingly unexplainable generation of the answer, together with the role attributed to insight in the advancement of science, technology and culture, stimulate active research interest in discovering its neuronal underpinnings. The present study employs functional Magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to probe and compare the brain activations occurring in the course of solving anagrams by insight or analytically, as judged by the subjects. A number of regions were activated in both strategies, including the left premotor cortex, left claustrum, and bilateral clusters in the precuneus and middle temporal gyrus. The activated areas span the majority of the clusters reported in a recent meta-analysis of insight-related fMRI studies. At the same time, the activation patterns were very similar between the insight and analytical solutions, with the only difference in the right sensorimotor region probably explainable by subject motion related to the study design. Additionally, we applied resting-state fMRI to study functional connectivity patterns correlated with the individual frequency of insight anagram solutions. Significant correlations were found for the seed-based connectivity of areas in the left premotor cortex, left claustrum, and left frontal eye field. The results stress the need for optimizing insight paradigms with respect to the accuracy and reliability of the subjective insight/analytical solution classification. Furthermore, the short-lived nature of the insight phenomenon makes it difficult to capture the associated neural events with the current experimental techniques and motivates complementing such studies by the investigation of the structural and functional brain features related to the individual differences in the frequency of insight-based decisions.

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.

scholarly journals Hyperconnectivity Between The Posterior Cingulate and Middle Frontal and Temporal Gyrus in Depression: Based On Functional Connectivity Meta-Analyses.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziqing Zhu ◽  
You Wang ◽  
Way Lau ◽  
Xinhua Wei ◽  
Yingjun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Posterior Cingulate ◽  
The Right

Abstract BackgroundDisrupted whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the posterior cingulate (PCC) has been highlighted to associate with cognitive and affective dysfunction in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, prior findings showed certain inconsistency about the RSFC of the PCC in MDD. This study aims to investigate the aberrant RSFC of the PCC in MDD using anisotropic effect-size version of seed-based d mapping (AES-SDM). MethodsWeb of Science and PubMed were searched for studies investigating PCC-based RSFC in MDD. A total of 17 studies, involving 804 patients and 724 healthy controls (HCs), fit our selection criteria. Additionally, to seek for the link between functional and structural differences, we did a meta-analysis on the studies in conjunction with Voxel-based morphology (VBM) analysis. ResultsThe PCC showed higher RSFC with the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and lower RSFC with the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and the left precuneus in patients with MDD than HCs. Notably, the left MTG and the left MFG were the overlapped regions of aberrant VBM and RSFC results.ConclusionsOur results indicated that the aberrant RSFC between the PCC and brain regions sub-serving cognitive control and emotional regulation in patients with MDD. And such functional alterations may have structural basis. These findings may underlie the mechanisms of deficits in cognitive control and emotional regulation of MDD.

Altered thalamic connectivity during spontaneous attacks of migraine without aura: A resting-state fMRI study

Cephalalgia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1237-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Mohammad Amin ◽  
Anders Hougaard ◽  
Stefano Magon ◽  
Till Sprenger ◽  
Frauke Wolfram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Migraine Without Aura ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Insular Cortex ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Right

Background Functional connectivity of brain networks may be altered in migraine without aura patients. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated changed activity in the thalamus, pons and cerebellum in migraineurs. Here, we investigated the thalamic, pontine and cerebellar network connectivity during spontaneous migraine attacks. Methods Seventeen patients with episodic migraine without aura underwent resting-state fMRI scan during and outside of a spontaneous migraine attack. Primary endpoint was a difference in functional connectivity between the attack and the headache-free days. Functional connectivity was assessed in four different networks using seed-based analysis. The chosen seeds were in the thalamus (MNI coordinates x,y,z: right, 22,–24,0 and left, –22,–28,6), pons (right, 8,–24,–32 and left, –8,–24,–32), cerebellum crus I (right, 46,–58,–30 and left, –46,–58,–30) and cerebellum lobule VI (right, 34,–42,–36 and left, –32,–42,–36). Results We found increased functional connectivity between the right thalamus and several contralateral brain regions (superior parietal lobule, insular cortex, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area and orbitofrontal cortex). There was decreased functional connectivity between the right thalamus and three ipsilateral brain areas (primary somatosensory cortex and premotor cortex). We found no change in functional connectivity in the pontine or the cerebellar networks. Conclusions The study indicates that network connectivity between thalamus and pain modulating as well as pain encoding cortical areas are affected during spontaneous migraine attacks.

scholarly journals The Effects of Music Intervention on Functional Connectivity Strength of the Brain in Schizophrenia

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Yang ◽  
Hui He ◽  
Mingjun Duan ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Xin Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Music Intervention ◽  
Functional Connection ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Functional Connectivity Strength ◽  
The Right ◽  
Connectivity Strength

Schizophrenia is often associated with behavior abnormality in the cognitive and affective domain. Music intervention is used as a complementary treatment for improving symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. However, the neurophysiological correlates of these remissions remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of music intervention in neural circuits through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in schizophrenic subjects. Under the standard care, patients were randomly assigned to music and non-music interventions (MTSZ, UMTSZ) for 1 month. Resting-state fMRI were acquired over three time points (baseline, 1 month, and 6 months later) in patients and analyzed using functional connectivity strength (FCS) and seed-based functional connection (FC) approaches. At baseline, compared with healthy controls, decreased FCS in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) was observed in patients. However, after music intervention, the functional circuitry of the right MTG, which was related with the function of emotion and sensorimotor, was improved in MTSZ. Furthermore, the FC increments were significantly correlated with the improvement of symptoms, while vanishing 6 months later. Together, these findings provided evidence that music intervention might positively modulate the functional connectivity of MTG in patients with schizophrenia; such changes might be associated with the observed therapeutic effects of music intervention on neurocognitive function. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-OPC-14005339.

scholarly journals Multiple overlapping dynamic patterns of the visual sensory network in schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad S.E Sendi ◽  
Godfrey D Pearlson ◽  
Daniel H Mathalon ◽  
Judith M Ford ◽  
Adrian Preda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Visual Learning ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Connectivity Pattern ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal

Although visual processing impairments have been explored in schizophrenia (SZ), their underlying neurobiology of the visual processing impairments has not been widely studied. Also, while some research has hinted at differences in information transfer and flow in SZ, there are few investigations of the dynamics of functional connectivity within visual networks. In this study, we analyzed resting-state fMRI data of the visual sensory network (VSN) in 160 healthy control (HC) subjects and 151 SZ subjects. We estimated 9 independent components within the VSN. Then, we calculated the dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) using the Pearson correlation. Next, using k-means clustering, we partitioned the dFNCs into five distinct states, and then we calculated the portion of time each subject spent in each state, that we termed the occupancy rate (OCR). Using OCR, we compared HC with SZ subjects and investigated the link between OCR and visual learning in SZ subjects. Besides, we compared the VSN functional connectivity of SZ and HC subjects in each state. We found that this network is indeed highly dynamic. Each state represents a unique connectivity pattern of fluctuations in VSN FNC, and all states showed significant disruption in SZ. Overall, HC showed stronger connectivity within the VSN in states. SZ subjects spent more time in a state in which the connectivity between the middle temporal gyrus and other regions of VNS is highly negative. Besides, OCR in a state with strong positive connectivity between middle temporal gyrus and other regions correlated significantly with visual learning scores in SZ.

Changes in brain functional connectivity patterns are driven by an individual lesion in MS: a resting-state fMRI study

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1117-1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amgad Droby ◽  
Kenneth S. L. Yuen ◽  
Muthuraman Muthuraman ◽  
Sarah-Christina Reitz ◽  
Vinzenz Fleischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Brain Functional Connectivity

Distinct dynamic functional connectivity patterns of pain and touch thresholds: A resting-state fMRI study

2019 ◽  
Vol 375 ◽  
pp. 112142
Author(s):  
Yueming Yuan ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Linling Li ◽  
Gan Huang ◽  
Ahmed Anter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Dynamic Functional Connectivity ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Connectivity Patterns

scholarly journals Altered Intra- and Interregional Synchronization in Resting-State Cerebral Networks Associated with Chronic Tinnitus

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Chen Chen ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Xiao-Wei Li ◽  
Wenqing Xia ◽  
Xu Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Chronic Tinnitus ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Tinnitus Distress ◽  
The Right

Objective. Subjective tinnitus is hypothesized to arise from aberrant neural activity; however, its neural bases are poorly understood. To identify aberrant neural networks involved in chronic tinnitus, we compared the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) patterns of tinnitus patients and healthy controls.Materials and Methods. Resting-state fMRI measurements were obtained from a group of chronic tinnitus patients (n=29) with normal hearing and well-matched healthy controls (n=30). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis and functional connectivity analysis were used to identify abnormal brain activity; these abnormalities were compared to tinnitus distress.Results. Relative to healthy controls, tinnitus patients had significant greater ReHo values in several brain regions including the bilateral anterior insula (AI), left inferior frontal gyrus, and right supramarginal gyrus. Furthermore, the left AI showed enhanced functional connectivity with the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), while the right AI had enhanced functional connectivity with the right MFG; these measures were positively correlated with Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaires (r=0.459,P=0.012andr=0.479,P=0.009, resp.).Conclusions. Chronic tinnitus patients showed abnormal intra- and interregional synchronization in several resting-state cerebral networks; these abnormalities were correlated with clinical tinnitus distress. These results suggest that tinnitus distress is exacerbated by attention networks that focus on internally generated phantom sounds.

scholarly journals Shared Neural Circuits for Mentalizing about the Self and Others

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 1623-1635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael V. Lombardo ◽  
Bhismadev Chakrabarti ◽  
Edward T. Bullmore ◽  
Sally J. Wheelwright ◽  
Susan A. Sadek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Shared Representations ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Primary Sensorimotor Cortex ◽  
High Level

Although many examples exist for shared neural representations of self and other, it is unknown how such shared representations interact with the rest of the brain. Furthermore, do high-level inference-based shared mentalizing representations interact with lower level embodied/simulation-based shared representations? We used functional neuroimaging (fMRI) and a functional connectivity approach to assess these questions during high-level inference-based mentalizing. Shared mentalizing representations in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate/precuneus, and temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) all exhibited identical functional connectivity patterns during mentalizing of both self and other. Connectivity patterns were distributed across low-level embodied neural systems such as the frontal operculum/ventral premotor cortex, the anterior insula, the primary sensorimotor cortex, and the presupplementary motor area. These results demonstrate that identical neural circuits are implementing processes involved in mentalizing of both self and other and that the nature of such processes may be the integration of low-level embodied processes within higher level inference-based mentalizing.

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