Anterior Cingulate Cortex γ-Aminobutyric Acid in Depressed Adolescents

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Gabbay, Vilma; Mao, Xiangling; Klein, Rachel G.; Ely, Benjamin A.; Babb, James S.; Panzer, Aviva M.; Alonso, Carmen M.; Shungu, Dikoma C.

2013-01-01

Context Anhedonia, a core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD) and highly variable among adolescents with MDD, may involve alterations in the major inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitter system of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Objective To test whether anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) GABA levels, measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, are decreased in adolescents with MDD. The associations of GABA alterations with the presence and severity of anhedonia were explored. Design Case-control, cross-sectional study using single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T. Setting Two clinical research divisions at 2 teaching hospitals. Participants Twenty psychotropic medication-free adolescents with MDD (10 anhedonic, 12 female, aged 12–19 years) with episode duration of 8 weeks or more and 21 control subjects group matched for sex and age. Main Outcome Measures Anterior cingulate cortex GABA levels expressed as ratios relative to unsuppressed voxel tissue water (w) and anhedonia scores expressed as a continuous variable. Results Compared with control subjects, adolescents with MDD had significantly decreased ACC GABA/w (t= 3.2; PGABA/w levels compared with control subjects (t=4.08; PGABA/w levels were negatively correlated with anhedonia scores for the whole MDD group (r = −0.50; P = .02), as well as for the entire participant sample including the control subjects (r=−0.54; PGABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, may be implicated in adolescent MDD and, more specifically, in those with anhedonia. In addition, use of a continuous rather than categorical scale of anhedonia, as in the present study, may permit greater specificity in evaluating this important clinical feature. PMID:21969419

Mirth and laughter elicited by electrical stimulation of the human anterior cingulate cortex.

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Caruana, Fausto; Avanzini, Pietro; Gozzo, Francesca; Francione, Stefano; Cardinale, Francesco; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

2015-10-01

Laughter is a complex motor behavior that, typically, expresses mirth. Despite its fundamental role in social life, knowledge about the neural basis of laughter is very limited and mostly based on a few electrical stimulation (ES) studies carried out in epileptic patients. In these studies laughter was elicited from temporal areas where it was accompanied by mirth and from frontal areas plus an anterior cingulate case where laughter without mirth was observed. On the basis of these findings, it has been proposed a dichotomy between temporal lobe areas processing the emotional content of laughter and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and motor areas responsible of laughter production. The present study is aimed to understand the role of ACC in laughter. We report the effects of stimulation of 10 rostral, pregenual ACC (pACC) patients in which the ES elicited laughter. In half of the patients ES elicited a clear burst of laughter with mirth, while in the other half mirth was not evident. This large dataset allow us to offer a more reliable picture of the functional contribute of this region in laughter, and to precisely localize it in the cingulate cortex. We conclude that the pACC is involved in both the motor and the affective components of emotions, and challenge the validity of a sharp dichotomy between motor and emotional centers for laughing. Finally, we suggest a possible anatomical network for the production of positive emotional expressions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motivation of extended behaviors by anterior cingulate cortex.

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Holroyd, Clay B; Yeung, Nick

2012-02-01

Intense research interest over the past decade has yielded diverse and often discrepant theories about the function of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In particular, a dichotomy has emerged between neuropsychological theories suggesting a primary role for ACC in motivating or 'energizing' behavior, and neuroimaging-inspired theories emphasizing its contribution to cognitive control and reinforcement learning. To reconcile these views, we propose that ACC supports the selection and maintenance of 'options' - extended, context-specific sequences of behavior directed toward particular goals - that are learned through a process of hierarchical reinforcement learning. This theory accounts for ACC activity in relation to learning and control while simultaneously explaining the effects of ACC damage as disrupting the motivational context supporting the production of goal-directed action sequences. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amygdala Reactivity and Anterior Cingulate Habituation Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Maintenance After Acute Civilian Trauma.

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Stevens, Jennifer S; Kim, Ye Ji; Galatzer-Levy, Isaac R; Reddy, Renuka; Ely, Timothy D; Nemeroff, Charles B; Hudak, Lauren A; Jovanovic, Tanja; Rothbaum, Barbara O; Ressler, Kerry J

2017-06-15

Studies suggest that exaggerated amygdala reactivity is a vulnerability factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, our understanding is limited by a paucity of prospective, longitudinal studies. Recent studies in healthy samples indicate that, relative to reactivity, habituation is a more reliable biomarker of individual differences in amygdala function. We investigated reactivity of the amygdala and cortical areas to repeated threat presentations in a prospective study of PTSD. Participants were recruited from the emergency department of a large level I trauma center within 24 hours of trauma. PTSD symptoms were assessed at baseline and approximately 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after trauma. Growth curve modeling was used to estimate symptom recovery trajectories. Thirty-one individuals participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging around the 1-month assessment, passively viewing fearful and neutral face stimuli. Reactivity (fearful > neutral) and habituation to fearful faces was examined. Amygdala reactivity, but not habituation, 5 to 12 weeks after trauma was positively associated with the PTSD symptom intercept and predicted symptoms at 12 months after trauma. Habituation in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex was positively associated with the slope of PTSD symptoms, such that decreases in ventral anterior cingulate cortex activation over repeated presentations of fearful stimuli predicted increasing symptoms. Findings point to neural signatures of risk for maintaining PTSD symptoms after trauma exposure. Specifically, chronic symptoms were predicted by amygdala hyperreactivity, and poor recovery was predicted by a failure to maintain ventral anterior cingulate cortex activation in response to fearful stimuli. The importance of identifying patients at risk after trauma exposure is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Study in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a 3-Tesla Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) System: The Anterior Cingulate Cortex and the Left Cerebellum.

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Ito, Hiromichi; Mori, Kenji; Harada, Masafumi; Hisaoka, Sonoka; Toda, Yoshihiro; Mori, Tatsuo; Goji, Aya; Abe, Yoko; Miyazaki, Masahito; Kagami, Shoji

2017-07-01

The pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not fully understood. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate metabolite concentration ratios in the anterior cingulate cortex and left cerebellum in ASD. In the ACC and left cerebellum studies, the ASD group and intelligence quotient- and age-matched control group consisted of 112 and 114 subjects and 65 and 45 subjects, respectively. In the ASD group, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)+/ creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr) was significantly decreased in the anterior cingulate cortex, and glutamate (Glu)/Cr was significantly increased and GABA+/Cr was significantly decreased in the left cerebellum compared to those in the control group. In addition, both groups showed negative correlations between Glu/Cr and GABA+/Cr in the left cerebellum, and positive correlations between GABA+/Cr in the anterior cingulate cortex and left cerebellum. ASD subjects have hypoGABAergic alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex and hyperglutamatergic/hypoGABAergic alterations in the left cerebellum.

Pica in a Child with Anterior Cingulate Gyrus Oligodendroglioma: Case Report.

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Rangwala, Shivani D; Tobin, Matthew K; Birk, Daniel M; Butts, Jonathan T; Nikas, Dimitrios C; Hahn, Yoon S

2017-01-01

The anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) is a continued focus of research as its exact role in brain function and vast connections with other anatomical locations is not fully understood. A review of the literature illustrates the role the ACG likely plays in cognitive and emotional processing, as well as a modulating role in motor function and goal-oriented behaviors. While lesions of the cingulate gyrus are rare, each new case broadens our understanding of its role in cognitive neuroscience and higher order processing. The authors present the case of an 8-year-old boy with a 1-month history of staring spells, agitated personality, and hyperphagia notable for the consumption of paper, who was found to have a 3-cm tumor in the left ACG. Following surgical resection of the tumor, his aggressive behavior and pica were ameliorated and the patient made an uneventful recovery, with no evidence of recurrence over the last 6 years since surgical resection. Here we discuss a unique behavioral presentation of pica, along with a review of the current literature, to illustrate functions of the ACG relevant to the location of the lesion. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Hemodynamic correlates of vascular risk factors in patients with Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Takashi

2008-01-01

Mounting evidence from a variety of research fields has drawn attention to the participation of vascular factors in the underlying pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To clarify the influence of vascular and genetic risk factors, we investigated the relationships between cerebral blood flow images provided by single photon emission CT (SPECT) and blood pressure, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and ApoE4 phenotyping in AD patients. The present study was based on 197 patients with probable AD. All patients underwent biochemistry tests, neuropsychological evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 99m Tc ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) SPECT. The mini mental state examination (MMSE) score was correlated with the diastolic blood pressure positively, and with BNP negatively. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) revealed significant hypoperfusion in the posterior cingulate gyri, precuneus, and parieto-temporal region in those patients having ApoE4 as compared to those without ApoE4. When compared to those patients without white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on MRI, those with mild WHM demonstrated significant hypoperfusion in the anterior cingulate gyri, right superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri, and left inferior frontal gyrus, and those with marked WMH demonstrated more expansive hypoperfusion areas on SPM. Those with greater BNP levels showed significant hypoperfusion in the anterior cingulate gyri and superior frontal gyri as compared to those with smaller BNP levels. Posterior hypoperfusion as related to the presence of ApoE4 may imply a degenerative process in AD, whereas anterior hypoperfusion as related to increased BNP levels may indicate the participation of vascular factors in AD. (author)

Resting state functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex in veterans with and without post-traumatic stress disorder

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Kennis, Mitzy; Rademaker, Arthur R.; van Rooij, Sanne J H; Kahn, René S.; Geuze, Elbert

2015-01-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that is associated with structural and functional alterations in several brain areas, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here, we examine resting state functional connectivity of ACC subdivisions in PTSD, using a seed-based

Recovery from Transient Global Amnesia Following Restoration of Hippocampal and Fronto–Cingulate Perfusion

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Paolo Caffarra

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A patient who suffered a transient global amnesia (TGA attack underwent regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF SPECT imaging and neuropsychological testing in the acute phase, after one month and after one year. Neuropsychological testing in the acute phase showed a pattern of anterograde and retrograde amnesia, whereas memory was within age normal limits at follow up. SPECT data were analysed with a within subject comparison and also compared with those of a group of healthy controls. Within subject comparison between the one month follow up and the acute phase detected increases in rCBF in the hippocampus bilaterally; further rCBF increases in the right hippocampus were detected after one year. Compared to controls, significant hypoperfusion was found in the right precentral, cingulate and medial frontal gyri in the acute phase; after one month significant hypoperfusion was detected in the right precentral and cingulate gyri and the left postcentral gyrus; after one year no significant hypoperfusion appeared. The restoration of memory was paralleled by rCBF increases in the hippocampus and fronto-limbic-parietal cortex; after one year neither significant rCBF differences nor cognitive deficits were detectable. In conclusion, these data indicate that TGA had no long lasting cognitive and neural alterations in this patient.

Pedophilic sex offenders are characterised by reduced GABA concentration in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.

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Ristow, Inka; Li, Meng; Colic, Lejla; Marr, Vanessa; Födisch, Carina; von Düring, Felicia; Schiltz, Kolja; Drumkova, Krasimira; Witzel, Joachim; Walter, Henrik; Beier, Klaus; Kruger, Tillmann H C; Ponseti, Jorge; Schiffer, Boris; Walter, Martin

2018-01-01

A pedophilic disorder is characterised by abnormal sexual urges towards prepubescent children. Child abusive behavior is frequently a result of lack of behavioral inhibition and current treatment options entail, next to suppressing unchangeable sexual orientation, measures to increase cognitive and attentional control. We tested, if in brain regions subserving attentional control of behavior and perception of salient stimuli, such inhibition deficit can be observed also on the level of inhibitory neurotransmitters. We measured GABA concentration in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and in a control region, the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) in pedophilic sex offenders ( N  = 13) and matched controls ( N  = 13) using a 7 Tesla STEAM magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). In dACC but not in the control region pedophilic sex offenders showed reduced GABA/Cr concentrations compared to healthy controls. The reduction was robust after controlling for potential influence of age and gray matter proportion within the MRS voxel ( p  < 0.04). Importantly, reduced GABA/Cr in patients was correlated with lower self-control measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (p = 0.028, r = -0.689). In a region related to cognitive control and salience mapping, pedophilic sex offenders showed reduction of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA which may be seen as a neuronal correlate of inhibition and behavioral control.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex Input to the Claustrum Is Required for Top-Down Action Control

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Michael G. White

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Summary: Cognitive abilities, such as volitional attention, operate under top-down, executive frontal cortical control of hierarchically lower structures. The circuit mechanisms underlying this process are unresolved. The claustrum possesses interconnectivity with many cortical areas and, thus, is hypothesized to orchestrate the cortical mantle for top-down control. Whether the claustrum receives top-down input and how this input may be processed by the claustrum have yet to be formally tested, however. We reveal that a rich anterior cingulate cortex (ACC input to the claustrum encodes a preparatory top-down information signal on a five-choice response assay that is necessary for optimal task performance. We further show that ACC input monosynaptically targets claustrum inhibitory interneurons and spiny glutamatergic projection neurons, the latter of which amplify ACC input in a manner that is powerfully constrained by claustrum inhibitory microcircuitry. These results demonstrate ACC input to the claustrum is critical for top-down control guiding action. : White et al. show that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC input to the claustrum encodes a top-down preparatory signal on a 5-choice response assay that is critical for task performance. Claustrum microcircuitry amplifies top-down ACC input in a frequency-dependent manner for eventual propagation to the cortex for cognitive control of action. Keywords: 5CSRTT, optogenetics, fiber photometry, microcircuit, attention, bottom-up, sensory cortices, motor cortices

Role of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in the Retrieval of Novel Object Recognition Memory after a Long Delay

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Pezze, Marie A.; Marshall, Hayley J.; Fone, Kevin C. F.; Cassaday, Helen J.

2017-01-01

Previous in vivo electrophysiological studies suggest that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACgx) is an important substrate of novel object recognition (NOR) memory. However, intervention studies are needed to confirm this conclusion and permanent lesion studies cannot distinguish effects on encoding and retrieval. The interval between encoding and…

Hyperlexia and ambient echolalia in a case of cerebral infarction of the left anterior cingulate cortex and corpus callosum.

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Suzuki, Tadashi; Itoh, Shouichi; Hayashi, Mototaka; Kouno, Masako; Takeda, Katsuhiko

2009-10-01

We report the case of a 69-year-old woman with cerebral infarction in the left anterior cingulate cortex and corpus callosum. She showed hyperlexia, which was a distinctive reading phenomenon, as well as ambient echolalia. Clinical features also included complex disorders such as visual groping, compulsive manipulation of tools, and callosal disconnection syndrome. She read words written on the cover of a book and repeated words emanating from unrelated conversations around her or from hospital announcements. The combination of these two features due to a focal lesion has never been reported previously. The supplementary motor area may control the execution of established subroutines according to external and internal inputs. Hyperlexia as well as the compulsive manipulation of tools could be interpreted as faulty inhibition of preexisting essentially intact motor subroutines by damage to the anterior cingulate cortex reciprocally interconnected with the supplementary motor area.

Sexual attraction enhances glutamate transmission in mammalian anterior cingulate cortex

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Wu Long-Jun

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Functional human brain imaging studies have indicated the essential role of cortical regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, in romantic love and sex. However, the neurobiological basis of how the ACC neurons are activated and engaged in sexual attraction remains unknown. Using transgenic mice in which the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP is controlled by the promoter of the activity-dependent gene c-fos, we found that ACC pyramidal neurons are activated by sexual attraction. The presynaptic glutamate release to the activated neurons is increased and pharmacological inhibition of neuronal activities in the ACC reduced the interest of male mice to female mice. Our results present direct evidence of the critical role of the ACC in sexual attraction, and long-term increases in glutamate mediated excitatory transmission may contribute to sexual attraction between male and female mice.

Anterior cingulate activation is related to a positivity bias and emotional stability in successful aging.

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Brassen, Stefanie; Gamer, Matthias; Büchel, Christian

2011-07-15

Behavioral studies consistently reported an increased preference for positive experiences in older adults. The socio-emotional selectivity theory explains this positivity effect with a motivated goal shift in emotion regulation, which probably depends on available cognitive resources. The present study investigates the neurobiological mechanism underlying this hypothesis. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired in 21 older and 22 young subjects while performing a spatial-cueing paradigm that manipulates attentional load on emotional face distracters. We focused our analyses on the anterior cingulate cortex as a key structure of cognitive control of emotion. Elderly subjects showed a specifically increased distractibility by happy faces when more attentional resources were available for face processing. This effect was paralleled by an increased engagement of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, and this frontal engagement was significantly correlated with emotional stability. The current study highlights how the brain might mediate the tendency to preferentially engage in positive information processing in healthy aging. The finding of a resource-dependency of this positivity effect suggests demanding self-regulating processes that are related to emotional well-being. These findings are of particular relevance regarding implications for the understanding, treatment, and prevention of nonsuccessful aging like highly prevalent late-life depression. Copyright © 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kainate-induced network activity in the anterior cingulate cortex.

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Shinozaki, R; Hojo, Y; Mukai, H; Hashizume, M; Murakoshi, T

2016-06-14

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a pivotal role in higher order processing of cognition, attention and emotion. The network oscillation is considered an essential means for integration of these CNS functions. The oscillation power and coherence among related areas are often dis-regulated in several psychiatric and pathological conditions with a hemispheric asymmetric manner. Here we describe the network-based activity of field potentials recorded from the superficial layer of the mouse ACC in vitro using submerged type recordings. A short activation by kainic acid administration to the preparation induced populational activities ranging over several frequency bands including theta (3-8Hz), alpha (8-12Hz), beta (13-30Hz), low gamma (30-50Hz) and high gamma (50-80Hz). These responses were repeatable and totally abolished by tetrodotoxin, and greatly diminished by inhibitors of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, GABAA receptor or gap-junctions. These observations suggest that the kainate-induced network activity can be a useful model of the network oscillation in the ACC circuit. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conflict processing in the anterior cingulate cortex constrains response priming.

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Pastötter, Bernhard; Hanslmayr, Simon; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

2010-05-01

A prominent function of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is to process conflict between competing response options. In this study, we investigated the role of conflict processing in a response-priming task in which manual responses were either validly or invalidly cued. Examining electrophysiological measurements of oscillatory brain activity on the source level, we found response priming to be related to a beta power decrease in the premotor cortex and conflict processing to be linked to a theta power increase in the ACC. In particular, correlation of oscillatory brain activities in the ACC and the premotor cortex showed that conflict processing reduces response priming by slowing response time in valid trials and lowering response errors in invalid trials. This relationship emerged on a between subjects level as well as within subjects, on a single trial level. These findings suggest that conflict processing in the ACC constrains the automatic priming process. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low serotonin1B receptor binding potential in the anterior cingulate cortex in drug-free patients with recurrent major depressive disorder.

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Tiger, Mikael; Farde, Lars; Rück, Christian; Varrone, Andrea; Forsberg, Anton; Lindefors, Nils; Halldin, Christer; Lundberg, Johan

2016-07-30

The pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) is not fully understood and the diagnosis is largely based on history and clinical examination. So far, several lines of preclinical data and a single imaging study implicate a role for the serotonin1B (5-HT1B) receptor subtype. We sought to study 5-HT1B receptor binding in brain regions of reported relevance in patients with MDD. Subjects were examined at the Karolinska Institutet PET centre using positron emission tomography (PET) and the 5-HT1B receptor selective radioligand [(11)C]AZ10419369. Ten drug-free patients with recurrent MDD and ten control subjects matched for age and sex were examined. The main outcome measure was [(11)C]AZ10419369 binding in brain regions of reported relevance in the pathophysiology of MDD. The [(11)C]AZ10419369 binding potential was significantly lower in the MDD group compared with the healthy control group in the anterior cingulate cortex (20% between-group difference), the subgenual prefrontal cortex (17% between-group difference), and in the hippocampus (32% between-group difference). The low anterior cingulate [(11)C]AZ10419369 binding potential in patients with recurrent MDD positions 5-HT1B receptor binding in this region as a putative biomarker for MDD and corroborate a role of the anterior cingulate cortex and associated areas in the pathophysiology of recurrent MDD. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Attention for speaking: domain-general control from the anterior cingulate cortex in spoken word production

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Vitoria ePiai

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Accumulating evidence suggests that some degree of attentional control is required to regulate and monitor processes underlying speaking. Although progress has been made in delineating the neural substrates of the core language processes involved in speaking, substrates associated with regulatory and monitoring processes have remained relatively underspecified. We report the results of an fMRI study examining the neural substrates related to performance in three attention-demanding tasks varying in the amount of linguistic processing: vocal picture naming while ignoring distractors (picture-word interference, PWI; vocal colour naming while ignoring distractors (Stroop; and manual object discrimination while ignoring spatial position (Simon task. All three tasks had congruent and incongruent stimuli, while PWI and Stroop also had neutral stimuli. Analyses focusing on common activation across tasks identified a portion of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex that was active in incongruent trials for all three tasks, suggesting that this region subserves a domain-general attentional control function. In the language tasks, this area showed increased activity for incongruent relative to congruent stimuli, consistent with the involvement of domain-general mechanisms of attentional control in word production. The two language tasks also showed activity in anterior-superior temporal gyrus. Activity increased for neutral PWI stimuli (picture and word did not share the same semantic category relative to incongruent (categorically related and congruent stimuli. This finding is consistent with the involvement of language-specific areas in word production, possibly related to retrieval of lexical-semantic information from memory. The current results thus suggest that in addition to engaging language-specific areas for core linguistic processes, speaking also engages the anterior cingulate cortex, a region that is likely implementing domain

Electrophysiological correlates of anterior cingulate function in a go/no-go task: Effects of response conflict and trial type frequency.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieuwenhuis, S.; Yeung, N.; van den Wildenberg, W.; Ridderinkhof, K.R.

2003-01-01

Neuroimaging and computational modeling studies have led to the suggestion that response conflict monitoring by the anterior cingulate cortex plays a key role in cognitive control. For example, response conflict is high when a response must be withheld (no-go) in contexts in which there is a

Nicotine-induced activation of caudate and anterior cingulate cortex in response to errors in schizophrenia.

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Moran, Lauren V; Stoeckel, Luke E; Wang, Kristina; Caine, Carolyn E; Villafuerte, Rosemond; Calderon, Vanessa; Baker, Justin T; Ongur, Dost; Janes, Amy C; Evins, A Eden; Pizzagalli, Diego A

2018-03-01

Nicotine improves attention and processing speed in individuals with schizophrenia. Few studies have investigated the effects of nicotine on cognitive control. Prior functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research demonstrates blunted activation of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) in response to error and decreased post-error slowing in schizophrenia. Participants with schizophrenia (n = 13) and healthy controls (n = 12) participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study of the effects of transdermal nicotine on cognitive control. For each drug condition, participants underwent fMRI while performing the stop signal task where participants attempt to inhibit prepotent responses to "go (motor activation)" signals when an occasional "stop (motor inhibition)" signal appears. Error processing was evaluated by comparing "stop error" trials (failed response inhibition) to "go" trials. Resting-state fMRI data were collected prior to the task. Participants with schizophrenia had increased nicotine-induced activation of right caudate in response to errors compared to controls (DRUG × GROUP effect: p corrected  state functional connectivity analysis, relative to controls, participants with schizophrenia had significantly decreased connectivity between the right caudate and dACC/bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. In sum, we replicated prior findings of decreased post-error slowing in schizophrenia and found that nicotine was associated with more adaptive (i.e., increased) post-error reaction time (RT). This proof-of-concept pilot study suggests a role for nicotinic agents in targeting cognitive control deficits in schizophrenia.

Severe depression is associated with increased microglial quinolinic acid in subregions of the anterior cingulate gyrus: Evidence for an immune-modulated glutamatergic neurotransmission?

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Mawrin Christian

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Immune dysfunction, including monocytosis and increased blood levels of interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor α has been observed during acute episodes of major depression. These peripheral immune processes may be accompanied by microglial activation in subregions of the anterior cingulate cortex where depression-associated alterations of glutamatergic neurotransmission have been described. Methods Microglial immunoreactivity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA glutamate receptor agonist quinolinic acid (QUIN in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC, anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC of 12 acutely depressed suicidal patients (major depressive disorder/MDD, n = 7; bipolar disorder/BD, n = 5 was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and compared with its expression in 10 healthy control subjects. Results Depressed patients had a significantly increased density of QUIN-positive cells in the sACC (P = 0.003 and the aMCC (P = 0.015 compared to controls. In contrast, counts of QUIN-positive cells in the pACC did not differ between the groups (P = 0.558. Post-hoc tests showed that significant findings were attributed to MDD and were absent in BD. Conclusions These results add a novel link to the immune hypothesis of depression by providing evidence for an upregulation of microglial QUIN in brain regions known to be responsive to infusion of NMDA antagonists such as ketamine. Further work in this area could lead to a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of depressive disorders and pave the way for novel NMDA receptor therapies or immune-modulating strategies.

Smaller amygdala volume and reduced anterior cingulate gray matter density associated with history of post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Rogers, Mark A; Yamasue, Hidenori; Abe, Osamu; Yamada, Haruyasu; Ohtani, Toshiyuki; Iwanami, Akira; Aoki, Shigeki; Kato, Nobumasa; Kasai, Kiyoto

2009-12-30

Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be seen to represent a failure to extinguish learned fear, significant aspects of the pathophysiology relevant to this hypothesis remain unknown. Both the amygdala and hippocampus are necessary for fear extinction occur, and thus both regions may be abnormal in PTSD. Twenty-five people who experienced the Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995, nine who later developed PTSD and 16 who did not, underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with manual tracing to determine bilateral amygdala and hippocampus volumes. At the time of scanning, one had PTSD and eight had a history of PTSD. Results indicated that the group with a history of PTSD had significantly smaller mean bilateral amygdala volume than did the group that did not develop PTSD. Furthermore, left amygdala volume showed a significant negative correlation with severity of PTSD symptomatology as well as reduced gray matter density in the left anterior cingulate cortex. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of an association between PTSD and amygdala volume. Furthermore the apparent interplay between amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex represents support at the level of gross brain morphology for the theory of PTSD as a failure of fear extinction.

Does low self-esteem enhance social pain? The relationship between trait self-esteem and anterior cingulate cortex activation induced by ostracism.

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Onoda, Keiichi; Okamoto, Yasumasa; Nakashima, Ken'ichiro; Nittono, Hiroshi; Yoshimura, Shinpei; Yamawaki, Sigeto; Yamaguchi, Shuhei; Ura, Mitsuhiro

2010-12-01

According to sociometer theory, self-esteem serves as a barometer of the extent to which individuals are socially included or excluded by others. We hypothesized that trait self-esteem would be related to social pain responsiveness, and we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to experimentally investigate this potential relationship. Participants (n = 26) performed a cyberball task, a computerized game of catch during which the participants were excluded from the game. Participants then rated the degree of social pain experienced during both inclusion in and exclusion from the game. Individuals with lower trait self-esteem reported increased social pain relative to individuals with higher trait self-esteem, and such individuals also demonstrated a greater degree of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activation. A psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed a positive connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices for the lower trait self-esteem group, and a corresponding negative connectivity for the higher trait self-esteem group. Heightened dorsal anterior cortex activity and a corresponding connection with the prefrontal cortex might be one possible explanation for the greater levels of social pain observed experienced by individuals with low trait self-esteem.

Subthalamic nucleus involvement in executive functions with increased cognitive load: a subthalamic nucleus and anterior cingulate cortex depth recording study

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rusnáková-Aulická, Š.; Jurák, Pavel; Chládek, Jan; Daniel, P.; Halámek, Josef; Baláž, M.; Bočková, M.; Chrastina, J.; Rektor, I.

2014-01-01

Roč. 121, č. 10 (2014), s. 1287-1296 ISSN 0300-9564 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP103/11/0933 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : ERD/S * Anterior cingulate cortex * Subthalamic nucleus * Flanker test * Executive functions Subject RIV: BD - Theory of Information Impact factor: 2.402, year: 2014

Inflexible Functional Connectivity of the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Adolescent Major Depressive Disorder.

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Ho, Tiffany C; Sacchet, Matthew D; Connolly, Colm G; Margulies, Daniel S; Tymofiyeva, Olga; Paulus, Martin P; Simmons, Alan N; Gotlib, Ian H; Yang, Tony T

2017-11-01

Recent evidence suggests that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) maturation during adolescence contributes to or underlies the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) during this sensitive period. The ACC is a structure that sits at the intersection of several task-positive networks (eg, central executive network, CEN), which are still developing during adolescence. While recent work using seed-based approaches indicate that depressed adolescents show limited task-evoked vs resting-state connectivity (termed 'inflexibility') between the ACC and task-negative networks, no study has used network-based approaches to investigate inflexibility of the ACC in task-positive networks to understand adolescent MDD. Here, we used graph theory to compare flexibility of network-level topology in eight subregions of the ACC (spanning three task-positive networks) in 42 unmedicated adolescents with MDD and 53 well-matched healthy controls. All participants underwent fMRI scanning during resting state and a response inhibition task that robustly engages task-positive networks. Relative to controls, depressed adolescents were characterized by inflexibility in local efficiency of a key ACC node in the CEN: right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/medial frontal gyrus (R dACC/MFG). Furthermore, individual differences in flexibility of local efficiency of R dACC/MFG significantly predicted inhibition performance, consistent with current literature demonstrating that flexible network organization affords successful cognitive control. Finally, reduced local efficiency of dACC/MFG during the task was significantly associated with an earlier age of depression onset, consistent with prior work suggesting that MDD may alter functional network development. Our results support a neurodevelopmental hypothesis of MDD wherein dysfunctional self-regulation is potentially reflected by altered ACC maturation.

The effect of regulatory mode on procrastination: Bi-stable parahippocampus connectivity with dorsal anterior cingulate and anterior prefrontal cortex.

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Zhang, Chenyan; Ni, Yan; Feng, Tingyong

2017-06-30

Previous research has elucidated that procrastination can be influenced by regulatory mode orientations. However, the neural mechanism of regulatory modes affecting procrastination is not well understood. To address this question, we employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) to test the influence of two regulatory modes (assessment and locomotion) on procrastination. The behavioral results showed that procrastination was positively correlated with assessment orientation but negatively correlated with locomotion orientation. Neuroimaging results indicated that the functional connectivity between parahippocampal cortex (PHC) and dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) was negatively correlated with assessment scores, while the functional connectivity between anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) and parahippocampal cortex (PHC) was negatively correlated with locomotion scores. Critically, mediation analysis showed that the different effects of two distinct regulatory modes on procrastination were mediated by PHC-dACC and aPFC-PHC functional connectivity respectively. These results suggested that people's procrastination could be predicted by regulatory mode orientations, which is mediated by PHC connectivity with dACC and aPFC respectively. The present study extends our knowledge on procrastination and provides neural mechanism for understanding the link between regulatory mode orientations and procrastination. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Comparison with hippocampal atrophy and hypoperfusion in Alzheimer's disease

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Chung, YA; Kim, SH; Chung, SK; Juh, RH; Sohn, HS; Suh, TS; Choe, BY

2004-01-01

Objective: Hypoperfusion and hippocampal atropy of the medial temporal lobe are peculiarity of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The manual ROI (region of interest) technique for hippocampal volume estimation is specific and sensitive for the detection of hippocampal atrophy. In patients with AD reported a significant correlation between hippocampal volume and hypoperfusion. This study investigated correlations between atrophy distinct medial temporal lobe structure and hypoperfusion in hippocampal volumetry. Methods: The hippocampi were individually outlined on Tl-weighted volumetry MRI and calculated with MATLAB in 12 patients with AD. All volume measurements were performed by a segmentation technique with a combination of tracing and thresholding. The volume of a given structure in each slice was obtained by automatically counting the number of pixels within the segmented regions and multiplying the number by a voxel size. In order to permit direct regional comparisons, both of each patient's Tc- 99m ECD SPECT was then registered to the patient's MRI. Delineation continued anteriorly in each contiguous slice reaching the head of the hippocampus, which was distinguished from the overlying amygdala by the presence of the alveus or uncal recess. The right hippocampus (RH) was measured first, followed by the left hippocampus (LH). The accuracy of registration was investigated in a validation study with developed brain phantom. Results:The mean total intracranial volume of the AD was significantly smaller volume (1492.9 cm 3 ) and hypo perfused than those in normal subjects. The mean hippocampal volumes were 2.01 cm 3 and l.99 cm 3 for the RH and LH. The correlations between volume and hypoperfusion in the affected hippocampi were found to be significant; especially the medial temporal lobe is markedly hypo perfused. Conclusion: Volumetry is the most sensitive tool for the detection of hippocampal abnormality in AD, and significant correlation between asymmetry in

Reduced muscarinic receptors in the cingulate cortex in mild Alzheimer's disease demonstrated with 123I iodo-dexetamide SPECT

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Rowe, C.C.; Barnden, L.R.; Nicholas, C.; Nowakowski, K.; Boundy, K.

2000-01-01

Full text: Parietal hypoperfusion/hypometabolism is a feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In early AD this may be preceded by changes in the posterior cingulate cortex, part of the cortico-limbic circuit with connections to the medial temporal lobes. Because cholinergic function is affected in early AD, we aimed to investigate the binding of the muscarinic receptor label, I-123 iodo-dexetamide (IDEX). We recruited 11 mild (MiniMental State Examination 27-24) and 11 moderate (MMSE 23-16) Alzheimer's patients and 10 age and sex-matched normal subjects. SPECT was performed six hours after injection of 185 MBq IDEX. Sections were reconstructed with attenuation correction using an iterative algorithm (OSEM). Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM 99) was used to analyse the data. Because there is very little IDEX uptake in the cerebellum and thalamus it was necessary to edit them from the SPM PET template. Facial and scalp activity was also edited. Global scaling relative to the basal ganglia was used. Significant areas of decreased IDEX binding were found in the mild Alzheimer's group in the cingulate cortex with pvoxel = .08 and pcluster < 0.001, (particularly the posterior cingulate), left parietotemporal junction (pcluster = 0.01) and posteromedial left temporal lobe (pcluster = 0.03). In moderate AD extensive areas of decreased binding were found in the posterior cingulate, parietal and temporal lobes. The difference between the group-means at the posterior cingulate was 14% (mild AD) and 22% (moderate AD). Hypoperfusion, hypometabolism and now reduced cholinergic receptors have been demonstrated in the posterior cingulate in mild AD. Greater attention to this area may enhance the diagnostic value of functional imaging in early AD. Copyright (2000) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

A functional dissociation of conflict processing within anterior cingulate cortex.

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Kim, Chobok; Kroger, James K; Kim, Jeounghoon

2011-02-01

Goal-directed behavior requires cognitive control to regulate the occurrence of conflict. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) has been suggested in detecting response conflict during various conflict tasks. Recent findings, however, have indicated not only that two distinct subregions of dACC are involved in conflict processing but also that the conflict occurs at both perceptual and response levels. In this study, we sought to examine whether perceptual and response conflicts are functionally dissociated in dACC. Thirteen healthy subjects performed a version of the Stroop task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. We identified a functional dissociation of the caudal dACC (cdACC) and the rostral dACC (rdACC) in their responses to different sources of conflict. The cdACC was selectively engaged in perceptual conflict whereas the rdACC was more active in response conflict. Further, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was coactivated not with cdACC but with rdACC. We suggest that cdACC plays an important role in regulative processing of perceptual conflict whereas rdACC is involved in detecting response conflict. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Treatment effects on insular and anterior cingulate cortex activation during classic and emotional Stroop interference in child abuse-related complex post-traumatic stress disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomaes, K.; Dorrepaal, E.; Draijer, P.J.; de Ruiter, M.B.; Elzinga, B.M.; van Balkom, A.J.L.M.; Smit, J.H.; Veltman, D.J.

2012-01-01

Background Functional neuroimaging studies have shown increased Stroop interference coupled with altered anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula activation in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These brain areas are associated with error detection and emotional arousal. There is some evidence

Treatment effects on insular and anterior cingulate cortex activation during classic and emotional Stroop interference in child abuse-related complex post-traumatic stress disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomaes, K.; Dorrepaal, E.; Draijer, N.; de Ruiter, M. B.; Elzinga, B. M.; van Balkom, A. J.; Smit, J. H.; Veltman, D. J.

2012-01-01

Functional neuroimaging studies have shown increased Stroop interference coupled with altered anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula activation in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These brain areas are associated with error detection and emotional arousal. There is some evidence that

Neuropathic Pain Causes Pyramidal Neuronal Hyperactivity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

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Ruohe Zhao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC is thought to be important for acute pain perception as well as the development of chronic pain after peripheral nerve injury. Nevertheless, how ACC neurons respond to sensory stimulation under chronic pain states is not well understood. Here, we used an in vivo two-photon imaging technique to monitor the activity of individual neurons in the ACC of awake, head restrained mice. Calcium imaging in the dorsal ACC revealed robust somatic activity in layer 5 (L5 pyramidal neurons in response to peripheral noxious stimuli, and the degree of evoked activity was correlated with the intensity of noxious stimulation. Furthermore, the activation of ACC neurons occurred bilaterally upon noxious stimulation to either contralateral or ipsilateral hind paws. Notably, with nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain in one limb, L5 pyramidal neurons in both sides of the ACC showed enhanced activity in the absence or presence of pain stimuli. These results reveal hyperactivity of L5 pyramidal neurons in the bilateral ACC during the development of neuropathic pain.

Ultrastructural Alterations of Von Economo Neurons in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Schizophrenia.

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Krause, Martin; Theiss, Carsten; Brüne, Martin

2017-11-01

Von Economo neurons (VENs) are large bipolar projection neurons mainly located in layer Vb of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anterior insula. Both regions are involved in cognitive and emotional procedures and are functionally and anatomically altered in schizophrenia. Although the detailed function of VEN remains unclear, it has been suggested that these neurons are involved in the pathomechanism of schizophrenia. Here, we were interested in the question whether or not the VEN of schizophrenia patients would show abnormalities at the ultrastructural level. Accordingly, we examined the amount of lysosomal aggregations of the VEN in post-mortem tissue of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychologically unaffected individuals, and compared the findings with aggregations in adjacent pyramidal cells in layer Vb of the ACC. VEN of patients with schizophrenia, and to a lesser degree individuals with bipolar disorder contained significantly more lysosomal aggregations compared with tissue from unaffected controls. Specifically, the larger amount of lysosomal aggregations in schizophrenia seemed to be selective for VEN, with no differences occurring in pyramidal cells. These findings may indicate that the VEN of schizophrenia patients are selectively vulnerable to neuronal damage. Anat Rec, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 300:2017-2024, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Combat Veterans with Comorbid PTSD and Mild TBI Exhibit a Greater Inhibitory Processing ERP from the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex

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2014-08-08

emotion processing biases in depressed undergraduates. Biological Psychology 81, 153–163. Krompinger, J.W., Simons, R.F., 2011. Cognitive inefficiency...in depressive under- graduates: stroop processing and ERPs. Biological Psychology 86, 239–246. Lanius, R.A., Vermetten, E., Loewenstein, R.J., Brand...prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate during error processing. Psychosomatic Medicine 74, 471–475. I.-W. Shu et al. / Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 224

Advance prediction of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using 99mTc-ECD SPECT brain blood flow imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawasaki, Yohsuke

2008-01-01

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is considered as a precursor state of Alzheimer disease (AD). Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) brain blood flow imaging was investigated in MCI and it's relevance to the prognosis of MCI was evaluated in an attempt define the characteristics of brain blood flow imaging of MCI (amnestic MCI; aMCI) converting to AD. Ninety-two patients over 60 years old with amnesia were studied. 99m Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) SPECT brain blood flow examinations of the subject under drug-free conditions were conducted and imaging was analyzed according to the first clinical diagnosis. Patients given a diagnosis of MCI on the first clinical diagnosis, were examined again after 2 years and the SPECT imaging before 2 years previously was classified and analyzed. Of them, there were 35 MCI patients, converting of 13 AD patients (37.1%; aMCI), 10 MCI patients (28.6%; non-converter), 4 depression patients (11.4%; Depression type MCI (dMCI)), 1 Geriatric psychosis patient, but 7 patients dropped out. In the aMCI group, relative hypoperfusion was recognized in the posterior cingulate and the precuneus. In the dMCI group, relative hypoperfusion was recognized in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the anterior cingulate. In the non-converter group, relative hypoperfusion was recognized in the basal forebrain. The hypoperfusion of the precuneus in aMCI, and the hypoperfusion of the right frontal lobe (DLPFC, dorsal-anterior cingulate) in dMCI were characteristic brain blood-flow abnormalities. We believe 99m Tc-ECD SPECT brain blood flow imaging to be useful in the diagnosis of aMCI and in the early detection of depression. (author)

Frontal and anterior cingulate activation during overt verbal fluency in patients with first episode psychosis Ativação frontal e do cíngulo anterior durante tarefa de fluência verbal em pacientes em primeiro episódio psicótico

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Maristela Schaufelberger

2005-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Functional neuroimaging studies using phonological verbal fluency tasks allow the assessment of neural circuits relevant to the neuropsychology of psychosis. There is evidence that the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus present different activation patterns in subjects with chronic schizophrenia relative to healthy controls. We assessed the functioning in these brain regions during phonological verbal fluency in subjects with recent-onset functional psychoses, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI. METHODS: Seven patients with functional psychoses (3 schizophreniform, 4 affective and 9 healthy controls were studied. We compared functional magnetic resonance images acquired during articulation of words beginning with letters classified as easy for word production in Portuguese. Statistical comparisons were performed using non-parametric tests. RESULTS: There were no differences between patients and controls in task performance. Controls showed greater activation than patients in the left rostral anterior cingulate gyrus and right inferior prefrontal cortex, whereas patients showed stronger activation than controls in a more dorsal part of the anterior cingulate gyrus bilaterally and in a more superior portion of the right prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary findings of attenuated engagement of inferior prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus in patients with recent onset psychosis during phonological verbal fluency are consistent with those of previous studies. The greater activation found in other parts of the anterior cingulate gyrus and prefrontal cortex in patients may be related to a compensatory response that is required to maintain normal task performance, and suggests a pattern of disorganized activity of different functional anterior cingulate gyrus units in association with psychotic conditions.OBJETIVO: Estudos de neuroimagem funcional empregando tarefa de fluência verbal fonol

Distributed representations of action sequences in anterior cingulate cortex: A recurrent neural network approach.

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Shahnazian, Danesh; Holroyd, Clay B

2018-02-01

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been the subject of intense debate over the past 2 decades, but its specific computational function remains controversial. Here we present a simple computational model of ACC that incorporates distributed representations across a network of interconnected processing units. Based on the proposal that ACC is concerned with the execution of extended, goal-directed action sequences, we trained a recurrent neural network to predict each successive step of several sequences associated with multiple tasks. In keeping with neurophysiological observations from nonhuman animals, the network yields distributed patterns of activity across ACC neurons that track the progression of each sequence, and in keeping with human neuroimaging data, the network produces discrepancy signals when any step of the sequence deviates from the predicted step. These simulations illustrate a novel approach for investigating ACC function.

Computational Models of Anterior Cingulate Cortex: At the Crossroads between Prediction and Effort

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Eliana Vassena

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the last two decades the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC has become one of the most investigated areas of the brain. Extensive neuroimaging evidence suggests countless functions for this region, ranging from conflict and error coding, to social cognition, pain and effortful control. In response to this burgeoning amount of data, a proliferation of computational models has tried to characterize the neurocognitive architecture of ACC. Early seminal models provided a computational explanation for a relatively circumscribed set of empirical findings, mainly accounting for EEG and fMRI evidence. More recent models have focused on ACC's contribution to effortful control. In parallel to these developments, several proposals attempted to explain within a single computational framework a wider variety of empirical findings that span different cognitive processes and experimental modalities. Here we critically evaluate these modeling attempts, highlighting the continued need to reconcile the array of disparate ACC observations within a coherent, unifying framework.

Theta–gamma coordination between anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex indexes correct attention shifts

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Voloh, Benjamin; Valiante, Taufik A.; Everling, Stefan; Womelsdorf, Thilo

2015-01-01

Anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortex (ACC/PFC) are believed to coordinate activity to flexibly prioritize the processing of goal-relevant over irrelevant information. This between-area coordination may be realized by common low-frequency excitability changes synchronizing segregated high-frequency activations. We tested this coordination hypothesis by recording in macaque ACC/PFC during the covert utilization of attention cues. We found robust increases of 5–10 Hz (theta) to 35–55 Hz (gamma) phase–amplitude correlation between ACC and PFC during successful attention shifts but not before errors. Cortical sites providing theta phases (i) showed a prominent cue-induced phase reset, (ii) were more likely in ACC than PFC, and (iii) hosted neurons with burst firing events that synchronized to distant gamma activity. These findings suggest that interareal theta–gamma correlations could follow mechanistically from a cue-triggered reactivation of rule memory that synchronizes theta across ACC/PFC. PMID:26100868

Dissociating medial frontal and posterior cingulate activity during self-reflection.

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Johnson, Marcia K; Raye, Carol L; Mitchell, Karen J; Touryan, Sharon R; Greene, Erich J; Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan

2006-06-01

Motivationally significant agendas guide perception, thought and behaviour, helping one to define a 'self' and to regulate interactions with the environment. To investigate neural correlates of thinking about such agendas, we asked participants to think about their hopes and aspirations (promotion focus) or their duties and obligations (prevention focus) during functional magnetic resonance imaging and compared these self-reflection conditions with a distraction condition in which participants thought about non-self-relevant items. Self-reflection resulted in greater activity than distraction in dorsomedial frontal/anterior cingulate cortex and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, consistent with previous findings of activity in these areas during self-relevant thought. For additional medial areas, we report new evidence of a double dissociation of function between medial prefrontal/anterior cingulate cortex, which showed relatively greater activity to thinking about hopes and aspirations, and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, which showed relatively greater activity to thinking about duties and obligations. One possibility is that activity in medial prefrontal cortex is associated with instrumental or agentic self-reflection, whereas posterior medial cortex is associated with experiential self-reflection. Another, not necessarily mutually exclusive, possibility is that medial prefrontal cortex is associated with a more inward-directed focus, while posterior cingulate is associated with a more outward-directed, social or contextual focus.

Dissociating response conflict and error likelihood in anterior cingulate cortex.

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Yeung, Nick; Nieuwenhuis, Sander

2009-11-18

Neuroimaging studies consistently report activity in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in conditions of high cognitive demand, leading to the view that ACC plays a crucial role in the control of cognitive processes. According to one prominent theory, the sensitivity of ACC to task difficulty reflects its role in monitoring for the occurrence of competition, or "conflict," between responses to signal the need for increased cognitive control. However, a contrasting theory proposes that ACC is the recipient rather than source of monitoring signals, and that ACC activity observed in relation to task demand reflects the role of this region in learning about the likelihood of errors. Response conflict and error likelihood are typically confounded, making the theories difficult to distinguish empirically. The present research therefore used detailed computational simulations to derive contrasting predictions regarding ACC activity and error rate as a function of response speed. The simulations demonstrated a clear dissociation between conflict and error likelihood: fast response trials are associated with low conflict but high error likelihood, whereas slow response trials show the opposite pattern. Using the N2 component as an index of ACC activity, an EEG study demonstrated that when conflict and error likelihood are dissociated in this way, ACC activity tracks conflict and is negatively correlated with error likelihood. These findings support the conflict-monitoring theory and suggest that, in speeded decision tasks, ACC activity reflects current task demands rather than the retrospective coding of past performance.

Longitudinal stability of the folding pattern of the anterior cingulate cortex during development

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A. Cachia

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Prenatal processes are likely critical for the differences in cognitive ability and disease risk that unfold in postnatal life. Prenatally established cortical folding patterns are increasingly studied as an adult proxy for earlier development events – under the as yet untested assumption that an individual's folding pattern is developmentally fixed. Here, we provide the first empirical test of this stability assumption using 263 longitudinally-acquired structural MRI brain scans from 75 typically developing individuals spanning ages 7 to 32 years. We focus on the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC – an intensely studied cortical region that presents two qualitatively distinct and reliably classifiable sulcal patterns with links to postnatal behavior. We show – without exception–that individual ACC sulcal patterns are fixed from childhood to adulthood, at the same time that quantitative anatomical ACC metrics are undergoing profound developmental change. Our findings buttress use of folding typology as a postnatally-stable marker for linking variations in early brain development to later neurocognitive outcomes in ex utero life.

A word expressing affective pain activates the anterior cingulate cortex in the human brain: an fMRI study.

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Osaka, Naoyuki; Osaka, Mariko; Morishita, Masanao; Kondo, Hirohito; Fukuyama, Hidenao

2004-08-12

We present an fMRI study demonstrating that an onomatopoeia word highly suggestive of subjective pain, heard by the ear, significantly activates the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) while hearing non-sense words that did not imply affective pain under the same task does not activate this area in humans. We concluded that the ACC would be a pivotal locus for perceiving affective pain evoked by an onomatopoeia word that implied affective pain closely associated with the unpleasantness of pain. We suggest that the pain affect sustained by pain unpleasantness may depend on ACC-prefrontal cortical interactions that modify cognitive evaluation of emotions associated with word-induced pain.

Occipital lobe and posterior cingulate perfusion in the prediction of dementia with Lewy body pathology in a clinical sample.

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Prosser, Angus M J; Tossici-Bolt, Livia; Kipps, Christopher M

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of occipital lobe and posterior cingulate perfusion in predicting dopamine transporter imaging outcome using a quantitative measure of analysis. In total, 99 patients with cognitive complaints who had undergone both technetium-99m-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime single-photon emission computed tomography (Tc-HMPAO SPECT) and I ioflupane (I-FP-CIT also called DaTSCAN) imaging in a dementia diagnostic center were analyzed. Measures of perfusion were calculated from HMPAO SPECT images for the medial and lateral occipital lobe, the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus and cuneus regions of interest using statistical parametric mapping 8. DaTSCAN images were quantified and specific binding ratios were calculated independent from HMPAO SPECT results. Statistical parametric mapping and tests of associations between perfusion and I-FP-CIT imaging were completed. Regions of interest on HMPAO yielded poor predictive values when used independently to predict I-FP-CIT status; however, the combination of normal posterior cingulate perfusion with medial and lateral occipital hypoperfusion was associated significantly with I-FP-CIT status, χ (1, N=99)=9.72, P=0.002. This combination also yielded a high positive likelihood ratio and specificity (11.1, 98%). Sensitivity was, however, low (22%). No significant perfusion differences were found when abnormal and normal I-FP-CIT groups were compared directly using voxel-based morphometry (Poccipital hypoperfusion with preserved posterior cingulate gyrus perfusion is highly specific for individuals with a positive I-FP-CIT scan in a clinical sample where diagnostic doubt exists. This regional combination, however, lacks sensitivity; therefore, absence of the sign cannot be used to rule out dementia with Lewy bodies. A positive finding provides strong evidence to rule in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Competition between learned reward and error outcome predictions in anterior cingulate cortex.

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Alexander, William H; Brown, Joshua W

2010-02-15

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is implicated in performance monitoring and cognitive control. Non-human primate studies of ACC show prominent reward signals, but these are elusive in human studies, which instead show mainly conflict and error effects. Here we demonstrate distinct appetitive and aversive activity in human ACC. The error likelihood hypothesis suggests that ACC activity increases in proportion to the likelihood of an error, and ACC is also sensitive to the consequence magnitude of the predicted error. Previous work further showed that error likelihood effects reach a ceiling as the potential consequences of an error increase, possibly due to reductions in the average reward. We explored this issue by independently manipulating reward magnitude of task responses and error likelihood while controlling for potential error consequences in an Incentive Change Signal Task. The fMRI results ruled out a modulatory effect of expected reward on error likelihood effects in favor of a competition effect between expected reward and error likelihood. Dynamic causal modeling showed that error likelihood and expected reward signals are intrinsic to the ACC rather than received from elsewhere. These findings agree with interpretations of ACC activity as signaling both perceptions of risk and predicted reward. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Motivation and Affective Judgments Differentially Recruit Neurons in the Primate Dorsolateral Prefrontal and Anterior Cingulate Cortex

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Amemori, Ken-ichi; Amemori, Satoko

2015-01-01

The judgment of whether to accept or to reject an offer is determined by positive and negative affect related to the offer, but affect also induces motivational responses. Rewarding and aversive cues influence the firing rates of many neurons in primate prefrontal and cingulate neocortical regions, but it still is unclear whether neurons in these regions are related to affective judgment or to motivation. To address this issue, we recorded simultaneously the neuronal spike activities of single units in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of macaque monkeys as they performed approach–avoidance (Ap–Av) and approach–approach (Ap–Ap) decision-making tasks that can behaviorally dissociate affective judgment and motivation. Notably, neurons having activity correlated with motivational condition could be distinguished from neurons having activity related to affective judgment, especially in the Ap–Av task. Although many neurons in both regions exhibited similar, selective patterns of task-related activity, we found a larger proportion of neurons activated in low motivational conditions in the dlPFC than in the ACC, and the onset of this activity was significantly earlier in the dlPFC than in the ACC. Furthermore, the temporal onsets of affective judgment represented by neuronal activities were significantly slower in the low motivational conditions than in the other conditions. These findings suggest that motivation and affective judgment both recruit dlPFC and ACC neurons but with differential degrees of involvement and timing. PMID:25653353

Perceptual load modulates anterior cingulate cortex response to threat distractors in generalized social anxiety disorder.

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Wheaton, Michael G; Fitzgerald, Daniel A; Phan, K Luan; Klumpp, Heide

2014-09-01

Generalized social anxiety disorder (gSAD) is associated with impoverished anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) engagement during attentional control. Attentional Control Theory proposes such deficiencies may be offset when demands on resources are increased to execute goals. To test the hypothesis attentional demands affect ACC response 23 patients with gSAD and 24 matched controls performed an fMRI task involving a target letter in a string of identical targets (low load) or a target letter in a mixed letter string (high load) superimposed on fearful, angry, and neutral face distractors. Regardless of load condition, groups were similar in accuracy and reaction time. Under low load gSAD patients showed deficient rostral ACC recruitment to fearful (vs. neutral) distractors. For high load, increased activation to fearful (vs. neutral) distractors was observed in gSAD suggesting a compensatory function. Results remained after controlling for group differences in depression level. Findings indicate perceptual demand modulates ACC in gSAD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age-related changes in anterior cingulate cortex glutamate in schizophrenia: A (1)H MRS Study at 7 Tesla.

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Brandt, Allison S; Unschuld, Paul G; Pradhan, Subechhya; Lim, Issel Anne L; Churchill, Gregory; Harris, Ashley D; Hua, Jun; Barker, Peter B; Ross, Christopher A; van Zijl, Peter C M; Edden, Richard A E; Margolis, Russell L

2016-04-01

The extent of age-related changes in glutamate and other neurometabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in individuals with schizophrenia remain unclear. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 7 T, which yields precise measurements of various metabolites and can distinguish glutamate from glutamine, was used to determine levels of ACC glutamate and other metabolites in 24 individuals with schizophrenia and 24 matched controls. Multiple regression analysis revealed that ACC glutamate decreased with age in patients but not controls. No changes were detected in levels of glutamine, N-acetylaspartate, N-acetylaspartylglutamic acid, myo-inositol, GABA, glutathione, total creatine, and total choline. These results suggest that age may be an important modifier of ACC glutamate in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anterior cingulate cortex-related connectivity in first-episode schizophrenia: a spectral dynamic causal modeling study with functional magnetic resonance imaging

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Long-Biao eCui

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Understanding the neural basis of schizophrenia (SZ is important for shedding light on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this mental disorder. Structural and functional alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC have been implicated in the neurobiology of SZ. However, the effective connectivity among them in SZ remains unclear. The current study investigated how neuronal pathways involving these regions were affected in first-episode SZ using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Forty-nine patients with a first-episode of psychosis and diagnosis of SZ—according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision—were studied. Fifty healthy controls (HCs were included for comparison. All subjects underwent resting state fMRI. We used spectral dynamic causal modeling (DCM to estimate directed connections among the bilateral ACC, DLPFC, hippocampus, and MPFC. We characterized the differences using Bayesian parameter averaging (BPA in addition to classical inference (t-test. In addition to common effective connectivity in these two groups, HCs displayed widespread significant connections predominantly involved in ACC not detected in SZ patients, but SZ showed few connections. Based on BPA results, SZ patients exhibited anterior cingulate cortico-prefrontal-hippocampal hyperconnectivity, as well as ACC-related and hippocampal-dorsolateral prefrontal-medial prefrontal hypoconnectivity. In summary, sDCM revealed the pattern of effective connectivity involving ACC in patients with first-episode SZ. This study provides a potential link between SZ and dysfunction of ACC, creating an ideal situation to associate mechanisms behind SZ with aberrant connectivity among these cognition and emotion-related regions.

The role of the anterior cingulate cortex in women's sexual decision making.

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Rupp, Heather A; James, Thomas W; Ketterson, Ellen D; Sengelaub, Dale R; Janssen, Erick; Heiman, Julia R

2009-01-02

Women's sexual decision making is a complex process balancing the potential rewards of conception and pleasure against the risks of possible low paternal care or sexually transmitted infection. Although neural processes underlying social decision making are suggested to overlap with those involved in economic decision making, the neural systems associated with women's sexual decision making are unknown. Using fMRI, we measured the brain activation of 12 women while they viewed photos of men's faces. Face stimuli were accompanied by information regarding each man's potential risk as a sexual partner, indicated by a written description of the man's number of previous sexual partners and frequency of condom use. Participants were asked to evaluate how likely they would be to have sex with the man depicted. Women reported that they would be more likely to have sex with low compared to high risk men. Stimuli depicting low risk men also elicited stronger activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), midbrain, and intraparietal sulcus, possibly reflecting an influence of sexual risk on women's attraction, arousal, and attention during their sexual decision making. Activation in the ACC was positively correlated with women's subjective evaluations of sex likelihood and response times during their evaluations of high, but not low risk men. These findings provide evidence that neural systems involved in sexual decision making in women overlap with those described previously to underlie nonsexual decision making.

Regional Cerebral Blood Flow and Executive Control Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia : A Combined fMRI and SPECT Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rimbu, A.; Guyot, M.; Allard, M.; Amieva, H.; Fabrigoulle, C.

2006-01-01

Full text: Introduction: Every motor act requires a fine tuned balance between initiatory and inhibitory processes in order to provide appropriate preparation, initiation, on-line control and timely inhibition of this act. A decline of executive control seems to occur early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). Purpose: To investigate the relationship between Go/noGo activation pattern (executive function task) and regional cerebral flow in AD and FTD patients using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), SPECT and statistical parametric mapping (SPM99). Material and methods: fMRI data during Go/noGo task (that required response inhibition) and rCBF SPECT were performed from twelve AD patients (mean age 70), seven FTD patients (mean age 68) and twelve healthy elderly controls (mean age 72).The cognitive decline was measured using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). All patients presented a MMSE score > 17 and healthy elderly controls > 25. SPECT imaging was performed 1 hour post-injection of 740 MBq Tc-99m HMPAO, using a dual-head gamma camera, according to standard protocols. Go/noGo task, in which a motor response to a visual stimulus had to be executed or inhibited, consisted of 7 interleaved rest and activation periods (30s each). Activation periods consisted of randomized presentation of red full circle (Go trials, 75%) and blue full triangle (NoGo trials, 25%). Results: All AD and FTD patients as well as controls performed well the Go/noGo task, making few commission and omission errors. The correlation of neural brain activation related to response inhibition and competition and temporal hypoperfusion degree in AD and FTD patients was studies. A significant correlation was observed, for AD patients in: bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (BA32), right insula (BA13), right middle frontal gyrus (BA9), right precuneus (BA31), right posterior cingulate (BA23), bilateral cuneus (BA18), right thalamus and for FTD

The beneficial effects of meditation: contribution of the anterior cingulate and locus coeruleus

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Nancy Alker Craigmyle

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract During fMRI studies of meditation the cortical salience detecting and executive networks become active during awareness of mind wandering, shifting and sustained attention. The anterior cingulate (AC is activated during awareness of mind wandering.The AC modulates both the peripheral sympathetic nervous system (SNS and the central locus coeruleus (LC norepinephrine systems, which form the principal neuromodulatory system, regulating in multiple ways both neuronal and non-neuronal cells to maximize adaptation in changing environments. The LC is the primary source of central norepinephrine (C-NE and nearly the exclusive source of cortical norepinephrine. Normally activated by novel or salient stimuli, the AC initially inhibits the SNS reflexively, lowering peripheral norepinephrine (P-NE and activates the LC, increasing C-NE.Moderate levels of C-NE enhance working memory through alpha 2 adrenergic receptors, while higher levels of C-NE, acting on alpha 1 and beta receptors, enhance other executive network functions such as the stopping of ongoing behavior, attentional set shifting and sustained attention. The actions of the AC on both the central and peripheral noradrenergic systems are implicated in the beneficial effects of meditation. This paper will explore some of the known functions and interrelationships of the AC, SNS and LC with respect to their possible relevance to meditation.

Anterior cingulate cortex supports effort allocation towards a qualitatively preferred option.

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Hart, Evan E; Gerson, Julian O; Zoken, Yael; Garcia, Marisella; Izquierdo, Alicia

2017-07-01

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is known to be involved in effortful choice, yet its role in cost-benefit evaluation of qualitatively different rewards (more/less preferred), beyond magnitude differences (larger/smaller), is poorly understood. Selecting between qualitatively different options is a decision type commonly faced by humans. Here, we assessed the role of ACC on a task that has primarily been used to probe striatal function in motivation. Rats were trained to stable performance on a progressive ratio schedule for sucrose pellets and were then given sham surgeries (control) or excitotoxic NMDA lesions of ACC. Subsequently, a choice was introduced: chow was concurrently available while animals could work for the preferred sucrose pellets. ACC lesions produced a significant decrease in lever presses for sucrose pellets compared to control, whereas chow consumption was unaffected. Lesions had no effect on sucrose pellet preference when both options were freely available. When laboratory chow was not concurrently available, ACC-lesioned rats exhibited similar lever pressing as controls. During a test under specific satiety for sucrose pellets, ACC-lesioned rats also showed intact devaluation effects. The effects of ACC lesions in our task are not mediated by decreased appetite, a change in food preference, a failure to update value or a learning deficit. Taken together, we found that ACC lesions decreased effort for a qualitatively preferred option. These results are discussed with reference to effects of striatal manipulations and our recent report of a role for basolateral amygdala in effortful choice. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Emotional conflict and neuroticism: personality-dependent activation in the amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate.

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Haas, Brian W; Omura, Kazufumi; Constable, R Todd; Canli, Turhan

2007-04-01

The amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate (AC) have been associated with anxiety and mood disorders, for which trait neuroticism is a risk factor. Prior work has not related individual differences in amygdala or subgenual AC activation with neuroticism. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate changes in blood oxygen level-dependent signal within the amygdala and subgenual AC associated with trait neuroticism in a nonclinical sample of 36 volunteers during an emotional conflict task. Neuroticism correlated positively with amygdala and subgenual AC activation during trials of high emotional conflict, compared with trials of low emotional conflict. The subscale of neuroticism that reflected the anxious form of neuroticism (N1) explained a greater proportion of variance within the observed clusters than the subscale of neuroticism that reflected the depressive form of neuroticism (N3). Using a task that is sensitive to individual differences in the detection of emotional conflict, the authors have provided a neural correlate of the link between neuroticism and anxiety and mood disorders. This effect was driven to a greater extent by the anxious relative to the depressive characteristics of neuroticism and may constitute vulnerability markers for anxiety-related disorders. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved

Conflict-related activity in the caudal anterior cingulate cortex in the absence of awareness

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Ursu, Stefan; Clark, Kristi A.; Aizenstein, Howard J.; Stenger, V. Andrew; Carter, Cameron S.

2009-01-01

The caudal anterior cingulate cortex (cACC) is thought to be involved in performance monitoring, as conflict and error-related activity frequently co-localize in this area. Recent results suggest that these effects may be differentially modulated by awareness. To clarify the role of awareness in performance monitoring by the cACC, we used rapid event-related fMRI to examine the cACC activity while subjects performed a dual task: a delayed recognition task and a serial response task (SRT) with an implicit probabilistic learning rule (i.e. the stimulus location followed a probabilistic sequence of which the subjects were unaware). Task performance confirmed that the location sequence was learned implicitly. Even though we found no evidence of awareness for the presence of the sequence, imaging data revealed increased cACC activity during correct trials which violated the sequence (high conflict), relative to trials when stimuli followed the sequence (low conflict). Errors made with awareness also activated the same brain region. These results suggest that the performance monitoring function of the cACC extends beyond detection of errors made with or without awareness, and involves detection of multiple responses even when they are outside of awareness. PMID:19026710

The political (and physiological) divide: Political orientation, performance monitoring, and the anterior cingulate response.

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Weissflog, Meghan; Choma, Becky L; Dywan, Jane; van Noordt, Stefon J R; Segalowitz, Sidney J

2013-01-01

Our goal was to test a model of sociopolitical attitudes that posits a relationship between individual differences in liberal versus conservative political orientation and differential levels of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) responsivity. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) while participants who varied along a unidimensional liberal-conservative continuum engaged in a standard Go/NoGo task. We also measured component attitudes of political orientation in the form of traditionalism (degree of openness to social change) and egalitarianism (a preference for social equality). Generally, participants who reported a more liberal political orientation made fewer errors and produced larger ACC-generated ERPs (the error-related negativity, or ERN and the NoGo N2). This ACC activation, especially as indicated by a larger NoGo N2, was most strongly associated with greater preference for social equality. Performance accuracy, however, was most strongly associated with greater openness to social change. These data are consistent with a social neuroscience view that sociopolitical attitudes are related to aspects of neurophysiological responsivity. They also indicate that a bidimensional model of political orientation can enhance our interpretation of the nature of these associations.

Impaired cognitive control and reduced cingulate activity during mental fatigue

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lorist, M.M.; Boksem, M.A.S.; Ridderinkhof, K.R.

2005-01-01

Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of mental fatigue are poorly understood. Here, we examined whether error-related brain activity, indexing performance monitoring by the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and strategic behavioural adjustments were modulated by mental fatigue, as induced

Impaired cognitive control and reduced cingulate activity during mental fatigue

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lorist, MM; Boksem, MAS; Ridderinkhof, KR

Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of mental fatigue are poorly understood. Here, we examined whether error-related brain activity, indexing performance monitoring by the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and strategic behavioural adjustments were modulated by mental fatigue, as induced

Neurocognitive and neuroinflammatory correlates of PDYN and OPRK1 mRNA expression in the anterior cingulate in postmortem brain of HIV-infected subjects.

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Yuferov, Vadim; Butelman, Eduardo R; Ho, Ann; Morgello, Susan; Kreek, Mary Jeanne

2014-01-09

Chronic inflammation may contribute to neuropsychological impairments in individuals with HIV, and modulation of this inflammatory response by opiate receptor ligands is important in light of the prevalence of drug use in HIV populations. Exogenous MOR and KOR agonists have differential effects on central nervous system (CNS) immunity and, while some data suggest KOR agonists are immunosuppressive, the KOR agonist dynorphin has been shown to stimulate human monocyte chemotaxis. In this study, we examined mRNA levels of endogenous opioid receptors OPRK1 and OPRM1, prodynorphin (PDYN), macrophage scavenger receptor CD163, and microglia/macrophage marker CD68 in the caudate and anterior cingulate of postmortem brains from HIV-positive and HIV-negative subjects. Brain tissues of HIV-infected (n = 24) and control subjects (n = 15) were obtained from the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank. Quantification of the gene mRNA was performed using SYBR Green RT-PCR. CD68 and CD163 were increased in HIV-positive (HIV+) compared to HIV-negative (HIV-) individuals in both brain regions. There were higher OPRK1 (P <0.005), and lower PDYN mRNA (P <0.005) levels in the anterior cingulate of HIV+ compared to HIV- subjects. This difference between the clinical groups was not found in the caudate. There was no difference in the levels of OPRM1 mRNA between HIV+ and HIV- subjects. Using linear regression analysis, we examined the relationship of OPRK1 and PDYN mRNA levels in the HIV+ subjects with seven cognitive domain T scores of a neuropsychological test battery. Within the HIV+ subjects, there was a positive correlation between anterior cingulate PDYN mRNA levels and better T-scores in the motor domain. Within the HIV+ subjects there were also positive correlations of both OPRK1 and PDYN mRNA levels with the anti-inflammatory marker CD163, but not with proinflammatory CD68 levels. In this setting, decreased PDYN mRNA may reflect a homeostatic mechanism to reduce monocyte

Early-stage differentiation between presenile Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia using arterial spin labeling MRI

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Steketee, Rebecca M.E.; Meijboom, Rozanna; Lugt, Aad van der; Smits, Marion [Erasmus MC - University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Bron, Esther E.; Klein, Stefan [Erasmus MC - University Medical Center, Biomedical Imaging Group Rotterdam, Departments of Medical Informatics and Radiology, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Houston, Gavin C. [GE Healthcare, Hatfield (United Kingdom); Mutsaerts, Henri J.M.M. [Academic Medical Center, Department of Radiology, PO Box 22660, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Mendez Orellana, Carolina P. [Erasmus MC - University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Erasmus MC - University Medical Center, Department of Neurology, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Jong, Frank Jan de; Swieten, John C. van [Erasmus MC - University Medical Center, Department of Neurology, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

2016-01-15

To investigate arterial spin labeling (ASL)-MRI for the early diagnosis of and differentiation between the two most common types of presenile dementia: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and for distinguishing age-related from pathological perfusion changes. Thirteen AD and 19 FTD patients, and 25 age-matched older and 22 younger controls underwent 3D pseudo-continuous ASL-MRI at 3 T. Gray matter (GM) volume and cerebral blood flow (CBF), corrected for partial volume effects, were quantified in the entire supratentorial cortex and in 10 GM regions. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic performance were evaluated in regions showing significant CBF differences between patient groups or between patients and older controls. AD compared with FTD patients had hypoperfusion in the posterior cingulate cortex, differentiating these with a diagnostic performance of 74 %. Compared to older controls, FTD patients showed hypoperfusion in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas AD patients showed a more widespread regional hypoperfusion as well as atrophy. Regional atrophy was not different between AD and FTD. Diagnostic performance of ASL to differentiate AD or FTD from controls was good (78-85 %). Older controls showed global hypoperfusion compared to young controls. ASL-MRI contributes to early diagnosis of and differentiation between presenile AD and FTD. (orig.)

Early-stage differentiation between presenile Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia using arterial spin labeling MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steketee, Rebecca M.E.; Meijboom, Rozanna; Lugt, Aad van der; Smits, Marion; Bron, Esther E.; Klein, Stefan; Houston, Gavin C.; Mutsaerts, Henri J.M.M.; Mendez Orellana, Carolina P.; Jong, Frank Jan de; Swieten, John C. van

2016-01-01

To investigate arterial spin labeling (ASL)-MRI for the early diagnosis of and differentiation between the two most common types of presenile dementia: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and for distinguishing age-related from pathological perfusion changes. Thirteen AD and 19 FTD patients, and 25 age-matched older and 22 younger controls underwent 3D pseudo-continuous ASL-MRI at 3 T. Gray matter (GM) volume and cerebral blood flow (CBF), corrected for partial volume effects, were quantified in the entire supratentorial cortex and in 10 GM regions. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic performance were evaluated in regions showing significant CBF differences between patient groups or between patients and older controls. AD compared with FTD patients had hypoperfusion in the posterior cingulate cortex, differentiating these with a diagnostic performance of 74 %. Compared to older controls, FTD patients showed hypoperfusion in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas AD patients showed a more widespread regional hypoperfusion as well as atrophy. Regional atrophy was not different between AD and FTD. Diagnostic performance of ASL to differentiate AD or FTD from controls was good (78-85 %). Older controls showed global hypoperfusion compared to young controls. ASL-MRI contributes to early diagnosis of and differentiation between presenile AD and FTD. (orig.)

Decision Making in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART): Anterior Cingulate Cortex Signals Loss-Aversion but not the Infrequency of Risky Choices

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Fukunaga, Rena; Brown, Joshua W.; Bogg, Tim

2012-01-01

The inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula (IFG/AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are key regions involved in risk appraisal during decision making, but accounts of how these regions contribute to decision-making under risk remain contested. To help clarify the roles of these and other related regions, we used a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (Lejuez et al., 2002) to distinguish between decision-making and feedback-related processes when participants decided to pursue a gain as the probability of loss increased parametrically. Specifically, we set out to test whether ACC and IFG/AI regions correspond to loss-aversion at the time of decision making in a way that is not confounded with either reward-seeking or infrequency effects. When participants chose to discontinue inflating the balloon (win option), we observed greater ACC and mainly bilateral IFG/AI activity at the time of decision as the probability of explosion increased, consistent with increased loss-aversion but inconsistent with an infrequency effect. In contrast, we found robust vmPFC activity when participants chose to continue inflating the balloon (risky option), consistent with reward-seeking. However, in the cingulate and mainly bilateral IFG regions, BOLD activation decreased when participants chose to inflate the balloon as the probability of explosion increased, findings consistent with a reduced loss-aversion signal. Our results highlight the existence of distinct reward-seeking and loss-averse signals during decision-making, as well as the importance of distinguishing decision and feedback signals. PMID:22707378

Decision making in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART): anterior cingulate cortex signals loss aversion but not the infrequency of risky choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukunaga, Rena; Brown, Joshua W; Bogg, Tim

2012-09-01

The inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula (IFG/AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are key regions involved in risk appraisal during decision making, but accounts of how these regions contribute to decision making under risk remain contested. To help clarify the roles of these and other related regions, we used a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (Lejuez et al., Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8, 75-84, 2002) to distinguish between decision-making and feedback-related processes when participants decided to pursue a gain as the probability of loss increased parametrically. Specifically, we set out to test whether the ACC and IFG/AI regions correspond to loss aversion at the time of decision making in a way that is not confounded with either reward-seeking or infrequency effects. When participants chose to discontinue inflating the balloon (win option), we observed greater ACC and mainly bilateral IFG/AI activity at the time of decision as the probability of explosion increased, consistent with increased loss aversion but inconsistent with an infrequency effect. In contrast, we found robust vmPFC activity when participants chose to continue inflating the balloon (risky option), consistent with reward seeking. However, in the cingulate and in mainly bilateral IFG regions, blood-oxygenation-level-dependent activation decreased when participants chose to inflate the balloon as the probability of explosion increased, findings that are consistent with a reduced loss aversion signal. Our results highlight the existence of distinct reward-seeking and loss-averse signals during decision making, as well as the importance of distinguishing between decision and feedback signals.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex Contributes to Alcohol Withdrawal- Induced and Socially Transferred Hyperalgesia.

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Smith, Monique L; Walcott, Andre T; Heinricher, Mary M; Ryabinin, Andrey E

2017-01-01

Pain is often described as a "biopsychosocial" process, yet social influences on pain and underlying neural mechanisms are only now receiving significant experimental attention. Expression of pain by one individual can be communicated to nearby individuals by auditory, visual, and olfactory cues. Conversely, the perception of another's pain can lead to physiological and behavioral changes in the observer, which can include induction of hyperalgesia in "bystanders" exposed to "primary" conspecifics in which hyperalgesia has been induced directly. The current studies were designed to investigate the neural mechanisms responsible for the social transfer of hyperalgesia in bystander mice housed and tested with primary mice in which hyperalgesia was induced using withdrawal (WD) from voluntary alcohol consumption. Male C57BL/6J mice undergoing WD from a two-bottle choice voluntary alcohol-drinking procedure served as the primary mice. Mice housed in the same room served as bystanders. Naïve, water-drinking controls were housed in a separate room. Immunohistochemical mapping identified significantly enhanced Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula (INS) of bystander mice compared to naïve controls, and in the dorsal medial hypothalamus (DMH) of primary mice. Chemogenetic inactivation of the ACC but not primary somatosensory cortex reversed the expression of hyperalgesia in both primary and bystander mice. These studies point to an overlapping neural substrate for expression of socially transferred hyperalgesia and that expressed during alcohol WD.

Spatiotemporal Spike Coding of Behavioral Adaptation in the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex.

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Laureline Logiaco

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The frontal cortex controls behavioral adaptation in environments governed by complex rules. Many studies have established the relevance of firing rate modulation after informative events signaling whether and how to update the behavioral policy. However, whether the spatiotemporal features of these neuronal activities contribute to encoding imminent behavioral updates remains unclear. We investigated this issue in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC of monkeys while they adapted their behavior based on their memory of feedback from past choices. We analyzed spike trains of both single units and pairs of simultaneously recorded neurons using an algorithm that emulates different biologically plausible decoding circuits. This method permits the assessment of the performance of both spike-count and spike-timing sensitive decoders. In response to the feedback, single neurons emitted stereotypical spike trains whose temporal structure identified informative events with higher accuracy than mere spike count. The optimal decoding time scale was in the range of 70-200 ms, which is significantly shorter than the memory time scale required by the behavioral task. Importantly, the temporal spiking patterns of single units were predictive of the monkeys' behavioral response time. Furthermore, some features of these spiking patterns often varied between jointly recorded neurons. All together, our results suggest that dACC drives behavioral adaptation through complex spatiotemporal spike coding. They also indicate that downstream networks, which decode dACC feedback signals, are unlikely to act as mere neural integrators.

Spatiotemporal Spike Coding of Behavioral Adaptation in the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Logiaco, Laureline; Quilodran, René; Procyk, Emmanuel; Arleo, Angelo

2015-08-01

The frontal cortex controls behavioral adaptation in environments governed by complex rules. Many studies have established the relevance of firing rate modulation after informative events signaling whether and how to update the behavioral policy. However, whether the spatiotemporal features of these neuronal activities contribute to encoding imminent behavioral updates remains unclear. We investigated this issue in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) of monkeys while they adapted their behavior based on their memory of feedback from past choices. We analyzed spike trains of both single units and pairs of simultaneously recorded neurons using an algorithm that emulates different biologically plausible decoding circuits. This method permits the assessment of the performance of both spike-count and spike-timing sensitive decoders. In response to the feedback, single neurons emitted stereotypical spike trains whose temporal structure identified informative events with higher accuracy than mere spike count. The optimal decoding time scale was in the range of 70-200 ms, which is significantly shorter than the memory time scale required by the behavioral task. Importantly, the temporal spiking patterns of single units were predictive of the monkeys' behavioral response time. Furthermore, some features of these spiking patterns often varied between jointly recorded neurons. All together, our results suggest that dACC drives behavioral adaptation through complex spatiotemporal spike coding. They also indicate that downstream networks, which decode dACC feedback signals, are unlikely to act as mere neural integrators.

Assessing the Molecular Genetics of the Development of Executive Attention in Children: Focus on Genetic Pathways Related to the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Dopamine

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Brocki, Karin; Clerkin, Suzanne M.; Guise, Kevin G.; Fan, Jin; Fossella, John A.

2009-01-01

It is well-known that children show gradual and protracted improvement in an array of behaviors involved in the conscious control of thought and emotion. Non-invasive neuroimaging in developing populations has revealed many neural correlates of behavior, particularly in the developing cingulate cortex and fronto-striatal circuits. These brain regions, themselves, undergo protracted molecular and cellular change in the first two decades of human development and, as such, are ideal regions of interest for cognitive- and imaging-genetic studies that seek to link processes at the biochemical and synaptic levels to brain activity and behavior. We review our research to-date that employs both adult and child-friendly versions of the Attention Network Task (ANT) in an effort to begin to describe the role of specific genes in the assembly of a functional attention system. Presently, we constrain our predictions for genetic association studies by focusing on the role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and of dopamine in the development of executive attention. PMID:19344637

Regional cerebral blood flow abnormalities in late-life depression. Relation to refractoriness and chronification

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Awata, Shuichi; Konno, Michiko; Sato, Mitsumoto [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). School of Medicine; Ito, Hiroshi; Ono, Shuichi; Kawashima, Ryuta; Fukuda, Hiroshi

1998-02-01

We examined patterns of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) abnormalities in 18 patients with major depressive disorder in late life using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and {sup 99m}Tc-hexamethyl-propylenamine oxime ({sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO). Compared with 13 age-matched controls, relative rCBF was significantly decreased bilaterally in the anterior cingulate gyrus, the prefrontal cortex, the temporal cortex, the parietal cortex, the hippocampus and the caudate nucleus. However, it was not correlated with the severity of depression or global cognitive dysfunction. In 10 patients with a prolonged depressive episode or prolonged residual symptoms (the refractory subgroup), robust and extensive decreases in rCBF were found compared with controls and the rCBF decreased significantly in the anterior cingulate gyrus and the prefrontal cortex compared with that in the non-refractory subgroup. In the non-reflactory subgroup, rCBF decreased significantly in the caudate nucleus and tended to decrease in the anterior cingulate gyrus compared with controls. These findings indicate that dysfunction of the limbic system, the cerebral association cortex and the caudate nucleus may be implicated in late-life depression and that robust and extensive hypoperfusion, especially in the anterior cingulate and the prefrontal regions, may relate to refractoriness or chronification of depression. (author). 60 refs.

Regional cerebral blood flow abnormalities in late-life depression. Relation to refractoriness and chronification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awata, Shuichi; Konno, Michiko; Sato, Mitsumoto; Ito, Hiroshi; Ono, Shuichi; Kawashima, Ryuta; Fukuda, Hiroshi

1998-01-01

We examined patterns of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) abnormalities in 18 patients with major depressive disorder in late life using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 99m Tc-hexamethyl-propylenamine oxime ( 99m Tc-HMPAO). Compared with 13 age-matched controls, relative rCBF was significantly decreased bilaterally in the anterior cingulate gyrus, the prefrontal cortex, the temporal cortex, the parietal cortex, the hippocampus and the caudate nucleus. However, it was not correlated with the severity of depression or global cognitive dysfunction. In 10 patients with a prolonged depressive episode or prolonged residual symptoms (the refractory subgroup), robust and extensive decreases in rCBF were found compared with controls and the rCBF decreased significantly in the anterior cingulate gyrus and the prefrontal cortex compared with that in the non-refractory subgroup. In the non-reflactory subgroup, rCBF decreased significantly in the caudate nucleus and tended to decrease in the anterior cingulate gyrus compared with controls. These findings indicate that dysfunction of the limbic system, the cerebral association cortex and the caudate nucleus may be implicated in late-life depression and that robust and extensive hypoperfusion, especially in the anterior cingulate and the prefrontal regions, may relate to refractoriness or chronification of depression. (author). 60 refs

From Thirst to Satiety: The Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex and Right Posterior Insula Indicate Dynamic Changes in Incentive Value

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Christoph A. Becker

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The cingulate cortex and insula are among the neural structures whose activations have been modulated in functional imaging studies examining discrete states of thirst and drinking to satiation. Building upon these findings, the present study aimed to identify neural structures that change their pattern of activation elicited by water held in the mouth in relation to the internal body state, i.e., proportional to continuous water consumption. Accordingly, participants in a thirsty state were scanned while receiving increments of water until satiety was reached. As expected, fluid ingestion led to a clear decrease in self-reported thirst and the pleasantness ratings of the water ingested. Furthermore, linear decreases in the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD response to water ingestion were observed in the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC and right posterior insula as participants shifted towards the non-thirsty state. In addition, regions in the superior temporal gyrus (STG, supplementary motor area (SMA, superior parietal lobule (SPL, precuneus and calcarine sulcus also showed a linear decrease with increasing fluid consumption. Further analyses related single trial BOLD responses of associated regions to trial-by-trial ratings of thirst and pleasantness. Overall, the aMCC and posterior insula may be key sites of a neural network representing the motivation for drinking based on the dynamic integration of internal state and external stimuli.

Emotion triggers executive attention: anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala responses to emotional words in a conflict task.

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Kanske, Philipp; Kotz, Sonja A

2011-02-01

Coherent behavior depends on attentional control that detects and resolves conflict between opposing actions. The current functional magnetic resonance imaging study tested the hypothesis that emotion triggers attentional control to speed up conflict processing in particularly salient situations. Therefore, we presented emotionally negative and neutral words in a version of the flanker task. In response to conflict, we found activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and of the amygdala for emotional stimuli. When emotion and conflict coincided, a region in the ventral ACC was activated, which resulted in faster conflict processing in reaction times. Emotion also increased functional connectivity between the ventral ACC and activation of the dorsal ACC and the amygdala in conflict trials. These data suggest that the ventral ACC integrates emotion and conflict and prioritizes the processing of conflict in emotional trials. This adaptive mechanism ensures rapid detection and resolution of conflict in potentially threatening situations signaled by emotional stimuli. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Determinants of the distribution and severity of hypoperfusion in patients with ischemic stroke.

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Bang, O Y; Saver, J L; Alger, J R; Starkman, S; Ovbiagele, B; Liebeskind, D S

2008-11-25

In acute cerebral ischemia, two variables characterize the extent of hypoperfusion: the volume of hypoperfused tissue and the intensity of hypoperfusion within these regions. We evaluated the determinants of the intensity of hypoperfusion within oligemic regions among patients who were eligible for recanalization therapy for acute ischemic stroke. We analyzed data, including pretreatment diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion-weighted imaging, on 119 patients with acute middle cerebral artery infarctions. The intensity of hypoperfusion within oligemic regions was characterized by the hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR), defined as the volume of tissue with severe hypoperfusion (Tmax > or = 8 seconds) divided by the volume of tissue with any hypoperfusion (Tmax > or = 2 seconds). Based on the DWI data, we divided the patients into four stroke phenotypes: large cortical, small (< 1 cm diameter) cortical, border-zone, and deep pattern. The mean (SD) volume of severe hypoperfusion was 54.6 (52.5) mL, and that of any hypoperfusion was 140.8 (81.3) mL. The HIR ranged widely, from 0.002 to 0.974, with a median of 0.35 (interquartile range 0.13-0.60). The volume of any hypoperfusion did not predict the intensity of hypoperfusion within the affected region (r = 0.10, p = 0.284). Angiographic collateral flow grade was associated with HIRs (p value for trend = 0.019) and differed among DWI lesion patterns. In multivariate analysis, diastolic pressure on admission (odds ratio 0.959, 95% CI 0.922-0.998) and DWI pattern of deep infarcts (odds ratio 18.004 compared with large cortical pattern, 95% CI 1.855-173.807) were independently associated with a low HIR. The intensity of hypoperfusion within an oligemic field is largely independent of the size of the oligemia region. Predictors of lesser intensity of hypoperfusion are lower diastolic blood pressure and presence of a deep diffusion-weighted imaging lesion pattern.

Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT in patients with traumatic brain injury: evaluating distribution of hypoperfusion and assessment of cognitive and behavioral impairment in relation to thalamic hypoperfusion

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Park, Soon Ah; Lim, Seok Tae; Sohn, Myung Hee [College of Medicine, Chonbuk National Univ., Chonju (Korea, Republic of)

2000-12-01

We evaluated the distribution of hypoperfusion in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the relationship of thalamic hypoperfusion to severity of cognitive and behavioral sequelae. Tc-99m ECD SPECT and MRI were performed in 103 patients (M/F=81/22, mean age 34.7{+-} 15.4 yrs) from 0.5 to 55 months (mean 10.3 months) after TBI. The patients were divided into three groups showing no abnormalities (G1), focal (G2) and diffuse injury (G3) on MRI. Psychometric tests assessed 11 cognitive or behavioral items. In all patients, we evaluated the distribution of hypoperfused areas in SPECT, and in 57/103 patients, neuropsychological (NP) abnormalities in patients with thalamic hypoperfusion were compared with those of patients without thalamic hypoperfusion. The perfusion dificits were most frequently located in the frontal lobe (G1, 42.3%: G2 34.5%: G3 33.3%), temporal lobe (24{approx}26%) thalami (21{approx}22.4%), parietal and occipital lobe ({<=}10%). Numbers of NP abnormalities in the cases of cortical hypoperfusion with or without concomitant thalamic hypoperfusion were following: the former 4.7{+-}1.5 and the latter 3.2{+-}1.4 in G1, 5.0{+-}1.1 and 4.8{+-}1.2 in G2, 6.8{+-}1.8 and 6.3{+-}1.1 in G3, respectively. This difference according to thalamic hypoperfusion was significant in G1 (p=0.002), but was not significant in G2 or G3. SPECT in patients with TBI had demonstrated hypoperfusion mostly involving the frontal, temporal and thalami. In normal group on MRI, frontal hypoperfusion was more prominent than that of any other group, Furthermore in this group, SPECT could predict severity of NP outcome by concomitant thalamic hypoperfusion with cerebral cortical abnormalities.

Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT in patients with traumatic brain injury: evaluating distribution of hypoperfusion and assessment of cognitive and behavioral impairment in relation to thalamic hypoperfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Soon Ah; Lim, Seok Tae; Sohn, Myung Hee

2000-01-01

We evaluated the distribution of hypoperfusion in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the relationship of thalamic hypoperfusion to severity of cognitive and behavioral sequelae. Tc-99m ECD SPECT and MRI were performed in 103 patients (M/F=81/22, mean age 34.7± 15.4 yrs) from 0.5 to 55 months (mean 10.3 months) after TBI. The patients were divided into three groups showing no abnormalities (G1), focal (G2) and diffuse injury (G3) on MRI. Psychometric tests assessed 11 cognitive or behavioral items. In all patients, we evaluated the distribution of hypoperfused areas in SPECT, and in 57/103 patients, neuropsychological (NP) abnormalities in patients with thalamic hypoperfusion were compared with those of patients without thalamic hypoperfusion. The perfusion dificits were most frequently located in the frontal lobe (G1, 42.3%: G2 34.5%: G3 33.3%), temporal lobe (24∼26%) thalami (21∼22.4%), parietal and occipital lobe (≤10%). Numbers of NP abnormalities in the cases of cortical hypoperfusion with or without concomitant thalamic hypoperfusion were following: the former 4.7±1.5 and the latter 3.2±1.4 in G1, 5.0±1.1 and 4.8±1.2 in G2, 6.8±1.8 and 6.3±1.1 in G3, respectively. This difference according to thalamic hypoperfusion was significant in G1 (p=0.002), but was not significant in G2 or G3. SPECT in patients with TBI had demonstrated hypoperfusion mostly involving the frontal, temporal and thalami. In normal group on MRI, frontal hypoperfusion was more prominent than that of any other group, Furthermore in this group, SPECT could predict severity of NP outcome by concomitant thalamic hypoperfusion with cerebral cortical abnormalities

Treatment effects on insular and anterior cingulate cortex activation during classic and emotional Stroop interference in child abuse-related complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Thomaes, K; Dorrepaal, E; Draijer, N; de Ruiter, M B; Elzinga, B M; van Balkom, A J; Smit, J H; Veltman, D J

2012-11-01

Functional neuroimaging studies have shown increased Stroop interference coupled with altered anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula activation in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These brain areas are associated with error detection and emotional arousal. There is some evidence that treatment can normalize these activation patterns. At baseline, we compared classic and emotional Stroop performance and blood oxygenation level-dependent responses (functional magnetic resonance imaging) of 29 child abuse-related complex PTSD patients with 22 non-trauma-exposed healthy controls. In 16 of these patients, we studied treatment effects of psycho-educational and cognitive behavioural stabilizing group treatment (experimental treatment; EXP) added to treatment as usual (TAU) versus TAU only, and correlations with clinical improvement. At baseline, complex PTSD patients showed a trend for increased left anterior insula and dorsal ACC activation in the classic Stroop task. Only EXP patients showed decreased dorsal ACC and left anterior insula activation after treatment. In the emotional Stroop contrasts, clinical improvement was associated with decreased dorsal ACC activation and decreased left anterior insula activation. We found further evidence that successful treatment in child abuse-related complex PTSD is associated with functional changes in the ACC and insula, which may be due to improved selective attention and lower emotional arousal, indicating greater cognitive control over PTSD symptoms.

Limbic system perfusion in Alzheimer's disease measured by MRI-coregistered HMPAO SPET

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Callen, David J.A.; Black, Sandra E.; Caldwell, Curtis B.

2002-01-01

The goal of this study was to perform a systematic, semi-quantitative analysis of limbic perfusion in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) using coregistered single-photon emission tomography (SPET) images aligned to magnetic resonance (MR) images. Limbic perfusion in 40 patients with mild to moderate AD was compared with that of 17 age-, sex-, and education-matched normal controls (NC). HMPAO SPET scans and 3D T1-weighted MR images were acquired for each subject. Structures of the limbic system (i.e. hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamus, hypothalamus, mamillary bodies, basal forebrain, septal area and cingulate, orbitofrontal and parahippocampal cortices) were traced on the MR images and transferred to the coregistered SPET scans. Perfusion ratios for all limbic regions were calculated relative to cerebellar perfusion. General linear model multivariate analysis revealed that, overall, limbic structures showed significant hypoperfusion (F=7.802, P 2 =0.695) in AD patients compared with NC. Greatest differences (d≥0.8) were found in the hippocampus, as well as all areas of the cingulate cortex. Significant relative hypoperfusion was also apparent in the parahippocampal cortex, amygdala/entorhinal cortex, septal area and anterior thalamus, all of which showed medium to large effect sizes (d=0.6-0.8). No significant relative perfusion differences were detected in the basal forebrain, hypothalamus, mamillary bodies or orbitofrontal cortex. Logistic regression indicated that posterior cingulate cortex perfusion was able to discriminate AD patients from NC with 93% accuracy (95% sensitivity, 88% specificity). The current results suggest that most, but not all, limbic structures show significant relative hypoperfusion in AD. These findings validate previous post-mortem studies and could be useful in improving diagnostic accuracy, monitoring disease progression and evaluating potential treatment strategies in AD. (orig.)

Limbic system perfusion in Alzheimer's disease measured by MRI-coregistered HMPAO SPET

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Callen, David J.A. [Institute of Medical Science, Research Program in Aging, Imaging, Sunnybrook and Women' s University of Toronto, ON (Canada); Black, Sandra E. [Cognitive Neurology Unit and Research Program in Aging, Sunnybrook and Women' s College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON (Canada); Institute of Medical Science, Research Program in Aging, Imaging, Sunnybrook and Women' s University of Toronto, ON (Canada); Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, ON (Canada); Caldwell, Curtis B. [Department of Medical Imaging, Sunnybrook and Women' s College Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto, CN (Canada)

2002-07-01

The goal of this study was to perform a systematic, semi-quantitative analysis of limbic perfusion in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) using coregistered single-photon emission tomography (SPET) images aligned to magnetic resonance (MR) images. Limbic perfusion in 40 patients with mild to moderate AD was compared with that of 17 age-, sex-, and education-matched normal controls (NC). HMPAO SPET scans and 3D T1-weighted MR images were acquired for each subject. Structures of the limbic system (i.e. hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamus, hypothalamus, mamillary bodies, basal forebrain, septal area and cingulate, orbitofrontal and parahippocampal cortices) were traced on the MR images and transferred to the coregistered SPET scans. Perfusion ratios for all limbic regions were calculated relative to cerebellar perfusion. General linear model multivariate analysis revealed that, overall, limbic structures showed significant hypoperfusion (F=7.802, P<0.00001, {eta}{sup 2}=0.695) in AD patients compared with NC. Greatest differences (d{>=}0.8) were found in the hippocampus, as well as all areas of the cingulate cortex. Significant relative hypoperfusion was also apparent in the parahippocampal cortex, amygdala/entorhinal cortex, septal area and anterior thalamus, all of which showed medium to large effect sizes (d=0.6-0.8). No significant relative perfusion differences were detected in the basal forebrain, hypothalamus, mamillary bodies or orbitofrontal cortex. Logistic regression indicated that posterior cingulate cortex perfusion was able to discriminate AD patients from NC with 93% accuracy (95% sensitivity, 88% specificity). The current results suggest that most, but not all, limbic structures show significant relative hypoperfusion in AD. These findings validate previous post-mortem studies and could be useful in improving diagnostic accuracy, monitoring disease progression and evaluating potential treatment strategies in AD. (orig.)

Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Thickness Is Related to Alexithymia in Childhood Trauma-Related PTSD.

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Lauren A Demers

Full Text Available Alexithymia, or "no words for feelings", is highly prevalent in samples with childhood maltreatment and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC has been identified as a key region involved in alexithymia, early life trauma, and PTSD. Functional alterations in the dACC also have been associated with alexithymia in PTSD. This study examined whether dACC morphology is a neural correlate of alexithymia in child maltreatment-related PTSD. Sixteen adults with PTSD and a history of childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, or exposure to domestic violence, and 24 healthy controls (HC completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 (TAS-20 and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Cortical thickness of the dACC was measured using FreeSurfer, and values were correlated with TAS-20 scores, controlling for sex and age, in both groups. Average TAS-20 score was significantly higher in the PTSD than the HC group. TAS-20 scores were significantly positively associated with dACC thickness only in the PTSD group. This association was strongest in the left hemisphere and for TAS-20 subscales that assess difficulty identifying and describing feelings. We found that increasing dACC gray matter thickness is a neural correlate of greater alexithymia in the context of PTSD with childhood maltreatment. While findings are correlational, they motivate further inquiry into the relationships between childhood adversity, emotional awareness and expression, and dACC morphologic development in trauma-related psychopathology.

Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Thickness Is Related to Alexithymia in Childhood Trauma-Related PTSD.

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Demers, Lauren A; Olson, Elizabeth A; Crowley, David J; Rauch, Scott L; Rosso, Isabelle M

2015-01-01

Alexithymia, or "no words for feelings", is highly prevalent in samples with childhood maltreatment and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) has been identified as a key region involved in alexithymia, early life trauma, and PTSD. Functional alterations in the dACC also have been associated with alexithymia in PTSD. This study examined whether dACC morphology is a neural correlate of alexithymia in child maltreatment-related PTSD. Sixteen adults with PTSD and a history of childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, or exposure to domestic violence, and 24 healthy controls (HC) completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 (TAS-20) and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Cortical thickness of the dACC was measured using FreeSurfer, and values were correlated with TAS-20 scores, controlling for sex and age, in both groups. Average TAS-20 score was significantly higher in the PTSD than the HC group. TAS-20 scores were significantly positively associated with dACC thickness only in the PTSD group. This association was strongest in the left hemisphere and for TAS-20 subscales that assess difficulty identifying and describing feelings. We found that increasing dACC gray matter thickness is a neural correlate of greater alexithymia in the context of PTSD with childhood maltreatment. While findings are correlational, they motivate further inquiry into the relationships between childhood adversity, emotional awareness and expression, and dACC morphologic development in trauma-related psychopathology.

Structural and functional associations of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex with subjective happiness.

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Matsunaga, Masahiro; Kawamichi, Hiroaki; Koike, Takahiko; Yoshihara, Kazufumi; Yoshida, Yumiko; Takahashi, Haruka K; Nakagawa, Eri; Sadato, Norihiro

2016-07-01

Happiness is one of the most fundamental human goals, which has led researchers to examine the source of individual happiness. Happiness has usually been discussed regarding two aspects (a temporary positive emotion and a trait-like long-term sense of being happy) that are interrelated; for example, individuals with a high level of trait-like subjective happiness tend to rate events as more pleasant. In this study, we hypothesized that the interaction between the two aspects of happiness could be explained by the interaction between structure and function in certain brain regions. Thus, we first assessed the association between gray matter density (GMD) of healthy participants and trait-like subjective happiness using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Further, to assess the association between the GMD and brain function, we conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the task of positive emotion induction (imagination of several emotional life events). VBM indicated that the subjective happiness was positively correlated with the GMD of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). Functional MRI demonstrated that experimentally induced temporal happy feelings were positively correlated with subjective happiness level and rACC activity. The rACC response to positive events was also positively correlated with its GMD. These results provide convergent structural and functional evidence that the rACC is related to happiness and suggest that the interaction between structure and function in the rACC may explain the trait-state interaction in happiness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neurochemical, morphologic, and laminar characterization of cortical projection neurons in the cingulate motor areas of the macaque monkey

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Nimchinsky, E. A.; Hof, P. R.; Young, W. G.; Morrison, J. H.; Bloom, F. E. (Principal Investigator)

1996-01-01

The primate cingulate gyrus contains multiple cortical areas that can be distinguished by several neurochemical features, including the distribution of neurofilament protein-enriched pyramidal neurons. In addition, connectivity and functional properties indicate that there are multiple motor areas in the cortex lining the cingulate sulcus. These motor areas were targeted for analysis of potential interactions among regional specialization, connectivity, and cellular characteristics such as neurochemical profile and morphology. Specifically, intracortical injections of retrogradely transported dyes and intracellular injection were combined with immunocytochemistry to investigate neurons projecting from the cingulate motor areas to the putative forelimb region of the primary motor cortex, area M1. Two separate groups of neurons projecting to area M1 emanated from the cingulate sulcus, one anterior and one posterior, both of which furnished commissural and ipsilateral connections with area M1. The primary difference between the two populations was laminar origin, with the anterior projection originating largely in deep layers, and the posterior projection taking origin equally in superficial and deep layers. With regard to cellular morphology, the anterior projection exhibited more morphologic diversity than the posterior projection. Commissural projections from both anterior and posterior fields originated largely in layer VI. Neurofilament protein distribution was a reliable tool for localizing the two projections and for discriminating between them. Comparable proportions of the two sets of projection neurons contained neurofilament protein, although the density and distribution of the total population of neurofilament protein-enriched neurons was very different in the two subareas of origin. Within a projection, the participating neurons exhibited a high degree of morphologic heterogeneity, and no correlation was observed between somatodendritic morphology and

Amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate connectivity during an emotional working memory task in borderline personality disorder patients with interpersonal trauma history

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Annegret eKrause-Utz

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Emotion dysregulation and stress-related cognitive disturbances including dissociation are key features of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD. Previous research suggests that amygdala hyperreactivity along with a failure to activate frontal brain areas implicated in inhibitory control (e.g., anterior cingulate cortex, ACC may underlie core symptoms of BPD. However, studies investigating interactions of fronto-limbic brain areas during cognitive inhibition of interfering emotional stimuli in BPD patients are still needed. Moreover, very little is known about how dissociation modulates fronto-limbic connectivity during emotional distraction in BPD. We used Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI to analyse amygdala and dorsal ACC (dACC connectivity in 22 un-medicated BPD patients with interpersonal trauma history and 22 healthy controls (HC, who performed a working memory task, while either no distractors or neutral vs. negative interpersonal pictures were presented. A measure of state dissociation was used to predict amygdala as well as dACC connectivity in the BPD group. During emotional distraction, both groups showed disrupted amygdala connectivity with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which was more pronounced in the BPD group. Patients further showed stronger amygdala-hippocampus and dACC-insula connectivity during emotional interference and demonstrated a stronger coupling of the dACC with nodes of the default mode network (e.g. posterior cingulate. Dissociation positively predicted amygdala-dACC connectivity and negatively predicted dACC connectivity with insula and posterior cingulate. Our results suggest aberrant connectivity patterns involving brain regions associated with emotion processing, salience detection, and self-referential processes, which may be modulated by dissociation, in BPD. Findings might be related to difficulties in shifting attention away from external (distracting emotional stimuli as well as internal emotional states

Folding of the anterior cingulate cortex partially explains inhibitory control during childhood: A longitudinal study

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G. Borst

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Difficulties in cognitive control including inhibitory control (IC are related to the pathophysiology of several psychiatric conditions. In healthy subjects, IC efficiency in childhood is a strong predictor of academic and professional successes later in life. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC is one of the core structures responsible for IC. Although quantitative structural characteristics of the ACC contribute to IC efficiency, the qualitative structural brain characteristics contributing to IC development are less-understood. Using anatomical magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated whether the ACC sulcal pattern at age 5, a stable qualitative characteristic of the brain determined in utero, explains IC at age 9. 18 children performed Stroop tasks at age 5 and age 9. Children with asymmetrical ACC sulcal patterns (n = 7 had better IC efficiency at age 5 and age 9 than children with symmetrical ACC sulcal patterns (n = 11. The ACC sulcal patterns appear to affect specifically IC efficiency given that the ACC sulcal patterns had no effect on verbal working memory. Our study provides the first evidence that the ACC sulcal pattern – a qualitative structural characteristic of the brain not affected by maturation and learning after birth – partially explains IC efficiency during childhood.

Helping behavior induced by empathic concern attenuates anterior cingulate activation in response to others' distress.

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Kawamichi, Hiroaki; Yoshihara, Kazufumi; Sugawara, Sho K; Matsunaga, Masahiro; Makita, Kai; Hamano, Yuki H; Tanabe, Hiroki C; Sadato, Norihiro

2016-01-01

Helping behavior is motivated by empathic concern for others in distress. Although empathic concern is pervasive in daily life, its neural mechanisms remain unclear. Empathic concern involves the suppression of the emotional response to others' distress, which occurs when individuals distance themselves emotionally from the distressed individual. We hypothesized that helping behavior induced by empathic concern, accompanied by perspective-taking, would attenuate the neural activation representing aversive feelings. We also predicted reward system activation due to the positive feeling resulting from helping behavior. Participant underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while playing a virtual ball-toss game. In some blocks ("concern condition"), one player ("isolated player") did not receive ball-tosses from other players. In this condition, participants increased ball-tosses to the isolated player (helping behavior). Participants then evaluated the improved enjoyment of the isolated player resulting from their helping behavior. Anterior cingulate activation during the concern condition was attenuated by the evaluation of the effect of helping behavior. The right temporoparietal junction, which is involved in perspective-taking and the dorsal striatum, part of the reward system, were also activated during the concern condition. These results suggest that humans can attenuate affective arousal by anticipating the positive outcome of empathic concern through perspective-taking.

Oxytocin and vasopressin flatten dominance hierarchy and enhance behavioral synchrony in part via anterior cingulate cortex.

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Jiang, Yaoguang; Platt, Michael L

2018-05-29

The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) influence social functions in many mammals. In humans and rhesus macaques, OT delivered intranasally can promote prosocial behavior in certain contexts. Yet the precise neural mechanisms mediating these behavioral effects remain unclear. Here we show that treating a group of male macaque monkeys intranasally with aerosolized OT relaxes their spontaneous social interactions with other monkeys. OT reduces differences in social behavior between dominant and subordinate monkeys, thereby flattening the status hierarchy. OT also increases behavioral synchrony within a pair. Intranasal delivery of aerosolized AVP reproduces the effects of OT with greater efficacy. Remarkably, all behavioral effects are replicated when OT or AVP is injected focally into the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACCg), a brain area linked to empathy and other-regarding behavior. ACCg lacks OT receptors but is rich in AVP receptors, suggesting exogenous OT may shape social behavior, in part, via nonspecific binding. Notably, OT and AVP alter behaviors of both the treated monkey and his untreated partner, consistent with enhanced feedback through reciprocal social interactions. These findings bear important implications for use of OT in both basic research and as a therapy for social impairments in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Restoration of oligodendrocyte pools in a mouse model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

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Jamie McQueen

Full Text Available Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, a sustained modest reduction in cerebral blood flow, is associated with damage to myelinated axons and cognitive decline with ageing. Oligodendrocytes (the myelin producing cells and their precursor cells (OPCs may be vulnerable to the effects of hypoperfusion and in some forms of injury OPCs have the potential to respond and repair damage by increased proliferation and differentiation. Using a mouse model of cerebral hypoperfusion we have characterised the acute and long term responses of oligodendrocytes and OPCs to hypoperfusion in the corpus callosum. Following 3 days of hypoperfusion, numbers of OPCs and mature oligodendrocytes were significantly decreased compared to controls. However following 1 month of hypoperfusion, the OPC pool was restored and increased numbers of oligodendrocytes were observed. Assessment of proliferation using PCNA showed no significant differences between groups at either time point but showed reduced numbers of proliferating oligodendroglia at 3 days consistent with the loss of OPCs. Cumulative BrdU labelling experiments revealed higher numbers of proliferating cells in hypoperfused animals compared to controls and showed a proportion of these newly generated cells had differentiated into oligodendrocytes in a subset of animals. Expression of GPR17, a receptor important for the regulation of OPC differentiation following injury, was decreased following short term hypoperfusion. Despite changes to oligodendrocyte numbers there were no changes to the myelin sheath as revealed by ultrastructural assessment and fluoromyelin however axon-glial integrity was disrupted after both 3 days and 1 month hypoperfusion. Taken together, our results demonstrate the initial vulnerability of oligodendroglial pools to modest reductions in blood flow and highlight the regenerative capacity of these cells.

Abnormal ventral tegmental area-anterior cingulate cortex connectivity in Parkinson's disease with depression.

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Wei, Luqing; Hu, Xiao; Yuan, Yonggui; Liu, Weiguo; Chen, Hong

2018-07-16

Neuropathology suggests that Parkinson's disease (PD) with depression may involve a progressive degeneration of the nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic systems. Previous positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies have shown that dopamine changes in individual brain regions constituting the nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic circuits are associated with depression in PD. However, few studies have been conducted on the circuit-level alterations in this disease. The present study used resting-state fMRI and seed-based functional connectivity of putative dopaminergic midbrain regions (i.e., substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA)) to investigate the circuit-related abnormalities in PD with depression. The results showed that depressed PD (DPD) patients relative to healthy controls (HC) and non-depressed PD (NDPD) patients had increased functional connectivity between VTA and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), demonstrating that dysfunctional mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neurotransmission may be associated with depression in PD. Compared with HC, DPD and NDPD patients showed increased functional connectivity from SN to sensorimotor cortex, validating that alterations in the nigrostriatal circuitry could be responsible for cardinal motor features in PD. In addition, aberrant connectivity between VTA and ACC was correlated with the severity of depression in PD patients, further supporting that abnormal mesocorticolimbic system may account for depressive symptoms in PD. These results have provided potential circuit-level biomarkers of depression in PD, and suggested that resting state functional connectivity of midbrain dopaminergic nuclei may be useful for understanding the underlying pathology in PD with depression. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of the Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Amygdala in Environmental Sensitivity to Infant Crying

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Mutschler, Isabella; Ball, Tonio; Kirmse, Ursula; Wieckhorst, Birgit; Pluess, Michael; Klarhöfer, Markus; Meyer, Andrea H.; Wilhelm, Frank H.; Seifritz, Erich

2016-01-01

Newborns and infants communicate their needs and physiological states through crying and emotional facial expressions. Little is known about individual differences in responding to infant crying. Several theories suggest that people vary in their environmental sensitivity with some responding generally more and some generally less to environmental stimuli. Such differences in environmental sensitivity have been associated with personality traits, including neuroticism. This study investigated whether neuroticism impacts neuronal, physiological, and emotional responses to infant crying by investigating blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) responses using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a large sample of healthy women (N = 102) with simultaneous skin conductance recordings. Participants were repeatedly exposed to a video clip that showed crying infants and emotional responses (valence, arousal, and irritation) were assessed after every video clip presentation. Increased BOLD signal during the perception of crying infants was found in brain regions that are associated with emotional responding, the amygdala and anterior insula. Significant BOLD signal decrements (i.e., habituation) were found in the fusiform gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, Broca’s homologue on the right hemisphere, (laterobasal) amygdala, and hippocampus. Individuals with high neuroticism showed stronger activation in the amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) when exposed to infant crying compared to individuals with low neuroticism. In contrast to our prediction we found no evidence that neuroticism impacts fMRI-based measures of habituation. Individuals with high neuroticism showed elevated skin conductance responses, experienced more irritation, and perceived infant crying as more unpleasant. The results support the hypothesis that individuals high in neuroticism are more emotionally responsive, experience more negative emotions, and

Reversible hemispheric hypoperfusion in two cases of SMART syndrome.

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Wai, Karmen; Balabanski, Anna; Chia, Nicholas; Kleinig, Timothy

2017-09-01

Stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy (SMART) syndrome manifests as prolonged episodes of cortical dysfunction, years after cranial irradiation. We present two cases demonstrating reversible hemispheric hypoperfusion. Case 1 presented with left hemispheric symptoms following previous similar episodes. CT perfusion (CTP) demonstrated reversible hemispheric hypoperfusion; subsequent investigations were consistent with SMART syndrome. Case 2 presented following the third episode of a hemispheric syndrome with near-identical CTP abnormalities. L-arginine was administered with rapid reversal of clinical and CTP abnormalities. We conclude that SMART syndrome may demonstrate significant hypoperfusion on hyperacute CTP without subsequent infarction. Impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation probably contributes to cortical dysfunction in SMART syndrome. L-arginine warrants investigation as a potential treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glutamate/glutamine concentrations in the dorsal anterior cingulate vary with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms.

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Harnett, Nathaniel G; Wood, Kimberly H; Ference, Edward W; Reid, Meredith A; Lahti, Adrienne C; Knight, Amy J; Knight, David C

2017-08-01

Trauma and stress-related disorders (e.g., Acute Stress Disorder; ASD and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; PTSD) that develop following a traumatic event are characterized by cognitive-affective dysfunction. The cognitive and affective functions disrupted by stress disorder are mediated, in part, by glutamatergic neural systems. However, it remains unclear whether neural glutamate concentrations, measured acutely following trauma, vary with ASD symptoms and/or future PTSD symptom expression. Therefore, the current study utilized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) to investigate glutamate/glutamine (Glx) concentrations within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of recently (i.e., within one month) traumatized individuals and non-traumatized controls. Although Glx concentrations within dorsal ACC did not differ between recently traumatized and non-traumatized control groups, a positive linear relationship was observed between Glx concentrations and current stress disorder symptoms in traumatized individuals. Further, Glx concentrations showed a positive linear relationship with future stress disorder symptoms (i.e., assessed 3 months post-trauma). The present results suggest glutamate concentrations may play a role in both acute and future post-traumatic stress symptoms following a traumatic experience. The current results expand our understanding of the neurobiology of stress disorder and suggest glutamate within the dorsal ACC plays an important role in cognitive-affective dysfunction following a traumatic experience. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of neuronal intrinsic properties and synaptic transmission in layer I of anterior cingulate cortex from adult mice

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Li Xiang-Yao

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract The neurons in neocortex layer I (LI provide inhibition to the cortical networks. Despite increasing use of mice for the study of brain functions, few studies were reported about mouse LI neurons. In the present study, we characterized intrinsic properties of LI neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, a key cortical area for sensory and cognitive functions, by using whole-cell patch clamp recording approach. Seventy one neurons in LI and 12 pyramidal neurons in LII/III were recorded. Although all of the LI neurons expressed continuous adapting firing characteristics, the unsupervised clustering results revealed five groups in the ACC, including: Spontaneous firing neurons; Delay-sAHP neurons, Delay-fAHP neurons, and two groups of neurons with ADP, named ADP1 and ADP2, respectively. Using pharmacological approaches, we found that LI neurons received both excitatory (mediated by AMPA, kainate and NMDA receptors, and inhibitory inputs (which were mediated by GABAA receptors. Our studies provide the first report characterizing the electrophysiological properties of neurons in LI of the ACC from adult mice.

Functional segregation of the human cingulate cortex is confirmed by functional connectivity based neuroanatomical parcellation.

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Yu, Chunshui; Zhou, Yuan; Liu, Yong; Jiang, Tianzi; Dong, Haiwei; Zhang, Yunting; Walter, Martin

2011-02-14

The four-region model with 7 specified subregions represents a theoretical construct of functionally segregated divisions of the cingulate cortex based on integrated neurobiological assessments. Under this framework, we aimed to investigate the functional specialization of the human cingulate cortex by analyzing the resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of each subregion from a network perspective. In 20 healthy subjects we systematically investigated the FC patterns of the bilateral subgenual (sACC) and pregenual (pACC) anterior cingulate cortices, anterior (aMCC) and posterior (pMCC) midcingulate cortices, dorsal (dPCC) and ventral (vPCC) posterior cingulate cortices and retrosplenial cortices (RSC). We found that each cingulate subregion was specifically integrated in the predescribed functional networks and showed anti-correlated resting-state fluctuations. The sACC and pACC were involved in an affective network and anti-correlated with the sensorimotor and cognitive networks, while the pACC also correlated with the default-mode network and anti-correlated with the visual network. In the midcingulate cortex, however, the aMCC was correlated with the cognitive and sensorimotor networks and anti-correlated with the visual, affective and default-mode networks, whereas the pMCC only correlated with the sensorimotor network and anti-correlated with the cognitive and visual networks. The dPCC and vPCC involved in the default-mode network and anti-correlated with the sensorimotor, cognitive and visual networks, in contrast, the RSC was mainly correlated with the PCC and thalamus. Based on a strong hypothesis driven approach of anatomical partitions of the cingulate cortex, we could confirm their segregation in terms of functional neuroanatomy, as suggested earlier by task studies or exploratory multi-seed investigations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Error-related anterior cingulate cortex activity and the prediction of conscious error awareness

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Catherine eOrr

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Research examining the neural mechanisms associated with error awareness has consistently identified dorsal anterior cingulate activity (ACC as necessary but not predictive of conscious error detection. Two recent studies (Steinhauser and Yeung, 2010; Wessel et al. 2011 have found a contrary pattern of greater dorsal ACC activity (in the form of the error-related negativity during detected errors, but suggested that the greater activity may instead reflect task influences (e.g., response conflict, error probability and or individual variability (e.g., statistical power. We re-analyzed fMRI BOLD data from 56 healthy participants who had previously been administered the Error Awareness Task, a motor Go/No-go response inhibition task in which subjects make errors of commission of which they are aware (Aware errors, or unaware (Unaware errors. Consistent with previous data, the activity in a number of cortical regions was predictive of error awareness, including bilateral inferior parietal and insula cortices, however in contrast to previous studies, including our own smaller sample studies using the same task, error-related dorsal ACC activity was significantly greater during aware errors when compared to unaware errors. While the significantly faster RT for aware errors (compared to unaware was consistent with the hypothesis of higher response conflict increasing ACC activity, we could find no relationship between dorsal ACC activity and the error RT difference. The data suggests that individual variability in error awareness is associated with error-related dorsal ACC activity, and therefore this region may be important to conscious error detection, but it remains unclear what task and individual factors influence error awareness.

Increased NMDA and AMPA receptor densities in the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia

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Zavitsanou, K.; Huang, X.-F.

2002-01-01

Full text: The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a brain area of potential importance to our understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Since a disturbed balance between excitatory and inhibitory activity is suggested to occur in the ACC in schizophrenia, the present study has focused on the analysis of binding of [ 3 H]MK801, [ 3 H]AMPA and [ 3 H]kainate, radioligands which respectively label the NMDA, AMPA and kainate receptors of the ionotropic glutamate receptor family in the ACC of 10 schizophrenia patients and 10 matched controls, using quantitative autoradiography. AMPA receptor densities were higher in cortical layer II whereas NMDA receptor densities were higher in cortical layers II-III in the ACC of both control and schizophrenia group. In contrast, kainate receptors displayed the highest density in cortical layer V. [ 3 H]AMPA binding was significantly increased by 25% in layer II in the schizophrenia group as compared to the control group. Similarly, a significant 17% increase of [ 3 H]MK801 binding was observed in layers II-III in the schizophrenia group. No statistically significant differences were observed for [ 3 H] kainate binding between the two groups. These results suggest that ionotropic glutamate receptors are differentially altered in the ACC of schizophrenia. The increase in [ 3 H]AMPA and [ 3 H]MK801 binding points to a postsynaptic compensation for impaired glutamatergic neurotransmission in the ACC in schizophrenia. Such abnormality could lead to an imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in this brain area that may contribute to the emergence of some schizophrenia symptoms. Copyright (2002) Australian Neuroscience Society

Voxel-based statistical analysis of cerebral blood flow using Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT in patients with traumatic brain injury: group and individual analyses.

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Shin, Yong Beom; Kim, Seong-Jang; Kim, In-Ju; Kim, Yong-Ki; Kim, Dong-Soo; Park, Jae Heung; Yeom, Seok-Ran

2006-06-01

Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was applied to brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to investigate regional cerebral abnormalities compared to age-matched normal controls. Thirteen patients with TBI underwent brain perfusion SPECT were included in this study (10 males, three females, mean age 39.8 +/- 18.2, range 21 - 74). SPM2 software implemented in MATLAB 5.3 was used for spatial pre-processing and analysis and to determine the quantitative differences between TBI patients and age-matched normal controls. Three large voxel clusters of significantly decreased cerebral blood perfusion were found in patients with TBI. The largest clusters were area including medial frontal gyrus (voxel number 3642, peak Z-value = 4.31, 4.27, p = 0.000) in both hemispheres. The second largest clusters were areas including cingulated gyrus and anterior cingulate gyrus of left hemisphere (voxel number 381, peak Z-value = 3.67, 3.62, p = 0.000). Other clusters were parahippocampal gyrus (voxel number 173, peak Z-value = 3.40, p = 0.000) and hippocampus (voxel number 173, peak Z-value = 3.23, p = 0.001) in the left hemisphere. The false discovery rate (FDR) was less than 0.04. From this study, group and individual analyses of SPM2 could clearly identify the perfusion abnormalities of brain SPECT in patients with TBI. Group analysis of SPM2 showed hypoperfusion pattern in the areas including medial frontal gyrus of both hemispheres, cingulate gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus and hippocampus in the left hemisphere compared to age-matched normal controls. Also, left parahippocampal gyrus and left hippocampus were additional hypoperfusion areas. However, these findings deserve further investigation on a larger number of patients to be performed to allow a better validation of objective SPM analysis in patients with TBI.

Impact of the genome wide supported NRGN gene on anterior cingulate morphology in schizophrenia.

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Kazutaka Ohi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The rs12807809 single-nucleotide polymorphism in NRGN is a genetic risk variant with genome-wide significance for schizophrenia. The frequency of the T allele of rs12807809 is higher in individuals with schizophrenia than in those without the disorder. Reduced immunoreactivity of NRGN, which is expressed exclusively in the brain, has been observed in Brodmann areas (BA 9 and 32 of the prefrontal cortex in postmortem brains from patients with schizophrenia compared with those in controls. METHODS: Genotype effects of rs12807809 were investigated on gray matter (GM and white matter (WM volumes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI with a voxel-based morphometry (VBM technique in a sample of 99 Japanese patients with schizophrenia and 263 healthy controls. RESULTS: Although significant genotype-diagnosis interaction either on GM or WM volume was not observed, there was a trend of genotype-diagnosis interaction on GM volume in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC. Thus, the effects of NRGN genotype on GM volume of patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls were separately investigated. In patients with schizophrenia, carriers of the risk T allele had a smaller GM volume in the left ACC (BA32 than did carriers of the non-risk C allele. Significant genotype effect on other regions of the GM or WM was not observed for either the patients or controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the genome-wide associated genetic risk variant in the NRGN gene may be related to a small GM volume in the ACC in the left hemisphere in patients with schizophrenia.

Endogenous opioid activity in the anterior cingulate cortex is required for relief of pain.

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Navratilova, Edita; Xie, Jennifer Yanhua; Meske, Diana; Qu, Chaoling; Morimura, Kozo; Okun, Alec; Arakawa, Naohisa; Ossipov, Michael; Fields, Howard L; Porreca, Frank

2015-05-06

Pain is aversive, and its relief elicits reward mediated by dopaminergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a part of the mesolimbic reward motivation pathway. How the reward pathway is engaged by pain-relieving treatments is not known. Endogenous opioid signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), an area encoding pain aversiveness, contributes to pain modulation. We examined whether endogenous ACC opioid neurotransmission is required for relief of pain and subsequent downstream activation of NAc dopamine signaling. Conditioned place preference (CPP) and in vivo microdialysis were used to assess negative reinforcement and NAc dopaminergic transmission. In rats with postsurgical or neuropathic pain, blockade of opioid signaling in the rostral ACC (rACC) inhibited CPP and NAc dopamine release resulting from non-opioid pain-relieving treatments, including peripheral nerve block or spinal clonidine, an α2-adrenergic agonist. Conversely, pharmacological activation of rACC opioid receptors of injured, but not pain-free, animals was sufficient to stimulate dopamine release in the NAc and produce CPP. In neuropathic, but not sham-operated, rats, systemic doses of morphine that did not affect withdrawal thresholds elicited CPP and NAc dopamine release, effects that were prevented by blockade of ACC opioid receptors. The data provide a neural explanation for the preferential effects of opioids on pain affect and demonstrate that engagement of NAc dopaminergic transmission by non-opioid pain-relieving treatments depends on upstream ACC opioid circuits. Endogenous opioid signaling in the ACC appears to be both necessary and sufficient for relief of pain aversiveness. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/357264-08$15.00/0.

Impaired learning from errors in cannabis users: Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus hypoactivity.

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Carey, Susan E; Nestor, Liam; Jones, Jennifer; Garavan, Hugh; Hester, Robert

2015-10-01

The chronic use of cannabis has been associated with error processing dysfunction, in particular, hypoactivity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) during the processing of cognitive errors. Given the role of such activity in influencing post-error adaptive behaviour, we hypothesised that chronic cannabis users would have significantly poorer learning from errors. Fifteen chronic cannabis users (four females, mean age=22.40 years, SD=4.29) and 15 control participants (two females, mean age=23.27 years, SD=3.67) were administered a paired associate learning task that enabled participants to learn from their errors, during fMRI data collection. Compared with controls, chronic cannabis users showed (i) a lower recall error-correction rate and (ii) hypoactivity in the dACC and left hippocampus during the processing of error-related feedback and re-encoding of the correct response. The difference in error-related dACC activation between cannabis users and healthy controls varied as a function of error type, with the control group showing a significantly greater difference between corrected and repeated errors than the cannabis group. The present results suggest that chronic cannabis users have poorer learning from errors, with the failure to adapt performance associated with hypoactivity in error-related dACC and hippocampal regions. The findings highlight a consequence of performance monitoring dysfunction in drug abuse and the potential consequence this cognitive impairment has for the symptom of failing to learn from negative feedback seen in cannabis and other forms of dependence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance monitoring in the anterior cingulate is not all error related: expectancy deviation and the representation of action-outcome associations.

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Oliveira, Flavio T P; McDonald, John J; Goodman, David

2007-12-01

Several converging lines of evidence suggest that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is selectively involved in error detection or evaluation of poor performance. Here we challenge this notion by presenting event-related potential (ERP) evidence that the feedback-elicited error-related negativity, an ERP component attributed to the ACC, can be elicited by positive feedback when a person is expecting negative feedback and vice versa. These results suggest that performance monitoring in the ACC is not limited to error processing. We propose that the ACC acts as part of a more general performance-monitoring system that is activated by violations in expectancy. Further, we propose that the common observation of increased ACC activity elicited by negative events could be explained by an overoptimistic bias in generating expectations of performance. These results could shed light into neurobehavioral disorders, such as depression and mania, associated with alterations in performance monitoring and also in judgments of self-related events.

Neurotoxicity and reactive astrogliosis in the anterior cingulate cortex in acute ciguatera poisoning.

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Zhang, Xu; Cao, Bing; Wang, Jun; Liu, Jin; Tung, Vivian Oi Vian; Lam, Paul Kwan Sing; Chan, Leo Lai; Li, Ying

2013-06-01

Ciguatoxins (CTXs) cause long-term disturbance of cerebral functions. The primary mechanism of neurotoxicity is related to their interaction with voltage-gated sodium channels. However, until now, the neurological targets for CTXs in the brain of intact animals have not been described. In our study, 1 day following oral exposure to 0.26 ng/g of Pacific ciguatoxin 1 (P-CTX-1), we performed in vivo electrophysiological recordings in the rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and identified the increase in spontaneous firings and enhanced responses to visceral noxious stimulation. Local field recordings characterized the P-CTX-1-induced synaptic potentiation and blockage of the induction of electrical stimulation-induced long-term potentiation in the medial thalamus (MT)-ACC pathway. Furthermore, intracerebroventricular administration of P-CTX-1 at doses of 1.0, 5.0, and 10 nM produced a dose-dependent increase in ACC neuronal firings and MT-ACC synaptic transmission. Further studies showed upregulated Na(+) channel expression in astrocytes under pathological conditions. We hypothesized that the astrocytes might have been activated in the ciguatera poisoning in vivo. Increases in glial fibrillary acid protein expression were detected in reactive astrocytes in the rat ACC. The activation of astroglia was further indicated by activation of the gap junction protein connexin 43 and upregulation of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 expression suggesting that glutamate was normally rapidly cleared from the synaptic cleft during acute ciguatera poisoning. However, neurotoxicity and reactive astrogliosis were not detected in the ACC after 7 days of P-CTX-1 exposure. The present results are the first characterization of P-CTX-1-invoked brain cortex neuronal excitotoxicity in vivo and supported the theme that neuron and astroglia signals might play roles in acute ciguatera poisoning.

Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Dysfunction Associated with Depression in OCD: An Integrated Multimodal fMRI/1H MRS Study.

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Tadayonnejad, Reza; Deshpande, Rangaprakash; Ajilore, Olusola; Moody, Teena; Morfini, Francesca; Ly, Ronald; O'Neill, Joseph; Feusner, Jamie D

2018-04-01

Depression is a commonly occurring symptom in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and is associated with worse functional impairment, poorer quality of life, and poorer treatment response. Understanding the underlying neurochemical and connectivity-based brain mechanisms of this important symptom domain in OCD is necessary for development of novel, more globally effective treatments. To investigate biopsychological mechanisms of comorbid depression in OCD, we examined effective connectivity and neurochemical signatures in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), a structure known to be involved in both OCD and depression. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data were obtained from participants with OCD (n=49) and healthy individuals of equivalent age and sex (n=25). Granger causality-based effective (directed) connectivity was used to define causal networks involving the right and left pACC. The interplay between fMRI connectivity, 1 H MRS and clinical data was explored by applying moderation and mediation analyses. We found that the causal influence of the right dorsal anterior midcingulate cortex (daMCC) on the right pACC was significantly lower in the OCD group and showed significant correlation with depressive symptom severity in the OCD group. Lower and moderate levels of glutamate (Glu) in the right pACC significantly moderated the interaction between right daMCC-pACC connectivity and depression severity. Our results suggest a biochemical-connectivity-psychological model of pACC dysfunction contributing to depression in OCD, particularly involving intracingulate connectivity and glutamate levels in the pACC. These findings have implications for potential molecular and network targets for treatment of this multi-faceted psychiatric condition.

Task-dependent response conflict monitoring and cognitive control in anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices.

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Kim, Chobok; Chung, Chongwook; Kim, Jeounghoon

2013-11-06

Previous experience affects our behavior in terms of adjustments. It has been suggested that the conflict monitor-controller system implemented in the prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in such adjustments. Previous studies suggested that there exists multiple conflict monitor-controller systems associated with the level of information (i.e., stimulus and response levels). In this study, we sought to test whether different types of conflicts occur at the same information processing level (i.e., response level) are independently processed. For this purpose, we designed a task paradigm to measure two different types of response conflicts using color-based and location-based conflict stimuli and measured the conflict adaptation effects associated with the two types of conflicts either independently (i.e., single conflict conditions) or simultaneously (i.e., a double-conflict condition). The behavioral results demonstrated that performance on current incongruent trials was faster only when the preceding trial was the same type of response conflict regardless of whether they included a single- or double-conflict. Imaging data also showed that anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices operate in a task-specific manner. These findings suggest that there may be multiple monitor-controller loops for color-based and location-based conflicts even at the same response level. Importantly, our results suggest that double-conflict processing is qualitatively different from single-conflict processing although double-conflict shares the same sources of conflict with two single-conflict conditions. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Changed hub and corresponding functional connectivity of subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in major depressive disorder

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Huawang Wu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Major depressive disorder (MDD is one of the most prevalent mental disorders. In the brain, the hubs of the brain network play a key role in integrating and transferring information between different functional modules. However, whether the changed pattern in functional network hubs contributes to the onset of MDD remains unclear. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and graph theory methods, we investigated whether alterations of hubs can be detected in MDD. First, we constructed the whole-brain voxel-wise functional networks and calculated a functional connectivity strength (FCS map in each subject in 34 MDD patients and 34 gender-, age-, and education level-matched healthy controls (HC. Next, the two-sample t-test was applied to compare the FCS maps between HC and MDD patients and identified significant decreased FCS in subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC in MDD patients. Subsequent functional connectivity analyses of sgACC showed disruptions in functional connectivity with posterior insula, middle and inferior temporal gyrus, lingual gyrus, and cerebellum in MDD patients. Furthermore, the changed FCS of sgACC and functional connections to sgACC were significantly correlated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS scores in MDD patients. The results of the present study revealed the abnormal hub of sgACC and its corresponding disrupted frontal-limbic-visual cognitive-cerebellum functional networks in MDD. These findings may provide a new insight for the diagnosis and treatment of MDD.

Reduced activation in lateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate during attention and cognitive control functions in medication-naïve adolescents with depression compared to controls.

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Halari, Rozmin; Simic, Mima; Pariante, Carmine M; Papadopoulos, Andrew; Cleare, Anthony; Brammer, Michael; Fombonne, Eric; Rubia, Katya

2009-03-01

There is increasing recognition of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescence. In adult MDD, abnormalities of fronto-striatal and fronto-cingulate circuitries mediating cognitive control functions have been implicated in the pathogenesis and been related to problems with controlling negative thoughts. No neuroimaging studies of cognitive control functions, however, exist in paediatric depression. This study investigated whether medication-naïve adolescents with MDD show abnormal brain activation of fronto-striatal and fronto-cingulate networks when performing tasks of attentional and cognitive control. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to compare brain activation between 21 medication-naïve adolescents with a first-episode of MDD aged 14-17 years and 21 healthy adolescents, matched for handedness, age, sex, demographics and IQ. Activation paradigms were tasks of selective attention (Simon task), attentional switching (Switch task), and motor response inhibition and error detection (Stop task). In all three tasks, adolescents with depression compared to healthy controls demonstrated reduced activation in task-relevant right dorsolateral (DLPFC), inferior prefrontal cortex (IFC) and anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). Additional areas of relatively reduced activation were in the parietal lobes during the Stop and Switch tasks, putamen, insula and temporal lobes during the Switch task and precuneus during the Simon task. This study shows first evidence that medication-naïve adolescents with MDD are characterised by abnormal function in ACG and right lateral prefrontal cortex during tasks of attention and performance monitoring, suggesting an early pathogenesis of these functional abnormalities attributed to MDD.

Higher media multi-tasking activity is associated with smaller gray-matter density in the anterior cingulate cortex.

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Kep Kee Loh

Full Text Available Media multitasking, or the concurrent consumption of multiple media forms, is increasingly prevalent in today's society and has been associated with negative psychosocial and cognitive impacts. Individuals who engage in heavier media-multitasking are found to perform worse on cognitive control tasks and exhibit more socio-emotional difficulties. However, the neural processes associated with media multi-tasking remain unexplored. The present study investigated relationships between media multitasking activity and brain structure. Research has demonstrated that brain structure can be altered upon prolonged exposure to novel environments and experience. Thus, we expected differential engagements in media multitasking to correlate with brain structure variability. This was confirmed via Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM analyses: Individuals with higher Media Multitasking Index (MMI scores had smaller gray matter density in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC. Functional connectivity between this ACC region and the precuneus was negatively associated with MMI. Our findings suggest a possible structural correlate for the observed decreased cognitive control performance and socio-emotional regulation in heavy media-multitaskers. While the cross-sectional nature of our study does not allow us to specify the direction of causality, our results brought to light novel associations between individual media multitasking behaviors and ACC structure differences.

Comparison of anterior cingulate versus insular cortex as targets for real-time fMRI regulation during pain stimulation

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Kirsten eEmmert

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI neurofeedback allows learning voluntary control over specific brain areas by means of operant conditioning and has been shown to decrease pain perception. To further increase the effect of rt-fMRI neurofeedback on pain, we directly compared two different target regions of the pain network i.e. the anterior insular cortex (AIC and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC.Participants for this prospective study were randomly assigned to two age-matched groups of 14 participants each (7 females per group for AIC and ACC feedback. First, a functional localizer using block-design heat pain stimulation was performed to define the pain-sensitive target region within the AIC or ACC. Second, subjects were asked to down-regulate the feedback signal in four neurofeedback runs during identical pain stimulation. Data analysis included task-related and functional connectivity analysis.At the behavioral level, pain ratings significantly decreased during feedback versus localizer runs, but there was no difference between AIC and ACC groups. Concerning neuroimaging, ACC and AIC showed consistent involvement of the caudate nucleus for subjects that learned down-regulation (17/28 in both task-related and functional connectivity analysis. The functional connectivity towards the caudate nucleus is stronger for the ACC while the AIC is more heavily connected to the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.Consequently, the ACC and AIC are suitable targets for real-time fMRI neurofeedback during pain perception as they both affect the caudate nucleus, although functional connectivity indicates that the direct connection seems to be stronger with the ACC. Additionally, the caudate, an important area involved in pain perception and suppression, could be a rt-fMRI target itself. Future studies are needed to identify parameters characterizing successful regulators and to assess the effect of repeated rt-fMRI neurofeedback on pain

Anterior paracingulate and cingulate cortex mediates the effects of cognitive load on speech sound discrimination.

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Gennari, Silvia P; Millman, Rebecca E; Hymers, Mark; Mattys, Sven L

2018-06-11

Perceiving speech while performing another task is a common challenge in everyday life. How the brain controls resource allocation during speech perception remains poorly understood. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the effect of cognitive load on speech perception by examining brain responses of participants performing a phoneme discrimination task and a visual working memory task simultaneously. The visual task involved holding either a single meaningless image in working memory (low cognitive load) or four different images (high cognitive load). Performing the speech task under high load, compared to low load, resulted in decreased activity in pSTG/pMTG and increased activity in visual occipital cortex and two regions known to contribute to visual attention regulation-the superior parietal lobule (SPL) and the paracingulate and anterior cingulate gyrus (PaCG, ACG). Critically, activity in PaCG/ACG was correlated with performance in the visual task and with activity in pSTG/pMTG: Increased activity in PaCG/ACG was observed for individuals with poorer visual performance and with decreased activity in pSTG/pMTG. Moreover, activity in a pSTG/pMTG seed region showed psychophysiological interactions with areas of the PaCG/ACG, with stronger interaction in the high-load than the low-load condition. These findings show that the acoustic analysis of speech is affected by the demands of a concurrent visual task and that the PaCG/ACG plays a role in allocating cognitive resources to concurrent auditory and visual information. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Integration of Negative Affect, Pain, and Cognitive Control in the Cingulate Cortex

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Shackman, Alexander J.; Salomons, Tim V.; Slagter, Heleen A.; Fox, Andrew S.; Winter, Jameel J.; Davidson, Richard J.

2011-01-01

Preface It has been argued that emotion, pain, and cognitive control are functionally segregated in distinct subdivisions of the cingulate cortex. But recent observations encourage a fundamentally different view. Imaging studies indicate that negative affect, pain, and cognitive control activate an overlapping region of dorsal cingulate, the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC). Anatomical studies reveal that aMCC constitutes a hub where information about reinforcers can be linked to motor centers responsible for expressing affect and executing goal-directed behavior. Computational modeling and other kinds of evidence suggest that this intimacy reflects control processes that are common to all three domains. These observations compel a reconsideration of dorsal cingulate’s contribution to negative affect and pain. PMID:21331082

Anterior cingulate cortex instigates adaptive switches in choice by integrating immediate and delayed components of value in ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

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Economides, Marcos; Guitart-Masip, Marc; Kurth-Nelson, Zeb; Dolan, Raymond J

2014-02-26

Actions can lead to an immediate reward or punishment and a complex set of delayed outcomes. Adaptive choice necessitates the brain track and integrate both of these potential consequences. Here, we designed a sequential task whereby the decision to exploit or forego an available offer was contingent on comparing immediate value and a state-dependent future cost of expending a limited resource. Crucially, the dynamics of the task demanded frequent switches in policy based on an online computation of changing delayed consequences. We found that human subjects choose on the basis of a near-optimal integration of immediate reward and delayed consequences, with the latter computed in a prefrontal network. Within this network, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was dynamically coupled to ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) when adaptive switches in choice were required. Our results suggest a choice architecture whereby interactions between ACC and vmPFC underpin an integration of immediate and delayed components of value to support flexible policy switching that accommodates the potential delayed consequences of an action.

Exposure to blue wavelength light modulates anterior cingulate cortex activation in response to 'uncertain' versus 'certain' anticipation of positive stimuli.

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Alkozei, Anna; Smith, Ryan; Killgore, William D S

2016-03-11

Blue wavelength light has been used as an effective treatment for some types of mood disorders and circadian rhythm related sleep problems. We hypothesized that acute exposure to blue wavelength light would directly affect the functioning of neurocircuity implicated in emotion regulation (i.e., ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]) during 'certain' and 'uncertain' anticipation of negative and positive stimuli. Thirty-five healthy adults were randomized to receive a thirty-minute exposure to either blue (active) or amber (placebo) light, immediately followed by an emotional anticipation task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In contrast to placebo, participants in the blue light group showed significantly reduced activation within the rostral ACC during 'uncertain' anticipation (i.e., uncertainty regarding whether a positive or negative stimulus would be shown) in comparison to 'certain' anticipation of a positive stimulus. These findings may be explicable in terms of interactions between blue light exposure and the influence of specific neuromodulators on ACC-mediated decision-making mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced quantal release of excitatory transmitter in anterior cingulate cortex of adult mice with chronic pain

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Zhao Ming-Gao

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC is a forebrain structure that plays important roles in emotion, learning, memory and persistent pain. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission was induced by peripheral inflammation and nerve injury in ACC synapses. However, little information is available on their presynaptic mechanisms, since the source of the enhanced synaptic transmission could include the enhanced probability of neurotransmitter release at existing release sites and/or increases in the number of available vesicles. The present study aims to perform quantal analysis of excitatory synapses in the ACC with chronic pain to examine the source of these increases. The quantal analysis revealed that both probability of transmitter release and number of available vesicles were increased in a mouse model of peripheral inflammation, whereas only probability of transmitter release but not number of available vesicles was enhanced in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. In addition, we compared the miniature excitatory postsynaptic potentials (mEPSCs in ACC synapses with those in other pain-related brain areas such as the amygdala and spinal cord. Interestingly, the rate and amplitude of mEPSCs in ACC synapses were significantly lower than those in the amygdala and spinal cord. Our studies provide strong evidences that chronic inflammatory pain increases both probability of transmitter release and number of available vesicles, whereas neuropathic pain increases only probability of transmitter release in the ACC synapses.

Neural representation of cost-benefit selections in rat anterior cingulate cortex in self-paced decision making.

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Wang, Shuai; Shi, Yi; Li, Bao-Ming

2017-03-01

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is crucial for decision making which involves the processing of cost-benefit information. Our previous study has shown that ACC is essential for self-paced decision making. However, it is unclear how ACC neurons represent cost-benefit selections during the decision-making process. In the present study, we trained rats on the same "Do More Get More" (DMGM) task as in our previous work. In each trial, the animals stand upright and perform a sustained nosepoke of their own will to earn a water reward, with the amount of reward positively correlated to the duration of the nosepoke (i.e., longer nosepokes earn larger rewards). We then recorded ACC neuronal activity on well-trained rats while they were performing the DMGM task. Our results show that (1) approximately 3/5 ACC neurons (296/496, 59.7%) exhibited changes in firing frequency that were temporally locked with the main events of the DMGM task; (2) about 1/5 ACC neurons (101/496, 20.4%) or 1/3 of the event-modulated neurons (101/296, 34.1%) showed differential firing rate changes for different cost-benefit selections; and (3) many ACC neurons exhibited linear encoding of the cost-benefit selections in the DMGM task events. These results suggest that ACC neurons are engaged in encoding cost-benefit information, thus represent the selections in self-paced decision making. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infusion of methylphenidate into the basolateral nucleus of amygdala or anterior cingulate cortex enhances fear memory consolidation in rats

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2008-01-01

The psychostimulant methylphenidate (MPD; also called Ritalin) is a blocker of dopamine and norepi-nephrine transporter. It has been clinically used for treatment of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). There have been inconsistent reports regarding the effects of systemically adminis-tered MPD on learning and memory, either in animals or humans. In the present study, we investigated the effect of direct infusion of MPD into the basolateral nucleus of amygdala (BLA) or the anterior cin-gulate cortex (ACC) on conditioned fear memory. Rats were trained on a one-trial step-through inhibi-tory avoidance task. MPD was infused bilaterally into the BLA or the ACC, either at ‘0’ or 6 h post-training. Saline was administered as control. Memory retention was tested 48 h post-training. In-tra-BLA or intra-ACC infusion of MPD ‘0’ h but not 6 h post-training significantly improved 48-h memory retention: the MPD-treated rats had significant longer step-through latency than controls. The present results indicate that action of MPD in the BLA or the ACC produces a beneficial effect on the consoli-dation of inhibitory avoidance memory.

Abrupt changes in the patterns and complexity of anterior cingulate cortex activity when food is introduced into an environment

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Barak Francisco Caracheo

2013-05-01

Full Text Available AbstractForaging typically involves two distinct phases, an exploration phase where an organism explores its local environment in search of needed resources and an exploitation phase where a discovered resource is consumed. The behavior and cognitive requirements of exploration and exploitation are quite different and yet organisms can quickly and efficiently switch between them many times during a foraging bout. The present study investigated neural activity state dynamics in the anterior cingulate sub-region of the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC when a reliable food source was introduced into an environment. Distinct and largely independent states were detected using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM when food was present or absent in the environment. Measures of neural entropy or complexity decreased when rats went from exploring the environment to exploiting a reliable food source. Exploration in the absence of food was associated with many weak activity states, while bouts of food consumption were characterized by fewer stronger states. Widespread activity state changes in the mPFC may help to inform foraging decisions and focus behavior on what is currently most prominent or valuable in the environment.

Differential encoding of factors influencing predicted reward value in monkey rostral anterior cingulate cortex.

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Toda, Koji; Sugase-Miyamoto, Yasuko; Mizuhiki, Takashi; Inaba, Kiyonori; Richmond, Barry J; Shidara, Munetaka

2012-01-01

The value of a predicted reward can be estimated based on the conjunction of both the intrinsic reward value and the length of time to obtain it. The question we addressed is how the two aspects, reward size and proximity to reward, influence the responses of neurons in rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), a brain region thought to play an important role in reward processing. We recorded from single neurons while two monkeys performed a multi-trial reward schedule task. The monkeys performed 1-4 sequential color discrimination trials to obtain a reward of 1-3 liquid drops. There were two task conditions, a valid cue condition, where the number of trials and reward amount were associated with visual cues, and a random cue condition, where the cue was picked from the cue set at random. In the valid cue condition, the neuronal firing is strongly modulated by the predicted reward proximity during the trials. Information about the predicted reward amount is almost absent at those times. In substantial subpopulations, the neuronal responses decreased or increased gradually through schedule progress to the predicted outcome. These two gradually modulating signals could be used to calculate the effect of time on the perception of reward value. In the random cue condition, little information about the reward proximity or reward amount is encoded during the course of the trial before reward delivery, but when the reward is actually delivered the responses reflect both the reward proximity and reward amount. Our results suggest that the rACC neurons encode information about reward proximity and amount in a manner that is dependent on utility of reward information. The manner in which the information is represented could be used in the moment-to-moment calculation of the effect of time and amount on predicted outcome value.

Exploring individual differences in task switching: Persistence and other personality traits related to anterior cingulate cortex function.

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Umemoto, A; Holroyd, C B

2016-01-01

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in cognitive control and decision-making but its precise function is still highly debated. Based on evidence from lesion, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging studies, we have recently proposed a critical role for ACC in motivating extended behaviors according to learned task values (Holroyd and Yeung, 2012). Computational simulations based on this theory suggest a hierarchical mechanism in which a caudal division of ACC selects and applies control over task execution, and a rostral division of ACC facilitates switches between tasks according to a higher task strategy (Holroyd and McClure, 2015). This theoretical framework suggests that ACC may contribute to personality traits related to persistence and reward sensitivity (Holroyd and Umemoto, 2016). To explore this possibility, we carried out a voluntary task switching experiment in which on each trial participants freely chose one of two tasks to perform, under the condition that they try to select the tasks "at random" and equally often. The participants also completed several questionnaires that assessed personality trait related to persistence, apathy, anhedonia, and rumination, in addition to the Big 5 personality inventory. Among other findings, we observed greater compliance with task instructions by persistent individuals, as manifested by a greater facility with switching between tasks, which is suggestive of increased engagement of rostral ACC. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dissociated roles of the anterior cingulate cortex in reward and conflict processing as revealed by the feedback error-related negativity and N200.

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Baker, Travis E; Holroyd, Clay B

2011-04-01

The reinforcement learning theory of the error-related negativity (ERN) holds that the impact of reward signals carried by the midbrain dopamine system modulates activity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), alternatively disinhibiting and inhibiting the ACC following unpredicted error and reward events, respectively. According to a recent formulation of the theory, activity that is intrinsic to the ACC produces a component of the event-related brain potential (ERP) called the N200, and following unpredicted rewards, the N200 is suppressed by extrinsically applied positive dopamine reward signals, resulting in an ERP component called the feedback-ERN (fERN). Here we demonstrate that, despite extensive spatial and temporal overlap between the two ERP components, the functional processes indexed by the N200 (conflict) and the fERN (reward) are dissociable. These results point toward avenues for future investigation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antidepressant Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy Correlate With Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Activity and Connectivity in Depression

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Liu, Yi; Du, Lian; Li, Yongmei; Liu, Haixia; Zhao, Wenjing; Liu, Dan; Zeng, Jinkun; Li, Xingbao; Fu, Yixiao; Qiu, Haitang; Li, Xirong; Qiu, Tian; Hu, Hua; Meng, Huaqing; Luo, Qinghua

2015-01-01

Abstract The mechanisms underlying the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in major depressive disorder (MDD) are not fully understood. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is a new tool to study the effects of brain stimulation interventions, particularly ECT. The authors aim to investigate the mechanisms of ECT in MDD by rs-fMRI. They used rs-fMRI to measure functional changes in the brain of first-episode, treatment-naive MDD patients (n = 23) immediately before and then following 8 ECT sessions (brief-pulse square-wave apparatus, bitemporal). They also computed voxel-wise amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) as a measure of regional brain activity and selected the left subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) to evaluate functional connectivity between the sgACC and other brain regions. Increased regional brain activity measured by ALFF mainly in the left sgACC following ECT. Functional connectivity of the left sgACC increased in the ipsilateral parahippocampal gyrus, pregenual ACC, contralateral middle temporal pole, and orbitofrontal cortex. Importantly, reduction in depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with increased ALFF in the left sgACC and left hippocampus, and with distant functional connectivity between the left sgACC and contralateral middle temporal pole. That is, across subjects, as depression improved, regional brain activity in sgACC and its functional connectivity increased in the brain. Eight ECT sessions in MDD patients modulated activity in the sgACC and its networks. The antidepressant effects of ECT were negatively correlated with sgACC brain activity and connectivity. These findings suggest that sgACC-associated prefrontal-limbic structures are associated with the therapeutic effects of ECT in MDD. PMID:26559309

7T Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in First-Episode Schizophrenia.

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Reid, Meredith A; Salibi, Nouha; White, David M; Gawne, Timothy J; Denney, Thomas S; Lahti, Adrienne C

2018-01-29

Recent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies suggest that abnormalities of the glutamatergic system in schizophrenia may be dependent on illness stage, medication status, and symptomatology. Glutamatergic metabolites appear to be elevated in the prodromal and early stages of schizophrenia but unchanged or reduced below normal in chronic, medicated patients. However, few of these studies have measured metabolites with high-field 7T MR scanners, which offer higher signal-to-noise ratio and better spectral resolution than 3T scanners and facilitate separation of glutamate and glutamine into distinct signals. In this study, we examined glutamate and other metabolites in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of first-episode schizophrenia patients. Glutamate and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) were significantly lower in schizophrenia patients vs controls. No differences were observed in levels of glutamine, GABA, or other metabolites. In schizophrenia patients but not controls, GABA was negatively correlated with the total score on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) as well as the immediate memory and language subscales. Our findings suggest that glutamate and NAA reductions in the ACC may be present early in the illness, but additional large-scale studies are needed to confirm these results as well as longitudinal studies to determine the effect of illness progression and treatment. The correlation between GABA and cognitive function suggests that MRS may be an important technique for investigating the neurobiology underlying cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Disrupted functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex in cirrhotic patients without overt hepatic encephalopathy: a resting state fMRI study.

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Long Jiang Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To evaluate the changes of functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC in patients with cirrhosis without overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE using resting state functional MRI. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants included 67 cirrhotic patients (27 minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE and 40 cirrhotic patients without MHE (non-HE, and 40 age- and gender- matched healthy controls. rsfMRI were performed on 3 Telsa scanners. The pregenual ACC resting-state networks (RSNs were characterized by using a standard seed-based whole-brain correlation method and compared between cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the ACC RSNs and venous blood ammonia levels, neuropsychological tests (number connection test type A [NCT-A] and digit symbol test [DST] scores in cirrhotic patients. All thresholds were set at P<0.05, with false discovery rate corrected. Compared with controls, non-HE and MHE patients showed significantly decreased functional connectivity in the bilateral ACC, bilateral middle frontal cortex (MFC, bilateral middle cingulate cortex (MCC, bilateral superior temporal gyri (STG/middle temporal gyri (MTG, bilateral thalami, bilateral putamen and bilateral insula, and increased functional connectivity of bilateral precuneus and left temporo-occipital lobe and bilateral lingual gyri. Compared with non-HE patients, MHE showed the decreased functional connectivity of right MCC, bilateral STG/MTG and right putamen. This indicates decreased ACC functional connectivity predominated with the increasing severity of HE. NCT-A scores negatively correlated with ACC functional connectivity in the bilateral MCC, right temporal lobe, and DST scores positively correlated with functional connectivity in the bilateral ACC and the right putamen. No correlation was found between venous blood ammonia levels and functional connectivity in ACC in cirrhotic patients. CONCLUSIONS

Open label smoking cessation with varenicline is associated with decreased glutamate levels and functional changes in anterior cingulate cortex: preliminary findings

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Muriah Dawn Wheelock

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Rationale: Varenicline, the most effective single agent for smoking cessation, is a partial agonist at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Increasing evidence implicates glutamate in the pathophysiology of addiction and one of the benefits of treatment for smoking cessation is the ability to regain cognitive control. Objective: To evaluate the effects of 12 week varenicline administration on glutamate levels in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC and functional changes within the cognitive control network.Methods: We used single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS in the dACC and functional MRI (fMRI during performance of a Stroop color-naming task before and after smoking cessation with varenicline in 11 healthy smokers (open label design. Using the dACC as a seed region, we evaluated functional connectivity changes using a psychophysiological interaction (PPI analysis. Results: We observed a significant decrease in dACC glutamate + glutamine (Glx/Cr levels as well as significant blood oxygen level-dependent signal (BOLD decreases in the rostral ACC/medial orbitofrontal cortex and precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex. These BOLD changes are suggestive of alterations in default mode network (DMN function and are further supported by the results of the PPI analysis that revealed changes in connectivity between the dACC and regions of the DMN. Baseline measures of nicotine dependence and craving positively correlated with baseline Glx/Cr levels.Conclusions: These results suggest possible mechanisms of action for varenicline such as reduction in Glx levels in dACC and shifts in BOLD activities between large scale brain networks. They also suggest a role for ACC Glx in the modulation of behavior. Due to the preliminary nature of this study (lack of control group and small sample size, future studies are needed to replicate these findings.

Dissociable effects of cingulate and medial frontal cortex lesions on stimulus-reward learning using a novel Pavlovian autoshaping procedure for the rat: implications for the neurobiology of emotion.

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Bussey, T J; Everitt, B J; Robbins, T W

1997-10-01

The effects of quinolinic acid-induced lesions of the anterior cingulate, posterior cingulate, and medial frontal cortices on stimulus-reward learning were investigated with a novel Pavlovian autoshaping procedure in an apparatus allowing the automated presentation of computer-graphic stimuli to rats (T. J. Bussey, J. L. Muir, & T. W. Robbins, 1994). White vertical rectangles were presented on the left or the right of a computer screen. One of these conditioned stimuli (the CS+) was always followed by the presentation of a sucrose pellet; the other, the CS-, was never followed by reward. With training, rats came to approach the CS+ more often than the CS-. Anterior cingulate cortex-lesioned rats failed to demonstrate normal discriminated approach, making significantly more approaches to the CS- than did sham-operated controls. Medial frontal cortex-lesioned rats acquired the task normally but had longer overall approach latencies. Posterior cingulate cortex lesions did not affect acquisition.

The role of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in the regulation of craving by reappraisal in smokers.

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Li-Yan Zhao

Full Text Available RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE: Drug cues can induce craving for drugs of abuse. Dysfunctional regulation of emotion and motivation regarding rewarding objects appears to be an integral part of addiction. It has been found that cognitive strategies decreased the intensity of craving in addicts. Reappraisal strategy is a type of cognitive strategy that requires participants to reinterpret the meaning of an emotional situation. In addition, studies have found that activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC is associated with the selection and application of cognitive reappraisal. In present study, we sought to determine whether such cognitive regulation engages the dACC and improves inhibition of craving in smokers. METHODS: Sixteen smokers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI during performance of a cigarette reward-conditioning procedure with cognitive reappraisal. We focused our analyses on the dACC as a key structure of cognitive control of craving. Cue induced craving under different conditions was obtained. Correlational analysis between the functional response in the dACC and the subjective craving was performed. RESULTS: We found that using a cognitive reappraisal was successful in decreasing the conditioned craving. Right dACC (BA 24/32 engaged in the cognitive reappraisal. In addition, the individual's subjective craving was negatively correlated with the right dACC activation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the dACC are important substrates of Inhibition of cue induced craving in smokers. Cognitive regulation by cognitive reappraisal may help addicted individuals avoid the anticipated situations where they are exposed to conditioned cues.

Activation of cannabinoid system in anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex modulates cost-benefit decision making.

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Khani, Abbas; Kermani, Mojtaba; Hesam, Soghra; Haghparast, Abbas; Argandoña, Enrike G; Rainer, Gregor

2015-06-01

Despite the evidence for altered decision making in cannabis abusers, the role of the cannabinoid system in decision-making circuits has not been studied. Here, we examined the effects of cannabinoid modulation during cost-benefit decision making in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), key brain areas involved in decision making. We trained different groups of rats in a delay-based and an effort-based form of cost-benefit T-maze decision-making task. During test days, the rats received local injections of either vehicle or ACEA, a cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R) agonist in the ACC or OFC. We measured spontaneous locomotor activity following the same treatments and characterized CB1Rs localization on different neuronal populations within these regions using immunohistochemistry. We showed that CB1R activation in the ACC impaired decision making such that rats were less willing to invest physical effort to gain high reward. Similarly, CB1R activation in the OFC induced impulsive pattern of choice such that rats preferred small immediate rewards to large delayed rewards. Control tasks ensured that the effects were specific for differential cost-benefit tasks. Furthermore, we characterized widespread colocalizations of CB1Rs on GABAergic axonal ends but few colocalizations on glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic neuronal ends. These results provide first direct evidence that the cannabinoid system plays a critical role in regulating cost-benefit decision making in the ACC and OFC and implicate cannabinoid modulation of synaptic ends of predominantly interneurons and to a lesser degree other neuronal populations in these two frontal regions.

Amygdala functional disconnection with the prefrontal-cingulate-temporal circuit in chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood.

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Chen, Yu-Chen; Bo, Fan; Xia, Wenqing; Liu, Shenghua; Wang, Peng; Su, Wen; Xu, Jin-Jing; Xiong, Zhenyu; Yin, Xindao

2017-10-03

Chronic tinnitus is often accompanied with depressive symptom, which may arise from aberrant functional coupling between the amygdala and cerebral cortex. To explore this hypothesis, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the disrupted amygdala-cortical functional connectivity (FC) in chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood. Chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood (n=20), without depressive mood (n=20), and well-matched healthy controls (n=23) underwent resting-state fMRI scanning. Amygdala-cortical FC was characterized using a seed-based whole-brain correlation method. The bilateral amygdala FC was compared among the three groups. Compared to non-depressed patients, depressive tinnitus patients showed decreased amygdala FC with the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex as well as increased amygdala FC with the postcentral gyrus and lingual gyrus. Relative to healthy controls, depressive tinnitus patients revealed decreased amygdala FC with the superior and middle temporal gyrus, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex, as well as increased amygdala FC with the postcentral gyrus and lingual gyrus. The current study identified for the first time abnormal resting-state amygdala-cortical FC with the prefrontal-cingulate-temporal circuit in chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood, which will provide novel insight into the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of tinnitus-induced depressive disorder. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sympathetic regulation and anterior cingulate cortex volume are altered in a rat model of chronic back pain.

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Touj, Sara; Houle, Sébastien; Ramla, Djamel; Jeffrey-Gauthier, Renaud; Hotta, Harumi; Bronchti, Gilles; Martinoli, Maria-Grazia; Piché, Mathieu

2017-06-03

Chronic pain is associated with autonomic disturbance. However, specific effects of chronic back pain on sympathetic regulation remain unknown. Chronic pain is also associated with structural changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which may be linked to sympathetic dysregulation. The aim of this study was to determine whether sympathetic regulation and ACC surface and volume are affected in a rat model of chronic back pain, in which complete Freund Adjuvant (CFA) is injected in back muscles. Sympathetic regulation was assessed with renal blood flow (RBF) changes induced by electrical stimulation of a hind paw, while ACC structure was examined by measuring cortical surface and volume. RBF changes and ACC volume were compared between control rats and rats injected with CFA in back muscles segmental (T10) to renal sympathetic innervation or not (T2). In rats with CFA, chronic inflammation was observed in the affected muscles in addition to increased nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) protein expression in corresponding spinal cord segments (p=0.01) as well as decreased ACC volume (pchronic pain at T2 (p'schronic back pain alters sympathetic functions through non-segmental mechanisms, possibly by altering descending regulatory pathways from ACC. Yet, segmental somato-sympathetic reflexes may compete with non-segmental processes depending on the back region affected by pain and according to the segmental organization of the sympathetic nervous system. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Chan Dietary Intervention Enhances Executive Functions and Anterior Cingulate Activity in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Agnes S. Chan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Executive dysfunctions have been found to be related to repetitive/disinhibited behaviors and social deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs. This study aims to investigate the potential effect of a Shaolin-medicine-based dietary modification on improving executive functions and behavioral symptoms of ASD and exploring the possible underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. Twenty-four children with ASD were randomly assigned into the experimental (receiving dietary modification for one month and the control (no modification groups. Each child was assessed on his/her executive functions, behavioral problems based on parental ratings, and event-related electroencephalography (EEG activity during a response-monitoring task before and after the one month. The experimental group demonstrated significantly improved mental flexibility and inhibitory control after the diet modification, which continued to have a large effect size within the low-functioning subgroup. Such improvements coincided with positive evaluations by their parents on social communication abilities and flexible inhibitory control of daily behaviors and significantly enhanced event-related EEG activity at the rostral and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex. In contrast, the control group did not show any significant improvements. These positive outcomes of a one-month dietary modification on children with ASD have implicated its potential clinical applicability for patients with executive function deficits.

Anatomic abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex before psychosis onset: an MRI study of ultra-high-risk individuals.

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Fornito, Alex; Yung, Alison R; Wood, Stephen J; Phillips, Lisa J; Nelson, Barnaby; Cotton, Sue; Velakoulis, Dennis; McGorry, Patrick D; Pantelis, Christos; Yücel, Murat

2008-11-01

Abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are frequently implicated in the pathophysiology of psychotic disorders, but whether such changes are apparent before psychosis onset remains unclear. In this study, we characterized prepsychotic ACC abnormalities in a sample of individuals at ultra-high-risk (UHR) for psychosis. Participants underwent baseline magnetic resonance imaging and were followed-up over 12-24 months to ascertain diagnostic outcomes. Baseline ACC morphometry was then compared between UHR individuals who developed psychosis (UHR-P; n = 35), those who did not (UHR-NP; n = 35), and healthy control subjects (n = 33). Relative to control subjects, UHR-P individuals displayed bilateral thinning of a rostral paralimbic ACC region that was negatively correlated with negative symptoms, whereas UHR-NP individuals displayed a relative thickening of dorsal and rostral limbic areas that was correlated with anxiety ratings. Baseline ACC differences between the two UHR groups predicted time to psychosis onset, independently of symptomatology. Subdiagnostic comparisons revealed that changes in the UHR-P group were driven by individuals subsequently diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. These findings indicate that anatomic abnormalities of the ACC precede psychosis onset and that baseline ACC differences distinguish between UHR individuals who do and do not subsequently develop frank psychosis. They also indicate that prepsychotic changes are relatively specific to individuals who develop a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, suggesting they may represent a diagnostically specific risk marker.

The influence of 5-HTTLPR transporter genotype on amygdala-subgenual anterior cingulate cortex connectivity in autism spectrum disorder

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Francisco Velasquez

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD are linked to amygdala functioning and functional connection between the amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC is involved in the modulation of amygdala activity. Impairments in behavioral symptoms and amygdala activation and connectivity with the sACC seem to vary by serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR variant genotype in diverse populations. The current preliminary investigation examines whether amygdala-sACC connectivity differs by 5-HTTLPR genotype and relates to social functioning in ASD. A sample of 108 children and adolescents (44 ASD completed an fMRI face-processing task. Youth with ASD and low expressing 5-HTTLPR genotypes showed significantly greater connectivity than youth with ASD and higher expressing genotypes as well as typically developing (TD individuals with both low and higher expressing genotypes, in the comparison of happy vs. baseline faces and happy vs. neutral faces. Moreover, individuals with ASD and higher expressing genotypes exhibit a negative relationship between amygdala-sACC connectivity and social dysfunction. Altered amygdala-sACC coupling based on 5-HTTLPR genotype may help explain some of the heterogeneity in neural and social function observed in ASD. This is the first ASD study to combine genetic polymorphism analyses and functional connectivity in the context of a social task.

Combined rTMS treatment targeting the Anterior Cingulate and the Temporal Cortex for the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus

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Kreuzer, Peter M.; Lehner, Astrid; Schlee, Winfried; Vielsmeier, Veronika; Schecklmann, Martin; Poeppl, Timm B.; Landgrebe, Michael; Rupprecht, Rainer; Langguth, Berthold

2015-01-01

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as a tinnitus treatment option. Promising results have been obtained by consecutive stimulation of lateral frontal and auditory brain regions. We investigated a combined stimulation paradigm targeting the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with double cone coil rTMS, followed by stimulation of the temporo-parietal junction area with a figure-of-eight coil. The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind pilot trial in 40 patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. We compared mediofrontal stimulation with double-cone-coil, (2000 stimuli, 10 Hz) followed by left temporo-parietal stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 1 Hz) to left dorsolateral-prefrontal-cortex stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 10 Hz) followed by temporo-parietal stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 1 Hz). The stimulation was feasible with comparable dropout rates in both study arms; no severe adverse events were registered. Responder rates did not differ in both study arms. There was a significant main effect of time for the change in the TQ score, but no significant time x group interaction. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of combined mediofrontal/temporoparietal-rTMS-stimulation with double cone coil in tinnitus patients but failed to show better outcome compared to an actively rTMS treated control group. PMID:26667790

The time course of activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex during top-down attentional control.

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Silton, Rebecca Levin; Heller, Wendy; Towers, David N; Engels, Anna S; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Edgar, J Christopher; Sass, Sarah M; Stewart, Jennifer L; Sutton, Bradley P; Banich, Marie T; Miller, Gregory A

2010-04-15

A network of brain regions has been implicated in top-down attentional control, including left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The present experiment evaluated predictions of the cascade-of-control model (Banich, 2009), which predicts that during attentionally-demanding tasks, LDLPFC imposes a top-down attentional set which precedes late-stage selection performed by dACC. Furthermore, the cascade-of-control model argues that dACC must increase its activity to compensate when top-down control by LDLPFC is poor. The present study tested these hypotheses using fMRI and dense-array ERP data collected from the same 80 participants in separate sessions. fMRI results guided ERP source modeling to characterize the time course of activity in LDLPFC and dACC. As predicted, dACC activity subsequent to LDLPFC activity distinguished congruent and incongruent conditions on the Stroop task. Furthermore, when LDLPFC activity was low, the level of dACC activity was related to performance outcome. These results demonstrate that dACC responds to attentional demand in a flexible manner that is dependent on the level of LDLPFC activity earlier in a trial. Overall, results were consistent with the temporal course of regional brain function proposed by the cascade-of-control model. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Activity of the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral hippocampus underlie increases in contextual fear generalization.

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Cullen, Patrick K; Gilman, T Lee; Winiecki, Patrick; Riccio, David C; Jasnow, Aaron M

2015-10-01

Memories for context become less specific with time resulting in animals generalizing fear from training contexts to novel contexts. Though much attention has been given to the neural structures that underlie the long-term consolidation of a context fear memory, very little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the increase in fear generalization that occurs as the memory ages. Here, we examine the neural pattern of activation underlying the expression of a generalized context fear memory in male C57BL/6J mice. Animals were context fear conditioned and tested for fear in either the training context or a novel context at recent and remote time points. Animals were sacrificed and fluorescent in situ hybridization was performed to assay neural activation. Our results demonstrate activity of the prelimbic, infralimbic, and anterior cingulate (ACC) cortices as well as the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) underlie expression of a generalized fear memory. To verify the involvement of the ACC and vHPC in the expression of a generalized fear memory, animals were context fear conditioned and infused with 4% lidocaine into the ACC, dHPC, or vHPC prior to retrieval to temporarily inactivate these structures. The results demonstrate that activity of the ACC and vHPC is required for the expression of a generalized fear memory, as inactivation of these regions returned the memory to a contextually precise form. Current theories of time-dependent generalization of contextual memories do not predict involvement of the vHPC. Our data suggest a novel role of this region in generalized memory, which should be incorporated into current theories of time-dependent memory generalization. We also show that the dorsal hippocampus plays a prolonged role in contextually precise memories. Our findings suggest a possible interaction between the ACC and vHPC controls the expression of fear generalization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacological isolation of postsynaptic currents mediated by NR2A- and NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex

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Cao Xiaoyan

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract NMDA receptors (NMDARs are involved in excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity associated with a variety of brain functions, from memory formation to chronic pain. Subunit-selective antagonists for NMDARs provide powerful tools to dissect NMDAR functions in neuronal activities. Recently developed antagonist for NR2A-containing receptors, NVP-AAM007, triggered debates on its selectivity and involvement of the NMDAR subunits in bi-directional synaptic plasticity. Here, we re-examined the pharmacological properties of NMDARs in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC using NVP-AAM007 as well as ifenprodil, a selective antagonist for NR2B-containing NMDARs. By alternating sequence of drug application and examining different concentrations of NVP-AAM007, we found that the presence of NVP-AAM007 did not significantly affect the effect of ifenprodil on NMDAR-mediated EPSCs. These results suggest that NVP-AAM007 shows great preference for NR2A subunit and could be used as a selective antagonist for NR2A-containing NMDARs in the ACC.

Glutamatergic activation of anterior cingulate cortex mediates the affective component of visceral pain memory in rats.

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Yan, Ni; Cao, Bing; Xu, Jiahe; Hao, Chun; Zhang, Xu; Li, Ying

2012-01-01

Studies of both humans and animals suggest that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is important for processing pain perception. We identified that perigenul ACC (pACC) sensitization and enhanced visceral pain in a visceral hypersensitive rat in previous studies. Pain contains both sensory and affective dimensions. Teasing apart the mechanisms that control the neural pathways mediating pain affect and sensation in nociceptive behavioral response is a challenge. In this study, using a rodent visceral pain assay that combines the colorectal distension (CRD)-induced visceromotor response (VMR) with the conditioning place avoidance (CPA), we measured a learned behavior that directly reflects the affective component of visceral pain. When CRD was paired with a distinct environment context, the rats spent significantly less time in this compartment on the post-conditioning test days as compared with the pre-conditioning day. Effects were lasted for 14 days. Bilateral pACC lesion significantly reduced CPA scores without reducing acute visceral pain behaviors (CRD-induced VMR). Bilateral administration of non-NMDA receptor antagonist CNQX or NMDA receptor antagonist AP5 into the pACC decreased the CPA scores. AP5 or CNQX at dose of 400 mM produced about 70% inhibition of CRD-CPA in the day 1, 4 and 7, and completely abolished the CPA in the day 14 after conditioning. We concluded that neurons in the pACC are necessary for the "aversiveness" of visceral nociceptor stimulation. pACC activation is critical for the memory processing involved in long-term negative affective state and prediction of aversive stimuli by contextual cue. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortices Differentially Lateralize Prediction Errors and Outcome Valence in a Decision-Making Task

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Alexander R. Weiss

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC is proposed to facilitate learning by signaling mismatches between the expected outcome of decisions and the actual outcomes in the form of prediction errors. The dACC is also proposed to discriminate outcome valence—whether a result has positive (either expected or desirable or negative (either unexpected or undesirable value. However, direct electrophysiological recordings from human dACC to validate these separate, but integrated, dimensions have not been previously performed. We hypothesized that local field potentials (LFPs would reveal changes in the dACC related to prediction error and valence and used the unique opportunity offered by deep brain stimulation (DBS surgery in the dACC of three human subjects to test this hypothesis. We used a cognitive task that involved the presentation of object pairs, a motor response, and audiovisual feedback to guide future object selection choices. The dACC displayed distinctly lateralized theta frequency (3–8 Hz event-related potential responses—the left hemisphere dACC signaled outcome valence and prediction errors while the right hemisphere dACC was involved in prediction formation. Multivariate analyses provided evidence that the human dACC response to decision outcomes reflects two spatiotemporally distinct early and late systems that are consistent with both our lateralized electrophysiological results and the involvement of the theta frequency oscillatory activity in dACC cognitive processing. Further findings suggested that dACC does not respond to other phases of action-outcome-feedback tasks such as the motor response which supports the notion that dACC primarily signals information that is crucial for behavioral monitoring and not for motor control.

Rutin protects against cognitive deficits and brain damage in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

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Qu, Jie; Zhou, Qiong; Du, Ying; Zhang, Wei; Bai, Miao; Zhang, Zhuo; Xi, Ye; Li, Zhuyi; Miao, Jianting

2014-08-01

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is a critical causative factor for the development of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly, which involves many pathophysiological processes. Consequently, inhibition of several pathophysiological pathways is an attractive therapeutic strategy for this disorder. Rutin, a biologically active flavonoid, protects the brain against several insults through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its effect on cognitive deficits and brain damage caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion remains unknown. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of rutin on cognitive impairments and the potential mechanisms underlying its action in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. We used Sprague-Dawley rats with permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), a well-established model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. After rutin treatment for 12 weeks, the neuroprotective effect of rutin in rats was evaluated by behavioural tests, biochemical and histopathological analyses. BCCAO rats showed marked cognitive deficits, which were improved by rutin treatment. Moreover, BCCAO rats exhibited central cholinergic dysfunction, oxidative damage, inflammatory responses and neuronal damage in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, compared with sham-operated rats. All these effects were significantly alleviated by treatment with rutin. Our results provide new insights into the pharmacological actions of rutin and suggest that rutin has multi-targeted therapeutical potential on cognitive deficits associated with conditions with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion such as vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. © 2014 The British Pharmacological Society.

Extent and severity of myocardial hypoperfusion as predictors of prognosis in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

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Ladenheim, M.L.; Pollock, B.H.; Rozanski, A.; Berman, D.S.; Staniloff, H.M.; Forrester, J.S.; Diamond, G.A.

1986-01-01

The ability of exercise-induced myocardial hypoperfusion on thallium scintigraphy to predict coronary events was assessed in 1,689 patients with symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease but without prior myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass surgery. A total of 74 patients had a coronary event in the year after testing (12 cardiac deaths, 20 nonfatal infarctions and 42 referrals for bypass surgery more than 60 days after testing). Stepwise logistic regression identified only three independent predictors: the number of myocardial regions with reversible hypoperfusion (an index of the extent of hypoperfusion), the maximal magnitude of hypoperfusion (an index of the severity of hypoperfusion) and the achieved heart rate (an index of exercise performance). Both extent and severity were exponentially correlated with event rate (r greater than 0.97 and p less than 0.01 for each), whereas achieved heart rate was linearly correlated with event rate (r = 0.79 and p less than 0.05). On the basis of these data, a prognostic model was defined that employs extent and severity as stress-dependent orthogonal variables. Using this model, the predicted coronary event rate ranged over two orders of magnitude--from a low of 0.4% in patients able to exercise adequately without developing severe and extensive hypoperfusion at a low heart rate (less than 85% of their maximal predicted heart rate). Extent and severity of myocardial hypoperfusion, therefore, are important independent variables of prognosis in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

Activation of the serotonergic system by pedaling exercise changes anterior cingulate cortex activity and improves negative emotion.

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Ohmatsu, Satoko; Nakano, Hideki; Tominaga, Takanori; Terakawa, Yuzo; Murata, Takaho; Morioka, Shu

2014-08-15

Pedaling exercise (PE) of moderate intensity has been shown to ease anxiety and discomfort; however, little is known of the changes that occur in brain activities and in the serotonergic (5-HT) system after PE. Therefore, this study was conducted for the following reasons: (1) to localize the changes in the brain activities induced by PE using a distributed source localization algorithm, (2) to examine the changes in frontal asymmetry, as used in the Davidson model, with electroencephalography (EEG) activity, and (3) to examine the effect of PE on the 5-HT system. A 32-channel EEG was used to record before and after PE. Profile of Mood States tests indicated that there was a significant decrease in tension-anxiety and a significant increase in vigor after PE. A standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis showed a significant decrease in brain activities after PE in the alpha-2 band (10-12.5 Hz) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Moreover, a significant increase in frontal EEG asymmetry was observed after PE in the alpha-1 band (7.5-10 Hz). Urine 5-HT levels significantly increased after PE. Urine 5-HT levels positively correlated with the degree of frontal EEG asymmetry in the alpha-1 band and negatively correlated with brain activity in ACC. Our results suggested that PE activates the 5-HT system and consequently induces increases in frontal EEG asymmetry in the alpha-1 band and reductions of brain activity in the alpha-2 band in the ACC region. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frontal lobe hypoperfusion in mild cognitive impairment patients

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Liao, S.Q.; Chung, C.P.; Liao, Y.C.; Wang, P.N.; Lee, Y.C.; Liu, H.C.; Liu, R.S.

2004-01-01

Objective: Mild cognitive impairement (MCI) refers to the clinical state of individuals who are memory impaired subjectively but are functioning well and do not meet the criteria of dementia. MCI subjects have a high risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is important to detect the earliest evidence of AD for clinicians to recognize the high risk subjects and to implicate the therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the early change of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in MCI with high risk of AD by SPECT. Methods: Subjects complained of memory impairment with normal cognitive function and intact daily activities were enrolled. Each patient underwent 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT at the time of initial evaluation. Patients were followed for one to five years. The diagnosis of AD was based on the criteria of the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association. There were 8 patients (4 males, 4 females; age range, 64-80 yrs; mean, 73.5 yrs) progressing to AD within one year. Ten gender and age matched normal control subjects (NC) were also included. The SPECT images were analyzed by using SPM 99. The image data were transformed into a standard stereotactic space, using a 12-parameter linear and 2x2x2 nonlinear spatial normalization with the template image. Group comparisons of the SPECT images between the 8 rapid AD converters and 10 NCs were performed on a voxel-by-voxel basis using t test. The t statistics was transformed to a normal statistic yielding a Z score for every voxel. Results: In 8 rapid AD converters, rCBF in the right medial frontal gyms (Brodmann area 10; BA 10), anterior cingulated gyms (BA 32) and middle frontal gyms (BA 46) was significantly lower than in NCs (p<0.001). The neuropsychological performances of these 8 cases revealed decrement in short-term memory, mental manipulation and list-generation frequency. Conclusions: rCBF is decreased in right medial frontal, anterior cingulated and middle frontal gyms in MCI patients who

alpha-adrenergic Blockade Unmasks a Greater Compensatory Vasodilation in Hypoperfused Contracting Muscle

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Darren P. Casey

2012-07-01

Full Text Available We previously demonstrated that acute hypoperfusion in exercising human muscle causes an immediate increase in vascular resistance that is followed by a partial restoration (less than 100% recovery of flow. In the current study we examined the contribution of alpha-adrenergic vasoconstriction in the initial changes in vascular resistance at the onset of hypoperfusion as well as in the recovery of flow over time. Nine healthy male subjects (29 ± 2 performed rhythmic forearm exercise (20% of maximum during hypoperfusion evoked by intra-arterial balloon inflation. Each trial included; baseline, exercise prior to inflation, exercise with inflation, and exercise after deflation (3 min each. Forearm blood flow (FBF; ultrasound, local (brachial artery, and systemic arterial pressure (MAP; Finometer were measured. The trial was repeated during phentolamine infusion (alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade. Forearm vascular conductance (FVC; ml min-1 100 mmHg-1 and resistance (mmHg ml min-1 was calculated from BF (ml min-1 and local MAP (mmHg. Recovery of FBF and FVC (steady state inflation plus exercise value – nadir/ [steady state exercise (control value-nadir] with phentolamine was enhanced compared with the respective control (no drug trial (FBF = 97 ± 5% vs. 81 ± 6%, P < 0.05; FVC = 126 ± 9% vs. 91 ± 5%, P < 0.01. However, the absolute (0.05 ± 0.01 vs. 0.06 ± 0.01 mmHg ml min-1; P = 0.17 and relative (35 ± 5% vs. 31 ± 2%; P = 0.41 increase in vascular resistance at the onset of balloon inflation was not different between the alpha-adrenergic receptor inhibition and control (no drug trials. Therefore, our data indicate that alpha-adrenergic mediated vasoconstriction restricts compensatory vasodilation during forearm exercise with hypoperfusion, but is not responsible for the initial increase in vascular resistance at the onset of hypoperfusion.

Impact of family history of alcoholism on glutamine/glutamate ratio in anterior cingulate cortex in substance-naïve adolescents.

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Cohen-Gilbert, Julia E; Sneider, Jennifer T; Crowley, David J; Rosso, Isabelle M; Jensen, J Eric; Silveri, Marisa M

2015-12-01

Neuroimaging studies of individuals with family histories of alcoholism provide evidence suggesting neurobiological risk factors for alcoholism. Youth family history positive (FH+) for alcoholism exhibit increased impulsivity compared to family history negative (FH-) peers in conjunction with altered functional activation in prefrontal cortex, including anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). This study examined glutamate (Glu) and glutamine (Gln), amino acids vital to protein synthesis, cellular metabolism and neurotransmission, acquired from ACC and parieto-occipital cortex (POC) using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 4T. Participants were 28 adolescents (13 male, 12-14 yrs) and 31 emerging adults (16 male, 18-25 yrs), stratified into FH- and FH+ groups. Significantly higher ACC Gln/Glu was observed in emerging adults versus adolescents in FH- but not FH+ groups. In FH- adolescents, higher impulsivity was significantly associated with higher ACC Gln/Glu. In FH+ emerging adults, higher impulsivity was negatively associated with ACC Gln/Glu. No differences or associations were observed for POC. These findings provide preliminary evidence that family history of alcoholism is associated with a neurochemical profile that may influence normative age differences in glutamatergic metabolites and their association with impulse control, which together could confer greater genetic risk of addiction later in life. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Dissociable contributions of anterior cingulate cortex and basolateral amygdala on a rodent cost/benefit decision-making task of cognitive effort.

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Hosking, Jay G; Cocker, Paul J; Winstanley, Catharine A

2014-06-01

Personal success often requires the choice to expend greater effort for larger rewards, and deficits in such effortful decision making accompany a number of illnesses including depression, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Animal models have implicated brain regions such as the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in physical effort-based choice, but disentangling the unique contributions of these two regions has proven difficult, and effort demands in industrialized society are predominantly cognitive in nature. Here we utilize the rodent cognitive effort task (rCET), a modification of the five-choice serial reaction-time task, wherein animals can choose to expend greater visuospatial attention to obtain larger sucrose rewards. Temporary inactivation (via baclofen-muscimol) of BLA and ACC showed dissociable effects: BLA inactivation caused hard-working rats to 'slack off' and 'slacker' rats to work harder, whereas ACC inactivation caused all animals to reduce willingness to expend mental effort. Furthermore, BLA inactivation increased the time needed to make choices, whereas ACC inactivation increased motor impulsivity. These data illuminate unique contributions of BLA and ACC to effort-based decision making, and imply overlapping yet distinct circuitry for cognitive vs physical effort. Our understanding of effortful decision making may therefore require expanding our models beyond purely physical costs.

Loss of integrity and atrophy in cingulate structural covariance networks in Parkinson's disease.

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de Schipper, Laura J; van der Grond, Jeroen; Marinus, Johan; Henselmans, Johanna M L; van Hilten, Jacobus J

2017-01-01

In Parkinson's disease (PD), the relation between cortical brain atrophy on MRI and clinical progression is not straightforward. Determination of changes in structural covariance networks - patterns of covariance in grey matter density - has shown to be a valuable technique to detect subtle grey matter variations. We evaluated how structural network integrity in PD is related to clinical data. 3 Tesla MRI was performed in 159 PD patients. We used nine standardized structural covariance networks identified in 370 healthy subjects as a template in the analysis of the PD data. Clinical assessment comprised motor features (Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale; MDS-UPDRS motor scale) and predominantly non-dopaminergic features (SEverity of Non-dopaminergic Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease; SENS-PD scale: postural instability and gait difficulty, psychotic symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms). Voxel-based analyses were performed within networks significantly associated with PD. The anterior and posterior cingulate network showed decreased integrity, associated with the SENS-PD score, p = 0.001 (β = - 0.265, η p 2  = 0.070) and p = 0.001 (β = - 0.264, η p 2  = 0.074), respectively. Of the components of the SENS-PD score, cognitive impairment and excessive daytime sleepiness were associated with atrophy within both networks. We identified loss of integrity and atrophy in the anterior and posterior cingulate networks in PD patients. Abnormalities of both networks were associated with predominantly non-dopaminergic features, specifically cognition and excessive daytime sleepiness. Our findings suggest that (components of) the cingulate networks display a specific vulnerability to the pathobiology of PD and may operate as interfaces between networks involved in cognition and alertness.

Persistent villi hypoperfusion explains intramucosal acidosis in sheep endotoxemia

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Dubin, Arnaldo; Edul, Vanina Siham Kanoore; Pozo, Mario Omar; Murias, Gastón; Canullán, Carlos Manuel; Martins, Enrique Francisco; Ferrara, Gonzalo; Canales, Héctor Saul; Laporte, Mercedes; Estenssoro, Elisa; Ince, Can

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that persistent villi hypoperfusion explains intramucosal acidosis after endotoxemic shock resuscitation. DESIGN: Controlled experimental study. SETTING: University-based research laboratory. SUBJECTS: A total of 14 anesthetized, mechanically ventilated sheep.

Nonlinear response of the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia as a function of variable attentional control.

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Blasi, Giuseppe; Taurisano, Paolo; Papazacharias, Apostolos; Caforio, Grazia; Romano, Raffaella; Lobianco, Luciana; Fazio, Leonardo; Di Giorgio, Annabella; Latorre, Valeria; Sambataro, Fabio; Popolizio, Teresa; Nardini, Marcello; Mattay, Venkata S; Weinberger, Daniel R; Bertolino, Alessandro

2010-04-01

Previous studies have reported abnormal prefrontal and cingulate activity during attentional control processing in schizophrenia. However, it is not clear how variation in attentional control load modulates activity within these brain regions in this brain disorder. The aim of this study in schizophrenia is to investigate the impact of increasing levels of attentional control processing on prefrontal and cingulate activity. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses of 16 outpatients with schizophrenia were compared with those of 21 healthy subjects while performing a task eliciting increasing levels of attentional control during event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. Results showed reduced behavioral performance in patients at greater attentional control levels. Imaging data indicated greater prefrontal activity at intermediate attentional control levels in patients but greater prefrontal and cingulate responses at high attentional control demands in controls. The BOLD activity profile of these regions in controls increased linearly with increasing cognitive loads, whereas in patients, it was nonlinear. Correlation analysis consistently showed differential region and load-specific relationships between brain activity and behavior in the 2 groups. These results indicate that varying attentional control load is associated in schizophrenia with load- and region-specific modification of the relationship between behavior and brain activity, possibly suggesting earlier saturation of cognitive capacity.

Assessment of personality disorder by means of NeuroSPECT

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Mena G, Ismael; Nader N, Armando; Valdes M, Cecilia; Riquelme V, Raul

2012-01-01

We report on functional imaging results in 24 patients of Personality Disorder (P.D.) performed with NeuroSPECT by means of Tc99m HMPAO, in Basal state and during frontal cortical activation by means of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Results demonstrate that we can make the diagnosis of P.D. when we detect significant hypoperfusion (- 2 Stand/ Deviations below the normal mean for the same age group) in the subgenual area (Area 25 of Brodmann) and in Area 24 of Brodmann, the anterior cingulated gyrus. Both areas are paradoxically more hypoperfused during the Wisconsin Test. Among patients diagnosed with P.D. NeuroSPECT can distinguish between patients of Cluster B from the ones from Cluster C in both Basal and Activation State, while Cluster A from B could be differentiated only in Basal State. On the other hand Motor Impulsivity patients could be differentiated from the Cognitive group due to paradoxical hypoperfusion in motor areas 1,2,3, and 4 of Brodmann. While the number of patients studied appears reduced these results demonstrate the capability of diagnosing Personality Disorder and also the capability to improved understanding of the subgroups of this Disorder

Changes in the peritumoral hypoperfusion area immediately after radiosurgery for metastatic brain tumor. Analysis using 3D-SPECT

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Nemoto, Masaaki [Toho Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine

2001-09-01

Sixteen patients with single metastatic brain tumor underwent SPECT using N-isopropyl-p-({sup 123}I) iodoamphetamine ({sup 123}I-IMP) before and after radiosurgery. Influence of treatment was evaluated using three-dimensional SPECT images, threshold-voxel graphs and changes in the volume of the peritumoral hypoperfusion area. A three-detector type scanner, the PRISM3000, was also used. SPECT scanning was performed for 30 minutes after intravenous administration of {sup 123}I-IMP with sequential scans every 1 minutes. The data obtained 16-30 minutes after administration were processed using a low-pass ramp filter, and three-dimensional SPECT images were constructed from these data using the Application Visualization System (AVS). Furthermore, a threshold-voxel graph was plotted and the volume of the peritumoral hypoperfusion area was calculated. SPECT was performed before radiosurgery, and 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after, and these data were compared. Three-dimensional SPECT presented the area of peritumoral hypoperfusion as a deficit image and changes were evaluated visually. Threshold-voxel graphs were evaluated as follows: changes in voxels with a threshold of 40-50% indicated a hypoperfusion area, and changes in voxels with a threshold of 70-95% indicated a hyperperfusion area in the tumor side hemisphere. The volume of the peritumoral hypoperfusion area was calculated using the voxel difference between the tumor side and normal hemispheres. Our results showed that the peritumoral hypoperfusion area gradually decreased after an initial first-day increase following radiosurgery. Visual three-dimensional SPECT allowed us to monitor both the volume of the peritumoral hypoperfusion area of metastatic brain tumors after radiosurgery by means of a threshold-voxel graph and changes in the peritumoral hypoperfusion area. (author)

Systems reconsolidation reveals a selective role for the anterior cingulate cortex in generalized contextual fear memory expression.

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Einarsson, Einar Ö; Pors, Jennifer; Nader, Karim

2015-01-01

After acquisition, hippocampus-dependent memories undergo a systems consolidation process, during which they become independent of the hippocampus and dependent on the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) for memory expression. However, consolidated remote memories can become transiently hippocampus-dependent again following memory reactivation. How this systems reconsolidation affects the role of the ACC in remote memory expression is not known. Using contextual fear conditioning, we show that the expression of 30-day-old remote memory can transiently be supported by either the ACC or the dorsal hippocampus following memory reactivation, and that the ACC specifically mediates expression of remote generalized contextual fear memory. We found that suppression of neural activity in the ACC with the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) impaired the expression of remote, but not recent, contextual fear memory. Fear expression was not affected by this treatment if preceded by memory reactivation 6 h earlier, nor was it affected by suppression of neural activity in the dorsal hippocampus with the GABA-receptor agonist muscimol. However, simultaneous targeting of both the ACC and the dorsal hippocampus 6 h after memory reactivation disrupted contextual fear memory expression. Second, we observed that expression of a 30-day-old generalized contextual fear memory in a novel context was not affected by memory reactivation 6 h earlier. However, intra-ACC CNQX infusion before testing impaired contextual fear expression in the novel context, but not the original training context. Together, these data suggest that although the dorsal hippocampus may be recruited during systems reconsolidation, the ACC remains necessary for the expression of generalized contextual fear memory.

Meditation reduces pain-related neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus

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Nakata, Hiroki; Sakamoto, Kiwako; Kakigi, Ryusuke

2014-01-01

Recent studies have shown that meditation inhibits or relieves pain perception. To clarify the underlying mechanisms for this phenomenon, neuroimaging methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, and neurophysiological methods, such as magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography, have been used. However, it has been difficult to interpret the results, because there is some paradoxical evidence. For example, some studies reported increased neural responses to pain stimulation during meditation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula, whereas others showed a decrease in these regions. There have been inconsistent findings to date. Moreover, in general, since the activities of the ACC and insula are correlated with pain perception, the increase in neural activities during meditation would be related to the enhancement of pain perception rather than its reduction. These contradictions might directly contribute to the ‘mystery of meditation.’ In this review, we presented previous findings for brain regions during meditation and the anatomical changes that occurred in the brain with long-term meditation training. We then discussed the findings of previous studies that examined pain-related neural activity during meditation. We also described the brain mechanisms responsible for pain relief during meditation, and possible reasons for paradoxical evidence among previous studies. By thoroughly overviewing previous findings, we hypothesized that meditation reduces pain-related neural activity in the ACC, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus. We suggest that the characteristics of the modulation of this activity may depend on the kind of meditation and/or number of years of experience of meditation, which were associated with paradoxical findings among previous studies that investigated pain-related neural activities during meditation. PMID:25566158

TRPM2 Channel Aggravates CNS Inflammation and Cognitive Impairment via Activation of Microglia in Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion.

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Miyanohara, Jun; Kakae, Masashi; Nagayasu, Kazuki; Nakagawa, Takayuki; Mori, Yasuo; Arai, Ken; Shirakawa, Hisashi; Kaneko, Shuji

2018-04-04

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is a characteristic seen in widespread CNS diseases, including neurodegenerative and mental disorders, and is commonly accompanied by cognitive impairment. Recently, several studies demonstrated that chronic cerebral hypoperfusion can induce the excessive inflammatory responses that precede neuronal dysfunction; however, the precise mechanism of cognitive impairment due to chronic cerebral hypoperfusion remains unknown. Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) is a Ca 2+ -permeable channel that is abundantly expressed in immune cells and is involved in aggravation of inflammatory responses. Therefore, we investigated the pathophysiological role of TRPM2 in a mouse chronic cerebral hypoperfusion model with bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS). When male mice were subjected to BCAS, cognitive dysfunction and white matter injury at day 28 were significantly improved in TRPM2 knock-out (TRPM2-KO) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice, whereas hippocampal damage was not observed. There were no differences in blood-brain barrier breakdown and H 2 O 2 production between the two genotypes at 14 and 28 d after BCAS. Cytokine production was significantly suppressed in BCAS-operated TRPM2-KO mice compared with WT mice at day 28. In addition, the number of Iba1-positive cells gradually decreased from day 14. Moreover, daily treatment with minocycline significantly improved cognitive perturbation. Surgical techniques using bone marrow chimeric mice revealed that activated Iba1-positive cells in white matter could be brain-resident microglia, not peripheral macrophages. Together, these findings suggest that microglia contribute to the aggravation of cognitive impairment by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, and that TRPM2 may be a potential target for chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-related disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is manifested in a wide variety of CNS diseases, including neurodegenerative

Piracetam improves cognitive deficits caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats.

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He, Zhi; Liao, Yun; Zheng, Min; Zeng, Fan-Dian; Guo, Lian-Jun

2008-06-01

Piracetam is the derivate of gamma-aminobutyric acid, which improves the cognition,memory,consciousness, and is widely applied in the clinical treatment of brain dysfunction. In the present experiments, we study the effects of piracetam on chronic cerebral hypoperfused rats and observe its influence on amino acids, synaptic plasticity in the Perforant path-CA3 pathway and apoptosis in vivo. Cerebral hypoperfusion for 30 days by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries induced marked amnesic effects along with neuron damage, including: (1) spatial learning and memory deficits shown by longer escape latency and shorter time spent in the target quadrant; (2) significant neuronal loss and nuclei condensation in the cortex and hippocampus especially in CA1 region; (3) lower induction rate of long term potentiation, overexpression of BAX and P53 protein, and lower content of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids in hippocampus. Oral administration of piracetam (600 mg/kg, once per day for 30 days) markedly improved the memory impairment, increased the amino acid content in hippocampus, and attenuated neuronal damage. The ability of piracetam to attenuate memory deficits and neuronal damage after hypoperfusion may be beneficial in cerebrovascular type dementia.

Cingulate Alpha-2A Adrenoceptors Mediate the Effects of Clonidine on Spontaneous Pain Induced by Peripheral Nerve Injury

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Yong-Jie Wang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC is an important brain area for the regulation of neuropathic pain. The α2A adrenoceptor is a good target for pain management. However, the role of cingulate α2A adrenoceptors in the regulation of neuropathic pain has been less studied. In this study, we investigated the involvement of cingulate α2A adrenoceptors in the regulation of neuropathic pain at different time points after peripheral nerve injury in mice. The application of clonidine, either systemically (0.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally or specifically to the ACC, increased paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs and induced conditioned place preference (CPP at day 7 after nerve injury, suggesting that cingulate α2 adrenoceptors are involved in the regulation of pain-like behaviors. Quantitative real-time PCR data showed that α2A adrenoceptors are the dominant α2 adrenoceptors in the ACC. Furthermore, the expression of cingulate α2A adrenoceptors was increased at day 3 and day 7 after nerve injury, but decreased at day 14, while no change was detected in the concentration of adrenaline or noradrenaline. BRL-44408 maleate, a selective antagonist of α2A adrenoceptors, was microinfused into the ACC. This blocking of cingulate α2A adrenoceptors activity abolished the CPP induced by clonidine (0.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally but not the effects on PWTs at day 7. However, clonidine applied systemically or specifically to the ACC at day 14 increased the PWTs but failed to induce CPP; this negative effect was reversed by the overexpression of cingulate α2A adrenoceptors. These results suggest that cingulate α2A adrenoceptors are necessary for the analgesic effects of clonidine on spontaneous pain.

Paclitaxel Causes Electrophysiological Changes in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex via Modulation of the γ-Aminobutyric Acid-ergic System.

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Nashawi, Houda; Masocha, Willias; Edafiogho, Ivan O; Kombian, Samuel B

The aim of this study was to elucidate any electrophysiological changes that may contribute to the development of neuropathic pain during treatment with the anticancer drug paclitaxel, particularly in the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system. One hundred and eight Sprague-Dawley rats were used (untreated control: 43; vehicle-treated: 21, and paclitaxel-treated: 44). Paclitaxel (8 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally on 2 alternate days to induce mechanical allodynia. The rats were sacrificed 7 days after treatment to obtain slices of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region involved in the central processing of pain. Field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were recorded in layer II/III of ACC slices, and stimulus-response curves were constructed. The observed effects were pharmacologically characterized by bath application of GABA and appropriate drugs to the slices. The paclitaxel-treated rats developed mechanical allodynia (i.e. reduced withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli). Slices from paclitaxel-treated rats produced a significantly higher maximal response (Emax) than those from untreated rats (p GABA (0.4 µM) reversed this effect and returned the excitability to a level similar to control. Pretreatment of the slices with the GABAB receptor blocker CGP 55845 (50 µM) increased Emax in slices from untreated rats (p GABA deficit in paclitaxel-treated rats compared to untreated ones. Such a deficit could contribute to the pathophysiology of paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain (PINP). Thus, the GABAergic system might be a potential therapeutic target for managing PINP. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Gelastic seizures as the presenting symptom of infarction of the cingulate gyrus].

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Egea-Lucas, I; Martinez-Mondejar, E; Piqueres-Vidal, C F; Frutos-Alegria, M T

2015-09-01

Gelastic seizures are infrequent epileptic seizures in which the main manifestation is inappropriate laughter. They have a variety of causations. A search of the literature did not reveal any cases of pathological laughter that was clearly related with strokes, although there a numerous reports of non-epileptic pathological laughter as a prodromal symptom in stroke patients (fou rire prodromique). We report the case of a patient with infarcted cingulate gyrus who progressed with gelastic seizures at onset and during the course of the clinical process. An 81-year-old female who suddenly presented bouts of difficulties in verbal expression with disconnection from the milieu that were accompanied by fits of unmotivated and uncontrollable laughter that lasted less than five minutes. Following the attacks, her level of consciousness had dropped. In some of the attacks there were also involuntary movements of the upper limbs. Resonance imaging revealed the existence of an acute ischaemic lesion in the left territory of the cingulate gyrus and an electroencephalogram revealed the existence of epileptogenic activity in the left-hand anterior temporal and frontal regions. The clinical profile, the results of the complementary examinations and the response to the antiepileptic treatment allow us to state that in the episode reported in this patient we are dealing with gelastic seizures related to an acute ischaemic lesion in the left cingulate gyrus.

Resting-state synchrony between anterior cingulate cortex and precuneus relates to body shape concern in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

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Lee, Seojung; Ran Kim, Kyung; Ku, Jeonghun; Lee, Jung-Hyun; Namkoong, Kee; Jung, Young-Chul

2014-01-30

Cortical areas supporting cognitive control and salience demonstrate different neural responses to visual food cues in patients with eating disorders. This top-down cognitive control, which interacts with bottom-up appetitive responses, is tightly integrated not only in task conditions but also in the resting-state. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is a key node of a large-scale network that is involved in self-referential processing and cognitive control. We investigated resting-state functional connectivity of the dACC and hypothesized that altered connectivity would be demonstrated in cortical midline structures involved in self-referential processing and cognitive control. Seed-based resting-state functional connectivity was analyzed in women with anorexia nervosa (N=18), women with bulimia nervosa (N=20) and age matched healthy controls (N=20). Between group comparisons revealed that the anorexia nervosa group exhibited stronger synchronous activity between the dACC and retrosplenial cortex, whereas the bulimia nervosa group showed stronger synchronous activity between the dACC and medial orbitofrontal cortex. Both groups demonstrated stronger synchronous activity between the dACC and precuneus, which correlated with higher scores of the Body Shape Questionnaire. The dACC-precuneus resting-state synchrony might be associated with the disorder-specific rumination on eating, weight and body shape in patients with eating disorders. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Cerebral White Matter Hypoperfusion Increases with Small-Vessel Disease Burden. Data From the Third International Stroke Trial.

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Arba, Francesco; Mair, Grant; Carpenter, Trevor; Sakka, Eleni; Sandercock, Peter A G; Lindley, Richard I; Inzitari, Domenico; Wardlaw, Joanna M

2017-07-01

Leukoaraiosis is associated with impaired cerebral perfusion, but the effect of individual and combined small-vessel disease (SVD) features on white matter perfusion is unclear. We studied patients recruited with perfusion imaging in the Third International Stroke Trial. We rated individual SVD features (leukoaraiosis, lacunes) and brain atrophy on baseline plain computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Separately, we assessed white matter at the level of the lateral ventricles in the cerebral hemisphere contralateral to the stroke for visible areas of hypoperfusion (present or absent) on 4 time-based perfusion imaging parameters. We examined associations between SVD features (individually and summed) and presence of hypoperfusion using logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, hypertension, and diabetes. A total of 115 patients with median (interquartile range) age of 81 (72-86) years, 78 (52%) of which were male, had complete perfusion data. Hypoperfusion was most frequent on mean transit time (MTT; 63 patients, 55%) and least frequent on time to maximum flow (19 patients, 17%). The SVD score showed stronger independent associations with hypoperfusion (e.g., MTT, odds ratio [OR] = 2.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.56-5.03) than individual SVD markers (e.g., white matter hypoattenuation score, MTT, OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.09-2.04). Baseline blood pressure did not differ by presence or absence of hypoperfusion or across strata of SVD score. Presence of white matter hypoperfusion increased with SVD summed score. The SVD summed score was associated with hypoperfusion more consistently than individual SVD features, providing validity to the SVD score concept. Increasing SVD burden indicates worse perfusion in the white matter. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of selective excitotoxic lesions of the nucleus accumbens core, anterior cingulate cortex, and central nucleus of the amygdala on autoshaping performance in rats.

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Cardinal, Rudolf N; Parkinson, John A; Lachenal, Guillaume; Halkerston, Katherine M; Rudarakanchana, Nung; Hall, Jeremy; Morrison, Caroline H; Howes, Simon R; Robbins, Trevor W; Everitt, Barry J

2002-08-01

The nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are required for normal acquisition of tasks based on stimulus-reward associations. However, it is not known whether they are involved purely in the learning process or are required for behavioral expression of a learned response. Rats were trained preoperatively on a Pavlovian autoshaping task in which pairing a visual conditioned stimulus (CS+) with food causes subjects to approach the CS+ while not approaching an unpaired stimulus (CS-). Subjects then received lesions of the AcbC, ACC, or CeA before being retested. AcbC lesions severely impaired performance; lesioned subjects approached the CS+ significantly less often than controls, failing to discriminate between the CS+ and CS-. ACC lesions also impaired performance but did not abolish discrimination entirely. CeA lesions had no effect on performance. Thus, the CeA is required for learning, but not expression, of a conditioned approach response, implying that it makes a specific contribution to the learning of stimulus-reward associations.

Cortical thinning in the anterior cingulate cortex predicts multiple sclerosis patients' fluency performance in a lateralised manner

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Olivia Geisseler

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cognitive impairment is as an important feature of Multiple Sclerosis (MS, and might be even more relevant to patients than mobility restrictions. Compared to the multitude of studies investigating memory deficits or basic cognitive slowing, executive dysfunction is a rarely studied cognitive domain in MS, and its neural correlates remain largely unexplored. Even rarer are topological studies on specific cognitive functions in MS. Here we used several structural MRI parameters – including cortical thinning and T2 lesion load – to investigate neural correlates of executive dysfunction, both on a global and a regional level by means of voxel- and vertex-wise analyses. Forty-eight patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 48 healthy controls participated in the study. Five executive functions were assessed, i.e. verbal and figural fluency, working memory, interference control and set shifting. Patients scored lower than controls in verbal and figural fluency only, and displayed widespread cortical thinning. On a global level, cortical thickness independently predicted verbal fluency performance, when controlling for lesion volume and central brain atrophy estimates. On a regional level, cortical thinning in the anterior cingulate region correlated with deficits in verbal and figural fluency and did so in a lateralised manner: Left-sided thinning was related to reduced verbal – but not figural – fluency, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for right-sided thinning. We conclude that executive dysfunction in MS patients can specifically affect verbal and figural fluency. The observed lateralised clinico-anatomical correlation has previously been described in brain-damaged patients with large focal lesions only, for example after stroke. Based on focal grey matter atrophy, we here show for the first time comparable lateralised findings in a white matter disease with widespread pathology.

Phycocyanobilin promotes PC12 cell survival and modulates immune and inflammatory genes and oxidative stress markers in acute cerebral hypoperfusion in rats

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Marín-Prida, Javier [Centre for Research and Biological Evaluations (CEIEB), Institute of Pharmacy and Food, University of Havana, Ave. 23 e/ 214 y 222, La Lisa, PO Box: 430, Havana (Cuba); Pavón-Fuentes, Nancy [International Centre for Neurological Restoration (CIREN), Ave. 25 e/ 158 y 160, Playa, PO Box: 11300, Havana (Cuba); Llópiz-Arzuaga, Alexey; Fernández-Massó, Julio R. [Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Ave. 31 e/158 y 190, Playa, PO Box: 6162, Havana (Cuba); Delgado-Roche, Liván [Centre for Research and Biological Evaluations (CEIEB), Institute of Pharmacy and Food, University of Havana, Ave. 23 e/ 214 y 222, La Lisa, PO Box: 430, Havana (Cuba); Mendoza-Marí, Yssel; Santana, Seydi Pedroso; Cruz-Ramírez, Alieski; Valenzuela-Silva, Carmen; Nazábal-Gálvez, Marcelo; Cintado-Benítez, Alberto [Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Ave. 31 e/158 y 190, Playa, PO Box: 6162, Havana (Cuba); Pardo-Andreu, Gilberto L. [Centre for Research and Biological Evaluations (CEIEB), Institute of Pharmacy and Food, University of Havana, Ave. 23 e/ 214 y 222, La Lisa, PO Box: 430, Havana (Cuba); Polentarutti, Nadia [Istituto Clinico Humanitas (IRCCS), Rozzano (Italy); Riva, Federica [Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health (DIVET), University of Milano (Italy); Pentón-Arias, Eduardo [Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Ave. 31 e/158 y 190, Playa, PO Box: 6162, Havana (Cuba); Pentón-Rol, Giselle [Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Ave. 31 e/158 y 190, Playa, PO Box: 6162, Havana (Cuba)

2013-10-01

Since the inflammatory response and oxidative stress are involved in the stroke cascade, we evaluated here the effects of Phycocyanobilin (PCB, the C-Phycocyanin linked tetrapyrrole) on PC12 cell survival, the gene expression and the oxidative status of hypoperfused rat brain. After the permanent bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAo), the animals were treated with saline or PCB, taking samples 24 h post-surgery. Global gene expression was analyzed with GeneChip Rat Gene ST 1.1 from Affymetrix; the expression of particular genes was assessed by the Fast SYBR Green RT-PCR Master Mix and Bioplex methods; and redox markers (MDA, PP, CAT, SOD) were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The PCB treatment prevented the H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and glutamate induced PC12 cell injury assessed by the MTT assay, and modulated 190 genes (93 up- and 97 down-regulated) associated to several immunological and inflammatory processes in BCCAo rats. Furthermore, PCB positively modulated 19 genes mostly related to a detrimental pro-inflammatory environment and counteracted the oxidative imbalance in the treated BCCAo animals. Our results support the view of an effective influence of PCB on major inflammatory mediators in acute cerebral hypoperfusion. These results suggest that PCB has a potential to be a treatment for ischemic stroke for which further studies are needed. - Highlights: • Phycocyanobilin (PCB) prevents H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and glutamate induced PC12 cell viability loss. • Anterior cortex and striatum are highly vulnerable to cerebral hypoperfusion (CH). • PCB modulates 190 genes associated to inflammation in acute CH. • PCB regulates 19 genes mostly related to a detrimental pro-inflammatory environment. • PCB restores redox and immune balances showing promise as potential stroke therapy.

Phycocyanobilin promotes PC12 cell survival and modulates immune and inflammatory genes and oxidative stress markers in acute cerebral hypoperfusion in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marín-Prida, Javier; Pavón-Fuentes, Nancy; Llópiz-Arzuaga, Alexey; Fernández-Massó, Julio R.; Delgado-Roche, Liván; Mendoza-Marí, Yssel; Santana, Seydi Pedroso; Cruz-Ramírez, Alieski; Valenzuela-Silva, Carmen; Nazábal-Gálvez, Marcelo; Cintado-Benítez, Alberto; Pardo-Andreu, Gilberto L.; Polentarutti, Nadia; Riva, Federica; Pentón-Arias, Eduardo; Pentón-Rol, Giselle

2013-01-01

Since the inflammatory response and oxidative stress are involved in the stroke cascade, we evaluated here the effects of Phycocyanobilin (PCB, the C-Phycocyanin linked tetrapyrrole) on PC12 cell survival, the gene expression and the oxidative status of hypoperfused rat brain. After the permanent bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAo), the animals were treated with saline or PCB, taking samples 24 h post-surgery. Global gene expression was analyzed with GeneChip Rat Gene ST 1.1 from Affymetrix; the expression of particular genes was assessed by the Fast SYBR Green RT-PCR Master Mix and Bioplex methods; and redox markers (MDA, PP, CAT, SOD) were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The PCB treatment prevented the H 2 O 2 and glutamate induced PC12 cell injury assessed by the MTT assay, and modulated 190 genes (93 up- and 97 down-regulated) associated to several immunological and inflammatory processes in BCCAo rats. Furthermore, PCB positively modulated 19 genes mostly related to a detrimental pro-inflammatory environment and counteracted the oxidative imbalance in the treated BCCAo animals. Our results support the view of an effective influence of PCB on major inflammatory mediators in acute cerebral hypoperfusion. These results suggest that PCB has a potential to be a treatment for ischemic stroke for which further studies are needed. - Highlights: • Phycocyanobilin (PCB) prevents H 2 O 2 and glutamate induced PC12 cell viability loss. • Anterior cortex and striatum are highly vulnerable to cerebral hypoperfusion (CH). • PCB modulates 190 genes associated to inflammation in acute CH. • PCB regulates 19 genes mostly related to a detrimental pro-inflammatory environment. • PCB restores redox and immune balances showing promise as potential stroke therapy

Anterior cingulate cortex surface area relates to behavioral inhibition in adolescents with and without heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.

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Migliorini, Robyn; Moore, Eileen M; Glass, Leila; Infante, M Alejandra; Tapert, Susan F; Jones, Kenneth Lyons; Mattson, Sarah N; Riley, Edward P

2015-10-01

Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with behavioral disinhibition, yet the brain structure correlates of this deficit have not been determined with sufficient detail. We examined the hypothesis that the structure of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relates to inhibition performance in youth with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE, n = 32) and non-exposed controls (CON, n = 21). Adolescents (12-17 years) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging yielding measures of gray matter volume, surface area, and thickness across four ACC subregions. A subset of subjects were administered the NEPSY-II Inhibition subtest. MANCOVA was utilized to test for group differences in ACC and inhibition performance and multiple linear regression was used to probe ACC-inhibition relationships. ACC surface area was significantly smaller in AE, though this effect was primarily driven by reduced right caudal ACC (rcACC). AE also performed significantly worse on inhibition speed but not on inhibition accuracy. Regression analyses with the rcACC revealed a significant group × ACC interaction. A smaller rcACC surface area was associated with slower inhibition completion time for AE but was not significantly associated with inhibition in CON. After accounting for processing speed, smaller rcACC surface area was associated with worse (i.e., slower) inhibition regardless of group. Examining processing speed independently, a decrease in rcACC surface area was associated with faster processing speed for CON but not significantly associated with processing speed in AE. Results support the theory that caudal ACC may monitor reaction time in addition to inhibition and highlight the possibility of delayed ACC neurodevelopment in prenatal alcohol exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Vulnerability of Vessels Involved in the Role of Embolism and Hypoperfusion in the Mechanisms of Ischemic Cerebrovascular Diseases

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Yong Peng Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate definition and better understanding of the mechanisms of stroke are crucial as this will guide the effective care and therapy. In this paper, we review the previous basic and clinical researches on the causes or mechanisms of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases (ICVD and interpret the correlation between embolism and hypoperfusion based on vascular stenosis and arterial intimal lesions. It was suggested that if there is no embolus (dynamic or in situ emboli, there might be no cerebral infarction. Three kinds of different clinical outcomes of TIA were theoretically interpreted based on its mechanisms. We suppose that there is a correlation between embolism and hypoperfusion, and which mechanisms (hypoperfusion or hypoperfusion induced microemboli playing the dominant role in each type of ICVD depends on the unique background of arterial intimal lesions (the vulnerability of vessels. That is to say, the vulnerability of vessels is involved in the role of embolism and hypoperfusion in the mechanisms of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. This inference might enrich and provide better understandings for the underlying etiologies of ischemic cerebrovascular events.

Cognitive and neural strategies during control of the anterior cingulate cortex by fMRI neurofeedback in patients with schizophrenia

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Julia S Cordes

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Cognitive functioning is impaired in patients with schizophrenia, leading to significant disabilities in everyday functioning. Its improvement is an important treatment target. Neurofeedback (NF seems a promising method to address the neural dysfunctions underlying those cognitive impairments. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, a central hub for cognitive processing, is one of the dysfunctional brain regions in schizophrenia. Here we conducted NF training based on real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI in patients with schizophrenia to enable them to control their ACC activity. Training was performed over three days in a group of 11 patients with schizophrenia and 11 healthy controls. Social feedback was provided in accordance with the evoked activity in the selected region of interest (ROI. Neural and cognitive strategies were examined off-line. Both groups learned to control the activity of their ACC but used different neural strategies: Patients activated the dorsal and healthy controls the rostral subdivision. Patients mainly used imagination of music to elicit activity and the control group imagination of sports. However, the difference in neural control did not result from the differences in cognitive strategies but from diagnosis alone. Based on social reinforcers, schizophrenia patients can learn to regulate localized brain activity. Cognitive strategies and neural network location differ, however, from healthy controls. These data emphasize that for therapeutic interventions in schizophrenia compensatory strategies may emerge. Specific cognitive skills or specific dysfunctional networks should be addressed to train impaired skills. Social neurofeedback based on fMRI may be one method to accomplish precise learning targets.

Neuronal density, size and shape in the human anterior cingulate cortex: a comparison of Nissl and NeuN staining.

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Gittins, Rebecca; Harrison, Paul J

2004-03-15

There are an increasing number of quantitative morphometric studies of the human cerebral cortex, especially as part of comparative investigations of major psychiatric disorders. In this context, the present study had two aims. First, to provide quantitative data regarding key neuronal morphometric parameters in the anterior cingulate cortex. Second, to compare the results of conventional Nissl staining with those observed after immunostaining with NeuN, an antibody becoming widely used as a selective neuronal marker. We stained adjacent sections of area 24b from 16 adult brains with cresyl violet or NeuN. We measured the density of pyramidal and non-pyramidal neurons, and the size and shape of pyramidal neurons, in laminae II, III, Va, Vb and VI, using two-dimensional counting methods. Strong correlations between the two modes of staining were seen for all variables. However, NeuN gave slightly higher estimates of neuronal density and size, and a more circular perikaryal shape. Brain pH was correlated with neuronal size, measured with both methods, and with neuronal shape. Age and post-mortem interval showed no correlations with any parameter. These data confirm the value of NeuN as a tool for quantitative neuronal morphometric studies in routinely processed human brain tissue. Absolute values are highly correlated between NeuN and cresyl violet stains, but cannot be interchanged. NeuN may be particularly useful when it is important to distinguish small neurons from glia, such as in cytoarchitectural studies of the cerebral cortex in depression and schizophrenia.

Right anterior cingulate cortical thickness and bilateral striatal volume correlate with child behavior checklist aggressive behavior scores in healthy children.

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Ducharme, Simon; Hudziak, James J; Botteron, Kelly N; Ganjavi, Hooman; Lepage, Claude; Collins, D Louis; Albaugh, Matthew D; Evans, Alan C; Karama, Sherif

2011-08-01

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and basal ganglia have been implicated in pathological aggression. This study aimed at identifying neuroanatomical correlates of impulsive aggression in healthy children. Data from 193 representative 6- to 18-year-old healthy children were obtained from the National Institutes of Health Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Normal Brain Development after a blinded quality control. Cortical thickness and subcortical volumes were obtained with automated software. Aggression levels were measured with the Aggressive Behavior scale (AGG) of the Child Behavior Checklist. AGG scores were regressed against cortical thickness and basal ganglia volumes using first- and second-order linear models while controlling for age, gender, scanner site, and total brain volume. Gender by AGG interactions were analyzed. There were positive associations between bilateral striatal volumes and AGG scores (right: r = .238, p = .001; left: r = .188, p = .01). A significant association was found with right ACC and subgenual ACC cortical thickness in a second-order linear model (p right ACC cortex. An AGG by gender interaction trend was found in bilateral OFC and ACC associations with AGG scores. This study shows the existence of relationships between impulsive aggression in healthy children and the structure of the striatum and right ACC. It also suggests the existence of gender-specific patterns of association in OFC/ACC gray matter. These results may guide research on oppositional-defiant and conduct disorders. Copyright © 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neuro-functional alteration in disorders of the encourage they cause with conducts self-mutilations study of cerebral regional perfusion starting from the technique of Neuro-SPECT Tc99-HMPAO

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Mena, Ismael; Correa, Rodrigo; Nader, Armando

2007-01-01

We report NeuroSPECT findings in mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, major depression and self-mutilation. We compare results in 29 patients with bipolar disorder complicated by self-mutilation, a group of 20 patients with bipolar disorder uncomplicated and 22 patients with mayor depression uncomplicated by self-mutilation. Among the NeuroSPECT findings we report the association of mood disorders and self-mutilation with hyper perfusion of the anterior-dorsal-ventral segment of both thalami concomitant with hypoperfusion in perilimbic cortex, namely areas 32, 24 (anterior cingulate gyrus) and 23 of Brodmann. Multiple reports in the literature relate both, in animals and man, self-mutilation with phenomena of hypoalghesia, anesthesia, or dysestesias and are the basis for our hypothesis linking dysfunction of limbic-thalamic circuits, associated with nocioceptive fibers, somato-psychic consciousness and self-mutilation phenomena

Conflict-related anterior cingulate functional connectivity is associated with past suicidal ideation and behavior in recent-onset schizophrenia.

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Minzenberg, Michael J; Lesh, Tyler; Niendam, Tara; Yoon, Jong H; Cheng, Yaoan; Rhoades, Remy; Carter, Cameron S

2015-06-01

Suicide is highly prevalent in schizophrenia (SZ), yet it remains unclear how suicide risk factors such as past suicidal ideation or behavior relate to brain function. Circuits modulated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are altered in SZ, including in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) during conflict-monitoring (an important component of cognitive control), and dACC changes are observed in post-mortem studies of heterogeneous suicide victims. We tested whether conflict-related dACC functional connectivity is associated with past suicidal ideation and behavior in SZ. 32 patients with recent-onset of DSM-IV-TR-defined SZ were evaluated with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and functional MRI during cognitive control (AX-CPT) task performance. Group-level regression models relating past history of suicidal ideation or behavior to dACC-seeded functional connectivity during conflict-monitoring controlled for severity of depression, psychosis and impulsivity. Past suicidal ideation was associated with relatively higher functional connectivity of the dACC with the precuneus during conflict-monitoring. Intensity of worst-point past suicidal ideation was associated with relatively higher dACC functional connectivity in medial parietal lobe and striato-thalamic nuclei. In contrast, among those with past suicidal ideation (n = 17), past suicidal behavior was associated with lower conflict-related dACC connectivity with multiple lateral and medial PFC regions, parietal and temporal cortical regions. This study provides unique evidence that recent-onset schizophrenia patients with past suicidal ideation or behavior show altered dACC-based circuit function during conflict-monitoring. Suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior have divergent patterns of associated dACC functional connectivity, suggesting a differing pattern of conflict-related brain dysfunction with these two distinct features of suicide phenomenology. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Clinical and electrophysiological outcomes of deep TMS over the medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices in OCD patients.

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Carmi, Lior; Alyagon, Uri; Barnea-Ygael, Noam; Zohar, Joseph; Dar, Reuven; Zangen, Abraham

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic and disabling disorder with poor response to pharmacological treatments. Converging evidences suggest that OCD patients suffer from dysfunction of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit, including in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). To examine whether modulation of mPFC-ACC activity by deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (DTMS) affects OCD symptoms. Treatment resistant OCD participants were treated with either high-frequency (HF; 20 Hz), low-frequency (LF; 1 Hz), or sham DTMS of the mPFC and ACC for five weeks, in a double-blinded manner. All treatments were administered following symptoms provocation, and EEG measurements during a Stroop task were acquired to examine changes in error-related activity. Clinical response to treatment was determined using the Yale-Brown-Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS). Interim analysis revealed that YBOCS scores were significantly improved following HF (n = 7), but not LF stimulation (n = 8), compared to sham (n = 8), and thus recruitment for the LF group was terminated. Following completion of the study, the response rate in the HF group (n = 18) was significantly higher than that of the sham group (n = 15) for at least one month following the end of the treatment. Notably, the clinical response in the HF group correlated with increased Error Related Negativity (ERN) in the Stroop task, an electrophysiological component that is attributed to ACC activity. HF DTMS over the mPFC-ACC alleviates OCD symptoms and may be used as a novel therapeutic intervention. Notwithstanding alternative explanations, this may stem from DTMS ability to directly modify ACC activity. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cingulate cortex functional connectivity predicts future relapse in alcohol dependent individuals

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Yasmin Zakiniaeiz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Alcohol dependence is a chronic relapsing illness. Alcohol and stress cues have consistently been shown to increase craving and relapse risk in recovering alcohol dependent (AUD patients. However, differences in functional connectivity in response to these cues have not been studied using data-driven approaches. Here, voxel-wise connectivity is used in a whole-brain investigation of functional connectivity differences associated with alcohol and stress cues and to examine whether these differences are related to subsequent relapse. In Study 1, 45, 4- to 8-week abstinent, recovering AUD patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during individualized imagery of alcohol, stress, and neutral cues. Relapse measures were collected prospectively for 90 days post-discharge from inpatient treatment. AUD patients showed blunted anterior (ACC, mid (MCC and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC, voxel-wise connectivity responses to stress compared to neutral cues and blunted PCC response to alcohol compared to neutral cues. Using Cox proportional hazard regression, weaker connectivity in ACC and MCC during neutral exposure was associated with longer time to relapse (better recovery outcome. Similarly, greater connectivity in PCC during alcohol-cue compared to stress cue was associated with longer time to relapse. In Study 2, a sub-group of 30 AUD patients were demographically-matched to 30 healthy control (HC participants for group comparisons. AUD compared to HC participants showed reduced cingulate connectivity during alcohol and stress cues. Using novel data-driven approaches, the cingulate cortex emerged as a key region in the disruption of functional connectivity during alcohol and stress-cue processing in AUD patients and as a marker of subsequent alcohol relapse.

Chronic stress enhances synaptic plasticity due to disinhibition in the anterior cingulate cortex and induces hyper-locomotion in mice.

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Ito, Hiroshi; Nagano, Masatoshi; Suzuki, Hidenori; Murakoshi, Takayuki

2010-01-01

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in the pathophysiology of a variety of mental disorders, many of which are exacerbated by stress. There are few studies, however, of stress-induced modification of synaptic function in the ACC that is relevant to emotional behavior. We investigated the effects of chronic restraint stress (CRS) on behavior and synaptic function in layers II/III of the ACC in mice. The duration of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) was longer in CRS mice than in control mice. The frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) recorded by whole-cell patch-clamping was reduced in CRS mice, while miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) remained unchanged. Paired-pulse ratios (PPRs) of the fEPSP and evoked EPSC were larger in CRS. There was no difference in NMDA component of evoked EPSCs between the groups. Both long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression of fEPSP were larger in CRS mice than in control mice. The differences between the groups in fEPSP duration, PPRs and LTP level were not observed when the GABA(A) receptor was blocked by bicuculline. Compared to control mice, CRS mice exhibited hyper-locomotive activity in an open field test, while no difference was observed between the groups in anxiety-like behavior in a light/dark choice test. CRS mice displayed decreased freezing behavior in fear conditioning tests compared to control mice. These findings suggest that CRS facilitates synaptic plasticity in the ACC via increased excitability due to disinhibition of GABA(A) receptor signalling, which may underlie induction of behavioral hyper-locomotive activity after CRS. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain SPECT analysis by 3D-SSP and clinical features of Parkinson's disease

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Mito, Yasunori; Yoshida, Kazuto; Makino, Kenichi; Yabe, Ichiro; Kikuchi, Seiji; Sasaki, Hidenao; Tashiro, Kunio

2006-01-01

The aim of the present study is to investigate the association of symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) with cerebral perfusion on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The clinical features of PD were compared with SPECT images of the brain obtained by three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) analysis. Thirty-eight patients who had PD without dementia (17 men and 21 women with a mean age of 68.6±4.7 years) were enrolled in this study. Their symptoms were rated using the unified parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS). Within a week, all patients were examined by SPECT with I-123, and reconstructed images were analyzed with 3D-SSP using an image-analysis software, iSSP ver. 3.5. Data on brain surface perfusion extracted by 3D-SSP analysis were compared between the PD patients and the normal control group. The same comparisons were made for subgroups of PD patients with severe symptoms, such as tremor, gait disturbance, bradykinesia, and the UPDRS motor score. Cerebral perfusion was decreased at the anterior cingulate cortex and occipital lobe of the PD patients compared with the normal controls. In the subgroups with severe gait disturbance and severe bradykinesia, additional hypoperfusion was seen at the lateral frontal association and lateral temporal association and the medial frontal gyrus, and by the pixel-by-pixel comparison, perfusion was significantly decreased (p<0.05) at the medial frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex compared with the normal control group. In PD patients, severe gait disturbance and bradykinesia may be correlated with hypoperfusion of the medial aspect of the frontal lobe. This suggests that functional disturbance of the supplementary motor area and other parts of the frontal lobe are involved in the development of gait disturbance and bradykinesia in PD. (author)

Electrophysiological indices of anterior cingulate cortex function reveal changing levels of cognitive effort and reward valuation that sustain task performance.

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Umemoto, Akina; Inzlicht, Michael; Holroyd, Clay B

2018-06-14

Successful execution of goal-directed behaviors often requires the deployment of cognitive control, which is thought to require cognitive effort. Recent theories have proposed that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) regulates control levels by weighing the reward-related benefits of control against its effort-related costs. However, given that the sensations of cognitive effort and reward valuation are available only to introspection, this hypothesis is difficult to investigate empirically. We have proposed that two electrophysiological indices of ACC function, frontal midline theta and the reward positivity (RewP), provide objective measures of these functions. To explore this issue, we recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) from participants engaged in an extended, cognitively-demanding task. Participants performed a time estimation task for 2hours in which they received reward and error feedback according to their task performance. We observed that the amplitude of the RewP, a feedback-locked component of the event related brain potential associated with reward processing, decreased with time-on-task. Conversely, frontal midline theta power, which consists of 4-8Hz EEG oscillations associated with cognitive effort, increased with time-on-task. We also explored how these phenomena changed over time by conducting within-participant multi-level modeling analyses. Our results suggest that extended execution of a cognitively-demanding task is characterized by an early phase in which high control levels foster rapid improvements in task performance, and a later phase in which high control levels were necessary to maintain stable task performance, perhaps counteracting waning reward valuation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Altered Connectivity of the Anterior Cingulate and the Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus in a Longitudinal Study of Later-life Depression.

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Harada, Kenichiro; Ikuta, Toshikazu; Nakashima, Mami; Watanuki, Toshio; Hirotsu, Masako; Matsubara, Toshio; Yamagata, Hirotaka; Watanabe, Yoshifumi; Matsuo, Koji

2018-01-01

Patients with later-life depression (LLD) show abnormal gray matter (GM) volume, white matter (WM) integrity and functional connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), but it remains unclear whether these abnormalities persist over time. We examined whether structural and functional abnormalities in these two regions are present within the same subjects during depressed vs. remitted phases. Sixteen patients with LLD and 30 healthy subjects were studied over a period of 1.5 years. Brain images obtained with a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system were analyzed by voxel-based morphometry of the GM volume, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI were used to assess ACC-pSTG connectivity. Patients with LLD in the depressed and remitted phases showed significantly smaller GM volume in the left ACC and left pSTG than healthy subjects. Both patients with LLD in the depressed and remitted phases had significantly higher diffusivities in the WM tract of the left ACC-pSTG than healthy subjects. Remitted patients with LLD showed lower functional ACC-pSTG connectivity compared to healthy subjects. No difference was found in the two regions between depressed and remitted patients in GM volume, structural or functional connectivity. Functional ACC-pSTG connectivity was positively correlated with lower global function during remission. Our preliminary data show that structural and functional abnormalities of the ACC and pSTG occur during LLD remission. Our findings tentatively reveal the brain pathophysiology involved in LLD and may aid in developing neuroanatomical biomarkers for this condition.

In vivo evidence for long-term vascular remodeling resulting from chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in mice

OpenAIRE

Struys, Tom; Govaerts, Kristof; Oosterlinck, Wouter; Casteels, Cindy; Bronckaers, Annelies; Koole, Michel; Van Laere, Koen; Herijgers, Paul; Lambrichts, Ivo; Himmelreich, Uwe; Dresselaers, Tom

2016-01-01

We have characterized both acute and long-term vascular and metabolic effects of unilateral common carotid artery occlusion in mice by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. This common carotid artery occlusion model induces chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and is therefore relevant to both preclinical stroke studies, where it serves as a control condition for a commonly used mouse model of ischemic stroke, and neurodegeneration, as chronic hypoperfusion is causati...

Voxel-by-voxel analysis of brain SPECT perfusion in Fibromyalgia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guedj, Eric; Taieb, David; Cammilleri, Serge; Lussato, David; Laforte, Catherine de; Niboyet, Jean; Mundler, Olivier

2007-01-01

We evaluated brain perfusion SPECT at rest, without noxious stiumuli, in a homogeneous group of hyperalgesic FM patients. We performed a voxel-based analysis in comparison to a control group, matched for age and gender. Under such conditions, we made the assumption that significant cerebral perfusion abnormalities could be demonstrated, evidencing altered cerebral processing associated with spontaneous pain in FM patients. The secondary objective was to study the reversibility and the prognostic value of such possible perfusion abnormalities under specific treatment. Eighteen hyperalgesic FM women (mean age 48 yr; range 25-63 yr; ACR criteria) and 10 healthy women matched for age were enrolled in the study. A voxel-by-voxel group analysis was performed using SPM2 (p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). All brain SPECT were performed before any change was made in therapy in the pain care unit. A second SPECT was performed a month later after specific treatment by Ketamine. Compared to control subjects, we observed individual brain SPECT abnormalities in FM patients, confirmed by SPM2 analysis with hyperperfusion of the somatosensory cortex and hypoperfusion of the frontal, cingulate, medial temporal and cerebellar cortices. We also found that a medial frontal and anterior cingulate hypoperfusions were highly predictive (PPV=83%; NPV=91%) of non-response on Ketamine, and that only responders showed significant modification of brain perfusion, after treatment. In the present study performed without noxious stimuli in hyperalgesic FM patients, we found significant hyperperfusion in regions of the brain known to be involved in sensory dimension of pain processing and significant hypoperfusion in areas assumed to be associated with the affective dimension. As current pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies act differently on both components of pain, we hypothesize that SPECT could be a valuable and readily available tool to guide individual therapeutic

Voxel-by-voxel analysis of brain SPECT perfusion in Fibromyalgia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guedj, Eric [Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, AP-HM Timone, Marseille (France)]. E-mail: eric.guedj@ap-hm.fr; Taieb, David [Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, AP-HM Timone, Marseille (France); Cammilleri, Serge [Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, AP-HM Timone, Marseille (France); Lussato, David [Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, AP-HM Timone, Marseille (France); Laforte, Catherine de [Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, AP-HM Timone, Marseille (France); Niboyet, Jean [Unite d' Etude et de Traitement de la Douleur, Clinique La Phoceanne, Marseille (France); Mundler, Olivier [Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, AP-HM Timone, Marseille (France)

2007-02-01

We evaluated brain perfusion SPECT at rest, without noxious stiumuli, in a homogeneous group of hyperalgesic FM patients. We performed a voxel-based analysis in comparison to a control group, matched for age and gender. Under such conditions, we made the assumption that significant cerebral perfusion abnormalities could be demonstrated, evidencing altered cerebral processing associated with spontaneous pain in FM patients. The secondary objective was to study the reversibility and the prognostic value of such possible perfusion abnormalities under specific treatment. Eighteen hyperalgesic FM women (mean age 48 yr; range 25-63 yr; ACR criteria) and 10 healthy women matched for age were enrolled in the study. A voxel-by-voxel group analysis was performed using SPM2 (p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). All brain SPECT were performed before any change was made in therapy in the pain care unit. A second SPECT was performed a month later after specific treatment by Ketamine. Compared to control subjects, we observed individual brain SPECT abnormalities in FM patients, confirmed by SPM2 analysis with hyperperfusion of the somatosensory cortex and hypoperfusion of the frontal, cingulate, medial temporal and cerebellar cortices. We also found that a medial frontal and anterior cingulate hypoperfusions were highly predictive (PPV=83%; NPV=91%) of non-response on Ketamine, and that only responders showed significant modification of brain perfusion, after treatment. In the present study performed without noxious stimuli in hyperalgesic FM patients, we found significant hyperperfusion in regions of the brain known to be involved in sensory dimension of pain processing and significant hypoperfusion in areas assumed to be associated with the affective dimension. As current pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies act differently on both components of pain, we hypothesize that SPECT could be a valuable and readily available tool to guide individual therapeutic

Altered SPECT 123I-iomazenil Binding in the Cingulate Cortex of Children with Anorexia Nervosa

Science.gov (United States)

Nagamitsu, Shinichiro; Sakurai, Rieko; Matsuoka, Michiko; Chiba, Hiromi; Ozono, Shuichi; Tanigawa, Hitoshi; Yamashita, Yushiro; Kaida, Hayato; Ishibashi, Masatoshi; Kakuma, Tatsuki; Croarkin, Paul E.; Matsuishi, Toyojiro

2016-01-01

Several lines of evidence suggest that anxiety plays a key role in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN) in children. The purpose of this study was to examine cortical GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor binding before and after treatment in children beginning intensive AN treatment. Brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) measurements using 123I-iomazenil, which binds to GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptors, was performed in 26 participants with AN who were enrolled in a multimodal treatment program. Sixteen of the 26 participants underwent a repeat SPECT scan immediately before discharge at conclusion of the intensive treatment program. Eating behavior and mood disturbances were assessed using Eating Attitudes Test with 26 items (EAT-26) and the short form of the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Clinical outcome scores were evaluated after a 1-year period. We examined association between relative iomazenil-binding activity in cortical regions of interest and psychometric profiles and determined which psychometric profiles show interaction effects with brain regions. Further, we determined if binding activity could predict clinical outcome and treatment changes. Higher EAT-26 scores were significantly associated with lower iomazenil-binding activity in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Higher POMS subscale scores were significantly associated with lower iomazenil-binding activity in the left frontal, parietal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). “Depression–Dejection” and “Confusion” POMS subscale scores, and total POMS score showed interaction effects with brain regions in iomazenil-binding activity. Decreased binding in the anterior cingulate cortex and left parietal cortex was associated with poor clinical outcomes. Relative binding increases throughout the PCC and occipital gyrus were observed after weight gain in children with AN. These findings suggest that cortical GABAergic receptor binding is altered

Optical inactivation of the anterior cingulate cortex modulate descending pain pathway in a rat model of trigeminal neuropathic pain created via chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve

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Moon HC

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Hyeong Cheol Moon,1 Won Ik Heo,2 Yon Ji Kim,3 Daae Lee,4 So Yoon Won,5 Hong Rae Kim,1 Seung Man Ha,1 Youn Joo Lee,6 Young Seok Park1 1Department of Medical Neuroscience and Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, 2Department of Veterinary, College of Veterinary Medicine, 3Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, 4Department of Advanced Material Engineering, College of Engineering, 5Biochemistry and Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 6Department of Radiology, Daejoen St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea Purpose: The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC plays a critical role in the initiation, development, and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Recently, the effects of optical stimulation on pain have been investigated, but the therapeutic effects of optical stimulation on trigeminal neuralgia (TN have not been clearly shown. Here, we investigated the effects of optical inhibition of the ACC on TN lesions to determine whether the alleviation of pain affects behavior performance and thalamic neuron signaling.Materials and methods: TN lesions were established in animals by generating a chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve, and the animals received injections of AAV-hSyn-eNpHR3.0-EYFP or a vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline [PBS] in the ACC. The optical fiber was fixed into the ipsilateral ACC after the injection of adeno-associated virus plasmids or vehicle. Behavioral testing, consisting of responses to an air puff and cold allodynia, was performed, and thalamic neuronal activity was monitored following optical stimulation in vivo. Optical stimulation experiments were executed in three steps: during pre-light-off, stimulation-light-on, and post-light-off states. The role of the optical modulation of the ACC in response to pain was shown using a combination of optical stimulation and electrophysiological recordings in vivo.Results: Mechanical thresholds and

Activation of anterior paralimbic structures during guilt-related script-driven imagery.

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Shin, L M; Dougherty, D D; Orr, S P; Pitman, R K; Lasko, M; Macklin, M L; Alpert, N M; Fischman, A J; Rauch, S L

2000-07-01

Several recent neuroimaging studies have examined the neuroanatomical correlates of normal emotional states, such as happiness, sadness, fear, anger, anxiety, and disgust; however, no previous study has examined the emotional state of guilt. In the current study, we used positron emission tomography and the script-driven imagery paradigm to study regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during the transient emotional experience of guilt in eight healthy male participants. In the Guilt condition, participants recalled and imagined participating in a personal event involving the most guilt they had ever experienced. In the Neutral condition, participants recalled and imagined participating in an emotionally neutral personal event. In the Guilt versus Neutral comparison, rCBF increases occurred in anterior paralimbic regions of the brain: bilateral anterior temporal poles, anterior cingulate gyrus, and left anterior insular cortex/inferior frontal gyrus. These results, along with those of previous studies, are consistent with the notion that anterior paralimbic regions of the brain mediate negative emotional states in healthy individuals.

Characterization of intrinsic properties of cingulate pyramidal neurons in adult mice after nerve injury

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Chen Tao

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC is important for cognitive and sensory functions including memory and chronic pain. Glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission undergo long-term potentiation in ACC pyramidal cells after peripheral injury. Less information is available for the possible long-term changes in neuronal action potentials or intrinsic properties. In the present study, we characterized cingulate pyramidal cells in the layer II/III of the ACC in adult mice. We then examined possible long-term changes in intrinsic properties of the ACC pyramidal cells after peripheral nerve injury. In the control mice, we found that there are three major types of pyramidal cells according to their action potential firing pattern: (i regular spiking (RS cells (24.7%, intrinsic bursting (IB cells (30.9%, and intermediate (IM cells (44.4%. In a state of neuropathic pain, the population distribution (RS: 21.3%; IB: 31.2%; IM: 47.5% and the single action potential properties of these three groups were indistinguishable from those in control mice. However, for repetitive action potentials, IM cells from neuropathic pain animals showed higher initial firing frequency with no change for the properties of RS and IB neurons from neuropathic pain mice. The present results provide the first evidence that, in addition to synaptic potentiation reported previously, peripheral nerve injury produces long-term plastic changes in the action potentials of cingulate pyramidal neurons in a cell type-specific manner.

Neural dissociations in attitude strength: Distinct regions of cingulate cortex track ambivalence and certainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Luttrell, Andrew; Stillman, Paul E; Hasinski, Adam E; Cunningham, William A

2016-04-01

People's behaviors are often guided by valenced responses to objects in the environment. Beyond positive and negative evaluations, attitudes research has documented the importance of attitude strength--qualities of an attitude that enhance or attenuate its impact and durability. Although neuroscience research has extensively investigated valence, little work exists on other related variables like metacognitive judgments about one's attitudes. It remains unclear, then, whether the various indicators of attitude strength represent a single underlying neural process or whether they reflect independent processes. To examine this, we used functional MRI (fMRI) to identify the neural correlates of attitude strength. Specifically, we focus on ambivalence and certainty, which represent metacognitive judgments that people can make about their evaluations. Although often correlated, prior neuroscience research suggests that these 2 attributes may have distinct neural underpinnings. We investigate this by having participants make evaluative judgments of visually presented words while undergoing fMRI. After scanning, participants rated the degree of ambivalence and certainty they felt regarding their attitudes toward each word. We found that these 2 judgments corresponded to distinct brain regions' activity during the process of evaluation. Ambivalence corresponded to activation in anterior cingulate cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex. Certainty, however, corresponded to activation in unique areas of the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex. These results support a model treating ambivalence and certainty as distinct, though related, attitude strength variables, and we discuss implications for both attitudes and neuroscience research. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Time-related sex differences in cerebral hypoperfusion-induced brain injury

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Stanojlović Miloš

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Although the model of cerebral hypoperfusion in rats has been a matter of many investigations over the years, the exact intracellular and biochemical mechanisms that lead to neuron loss and memory decline have not been clearly identified. In the current study, we examined whether cerebral hypoperfusion causes changes in hippocampal protein expression of apoptotic markers in the synaptosomal fraction and neurodegeneration in a time-dependent and sex-specific manner. Adult male and female Wistar rats were divided into two main groups, controls that underwent sham operation, and animals subjected to permanent bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries. Both male and female rats were killed 3, 7 or 90 days following the insult. The obtained results indicate that the peak of processes that lead to apoptosis occured on postoperative day 7 and that they were more prominent in males, indicating that neuroprotective effects of certain substances (planned for future experiments, should be tested at this time point. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173044 i br. 41014

Focal cortical hypoperfusion in corticobasal degeneration demonstrated by three-dimensional surface display with 123I-IMP: a possible cause of apraxia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuda, B.; Tachibana, H.; Takeda, M.; Kawabata, K.; Sugita, M.; Fukuchi, M.

1995-01-01

To clarify cortical lesions responsible for apraxia in corticobasal degeneration (CBD), we reconstructed three-dimensional surface images from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) data with N-isopropyl-p[I-123]-iodoamphetamine in two patients with CBD. Both had limb-kinetic apraxia (LKA) and one also had constructional apraxia (CA). Both showed asymmetrical cortical hypoperfusion in the perirolandic area. The patient with CA had unilateral hypoperfusion in the posterior parietal area. Thus, cortical hypoperfusion in the perirolandic area corresponded to LKA, and that in the posterior parietal area to CA. (orig.). With 4 figs

Altered Connectivity of the Anterior Cingulate and the Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus in a Longitudinal Study of Later-life Depression

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Kenichiro Harada

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Patients with later-life depression (LLD show abnormal gray matter (GM volume, white matter (WM integrity and functional connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC and posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG, but it remains unclear whether these abnormalities persist over time. We examined whether structural and functional abnormalities in these two regions are present within the same subjects during depressed vs. remitted phases. Sixteen patients with LLD and 30 healthy subjects were studied over a period of 1.5 years. Brain images obtained with a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI system were analyzed by voxel-based morphometry of the GM volume, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI and resting-state functional MRI were used to assess ACC–pSTG connectivity. Patients with LLD in the depressed and remitted phases showed significantly smaller GM volume in the left ACC and left pSTG than healthy subjects. Both patients with LLD in the depressed and remitted phases had significantly higher diffusivities in the WM tract of the left ACC–pSTG than healthy subjects. Remitted patients with LLD showed lower functional ACC–pSTG connectivity compared to healthy subjects. No difference was found in the two regions between depressed and remitted patients in GM volume, structural or functional connectivity. Functional ACC–pSTG connectivity was positively correlated with lower global function during remission. Our preliminary data show that structural and functional abnormalities of the ACC and pSTG occur during LLD remission. Our findings tentatively reveal the brain pathophysiology involved in LLD and may aid in developing neuroanatomical biomarkers for this condition.

The roles of the anterior cingulate cortex and its dopamine receptors in self-paced cost-benefit decision making in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuai; Hu, Shan-Hu; Shi, Yi; Li, Bao-Ming

2017-03-01

It has been shown that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and its dopamine system are crucial for decision making that requires physical/emotional effort, but not for all forms of cost-benefit decision making. Previous studies had mostly employed behavioral tasks with two competing cost-reward options that were preset by the experimenters. However, few studies have been conducted using scenarios in which the subjects have full control over the energy/time expenditure required to obtain a proportional reward. Here, we assessed the roles of the ACC and its dopamine system in cost-benefit decision making by utilizing a "do more get more" (DMGM) task and a time-reward trade-off (TRTO) task, wherein the animals were able to self-determine how much effort or time to expend at a nosepoke operandum for a proportional reward. Our results showed that (1) ACC inactivation severely impaired DMGM task performance, with a reduction in the rate of correct responses and a decrease in the effort expended, but did not affect the TRTO task; and (2) blocking ACC D2 receptors had no impact on DMGM task performance in the baseline cost-benefit scenario, but it significantly reduced the attempts to invest increased effort for a large reward when the benefit-cost ratio was reduced by half. In contrast, blocking ACC D1 receptors had no effect on DMGM task performance. These findings suggest that the ACC is required for self-paced effort-based but not for time-reward trade-off decision making. Furthermore, ACC dopamine D2 but not D1 receptors are involved in DMGM decision making.

fMRI Neurofeedback Training for Increasing Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activation in Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. An Exploratory Randomized, Single-Blinded Study.

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Zilverstand, Anna; Sorger, Bettina; Slaats-Willemse, Dorine; Kan, Cornelis C; Goebel, Rainer; Buitelaar, Jan K

2017-01-01

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by poor cognitive control/attention and hypofunctioning of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). In the current study, we investigated for the first time whether real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rt-fMRI) training targeted at increasing activation levels within dACC in adults with ADHD leads to a reduction of clinical symptoms and improved cognitive functioning. An exploratory randomized controlled treatment study with blinding of the participants was conducted. Participants with ADHD (n = 7 in the neurofeedback group, and n = 6 in the control group) attended four weekly MRI training sessions (60-min training time/session), during which they performed a mental calculation task at varying levels of difficulty, in order to learn how to up-regulate dACC activation. Only neurofeedback participants received continuous feedback information on actual brain activation levels within dACC. Before and after the training, ADHD symptoms and relevant cognitive functioning was assessed. Results showed that both groups achieved a significant increase in dACC activation levels over sessions. While there was no significant difference between the neurofeedback and control group in clinical outcome, neurofeedback participants showed stronger improvement on cognitive functioning. The current study demonstrates the general feasibility of the suggested rt-fMRI neurofeedback training approach as a potential novel treatment option for ADHD patients. Due to the study's small sample size, potential clinical benefits need to be further investigated in future studies. ISRCTN12390961.

rCBF and cognitive impairment changes assessed by SPECT and ADAS-cog in late-onset Alzheimer's disease after 18 months of treatment with the cholinesterase inhibitors donepezil or galantamine.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirayama, Yukihiko; Takahashi, Michio; Oda, Yasunori; Yoshino, Kouhei; Sato, Koichi; Okubo, Toshiyuki; Iyo, Masaomi

2017-12-15

Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) differs substantially from early-onset AD. In this cross sectional study we investigated brain perfusion changes after 18 months of treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) donepezil or galantamine. Twenty-five drug-naïve late-onset AD patients were recruited from outpatient clinics. We examined brain perfusion using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and used three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) and the stereotactic extraction estimation method (SEE) level 3 to analyze classified gyrus level segments. We assessed cognitive function using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) grouped into three subgroup domains, language, memory, and praxis. In the follow-up data, some regions were further hypoperfused, reflecting worsening of the disease, while other regions showed alleviated hypoperfusion, potentially related to the ChEIs treatment. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) decreased in the parietal cortex and increased in the frontal and the limbic cortices. Increased hypoperfusion significantly correlated with ADAS-cog scores changes were seen in the superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule, angular gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus of the parietal cortex. Alleviated hypoperfusion significantly related to recovery of ADAS-cog scores were seen in the rectal and paracentral lobule of the frontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate of the limbic cortex. These regions showed significant relationships with total ADAS-cog and language, memory and praxis subscales scores. The current longitudinal study indicates prominent rCBF changes and their relationships with changes in ADAS-cog scores in late-onset AD patients.

An anterior-to-posterior shift in midline cortical activity in schizophrenia during self-reflection.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Daphne J; Cassidy, Brittany S; Andrews-Hanna, Jessica R; Lee, Su Mei; Coombs, Garth; Goff, Donald C; Gabrieli, John D; Moran, Joseph M

2011-03-01

Deficits in social cognition, including impairments in self-awareness, contribute to the overall functional disability associated with schizophrenia. Studies in healthy subjects have shown that social cognitive functions, including self-reflection, rely on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and posterior cingulate gyrus, and these regions exhibit highly correlated activity during "resting" states. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that patients with schizophrenia show dysfunction of this network during self-reflection and that this abnormal activity is associated with changes in the strength of resting-state correlations between these regions. Activation during self-reflection and control tasks was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging in 19 patients with schizophrenia and 20 demographically matched control subjects. In addition, the resting-state functional connectivity of midline cortical areas showing abnormal self-reflection-related activation in schizophrenia was measured. Compared with control subjects, the schizophrenia patients demonstrated lower activation of the right ventral mPFC and greater activation of the mid/posterior cingulate gyri bilaterally during self-reflection, relative to a control task. A similar pattern was seen during overall social reflection. In addition, functional connectivity between the portion of the left mid/posterior cingulate gyrus showing abnormally elevated activity during self-reflection in schizophrenia, and the dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus was lower in the schizophrenia patients compared with control subjects. Schizophrenia is associated with an anterior-to-posterior shift in introspection-related activation, as well as changes in functional connectivity, of the midline cortex. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that aberrant midline cortical function contributes to social cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier

Focal cortical hypoperfusion in corticobasal degeneration demonstrated by three-dimensional surface display with {sup 123}I-IMP: a possible cause of apraxia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okuda, B. [5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya (Japan); Tachibana, H. [5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya (Japan); Takeda, M. [5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya (Japan); Kawabata, K. [5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya (Japan); Sugita, M. [5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya (Japan); Fukuchi, M. [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya (Japan)

1995-11-01

To clarify cortical lesions responsible for apraxia in corticobasal degeneration (CBD), we reconstructed three-dimensional surface images from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) data with N-isopropyl-p[I-123]-iodoamphetamine in two patients with CBD. Both had limb-kinetic apraxia (LKA) and one also had constructional apraxia (CA). Both showed asymmetrical cortical hypoperfusion in the perirolandic area. The patient with CA had unilateral hypoperfusion in the posterior parietal area. Thus, cortical hypoperfusion in the perirolandic area corresponded to LKA, and that in the posterior parietal area to CA. (orig.). With 4 figs.

Evaluation of linear registration algorithms for brain SPECT and the errors due to hypoperfusion lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radau, Perry E.; Slomka, Piotr J.; Julin, Per; Svensson, Leif; Wahlund, Lars-Olof

2001-01-01

The semiquantitative analysis of perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images requires a reproducible, objective method. Automated spatial standardization (registration) of images is a prerequisite to this goal. A source of registration error is the presence of hypoperfusion defects, which was evaluated in this study with simulated lesions. The brain perfusion images measured by 99m Tc-HMPAO SPECT from 21 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease and 35 control subjects were retrospectively analyzed. An automatic segmentation method was developed to remove external activity. Three registration methods, robust least squares, normalized mutual information (NMI), and count difference were implemented and the effects of simulated defects were compared. The tested registration methods required segmentation of the cerebrum from external activity, and the automatic and manual methods differed by a three-dimensional displacement of 1.4±1.1 mm. NMI registration proved to be least adversely effected by simulated defects with 3 mm average displacement caused by severe defects. The error in quantifying the patient-template parietal ratio due to misregistration was 2.0% for large defects (70% hypoperfusion) and 0.5% for smaller defects (85% hypoperfusion)

A comparative study of pulmonary hypoperfusion secondary to cancerous invasion of central pulmonary artery in lung cancer with CT and DSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Dajing; Miao Jingtao; Lu Wusheng; Bai Hongli

2003-01-01

Objective: To study CT features of pulmonary hypoperfusion in lung cancer with cancerous invasion of central pulmonary artery (CICPA) and the diagnostic value of CT. Methods: The pre-operative pulmonary DSA and contrast-enhanced spiral CT (including HRCT) findings in 20 cases of lung cancer with CICPA were carried out prospectively and comparatively. On DSA and CT, the distribution and quantitative variation of subpleural terminal pulmonary arterioles (pulmonary vessel signs), the filling degree of lung capillary, the post-contrast density changes of lung parenchyma, and the fluctuations of the time-density curve (pulmonary parenchymal signs) were blindly observed. The CT and DSA findings and their consistence were analyzed statistically. The diagnostic values of CT in secondary pulmonary hypoperfusion in lung cancer with CICPA were evaluated. Results: There were 30 lobar arteries with cancerous invasion among the 20 cases and 90% (27/30) of them presented pulmonary hypoperfusion on DSA. For diagnosing pulmonary hypoperfusion, CT had a sensitivity of 78%(21/27), a specificity of 100% (3/3), and an accuracy of 80%(24/30). There were no statistical correlation between pulmonary hypoperfusion and the degree of central pulmonary artery (CPA) stenosis (r s =0.40, P=0.073). Pulmonary vessel signs on CT had a good consistence with that on DSA (Kappa=0.69, P<0.001), while that of pulmonary parenchymal signs was lower (Kappa=0.37, P=0.011). Conclusion: Pulmonary hypoperfusion is one of the common findings in lung cancer with CICPA. CT is of great value in qualitative diagnosis on it, while for quantitative diagnosis, its value is limited to a certain degree

Gene expression changes in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens of mood disorders subjects that committed suicide.

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Adolfo Sequeira

Full Text Available Suicidal behaviors are frequent in mood disorders patients but only a subset of them ever complete suicide. Understanding predisposing factors for suicidal behaviors in high risk populations is of major importance for the prevention and treatment of suicidal behaviors. The objective of this project was to investigate gene expression changes associated with suicide in brains of mood disorder patients by microarrays (Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus2.0 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC: 6 Non-suicides, 15 suicides, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC: 6NS, 9S and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc: 8NS, 13S. ANCOVA was used to control for age, gender, pH and RNA degradation, with P ≤ 0.01 and fold change ± 1.25 as criteria for significance. Pathway analysis revealed serotonergic signaling alterations in the DLPFC and glucocorticoid signaling alterations in the ACC and NAcc. The gene with the lowest p-value in the DLPFC was the 5-HT2A gene, previously associated both with suicide and mood disorders. In the ACC 6 metallothionein genes were down-regulated in suicide (MT1E, MT1F, MT1G, MT1H, MT1X, MT2A and three were down-regulated in the NAcc (MT1F, MT1G, MT1H. Differential expression of selected genes was confirmed by qPCR, we confirmed the 5-HT2A alterations and the global down-regulation of members of the metallothionein subfamilies MT 1 and 2 in suicide completers. MTs 1 and 2 are neuro-protective following stress and glucocorticoid stimulations, suggesting that in suicide victims neuroprotective response to stress and cortisol may be diminished. Our results thus suggest that suicide-specific expression changes in mood disorders involve both glucocorticoids regulated metallothioneins and serotonergic signaling in different regions of the brain.

Gene expression changes in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens of mood disorders subjects that committed suicide.

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Sequeira, Adolfo; Morgan, Ling; Walsh, David M; Cartagena, Preston M; Choudary, Prabhakara; Li, Jun; Schatzberg, Alan F; Watson, Stanley J; Akil, Huda; Myers, Richard M; Jones, Edward G; Bunney, William E; Vawter, Marquis P

2012-01-01

Suicidal behaviors are frequent in mood disorders patients but only a subset of them ever complete suicide. Understanding predisposing factors for suicidal behaviors in high risk populations is of major importance for the prevention and treatment of suicidal behaviors. The objective of this project was to investigate gene expression changes associated with suicide in brains of mood disorder patients by microarrays (Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus2.0) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC: 6 Non-suicides, 15 suicides), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC: 6NS, 9S) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc: 8NS, 13S). ANCOVA was used to control for age, gender, pH and RNA degradation, with P ≤ 0.01 and fold change ± 1.25 as criteria for significance. Pathway analysis revealed serotonergic signaling alterations in the DLPFC and glucocorticoid signaling alterations in the ACC and NAcc. The gene with the lowest p-value in the DLPFC was the 5-HT2A gene, previously associated both with suicide and mood disorders. In the ACC 6 metallothionein genes were down-regulated in suicide (MT1E, MT1F, MT1G, MT1H, MT1X, MT2A) and three were down-regulated in the NAcc (MT1F, MT1G, MT1H). Differential expression of selected genes was confirmed by qPCR, we confirmed the 5-HT2A alterations and the global down-regulation of members of the metallothionein subfamilies MT 1 and 2 in suicide completers. MTs 1 and 2 are neuro-protective following stress and glucocorticoid stimulations, suggesting that in suicide victims neuroprotective response to stress and cortisol may be diminished. Our results thus suggest that suicide-specific expression changes in mood disorders involve both glucocorticoids regulated metallothioneins and serotonergic signaling in different regions of the brain.

Abnormal Functional Connectivity of Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Patients With Primary Insomnia: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

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Chao-Qun Yan

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Recently, there have been many reports about abnormalities regarding structural and functional brain connectivity of the patients with primary insomnia. However, the alterations in functional interaction between the left and right cerebral hemispheres have not been well understood. The resting-state fMRI approach, which reveals spontaneous neural fluctuations in blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals, offers a method to quantify functional interactions between the hemispheres directly.Methods: We compared interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC between 26 patients with primary insomnia (48.85 ± 12.02 years and 28 healthy controls (49.07 ± 11.81 years using a voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC method. The patients with primary insomnia and healthy controls were matched for age, gender, and education. Brain regions, which had significant differences in VMHC maps between the primary insomnia and healthy control groups, were defined as seed region of interests. A seed-based approach was further used to reveal significant differences of FC between the seeds and the whole contralateral hemisphere.Results: The patients with primary insomnia showed higher VMHC than healthy controls in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC bilaterally. The seed-based analyses demonstrated increased FC between the left ACC and right thalamus (and the right ACC and left orbitofrontal cortex in patients with primary insomnia, revealing abnormal connectivity between the two cerebral hemispheres. The VMHC values in the ACC were positively correlated with the time to fall asleep and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores (SDS.Conclusions: The results demonstrate that there is abnormal interhemispheric resting-state FC in the brain regions of patients with primary insomnia, especially in the ACC. Our finding demonstrates valid evidence that the ACC is an area of interest in the neurobiology of primary insomnia.

Anterior cingulate cortex is crucial for contra- but not ipsi-lateral electro-acupuncture in the formalin-induced inflammatory pain model of rats

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Xing Guo-Gang

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture (EA are now widely used to treat disorders like pain. We and others have shown previously that current frequency, intensity and treatment duration all significantly influence the anti-nociceptive effects of EA. There is evidence that stimulating sites also affect the antinociception, with EA applied ipsilaterally to the pain site being more effective under some pain states but contralateral EA under others. It was recently reported that local adenosine A1 receptors were responsible for ipsilateral acupuncture, but what mechanisms specifically mediate the anti-nociceptive effects of contralateral acupuncture or EA remains unclear. In the present study, we applied 100 Hz EA on the ipsi- or contra-lateral side of rats with inflammatory pain induced by intra-plantar injection of formalin, and reported distinct anti-nociceptive effects and mechanisms between them. Both ipsi- and contra-lateral EA reduced the paw lifting time in the second phase of the formalin test and attenuated formalin-induced conditioned place aversion. Contralateral EA had an additional effect of reducing paw licking time, suggesting a supraspinal mechanism. Lesions of rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC completely abolished the anti-nociceptive effects of contra- but not ipsi-lateral EA. These findings were not lateralized effects, since injection of formalin into the left or right hind paws produced similar results. Overall, these results demonstrated distinct anti-nociceptive effects and mechanisms between different stimulating sides and implied the necessity of finding the best stimulating protocols for different pain states.

Investigation of redox status in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced neurodegeneration in rats

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Anil Kumar Saxena

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Aging related reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF has been linked with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Experimentally, a condition of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion due to reduced CBF can be induced by permanent bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries (2-vessel occlusion, 2VO in rats. Since oxidative stress, leading to neuronal apoptosis and death, is one of the mechanisms, which is thought to play a significant role in chronic degenerative neurological disorders, the present study was planned to assess the ROS status by measuring the levels of anti-oxidant enzymes that might occur during chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Antioxidant enzymes namely glutathione peroxidase (GPx, superoxide dismutase (SOD, and catalase were measured in the brain tissue at eight weeks of 2VO induction in rats. Results show significantly elevated levels of GPx, SOD, and catalase enzymes as compared with the control group. It is possible that compensatory rise in antioxidant enzymes occurs in response to increased oxidative stress following ischemic insult.

Inhibition of the cAMP/PKA/CREB Pathway Contributes to the Analgesic Effects of Electroacupuncture in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in a Rat Pain Memory Model.

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Shao, Xiao-Mei; Sun, Jing; Jiang, Yong-Liang; Liu, Bo-Yi; Shen, Zui; Fang, Fang; Du, Jun-Ying; Wu, Yuan-Yuan; Wang, Jia-Ling; Fang, Jian-Qiao

2016-01-01

Pain memory is considered as endopathic factor underlying stubborn chronic pain. Our previous study demonstrated that electroacupuncture (EA) can alleviate retrieval of pain memory. This study was designed to observe the different effects between EA and indomethacin (a kind of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs) in a rat pain memory model. To explore the critical role of protein kinase A (PKA) in pain memory, a PKA inhibitor was microinjected into anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in model rats. We further investigated the roles of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), PKA, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway in pain memory to explore the potential molecular mechanism. The results showed that EA alleviates the retrieval of pain memory while indomethacin failed. Intra-ACC microinjection of a PKA inhibitor blocked the occurrence of pain memory. EA reduced the activation of cAMP, PKA, and CREB and the coexpression levels of cAMP/PKA and PKA/CREB in the ACC of pain memory model rats, but indomethacin failed. The present findings identified a critical role of PKA in ACC in retrieval of pain memory. We propose that the proper mechanism of EA on pain memory is possibly due to the partial inhibition of cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway by EA.

Not all effort is equal: the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in different forms of effort-reward decisions

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Victoria eHolec

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC mediates effort-based decision making when the task requires the physical effort of climbing a ramp. Normal rats will readily climb a barrier leading to high reward whereas rats with ACC lesions will opt instead for an easily obtained small reward. The present study explored whether the role of ACC in cost-benefit decisions extends beyond climbing by testing its role in ramp climbing as well as two novel cost-benefit decision tasks, one involving the physical effort of lifting weights and the other the emotional cost of overcoming fear (i.e., courage. As expected, rats with extensive ACC lesions tested on a ramp-climbing task were less likely to choose a high-reward/high-effort arm than sham controls. However, during the first few trials, lesioned rats were as likely as controls to initially turn into the high-reward arm but far less likely to actually climb the barrier, suggesting that the role of the ACC is not in deciding which course of action to pursue, but rather in maintaining a course of action in the face of countervailing forces. In the effort-reward decision task involving weight lifting, some lesion animals behaved like controls while others avoided the high reward arm. However, the results were not statistically significant and a follow-up study using incremental increasing effort failed to show any difference between lesion and control groups. The results suggest that the ACC is not needed for effort-reward decisions involving weight lifting but may affect motor abilities. Finally, a courage task explored the willingness of rats to overcome the fear of crossing an open, exposed arm to obtain a high reward. Both sham and ACC-lesioned animals exhibited equal tendencies to enter the open arm. However, whereas sham animals gradually improved on the task, ACC-lesioned rats did not. Taken together, the results suggest that the role of the ACC in effort-reward decisions may be limited to certain

Tics are caused by alterations in prefrontal areas, thalamus and putamen, while changes in the cingulate gyrus reflect secondary compensatory mechanisms.

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Müller-Vahl, Kirsten R; Grosskreutz, Julian; Prell, Tino; Kaufmann, Jörn; Bodammer, Nils; Peschel, Thomas

2014-01-07

Despite strong evidence that the pathophysiology of Tourette syndrome (TS) involves structural and functional disturbances of the basal ganglia and cortical frontal areas, findings from in vivo imaging studies have provided conflicting results. In this study we used whole brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the microstructural integrity of white matter pathways and brain tissue in 19 unmedicated, adult, male patients with TS "only" (without comorbid psychiatric disorders) and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Compared to normal controls, TS patients showed a decrease in the fractional anisotropy index (FA) bilaterally in the medial frontal gyrus, the pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus, the middle occipital gyrus, the right cingulate gyrus, and the medial premotor cortex. Increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were detected in the left cingulate gyrus, prefrontal areas, left precentral gyrus, and left putamen. There was a negative correlation between tic severity and FA values in the left superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus bilaterally, cingulate gyrus bilaterally, and ventral posterior lateral nucleus of the right thalamus, and a positive correlation in the body of the corpus callosum, left thalamus, right superior temporal gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus. There was also a positive correlation between regional ADC values and tic severity in the left cingulate gyrus, putamen bilaterally, medial frontal gyrus bilaterally, left precentral gyrus, and ventral anterior nucleus of the left thalamus. Our results confirm prior studies suggesting that tics are caused by alterations in prefrontal areas, thalamus and putamen, while changes in the cingulate gyrus seem to reflect secondary compensatory mechanisms. Due to the study design, influences from comorbidities, gender, medication and age can be excluded.

5-Hydroxytryptamine (serotonin)2A receptors in rat anterior cingulate cortex mediate the discriminative stimulus properties of d-lysergic acid diethylamide.

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Gresch, Paul J; Barrett, Robert J; Sanders-Bush, Elaine; Smith, Randy L

2007-02-01

d-Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), an indoleamine hallucinogen, produces profound alterations in mood, thought, and perception in humans. The brain site(s) that mediates the effects of LSD is currently unknown. In this study, we combine the drug discrimination paradigm with intracerebral microinjections to investigate the anatomical localization of the discriminative stimulus of LSD in rats. Based on our previous findings, we targeted the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to test its involvement in mediating the discriminative stimulus properties of LSD. Rats were trained to discriminate systemically administered LSD (0.085 mg/kg s.c.) from saline. Following acquisition of the discrimination, bilateral cannulae were implanted into the ACC (AP, +1.2 mm; ML, +/-1.0 mm; DV, -2.0 mm relative to bregma). Rats were tested for their ability to discriminate varying doses of locally infused LSD (0.1875, 0.375, and 0.75 microg/side) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (n = 3-7). LSD locally infused into ACC dose-dependently substituted for systemically administered LSD, with 0.75 microg/side LSD substituting completely (89% correct). Systemic administration of the selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) (5-HT)(2A) receptor antagonist R-(+)-alpha-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenylethyl)]-4-piperidine-methanol (M100907; 0.4 mg/kg) blocked the discriminative cue of LSD (0.375 microg/side) infused into ACC (from 68 to 16% drug lever responding). Furthermore, M100907 (0.5 microg/microl/side) locally infused into ACC completely blocked the stimulus effects of systemic LSD (0.04 mg/kg; from 80 to 12% on the LSD lever). Taken together, these data indicate that 5-HT(2A) receptors in the ACC are a primary target mediating the discriminative stimulus properties of LSD.

Expression of the dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex in a model of neuropathic pain

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Ortega-Legaspi J Manuel

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC has been related to the affective component of pain. Dopaminergic mesocortical circuits, including the ACC, are able to inhibit neuropathic nociception measured as autotomy behaviour. We determined the changes in dopamine D1 and D2 (D1R and D2R receptor expression in the ACC (cg1 and cg2 in an animal model of neuropathic pain. The neuropathic group had noxious heat applied in the right hind paw followed 30 min. later by right sciatic denervation. Autotomy score (AS was recorded for eight days and subsequently classified in low, medium and high AS groups. The control consisted of naïve animals. A semiquantitative RT-PCR procedure was done to determine mRNA levels for D1R and D2R in cg1 and cg2, and protein levels were measured by Western Blot. Results The results of D1R mRNA in cg1 showed a decrease in all groups. D2R mRNA levels in cg1 decreased in low AS and increased in medium and high AS. Regarding D1R in cg2, there was an increase in all groups. D2R expression levels in cg2 decreased in all groups. In cg1, the D2R mRNA correlated positively with autotomy behaviour. Protein levels of D2R in cg1 increased in all groups but to a higher degree in low AS. In cg2 D2R protein only decreased discretely. D1R protein was not found in either ACC region. Conclusions This is the first evidence of an increase of inhibitory dopaminergic receptor (D2R mRNA and protein in cg1 in correlation with nociceptive behaviour in a neuropathic model of pain in the rat.

Association of a History of Child Abuse With Impaired Myelination in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex: Convergent Epigenetic, Transcriptional, and Morphological Evidence.

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Lutz, Pierre-Eric; Tanti, Arnaud; Gasecka, Alicja; Barnett-Burns, Sarah; Kim, John J; Zhou, Yi; Chen, Gang G; Wakid, Marina; Shaw, Meghan; Almeida, Daniel; Chay, Marc-Aurele; Yang, Jennie; Larivière, Vanessa; M'Boutchou, Marie-Noël; van Kempen, Léon C; Yerko, Volodymyr; Prud'homme, Josée; Davoli, Maria Antonietta; Vaillancourt, Kathryn; Théroux, Jean-François; Bramoullé, Alexandre; Zhang, Tie-Yuan; Meaney, Michael J; Ernst, Carl; Côté, Daniel; Mechawar, Naguib; Turecki, Gustavo

2017-12-01

Child abuse has devastating and long-lasting consequences, considerably increasing the lifetime risk of negative mental health outcomes such as depression and suicide. Yet the neurobiological processes underlying this heightened vulnerability remain poorly understood. The authors investigated the hypothesis that epigenetic, transcriptomic, and cellular adaptations may occur in the anterior cingulate cortex as a function of child abuse. Postmortem brain samples from human subjects (N=78) and from a rodent model of the impact of early-life environment (N=24) were analyzed. The human samples were from depressed individuals who died by suicide, with (N=27) or without (N=25) a history of severe child abuse, as well as from psychiatrically healthy control subjects (N=26). Genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression were investigated using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing, respectively. Cell type-specific validation of differentially methylated loci was performed after fluorescence-activated cell sorting of oligodendrocyte and neuronal nuclei. Differential gene expression was validated using NanoString technology. Finally, oligodendrocytes and myelinated axons were analyzed using stereology and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy. A history of child abuse was associated with cell type-specific changes in DNA methylation of oligodendrocyte genes and a global impairment of the myelin-related transcriptional program. These effects were absent in the depressed suicide completers with no history of child abuse, and they were strongly correlated with myelin gene expression changes observed in the animal model. Furthermore, a selective and significant reduction in the thickness of myelin sheaths around small-diameter axons was observed in individuals with history of child abuse. The results suggest that child abuse, in part through epigenetic reprogramming of oligodendrocytes, may lastingly disrupt cortical myelination, a

Effects on locomotion and memory in 2 models of cerebral hypoperfusion in male Wistar rats.

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Martínez-Díaz, J A; García, L I; Hernández, M E; Aranda-Abreu, G E

2015-09-01

Cerebral ischaemia is one of the most common neurological diseases worldwide. Its many sequelae range from motor and sensory symptoms to cognitive decline and dementia. Animal models of cerebral ischaemia/hypoperfusion elicit effects on long term memory; however, the effects of these procedures on short term memory are not clearly understood and effects induced by alternative hypoperfusion models are completely unknown. We evaluated the effects of 2 cerebral hyperperfusion models on memory in 3-month-old male rats. Episodic memory and working memory were assessed using the new object recognition test and the spontaneous alteration test, respectively. Neurological assessment was also performed, along with an open field test to evaluate locomotor activity. Rats in both hyperperfusion models displayed no cognitive changes. Rats with unilateral left-sided ligation plus temporary ligation of the right carotid tended to show slightly impaired performance on the new object recognition test on the second day after the procedure. In contrast, the group with permanent unilateral ligation tended to display alterations in working and episodic memory 9 days after the procedure, but they subsequently recovered. Despite these differences, both hypoperfusion groups displayed clear signs of motor impairment 2 days after the procedure, as reflected by their decreased locomotor activity during the open field test. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the presence or absence of atrophy of the subgenual and subcallosal cingulate cortices using voxel-based morphometry on MRI is useful to select prescriptions for patients with depressive symptoms

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Niida A

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Akira Niida,1 Richi Niida,2 Hiroshi Matsuda,3 Makoto Motomura,4 Akihiko Uechi5 1Department of Radiology, Nanbu Hospital, Itoman City, Okinawa, Japan; 2Department of Psychiatry, Nanto Clinic, Urasoe City, Okinawa, Japan; 3Integrative Brain Imaging Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira City, Tokyo, Japan; 4Department of Human Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, Nakagami County, Okinawa, Japan; 5Cognitive Neuroscience Research Project, Kansai Gaidai University, Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan Objective: We objectively evaluated the presence or absence of atrophy of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC and the subcallosal anterior cingulate cortex (scACC, using new voxel-based morphometry (VBM software employing Statistical Parametric Mapping software v8 and diffeomorphic anatomic registration through an exponentiated lie algebra. We prepared a database covering young-mature adulthood and investigated the clinical usefulness of the evaluation. Subjects and methods: One hundred seven patients with major depressive disorder (MDD, 74 patients with bipolar disorder (BD, and 240 healthy control subjects underwent 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Using new VBM software and databases covering young-mature adults and the elderly, target volumes of interest were set in the sgACC and scACC, four indicators (severity, extent, ratio, and whole-brain extent were determined, and the presence or absence of atrophy of the sgACC and scACC was evaluated on the basis of the indicators. In addition, the relationships between the presence or absence of atrophy of the sgACC and scACC and performance of diagnosing MDD and BD and therapeutic drugs were investigated. Results: It was clarified that the disease is likely to be MDD when atrophy is detected in the sgACC, and likely to be BD when no atrophy is detected in the sgACC but is detected in the scACC. Regarding the relationship with therapeutic drugs, it was clarified that, when

Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in typically developing children: Laterality analysis

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Jue Wang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available We aimed to elucidate the dACC laterality in typically developing children and their sex/age-related differences with a sample of 84 right-handed children (6–16 years, 42 boys. We first replicated the previous finding observed in adults that gray matter density asymmetry in the dACC was region-specific: leftward (left > right in its superior part, rightward (left < right in its inferior part. Intrinsic connectivity analysis of these regions further revealed region-specific asymmetric connectivity profiles in dACC as well as their sex and age differences. Specifically, the superior dACC connectivity with frontoparietal network and the inferior dACC connectivity with visual network are rightward. The superior dACC connectivity with the default network (lateral temporal cortex was more involved in the left hemisphere. In contrast, the inferior dACC connectivity with the default network (anterior medial prefrontal cortex was more lateralized towards the right hemisphere. The superior dACC connectivity with lateral visual cortex was more distinct across two hemispheres in girls than that in boys. This connection in boys changed with age from right-prominent to left-prominent asymmetry whereas girls developed the connection from left-prominent to no asymmetry. These findings not only highlight the complexity and laterality of the dACC but also provided insights into dynamical structure–function relationships during the development.

Tics are caused by alterations in prefrontal areas, thalamus and putamen, while changes in the cingulate gyrus reflect secondary compensatory mechanisms

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2014-01-01

Background Despite strong evidence that the pathophysiology of Tourette syndrome (TS) involves structural and functional disturbances of the basal ganglia and cortical frontal areas, findings from in vivo imaging studies have provided conflicting results. In this study we used whole brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the microstructural integrity of white matter pathways and brain tissue in 19 unmedicated, adult, male patients with TS “only” (without comorbid psychiatric disorders) and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Results Compared to normal controls, TS patients showed a decrease in the fractional anisotropy index (FA) bilaterally in the medial frontal gyrus, the pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus, the middle occipital gyrus, the right cingulate gyrus, and the medial premotor cortex. Increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were detected in the left cingulate gyrus, prefrontal areas, left precentral gyrus, and left putamen. There was a negative correlation between tic severity and FA values in the left superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus bilaterally, cingulate gyrus bilaterally, and ventral posterior lateral nucleus of the right thalamus, and a positive correlation in the body of the corpus callosum, left thalamus, right superior temporal gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus. There was also a positive correlation between regional ADC values and tic severity in the left cingulate gyrus, putamen bilaterally, medial frontal gyrus bilaterally, left precentral gyrus, and ventral anterior nucleus of the left thalamus. Conclusions Our results confirm prior studies suggesting that tics are caused by alterations in prefrontal areas, thalamus and putamen, while changes in the cingulate gyrus seem to reflect secondary compensatory mechanisms. Due to the study design, influences from comorbidities, gender, medication and age can be excluded. PMID:24397347

Post-mortem assessment of hypoperfusion of cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

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Thomas, Taya; Miners, Scott; Love, Seth

2015-04-01

Perfusion is reduced in the cerebral neocortex in Alzheimer's disease. We have explored some of the mechanisms, by measurement of perfusion-sensitive and disease-related proteins in post-mortem tissue from Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and age-matched control brains. To distinguish physiological from pathological reduction in perfusion (i.e. reduction exceeding the decline in metabolic demand), we measured the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein induced under conditions of tissue hypoxia through the actions of hypoxia-inducible factors, and the myelin associated glycoprotein to proteolipid protein 1 (MAG:PLP1) ratio, which declines in chronically hypoperfused brain tissue. To evaluate possible mechanisms of hypoperfusion, we also measured the levels of amyloid-β40, amyloid-β42, von Willebrand factor (VWF; a measure of microvascular density) and the potent vasoconstrictor endothelin 1 (EDN1); we assayed the activity of angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE), which catalyses the production of another potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II; and we scored the severity of arteriolosclerotic small vessel disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and determined the Braak tangle stage. VEGF was markedly increased in frontal and parahippocampal cortex in Alzheimer's disease but only slightly and not significantly in vascular dementia. In frontal cortex the MAG:PLP1 ratio was significantly reduced in Alzheimer's disease and even more so in vascular dementia. VEGF but not MAG:PLP1 increased with Alzheimer's disease severity, as measured by Braak tangle stage, and correlated with amyloid-β42 and amyloid-β42: amyloid-β40 but not amyloid-β40. Although MAG:PLP1 tended to be lowest in cortex from patients with severe small vessel disease or cerebral amyloid angiopathy, neither VEGF nor MAG:PLP1 correlated significantly with the severity of structural vascular pathology (small vessel disease, cerebral amyloid angiopathy or VWF

Non-invasive examinations successfully select patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy for anterior temporal lobectomy

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Morioka, Takato; Nishio, Shunji; Kawamura, Tadao; Fukui, Kimiko; Sasaki, Masayuki; Fukui, Masashi [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Graduate School of Medical Sciences

2001-06-01

We retrospectively analyzed 8 patients with intractable medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) who underwent the anterior temporal lobectomy with hippocampectomy (ATL) without invasive examinations such as chronic subdural electrode recording. Five patients had a history of febrile convulsion. While all 8 patients had oral automatism, automatism of ipsilateral limbs with dystonic posture of contralateral limbs was demonstrated in 2 patients. Bilateral temporal paroxysmal activities on interictal EEG was observed in 4 patients and all patients had clear ictal onset zone on unilateral anterior temporal region. MRI demonstrated unilateral hippocampal sclerosis in 5 cases. Interictal FDG-PET depicted hypometabolism of the unilateral temporal lobe in all cases, however, ECD-SPECT failed to reveal the hypoperfusion of the unilateral temporal lobe in a case. Postoperatively, 7 cases became seizure free, and one had rare seizure. Non-invasive examinations, especially ictal EEG and concordant FDG-PET findings, in patients with oral automatism in seizure semiology, successfully select patients with MTLE for ATL. (author)

Non-invasive examinations successfully select patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy for anterior temporal lobectomy

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Morioka, Takato; Nishio, Shunji; Kawamura, Tadao; Fukui, Kimiko; Sasaki, Masayuki; Fukui, Masashi

2001-01-01

We retrospectively analyzed 8 patients with intractable medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) who underwent the anterior temporal lobectomy with hippocampectomy (ATL) without invasive examinations such as chronic subdural electrode recording. Five patients had a history of febrile convulsion. While all 8 patients had oral automatism, automatism of ipsilateral limbs with dystonic posture of contralateral limbs was demonstrated in 2 patients. Bilateral temporal paroxysmal activities on interictal EEG was observed in 4 patients and all patients had clear ictal onset zone on unilateral anterior temporal region. MRI demonstrated unilateral hippocampal sclerosis in 5 cases. Interictal FDG-PET depicted hypometabolism of the unilateral temporal lobe in all cases, however, ECD-SPECT failed to reveal the hypoperfusion of the unilateral temporal lobe in a case. Postoperatively, 7 cases became seizure free, and one had rare seizure. Non-invasive examinations, especially ictal EEG and concordant FDG-PET findings, in patients with oral automatism in seizure semiology, successfully select patients with MTLE for ATL. (author)

T174. STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES IN THE CINGULATE CORTEX IN ADOLESCENTS AT ULTRA-HIGH RISK WHO LATER DEVELOP PSYCHOSIS

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Fortea, Adriana; van Eindhjoven, Phillip; Pariente, Jose; Calvo, Anna; Batalla, Albert; de la Serna, Elena; Ilzarbe, Daniel; Tor, Jordina; Dolz, Montserrat; Baeza, Inmaculada; Sugranyes, Gisela

2018-01-01

-NP (2.56 ± 0.11mm) and HC (2.58 ± 0.09mm) were found. There was a significant group effect on the right cingulate cortex (F=6.6, pFDR=.024): UHR-P showed lower CTH in this area relative to controls (p=.007 uncorrected). Within the right cingulate cortex, a significant group effect was found in the posterior cingulate (F=5.7, pFDR=.016) and isthmus (F=4.6, pFDR=.024), and a trend level in the caudal anterior cingulate (F=2.9, p=.057): with smaller CTH in UHR-P relative to HC in the isthmus cingulate (p=.025) and the posterior cingulate (p=.066). No significant differences were observed between UHR-P and UHR-NP groups. Discussion UHR-P showed significant cortical thinning in several regions of the right cingulate cortex in comparison to HC, giving support to the notion that structural alterations in the cingulate cortex may be present in children and adolescents prior the onset of psychosis. Longitudinal changes in CTH have the potential to increase understanding of changes related to transition to clinical illness.

Gene expression profile of sodium channel subunits in the anterior cingulate cortex during experimental paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain in mice

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Willias Masocha

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent, causes neuropathic pain whose supraspinal pathophysiology is not fully understood. Dysregulation of sodium channel expression, studied mainly in the periphery and spinal cord level, contributes to the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. We examined gene expression of sodium channel (Nav subunits by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC at day 7 post first administration of paclitaxel, when mice had developed paclitaxel-induced thermal hyperalgesia. The ACC was chosen because increased activity in the ACC has been observed during neuropathic pain. In the ACC of vehicle-treated animals the threshold cycle (Ct values for Nav1.4, Nav1.5, Nav1.7, Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 were above 30 and/or not detectable in some samples. Thus, comparison in mRNA expression between untreated control, vehicle-treated and paclitaxel treated animals was done for Nav1.1, Nav1.2, Nav1.3, Nav1.6, Nax as well as Navβ1–Navβ4. There were no differences in the transcript levels of Nav1.1–Nav1.3, Nav1.6, Nax, Navβ1–Navβ3 between untreated and vehicle-treated mice, however, vehicle treatment increased Navβ4 expression. Paclitaxel treatment significantly increased the mRNA expression of Nav1.1, Nav1.2, Nav1.6 and Nax, but not Nav1.3, sodium channel alpha subunits compared to vehicle-treated animals. Treatment with paclitaxel significantly increased the expression of Navβ1 and Navβ3, but not Navβ2 and Navβ4, sodium channel beta subunits compared to vehicle-treated animals. These findings suggest that during paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain (PINP there is differential upregulation of sodium channels in the ACC, which might contribute to the increased neuronal activity observed in the area during neuropathic pain.

Impairment of decision making and disruption of synchrony between basolateral amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex in the maternally separated rat.

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Cao, Bing; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Xu; Yang, Xiangwei; Poon, David Chun-Hei; Jelfs, Beth; Chan, Rosa H M; Wu, Justin Che-Yuen; Li, Ying

2016-12-01

There is considerable evidence to suggest early life experiences, such as maternal separation (MS), play a role in the prevalence of emotional dysregulation and cognitive impairment. At the same time, optimal decision making requires functional integrity between the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and any dysfunction of this system is believed to induce decision-making deficits. However, the impact of MS on decision-making behavior and the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms have not been thoroughly studied. As such, we consider the impact of MS on the emotional and cognitive functions of rats by employing the open-field test, elevated plus-maze test, and rat gambling task (RGT). Using multi-channel recordings from freely behaving rats, we assessed the effects of MS on the large scale synchrony between the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the ACC; while also characterizing the relationship between neural spiking activity and the ongoing oscillations in theta frequency band across the BLA and ACC. The results indicated that the MS rats demonstrated anxiety-like behavior. While the RGT showed a decrease in the percentage of good decision-makers, and an increase in the percentage of poor decision-makers. Electrophysiological data revealed an increase in the total power in the theta band of the LFP in the BLA and a decrease in theta power in the ACC in MS rats. MS was also found to disrupt the spike-field coherence of the ACC single unit spiking activity to the ongoing theta oscillations in the BLA and interrupt the synchrony in the BLA-ACC pathway. We provide specific evidence that MS leads to decision-making deficits that are accompanied by alteration of the theta band LFP in the BLA-ACC circuitries and disruption of the neural network integrity. These observations may help revise fundamental notions regarding neurophysiological biomarkers to treat cognitive impairment induced by early life stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights

The Neural Correlates of Mindful Awareness: A Possible Buffering Effect on Anxiety-Related Reduction in Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activity

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Hakamata, Yuko; Iwase, Mikio; Kato, Takashi; Senda, Kohei; Inada, Toshiya

2013-01-01

Background Human personality consists of two fundamental elements character and temperament. Character allays automatic and preconceptual emotional responses determined by temperament. However, the neurobiological basis of character and its interplay with temperament remain elusive. Here, we examined character-temperament interplay and explored the neural basis of character, with a particular focus on the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex extending to a ventromedial portion of the prefrontal cortex (sgACC/vmPFC). Methods Resting brain glucose metabolism (GM) was measured using [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in 140 healthy adults. Personality traits were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory. Regions of interest (ROI) analysis and whole-brain analysis were performed to examine a combination effect of temperament and character on the sgACC/vmPFC and to explore the neural correlates of character, respectively. Results Harm avoidance (HA), a temperament trait (i.e., depressive, anxious, vulnerable), showed a significant negative impact on the sgACC/vmPFC GM, whereas self-transcendence (ST), a character trait (i.e., intuitive, judicious, spiritual), exhibited a significant positive effect on GM in the same region (HA β = −0.248, p = 0.003; ST: β = 0.250, p = 0.003). In addition, when coupled with strong ST, individuals with strong HA maintained the sgACC/vmPFC GM level comparable to the level of those with low scores on both HA and ST. Furthermore, exploratory whole-brain analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between ST and sgACC/vmPFC GM (peak voxel at x = −8, y = 32, z = −8, k = 423, Z = 4.41, corrected p FDR = 0.030). Conclusion The current findings indicate that the sgACC/vmPFC might play a critical role in mindful awareness to something beyond as well as in emotional regulation. Developing a sense of mindfulness may temper exaggerated emotional responses in

The neural correlates of mindful awareness: a possible buffering effect on anxiety-related reduction in subgenual anterior cingulate cortex activity.

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Hakamata, Yuko; Iwase, Mikio; Kato, Takashi; Senda, Kohei; Inada, Toshiya

2013-01-01

Human personality consists of two fundamental elements character and temperament. Character allays automatic and preconceptual emotional responses determined by temperament. However, the neurobiological basis of character and its interplay with temperament remain elusive. Here, we examined character-temperament interplay and explored the neural basis of character, with a particular focus on the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex extending to a ventromedial portion of the prefrontal cortex (sgACC/vmPFC). Resting brain glucose metabolism (GM) was measured using [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in 140 healthy adults. Personality traits were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory. Regions of interest (ROI) analysis and whole-brain analysis were performed to examine a combination effect of temperament and character on the sgACC/vmPFC and to explore the neural correlates of character, respectively. Harm avoidance (HA), a temperament trait (i.e., depressive, anxious, vulnerable), showed a significant negative impact on the sgACC/vmPFC GM, whereas self-transcendence (ST), a character trait (i.e., intuitive, judicious, spiritual), exhibited a significant positive effect on GM in the same region (HA β = -0.248, p = 0.003; ST: β = 0.250, p = 0.003). In addition, when coupled with strong ST, individuals with strong HA maintained the sgACC/vmPFC GM level comparable to the level of those with low scores on both HA and ST. Furthermore, exploratory whole-brain analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between ST and sgACC/vmPFC GM (peak voxel at x = -8, y = 32, z = -8, k = 423, Z = 4.41, corrected p (FDR) = 0.030). The current findings indicate that the sgACC/vmPFC might play a critical role in mindful awareness to something beyond as well as in emotional regulation. Developing a sense of mindfulness may temper exaggerated emotional responses in individuals with a risk for or having

Induction and requirement of gene expression in the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex for the consolidation of inhibitory avoidance memory

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Zhang Yue

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Memory consolidation is a process to stabilize short-term memory, generating long-term memory. A critical biochemical feature of memory consolidation is a requirement for gene expression. Previous studies have shown that fear memories are consolidated through the activation of gene expression in the amygdala and hippocampus, indicating essential roles of these brain regions in memory formation. However, it is still poorly understood whether gene expression in brain regions other than the amygdala/hippocampus is required for the consolidation of fear memory; however, several brain regions are known to play modulatory roles in fear memory formation. Results To further understand the mechanisms underlying the formation of fear memory, we first identified brain regions where gene expression is activated after learning inhibitory avoidance (IA by analyzing the expression of the immediately early genes c-fos and Arc as markers. Similarly with previous findings, the induction of c-fos and Arc expression was observed in the amygdala and hippocampus. Interestingly, we also observed the induction of c-fos and Arc expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC: prelimbic (PL and infralimbic (IL regions and Arc expression in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC. We next examined the roles of these brain regions in the consolidation of IA memory. Consistent with previous findings, inhibiting protein synthesis in the hippocampus blocked the consolidation of IA memory. More importantly, inhibition in the mPFC or ACC also blocked the formation of IA memory. Conclusion Our observations indicated that the formation of IA memory requires gene expression in the ACC and mPFC as well as in the amygdala and hippocampus, suggesting essential roles of the ACC and mPFC in IA memory formation.

Age-related changes in the functional network underlying specific and general autobiographical memory retrieval: a pivotal role for the anterior cingulate cortex.

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Pénélope Martinelli

Full Text Available Age-related changes in autobiographical memory (AM recall are characterized by a decline in episodic details, while semantic aspects are spared. This deleterious effect is supposed to be mediated by an inefficient recruitment of executive processes during AM retrieval. To date, contrasting evidence has been reported on the neural underpinning of this decline, and none of the previous studies has directly compared the episodic and semantic aspects of AM in elderly. We asked 20 young and 17 older participants to recall specific and general autobiographical events (i.e., episodic and semantic AM elicited by personalized cues while recording their brain activity by means of fMRI. At the behavioral level, we confirmed that the richness of episodic AM retrieval is specifically impoverished in aging and that this decline is related to the reduction of executive functions. At the neural level, in both age groups, we showed the recruitment of a large network during episodic AM retrieval encompassing prefrontal, cortical midline and posterior regions, and medial temporal structures, including the hippocampus. This network was very similar, but less extended, during semantic AM retrieval. Nevertheless, a greater activity was evidenced in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC during episodic, compared to semantic AM retrieval in young participants, and a reversed pattern in the elderly. Moreover, activity in dACC during episodic AM retrieval was correlated with inhibition and richness of memories in both groups. Our findings shed light on the direct link between episodic AM retrieval, executive control, and their decline in aging, proposing a possible neuronal signature. They also suggest that increased activity in dACC during semantic AM retrieval in the elderly could be seen as a compensatory mechanism underpinning successful AM performance observed in aging. These results are discussed in the framework of recently proposed models of neural

Role for the Ventral Posterior Medial/Posterior Lateral Thalamus and Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Affective/Motivation Pain Induced by Varicella Zoster Virus

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Phillip R. Kramer

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Varicella zoster virus (VZV infects the face and can result in chronic, debilitating pain. The mechanism for this pain is unknown and current treatment is often not effective, thus investigations into the pain pathway become vital. Pain itself is multidimensional, consisting of sensory and affective experiences. One of the primary brain substrates for transmitting sensory signals in the face is the ventral posterior medial/posterior lateral thalamus (VPM/VPL. In addition, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC has been shown to be vital in the affective experience of pain, so investigating both of these areas in freely behaving animals was completed to address the role of the brain in VZV-induced pain. Our lab has developed a place escape avoidance paradigm (PEAP to measure VZV-induced affective pain in the orofacial region of the rat. Using this assay as a measure of the affective pain experience a significant response was observed after VZV injection into the whisker pad and after VZV infusion into the trigeminal ganglion. Local field potentials (LFPs are the summed electrical current from a group of neurons. LFP in both the VPM/VPL and ACC was attenuated in VZV injected rats after inhibition of neuronal activity. This inhibition of VPM/VPL neurons was accomplished using a designer receptor exclusively activated by a designer drug (DREADD. Immunostaining showed that cells within the VPM/VPL expressed thalamic glutamatergic vesicle transporter-2, NeuN and DREADD suggesting inhibition occurred primarily in excitable neurons. From these results we conclude: (1 that VZV associated pain does not involve a mechanism exclusive to the peripheral nerve terminals, and (2 can be controlled, in part, by excitatory neurons within the VPM/VPL that potentially modulate the affective experience by altering activity in the ACC.

Fiction feelings in Harry Potter: haemodynamic response in the mid-cingulate cortex correlates with immersive reading experience.

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Hsu, Chun-Ting; Conrad, Markus; Jacobs, Arthur M

2014-12-03

Immersion in reading, described as a feeling of 'getting lost in a book', is a ubiquitous phenomenon widely appreciated by readers. However, it has been largely ignored in cognitive neuroscience. According to the fiction feeling hypothesis, narratives with emotional contents invite readers more to be empathic with the protagonists and thus engage the affective empathy network of the brain, the anterior insula and mid-cingulate cortex, than do stories with neutral contents. To test the hypothesis, we presented participants with text passages from the Harry Potter series in a functional MRI experiment and collected post-hoc immersion ratings, comparing the neural correlates of passage mean immersion ratings when reading fear-inducing versus neutral contents. Results for the conjunction contrast of baseline brain activity of reading irrespective of emotional content against baseline were in line with previous studies on text comprehension. In line with the fiction feeling hypothesis, immersion ratings were significantly higher for fear-inducing than for neutral passages, and activity in the mid-cingulate cortex correlated more strongly with immersion ratings of fear-inducing than of neutral passages. Descriptions of protagonists' pain or personal distress featured in the fear-inducing passages apparently caused increasing involvement of the core structure of pain and affective empathy the more readers immersed in the text. The predominant locus of effects in the mid-cingulate cortex seems to reflect that the immersive experience was particularly facilitated by the motor component of affective empathy for our stimuli from the Harry Potter series featuring particularly vivid descriptions of the behavioural aspects of emotion.

Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Learning and Memory via Activation of the CREB Signaling Pathway in the Hippocampus to Attenuate Apoptosis after Cerebral Hypoperfusion

OpenAIRE

Han, Xiaohua; Zhao, Xiuxiu; Lu, Min; Liu, Fang; Guo, Feng; Zhang, Jinghui; Huang, Xiaolin

2013-01-01

Studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) ameliorates learning and memory after ischemic injury. However, there have been few studies elucidating the mechanisms of EA on learning and memory in cerebral hypoperfusion. In this study, we explored the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway-mediated antiapoptotic action involved in EA-induced improvement of learning and memory. EA at GV20 and GV14 acupoints was applied in cerebral hypoperfusion rats. A Morris water ma...

Anterior ST segment depression in acute inferior myocardial infarction as a marker of greater inferior, apical, and posterolateral damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruddy, T.D.; Yasuda, T.; Gold, H.K.; Leinbach, R.C.; Newell, J.B.; McKusick, K.A.; Boucher, C.A.; Strauss, H.W.

1986-01-01

The clinical significance of anterior precordial ST segment depression during acute inferior myocardial infarction was evaluated in 67 consecutive patients early after onset of symptoms with gated blood pool scans, thallium-201 perfusion images, and 12-lead ECGs. Patients with anterior ST depression (n = 33) had depressed mean values for left ventricular ejection fraction (54 +/- 2% [mean +/- S.E.M.] vs 59 +/- 2%; p = 0.02), cardiac index (3.1 +/- 0.2 vs 3.6 +/- 0.2 L/m2; p = 0.03), and ratio of systolic blood pressure to end-systolic volume (2.0 +/- 0.1 vs 2.5 +/- 0.3 mm Hg/ml; p = 0.04) compared to patients with no anterior ST depression (n = 34). Patients with anterior ST depression had (1) lower mean wall motion values for the inferior, apical, and inferior posterolateral segments (p less than 0.05) and (2) greater reductions in thallium-201 uptake in the inferior and posterolateral regions (p less than 0.05). However, anterior and septal (1) wall motion and (2) thallium-201 uptake were similar in patients with and without ST depression. Thus, anterior precordial ST segment depression in patients with acute inferior wall myocardial infarction represents more than a reciprocal electrical phenomenon. It identifies patients with more severe wall motion impairment and greater hypoperfusion of the inferior and adjacent segments. The poorer global left ventricular function in these patients is a result of more extensive inferior infarction and not of remote septal or anterior injury

Laser Speckle Imaging of Rat Pial Microvasculature during Hypoperfusion-Reperfusion Damage

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Teresa Mastantuono

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The present study was aimed to in vivo assess the blood flow oscillatory patterns in rat pial microvessels during 30 min bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO and 60 min reperfusion by laser speckle imaging (LSI. Pial microcirculation was visualized by fluorescence microscopy. The blood flow oscillations of single microvessels were recorded by LSI; spectral analysis was performed by Wavelet transform. Under baseline conditions, arterioles and venules were characterized by blood flow oscillations in the frequency ranges 0.005–0.0095 Hz, 0.0095–0.021 Hz, 0.021–0.052 Hz, 0.052–0.150 Hz and 0.150–0.500 Hz. Arterioles showed oscillations with the highest spectral density when compared with venules. Moreover, the frequency components in the ranges 0.052–0.150 Hz and 0.150–0.500 were predominant in the arteriolar total power spectrum; while, the frequency component in the range 0.150–0.500 Hz showed the highest spectral density in venules. After 30 min BCCAO, the arteriolar spectral density decreased compared to baseline; moreover, the arteriolar frequency component in the range 0.052–0.150 Hz significantly decreased in percent spectral density, while the frequency component in the range 0.150–0.500 Hz significantly increased in percent spectral density. However, an increase in arteriolar spectral density was detected at 60 min reperfusion compared to BCCAO values; consequently, an increase in percent spectral density of the frequency component in the range 0.052–0.150 Hz was observed, while the percent spectral density of the frequency component in the range 0.150–0.500 Hz significantly decreased. The remaining frequency components did not significantly change during hypoperfusion and reperfusion. The changes in blood flow during hypoperfusion/reperfusion caused tissue damage in the cortex and striatum of all animals. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the frequency component in the range 0.052–0.150 Hz

Functional connectivity and neuronal variability of resting state activity in bipolar disorder--reduction and decoupling in anterior cortical midline structures.

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Magioncalda, Paola; Martino, Matteo; Conio, Benedetta; Escelsior, Andrea; Piaggio, Niccolò; Presta, Andrea; Marozzi, Valentina; Rocchi, Giulio; Anastasio, Loris; Vassallo, Linda; Ferri, Francesca; Huang, Zirui; Roccatagliata, Luca; Pardini, Matteo; Northoff, Georg; Amore, Mario

2015-02-01

The cortical midline structures seem to be involved in the modulation of different resting state networks, such as the default mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN). Alterations in these systems, in particular in the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (PACC), seem to play a central role in bipolar disorder (BD). However, the exact role of the PACC, and its functional connections to other midline regions (within and outside DMN) still remains unclear in BD. We investigated functional connectivity (FC), standard deviation (SD, as a measure of neuronal variability) and their correlation in bipolar patients (n = 40) versus healthy controls (n = 40), in the PACC and in its connections in different frequency bands (standard: 0.01-0.10 Hz; Slow-5: 0.01-0.027 Hz; Slow-4: 0.027-0.073 Hz). Finally, we studied the correlations between FC alterations and clinical-neuropsychological parameters and we explored whether subgroups of patients in different phases of the illness present different patterns of FC abnormalities. We found in BD decreased FC (especially in Slow-5) from the PACC to other regions located predominantly in the posterior DMN (such as the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and inferior temporal gyrus) and in the SN (such as the supragenual anterior cingulate cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex). Second, we found in BD a decoupling between PACC-based FC and variability in the various target regions (without alteration in variability itself). Finally, in our subgroups explorative analysis, we found a decrease in FC between the PACC and supragenual ACC (in depressive phase) and between the PACC and PCC (in manic phase). These findings suggest that in BD the communication, that is, information transfer, between the different cortical midline regions within the cingulate gyrus does not seem to work properly. This may result in dysbalance between different resting state networks like the DMN and SN. A deficit in the anterior DMN-SN connectivity

Regional cerebral blood flow abnormalities in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cermik, Tevfik F.; Kaya, Meryem; Bedel, Deniz; Berkarda, Sakir; Yigitbasi, Oemer N.; Ugur-Altun, Betuel

2007-01-01

We assessed the alterations in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) before parathyroidectomy by semiquantitative analysis of brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. Included in this prospective study were 14 patients (mean age 47.6 ± 10.4 years; 3 male, 11 female) and 10 control subjects (mean age 36.0 ± 8.5 years, 6 male, 4 female) were SPECT imaging was performed using a dual-headed gamma camera 60-90 min after intravenous administration of 925 MBq Tc-99m HMPAO. The corticocerebellar rCBF ratios were calculated from 52 brain areas and reference lower values (RLVs) were calculated from the rCBF ratios of control subjects. The regional ratios that were below the corresponding RLV were considered abnormal (hypoperfused). Hypoperfusion was shown in 171 out of 728 regions (23%) and there was a significant correlation between serum calcium, PTH levels and the sum of hypoperfused regions in the patient group (R = 0.75 and P = 0.001, and R = 0.75, P = 0.001, respectively). Significantly reduced rCBF were found in the following cortical regions: bilateral cingulate cortex, superior and inferior frontal cortex, anterior temporal cortex, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus and parietal cortex, and right posterior temporal cortex. Our results indicate that alterations in rCBF in patients with PHP can be demonstrated with brain SPECT. The correlation between serum calcium, PTH levels and the sum of hypoperfused regions indicates that there may be a strong relationship between rCBF abnormalities and increased levels of serum calcium and PTH. In addition, the degree of rCBF abnormalities could be determined by brain SPECT in PHP patients with or without psychiatric symptoms. (orig.)

Regional cerebral blood flow abnormalities in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cermik, Tevfik F. [Hospital of the University of Trakya, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Edirne (Turkey); Trakya Universitesi Hastanesi, Nukleer Tip Anabilim Dali, Gullapoglu Yerleskesi, Edirne (Turkey); Kaya, Meryem; Bedel, Deniz; Berkarda, Sakir; Yigitbasi, Oemer N. [Hospital of the University of Trakya, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Edirne (Turkey); Ugur-Altun, Betuel [Hospital of the University of Trakya, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Edirne (Turkey)

2007-04-15

We assessed the alterations in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) before parathyroidectomy by semiquantitative analysis of brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. Included in this prospective study were 14 patients (mean age 47.6 {+-} 10.4 years; 3 male, 11 female) and 10 control subjects (mean age 36.0 {+-} 8.5 years, 6 male, 4 female) were SPECT imaging was performed using a dual-headed gamma camera 60-90 min after intravenous administration of 925 MBq Tc-99m HMPAO. The corticocerebellar rCBF ratios were calculated from 52 brain areas and reference lower values (RLVs) were calculated from the rCBF ratios of control subjects. The regional ratios that were below the corresponding RLV were considered abnormal (hypoperfused). Hypoperfusion was shown in 171 out of 728 regions (23%) and there was a significant correlation between serum calcium, PTH levels and the sum of hypoperfused regions in the patient group (R = 0.75 and P = 0.001, and R = 0.75, P = 0.001, respectively). Significantly reduced rCBF were found in the following cortical regions: bilateral cingulate cortex, superior and inferior frontal cortex, anterior temporal cortex, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus and parietal cortex, and right posterior temporal cortex. Our results indicate that alterations in rCBF in patients with PHP can be demonstrated with brain SPECT. The correlation between serum calcium, PTH levels and the sum of hypoperfused regions indicates that there may be a strong relationship between rCBF abnormalities and increased levels of serum calcium and PTH. In addition, the degree of rCBF abnormalities could be determined by brain SPECT in PHP patients with or without psychiatric symptoms. (orig.)

Steal phenomenon through the anterior communicating artery in Moyamoya disease

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Lim, Soo Mee [Ewha Womans University, Department of Radiology, Mok-dong Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea); Chae, Eun Jin; Kim, Min Yeong; Kim, Sang Joon; Choi, Choong Gon; Pyun, Hae Wook; Suh, Dae Chul [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Seoul (Korea); Kim, Jae Kyun [Seoul Veterans Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea); Ahn, Jae Sung; Ra, Young-Shin [University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea); Kim, Jong-Uk; Hahm, Kyung Don [University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea)

2007-01-15

Branch occlusion of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) is regarded as a part of Moyamoya disease. The purpose of this study is to define the ACA steal phenomenon (SP) in Moyamoya disease and to evaluate temporal changes according to the disease progression. From 139 Moyamoya patients we defined ACASP as narrowing of the ipsilateral A1-2 junction while preserving the anterior communicating artery and supplying the contralateral ACA cortical branches with the development of leptomeningeal collaterals by the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery into the hypoperfused ipsilateral ACA territory. Direction of the steal related to the stage in both hemispheres by Suzuki classification was statistically analyzed using the binomial test based on binomial distribution. Follow-ups of ACASP were evaluated in five patients. We identified ACASP in 13 (9%) patients (male:female=7:6, mean age 18 years, range: 2-58 years) of the 139 study patients. The presenting pattern was ischemic in 12 and hemorrhagic in one. The direction of SP occurred from the hemisphere in the lower to the higher stage of Suzuki classification (two-tail P value=0.0002). After revascularization surgery, ACASP disappeared or diminished. ACASP may occur in bilaterally different stages of Moyamoya disease as a transient self-adaptive process. It regresses after revascularization surgery. (orig.)

Activation of anterior insula during self-reflection.

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Modinos, Gemma; Ormel, Johan; Aleman, André

2009-01-01

Functional neuroimaging studies have suggested activation of midline frontoparietal brain regions to be at the core of self-related processes. However, although some studies reported involvement of the insula, little attention has been paid to this region as forming part of the "self"-network. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we aimed at replicating and extending previous studies by scanning subjects whilst reflecting upon their own personal qualities as compared to those of an acquaintance. A third condition with statements about general knowledge was used to control for attention, semantic processing and decision making processes. The results showed a significant effect of task in brain activity, consistent with previous findings, by which both person conditions recruited a common set of medial prefrontal and posterior regions, yet significant differences between self and other were found in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Notably, significant neural activation in the left anterior insula was observed as uniquely associated with self-reflection. The results provide further evidence for the specific recruitment of anterior MPFC and ACC regions for self-related processing, and highlight a role for the insula in self-reflection. As the insula is closely connected with ascending internal body signals, this may indicate that the accumulation of changes in affective states that might be implied in self-processing may contribute to our sense of self.

Age-related changes of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the anterior cingulate cortex of individuals with major depressive disorder.

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Conklin, Sarah M; Runyan, Caroline A; Leonard, Sherry; Reddy, Ravinder D; Muldoon, Matthew F; Yao, Jeffrey K

2010-01-01

Accumulating evidence finds a relative deficiency of peripheral membrane fatty acids in persons with affective disorders such as unipolar and bipolar depression. Here we sought to investigate whether postmortem brain fatty acids within the anterior cingulate cortex (BA-24) varied according to the presence of major depression at the time of death. Using capillary gas chromatography we measured fatty acids in a depressed group (n=12), and in a control group without lifetime history of psychiatric diagnosis (n=14). Compared to the control group, the depressed group showed significantly lower concentrations of numerous saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids including both the n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. Additionally, significant correlations between age at death and precursor (or metabolites) in the n-3 fatty acid pathway were demonstrated in the depressed group but not in control subjects. In the n-6 fatty acid family, the ratio of 20:3(n-6)/18:2(n-6) was higher in patients than in control groups, whereas the ratio of 20:4(n-6)/20:3(n-6) was relatively decreased in patients. Lastly, a significant negative correlation between age and the ratio of 20:4(n-6) to 22:6(n-3) was found in patients, but not in controls. Taken together, decreases in 22:6(n-3) may be caused, at least in part, by the diminished formation of 20:5(n-3), which is derived from 20:4(n-3) through a Delta5 desaturase reaction. The present findings from postmortem brain tissue raise the possibility that an increased ratio of 20:4(n-6) to 22:6(n-3) may provide us with a biomarker for depression. Future research should further investigate these relationships. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Imaging of macrophage dynamics with optical coherence tomography in anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

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Kokona, Despina; Häner, Nathanael U; Ebneter, Andreas; Zinkernagel, Martin S

2017-01-01

Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) is a relatively common cause of visual loss and results from hypoperfusion of the small arteries of the anterior portion of the optic nerve. AION is the leading cause of sudden optic nerve related vision loss with approximately 10 cases per 100'000 in the population over 50 years. To date there is no established treatment for AION and therefore a better understanding of the events occurring at the level of the optic nerve head (ONH) would be important to design future therapeutic strategies. The optical properties of the eye allow imaging of the optic nerve in vivo, which is a part of the CNS, during ischemia. Experimentally laser induced optic neuropathy (eLiON) displays similar anatomical features as anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in humans. After laser induced optic neuropathy we show that hyperreflective dots in optical coherence tomography correspond to mononuclear cells in histology. Using fluorescence-activated flow cytometry (FACS) we found these cells to peak one week after eLiON. These observations were translated to OCT findings in patients with AION, where similar dynamics of hyperreflective dots at the ONH were identified. Our data suggests that activated macrophages can be identified as hyperreflective dots in OCT. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Errors Recruit both Cognitive and Emotional Monitoring Systems: Simultaneous Intracranial Recordings in the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Gyrus and Amygdala Combined with fMRI

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Pourtois, Gilles; Vocat, Roland; N'Diaye, Karim; Spinelli, Laurent; Seeck, Margitta; Vuilleumier, Patrik

2010-01-01

We studied error monitoring in a human patient with unique implantation of depth electrodes in both the left dorsal cingulate gyrus and medial temporal lobe prior to surgery. The patient performed a speeded go/nogo task and made a substantial number of commission errors (false alarms). As predicted, intracranial Local Field Potentials (iLFPs) in…

Biased visualization of hypoperfused tissue by computed tomography due to short imaging duration: improved classification by image down-sampling and vascular models

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Mikkelsen, Irene Klaerke; Ribe, Lars Riisgaard; Bekke, Susanne Lise; Tietze, Anna; Oestergaard, Leif; Mouridsen, Kim [Aarhus University Hospital, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus C (Denmark); Jones, P.S.; Alawneh, Josef [University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Puig, Josep; Pedraza, Salva [Dr. Josep Trueta Girona University Hospitals, Department of Radiology, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Girona (Spain); Gillard, Jonathan H. [University of Cambridge, Department of Radiology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Warburton, Elisabeth A. [Cambrigde University Hospitals, Addenbrooke, Stroke Unit, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Baron, Jean-Claude [University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Centre Hospitalier Sainte Anne, INSERM U894, Paris (France)

2015-07-15

Lesion detection in acute stroke by computed-tomography perfusion (CTP) can be affected by incomplete bolus coverage in veins and hypoperfused tissue, so-called bolus truncation (BT), and low contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). We examined the BT-frequency and hypothesized that image down-sampling and a vascular model (VM) for perfusion calculation would improve normo- and hypoperfused tissue classification. CTP datasets from 40 acute stroke patients were retrospectively analysed for BT. In 16 patients with hypoperfused tissue but no BT, repeated 2-by-2 image down-sampling and uniform filtering was performed, comparing CNR to perfusion-MRI levels and tissue classification to that of unprocessed data. By simulating reduced scan duration, the minimum scan-duration at which estimated lesion volumes came within 10 % of their true volume was compared for VM and state-of-the-art algorithms. BT in veins and hypoperfused tissue was observed in 9/40 (22.5 %) and 17/40 patients (42.5 %), respectively. Down-sampling to 128 x 128 resolution yielded CNR comparable to MR data and improved tissue classification (p = 0.0069). VM reduced minimum scan duration, providing reliable maps of cerebral blood flow and mean transit time: 5 s (p = 0.03) and 7 s (p < 0.0001), respectively. BT is not uncommon in stroke CTP with 40-s scan duration. Applying image down-sampling and VM improve tissue classification. (orig.)

Biased visualization of hypoperfused tissue by computed tomography due to short imaging duration: improved classification by image down-sampling and vascular models

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Mikkelsen, Irene Klaerke; Ribe, Lars Riisgaard; Bekke, Susanne Lise; Tietze, Anna; Oestergaard, Leif; Mouridsen, Kim; Jones, P.S.; Alawneh, Josef; Puig, Josep; Pedraza, Salva; Gillard, Jonathan H.; Warburton, Elisabeth A.; Baron, Jean-Claude

2015-01-01

Lesion detection in acute stroke by computed-tomography perfusion (CTP) can be affected by incomplete bolus coverage in veins and hypoperfused tissue, so-called bolus truncation (BT), and low contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). We examined the BT-frequency and hypothesized that image down-sampling and a vascular model (VM) for perfusion calculation would improve normo- and hypoperfused tissue classification. CTP datasets from 40 acute stroke patients were retrospectively analysed for BT. In 16 patients with hypoperfused tissue but no BT, repeated 2-by-2 image down-sampling and uniform filtering was performed, comparing CNR to perfusion-MRI levels and tissue classification to that of unprocessed data. By simulating reduced scan duration, the minimum scan-duration at which estimated lesion volumes came within 10 % of their true volume was compared for VM and state-of-the-art algorithms. BT in veins and hypoperfused tissue was observed in 9/40 (22.5 %) and 17/40 patients (42.5 %), respectively. Down-sampling to 128 x 128 resolution yielded CNR comparable to MR data and improved tissue classification (p = 0.0069). VM reduced minimum scan duration, providing reliable maps of cerebral blood flow and mean transit time: 5 s (p = 0.03) and 7 s (p < 0.0001), respectively. BT is not uncommon in stroke CTP with 40-s scan duration. Applying image down-sampling and VM improve tissue classification. (orig.)

[Successful electroconvulsive therapy of Cotard syndrome with bitemporal hypoperfusion].

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Lohmann, T; Nishimura, K; Sabri, O; Klosterkötter, J

1996-05-01

A case study is presented to illustrate a rare condition described by Cotard as "délire de négation". The central symptom is a nihilistic delusion with denial of one's own existence of oneself and that of the external world. In the present case, the syndrome became manifest as an escalation of a recurrent depressive disorder late in life. After initial resistance to therapy, the syndrome was successfully treated with electroconvulsive therapy. For the first time, we report the regional cerebral blood flow measured by 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT before and after therapy. Before treatment, significant bitemporal hypoperfusion relative to the cerebellum was found, which was no longer demonstrable on remission.

Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex responses to repeated social evaluative feedback in young women with and without past history of Major Depressive Disorder

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Katarina eDedovic

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC is recruited when a person is socially rejected or negatively evaluated. However, it remains to be fully understood how this region responds to repeated exposure to personally-relevant social evaluation, in both healthy populations and those vulnerable to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD, as well as how responding in these regions is associated with subsequent clinical functioning. To address this gap in the literature, we recruited 17 young women with past history of MDD (previously depressed and 31 healthy controls and exposed them to a social evaluative session in a neuroimaging environment. In two bouts, participants received an equal amount of positive, negative, and neutral feedback from a confederate. All participants reported increases in feelings of social evaluation in response to the evaluative task. However, compared to healthy controls, previously depressed participants tended to show greater increases in depressed mood following the task. At the neural level, in response to negative (vs. positive feedback, no main effect of group or evaluation periods was observed. However, a significant interaction between group and evaluation periods was found. Specifically, over the two bouts of evaluation, activity in the dACC decreased among healthy participants while it increased among previously depressed individuals. Interestingly and unexpectedly, in the previously depressed group specifically, this increased activity in dACC over time was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms at baseline and at 6-months following the evaluation session (controlling for baseline levels. Thus, the subset of previously depressed participants who showed increases in the recruitment of the dACC over time in response to the negative evaluation seemed to fair better emotionally. These findings suggest that examining how the dACC responds to repeated bouts of negative evaluation reveals a new dimension to the

Memory-enhancing intra-basolateral amygdala infusions of clenbuterol increase Arc and CaMKII-alpha protein expression in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex

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Crystal M Holloway-Erickson

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Activation of β-adrenoceptors in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA modulates memory through interactions with multiple memory systems. The cellular mechanisms for this interaction remain unresolved. Memory-modulating BLA manipulations influence expression of the protein product of the immediate early gene activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc in the dorsal hippocampus, and hippocampal expression of Arc protein is critically involved in memory consolidation and long-term potentiation. The present studies examined whether this influence of the BLA is specific to the hippocampus and to Arc protein. Like the hippocampus, the rostral portion of the anterior cingulate cortex (rACC is involved in the consolidation of inhibitory avoidance (IA memory, and IA training increases Arc protein in the rACC. Because the BLA interacts with the rACC in the consolidation of IA memory, the rACC is a potential candidate for further studies of BLA modulation of synaptic plasticity. The alpha isoform of the Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIα and the immediate early gene c-Fos are involved in long-term potentiation and memory. Both Arc and CaMKIIα proteins can be translated in isolated synapses, where the mRNA is localized, but c-Fos protein remains in the soma. To examine the influence of memory-modulating manipulations of the BLA on expression of these memory and plasticity-associated proteins in the rACC, male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained on an IA task and given intra-BLA infusions of either clenbuterol or lidocaine immediately after training. Findings suggest that noradrenergic stimulation of the BLA may modulate memory consolidation through effects on both synaptic proteins Arc and CaMKIIα, but not the somatic protein c-Fos. Furthermore, protein changes observed in the rACC following BLA manipulations suggest that the influence of the BLA on synaptic proteins is not limited to those in the dorsal

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) contributes to neuropathic spontaneous pain-related aversion via NR2B receptors.

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Zhang, Le; Wang, Gongming; Ma, Jinben; Liu, Chengxiao; Liu, Xijiang; Zhan, Yufeng; Zhang, Mengyuan

2016-10-01

The rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) plays an important role in pain affect. Previous investigations have reported that the rACC mediates the negative affective component of inflammatory pain and contributed to the aversive state of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an activity-dependent neuromodulator in the adult brain, is believed to play a role in the development and maintenance of inflammatory and neuropathic pain in the spinal cord. However, whether and how BDNF in the rACC regulates pain-related aversion due to peripheral nerve injury is largely unknown. Behaviorally, using conditioned place preference (CPP) training in rats, which is thought to reveal spontaneous pain-related aversion, we found that CPP was acquired following spinal clonidine in rats with partial sciatic nerve transection. Importantly, BDNF was upregulated within the rACC in of rats with nerve injury and enhanced the CPP acquisition, while a local injection of a BDNF-tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) antagonist into the rACC completely blocked this process. Finally, we demonstrated that the BDNF/TrkB pathway exerted its function by activating the NR2B receptor, which is widely accepted to be a crucial factor contributing to pain affect. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the BDNF/TrkB-mediated signaling pathway in the rACC is involved in the development of neuropathic spontaneous pain-related aversion and that this process is dependent upon activation of NR2B receptors. These findings suggest that suppression of the BDNF-related signaling pathway in the rACC may provide a novel strategy to overcome pain-related aversion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Women with multiple chemical sensitivity have increased harm avoidance and reduced 5-HT(1A receptor binding potential in the anterior cingulate and amygdala.

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Lena Hillert

Full Text Available Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS is a common condition, characterized by somatic distress upon exposure to odors. As in other idiopathic environmental intolerances, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Contrary to the expectations it was recently found that persons with MCS activate the odor-processing brain regions less than controls, while their activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC is increased. The present follow-up study was designed to test the hypotheses that MCS subjects have increased harm avoidance and deviations in the serotonin system, which could render them intolerant to environmental odors. Twelve MCS and 11 control subjects, age 22-44, all working or studying females, were included in a PET study where 5-HT(1A receptor binding potential (BP was assessed after bolus injection of [(11C]WAY100635. Psychological profiles were assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory and the Swedish universities Scales of Personality. All MCS and 12 control subjects were also tested for emotional startle modulation in an acoustic startle test. MCS subjects exhibited significantly increased harm avoidance, and anxiety compared to controls. They also had a reduced 5-HT(1A receptor BP in amygdala (p = 0.029, ACC (p = 0.005 (planned comparisons, significance level 0.05, and insular cortex (p = 0.003; significance level p<0.005 with Bonferroni correction, and showed an inverse correlation between degree of anxiety and the BP in the amygdala (planned comparison. No group by emotional category difference was found in the startle test. Increased harm avoidance and the observed changes in the 5-HT(1A receptor BP in the regions processing harm avoidance provides a plausible pathophysiological ground for the symptoms described in MCS, and yields valuable information for our general understanding of idiopathic environmental intolerances.

Increased nuclear Olig1-expression in the pregenual anterior cingulate white matter of patients with major depression: a regenerative attempt to compensate oligodendrocyte loss?

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Mosebach, Jennifer; Keilhoff, Gerburg; Gos, Tomasz; Schiltz, Kolja; Schoeneck, Linda; Dobrowolny, Henrik; Mawrin, Christian; Müller, Susan; Schroeter, Matthias L; Bernstein, Hans-Gert; Bogerts, Bernhard; Steiner, Johann

2013-08-01

Structural and functional oligodendrocyte deficits as well as impaired myelin integrity have been described in affective disorders and schizophrenia, and may disturb the connectivity between disease-relevant brain regions. Olig1, an oligodendroglial transcription factor, might be important in this context, but has not been systematically studied so far. Nissl- and Olig1-stained oligodendrocytes were quantified in the pregenual anterior cingulate (pACC)/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and adjacent white matter of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD, n = 9), bipolar disorder (BD, n = 8), schizophrenia (SZ, n = 13), and matched controls (n = 16). Potential downstream effects of increased Olig1-expression were analyzed. Antidepressant drug effects on Olig1-expression were further explored in OLN-93 oligodendrocyte cultures. Nissl-stainings of both white matter regions showed a 19-27% reduction of total oligodendrocyte densities in MDD and BD, but not in SZ. In contrast, nuclear Olig1-immunoreactivity was elevated in MDD in the pACC-adjacent white matter (left: p = 0.008; right: p = 0.018); this effect tended to increase with antidepressant dosage (r = 0.631, p = 0.069). This reactive increase of Olig1 was confirmed by partly dose-dependent effects of imipramine and amitriptyline in oligodendrocyte cultures. Correspondingly, MBP expression in the pACC-adjacent white matter tended to increase with antidepressant dosage (r = 0.637, p = 0.065). Other tested brain regions showed no diagnosis-dependent differences regarding Olig1-immunoreactivity. Since nuclear Olig1-expression marks oligodendrocyte precursor cells, its increased expression along with reduced total oligodendrocyte densities (Nissl-stained) in the pACC-adjacent white matter of MDD patients might indicate a (putatively medication-boosted) regenerative attempt to compensate oligodendrocyte loss. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Activation of anterior insula during self-reflection.

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Gemma Modinos

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Functional neuroimaging studies have suggested activation of midline frontoparietal brain regions to be at the core of self-related processes. However, although some studies reported involvement of the insula, little attention has been paid to this region as forming part of the "self"-network. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI, we aimed at replicating and extending previous studies by scanning subjects whilst reflecting upon their own personal qualities as compared to those of an acquaintance. A third condition with statements about general knowledge was used to control for attention, semantic processing and decision making processes. The results showed a significant effect of task in brain activity, consistent with previous findings, by which both person conditions recruited a common set of medial prefrontal and posterior regions, yet significant differences between self and other were found in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC. Notably, significant neural activation in the left anterior insula was observed as uniquely associated with self-reflection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results provide further evidence for the specific recruitment of anterior MPFC and ACC regions for self-related processing, and highlight a role for the insula in self-reflection. As the insula is closely connected with ascending internal body signals, this may indicate that the accumulation of changes in affective states that might be implied in self-processing may contribute to our sense of self.

Attenuation of pCREB and Egr1 expression in the insular and anterior cingulate cortices associated with enhancement of CFA-evoked mechanical hypersensitivity after repeated forced swim stress.

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Imbe, Hiroki; Kimura, Akihisa

2017-09-01

The perception and response to pain are severely impacted by exposure to stressors. In some animal models, stress increases pain sensitivity, which is termed stress-induced hyperalgesia (SIH). The insular cortex (IC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which are typically activated by noxious stimuli, affect pain perception through the descending pain modulatory system. In the present study, we examined the expression of phospho-cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) and early growth response 1 (Egr1) in the IC and ACC at 3h (the acute phase of peripheral tissue inflammation) after complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) injection in naïve rats and rats preconditioned with forced swim stress (FS) to clarify the effect of FS, a stressor, on cortical cell activities in the rats showing SIH induced by FS. The CFA injection into the hindpaw induced mechanical hypersensitivity and increased the expression of the pCREB and Egr1 in the IC and ACC at 3h after the injection. FS (day 1, 10min; days 2-3, 20min) prior to the CFA injection enhanced the CFA-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and attenuated the increase in the expression of pCREB and Egr1 in the IC and ACC. These findings suggested that FS modulates the CFA injection-induced neuroplasticity in the IC and ACC to enhance the mechanical hypersensitivity. These findings are thought to signify stressor-induced dysfunction of the descending pain modulatory system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Magnetic resonance imaging in children presenting migraine with aura: Association of hypoperfusion detected by arterial spin labelling and vasospasm on MR angiography findings.

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Cadiot, Domitille; Longuet, Romain; Bruneau, Bertrand; Treguier, Catherine; Carsin-Vu, Aline; Corouge, Isabelle; Gomes, Constantin; Proisy, Maïa

2018-04-01

Objective A child presenting with a first attack of migraine with aura usually undergoes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to rule out stroke. The purpose of this study was to report vascular and brain perfusion findings in children suffering from migraine with aura on time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and MR perfusion imaging using arterial spin labelling (ASL). Methods We retrospectively included all children who had undergone an emergency MRI examination with ASL and TOF-MRA sequences for acute neurological deficit and were given a final diagnosis of migraine with aura. The ASL perfusion maps and TOF-MRA images were independently assessed by reviewers blinded to clinical data. A mean cerebral blood flow (CBF) value was obtained for each cerebral lobe after automatic data post-processing. Results Seventeen children were finally included. Hypoperfusion was identified in one or more cerebral lobes on ASL perfusion maps by visual assessment in 16/17 (94%) children. Vasospasm was noted within the intracranial vasculature on the TOF-MRA images in 12/17 (71%) children. All (100%) of the abnormal TOF-MRA images were associated with homolateral hypoperfusion. Mean CBF values were significantly lower ( P < 0.05) in visually hypoperfused lobes than in normally perfused lobes. Conclusion ASL and TOF-MRA are two totally non-invasive, easy-to-use MRI sequences for children in emergency settings. Hypoperfusion associated with homolateral vasospasm may suggest a diagnosis of migraine with aura.

Protective effect of treatment with black cumin oil on spatial cognitive functions of rats that suffered global cerebrovascular hypoperfusion.

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Azzubaidi, Marwan Saad; Saxena, Anil Kumar; Talib, Norlelawati Abi; Ahmed, Qamar Uddin; Dogarai, Bashar Bello

2012-01-01

The fixed oil of black cumin seeds, Nigella sativa L. (NSO), has shown considerable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its subsequent cognitive impairment in which oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are the principal culprits. Cerebrovascular hypoperfusion was experimentally achieved by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (2VO) in rats. Morris water maze (MWM) test was employed to assess the effects of NSO on spatial cognitive function before and after 2VO intervention. Rats were divided into long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) groups, each was further subdivided into 3 subgroups: sham control, untreated 2VO and NSO treated 2VO group. All subgroups were tested with MWM at the tenth postoperative week. Working memory test results for both sham control and NSO treated groups showed significantly lower escape latency time and total distance travelled than untreated 2VO group. Similarly, LTM and STM MWM tests for sham control and NSO treated groups revealed significantly better maze test performance as compared to untreated 2VO group. Sham control and NSO treated 2VO groups demonstrated superior probe memory test performance as compared to untreated 2VO group. The fixed oil of Nigella sativa seeds has demonstrated noticeable spatial cognitive preservation in rats challenged with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion which indicates a promising prospective neuroprotective effect.

Muscarinic receptor binding increases in anterior thalamus and cingulate cortex during discriminative avoidance learning

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Vogt, B.A.; Gabriel, M.; Vogt, L.J.; Poremba, A.; Jensen, E.L.; Kubota, Y.; Kang, E.

1991-01-01

Training-induced neuronal activity develops in the mammalian limbic system during discriminative avoidance conditioning. This study explores behaviorally relevant changes in muscarinic ACh receptor binding in 52 rabbits that were trained to one of five stages of conditioned response acquisition. Sixteen naive and 10 animals yoked to criterion performance served as control cases. Upon reaching a particular stage of training, the brains were removed and autoradiographically assayed for 3H-oxotremorine-M binding with 50 nM pirenzepine (OxO-M/PZ) or for 3H-pirenzepine binding in nine limbic thalamic nuclei and cingulate cortex. Specific OxO-M/PZ binding increased in the parvocellular division of the anterodorsal nucleus early in training when the animals were first exposed to pairing of the conditional and unconditional stimuli. Elevated binding in this nucleus was maintained throughout subsequent training. In the parvocellular division of the anteroventral nucleus (AVp), OxO-M/PZ binding progressively increased throughout training, reached a peak at the criterion stage of performance, and returned to control values during extinction sessions. Peak OxO-M/PZ binding in AVp was significantly elevated over that for cases yoked to criterion performance. In the magnocellular division of the anteroventral nucleus (AVm), OxO-M/PZ binding was elevated only during criterion performance of the task, and it was unaltered in any other limbic thalamic nuclei. Specific OxO-M/PZ binding was also elevated in most layers in rostral area 29c when subjects first performed a significant behavioral discrimination. Training-induced alterations in OxO-M/PZ binding in AVp and layer Ia of area 29c were similar and highly correlated

Perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging detects recurrent isolated vertigo caused by cerebral hypoperfusion.

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Xu, Xiaowei; Jiang, Li; Luo, Man; Li, Jiaoxing; Li, Weidong; Sheng, Wenli

2015-06-01

The etiology of isolated vertigo has been a substantial diagnostic challenge for both neurologists and otolaryngologists. This study was designed to detect recurrent isolated vertigo due to cerebral hypoperfusion using perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (PWI). We recruited isolated vertigo patients whose clinical condition was suspected to be caused by hypodynamics of the brain; these individuals formed the case group. We generated two additional groups: a negative group composed of vertigo patients whose symptoms were caused by problems associated with the ear and a healthy control group. Each subject underwent PWI, and seven regions of interest (ROIs) were chosen. The relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and mean transit time (MTT) were obtained from each ROI. We further calculated the absolute difference of relative parameter values between two mirrored ROIs. The significant difference in the relative MTT from the mirrored cerebellar ROI (|rMTTleft-right|) of the case group was larger than those from the negative and healthy control groups (p = 0.026 and p = 0.038, respectively). Signal differences in |rrCBVleft-right| and |rrCBFleft-right| were not found among the three groups. In summary, disequilibrium in the rMTT of the bilateral cerebellum in the case group implied that hypoperfusion of the posterior circulation could trigger recurrent isolated vertigo and could be shown efficiently using PWI.

Visuo-Spatial Imagery Impairment in Posterior Cortical Atrophy: A Cognitive and SPECT Study

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Simona Gardini

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the cognitive profile and the cerebral perfusion pattern in a highly educated 70 year old gentleman with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA. Visuo-perceptual abilities, spatial memory, spatial representation and navigation, visuo-spatial mental imagery, semantic and episodic-autobiographical memory were assessed. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF was imaged with SPECT. Cognitive testing showed visual-perceptual impairment, apperceptive visual and landmark agnosia, topographical disorientation with way-finding deficits, impaired map learning and poor mental image generation. Semantic memory was normal, while episodic-autobiographical memory was impaired. Reduced rCBF was found mainly in the right hemisphere, in the precentral gyrus, posterior cingulate and middle temporal gyri, cuneus and precuneus, in the left superior temporal and lingual gyri and in the parahippocampus bilaterally. Hypoperfusion in occipito-parietal regions was associated with visuo-spatial deficits, whereas deficits in visuo-spatial mental imagery might reflect dysfunction related to hypoperfusion in the parahippocampus and precuneus, structures which are responsible for spatial and imagery processing. Dissociating performance between preserved semantic memory and poor episodic-autobiographical recall is consistent with a pattern of normal perfusion in frontal and anterior temporal regions but abnormal rCBF in the parahippocampi. The present findings indicate that PCA involves visuo-spatial imagery deficits and provide further validation to current neuro-cognitive models of spatial representation and topographical disorientation.

Early treatment of minocycline alleviates white matter and cognitive impairments after chronic cerebral hypoperfusion

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Ma, Jing; Zhang, Jing; Hou, Wei Wei; Wu, Xiao Hua; Liao, Ru Jia; Chen, Ying; Wang, Zhe; Zhang, Xiang Nan; Zhang, Li San; Zhou, Yu Dong; Chen, Zhong; Hu, Wei Wei

2015-01-01

Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD) caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion develops with progressive white matter and cognitive impairments, yet no effective therapy is available. We investigated the temporal effects of minocycline on an experimental SIVD exerted by right unilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (rUCCAO). Minocycline treated at the early stage (day 0–3), but not the late stage after rUCCAO (day 4–32) alleviated the white matter and cognitive impairments, and promoted remyelination. The actions of minocycline may not involve the inhibition of microglia activation, based on the effects after the application of a microglial activation inhibitor, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, and co-treatment with lipopolysaccharides. Furthermore, minocycline treatment at the early stage promoted the proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in subventricular zone, increased OPC number and alleviated apoptosis of mature oligodendrocytes in white matter. In vitro, minocycline promoted OPC proliferation and increased the percentage of OPCs in S and G2/M phases. We provided direct evidence that early treatment is critical for minocycline to alleviate white matter and cognitive impairments after chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, which may be due to its robust effects on OPC proliferation and mature oligodendrocyte loss. So, early therapeutic time window may be crucial for its application in SIVD. PMID:26174710

Transient cerebral hypoperfusion and hypertensive events during atrial fibrillation: a plausible mechanism for cognitive impairment.

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Anselmino, Matteo; Scarsoglio, Stefania; Saglietto, Andrea; Gaita, Fiorenzo; Ridolfi, Luca

2016-06-23

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline, independent of strokes. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association, but altered cerebral blood flow dynamics during AF has been poorly investigated: in particular, it is unknown how AF influences hemodynamic parameters of the distal cerebral circulation, at the arteriolar and capillary level. Two coupled lumped-parameter models (systemic and cerebrovascular circulations, respectively) were here used to simulate sinus rhythm (SR) and AF. For each simulation 5000 cardiac cycles were analyzed and cerebral hemodynamic parameters were calculated. With respect to SR, AF triggered a higher variability of the cerebral hemodynamic variables which increases proceeding towards the distal circulation, reaching the maximum extent at the arteriolar and capillary levels. This variability led to critical cerebral hemodynamic events of excessive pressure or reduced blood flow: 303 hypoperfusions occurred at the arteriolar level, while 387 hypertensive events occurred at the capillary level during AF. By contrast, neither hypoperfusions nor hypertensive events occurred during SR. Thus, the impact of AF per se on cerebral hemodynamics candidates as a relevant mechanism into the genesis of AF-related cognitive impairment/dementia.

CT and MR perfusion can discriminate severe cerebral hypoperfusion from perfusion absence: evaluation of different commercial software packages by using digital phantoms

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Uwano, Ikuko; Kudo, Kohsuke; Sasaki, Makoto [Iwate Medical University, Advanced Medical Research Center, Morioka (Japan); Christensen, Soren [University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Victoria (Australia); Oestergaard, Leif [Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Neuroradiology, Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, DK, Aarhus C (Denmark); Ogasawara, Kuniaki; Ogawa, Akira [Iwate Medical University, Department of Neurosurgery, Morioka (Japan)

2012-05-15

Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) and magnetic resonance perfusion (MRP) are expected to be usable for ancillary tests of brain death by detection of complete absence of cerebral perfusion; however, the detection limit of hypoperfusion has not been determined. Hence, we examined whether commercial software can visualize very low cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) by creating and using digital phantoms. Digital phantoms simulating 0-4% of normal CBF (60 mL/100 g/min) and CBV (4 mL/100 g/min) were analyzed by ten software packages of CT and MRI manufacturers. Region-of-interest measurements were performed to determine whether there was a significant difference between areas of 0% and areas of 1-4% of normal flow. The CTP software detected hypoperfusion down to 2-3% in CBF and 2% in CBV, while the MRP software detected that of 1-3% in CBF and 1-4% in CBV, although the lower limits varied among software packages. CTP and MRP can detect the difference between profound hypoperfusion of <5% from that of 0% in digital phantoms, suggesting their potential efficacy for assessing brain death. (orig.)

Spatially extended versus frontal cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy during cardiac surgery: a case series identifying potential advantages

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Rummel, Christian; Basciani, Reto; Nirkko, Arto; Schroth, Gerhard; Stucki, Monika; Reineke, David; Eberle, Balthasar; Kaiser, Heiko A.

2018-01-01

Stroke due to hypoperfusion or emboli is a devastating adverse event of cardiac surgery, but early detection and treatment could protect patients from an unfavorable postoperative course. Hypoperfusion and emboli can be detected with transcranial Doppler of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The measured blood flow velocity correlates with cerebral oxygenation determined clinically by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of the frontal cortex. We tested the potential advantage of a spatially extended NIRS in detecting critical events in three cardiac surgery patients with a whole-head fiber holder of the FOIRE-3000 continuous-wave NIRS system. Principle components analysis was performed to differentiate between global and localized hypoperfusion or ischemic territories of the middle and anterior cerebral arteries. In one patient, we detected a critical hypoperfusion of the right MCA, which was not apparent in the frontal channels but was accompanied by intra- and postoperative neurological correlates of ischemia. We conclude that spatially extended NIRS of temporal and parietal vascular territories could improve the detection of critically low cerebral perfusion. Even in severe hemispheric stroke, NIRS of the frontal lobe may remain normal because the anterior cerebral artery can be supplied by the contralateral side directly or via the anterior communicating artery.

A radical scavenger edaravone inhibits matrix metalloproteinase-9 upregulation and blood-brain barrier breakdown in a mouse model of prolonged cerebral hypoperfusion.

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Miyamoto, Nobukazu; Pham, Loc-Duyen D; Maki, Takakuni; Liang, Anna C; Arai, Ken

2014-06-24

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays key roles in the brain pathophysiology, especially in blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown. Therefore, inhibiting MMP-9 activity may be a promising therapy for protecting brains in cerebrovascular diseases. Here we show that in a mouse prolonged cerebral hypoperfusion model, a clinically proven radical scavenger edaravone suppressed MMP-9 and reduced BBB damage in cerebral white matter. Prolonged cerebral hypoperfusion was induced by bilateral common carotid artery stenosis in male adult C57BL/6J mice (10 weeks old). After 7 days of cerebral hypoperfusion, white matter region (e.g. corpus callosum) exhibited significant BBB leakage, assessed by IgG staining. Correspondingly, immunostaining and western blotting showed that MMP-9 was upregulated in the white matter. Edaravone treatment (3mg/kg, i.p. at days 0 and 3) inhibited both BBB leakage and MMP-9 increase. Under the early phase of cerebral hypoperfusion conditions, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) mainly contribute to the MMP-9 increase, but our immunostaining data showed that very little OPCs expressed MMP-9 in the edaravone-treated animals at day 7. Therefore, in vitro studies with primary rat OPCs were conducted to examine whether edaravone would directly suppressed MMP-9 expressions in OPCs. OPC cultures were exposed to sub-lethal CoCl2 for 7 days to induce prolonged chemical hypoxic stress. Prolonged chemical hypoxic stress increased MMP-9 expression in OPCs, and radical scavenging with edaravone (10μM for 7 days) ameliorated the increase. Taken together, our proof-of-concept study demonstrates that radical scavengers may provide a potential therapeutic approach for white matter injury by suppressing BBB damage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amyloid-β and chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in the early pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease

OpenAIRE

Salvadores Bersezio, Natalia

2016-01-01

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a severe age-related neurodegenerative disorder and is the most common form of dementia. Although the pathogenesis of AD remains unknown, the deterioration of the cerebrovascular system constitutes a risk factor associated with the development of the disease. Notably, brain hypoperfusion, a feature of healthy ageing brain and AD, occurs prior to the onset of cognitive decline in AD and correlates with the severity of dementia. Although there is a cle...

Involvement of the anterior cingulate cortex in time-based prospective memory task monitoring: An EEG analysis of brain sources using Independent Component and Measure Projection Analysis.

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Gabriela Cruz

Full Text Available Time-based prospective memory (PM, remembering to do something at a particular moment in the future, is considered to depend upon self-initiated strategic monitoring, involving a retrieval mode (sustained maintenance of the intention plus target checking (intermittent time checks. The present experiment was designed to explore what brain regions and brain activity are associated with these components of strategic monitoring in time-based PM tasks.24 participants were asked to reset a clock every four minutes, while performing a foreground ongoing word categorisation task. EEG activity was recorded and data were decomposed into source-resolved activity using Independent Component Analysis. Common brain regions across participants, associated with retrieval mode and target checking, were found using Measure Projection Analysis.Participants decreased their performance on the ongoing task when concurrently performed with the time-based PM task, reflecting an active retrieval mode that relied on withdrawal of limited resources from the ongoing task. Brain activity, with its source in or near the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, showed changes associated with an active retrieval mode including greater negative ERP deflections, decreased theta synchronization, and increased alpha suppression for events locked to the ongoing task while maintaining a time-based intention. Activity in the ACC was also associated with time-checks and found consistently across participants; however, we did not find an association with time perception processing per se.The involvement of the ACC in both aspects of time-based PM monitoring may be related to different functions that have been attributed to it: strategic control of attention during the retrieval mode (distributing attentional resources between the ongoing task and the time-based task and anticipatory/decision making processing associated with clock-checks.

Persistent antidepressant effect of low-dose ketamine and activation in the supplementary motor area and anterior cingulate cortex in treatment-resistant depression: A randomized control study.

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Chen, Mu-Hong; Li, Cheng-Ta; Lin, Wei-Chen; Hong, Chen-Jee; Tu, Pei-Chi; Bai, Ya-Mei; Cheng, Chih-Ming; Su, Tung-Ping

2018-01-01

A single low-dose ketamine infusion exhibited a rapid antidepressant effect within 1h. Despite its short biological half-life (approximately 3h), the antidepressant effect of ketamine has been demonstrated to persist for several days. However, changes in brain function responsible for the persistent antidepressant effect of a single low-dose ketamine infusion remain unclear METHODS: Twenty-four patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) were randomized into three groups according to the treatment received: 0.5mg/kg ketamine, 0.2mg/kg ketamine, and normal saline infusion. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) of glucose metabolism measured through 18 F-FDG positron-emission-tomography before infusion and 1day after a 40-min ketamine or normal saline infusion were used for subsequent whole-brain voxel-wise analysis and were correlated with depressive symptoms, as defined using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS-17) score RESULTS: The voxel-wise analysis revealed that patients with TRD receiving the 0.5mg/kg ketamine infusion had significantly higher SUVs (corrected for family-wise errors, P = 0.014) in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) than did those receiving the 0.2mg/kg ketamine infusion. The increase in the SUV in the dACC was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms at 1day after ketamine infusion DISCUSSION: The persistent antidepressant effect of a 0.5mg/kg ketamine infusion may be mediated by increased activation in the SMA and dACC. The higher increase in dACC activation was related to the reduction in depressive symptoms after ketamine infusion. A 0.5mg/kg ketamine infusion facilitated the glutamatergic neurotransmission in the SMA and dACC, which may be responsible for the persistent antidepressant effect of ketamine much beyond its half-life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prolonged ketamine exposure induces increased activity of the GluN2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor in the anterior cingulate cortex of neonatal rats.

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Kokane, Saurabh S; Gong, Kerui; Jin, Jianhui; Lin, Qing

2017-09-01

Ketamine is a commonly used anesthetic among pediatric patients due to its high efficacy. However, it has been demonstrated by several preclinical studies that, widespread accelerated programmed death of neurons (neuroapoptosis) occurs due to prolonged or repeated exposure to ketamine specifically in the neonatal brain. Therefore, an emphasis on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying this selective vulnerability of the neonatal brain to ketamine-induced neuroapoptosis becomes important in order to identify potential therapeutic targets, which would help prevent or at least ameliorate this neuroapoptosis. In this study, we demonstrated that repeated ketamine administration (6 injections of 20mg/kg dose given over 12h time period) in neonatal (postnatal day 7; PND 7) Sprague-Dawley rats induced a progressive increase in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in the neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) for up to 6h after the last ketamine dose. Specifically, we observed that the increased EPSCs were largely mediated by GluN2B-containing NMDARs in the neurons of the ACC. Along with increased synaptic transmission, there was also a significant increase in the expression of the GluN2B-containing NMDARs as well. Taken together, these results showed that after repeated exposure to ketamine, the synaptic transmission mediated by GluN2B-containing NMDARs was significantly increased in the neonatal brain. This was significant as it showed for the first time that ketamine had subunit-specific effects on GluN2B-containing NMDARs, potentially implicating the involvement of these subunits in the increased vulnerability of immature neurons of the neonatal brain to ketamine-induced neuroapoptosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography during laparoscopic low anterior resection: results of a case-matched study.

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Boni, Luigi; Fingerhut, Abe; Marzorati, Alessandro; Rausei, Stefano; Dionigi, Gianlorenzo; Cassinotti, Elisa

2017-04-01

Colorectal anastomoses after anterior resection for cancer carry a high risk of leakage. Different factors might influence the correct healing of anastomosis, but adequate perfusion of the bowel is highlighted as one of the most important elements. Fluorescence angiography (FA) is a new technique that allows the surgeon to perform real-time intraoperative angiography to evaluate the perfusion of the anastomosis and hence, potentially, reduce leak rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of FA of the bowel on postoperative complications and anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic anterior resection with total mesorectal excision (TME). FA was performed in all patients undergoing laparoscopic anterior resection with TME for cancer followed by colorectal or coloanal anastomosis. Results were compared to a historical controls group of 38 patients previously operated by the same surgeon for the same indication but without the use of FA. From October 2014 to November 2015, 42 patients underwent laparoscopic anterior resection with TME and FA of the bowel. The surgeon subjectively decided to change the planned anastomotic level of the descending colon due to hypoperfused distal segment in two out of 42 patients in the FA group (4.7 %). Anastomotic leakage, confirmed by postoperative CT scan and water-soluble contrast enema, was found in two cases of a historical controls group and none in the FA group. No adverse events (side effects or allergic reaction) related to FA were recorded. All the other postoperative complications were comparable between the two groups. In our experience, ICG FA was safe and effective in low rectal cancer resection, possibly leading to a reduction in the anastomotic leakage rate after TME.

Arterial blood oxygen saturation during blood pressure cuff-induced hypoperfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyriacou, P A; Shafqat, K; Pal, S K

2007-01-01

Pulse oximetry has been one of the most significant technological advances in clinical monitoring in the last two decades. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive photometric technique that provides information about the arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) and heart rate, and has widespread clinical applications. When peripheral perfusion is poor, as in states of hypovolaemia, hypothermia and vasoconstriction, oxygenation readings become unreliable or cease. The problem arises because conventional pulse oximetry sensors must be attached to the most peripheral parts of the body, such as finger, ear or toe, where pulsatile flow is most easily compromised. Pulse oximeters estimate arterial oxygen saturation by shining light at two different wavelengths, red and infrared, through vascular tissue. In this method the ac pulsatile photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal associated with cardiac contraction is assumed to be attributable solely to the arterial blood component. The amplitudes of the red and infrared ac PPG signals are sensitive to changes in arterial oxygen saturation because of differences in the light absorption of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin at these two wavelengths. From the ratios of these amplitudes, and the corresponding dc photoplethysmographic components, arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) is estimated. Hence, the technique of pulse oximetry relies on the presence of adequate peripheral arterial pulsations, which are detected as photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pressure cuff-induced hypoperfusion on photoplethysmographic signals and arterial blood oxygen saturation using a custom made finger blood oxygen saturation PPG/SpO 2 sensor and a commercial finger pulse oximeter. Blood oxygen saturation values from the custom oxygen saturation sensor and a commercial finger oxygen saturation sensor were recorded from 14 healthy volunteers at various induced brachial pressures. Both pulse

Arterial blood oxygen saturation during blood pressure cuff-induced hypoperfusion

Science.gov (United States)

Kyriacou, P. A.; Shafqat, K.; Pal, S. K.

2007-10-01

Pulse oximetry has been one of the most significant technological advances in clinical monitoring in the last two decades. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive photometric technique that provides information about the arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate, and has widespread clinical applications. When peripheral perfusion is poor, as in states of hypovolaemia, hypothermia and vasoconstriction, oxygenation readings become unreliable or cease. The problem arises because conventional pulse oximetry sensors must be attached to the most peripheral parts of the body, such as finger, ear or toe, where pulsatile flow is most easily compromised. Pulse oximeters estimate arterial oxygen saturation by shining light at two different wavelengths, red and infrared, through vascular tissue. In this method the ac pulsatile photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal associated with cardiac contraction is assumed to be attributable solely to the arterial blood component. The amplitudes of the red and infrared ac PPG signals are sensitive to changes in arterial oxygen saturation because of differences in the light absorption of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin at these two wavelengths. From the ratios of these amplitudes, and the corresponding dc photoplethysmographic components, arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is estimated. Hence, the technique of pulse oximetry relies on the presence of adequate peripheral arterial pulsations, which are detected as photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pressure cuff-induced hypoperfusion on photoplethysmographic signals and arterial blood oxygen saturation using a custom made finger blood oxygen saturation PPG/SpO2 sensor and a commercial finger pulse oximeter. Blood oxygen saturation values from the custom oxygen saturation sensor and a commercial finger oxygen saturation sensor were recorded from 14 healthy volunteers at various induced brachial pressures. Both pulse

PARCELLATION OF THE CINGULATE CORTEX AT REST AND DURING TASKS: A META-ANALYTIC CLUSTERING AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

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Diana M.E. Torta

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Anatomical, morphological and histological data have consistently shown that the cingulate cortex can be divided into four main regions. However, less is known about parcellations of the cingulate cortex when involved in active tasks. Here, we aimed at comparing how the pattern of clusterization of the cingulate cortex changes across different levels of task complexity. We parcellated the cingulate cortex using the results of a meta-analytic study and of three experimental studies. The experimental studies, which included two active tasks and a resting state protocol, were used to control the results obtained with the meta-analytic parcellation. We explored the meta-analytic parcellation by applying a meta-analytic clustering (MaC to papers retrieved from the BrainMap database. The MaC is a meta-analytic connectivity driven parcellation technique recently developed by our group which allowed us to parcellate the cingulate cortex on the basis of its pattern of co-activations during active tasks. The MaC results indicated that the cingulate cortex can be parcellated into three clusters. These clusters covered different percentages of the cingulate parenchyma and had a different density of foci, with the first cluster being more densely connected. The control experiments showed different clusterization results, suggesting that the co-activations of the cingulate cortex are highly dependent on the task that is tested. Our results highlight the importance of the cingulate cortex as a hub, which modifies its pattern of co-activations depending on the task requests and on the level of task complexity. The neurobiological meaning of these results is discussed.

Adolescent maturation of inhibitory inputs onto cingulate cortex neurons is cell-type specific and TrkB dependent

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Angela eVandenberg

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The maturation of inhibitory circuits during adolescence may be tied to the onset of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. Neurotrophin signaling likely plays a critical role in supporting inhibitory circuit development and is also implicated in psychiatric disease. Within the neocortex, subcircuits may mature at different times and show differential sensitivity to neurotrophin signaling. We measured miniature inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic currents (mIPSC and mEPSCs in Layer 5 cell-types in the mouse anterior cingulate across the periadolescent period. We differentiated cell-types mainly by Thy1 YFP transgene expression and also retrobead injection labeling in the contralateral cingulate and ipsilateral pons. We found that YFP- neurons and commissural projecting neurons had lower frequency of mIPSCs than neighboring YFP+ neurons or pons projecting neurons in juvenile mice (P21-25. YFP- neurons and to a lesser extent commissural projecting neurons also showed a significant increase in mIPSC amplitude during the periadolescent period (P21-25 vs. P40-50, which was not seen in YFP+ neurons or pons projecting neurons. Systemic disruption of tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB signaling during P23-50 in TrkBF616A mice blocked developmental changes in mIPSC amplitude, without affecting miniature excitatory post synaptic currents (mEPSCs. Our data suggest that the maturation of inhibitory inputs onto layer 5 pyramidal neurons is cell-type specific. These data may inform our understanding of adolescent brain development across species and aid in identifying candidate subcircuits that may show greater vulnerability in mental illness.

Oxidative Stress Induced Mitochondrial Failure and Vascular Hypoperfusion as a Key Initiator for the Development of Alzheimer Disease

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Valentin Bragin

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Mitochondrial dysfunction may be a principal underlying event in aging, including age-associated brain degeneration. Mitochondria provide energy for basic metabolic processes. Their decay with age impairs cellular metabolism and leads to a decline of cellular function. Alzheimer disease (AD and cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs are two leading causes of age-related dementia. Increasing evidence strongly supports the theory that oxidative stress, largely due to reactive oxygen species (ROS, induces mitochondrial damage, which arises from chronic hypoperfusion and is primarily responsible for the pathogenesis that underlies both disease processes. Mitochondrial membrane potential, respiratory control ratios and cellular oxygen consumption decline with age and correlate with increased oxidant production. The sustained hypoperfusion and oxidative stress in brain tissues can stimulate the expression of nitric oxide synthases (NOSs and brain endothelium probably increase the accumulation of oxidative stress products, which therefore contributes to blood brain barrier (BBB breakdown and brain parenchymal cell damage. Determining the mechanisms behind these imbalances may provide crucial information in the development of new, more effective therapies for stroke and AD patients in the near future.

Expression of S100 protein and protective effect of arundic acid on the rat brain in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

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Ohtani, Ryo; Tomimoto, Hidekazu; Wakita, Hideaki; Kitaguchi, Hiroshi; Nakaji, Kayoko; Takahashi, Ryosuke

2007-03-02

S100 protein is expressed primarily by astroglia in the brain, and accumulates in and around the ischemic lesions. Arundic acid, a novel astroglia-modulating agent, is neuroprotective in acute cerebral infarction, whereas the protective effects remain unknown during chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Rats undergoing chronic cerebral hypoperfusion were subjected to a bilateral ligation of the common carotid arteries, and were allowed to survive for 3, 7 and 14 days. The animals received a daily intraperitoneal injection of 5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 mg/kg of arundic acid, or vehicle, for 14 days. Alternatively, other groups of rats received a delayed intraperitoneal injection of 20.0 mg/kg of arundic acid or vehicle, which started from 1, 3 or 7 days after ligation and continued to 14 days. The degree of white matter (WM) lesions and the numerical density of S100 protein-immunoreactive astroglia were estimated. In the WM of rats with vehicle injections, the number of S100 protein-immunoreactive astroglia increased significantly after chronic cerebral hypoperfusion as compared to the sham-operation. A dosage of 10.0 and 20.0 mg/kg of arundic acid suppressed the numerical increase in S100 protein-immunoreactive astroglia and the WM lesions. These pathological changes were suppressed with delayed treatment up to 7 days in terms of astroglial activation, and up to 3 days in terms of the WM lesions. The protective effects of arundic acid against WM lesions were demonstrated in a dose-dependent manner, and even after postischemic treatments. These results suggest the potential usefulness of arundic acid in the treatment of cerebrovascular WM lesions.

Altered SPECT 123I iomazenil Binding in the Cingulate Cortex of Children with Anorexia Nervosa

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Shinichiro eNagamitsu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Several lines of evidence suggest that anxiety plays a key role in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN in children. The purpose of this study was to examine cortical GABA(A-benzodiazepine receptor binding before and after treatment in children beginning intensive AN treatment. Brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT measurements using 123I iomazenil, which binds to GABA(A-benzodiazepine receptors, was performed in 26 participants with AN who were enrolled in a multimodal treatment program. Sixteen of the 26 participants underwent a repeat SPECT scan immediately before discharge at conclusion of the intensive treatment program. Eating behavior and mood disturbances were assessed using Eating Attitudes Test with 26 items (EAT-26 and the short form of the Profile of Mood States (POMS. Clinical outcome scores were evaluated after a 1-year period. We examined association between relative iomazenil binding activity in cortical regions of interest (ROIs and psychometric profiles, and determined which psychometric profiles show interaction effects with brain regions. Further, we determined if binding activity could predict clinical outcome and treatment changes. Higher EAT-26 scores were significantly associated with lower iomazenil binding activity in the anterior posterior cingulate cortex (ACC. Higher POMS subscale scores were significantly associated with lower iomazenil binding activity in the left frontal, parietal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC. Depression-Dejection, and Confusion POMS subscale scores, and total POMS score, showed interaction effects with brain regions in iomazenil binding activity. Decreased binding in the ACC and left parietal cortex was associated with poor clinical outcomes. Relative binding increases throughout the PCC and occipital gyrus were observed after weight gain in children with AN. These findings suggest that cortical GABAergic receptor binding is altered in children

Arterial blood oxygen saturation during blood pressure cuff-induced hypoperfusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kyriacou, P A [School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, City University, London EC1V 0HB (United Kingdom); Shafqat, K [School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, City University, London EC1V 0HB (United Kingdom); Pal, S K [St Andrew' s Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, CM1 7ET (United Kingdom)

2007-10-15

Pulse oximetry has been one of the most significant technological advances in clinical monitoring in the last two decades. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive photometric technique that provides information about the arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO{sub 2}) and heart rate, and has widespread clinical applications. When peripheral perfusion is poor, as in states of hypovolaemia, hypothermia and vasoconstriction, oxygenation readings become unreliable or cease. The problem arises because conventional pulse oximetry sensors must be attached to the most peripheral parts of the body, such as finger, ear or toe, where pulsatile flow is most easily compromised. Pulse oximeters estimate arterial oxygen saturation by shining light at two different wavelengths, red and infrared, through vascular tissue. In this method the ac pulsatile photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal associated with cardiac contraction is assumed to be attributable solely to the arterial blood component. The amplitudes of the red and infrared ac PPG signals are sensitive to changes in arterial oxygen saturation because of differences in the light absorption of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin at these two wavelengths. From the ratios of these amplitudes, and the corresponding dc photoplethysmographic components, arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO{sub 2}) is estimated. Hence, the technique of pulse oximetry relies on the presence of adequate peripheral arterial pulsations, which are detected as photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pressure cuff-induced hypoperfusion on photoplethysmographic signals and arterial blood oxygen saturation using a custom made finger blood oxygen saturation PPG/SpO{sub 2} sensor and a commercial finger pulse oximeter. Blood oxygen saturation values from the custom oxygen saturation sensor and a commercial finger oxygen saturation sensor were recorded from 14 healthy volunteers at various induced brachial pressures

Relationships between cognitive impairment on ADAS-cog and regional cerebral blood flow using SPECT in late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

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Takahashi, Michio; Oda, Yasunori; Okubo, Toshiyuki; Shirayama, Yukihiko

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine brain hypoperfusion and its relationship with cognitive dysfunction in late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Forty patients with late-onset AD and not receiving acetylcholinesterase inhibitors were recruited from outpatient clinics. We examined cognitive function using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) and brain perfusion using single-photon emission computed tomography, and analyzed classified gyrus level segments with three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection and the stereotactic extraction estimation method level 3. ADAS-cog subscales were grouped into three domains: language, memory, and praxis. Patients with late-onset AD showed an apparent reduction in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with a z score >1.5 in the frontal, temporal, and limbic lobes, with lesser reduction in the parietal and occipital lobes. Although hypoperfusion in the orbital, rectal, and subcallosal gyri of the frontal lobe was prominent, rCBF in the inferior frontal gyrus of the frontal lobe was significantly correlated with ADAS-cog total and language and praxis subscale scores. The parahippocampal gyrus of the limbic lobe was also significantly correlated with the ADAS-cog total, language, and praxis subscale scores. Additionally, the cingulate of the limbic lobe was significantly related with ADAS-cog memory. In spite of lesser hypoperfusion, the posterior cingulate gyrus of the limbic lobe was significantly related with ADAS-cog total, language, and memory subscale scores. Further, each subdivision of ADAS-cog was found to be related with various brain regions.

Neurofeedback of the difference in activation of the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior insular cortex: two functionally connected areas in the processing of pain

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Mariela eRance

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was the analysis of the effect of a learned increase in the dissociation between the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC and the left posterior insula (pInsL on pain intensity and unpleasantness and the contribution of each region to the effect, exploring the possibility to influence the perception of pain with neurofeedback methods. We trained ten healthy subjects to increase the difference in the blood oxygenation level-dependent response between the rACC and pInsL to painful electric stimuli. Subjects learned to increase the dissociation with either the rACC (state 1 or the pInsL (state 2 being higher. For feedback we subtracted the signal of one region from the other and provided feedback in four conditions with six trials each yielding two different states: (rACC – pInsL increase (state 1, rACC – pInsL decrease (state 2, pInsL – rACC increase (state 2, pInsL – rACC decrease (state 1. Significant changes in the dissociation from trial one to six were seen in all conditions. There were significant changes from trial one to six in the pInsL in three of the four conditions, the rACC showed no significant change. Pain intensity or unpleasantness ratings were unrelated to the dissociation between the regions and the activation in each region. Learning success in the conditions did not significantly correlate and there was no significant correlation between the two respective conditions of one state, i.e. learning to achieve a specific state is not a stable ability. The pInsL seems to be the driving force behind changes in the learned dissociation between the regions. Despite successful differential modulation of activation in areas responsive to the painful stimulus, no corresponding changes in the perception of pain intensity or unpleasantness emerged. Learning to induce different states of dissociation between the areas is not a stable ability since success did not correlate overall or between two conditions of

Influence de l’hypoperfusion cérébrale à la phase initiale du traumatisme crânien grave. Etude rétrospective en région Lorraine

OpenAIRE

Derlon , Vincent

2015-01-01

Non disponible / Not available; Introduction: le traumatisme crânien grave (TCG) est un enjeu majeur de santépublique, dont les premières heures de la prise en charge sont cruciales. Un des objectifsest alors de limiter l’hypotension artérielle et son corollaire l’hypoperfusion cérébrale.Toutefois, les études existantes à ce sujet sont anciennes.Objectif: nous avons voulu réévaluer l’influence de l’hypoperfusion cérébrale { la phaseaiguë du traumatisme crânien grave sur le devenir neurologiqu...

Myocardial perfusion assessment at rest and after dipyridamole: MR signal intensity characteristics of reversible and persistent hypoperfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wintersperger, B.J.; Penzkofer, H.V.; Huber, A.; Meininger, M.; Scheidler, J.; Reiser, M.; Knez, A.; Haberl, R.; Kerner, M.; Knesewitsch, P.

2000-01-01

Methods: Sixteen patients with CAD underwent MR myocardial perfusion assessment at rest and after dipyridamole-induced hyperemia. Qualitative parameters (SI increase, SI upslope) of the SI time-curves were evaluated and characteristics of normal, reversible and persistent hypoperfused myocardium as assessed by 99m TC-SestaMIBI SPECT were compared. Results: Compared with the rest values, normal myocardium showed a significant increase of the SI upslope during hyperemia (P [de

Cannabis use and brain structural alterations of the cingulate cortex in early psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapp, Charlotte; Walter, Anna; Studerus, Erich; Bugra, Hilal; Tamagni, Corinne; Röthlisberger, Michel; Borgwardt, Stefan; Aston, Jacqueline; Riecher-Rössler, Anita

2013-11-30

As cannabis use is more frequent in patients with psychosis than in the general population and is known to be a risk factor for psychosis, the question arises whether cannabis contributes to recently detected brain volume reductions in schizophrenic psychoses. This study is the first to investigate how cannabis use is related to the cingulum volume, a brain region involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, in a sample of both at-risk mental state (ARMS) and first episode psychosis (FEP) subjects. A cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of manually traced cingulum in 23 FEP and 37 ARMS subjects was performed. Cannabis use was assessed with the Basel Interview for Psychosis. By using repeated measures analyses of covariance, we investigated whether current cannabis use is associated with the cingulum volume, correcting for age, gender, alcohol consumption, whole brain volume and antipsychotic medication. There was a significant three-way interaction between region (anterior/posterior cingulum), hemisphere (left/right cingulum) and cannabis use (yes/no). Post-hoc analyses revealed that this was due to a significant negative effect of cannabis use on the volume of the posterior cingulum which was independent of the hemisphere and diagnostic group and all other covariates we controlled for. In the anterior cingulum, we found a significant negative effect only for the left hemisphere, which was again independent of the diagnostic group. Overall, we found negative associations of current cannabis use with grey matter volume of the cingulate cortex, a region rich in cannabinoid CB1 receptors. As this finding has not been consistently found in healthy controls, it might suggest that both ARMS and FEP subjects are particularly sensitive to exogenous activation of these receptors. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain hypoperfusion on Tc-99m-ethylene dicysteine diethyl ester single-photon emission computed tomography in Hashimoto's encephalopathy

OpenAIRE

Grande, Mar?a Luz Dom?nguez; Constantino, Ana; Rayo, Juan Ignacio; Serrano, Justo; Infante, Jose Rafael; Garcia, Lucia; Duran, Carmen

2013-01-01

We present a 17-year-old female, previously diagnosed of autoimmune hyperthyroidism who had an acute neurological episode and presented high antithyroid antibodies titers, cerebral spinal fluid and electroencephalogram changes. Tc-99m ethylene dicysteine diethyl ester brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed global and patchy hypoperfusion. With glucocorticoid therapy, clinical symptoms disappeared; there was a decrease in antithyroid antibody levels and repeat brain SP...

Transient Global Amnesia Associated with an Acute Infarction at the Cingulate Gyrus

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Alejandro Gallardo-Tur

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Transient global amnesia (TGA is a syndrome of sudden, unexplained isolated short-term memory loss. In the majority of TGA cases, no causes can be identified and neuroimaging, CSF studies and EEG are usually normal. We present a patient with TGA associated with a small acute infarct at the cingulate gyrus. Case Report. The patient, a 62 year-old man, developed two episodes of TGA. He had hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. He was found to have an acute ischemic stroke of small size (15 mm of maximal diameter at the right cerebral cingulate gyrus diagnosed on brain magnetic resonance imaging. No lesions involving other limbic system structures such as thalamus, fornix, corpus callosum, or hippocampal structures were seen. The remainder of the examination was normal. Conclusion. Unilateral ischemic lesions of limbic system structures may result in TGA. We must bear in mind that TGA can be an associated clinical disorder of cingulate gyrus infarct.

Perfusion SPECT studies with mapping of Brodmann areas in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from frontotemporal degeneration syndromes.

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Valotassiou, Varvara; Papatriantafyllou, John; Sifakis, Nikolaos; Tzavara, Chara; Tsougos, Ioannis; Kapsalaki, Eftychia; Hadjigeorgiou, George; Georgoulias, Panagiotis

2012-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies with mapping of Brodmann areas (BAs) in the differential diagnosis between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTLD) syndromes. Thirty-nine patients with AD and 73 patients with FTLD syndromes [behavioural variant FTLD (bvFTLD); language variant FTLD (lvFTLD), including semantic dementia (SD) and progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA); and corticobasal degeneration (CBD)/progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) syndromes] underwent brain perfusion SPECT. The NeuroGam software was used for the semiquantitative evaluation of perfusion in BAs of the left (L) and right (R) hemispheres. Compared with those in AD patients, BAs with statistically significant hypoperfusion were found in the prefrontal, orbitofrontal and cingulated cortices and Broca's areas of FTLD and bvFTLD patients; in the temporal and prefrontal cortices and Broca's areas of lvFTLD patients; in the left temporal gyrus of SD patients; in premotor and supplementary motor, prefrontal, orbitofrontal, temporal and anterior cingulated cortices and Broca's areas of PNFA patients; and in the prefrontal, temporal, posterior cingulated and primary and secondary visual cortices of CBD/PSP patients. BA 46R could differentiate AD patients from FTLD and bvFTLD patients; 21L and 25L were found to be independent predictors for lvFTLD in comparison with AD, and 25R, 21L and 23R could differentiate AD patients from PNFA, SD and CBD/PSP patients, respectively. Brain perfusion SPECT with BA mapping in AD and FTLD patients could improve the definition of brain areas that are specifically implicated in these disorders, resulting in a more accurate differential diagnosis.

Demonstration of decreased posterior cingulate perfusion in mild Alzheimer's disease by means of H215O positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishii, Kazunari; Sasaki, Masahiro; Yamaji, Shigeru; Sakamoto, Setsu; Kitagaki, Hajime; Mori, Etsuro

1997-01-01

Although decreased posterior cingulate metabolism in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been previously reported, there have been no reports on posterior cingulate perfusion. In this study we evaluated posterior cingulate perfusion as a relative value using statistical parametric maps (SPMs) and as an absolute value using conventional region of interest (ROI) settings. Twenty-eight subjects, including 14 patients with mild AD (mean age: 66.4±12.1 years) and 14 normal controls (65.9±7.3 years) were studied. Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured with H 2 15 O and positron emission tomography (PET). In the SPM analysis, the left posterior cingulate and left parietotemporal CBFs were significantly decreased in the patients with mild AD (P<0.001). At a lower statistical threshold (P<0.05), the right posterior cingulate and right parietotemporal CBFs were also significantly decreased in the AD patients. In the ROI studies, the left parietal and posterior cingulate CBFs in the patients with mild AD were significantly lower than those of the normal controls by analysis of variance and post-hoc Scheffe's test (P<0.001). We conclude that posterior cingulate perfusion is decreased in mild AD, reflecting the pathological changes and metabolic reduction in the posterior cingulate gyrus that have previously been reported to occur in mild AD. (orig.). With 1 fig., 2 tabs

Relationship between 99mTc-ECD SPECT images and performance of the Wisconsin card sorting test in healthy humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Jinhua; Lin Xiangtong; Guan Yihui; Xu Lianqin; Zhang Guangming; Xue Fangpeng

1998-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between 99m Tc-ECD SPECT and performance of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in normal young and aged volunteers through the semi-quantitative analysis of the baseline and cognition activated rCBF images. Methods: 18 young and 17 aged volunteers were enrolled. The education level of the two groups was matched. All subjects were healthy and CT results of all the aged volunteers were normal. Both baseline and cognition activated 99m Tc-ECD SPECT were performed on all the subjects. The cognition activated brain SPECT: The cognitive task was WCST. 1110 MBq 99m Tc-ECD was administered by intravenous bolus injection 5 minutes after the onset of the WCST. The images were reconstructed and semiquantitatively analyzed. WCST were scored through 9 items: 1) period, 2) categories, 3) total corrects, 4) conceptual level (%), 5) perseverative responses, 6) total errors, 7) perseverative errors, 8) perseverative error (%), 9) non-perseverative errors. Results: 1) Compared with the baseline, the activated rCBF values of frontal, left temporal and left parietal lobes were higher in young subjects. 2) The activated rCBF values of right frontal lobe is slightly higher than those of baseline in aged group. 3) WCST scores: the young had significantly better scores than the aged in 7 items. 4) The baseline and activated rCBF values of the frontal lobes and anterior cingule were closely related to the scores of categories, perseverative responses, total errors and non-perseverative errors. Conclusions: 1) The distribution patterns of 99m Tc-ECD are different between young and aged volunteers. 2) The performance of WCST mainly relates to frontal lobes. The mild hypoperfusion of the frontal lobe in aged group may be the cause of poor conceptual and thinking ability. 3) First found the significant correlation between anterior cingule and performance of WCST

Neural correlates of the classic color and emotional stroop in women with abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

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Bremner, J Douglas; Vermetten, Eric; Vythilingam, Meena; Afzal, Nadeem; Schmahl, Christian; Elzinga, Bernet; Charney, Dennis S

2004-03-15

The anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex play an important role in the inhibition of responses, as measured by the Stroop task, as well as in emotional regulation. Dysfunction of the anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex has been implicated in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to use the Stroop task as a probe of anterior cingulate function in PTSD. Women with early childhood sexual abuse-related PTSD (n = 12) and women with abuse but without PTSD (n = 9) underwent positron emission tomographic measurement of cerebral blood flow during exposure to control, color Stroop, and emotional Stroop conditions. Women with abuse with PTSD (but not abused non-PTSD women) had a relative decrease in anterior cingulate blood flow during exposure to the emotional (but not color) classic Stroop task. During the color Stroop there were also relatively greater increases in blood flow in non-PTSD compared with PTSD women in right visual association cortex, cuneus, and right inferior parietal lobule. These findings add further evidence for dysfunction of a network of brain regions, including anterior cingulate and visual and parietal cortex, in abuse-related PTSD.

Thoracic epidural anesthesia attenuates hemorrhagic-induced splanchnic hypo-perfusion in post-resuscitation experimental hemorrhagic shock

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Amir S Madjid

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of present study was to assess the effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia on splanchnic perfusion, bacterial translocation and histopathologic changes in experimental hemorrhagic shock in short-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina. Sixteen Macaca nemestrinas were randomly assigned to one of two groups i.e. the lidocaine group (n = 8, receiving general anesthesia plus lidocaine thoracic epidural anesthesia; and the saline group (n = 8, receiving general anesthesia alone as control. Hemorrhagic shock was induced by withdrawing blood gradually to a mean arterial pressure (MAP of 40 mm Hg, and maintained for 60 minutes. Animals were then resuscitated with their own blood and ringer lactate solution (RL. After resuscitation, epidural lidocaine 2% was given in the lidocaine group and saline in the control group. Resuscitation that was performed after one hour hemorrhagic shock, with hemodynamic variables and urine output returned to normal, revealed there was no improvement of splanchnic perfusion. PgCO2, P(g-aCO2, and pHi remained in critical value and tended to deteriorate in the saline group. Contrast to saline group, splanchnic perfusion in lidocaine group tended to improve. This condition was supported by the finding of less bacterial translocation and better histopathologic changes in lidocaine thoracic epidural anesthesia group than in saline group. This study concludes that lidocaine thoracic epidural anesthesia attenuates splachnic hypoperfusion in post-resuscitation hemorrhagic shock in Macaca nemestrina. (Med J Indones 2008; 17: 73-81Keywords: thoracic epidural anesthesia, lidocaine, hemorrhagic shock, splanchnic hypoperfusion, bacterial translocation

Hypoperfusion in baseline and cognitively activated brain SPECT imaging of adult and elderly patients with depression

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Zhao Jinhua; Lin Xiangtong; Jiang Kaida; Ang Qiuqing; Shi Shenxun; Xue Fangping

2000-01-01

parietal lobe and left basal ganglia also decreased. Conclusions: 1) Hypoperfusion of frontal and temporal cortex was identified in adult and elderly patients with depression. 2) The hypoperfusion of frontal and temporal cortex may be the cause of cognitive disorder and the depressed mood in patients with depression. 3)Compared with the depressed adult patients, there is additional hypoperfusion of basal ganglia in the depressed elderly patients. 4) Cognitively activated brain perfusion imaging is useful to diagnose depression more accurately

Brain hypoperfusion on Tc-99m-ethylene dicysteine diethyl ester single-photon emission computed tomography in Hashimoto's encephalopathy

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Grande, María Luz Domínguez; Rayo, Juan Ignacio; Serrano, Justo; Infante, Jose Rafael; Garcia, Lucia; Duran, Carmen; Constantino, Ana

2013-01-01

We present a 17-year-old female, previously diagnosed of autoimmune hyperthyroidism who had an acute neurological episode and presented high antithyroid antibodies titers, cerebral spinal fluid and electroencephalogram changes. 99m Tc ethylene dicysteine diethyl ester brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed global and patchy hypoperfusion. With glucocorticoid therapy, clinical symptoms disappeared; there was a decrease in antithyroid antibody levels and repeat brain SPECT revealed improvement of perfusion. (author)

Combined treatment of methylprednisolone pulse and memantine hydrochloride prompts recovery from neurological dysfunction and cerebral hypoperfusion in carbon monoxide poisoning: a case report.

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Iwamoto, Konosuke; Ikeda, Ken; Mizumura, Sunao; Tachiki, Kazuhiro; Yanagihashi, Masaru; Iwasaki, Yasuo

2014-03-01

A 49-year-old healthy man developed sudden unconsciousness under inadequate ventilation. Blood gas analysis showed carboxyhemoglobin of 7.3%. After normobaric oxygen therapy, he recovered completely 7 days later. At 3 weeks after carbon monoxide (CO) exposures, memory and gait disturbances appeared. Neurological examination revealed Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 5 of 30 points, leg hyper-reflexia with Babinski signs, and Parkinsonism. Brain fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging disclosed symmetric hypointense lesions in the thalamus and the globus pallidus, and hyperintense lesions in the cerebral white matter. Brain single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) scanning with (99m)Technesium-ethyl cysteinate dimer displayed marked hypoperfusion in the cerebellum, the thalamus, the basal ganglia, and the entire cerebral cortex. He was diagnosed as CO poisoning and treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The neurological deficits were not ameliorated. At 9 weeks after neurological onset, methylprednisolone (1000 mg/day, intravenous, 3 days) and memantine hydrochloride (20 mg/day, per os) were administered. Three days later, MMSE score was increased from 3 to 20 points. Neurological examination was normal 3 weeks later. Brain SPECT exhibited 20% increase of regional cerebral blood flows in the cerebellum, the thalamus, the basal ganglia, and the entire cerebral cortex. These clinicoradiological changes supported that the treatment with steroid pulse and memantine hydrochloride could prompt recovery from neurological dysfunction and cerebral hypoperfusion. Further clinical trials are warranted whether such combined therapy can attenuate neurological deficits and cerebral hypoperfusion in patients with CO poisoning. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Asterixis in the leg induced by anterior cerebral artery infarction.

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Sunwoo, Mun Kyung; Jang, Hyun-Soon; Roh, Sook Young; Yoo, Hyun Jung; Jeong, Eun Hye; Kim, Byung-Su; Choe, Yeo Reum; Lee, Ko-Eun

2016-06-01

Asterixis commonly occurs in a patient with metabolic encephalopathy, whereas focal brain lesions such as thalamus, cerebellum, or frontal area also cause focal or unilateral asterixis in the arms. We report a novel case of asterixis in the leg after unilateral anterior cerebral artery territory infarction. A 76-year-old man was admitted with sudden-onset mild right leg weakness and postural instability due to knee buckling. He was diagnosed with ischemic stroke in the left prefrontal area and cingulated gyrus by brain magnetic imaging. Needle electromyography of the right vastus lateralis muscle while standing showed intermittent periods of EMG silence, consistent with asterixis. There were no abnormal involuntary movements in the upper extremities. This case suggests that gait disturbance or postural instability after structural lesions in the prefrontal area may be directly related to asterixis in the leg, not in the arm associated with postural failure.

Worse stroke outcome in atrial fibrillation is explained by more severe hypoperfusion, infarct growth, and hemorrhagic transformation.

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Tu, Hans T H; Campbell, Bruce C V; Christensen, Soren; Desmond, Patricia M; De Silva, Deidre A; Parsons, Mark W; Churilov, Leonid; Lansberg, Maarten G; Mlynash, Michael; Olivot, Jean-Marc; Straka, Matus; Bammer, Roland; Albers, Gregory W; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Davis, Stephen M

2015-06-01

Atrial fibrillation is associated with greater baseline neurological impairment and worse outcomes following ischemic stroke. Previous studies suggest that greater volumes of more severe baseline hypoperfusion in patients with history of atrial fibrillation may explain this association. We further investigated this association by comparing patients with and without atrial fibrillation on initial examination following stroke using pooled multimodal magnetic resonance imaging and clinical data from the Echoplanar Imaging Thrombolytic Evaluation Trial and the Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution studies. Echoplanar Imaging Thrombolytic Evaluation Trial was a trial of 101 ischemic stroke patients randomized to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator or placebo, and Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution was a prospective cohort of 74 ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator at three to six hours following symptom onset. Patients underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging before treatment, at three to five days and three-months after stroke in Echoplanar Imaging Thrombolytic Evaluation Trial; before treatment, three to six hours after treatment and one-month after stroke in Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution. Patients were assessed with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the modified Rankin scale before treatment and at three-months after stroke. Patients were categorized into definite atrial fibrillation (present on initial examination), probable atrial fibrillation (history but no atrial fibrillation on initial examination), and no atrial fibrillation. Perfusion data were reprocessed with automated magnetic resonance imaging analysis software (RAPID, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA). Hypoperfusion volumes were defined using time to maximum delays in two-second increments from >4 to

Assessing the Psychedelic “After-Glow” in Ayahuasca Users: Post-Acute Neurometabolic and Functional Connectivity Changes Are Associated with Enhanced Mindfulness Capacities

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Sampedro, Frederic; de la Fuente Revenga, Mario; Valle, Marta; Roberto, Natalia; Domínguez-Clavé, Elisabet; Elices, Matilde; Luna, Luís Eduardo; Crippa, José Alexandre S; Hallak, Jaime E C; de Araujo, Draulio B; Friedlander, Pablo; Barker, Steven A; Álvarez, Enrique; Soler, Joaquim; Pascual, Juan C; Feilding, Amanda

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Ayahuasca is a plant tea containing the psychedelic 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala monoamine-oxidase inhibitors. Acute administration leads to neurophysiological modifications in brain regions of the default mode network, purportedly through a glutamatergic mechanism. Post-acutely, ayahuasca potentiates mindfulness capacities in volunteers and induces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients. However, the mechanisms underlying these fast and maintained effects are poorly understood. Here, we investigated in an open-label uncontrolled study in 16 healthy volunteers ayahuasca-induced post-acute neurometabolic and connectivity modifications and their association with mindfulness measures. Methods Using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional connectivity, we compared baseline and post-acute neurometabolites and seed-to-voxel connectivity in the posterior and anterior cingulate cortex after a single ayahuasca dose. Results Magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed post-acute reductions in glutamate+glutamine, creatine, and N-acetylaspartate+N-acetylaspartylglutamate in the posterior cingulate cortex. Connectivity was increased between the posterior cingulate cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, and between the anterior cingulate cortex and limbic structures in the right medial temporal lobe. Glutamate+glutamine reductions correlated with increases in the “nonjudging” subscale of the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire. Increased anterior cingulate cortex-medial temporal lobe connectivity correlated with increased scores on the self-compassion questionnaire. Post-acute neural changes predicted sustained elevations in nonjudging 2 months later. Conclusions These results support the involvement of glutamate neurotransmission in the effects of psychedelics in humans. They further suggest that neurometabolic changes in the posterior cingulate cortex, a key region within the default

Assessing the Psychedelic "After-Glow" in Ayahuasca Users: Post-Acute Neurometabolic and Functional Connectivity Changes Are Associated with Enhanced Mindfulness Capacities.

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Sampedro, Frederic; de la Fuente Revenga, Mario; Valle, Marta; Roberto, Natalia; Domínguez-Clavé, Elisabet; Elices, Matilde; Luna, Luís Eduardo; Crippa, José Alexandre S; Hallak, Jaime E C; de Araujo, Draulio B; Friedlander, Pablo; Barker, Steven A; Álvarez, Enrique; Soler, Joaquim; Pascual, Juan C; Feilding, Amanda; Riba, Jordi

2017-09-01

Ayahuasca is a plant tea containing the psychedelic 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmala monoamine-oxidase inhibitors. Acute administration leads to neurophysiological modifications in brain regions of the default mode network, purportedly through a glutamatergic mechanism. Post-acutely, ayahuasca potentiates mindfulness capacities in volunteers and induces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients. However, the mechanisms underlying these fast and maintained effects are poorly understood. Here, we investigated in an open-label uncontrolled study in 16 healthy volunteers ayahuasca-induced post-acute neurometabolic and connectivity modifications and their association with mindfulness measures. Using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional connectivity, we compared baseline and post-acute neurometabolites and seed-to-voxel connectivity in the posterior and anterior cingulate cortex after a single ayahuasca dose. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed post-acute reductions in glutamate+glutamine, creatine, and N-acetylaspartate+N-acetylaspartylglutamate in the posterior cingulate cortex. Connectivity was increased between the posterior cingulate cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, and between the anterior cingulate cortex and limbic structures in the right medial temporal lobe. Glutamate+glutamine reductions correlated with increases in the "nonjudging" subscale of the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire. Increased anterior cingulate cortex-medial temporal lobe connectivity correlated with increased scores on the self-compassion questionnaire. Post-acute neural changes predicted sustained elevations in nonjudging 2 months later. These results support the involvement of glutamate neurotransmission in the effects of psychedelics in humans. They further suggest that neurometabolic changes in the posterior cingulate cortex, a key region within the default mode network, and increased connectivity between the

Feeling unreal: a functional imaging study in patients with Kleine-Levin syndrome.

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Kas, Aurelie; Lavault, Sophie; Habert, Marie-Odile; Arnulf, Isabelle

2014-07-01

Kleine-Levin syndrome is characterized by relapsing-remitting episodes of severe hypersomnia, cognitive impairment, apathy, derealization and behavioural disturbances. Between episodes, patients have normal sleep, mood and behaviour. Functional imaging studies performed in small series of patients with Kleine-Levin syndrome with visual or semi-quantitative, uncontrolled analysis yielded equivocal brain changes. Using whole brain voxel-based group analysis, we compared brain perfusion scintigraphy during and between episodes in consecutive patients with Kleine-Levin syndrome versus healthy control subjects and correlated perfusion changes with disease severity and symptoms, focusing on less studied but disabling symptoms, such as apathy and derealization. During asymptomatic periods, 41 patients (mean age of 22.3 ± 8.1 years, 56.1% male) and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects underwent single-photon emission computed tomography scanning with technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer. Eleven patients repeated the test during a symptomatic period. Compared with controls, patients during asymptomatic periods had persistent hypoperfusion in the hypothalamus, the thalamus (mainly the right posterior part), the caudate nucleus, and cortical associative areas, including the anterior cingulate, (Brodmann area 25), the orbito-frontal (Brodmann area 11) and the right superior temporal cortices (Brodmann area 22), extending to the insula (P area). Two additional hypoperfused areas emerged during symptomatic periods (P Brodmann area 8) and the right parieto-temporal junction (Brodmann areas 22 and 39). These two areas were more affected between episodes, when the mean episode duration was longer (r = -0.53; P area may underlie the striking derealization reported by patients during episodes. Defects in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex may cause apathy. Persistent hypoperfusion in the diencephalic and associative cortical area during asymptomatic periods is a marker

Oral methylphenidate normalizes cingulate activity in cocaine addiction during a salient cognitive task

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Goldstein, R.Z.; Woicik, P.A.; Maloney, T.; Tomasi, D.; Alia-Klein, N.; Shan, J.; Honorario, J.; Samaras, D.; Wang, R.; Telang, F.; Wang, G.-J.; Volkow, N.D.

2010-01-01

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) hypoactivations during cognitive demand are a hallmark deficit in drug addiction. Methylphenidate (MPH) normalizes cortical function, enhancing task salience and improving associated cognitive abilities, in other frontal lobe pathologies; however, in clinical trials, MPH did not improve treatment outcome in cocaine addiction. We hypothesized that oral MPH will attenuate ACC hypoactivations and improve associated performance during a salient cognitive task in individuals with cocaine-use disorders (CUD). In the current functional MRI study, we used a rewarded drug cue-reactivity task previously shown to be associated with hypoactivations in both major ACC subdivisions (implicated in default brain function) in CUD compared with healthy controls. The task was performed by 13 CUD and 14 matched healthy controls on 2 d: after ingesting a single dose of oral MPH (20 mg) or placebo (lactose) in a counterbalanced fashion. Results show that oral MPH increased responses to this salient cognitive task in both major ACC subdivisions (including the caudal-dorsal ACC and rostroventromedial ACC extending to the medial orbitofrontal cortex) in the CUD. These functional MRI results were associated with reduced errors of commission (a common impulsivity measure) and improved task accuracy, especially during the drug (vs. neutral) cue-reactivity condition in all subjects. The clinical application of such MPH-induced brain-behavior enhancements remains to be tested.

Oral methylphenidate normalizes cingulate activity in cocaine addiction during a salient cognitive task

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Goldstein, R.Z.; Goldstein, R.Z.; Woicik, P.A.; Maloney, T.; Tomasi, D.; Alia-Klein, N.; Shan, J.; Honorario, J.; Samaras, d.; Wang, R.; Telang, F.; Wang, G.-J.; Volkow, N.D.

2010-09-21

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) hypoactivations during cognitive demand are a hallmark deficit in drug addiction. Methylphenidate (MPH) normalizes cortical function, enhancing task salience and improving associated cognitive abilities, in other frontal lobe pathologies; however, in clinical trials, MPH did not improve treatment outcome in cocaine addiction. We hypothesized that oral MPH will attenuate ACC hypoactivations and improve associated performance during a salient cognitive task in individuals with cocaine-use disorders (CUD). In the current functional MRI study, we used a rewarded drug cue-reactivity task previously shown to be associated with hypoactivations in both major ACC subdivisions (implicated in default brain function) in CUD compared with healthy controls. The task was performed by 13 CUD and 14 matched healthy controls on 2 d: after ingesting a single dose of oral MPH (20 mg) or placebo (lactose) in a counterbalanced fashion. Results show that oral MPH increased responses to this salient cognitive task in both major ACC subdivisions (including the caudal-dorsal ACC and rostroventromedial ACC extending to the medial orbitofrontal cortex) in the CUD. These functional MRI results were associated with reduced errors of commission (a common impulsivity measure) and improved task accuracy, especially during the drug (vs. neutral) cue-reactivity condition in all subjects. The clinical application of such MPH-induced brain-behavior enhancements remains to be tested.

Mining the posterior cingulate: Segregation between memory and pain components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Finn Årup; Balslev, Daniela; Hansen, Lars Kai

2005-01-01

We present a general method for automatic meta-analyses in neuroscience and apply it on text data from published functional imaging studies to extract main functions associated with a brain area --- the posterior cingulate cortex. Abstracts from PubMed are downloaded, words extracted and converted...

Intra- and Interhemispheric Propagation of Electrophysiological Synchronous Activity and Its Modulation by Serotonin in the Cingulate Cortex of Juvenile Mice.

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Víctor Rovira

Full Text Available Disinhibition of the cortex (e.g., by GABA -receptor blockade generates synchronous and oscillatory electrophysiological activity that propagates along the cortex. We have studied, in brain slices of the cingulate cortex of mice (postnatal age 14-20 days, the propagation along layer 2/3 as well as the interhemispheric propagation through the corpus callosum of synchronous discharges recorded extracellularly and evoked in the presence of 10 μM bicuculline by electrical stimulation of layer 1. The latency of the responses obtained at the same distance from the stimulus electrode was longer in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC: 39.53 ± 2.83 ms, n = 7 than in retrosplenial cortex slices (RSC: 21.99 ± 2.75 ms, n = 5; p<0.05, which is equivalent to a lower propagation velocity in the dorso-ventral direction in ACC than in RSC slices (43.0 mm/s vs 72.9 mm/s. We studied the modulation of this propagation by serotonin. Serotonin significantly increased the latency of the intracortical synchronous discharges (18.9% in the ipsilateral hemisphere and 40.2% in the contralateral hemisphere, and also increased the interhemispheric propagation time by 86.4%. These actions of serotonin were mimicked by the activation of either 5-HT1B or 5-HT2A receptors, but not by the activation of the 5-HT1A subtype. These findings provide further knowledge about the propagation of synchronic electrical activity in the cerebral cortex, including its modulation by serotonin, and suggest the presence of deep differences between the ACC and RSC in the structure of the local cortical microcircuits underlying the propagation of synchronous discharges.

Measuring the volume of cingulate cortex in Chinese normal adults of the Han nationality on the high-resolution MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Chao; Chen Nan; Wang Xing; Li Kuncheng; Zhou Xin; Zhuo Yan; Chen Lin

2010-01-01

Objective: To explore the normal range of cingulate cortex volumes of Chinese adults of the Han nationality and its relationship with age, which provide morphological data for the construction of database for Chinese Standard Brain. Methods: This is a clinical multi-center study. One thousand Chinese healthy volunteers (age range = 18 to 70) recruited from 15 hospitals were divided into 5 groups, i.e., Group A (age range = 18 to 30), B (age range =31 to 40), C (age range =41 to 50), D (age range =51 to 60), and E (age range =61 to 70). Each group contained 100 males and 100 females. All of the volunteers were scanned by MR using T 1 weighted three-dimensional magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo sequence. Cingulate cortex volume (including bulk volume and the left/right volume) was measured semi-manually using 3D volume analysis software. Cingulate cortex volumes among age groups were compared by one-way ANOVA. Right and left cingulate cortex volumes between sexualities were analyzed by paired samples t test. The relationship between cingulate cortex volume and age was analyzed by Pearson correlations and regression analysis. Results: Cingulate cortex volumes of male and female were (20 347 ± 2504) and (19 432 ± 2184) mm 3 respectively, and the male's was significantly larger than that of female's (two sample t'-test for independent samples, t'=6.156, P 3 respectively, and those of female's were (10 064 ± 1407) and (9368 ± 1441) mm 3 respectively. The volumes of cingulate cortex were significantly different between right and left in male or female (t=-12.960, -8.511, P 3 ; right: (11212±1442), (11 096±1602), (11 040±1403), (10633±1638), (9604±1522) mm 3 ] had statistical differences (F=16.738, 18.707, P 3 ; right: (10 558± 1325), (10 266 ±1463), (10 100 ± 1497), (9779 ± 1304), (9617 ± 1254) mm 3 ] also had significant differences (F=16.859,7.528,P<0.01). Bilateral cingulate cortex volume in both male and female were negatively

Xinnao Shutong Modulates the Neuronal Plasticity Through Regulation of Microglia/Macrophage Polarization Following Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion in Rats

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Liye Wang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Xinnao shutong (XNST capsules have been clinically used in China to treat cerebrovascular diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated that XNST has significant neuroprotective effects against acute cerebral ischemic stroke. The present study investigated the effects and mechanisms of XNST treatment following chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Thirty-six adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with XNST or vehicle following permanent bilateral common carotid artery (BCCA ligation. Body weight was recorded on days 0, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42 post-surgery. The Morris water maze (MWM test was used to assess cognitive function in rats. Immunofluorescent staining and western blot were used to assess the severity of neuronal plasticity, white matter injury, and the numbers and/or phenotypic changes incurred to microglia. Protein levels of p-AKT (Thr308 and p-ERK (Thr202/Tyr204 were detected 42 days after BCCA ligation was performed. The results indicate that XNST treatment significantly reduced escape latency, decreased the frequency of platform crossing compared to the vehicle group. Synaptophysin, protein levels improved and white matter injury ameliorated following XNST treatment. Meanwhile, XNST reduced the number of M1 microglia and increased the number of M2 microglia. Furthermore, p-AKT (Thr308 and p-ERK (Thr202/Tyr204 levels were increased 42 days following BCCA ligation. In summary, our results suggest that XNST mitigates memory impairments by restoration of neuronal plasticity and by modulation of microglial polarization following chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats.

Myocardial hypoperfusion/reperfusion tolerance with exercise training in hypertension.

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Reger, Patricia O; Barbe, Mary F; Amin, Mamta; Renna, Brian F; Hewston, Leigh Ann; MacDonnell, Scott M; Houser, Steven R; Libonati, Joseph R

2006-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise training, superimposed on compensated-concentric hypertrophy, could increase myocardial hypoperfusion-reperfusion (H/R) tolerance. Female Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (age: 4 mo; N = 40) were placed into a sedentary (SED) or exercise training (TRD) group (treadmill running; 25 m/min, 1 h/day, 5 days/wk for 16 wk). Four groups were studied: WKY-SED (n = 10), WKY-TRD (n = 10), SHR-SED (n = 10), and SHR-TRD (n = 10). Blood pressure and heart rate were determined, and in vitro isolated heart performance was measured with a retrogradely perfused, Langendorff isovolumic preparation. The H/R protocol consisted of a 75% reduction in coronary flow for 17 min followed by 30 min of reperfusion. Although the rate-pressure product was significantly elevated in SHR relative to WKY, training-induced bradycardia reduced the rate-pressure product in SHR-TRD (P Endurance training superimposed on hypertension-induced compensated hypertrophy conferred no further cardioprotection to H/R. Postreperfusion 72-kDa heat shock protein abundance was enhanced in WKY-TRD and both groups of SHR relative to WKY-SED (P hypertension and endurance training individually improved H/R and that increased postreperfusion 72-kDa heat shock protein abundance was, in part, associated with the cardioprotective phenotype observed in this study.

Cerebral blood flow and related factors in hyperthyroidism patients by SPECT imaging and statistical parametric mapping analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiu Yan; Shi Hongcheng; Liu Wenguan; Chen Xuefen; Gu Yushen; Chen Shuguang; Yu Haojun; Yu Yiping

2010-01-01

Objective: To investigate the cerebral blood flow (CBF) perfusion patterns and related factors in hyperthyroidism patients. Methods: Twenty-five patients with hyperthyroidism and twenty-two healthy controls matched for age, sex, education were enrolled. 99 Tc m -ethylene cysteinate dimer (ECD) SPECT CBF perfusion imaging was performed at rest. Statistical parametric mapping 5.0 software (SPM5) was used and a statistical threshold of P 3 , FT 4 ), thyroid autoimmune antibodies: sensitive thyroid stimulating hormone (sTSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) by Pearson analysis, with disease duration by Spearman analysis. Results: rCBF was decreased significantly in limbic system and frontal lobe, including parahippocampal gyrus, uncus (posterior entorhinal cortex, posterior parolfactory cortex, parahippocampal cortex, anterior cingulate, right inferior temporal gyrus), left hypothalamus and caudate nucleus (P 3 (r=-0.468, -0.417, both P 4 (r=-0.4M, -0.418, -0.415, -0.459, all P 4 (r=0.419, 0.412, both P<0.05). rCBF in left insula was negatively correlated with concentration of sTSH, and right auditory associated cortex was positively correlated with concentration of sTSH (r=-0.504, 0.429, both P<0.05). rCBF in left middle temporal gyrus, left angular gyrus was positively correlated with concentration of TRAb while that in right thalamus, right hypothalamus, left anterior nucleus,left ventralis nucleus was negatively correlated with concentration of TRAb (r=0.750, 0.862, -0.691, -0.835, -0.713, -0.759, all P<0.05). rCBF in right anterior cingulate, right cuneus, right rectus gyrus, right superior marginal gyrus was positively correlated with concentration of TPOAb (r=0.696, 0.581, 0.779, 0.683, all P<0.05). rCBF in postcentral gyrus, temporal gyrus, left superior marginal gyrus and auditory associated cortex was positively correlated with disease duration (r=0.502, 0.457, 0.524, 0.440, all P<0.05). Conclusion: Hypoperfusions in

Anterior perineal hernia after anterior exenteration

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Ka Wing Wong

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Perineal hernia is a rare complication of anterior exenteration. We reported this complication after an anterior exenteration for bladder cancer with bleeding complication requiring packing and second-look laparotomy. Perineal approach is a simple and effective method for repair of perineal hernia.

Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1α Promotes Endogenous Adaptive Response in Rat Model of Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion

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Ying Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α, a pivotal regulator of gene expression in response to hypoxia and ischemia, is now considered to regulate both pro-survival and pro-death responses depending on the duration and severity of the stress. We previously showed that chronic global cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH triggered long-lasting accumulation of HIF-1α protein in the hippocampus of rats. However, the role of the stabilized HIF-1α in CCH is obscure. Here, we knock down endogenous HIF-1α to determine whether and how HIF-1α affects the disease processes and phenotypes of CCH. Lentivirus expressing HIF-1α small hairpin RNA was injected into the bilateral hippocampus and bilateral ventricles to knock down HIF-1α gene expression in the hippocampus and other brain areas. Permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusions, known as 2-vessel occlusions (2VOs, were used to induce CCH in rats. Angiogenesis, oxidative stress, histopathological changes of the brain, and cognitive function were tested. Knockdown of HIF-1α prior to 2VO significantly exacerbates the impairment of learning and memory after four weeks of CCH. Mechanically, reduced cerebral angiogenesis, increased oxidative damage, and increased density of astrocytes and microglia in the cortex and some subregions of hippocampus are also shown after four weeks of CCH. Furthermore, HIF-1α knockdown also disrupts upregulation of regulated downstream genes. Our findings suggest that HIF-1α-protects the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation response in the disease process of CCH. Accumulated HIF-1α during CCH mediates endogenous adaptive processes to defend against more severe hypoperfusion injury of the brain, which may provide a therapeutic benefit.

Fish Oil Supplementation Increases Event-Related Posterior Cingulate Activation in Older Adults with Subjective Memory Impairment.

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Boespflug, E L; McNamara, R K; Eliassen, J C; Schidler, M D; Krikorian, R

2016-02-01

To determine the effects of long-chain omega-3 (LCn-3) fatty acids found in fish oil, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on cortical blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity during a working memory task in older adults with subjective memory impairment. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Academic medical center. Healthy older adults (62-80 years) with subjective memory impairment, but not meeting criteria for mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Fish oil (EPA+DHA: 2.4 g/d, n=11) or placebo (corn oil, n=10) for 24 weeks. Cortical BOLD response patterns during performance of a sequential letter n-back working memory task were determined at baseline and week 24 by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). At 24 weeks erythrocyte membrane EPA+DHA composition increased significantly from baseline in participants receiving fish oil (+31%, p ≤ 0.0001) but not placebo (-17%, p=0.06). Multivariate modeling of fMRI data identified a significant interaction among treatment, visit, and memory loading in the right cingulate (BA 23/24), and in the right sensorimotor area (BA 3/4). In the fish oil group, BOLD increases at 24 weeks were observed in the right posterior cingulate and left superior frontal regions during memory loading. A region-of-interest analysis indicated that the baseline to endpoint change in posterior cingulate cortex BOLD activity signal was significantly greater in the fish oil group compared with the placebo group during the 1-back (p=0.0003) and 2-back (p=0.0005) conditions. Among all participants, the change in erythrocyte EPA+DHA during the intervention was associated with performance in the 2-back working memory task (p = 0.01), and with cingulate BOLD signal during the 1-back (p = 0.005) with a trend during the 2-back (p = 0.09). Further, cingulate BOLD activity was related to performance in the 2-back condition. Dietary fish oil supplementation increases red blood cell omega-3 content

White matter hypoperfusion and damage in dementia: post-mortem assessment.

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Love, Seth; Miners, J Scott

2015-01-01

Neuroimaging has revealed a range of white matter abnormalities that are common in dementia, some that predict cognitive decline. The abnormalities may result from structural diseases of the cerebral vasculature, such as arteriolosclerosis and amyloid angiopathy, but can also be caused by nonstructural vascular abnormalities (eg, of vascular contractility or permeability), neurovascular instability or extracranial cardiac or vascular disease. Conventional histopathological assessment of the white matter has tended to conflate morphological vascular abnormalities with changes that reflect altered interstitial fluid dynamics or white matter ischemic damage, even though the latter may be of extracranial or nonstructural etiology. However, histopathology is being supplemented by biochemical approaches, including the measurement of proteins involved in the molecular responses to brain ischemia, myelin proteins differentially susceptible to ischemic damage, vessel-associated proteins that allow rapid measurement of microvessel density, markers of blood-brain barrier dysfunction and axonal injury, and mediators of white matter damage. By combining neuroimaging with histopathology and biochemical analysis, we can provide reproducible, quantitative data on the severity of white matter damage, and information on its etiology and pathogenesis. Together these have the potential to inform and improve treatment, particularly in forms of dementia to which white matter hypoperfusion makes a significant contribution. © 2014 International Society of Neuropathology.

Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Learning and Memory and Improves Synaptic Plasticity via Activation of the PKA/CREB Signaling Pathway in Cerebral Hypoperfusion

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Cai-Xia Zheng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Electroacupuncture (EA has shown protective effects on cognitive decline. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are ill-understood. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the cognitive function was ameliorated in cerebral hypoperfusion rats following EA and to investigate the role of PKA/CREB pathway. We used a rat 2-vessel occlusion (2VO model and delivered EA at Baihui (GV20 and Dazhui (GV14 acupoints. Morris water maze (MWM task, electrophysiological recording, Golgi silver stain, Nissl stain, Western blot, and real-time PCR were employed. EA significantly (1 ameliorated the spatial learning and memory deficits, (2 alleviated long-term potentiation (LTP impairment and the reduction of dendritic spine density, (3 suppressed the decline of phospho-CREB (pCREB protein, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF protein, and microRNA132 (miR132, and (4 reduced the increase of p250GAP protein of 2VO rats. These changes were partially blocked by a selective protein kinase A (PKA inhibitor, N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylaminoethyl]-5-isoquinoline-sulfonamide (H89, suggesting that the PKA/CREB pathway is potentially involved in the effects of EA. Moreover, any significant damage to the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 subregion was absent. These results demonstrated that EA could ameliorate learning and memory deficits and alleviate hippocampal synaptic plasticity impairment of cerebral hypoperfusion rats, potentially mediated by PKA/CREB signaling pathway.

Lower Activation in Frontal Cortex and Posterior Cingulate Cortex Observed during Sex Determination Test in Early-Stage Dementia of the Alzheimer Type.

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Rajmohan, Ravi; Anderson, Ronald C; Fang, Dan; Meyer, Austin G; Laengvejkal, Pavis; Julayanont, Parunyou; Hannabas, Greg; Linton, Kitten; Culberson, John; Khan, Hafiz; De Toledo, John; Reddy, P Hemachandra; O'Boyle, Michael W

2017-01-01

Face-labeling refers to the ability to classify faces into social categories. This plays a critical role in human interaction as it serves to define concepts of socially acceptable interpersonal behavior. The purpose of the current study was to characterize, what, if any, impairments in face-labeling are detectable in participants with early-stage clinically diagnosed dementia of the Alzheimer type (CDDAT) through the use of the sex determination test (SDT). In the current study, four (1 female, 3 males) CDDAT and nine (4 females, 5 males) age-matched neurotypicals (NT) completed the SDT using chimeric faces while undergoing BOLD fMRI. It was expected that CDDAT participants would have poor verbal fluency, which would correspond to poor performance on the SDT. This could be explained by decreased activation and connectivity patterns within the fusiform face area (FFA) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). DTI was also performed to test the association of pathological deterioration of connectivity in the uncinate fasciculus (UF) and verbally-mediated performance. CDDAT showed lower verbal fluency test (VFT) performance, but VFT was not significantly correlated to SDT and no significant difference was seen between CDDAT and NT for SDT performance as half of the CDDAT performed substantially worse than NT while the other half performed similarly. BOLD fMRI of SDT displayed differences in the left superior frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), but not the FFA or ACC. Furthermore, although DTI showed deterioration of the right inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi, as well as the PCC, it did not demonstrate significant deterioration of UF tracts. Taken together, early-stage CDDAT may represent a common emerging point for the loss of face labeling ability.

[Facilitation of the retention and acceleration of operant conditioning extinction after cingulate cortex lesions in BALB/c mice].

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Destrade, C; Gauthier, M

1981-12-21

One week after receiving bilateral electrolytic lesions of the cingulate cortex, BALB/c Mice underwent acquisition, retention and extinction of an appetitive operant-conditioning task in a Skinner box. There was no significant difference between lesioned and control animals in acquisition; however, lesioned mice exhibited improved retention and faster extinction. These results suggest a possible involvement of the cingulate cortex in memory processes.

The neural basis for novel semantic categorization.

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Koenig, Phyllis; Smith, Edward E; Glosser, Guila; DeVita, Chris; Moore, Peachie; McMillan, Corey; Gee, Jim; Grossman, Murray

2005-01-15

We monitored regional cerebral activity with BOLD fMRI during acquisition of a novel semantic category and subsequent categorization of test stimuli by a rule-based strategy or a similarity-based strategy. We observed different patterns of activation in direct comparisons of rule- and similarity-based categorization. During rule-based category acquisition, subjects recruited anterior cingulate, thalamic, and parietal regions to support selective attention to perceptual features, and left inferior frontal cortex to helps maintain rules in working memory. Subsequent rule-based categorization revealed anterior cingulate and parietal activation while judging stimuli whose conformity with the rules was readily apparent, and left inferior frontal recruitment during judgments of stimuli whose conformity was less apparent. By comparison, similarity-based category acquisition showed recruitment of anterior prefrontal and posterior cingulate regions, presumably to support successful retrieval of previously encountered exemplars from long-term memory, and bilateral temporal-parietal activation for perceptual feature integration. Subsequent similarity-based categorization revealed temporal-parietal, posterior cingulate, and anterior prefrontal activation. These findings suggest that large-scale networks support relatively distinct categorization processes during the acquisition and judgment of semantic category knowledge.

Anterior insula signals inequalities in a modified Ultimatum Game.

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Cheng, Xuemei; Zheng, Li; Li, Lin; Zheng, Yijie; Guo, Xiuyan; Yang, Guang

2017-04-21

Studies employing the Ultimatum Game (UG) which involves two parties (i.e., proposers and responders) splitting some money have suggested the role that anterior insula (AI) plays in detecting fairness norm violation, i.e., violation of the responder's expectation of receiving equal splits from the proposer. In this study, we explored how AI would respond when there existed simultaneously another expectation of being treated equivalently as others. Participants acted as responders and would be informed about both the offers they received and the average amount of money the same proposer offered to others. Hence we introduced different conditions where participants were treated equivalently or not equivalently as other responders in UG. Participants could decide to accept or reject the offer with acceptance leading to the suggested split and rejection leaving both parties nothing. Behavioral results showed that participants rejected more unfair offers and reacted more slowly during acceptance (vs. rejection) of offers when they were offered less than others. At the neural level, stronger AI activation was observed when participants received unfair relative to fair offers, as well as when they received unequal relative to equal offers. Moreover, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dmPFC/dACC) exhibited greater activity during receiving unequal (vs. equal) offers and during acceptance (vs. rejection) of offers which were less than others'. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that the treatment of others modulated both behavioral responses to unfairness and neural correlates of the fairness-related decision-making process, and that AI played a general role in detecting norm violations. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impaired cerebrovascular function in coronary artery disease patients and recovery following cardiac rehabilitation.

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Udunna C Anazodo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Coronary artery disease (CAD poses a risk to the cerebrovascular function of older adults and has been linked to impaired cognitive abilities. Using magnetic resonance perfusion imaging, we investigated changes in resting cerebral blood flow (CBF and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR to hypercapnia in 34 coronary artery disease (CAD patients and 21 age-matched controls. Gray matter volume images were acquired and used as a confounding variable to separate changes in structure from function. Compared to healthy controls, CAD patients demonstrated reduced CBF in the superior frontal, anterior cingulate, insular, pre- and post-central gyri, middle temporal and superior temporal regions. Subsequent analysis of these regions demonstrated decreased CVR in the anterior cingulate, insula, postcentral and superior frontal regions. Except in the superior frontal and precentral regions, regional reductions in CBF and CVR were identified in brain areas where no detectable reductions in gray matter volume were observed, demonstrating that these vascular changes were independent of brain atrophy. Because aerobic fitness training can improve brain function, potential changes in regional CBF were investigated in the CAD patients after completion of a 6-month exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program. Increased CBF was observed in the bilateral anterior cingulate, as well as recovery of CBF in the dorsal aspect of the right anterior cingulate, where the magnitude of increased CBF was roughly equal to the reduction in CBF at baseline compared to controls. These exercise-related improvements in CBF in the anterior cingulate is intriguing given the role of this area in cognitive processing and regulation of cardiovascular autonomic control.

Neural and Behavioral Correlates of PTSD and Alcohol Use

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2014-12-01

Rezayof A, Hosseini SS, Zarrindast MR (2009) Effects of Morphine on Rat Behaviour in the Elevated Plus Maze: The Role of Central Amygdala Dopamine...The current research takes a multi-level approach to study the psychological , behavioral, cognitive and neural relationships between PTSD and alcohol...presented with combat-associated stimuli, an effect mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex. PTSD was associated with heightened anterior cingulate

Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators’ self-report.

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Kathleen eGarrison

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Neurophenomenological studies seek to utilize first-person self-report to elucidate cognitive processes related to physiological data. Grounded theory offers an approach to the qualitative analysis of self-report, whereby theoretical constructs are derived from empirical data. Here we used grounded theory methodology to assess how the first-person experience of meditation relates to neural activity in a core region of the default mode network –the posterior cingulate cortex. We analyzed first-person data consisting of meditators’ accounts of their subjective experience during runs of a real-time fMRI neurofeedback study of meditation, and third-person data consisting of corresponding feedback graphs of posterior cingulate cortex activity during the same runs. We found that for meditators, the subjective experiences of ‘undistracted awareness’ such as ‘concentration’ and ‘observing sensory experience’, and ‘effortless doing’ such as ‘observing sensory experience’, ‘not efforting’, and ‘contentment’, correspond with posterior cingulate cortex deactivation. Further, the subjective experiences of ‘distracted awareness’ such as ‘distraction’ and ‘interpreting’, and ‘controlling’ such as ‘efforting’ and ‘discontentment’, correspond with posterior cingulate cortex activation. Moreover, we derived several novel hypotheses about how specific qualities of cognitive processes during meditation relate to posterior cingulate cortex activity, such as the difference between meditation and ‘trying to meditate’. These findings offer novel insights into the relationship between meditation and self-related thinking and neural activity in the default mode network, driven by the first-person experience.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity in women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Kim, Byung-Hoon; Namkoong, Kee; Kim, Jae-Jin; Lee, Seojung; Yoon, Kang Joon; Choi, Moonjong; Jung, Young-Chul

2015-12-30

The biological underpinnings of the psychological factors characterizing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have not been extensively studied. Our aim was to evaluate alterations of resting-state functional connectivity in CFS patients. Participants comprised 18 women with CFS and 18 age-matched female healthy controls who were recruited from the local community. Structural and functional magnetic resonance images were acquired during a 6-min passive-viewing block scan. Posterior cingulate cortex seeded resting-state functional connectivity was evaluated, and correlation analyses of connectivity strength were performed. Graph theory analysis of 90 nodes of the brain was conducted to compare the global and local efficiency of connectivity networks in CFS patients with that in healthy controls. The posterior cingulate cortex in CFS patients showed increased resting-state functional connectivity with the dorsal and rostral anterior cingulate cortex. Connectivity strength of the posterior cingulate cortex to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex significantly correlated with the Chalder Fatigue Scale score, while the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score was controlled. Connectivity strength to the rostral anterior cingulate cortex significantly correlated with the Chalder Fatigue Scale score. Global efficiency of the posterior cingulate cortex was significantly lower in CFS patients, while local efficiency showed no difference from findings in healthy controls. The findings suggest that CFS patients show inefficient increments in resting-state functional connectivity that are linked to the psychological factors observed in the syndrome. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Panax ginseng extract attenuates neuronal injury and cognitive deficits in rats with vascular dementia induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion

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Jun-De Zhu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Panax ginseng is a slow-growing perennial plant. Panax ginseng extract has numerous biological activities, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory and antistress activities. Panax ginseng extract also has a cognition-enhancing effect in rats with alcohol-induced memory impairment. In this study, we partially occluded the bilateral carotid arteries in the rat to induce chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, a well-known model of vascular dementia. The rats were then intragastrically administered 50 or 100 mg/kg Panax ginseng extract. Morris water maze and balance beam tests were used to evaluate memory deficits and motor function, respectively. Protein quantity was used to evaluate cholinergic neurons. Immunofluorescence staining was used to assess the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells. Western blot assay was used to evaluate protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, Bcl-2 and Bax. Treatment with Panax ginseng extract for 8 weeks significantly improved behavioral function and increased neuronal density and VEGF and bFGF protein expression in the hippocampal CA3 area. Furthermore, Panax ginseng extract reduced the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive cells, and it decreased apoptosis by upregulating Bcl-2 and downregulating Bax protein expression. The effect of Panax ginseng extract was dose-dependent and similar to that of nimodipine, a commonly used drug for the treatment of vascular dementia. These findings suggest that Panax ginseng extract is neuroprotective against vascular dementia induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, and therefore might have therapeutic potential for preventing and treating the disease.

Differences in cerebral perfusion deficits in mild traumatic brain injury and depression using single photon emission computed tomography

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Kristoffer eRomero

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Numerous studies have shown decreased perfusion in the prefrontal cortex following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI. However, similar hypoperfusion can also be observed in depression. Given the high prevalence of depressive symptoms following mTBI, it is unclear to what extent depression influences hypoperfusion in TBI.Methods: Mild TBI patients without depressive symptoms (mTBI-noD, n = 39, TBI patients with depressive symptoms (mTBI-D, n = 13, and 15 patients with major depressive disorder, but no TBI (MDD were given 99-m T-ECD SPECT scans within 2 weeks of injury. All subjects completed tests of information processing speed, complex attention, and executive functioning, and a self-report questionnaire measuring symptoms of psychological distress. Between group comparisons of quantified SPECT perfusion were undertaken, using univariate and multivariate (partial least squares analyses.Results: mTBI-D and mTBI-noD groups did not differ in terms of cerebral perfusion. However, patients with MDD showed hypoperfusion in several frontal (orbitofrontal, middle frontal, and superior frontal cortex, superior temporal, and posterior cingulate regions. The mTBI-D group showed poorer performance on a measure of complex attention and working memory, compared to both the mTBI-noD and MDD groups.Conclusions: These results suggest that depressive symptoms do not affect SPECT perfusion in the sub-acute phase following a mild TBI. Conversely, MDD is associated with hypoperfusion primarily in frontal regions.

Differences in cerebral perfusion deficits in mild traumatic brain injury and depression using single-photon emission computed tomography.

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Romero, Kristoffer; Black, Sandra E; Feinstein, Anthony

2014-01-01

Numerous studies have shown decreased perfusion in the prefrontal cortex following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, similar hypoperfusion can also be observed in depression. Given the high prevalence of depressive symptoms following mTBI, it is unclear to what extent depression influences hypoperfusion in TBI. Mild TBI patients without depressive symptoms (mTBI-noD, n = 39), TBI patients with depressive symptoms (mTBI-D, n = 13), and 15 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), but no TBI were given 99m T-ECD single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans within 2 weeks of injury. All subjects completed tests of information processing speed, complex attention, and executive functioning, and a self-report questionnaire measuring symptoms of psychological distress. Between-group comparisons of quantified SPECT perfusion were undertaken using univariate and multivariate (partial least squares) analyses. mTBI-D and mTBI-noD groups did not differ in terms of cerebral perfusion. However, patients with MDD showed hypoperfusion compared to both TBI groups in several frontal (orbitofrontal, middle frontal, and superior frontal cortex), superior temporal, and posterior cingulate regions. The mTBI-D group showed poorer performance on a measure of complex attention and working memory compared to both the mTBI-noD and MDD groups. These results suggest that depressive symptoms do not affect SPECT perfusion in the sub-acute phase following a mild TBI. Conversely, MDD is associated with hypoperfusion primarily in frontal regions.

Parieto-occipital hypoperfusion in late whiplash syndrome: first quantitative SPET study using technetium-99m bicisate (ECD)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otte, A.; Ettlin, T.; Fierz, L.; Mueller-Brand, J.

1996-01-01

Brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) with N,N''-1,2-ethylene-diylbis-L-cysteine diethyl ester dihydrochloride (ECD) was performed on ten patients with a clinically high grade late whiplash syndrome and on 11 controls. Two independent readers blinded to the clinical diagnosis were able to separate the ten patients from normal controls. All these patients had qualitative bilateral parieto-occipital hypoperfusion. To confirm this, the perfusion rate of parieto-occipital over global (perfusion index) was calculated after drawing elliptical regions of interest in transversal-oblique slices. The perfusion indices in patients were significantly lower than in controls as tested by the Mann-Whitney U test. This quantitative study proves our recent qualitatively analysed observation. (orig./MG)

Parieto-occipital hypoperfusion in late whiplash syndrome: first quantitative SPET study using technetium-99m bicisate (ECD)

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Otte, A. [Inst. of Nuclear Medicine, Univ. Hospital Basel (Switzerland); Ettlin, T. [Rehabilitation Clinic, Rheinfelden (Switzerland); Fierz, L.; Mueller-Brand, J.

1996-01-01

Brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) with N,N``-1,2-ethylene-diylbis-L-cysteine diethyl ester dihydrochloride (ECD) was performed on ten patients with a clinically high grade late whiplash syndrome and on 11 controls. Two independent readers blinded to the clinical diagnosis were able to separate the ten patients from normal controls. All these patients had qualitative bilateral parieto-occipital hypoperfusion. To confirm this, the perfusion rate of parieto-occipital over global (perfusion index) was calculated after drawing elliptical regions of interest in transversal-oblique slices. The perfusion indices in patients were significantly lower than in controls as tested by the Mann-Whitney U test. This quantitative study proves our recent qualitatively analysed observation. (orig./MG)

Chemical shift magnetic resonance spectroscopy of cingulate grey matter in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mechtcheriakov, Sergei; Kugener, Andre; Mattedi, Michael; Hinterhuber, Hartmann; Marksteiner, Josef; Schocke, Michael; Graziadei, Ivo W.; Vogel, Wolfgang

2005-01-01

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is frequently diagnosed in patients with liver cirrhosis who do not show overt clinical cirrhosis-associated neurological deficits. This condition manifests primarily with visuo-motor and attention deficits. We studied the association between visuo-motor deficits and magnetic resonance spectroscopic parameters in cingulate grey matter and white matter of centrum semiovale in patients with liver cirrhosis. The data revealed an increase in the glutamate-glutamine/creatine ratio and a decrease in choline/creatine and inositol/creatine ratios in patients with liver cirrhosis. The analysis of the data showed that cirrhosis-associated deterioration of the visuo-motor function significantly correlates with a decrease in the choline/creatine ratio and an increase in N-acetylaspartate/choline in cingulate grey matter but not in the neighbouring white matter. Furthermore, the increase in the glutamate-glutamine/creatine ratio correlated significantly with the increase in the N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio. These data suggest an association between altered choline, glutamate-glutamine and NAA metabolism in cingulate grey matter and symptoms of MHE, and underline the importance of differentiation between grey and white matter in magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies on patients with cirrhosis-associated brain dysfunction. (orig.)

Lower Activation in Frontal Cortex and Posterior Cingulate Cortex Observed during Sex Determination Test in Early-Stage Dementia of the Alzheimer Type

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Ravi Rajmohan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Face-labeling refers to the ability to classify faces into social categories. This plays a critical role in human interaction as it serves to define concepts of socially acceptable interpersonal behavior. The purpose of the current study was to characterize, what, if any, impairments in face-labeling are detectable in participants with early-stage clinically diagnosed dementia of the Alzheimer type (CDDAT through the use of the sex determination test (SDT. In the current study, four (1 female, 3 males CDDAT and nine (4 females, 5 males age-matched neurotypicals (NT completed the SDT using chimeric faces while undergoing BOLD fMRI. It was expected that CDDAT participants would have poor verbal fluency, which would correspond to poor performance on the SDT. This could be explained by decreased activation and connectivity patterns within the fusiform face area (FFA and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC. DTI was also performed to test the association of pathological deterioration of connectivity in the uncinate fasciculus (UF and verbally-mediated performance. CDDAT showed lower verbal fluency test (VFT performance, but VFT was not significantly correlated to SDT and no significant difference was seen between CDDAT and NT for SDT performance as half of the CDDAT performed substantially worse than NT while the other half performed similarly. BOLD fMRI of SDT displayed differences in the left superior frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC, but not the FFA or ACC. Furthermore, although DTI showed deterioration of the right inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi, as well as the PCC, it did not demonstrate significant deterioration of UF tracts. Taken together, early-stage CDDAT may represent a common emerging point for the loss of face labeling ability.

Anterior insula GABA levels correlate with emotional aspects of empathy: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

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Qianfeng Wang

Full Text Available Empathy is a multidimensional construct referring to the capacity to understand and share the emotional and affective states of another person. Cerebral γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA-ergic levels are associated with a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the role of the GABA system in different dimensions of empathy has not been investigated.Thirty-two right-handed healthy volunteers took part in this study. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine GABA concentrations in the anterior insula (AI and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC and to examine the relationship between the GABA concentrations and the subcomponents of empathy evaluated by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI.Pearson correlation analyses (two-tailed showed that AI GABA was significantly associated with the empathy concern score (r = 0.584, p<0.05 and the personal distress score (r = 0.538, p<0.05 but not significantly associated with other empathy subscales. No significant correlation was found between ACC GABA and empathy subscores.Left AI GABA was positively correlated with the emotional aspects of empathy. These preliminary findings call into question whether AI GABA alterations might predict empathy dysfunction in major psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, which have been described as deficits in emotional empathic abilities.

Occipital and Cingulate Hypometabolism are Significantly Under-Reported on 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Scans of Patients with Lewy Body Dementia.

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Hamed, Moath; Schraml, Frank; Wilson, Jeffrey; Galvin, James; Sabbagh, Marwan N

2018-01-01

To determine whether occipital and cingulate hypometabolism is being under-reported or missed on 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) CT scans in patients with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Recent studies have reported higher sensitivity and specificity for occipital and cingulate hypometabolism on FDG-PET of DLB patients. This retrospective chart review looked at regions of interest (ROI's) in FDG-PET CT scan reports in 35 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable, possible, or definite DLB as defined by the latest DLB Consortium Report. ROI's consisting of glucose hypometabolism in frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and cingulate areas were tabulated and charted separately by the authors from the reports. A blinded Nuclear medicine physician read the images independently and marked ROI's separately. A Cohen's Kappa coefficient statistic was calculated to determine agreement between the reports and the blinded reads. On the radiology reports, 25.71% and 17.14% of patients reported occipital and cingulate hypometabolism respectively. Independent reads demonstrated significant disagreement with the proportion of occipital and cingulate hypometabolism being reported on initial reads: 91.43% and 85.71% respectively. Cohen's Kappa statistic determinations demonstrated significant agreement only with parietal hypometabolism (pOccipital and cingulate hypometabolism is under-reported and missed frequently on clinical interpretations of FDG-PET scans of patients with DLB, but the frequency of hypometabolism is even higher than previously reported. Further studies with more statistical power and receiver operating characteristic analyses are needed to delineate the sensitivity and specificity of these in vivo biomarkers.

Investigation of photoplethysmographic signals and blood oxygen saturation values on healthy volunteers during cuff-induced hypoperfusion using a multimode PPG/SpO₂ sensor.

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Shafique, M; Kyriacou, P A; Pal, S K

2012-06-01

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a technique widely used to monitor volumetric blood changes induced by cardiac pulsations. Pulse oximetry uses the technique of PPG to estimate arterial oxygen saturation values (SpO₂). In poorly perfused tissues, SpO₂ readings may be compromised due to the poor quality of the PPG signals. A multimode finger PPG probe that operates simultaneously in reflectance, transmittance and a combined mode called "transreflectance" was developed, in an effort to improve the quality of the PPG signals in states of hypoperfusion. Experiments on 20 volunteers were conducted to evaluate the performance of the multimode PPG sensor and compare the results with a commercial transmittance pulse oximeter. A brachial blood pressure cuff was used to induce artificial hypoperfusion. Results showed that the amplitude of the transreflectance AC PPG signals were significantly different (p signals obtained from the other two conventional PPG sensors (reflectance and transmittance). At induced brachial pressures between 90 and 135 mmHg, the reflectance finger pulse oximeter failed 25 times (failure rate 42.2 %) to estimate SpO₂ values, whereas the transmittance pulse oximeter failed 8 times (failure rate 15.5 %). The transreflectance pulse oximeter failed only 3 times (failure rate 6.8 %) and the commercial pulse oximeter failed 17 times (failure rate 29.4 %).

Mindfulness meditation regulates anterior insula activity during empathy for social pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Laneri, Davide; Krach, Sören; Paulus, Frieder M; Kanske, Philipp; Schuster, Verena; Sommer, Jens; Müller-Pinzler, Laura

2017-08-01

Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress, promote health, and well-being, as well as to increase compassionate behavior toward others. It reduces distress to one's own painful experiences, going along with altered neural responses, by enhancing self-regulatory processes and decreasing emotional reactivity. In order to investigate if mindfulness similarly reduces distress and neural activations associated with empathy for others' socially painful experiences, which might in the following more strongly motivate prosocial behavior, the present study compared trait, and state effects of long-term mindfulness meditation (LTM) practice. To do so we acquired behavioral data and neural activity measures using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during an empathy for social pain task while manipulating the meditation state between two groups of LTM practitioners that were matched with a control group. The results show increased activations of the anterior insula (AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as well as the medial prefrontal cortex and temporal pole when sharing others' social suffering, both in LTM practitioners and controls. However, in LTM practitioners, who practiced mindfulness meditation just prior to observing others' social pain, left AI activation was lower and the strength of AI activation following the mindfulness meditation was negatively associated with trait compassion in LTM practitioners. The findings suggest that current mindfulness meditation could provide an adaptive mechanism in coping with distress due to the empathic sharing of others' suffering, thereby possibly enabling compassionate behavior. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4034-4046, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anterior cervical fusion: the role of anterior plating.

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Daffner, Scott D; Wang, Jeffrey C

2009-01-01

Treatment of cervical pathology requires a clear understanding of the biomechanical benefits and limitations of cervical plates, their indications, and their associated complications. The use of anterior cervical plates has evolved significantly since their early application in cervical trauma. They have become widely used for anterior cervical decompression and fusion for cervical spondylosis. Plate design has undergone significant refinement and innovation, from the initial unlocked plates requiring bicortical purchase to the latest rotationally and translationally semiconstrained dynamic plates. Excellent clinical results have been reported for single-level anterior cervical decompression and fusion with or without plate fixation; however, the addition of an anterior cervical plate clearly leads to earlier fusion and better clinical results in longer fusions. Longer fusions should ideally consist of corpectomies and strut grafting because the decreased number of fusion surfaces tends to lead to higher fusion rates. Although anterior plate fixation leads to higher fusion rates in fusions of three or more levels, the associated pseudarthrosis rate is still high. The use of dynamic plates, through increased load sharing across the graft and decreased stress shielding, may improve fusion rates, particularly in long fusions. Nevertheless, adjuvant posterior fixation is recommended for fusions of more than three vertebral levels. Anterior plate fixation may be of particular benefit in the management of traumatic injuries, in revision settings, and in the treatment of smokers. Complications unique to plate fixation include hardware breakage and migration as well as ossification of the adjacent disk levels.

HIV Distal Neuropathic Pain Is Associated with Smaller Ventral Posterior Cingulate Cortex.

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Keltner, John R; Connolly, Colm G; Vaida, Florin; Jenkinson, Mark; Fennema-Notestine, Christine; Archibald, Sarah; Akkari, Cherine; Schlein, Alexandra; Lee, Jisu; Wang, Dongzhe; Kim, Sung; Li, Han; Rennels, Austin; Miller, David J; Kesidis, George; Franklin, Donald R; Sanders, Chelsea; Corkran, Stephanie; Grant, Igor; Brown, Gregory G; Atkinson, J Hampton; Ellis, Ronald J

2017-03-01

. Despite modern antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated neuropathy is one of the most prevalent, disabling and treatment-resistant complications of HIV disease. The presence and intensity of distal neuropathic pain is not fully explained by the degree of peripheral nerve damage. A better understanding of brain structure in HIV distal neuropathic pain may help explain why some patients with HIV neuropathy report pain while the majority does not. Previously, we reported that more intense distal neuropathic pain was associated with smaller total cerebral cortical gray matter volumes. The objective of this study was to determine which parts of the cortex are smaller. . HIV positive individuals with and without distal neuropathic pain enrolled in the multisite (N = 233) CNS HIV Antiretroviral Treatment Effects (CHARTER) study underwent structural brain magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-based morphometry was used to investigate regional brain volumes in these structural brain images. . Left ventral posterior cingulate cortex was smaller for HIV positive individuals with versus without distal neuropathic pain (peak P  = 0.017; peak t = 5.15; MNI coordinates x = -6, y = -54, z = 20). Regional brain volumes within cortical gray matter structures typically associated with pain processing were also smaller for HIV positive individuals having higher intensity ratings of distal neuropathic pain. . The posterior cingulate is thought to be involved in inhibiting the perception of painful stimuli. Mechanistically a smaller posterior cingulate cortex structure may be related to reduced anti-nociception contributing to increased distal neuropathic pain. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

A voxel-based analysis of cerebral perfusion with {sup 99m}Tc-ECD brain SPECT in obsessive-compulsive disorder

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Jeon, Tae Joo; Lee, Jong Doo; Kim, Hee Joung; Chang, Jin Woo; Kim, Chan Hyung; Lee, Hong Shick; Min, Sung Kil; Chung, Sang Sup [College of Medicine, Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2000-07-01

Many neuroimaging studies, especially metabolic imaging with PET, showed a specific frontal-subcortical brain circuit connecting the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate gyrus, elements of basal ganglia and thalamus is involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Despite consistent metabolic alteration on PET, blood flow studies with SPECT were inconsistent and various cortical and subcortical structures showed abnormal perfusion patterns. In this study, brain SPECT images of seven patients with OCD were evaluated with a sophisticated method of statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Seven patients with severe, primary OCD (6 males and 1 female) with mean age of 25.4 4.7 yrs (20-32 yrs) were studied. The SPECT data of the patients were compared with those of healthy subjects and patients with drug nave schizophrenia using SPM. The SPM parameters were p value of 0.001 with Z value of 3.09 (higher threshold ) or p value of 0.005 with Z value 2.58 (lower threshold). On a higher threshold (p<0.01),five of the seven patients showed hyperperfusion within the anterior cingulate cortex, however, hyperperfusion within OFC or caudate nucleus was seen in only one patient. On a lower threshold (p<0.005), hyperperfusion within the anterior cingulate cortex was seen in all patients, and followed by thalamus (n=5), lentiform nucleus (n=4), caudate nucleus (n=3), and OFC (n=3). Perfusion within the anterior cingulate cortex was also increased in OCD compared with drug nave schizophrenia. Anterior cingulate cortex appears to be an important anatomical structure in the pathogenesis of OCD symptoms. Brain SPECT using a sophisticated analysis method of SPM is useful for the diagnosis of OCD and differentiation from schizophrenia.

A voxel-based analysis of cerebral perfusion with 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT in obsessive-compulsive disorder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Tae Joo; Lee, Jong Doo; Kim, Hee Joung; Chang, Jin Woo; Kim, Chan Hyung; Lee, Hong Shick; Min, Sung Kil; Chung, Sang Sup

2000-01-01

Many neuroimaging studies, especially metabolic imaging with PET, showed a specific frontal-subcortical brain circuit connecting the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate gyrus, elements of basal ganglia and thalamus is involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Despite consistent metabolic alteration on PET, blood flow studies with SPECT were inconsistent and various cortical and subcortical structures showed abnormal perfusion patterns. In this study, brain SPECT images of seven patients with OCD were evaluated with a sophisticated method of statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Seven patients with severe, primary OCD (6 males and 1 female) with mean age of 25.4 4.7 yrs (20-32 yrs) were studied. The SPECT data of the patients were compared with those of healthy subjects and patients with drug nave schizophrenia using SPM. The SPM parameters were p value of 0.001 with Z value of 3.09 (higher threshold ) or p value of 0.005 with Z value 2.58 (lower threshold). On a higher threshold (p<0.01),five of the seven patients showed hyperperfusion within the anterior cingulate cortex, however, hyperperfusion within OFC or caudate nucleus was seen in only one patient. On a lower threshold (p<0.005), hyperperfusion within the anterior cingulate cortex was seen in all patients, and followed by thalamus (n=5), lentiform nucleus (n=4), caudate nucleus (n=3), and OFC (n=3). Perfusion within the anterior cingulate cortex was also increased in OCD compared with drug nave schizophrenia. Anterior cingulate cortex appears to be an important anatomical structure in the pathogenesis of OCD symptoms. Brain SPECT using a sophisticated analysis method of SPM is useful for the diagnosis of OCD and differentiation from schizophrenia

Cytoarchitecture and cortical connections of the posterior cingulate and adjacent somatosensory fields in the rhesus monkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Morecraft, R J; Cipolloni, P B; Stilwell-Morecraft, K S; Gedney, M T; Pandya, D N

2004-01-26

The cytoarchitecture and connections of the caudal cingulate and medial somatosensory areas were investigated in the rhesus monkey. There is a stepwise laminar differentiation starting from retrosplenial area 30 towards the isocortical regions of the medial parietal cortex. This includes a gradational emphasis on supragranular laminar organization and general reduction of the infragranular neurons as one proceeds from area 30 toward the medial parietal regions, including areas 3, 1, 2, 5, 31, and the supplementary sensory area (SSA). This trend includes a progressive increase in layer IV neurons. Area 23c in the lower bank and transitional somatosensory area (TSA) in the upper bank of the cingulate sulcus appear as nodal points. From area 23c and TSA the architectonic progression can be traced in three directions: one culminates in areas 3a and 3b (core line), the second in areas 1, 2, and 5 (belt line), and the third in areas 31 and SSA (root line). These architectonic gradients are reflected in the connections of these regions. Thus, cingulate areas (30, 23a, and 23b) are connected with area 23c and TSA on the one hand and have widespread connections with parieto-temporal, frontal, and parahippocampal (limbic) regions on the other. Area 23c has connections with areas 30, 23a and b, and TSA as well as with medial somatosensory areas 3, 1, 2, 5, and SSA. Area 23c also has connections with parietotemporal, frontal, and limbic areas similar to areas 30, 23a, and 23b. Area TSA, like area 23c, has connections with areas 3, 1, 2, 5, and SSA. However, it has only limited connections with the parietotemporal and frontal regions and none with the parahippocampal gyrus. Medial area 3 is mainly connected to medial and dorsal sensory areas 3, 1, 2, 5, and SSA and to areas 4 and 6 as well as to supplementary (M2 or area 6m), rostral cingulate (M3 or areas 24c and d), and caudal cingulate (M4 or areas 23c and d) motor cortices. Thus, in parallel with the architectonic gradient

Quantitative stress-redistribution planar T1-201 scintigraphy: Assessment of the extent of hypoperfused myocardium by relationship to angiographic findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassir, R.; Maddahi, J.; Garcia, E.

1984-01-01

The size of hypoperfused myocardium (HM) in coronary artery (CA) disease (D) potentially provides a prognostic index that may not be accurately assess by conventional angiographic classification. The authors studied 62 consecutive patients (pts) with planar stress-redistribution T1-201 scintigraphy (T1-201) and coronary arteriography who did not have prior myocardial infarction and achieved 85% predicted maximum heart rate on exercise. Of 62 pts, 42 had CAD (>50% stenosis). For T1-201 quantification of the size of HM, maximum count circumferential profiles of initial distribution and % washout were obtained and compared to previously established normal limits. The area enclosed between the normal limits and the abnormal portion of the pt's profiles represented a quantitative T1-201 jeopardy score (JS). Despite increasing T1-201 JS from 1 to 3 vessel (V) and left-main (LM) D, significant overlap between the different angiographic groups was observed; of 45 pts with mild JS (<300), 14 (31%) had 3VD and/or LMD. The angiographic extent of CAD was also analyzed using a method (CLASS) proposed by Gensini et al based on the CA territory, location and severity of stenosis, and collateral circulation. T1-201 JS correlated significantly with CLASS (r=.78, p<.01). Of the 45 pts with mild JS, only 5 (11%) had severe CLASS score. Thus, the size of the hypoperfused myocardium by quantitative stress- and redistribution T1-201 correlates better with a more complex angiographic estimate of myocardium at risk than conventional 1, 2, and 3 vessel disease classification

Upper midbrain profile sign and cingulate sulcus sign. MRI findings on sagittal images in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus, Alzheimer's disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adachi, Michito; Ohshima, Fumi; Kawanami, Toru; Kato, Takeo

2006-01-01

On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sagittal sections, we sometimes encounter abnormal aspects of the superior profile of the midbrain and the cingulate sulcus in patients with dementia. In this preliminary study, we refer to these findings as the ''upper midbrain profile sign'' and the cingulate sulcus sign.'' We prospectively evaluated the usefulness of these signs for the diagnosis of idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). We evaluated the upper midbrain profile sign and the cingulate sulcus sign on MRI sagittal images obtained from 21 people with headaches but no neurological deficit (controls), 10 iNPH patients, 11 AD patients, and 5 PSP patients. The upper midbrain profile sign indicated a concave shape to the superior profile of the midbrain on mid-sagittal images, and the cingulate sulcus sign indicated a narrow, tight aspect of the posterior part of the cingulate sulcus on paramedian-sagittal images. These signs were never seen in any images from the controls. The upper midbrain profile sign was seen in 7 of 10 patients with iNPH, 5 of 11 with AD, and 3 of 5 with PSP. The cingulate sulcus sign was seen in all 10 patients with iNPH but was never seen in any patient with AD or PSP. The upper midbrain profile sign could support a diagnosis of PSP but cannot discriminate among iNPH, AD, and PSP. In contrast, the cingulate sulcus sign has a very high sensitivity for iNPH and should facilitate the distinction of iNPH from other dementias. In the clinical setting, it is momentous to evaluate these signs easily by one simple MRI sequence. (author)

anomalous left anterior cerebral artery with hypoplastic right anterior ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2018-02-28

Feb 28, 2018 ... We report an extremely rare anomalous variation of left anterior cerebral artery arising from the ... paraclinoid internal carotid artery and right ... Studies on the arteries of the brain: II-The anterior cerebral artery: Some anatomic ...

Investigation of PACAP Fragments and Related Peptides in Chronic Retinal Hypoperfusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Werling, Dora; Reglodi, Dora; Kiss, Peter; Toth, Gabor; Szabadfi, Krisztina; Tamas, Andrea; Biro, Zsolt; Atlasz, Tamas

2014-01-01

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) has neuroprotective effects in different neuronal and retinal injuries. Retinal ischemia can be effectively modelled by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), which causes chronic hypoperfusion-induced degeneration in the entire rat retina. The retinoprotective effect of PACAP 1-38 and VIP is well-established in ischemic retinopathy. However, little is known about the effects of related peptides and PACAP fragments in ischemic retinopathy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential retinoprotective effects of different PACAP fragments (PACAP 4-13, 4-22, 6-10, 6-15, 11-15, and 20-31) and related peptides (secretin, glucagon) in BCCAO-induced ischemic retinopathy. Wistar rats (3-4 months old) were used in the experiment. After performing BCCAO, the right eyes of the animals were treated with PACAP fragments or related peptides intravitreal (100 pM), while the left eyes were injected with saline serving as control eyes. Sham-operated (without BCCAO) rats received the same treatment. Routine histology was performed 2 weeks after the surgery; cells were counted and the thickness of retinal layers was compared. Our results revealed significant neuroprotection by PACAP 1-38 but did not reveal retinoprotective effect of the PACAP fragments or related peptides. These results suggest that PACAP 1-38 has the greatest efficacy in ischemic retinopathy.

Investigation of PACAP Fragments and Related Peptides in Chronic Retinal Hypoperfusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dora Werling

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP has neuroprotective effects in different neuronal and retinal injuries. Retinal ischemia can be effectively modelled by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO, which causes chronic hypoperfusion-induced degeneration in the entire rat retina. The retinoprotective effect of PACAP 1-38 and VIP is well-established in ischemic retinopathy. However, little is known about the effects of related peptides and PACAP fragments in ischemic retinopathy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential retinoprotective effects of different PACAP fragments (PACAP 4-13, 4-22, 6-10, 6-15, 11-15, and 20-31 and related peptides (secretin, glucagon in BCCAO-induced ischemic retinopathy. Wistar rats (3-4 months old were used in the experiment. After performing BCCAO, the right eyes of the animals were treated with PACAP fragments or related peptides intravitreal (100 pM, while the left eyes were injected with saline serving as control eyes. Sham-operated (without BCCAO rats received the same treatment. Routine histology was performed 2 weeks after the surgery; cells were counted and the thickness of retinal layers was compared. Our results revealed significant neuroprotection by PACAP 1-38 but did not reveal retinoprotective effect of the PACAP fragments or related peptides. These results suggest that PACAP 1-38 has the greatest efficacy in ischemic retinopathy.

The neural mechanisms of affect infusion in social economic decision-making: a mediating role of the anterior insula.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlé, Katia M; Chang, Luke J; van 't Wout, Mascha; Sanfey, Alan G

2012-05-15

Though emotions have been shown to have sometimes dramatic effects on decision-making, the neural mechanisms mediating these biases are relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated how incidental affect (i.e. emotional states unrelated to the decision at hand) may influence decisions, and how these biases are implemented in the brain. Nineteen adult participants made decisions which involved accepting or rejecting monetary offers from others in an Ultimatum Game while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Prior to each set of decisions, participants watched a short video clip aimed at inducing either a sad or neutral emotional state. Results demonstrated that, as expected, sad participants rejected more unfair offers than those in the neutral condition. Neuroimaging analyses revealed that receiving unfair offers while in a sad mood elicited activity in brain areas related to aversive emotional states and somatosensory integration (anterior insula) and to cognitive conflict (anterior cingulate cortex). Sad participants also showed a diminished sensitivity in neural regions associated with reward processing (ventral striatum). Importantly, insular activation uniquely mediated the relationship between sadness and decision bias. This study is the first to reveal how subtle mood states can be integrated at the neural level to influence decision-making. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cerebral blood flow imaging in staging of dementia of Alzheimer type. A study using statistical parametric mapping (SPM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawahata, Nobuya; Daitoh, Nobuyuki; Gotoh, Chiharu; Yokoyama, Sakura [Narita Memorial Hospital, Toyohashi, Aichi (Japan)

2001-10-01

One hundred twenty-two patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) were selected from consecutive referrals to the Memory Clinic at Narita Memorial Hospital. All fulfilled the NINCDS-ADRDA diagnostic criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease. Patients with DAT were subdivided on the results of their score on the Japanese version of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-J cog.), into mild (score lower than or equal to 15, n=47), moderate (score 16 to 35, n=63), and severe (score greater than or equal to 36, n=12) groups. Seventy age-matched controls who had no signs or symptoms of dementia were recruited from the Memory Clinic. The reconstructed {sup 123}I-IMP-SPECT data were analyzed using a statistical parametric mapping technique. In mild stage of DAT, SPM analysis demonstrated that bilateral posterior parietal lobes, superior occipital lobes, and posterior cingulated gyri were significantly decreased in CBF as compared with the normal controls. In moderate stage of DAT, extension of the hypoperfusion to the frontal lobes was detected as compared with the mild stage of DAT. In severe stage of DAT, SPM image showed the diffuse hypoperfusion in bilateral hemispheres. The frequency of hypoperfusions in the DAT group was observed with the following: 15.0% in the mild stage, 34.9% in the moderate stage, and 66.7% in the severe stage. Our results indicate that the frequency and progression of the hypoperfusion in the temporoparietal regions and/or the other regions in DAT is related to the severity of the dementia. (author)

Cerebral blood flow imaging in staging of dementia of Alzheimer type. A study using statistical parametric mapping (SPM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawahata, Nobuya; Daitoh, Nobuyuki; Gotoh, Chiharu; Yokoyama, Sakura

2001-01-01

One hundred twenty-two patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) were selected from consecutive referrals to the Memory Clinic at Narita Memorial Hospital. All fulfilled the NINCDS-ADRDA diagnostic criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease. Patients with DAT were subdivided on the results of their score on the Japanese version of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-J cog.), into mild (score lower than or equal to 15, n=47), moderate (score 16 to 35, n=63), and severe (score greater than or equal to 36, n=12) groups. Seventy age-matched controls who had no signs or symptoms of dementia were recruited from the Memory Clinic. The reconstructed 123 I-IMP-SPECT data were analyzed using a statistical parametric mapping technique. In mild stage of DAT, SPM analysis demonstrated that bilateral posterior parietal lobes, superior occipital lobes, and posterior cingulated gyri were significantly decreased in CBF as compared with the normal controls. In moderate stage of DAT, extension of the hypoperfusion to the frontal lobes was detected as compared with the mild stage of DAT. In severe stage of DAT, SPM image showed the diffuse hypoperfusion in bilateral hemispheres. The frequency of hypoperfusions in the DAT group was observed with the following: 15.0% in the mild stage, 34.9% in the moderate stage, and 66.7% in the severe stage. Our results indicate that the frequency and progression of the hypoperfusion in the temporoparietal regions and/or the other regions in DAT is related to the severity of the dementia. (author)

Biphasic threat to femoral head perfusion in abduction: arterial hypoperfusion and venous congestion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yousefzadeh, David K. [Comer Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Chicago, IL (United States); University of Chicago, Department of Radiology, Chicago, IL (United States); Jaramillo, Diego [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Johnson, Neil [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Doerger, Kirk [Radiology Associates of Northern Kentucky, Crestview Hills, KY (United States); Sullivan, Christopher [University of Chicago, Department of Surgery, Chicago, IL (United States)

2010-09-15

Hip abduction can cause avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head in infants. To compare the US perfusion pattern of femoral head cartilage in neutral position with that in different degrees and duration of abduction, testing the venous congestion theory of post-abduction ischemia. In 20 neonates, the Doppler flow characteristics of the posterosuperior (PS) branch of the femoral head cartilage feeding vessels were evaluated in neutral and at 30 , 45 , and 60 abduction. In three neonates the leg was held in 45-degree abduction and flow was assessed at 5, 10, and 15 min. Male/female ratio was 11/9 with a mean age of 1.86 {+-} 0.7 weeks. The peak systolic velocities (PSV) declined in all three degrees of abduction. After 15 min of 45-degree abduction, the mean PSV declined and showed an absent or reversed diastolic component and undetectable venous return. No perfusion was detected at 60-degree abduction. Abduction-induced femoral head ischemia is biphasic and degree- and duration-dependent. In phase I there is arterial hypoperfusion and in phase II there is venous congestion. A new pathogeneses for femoral head ischemia is offered. (orig.)

Reduced cingulate gyrus volume associated with enhanced cortisol awakening response in young healthy adults reporting childhood trauma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaojia Lu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have demonstrated the relationship between stress-induced increased cortisol levels and atrophy of specific brain regions, however, this association has been less revealed in clinical samples. The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes and associations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis activity and gray matter volumes in young healthy adults with self-reported childhood trauma exposures. METHODS: Twenty four healthy adults with childhood trauma and 24 age- and gender-matched individuals without childhood trauma were recruited. Each participant collected salivary samples in the morning at four time points: immediately upon awakening, 30, 45, and 60 min after awakening for the assessment of cortisol awakening response (CAR. The 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained on a Philips 3.0 Tesla scanner. Voxel-based morphometry analyses were conducted to compare the gray matter volume between two groups. Correlations of gray matter volume changes with severity of childhood trauma and CAR data were further analyzed. RESULTS: Adults with self-reported childhood trauma showed an enhanced CAR and decreased gray matter volume in the right middle cingulate gyrus. Moreover, a significant association was observed between salivary cortisol secretions after awaking and the right middle cingulate gyrus volume reduction in subjects with childhood trauma. CONCLUSIONS: The present research outcomes suggest that childhood trauma is associated with hyperactivity of the HPA axis and decreased gray matter volume in the right middle cingulate gyrus, which may represent the vulnerability for developing psychosis after childhood trauma experiences. In addition, this study demonstrates that gray matter loss in the cingulate gyrus is related to increased cortisol levels.

Personality and neurochemicals in the human brain: A preliminary study using 1H MRS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

XU Shiyong; PENG Danling; JIN Zhen; LIU Hongyan; YANG Jie

2005-01-01

To investigate the neuro-biological bases of introversion-extraversion personality traits, the concentra- tion of four neurochemicals (Cho, mI, α-Glx and NAA) in anterior cigulate gyrus between normal extroverts and introverts were examined using non-invasive 1H MRS technique. Our study revealed that introverts have significantly higher level of α-Glx, Cho and mI in the anterior cingulate gyrus than extroverts. This result provides new evidence that the anterior cingulate gyrus is related to personality traits partly in support of Eysenck's supposition that introverts have higher arousal level than extroverts. Moreover, this result offers neurochemical data for psychobiological theories of personality.

Functional neuroimaging and presenting psychiatric features in frontotemporal dementia

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, M F; McMurtray, A; Chen, A K; Shapira, J S; Mishkin, F; Miller, B L

2006-01-01

Background Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a behavioural syndrome caused by degeneration of the frontal and anterior temporal lobes. Behavioural disturbances include psychiatric features. Whether patients with FTD present with psychiatric features varies with the initial neuroanatomical variability of FTD. Objective To identify presenting psychiatric changes not part of diagnostic criteria of FTD and contrast them with the degree of hemispheric asymmetry and frontal and temporal hypoperfusion on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Methods 74 patients who met consensus criteria for FTD were evaluated at a two year follow up. All had brain SPECT on initial presentation. Results of an FTD psychiatric checklist were contrasted with ratings of regional hypoperfusion. Results The regions of predominant hypoperfusion did not correlate with differences on FTD demographic variables but were associated with presenting psychiatric features. Dysthymia and anxiety were associated with right temporal hypoperfusion. “Moria” or frivolous behaviour also occurred with temporal lobe changes, especially on the right. The only significant frontal lobe feature was the presence of a peculiar physical bearing in association with right frontal hypoperfusion. Conclusions Patients with FTD may present with psychiatric changes distinct from the behavioural diagnostic criteria for this disorder. Early temporal involvement is associated with frivolous behaviour and right temporal involvement is associated with emotional disturbances. In contrast, those with right frontal disease may present with alterations in non‐verbal behaviour. PMID:16043457

Válvula de uretra anterior Anterior urethral valves

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Silvio Tucci Jr.

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Objetivo: apresentar os aspectos clínicos, diagnósticos e terapêuticos de pacientes portadores de válvula da uretra anterior. Descrição: em dois neonatos, o diagnóstico presuntivo de patologia obstrutiva do trato urinário foi sugerido pela ultra-sonografia realizada no período pré-natal, confirmando-se o diagnóstico de válvula de uretra anterior pela avaliação pós-natal. Os pacientes foram submetidos a tratamento cirúrgico paliativo, com vesicostomia temporária e, posteriormente, definitivo, pela fulguração endoscópica das válvulas. Ambos evoluíram com função renal normal. Comentários: a válvula da uretra anterior é anomalia rara que deve ser considerada em meninos com quadro radiológico pré-natal sugestivo de obstrução infravesical, secundariamente à hipótese mais comum de válvula da uretra posterior. Ressaltamos a utilização da vesicostomia como derivação urinária temporária nestes casos, prevenindo potenciais complicações pela manipulação da uretra do recém-nascido.Objective: to discuss clinical signs, diagnostic tools and therapeutics of anterior urethral valves, an obstructive anomaly of the urinary system in males. Description: signs of urinary tract obstruction were identified on pre-natal ultrasound in two male fetuses and the diagnosis of anterior urethral valves was made through post-natal evaluation. As an initial treatment, vesicostomy was performed in both patients. Later, the valves were fulgurated using an endoscopic procedure. During the follow-up period both patients presented normal renal function. Comments: anterior urethral valves are a rare form of urethral anomaly that must be ruled out in boys with pre-natal ultrasound indicating infravesical obstruction. Vesicostomy used as an initial treatment rather than transurethral fulguration may prevent potential complications that can occur due to the small size of the neonatal urethra.

Perawatan Ortodontik Gigitan Terbuka Anterior

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Yuniar Zen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Perawatan gigitan terbuka anterior telah lama dianggap sebagai tantangan bagi ortodontis. Prevalensi gigitan terbuka anterior antara 3,5% hingga 11% terdapat pada berbagai usia dan kelompok etnis, serta ada sekitar 17% pasien ortodonti memiliki gigitan terbuka. Stabilitas hasil perawatan gigitan terbuka anterior sangat sulit, karena adanya kombinasi diskrepansi anteroposterior dengan gigitan terbuka skeletal sehingga dibutuhkan tingkat keterampilan diagnosis dan klinis yang tinggi. Etiologi gigitan terbuka anterior sangat kompleks karena dapat melibatkan skeletal, dental, dan faktor-faktor habitual. Eliminasi faktor etiologi merupakan hal yang penting dalam perawatan gigitan terbuka anterior. Berbagai cara perawatan untuk koreksi gigitan terbuka anterior diantaranya bedah ortognatik dan perawatan ortodontik kamuflase, seperti high-pull headgear, chincup, bite blocks, alatfungsional, pencabutan gigi, multi-loop edgewise archwires dan mini implan. Stabilitas hasil perawatan adalah kriteria yang paling penting dalam menentukan cara perawatan gigitan terbuka anterior. Orthodontic Treatment of Anterior Open Bite. An anterior open bite therapy has long been considered a challenge to orthodontist. The prevalence of anterior openbite range from 3,5 % to 11% among various age and ethnic groups and it has been shown that approximately 17% of orthodontic patients have open bite. Stability of treatment result of anterior open bite with well-maintained results is difficult, because the combination of anteroposteriorly discrepancy with skeletal open bite requires the highest degree of diagnostic and clinical skill. The etiology is complex, potentially involving skeletal, dental and habitual factors. The importance of an anterior open bite therapy is to eliminate the cause of the open bite. Various treatment modalities for the correction of an anterior open bite have been proposed, orthognatic surgery and orthodontic camouflage treatment such as high

Comparison of Automated and Manual Recording of Brief Episodes of Intracranial Hypertension and Cerebral Hypoperfusion and Their Association with Outcome After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

which could limit our ability to evaluate the difference between EVD ICP and IPM ICP. Second, due to the complexity of the human brain and our...quartile 24.8 years and third quartile 49.3 years. There were 68 males and 13 females in this study group. In terms of the severity, those patients...Hypoperfusion and Their Association with Outcome After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Peter Hu, PhD; Yao Li, MS; Shiming Yang, PhD; Catriona

Abnormal Concentration of GABA and Glutamate in The Prefrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia.-An in Vivo 1H-MRS Study.

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Chen, Tianyi; Wang, Yingchan; Zhang, Jianye; Wang, Zuowei; Xu, Jiale; Li, Yao; Yang, Zhilei; Liu, Dengtang

2017-10-25

The etiology and pathomechanism of schizophrenia are unknown. The traditional dopamine (DA) hypothesis is unable to fully explain its pathology and therapeutics. The glutamate (Glu) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) hypotheses suggest Glu or GABA concentrations are abnormal in the brains of patients with schizophrenia. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) show glutamate level increases in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) including the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) in those with schizophrenia. To investigate the function of the glutamate system (glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid) in the etiology and pathomechanism of schizophrenia. 24 drug naïve patients with schizophrenia and 24 healthy volunteers were matched by gender, age, and educational level. The Siemens 3T MRI system was used to collect the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data of the subjects. The regions of interest included the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (IDLPFC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). LCModel software was used to analyze the concentrations of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), and N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) in the region of interest. Meanwhile, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) were used to assess the mental symptoms and severity of the disease. The median GABA concentrations in the anterior cingulate cortex of the schizophrenia group and the healthy control group were 1.90 (Q1=1.55, Q3=2.09) and 2.16 (Q1=1.87, Q3=2.59) respectively; the mean (sd) Glu concentrations were 6.07 (2.48) and 6.54 (1.99); the median Gln concentrations were 0.36 (Q1=0.00, Q3=0.74) and 0.29 (Q1=0.00, Q3=0.59); the between-group difference of the GABA concentrations was statistically significant ( Z =-2.95, p =0.003); the between-group difference of the GABA/(NAA+NAAG) was statistically significant ( Z =-2.72, p =0.012); the

Fluoxetine ameliorates cognitive impairments induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion via down-regulation of HCN2 surface expression in the hippocampal CA1 area in rats.

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Luo, Pan; Zhang, Xiaoxue; Lu, Yun; Chen, Cheng; Li, Changjun; Zhou, Mei; Lu, Qing; Xu, Xulin; Shen, Guanxin; Guo, Lianjun

2016-01-01

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) causes cognitive impairments and increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD) through several biologically plausible pathways, yet the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), could play a neuroprotective role against chronic cerebral hypoperfusion injury and to clarify underlying mechanisms of its efficacy. Rats were subjected to permanent bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries (two-vessel occlusion, 2VO). Two weeks later, rats were treated with 30 mg/kg fluoxetine (intragastric injection, i.g.) for 6 weeks. Cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM) and novel objects recognition (NOR) test. Long-term potentiation (LTP) was used to address the underlying synaptic mechanisms. Western blotting was used to quantify the protein levels. Our results showed that fluoxetine treatment significantly improved the cognitive impairments caused by 2VO, accompanied with a reversion of 2VO-induced inhibitory of LTP. Furthermore, 2VO caused an up-regulation of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 2 (HCN2) surface expressions in the hippocampal CA1 area and fluoxetine also effectively recovered the disorder of HCN2 surface expressions, which may be a possible mechanism that fluoxetine treatment ameliorates cognitive impairments in rats with CCH. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Opposite effective connectivity in the posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex between first-episode schizophrenic patients with suicide risk and healthy controls.

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Huiran Zhang

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The schizophrenic patients with high suicide risk are characterized by depression, better cognitive function, and prominent positive symptoms. However, the neurobiological basis of suicide attempts in schizophrenia is not clear. The suicide in schizophrenia is implicated in the defects in emotional process and decision-making, which are associated with prefrontal-cingulate circuit. In order to explore the possible neurobiological basis of suicide in schizophrenia, we investigated the correlation of prefrontal-cingulate circuit with suicide risk in schizophrenia via dynamic casual modelling. METHOD: Participants were 33 first-episode schizophrenic patients comprising of a high suicide risk group (N = 14 and a low suicide risk group (N = 19. A comparison group of healthy controls (N = 15 were matched for age, gender and education. N-back tasking functional magnetic resonance imaging data was collected. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls group, the two patients groups showed decreased task-related suppression during 2-back task state versus baseline state in the left posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex; the hyper-connectivity from the left posterior cingulate cortex to the left medial prefrontal cortex existed in both schizophrenic patients groups, but hypo-connectivity in the opposite direction only existed in the schizophrenic patients group with high suicide risk. CONCLUSIONS: The hyper-connectivity from the left posterior cingulate cortex to the left medial prefrontal cortex may suggest that the abnormal effective connectivity was associated with risk for schizophrenia. The hypo-connectivity in the opposite direction may represent a possible correlate of increased vulnerability to suicide attempt.

Catarata polar anterior piramidal deslocada para a câmara anterior causando edema de córnea: relato de caso Corneal edema caused by a pyramidal anterior polar cataract dislocated to the anterior chamber: case report

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Ramon Coral Ghanem

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Cataratas polares anteriores piramidais são opacidades cônicas que se projetam para a câmara anterior a partir da cápsula anterior do cristalino. Na grande maioria dos pacientes a opacidade permanece aderida e estável durante toda a vida. O objetivo deste trabalho é documentar uma manifestação incomum desse tipo de catarata: a deiscência espontânea das pirâmides para a câmara anterior causando descompensação endotelial e edema corneal bilateral. Relatamos o caso de uma paciente feminina, de 66 anos, branca, que apresentava edema corneal localizado inferiormente no olho direito associado à lesão nodular branco-esclerótica compatível com a pirâmide anterior da catarata polar. O olho esquerdo apresentava edema corneal difuso intenso e presença de uma catarata polar anterior com a região piramidal deslocada para a câmara anterior. Sabe-se que a pirâmide anterior pode permanecer inabsorvida na câmara anterior por longo período, pois é composta de tecido colágeno denso. Isto causa perda endotelial progressiva e edema corneal e deve ser considerada indicação de remoção cirúrgica da catarata polar anterior e de seu fragmento. Ressalta-se, também, a importância do bom senso no julgamento das cataratas polares anteriores, considerando-se tamanho da opacidade, simetria das opacidades e componente cortical associado, na tentativa de se evitar ambliopia.Pyramidal anterior polar cataracts are conical opacities that project into the anterior chamber from the anterior capsule of the lens. In the vast majority of patients the opacity remains bound and stable throughout life. We report an unusual complication of this type of cataract: spontaneous dehiscence of the pyramids to the anterior chamber causing bilateral endothelial damage and corneal edema. 66-year-old white woman presented with inferior corneal edema in the right eye and diffuse corneal edema in the left eye. A white nodular lesion was observed in the inferior angle

Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Deficits Reduce Glucose Metabolism and Function of Cholinergic and GABAergic Systems in the Cingulate Cortex.

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Jeong, Da Un; Oh, Jin Hwan; Lee, Ji Eun; Lee, Jihyeon; Cho, Zang Hee; Chang, Jin Woo; Chang, Won Seok

2016-01-01

Reduced brain glucose metabolism and basal forebrain cholinergic neuron degeneration are common features of Alzheimer's disease and have been correlated with memory function. Although regions representing glucose hypometabolism in patients with Alzheimer's disease are targets of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons, the interaction between cholinergic denervation and glucose hypometabolism is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate glucose metabolism changes caused by cholinergic deficits. We lesioned basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in rats using 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin. After 3 weeks, lesioned animals underwent water maze testing or were analyzed by ¹⁸F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography. During water maze probe testing, performance of the lesioned group decreased with respect to time spent in the target quadrant and platform zone. Cingulate cortex glucose metabolism in the lesioned group decreased, compared with the normal group. Additionally, acetylcholinesterase activity and glutamate decarboxylase 65/67 expression declined in the cingulate cortex. Our results reveal that spatial memory impairment in animals with selective basal forebrain cholinergic neuron damage is associated with a functional decline in the GABAergic and cholinergic system associated with cingulate cortex glucose hypometabolism.

Anterior tibial stress fractures treated with anterior tension band plating in high-performance athletes.

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Cruz, Alexandre Santa; de Hollanda, João Paris Buarque; Duarte, Aires; Hungria Neto, José Soares

2013-06-01

The non-surgical treatment of anterior tibial cortex stress fractures requires long periods of abstention from sports activities and often results in non-union. Many different surgical techniques have already been previously described to treat these fractures, but there is no consensus on the best treatment. We describe the outcome of treatment using anterior tibial tension band plating in three high-performance athletes (4 legs) with anterior tibial cortex stress fractures. Tibial osteosynthesis with a 3.5-mm locking compression plate in the anterolateral aspect of the tibia was performed in all patients diagnosed with anterior tibial stress fracture after September 2010 at Santa Casa Hospital. All of the fractures were consolidated within a period of 3 months after surgery, allowing for an early return to pre-injury levels of competitive sports activity. There were no infection, non-union, malunion or anterior knee pain complications. Anterior tibial tension band plating leads to prompt fracture consolidation and is a good alternative for the treatment of anterior tibial cortex stress fractures. Bone grafts were shown to be unnecessary.

Anterior ankle arthroscopy, distraction or dorsiflexion?

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de Leeuw, Peter A J; Golanó, Pau; Clavero, Joan A; van Dijk, C Niek

2010-05-01

Anterior ankle arthroscopy can basically be performed by two different methods; the dorsiflexion- or distraction method. The objective of this study was to determine the size of the anterior working area for both the dorsiflexion and distraction method. The anterior working area is anteriorly limited by the overlying anatomy which includes the neurovascular bundle. We hypothesize that in ankle dorsiflexion the anterior neurovascular bundle will move away anteriorly from the ankle joint, whereas in ankle distraction the anterior neurovascular bundle is pulled tight towards the joint, thereby decreasing the safe anterior working area. Six fresh frozen ankle specimens, amputated above the knee, were scanned with computed tomography. Prior to scanning the anterior tibial artery was injected with contrast fluid and subsequently each ankle was scanned both in ankle dorsiflexion and in distraction. A special device was developed to reproducibly obtain ankle dorsiflexion and distraction in the computed tomography scanner. The distance between the anterior border of the inferior tibial articular facet and the posterior border of the anterior tibial artery was measured. The median distance from the anterior border of the inferior tibial articular facet to the posterior border of the anterior tibial artery in ankle dorsiflexion and distraction was 0.9 cm (range 0.7-1.5) and 0.7 cm (range 0.5-0.8), respectively. The distance in ankle dorsiflexion significantly exceeded the distance in ankle distraction (P = 0.03). The current study shows a significantly increased distance between the anterior distal tibia and the overlying anterior neurovascular bundle with the ankle in a slightly dorsiflexed position as compared to the distracted ankle position. We thereby conclude that the distracted ankle position puts the neurovascular structures more at risk for iatrogenic damage when performing anterior ankle arthroscopy.

Influence of attenuation correction and reconstruction techniques on the detection of hypoperfused lesions in brain SPECT studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghoorun, S.; Groenewald, W.A.; Baete, K.; Nuyts, J.; Dupont, P.

2004-01-01

Full text: Aim: To study the influence of attenuation correction and the reconstruction technique on the detection of hypoperfused lesions in brain SPECT imaging, Material and Methods: A simulation experiment was used in which the effects of attenuation and reconstruction were decoupled, A high resolution SPECT phantom was constructed using the BrainWeb database, In this phantom, activity values were assigned to grey and white matter (ratio 4:1) and scaled to obtain counts of the same magnitude as in clinical practice, The true attenuation map was generated by assigning attenuation coefficients to each tissue class (grey and white matter, cerebral spinal fluid, skull, soft and fatty tissue and air) to create a non-uniform attenuation map, The uniform attenuation map was calculated using an attenuation coefficient of 0.15 cm-1, Hypoperfused lesions of varying intensities and sizes were added. The phantom was then projected as typical SPECT projection data, taking into account attenuation and collimator blurring with the addition of Poisson noise, The projection data was reconstructed using four different methods of reconstruction: (1) filtered backprojection (FBP) with the uniform attenuation map; (2) FBP using the true attenuation map; (3) ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) (equivalent to 423 iterations) with a uniform attenuation map; and (4) OSEM with a true attenuation map. Different Gaussian postsmooth kernels were applied to the reconstructed images. Results: The analysis of the reconstructed data was performed using figures of merit such as signal to noise ratio (SNR), bias and variance. The results illustrated that uniform attenuation correction offered slight deterioration (less than 2%) with regard to SNR when compared to the ideal attenuation map. which in reality is not known. The iterative techniques produced superior signal to noise ratios (increase of 5 - 20 % depending on the lesion and the postsmooth) in comparison to the FBP methods

Cerebral perfusion (HMPAO-SPECT) in patients with depression with cognitive impairment versus those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia of Alzheimer's type: a semiquantitative and automated evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staffen, W.; Bergmann, J.; Schoenauer, U.; Kronbichler, M.; Golaszewski, S.; Ladurner, G.; Zauner, H.

2009-01-01

Comparative evaluation of regional brain perfusion measured by HMPAO-SPECT of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) and depression with cognitive impairment (DCI). A total of 736 patients were investigated because of suspected cognitive dysfunction. After exclusion of patients with other forms of dementia than DAT or relevant accompanying disorders, SPECT data from 149 MCI, 131 DAT and 127 DCI patients, and 123 controls without any cognitive impairment, were analysed. Relative cerebral blood flow of 34 anatomical regions was assessed with automated analysis software (BRASS). Calculation of global forebrain perfusion discriminated demented from nondemented patients. Compared to controls DCI patients showed hypoperfusion of the thalamus, lentiform nucleus and medial temporal cortex. MCI patients differed significantly from controls concerning perfusion in both hemispheric temporal and parietal areas, and in the (right hemispheric) posterior part of the cingulate gyrus. MCI and DCI patients differed in the parietal, temporal superior and right hemispheric cingulate gyrus posterior cortices. Global forebrain and regional perfusion was more extensively reduced in DAT patients and discriminated them from controls, and MCI and DCI patients. Frontal perfusion disturbance was only present in DAT patients. Automated analysis of HMPAO-SPECT data from MCI patients showed significant perfusion deficits in regions also involved in DAT patients, but ROC analysis demonstrated only moderate sensitivity and specificity for differentiating DAT patients from controls and DCI patients. Frontal hypoperfusion seems to correspond with conversion from MCI to DAT. Finally, the results in DCI patients again raise the question of depression as an early symptom of neurodegeneration. (orig.)

Cerebral perfusion (HMPAO-SPECT) in patients with depression with cognitive impairment versus those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia of Alzheimer's type: a semiquantitative and automated evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staffen, W.; Bergmann, J.; Schoenauer, U.; Kronbichler, M.; Golaszewski, S.; Ladurner, G. [Paracelsus Medical University, Christian-Doppler-Clinic, Department of Neurology, and Center of Cognitive Research Salzburg, Salzburg (Austria); Zauner, H. [Rehabilitation Center of the Pensionsversicherungsanstalt, Grossgmain (Austria)

2009-05-15

Comparative evaluation of regional brain perfusion measured by HMPAO-SPECT of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) and depression with cognitive impairment (DCI). A total of 736 patients were investigated because of suspected cognitive dysfunction. After exclusion of patients with other forms of dementia than DAT or relevant accompanying disorders, SPECT data from 149 MCI, 131 DAT and 127 DCI patients, and 123 controls without any cognitive impairment, were analysed. Relative cerebral blood flow of 34 anatomical regions was assessed with automated analysis software (BRASS). Calculation of global forebrain perfusion discriminated demented from nondemented patients. Compared to controls DCI patients showed hypoperfusion of the thalamus, lentiform nucleus and medial temporal cortex. MCI patients differed significantly from controls concerning perfusion in both hemispheric temporal and parietal areas, and in the (right hemispheric) posterior part of the cingulate gyrus. MCI and DCI patients differed in the parietal, temporal superior and right hemispheric cingulate gyrus posterior cortices. Global forebrain and regional perfusion was more extensively reduced in DAT patients and discriminated them from controls, and MCI and DCI patients. Frontal perfusion disturbance was only present in DAT patients. Automated analysis of HMPAO-SPECT data from MCI patients showed significant perfusion deficits in regions also involved in DAT patients, but ROC analysis demonstrated only moderate sensitivity and specificity for differentiating DAT patients from controls and DCI patients. Frontal hypoperfusion seems to correspond with conversion from MCI to DAT. Finally, the results in DCI patients again raise the question of depression as an early symptom of neurodegeneration. (orig.)

Anterior ankle arthroscopy, distraction or dorsiflexion?

OpenAIRE

de Leeuw, P.A.J.; Golanó, P.; Clavero, J.A.; van Dijk, C.N.

2010-01-01

Anterior ankle arthroscopy can basically be performed by two different methods; the dorsiflexion- or distraction method. The objective of this study was to determine the size of the anterior working area for both the dorsiflexion and distraction method. The anterior working area is anteriorly limited by the overlying anatomy which includes the neurovascular bundle. We hypothesize that in ankle dorsiflexion the anterior neurovascular bundle will move away anteriorly from the ankle joint, where...

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the frontal, cingulate and perirolandic cortices and its relationship to skin conductance in patients with schizophrenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanches, R.F.; Crippa, J.A.S.; Hallak, J.E.C.; Sousa, J.P.M. de; Zuardi, A.W.; Araujo, D.; Santos, A.C.

2008-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine whether specific subgroups of schizophrenic patients, grouped according to electrodermal characteristics, show differences in the N-acetylaspartate/creatine plus choline (NAA / (Cr + Cho)) ratios in the frontal, cingulate and perirolandic cortices. Skin conductance levels (SCL) and skin conductance responses to auditory stimulation were measured in 38 patients with schizophrenia and in the same number of matched healthy volunteers (control). All subjects were submitted to multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. When compared to the control group, patients presented significantly lower NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratios in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (schizophrenia 0.95 ± 0.03; control = 1.12 ± 0.04) and in the right (schizophrenia 0.88 ± 0.02; control = 0.94 ± 0.03) and left (schizophrenia 0.84 ± 0.03; control = 0.94 ± 0.03) cingulates. These ratios did not differ between electrodermally responsive and non-responsive patients. When patients were divided into two groups: lower SCL (less than the mean SCL of the control group minus two standard deviations) and normal SCL (similar to the control group), the subgroup with a lower level of SCL showed a lower NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratio in the left cingulate (0.78 ± 0.05) than the controls (0.95 ± 0.02, P < 0.05) and the subgroup with normal SCL (0.88 ± 0.03, P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratio in the left cingulate of patients with schizophrenia and the duration of the disease and years under medication. These data suggest the existence of a schizophrenic subgroup characterized by low SCL that could be a consequence of the lower neuronal viability observed in the left cingulate of these patients. (author)

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the frontal, cingulate and perirolandic cortices and its relationship to skin conductance in patients with schizophrenia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanches, R.F.; Crippa, J.A.S.; Hallak, J.E.C.; Sousa, J.P.M. de; Zuardi, A.W. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP, (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Dept. de Neurociencias e Ciencias do Comportamento]. E-mail: awzuardi@fmrp.usp.br; Araujo, D.; Santos, A.C. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP, (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Div. de Radiologia

2008-07-01

The aim of the present study was to determine whether specific subgroups of schizophrenic patients, grouped according to electrodermal characteristics, show differences in the N-acetylaspartate/creatine plus choline (NAA / (Cr + Cho)) ratios in the frontal, cingulate and perirolandic cortices. Skin conductance levels (SCL) and skin conductance responses to auditory stimulation were measured in 38 patients with schizophrenia and in the same number of matched healthy volunteers (control). All subjects were submitted to multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. When compared to the control group, patients presented significantly lower NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratios in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (schizophrenia 0.95 {+-} 0.03; control = 1.12 {+-} 0.04) and in the right (schizophrenia 0.88 {+-} 0.02; control = 0.94 {+-} 0.03) and left (schizophrenia 0.84 {+-} 0.03; control = 0.94 {+-} 0.03) cingulates. These ratios did not differ between electrodermally responsive and non-responsive patients. When patients were divided into two groups: lower SCL (less than the mean SCL of the control group minus two standard deviations) and normal SCL (similar to the control group), the subgroup with a lower level of SCL showed a lower NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratio in the left cingulate (0.78 {+-} 0.05) than the controls (0.95 {+-} 0.02, P < 0.05) and the subgroup with normal SCL (0.88 {+-} 0.03, P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratio in the left cingulate of patients with schizophrenia and the duration of the disease and years under medication. These data suggest the existence of a schizophrenic subgroup characterized by low SCL that could be a consequence of the lower neuronal viability observed in the left cingulate of these patients. (author)

Influencing connectivity and cross-frequency coupling by real-time source localized neurofeedback of the posterior cingulate cortex reduces tinnitus related distress

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Sven Vanneste

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: In this study we are using source localized neurofeedback to moderate tinnitus related distress by influencing neural activity of the target region as well as the connectivity within the default network. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that up-training alpha and down-training beta and gamma activity in the posterior cingulate cortex has a moderating effect on tinnitus related distress by influencing neural activity of the target region as well as the connectivity within the default network and other functionally connected brain areas. Methods: Fifty-eight patients with chronic tinnitus were included in the study. Twenty-three tinnitus patients received neurofeedback training of the posterior cingulate cortex with the aim of up-training alpha and down-training beta and gamma activity, while 17 patients underwent training of the lingual gyrus as a control situation. A second control group consisted of 18 tinnitus patients on a waiting list for future tinnitus treatment. Results: This study revealed that neurofeedback training of the posterior cingulate cortex results in a significant decrease of tinnitus related distress. No significant effect on neural activity of the target region could be obtained. However, functional and effectivity connectivity changes were demonstrated between remote brain regions or functional networks as well as by altering cross frequency coupling of the posterior cingulate cortex. Conclusion: This suggests that neurofeedback could remove the information, processed in beta and gamma, from the carrier wave, alpha, which transports the high frequency information and influences the salience attributed to the tinnitus sound. Based on the observation that much pathology is the result of an abnormal functional connectivity within and between neural networks various pathologies should be considered eligible candidates for the application of source localized EEG based neurofeedback training. Keywords: Posterior cingulate

Quantification of brain images using Korean standard templates and structural and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Dong Soo; Kim, Yu Kyeong

2004-01-01

Population based structural and functional maps of the brain provide effective tools for the analysis and interpretation of complex and individually variable brain data. Brain MRI and PET standard templates and statistical probabilistic maps based on image data of Korean normal volunteers have been developed and probabilistic maps based on cytoarchitectonic data have been introduced. A quantification method using these data was developed for the objective assessment of regional intensity in the brain images. Age, gender and ethnic specific anatomical and functional brain templates based on MR and PET images of Korean normal volunteers were developed. Korean structural probabilistic maps for 89 brain regions and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps for 13 Brodmann areas were transformed onto the standard templates. Brain FDG PET and SPGR MR images of normal volunteers were spatially normalized onto the template of each modality and gender. Regional uptake of radiotracers in PET and gray matter concentration in MR images were then quantified by averaging (or summing) regional intensities weighted using the probabilistic maps of brain regions. Regionally specific effects of aging on glucose metabolism in cingulate cortex were also examined. Quantification program could generate quantification results for single spatially normalized images per 20 seconds. Glucose metabolism change in cingulate gyrus was regionally specific: ratios of glucose metabolism in the rostral anterior cingulate vs. posterior cingulate and the caudal anterior cingulate vs. posterior cingulate were significantly decreased as the age increased. 'Rostral anterior' / 'posterior' was decreased by 3.1% per decade of age (p -11 , r=0.81) and 'caudal anterior' / 'posterior' was decreased by 1.7% (p -8 , r=0.72). Ethnic specific standard templates and probabilistic maps and quantification program developed in this study will be useful for the analysis of brain image of Korean people since the difference

Quantification of brain images using Korean standard templates and structural and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Dong Soo; Kim, Yu Kyeong [College of Medicine, Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] [and others

2004-06-01

Population based structural and functional maps of the brain provide effective tools for the analysis and interpretation of complex and individually variable brain data. Brain MRI and PET standard templates and statistical probabilistic maps based on image data of Korean normal volunteers have been developed and probabilistic maps based on cytoarchitectonic data have been introduced. A quantification method using these data was developed for the objective assessment of regional intensity in the brain images. Age, gender and ethnic specific anatomical and functional brain templates based on MR and PET images of Korean normal volunteers were developed. Korean structural probabilistic maps for 89 brain regions and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps for 13 Brodmann areas were transformed onto the standard templates. Brain FDG PET and SPGR MR images of normal volunteers were spatially normalized onto the template of each modality and gender. Regional uptake of radiotracers in PET and gray matter concentration in MR images were then quantified by averaging (or summing) regional intensities weighted using the probabilistic maps of brain regions. Regionally specific effects of aging on glucose metabolism in cingulate cortex were also examined. Quantification program could generate quantification results for single spatially normalized images per 20 seconds. Glucose metabolism change in cingulate gyrus was regionally specific: ratios of glucose metabolism in the rostral anterior cingulate vs. posterior cingulate and the caudal anterior cingulate vs. posterior cingulate were significantly decreased as the age increased. 'Rostral anterior' / 'posterior' was decreased by 3.1% per decade of age (p<10{sup -11}, r=0.81) and 'caudal anterior' / 'posterior' was decreased by 1.7% (p<10{sup -8}, r=0.72). Ethnic specific standard templates and probabilistic maps and quantification program developed in this study will be useful for the analysis

Studies of temporoparietal hypoperfusion in patients with Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ang Qiuqing; Jiang Kaida; Lin Xiangtong; Jin Shaojin; Zhang Mingyuan

2001-01-01

Objective: To understand the differences of brain perfusion changes in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy elders and to find out which is pathological and which is biological. To figure out the significance of low perfusion in temporal and parietal lobes to AD. Methods: Sixty AD patients were assigned to 3 age groups: 60-65 years old (adl), 66-70 (ad2) and over 70 (ad3). Seventy-three healthy elders were also assigned to 3 age groups as nor1, nor2 and nor3. Sixty AD patients and all control subjects were examined with SPECT. Results: Significant differences (P < 0.01) were found in perfusion at right parietal lobes between nor2 and nor1. Perfusions at bilateral temporal (P < 0.05), parietal (P < 0.01) and frontal (P < 0.01) lobes were significantly lower in AD patients than in controls. There were no significant difference in SPECT measures at all regions of interest among 3 AD age groups. In 60-65 group, perfusions at left temporal (P < 0.05), bilateral parietal (P < 0.01), left frontal (P < 0.01) and right frontal (P < 0.05) lobes were significantly lower in AD patients than in controls; in over 70 group, perfusions at bilateral parietal (P < 0.01) and frontal (P < 0.01) lobes were significantly lower in AD patients than in controls. All of the AD patients were categorized into 3 subgroups, in hierarchical cluster analysis through agglomeration, with bilateral parietal perfusion index as variate: sub-group I (subad1): 31 cases, MMSE scored from 20-24; sub-group II (subad 2): 22 cases, MMSE 13-19; sub-group III (subad3): 7 cases, MMSE 5-11. Conclusions: The extent and magnitude of cerebral blood hypoperfusion in AD patients were much more severe than in normal age-related changes in healthy controls. Bilateral parietal perfusion could be adopted as an effective categorical measure for AD patients at various severity

Anterior ankle arthroscopy, distraction or dorsiflexion?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Leeuw, P.A.J.; Golanó, P.; Clavero, J.A.; van Dijk, C.N.

2010-01-01

Anterior ankle arthroscopy can basically be performed by two different methods; the dorsiflexion- or distraction method. The objective of this study was to determine the size of the anterior working area for both the dorsiflexion and distraction method. The anterior working area is anteriorly

Neurocardiac protection with milrinone for restoring acute cerebral hypoperfusion and delayed ischemic injury after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutoh, Tomoko; Mutoh, Tatsushi; Sasaki, Kazumasu; Nakamura, Kazuhiro; Tatewaki, Yasuko; Ishikawa, Tatsuya; Taki, Yasuyuki

2017-02-15

Acute cerebral hypoperfusion following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is highly related to the pathogenesis of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), but the therapeutic option is poorly available. This study aimed to clarify the effect of milrinone (MIL) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and related outcomes after experimental SAH. Twenty-seven male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to either sham surgery (SAH-sham; n=6), SAH induced by endovascular perforation (control; n=10), or SAH followed by cardiac support with intravenous MIL (n=11) performed 1.5-h after SAH induction. CBF, neurobehavioral function, occurrence of DCI were assessed by MR-continuous arterial spin labeling, daily neurological score testing, and diffusion- and T2-weighted MR images on days 1 and 3, respectively. Initial global CBF depression was notable in mice of control and MIL groups as compared to the SAH-sham group (Pprotective agent against EBI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-range functional interactions of anterior insula and medial frontal cortex are differently modulated by visuospatial and inductive reasoning tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebisch, Sjoerd J H; Mantini, Dante; Romanelli, Roberta; Tommasi, Marco; Perrucci, Mauro G; Romani, Gian Luca; Colom, Roberto; Saggino, Aristide

2013-09-01

The brain is organized into functionally specific networks as characterized by intrinsic functional relationships within discrete sets of brain regions. However, it is poorly understood whether such functional networks are dynamically organized according to specific task-states. The anterior insular cortex (aIC)-dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC)/medial frontal cortex (mFC) network has been proposed to play a central role in human cognitive abilities. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed at testing whether functional interactions of the aIC-dACC/mFC network in terms of temporally correlated patterns of neural activity across brain regions are dynamically modulated by transitory, ongoing task demands. For this purpose, functional interactions of the aIC-dACC/mFC network are compared during two distinguishable fluid reasoning tasks, Visualization and Induction. The results show an increased functional coupling of bilateral aIC with visual cortices in the occipital lobe during the Visualization task, whereas coupling of mFC with right anterior frontal cortex was enhanced during the Induction task. These task-specific modulations of functional interactions likely reflect ability related neural processing. Furthermore, functional connectivity strength between right aIC and right dACC/mFC reliably predicts general task performance. The findings suggest that the analysis of long-range functional interactions may provide complementary information about brain-behavior relationships. On the basis of our results, it is proposed that the aIC-dACC/mFC network contributes to the integration of task-common and task-specific information based on its within-network as well as its between-network dynamic functional interactions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategic Motives Drive Proposers to Offer Fairly in Ultimatum Games: An fMRI Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yin-Hua; Chen, Ying-Chun; Kuo, Wen-Jui; Kan, Kamhon; Yang, C C; Yen, Nai-Shing

2017-04-03

The hypothesis of strategic motives postulates that offering fairly in the Ultimatum Game (UG) is to avoid rejection and receive money. In this fMRI study, we used a modified UG to elucidate how proposers reached decisions of offering fairly and to what extent they considered offering selfishly with different stakes. We had proposers choose between a fair and a selfish offer with different degrees of selfishness and stake sizes. Proposers were less likely and spent more time choosing the fair offer over a slightly-selfish offer than a very selfish offer independent of stakes. Such choices evoked greater activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortices that typically involve in allocation of cognitive control for cost/benefit decision making. Choosing a fair offer in higher stakes evoked greater activation in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACCg) and the areas that previously have been implicated in reward and theory of mind. Furthermore, choosing a slightly selfish offer over a fair offer evoked greater activation in the anterior cingulate sulcus, ACCg, ventral tegmental area (or substantia nigra) and anterior insular cortex signalling the higher gain and implying higher rejection risk. In conclusion, our findings favoured the hypothesis that proposers offer fairly based on the strategic motives.

Decision ambiguity is mediated by a late positive potential originating from cingulate cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Sai; Zhen, Shanshan; Fu, Zhongzheng; Wu, Daw-An; Shimojo, Shinsuke; Adolphs, Ralph; Yu, Rongjun; Wang, Shuo

2017-08-15

People often make decisions in the face of ambiguous information, but it remains unclear how ambiguity is represented in the brain. We used three types of ambiguous stimuli and combined EEG and fMRI to examine the neural representation of perceptual decisions under ambiguity. We identified a late positive potential, the LPP, which differentiated levels of ambiguity, and which was specifically associated with behavioral judgments about choices that were ambiguous, rather than passive perception of ambiguous stimuli. Mediation analyses together with two further control experiments confirmed that the LPP was generated only when decisions are made (not during mere perception of ambiguous stimuli), and only when those decisions involved choices on a dimension that is ambiguous. A further control experiment showed that a stronger LPP arose in the presence of ambiguous stimuli compared to when only unambiguous stimuli were present. Source modeling suggested that the LPP originated from multiple loci in cingulate cortex, a finding we further confirmed using fMRI and fMRI-guided ERP source prediction. Taken together, our findings argue for a role of an LPP originating from cingulate cortex in encoding decisions based on task-relevant perceptual ambiguity, a process that may in turn influence confidence judgment, response conflict, and error correction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Altered Brain Microstructure Assessed by Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus and Gastrointestinal Symptoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frøkjær, Jens Brøndum; Andersen, Lars Wiuff; Brock, Christina

2012-01-01

= 0.002) insula. No difference was found in corpus callosum (P > 0.05). The microstructural changes in some areas correlated with clinical parameters such as bloating (anterior insula), mental well-being (anterior insula, prefrontal cortex, and mid-cingulated and corona radiata), autonomic function...

Risk for affective disorders is associated with greater prefrontal gray matter volumes: A prospective longitudinal study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Macoveanu, Julian; Baaré, William; Madsen, Kristoffer Hougaard

2017-01-01

transmission. Methods: We used voxel based morphometry to investigate changes in regional GM brain volume, over a seven-year period, in 37 initially healthy individuals having a mono- or di-zygotic twin diagnosed with major depression or bipolar disorder (high-risk group; mean age 41.6 yrs.) as compared to 36...... anterior cingulate, inferior frontal gyrus and temporoparietal regions as compared to low-risk twins. Further, individuals who developed an affective disorder at follow-up (n=12), had relatively the largest GM volumes, both at baseline and follow-up, in the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and right...

Impaired consciousness is linked to changes in effective connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex within the default mode network.

Science.gov (United States)

Crone, Julia Sophia; Schurz, Matthias; Höller, Yvonne; Bergmann, Jürgen; Monti, Martin; Schmid, Elisabeth; Trinka, Eugen; Kronbichler, Martin

2015-04-15

The intrinsic connectivity of the default mode network has been associated with the level of consciousness in patients with severe brain injury. Especially medial parietal regions are considered to be highly involved in impaired consciousness. To better understand what aspect of this intrinsic architecture is linked to consciousness, we applied spectral dynamic causal modeling to assess effective connectivity within the default mode network in patients with disorders of consciousness. We included 12 controls, 12 patients in minimally conscious state and 13 in vegetative state in this study. For each subject, we first defined the four key regions of the default mode network employing a subject-specific independent component analysis approach. The resulting regions were then included as nodes in a spectral dynamic causal modeling analysis in order to assess how the causal interactions across these regions as well as the characteristics of neuronal fluctuations change with the level of consciousness. The resulting pattern of interaction in controls identified the posterior cingulate cortex as the main driven hub with positive afferent but negative efferent connections. In patients, this pattern appears to be disrupted. Moreover, the vegetative state patients exhibit significantly reduced self-inhibition and increased oscillations in the posterior cingulate cortex compared to minimally conscious state and controls. Finally, the degree of self-inhibition and strength of oscillation in this region is correlated with the level of consciousness. These findings indicate that the equilibrium between excitatory connectivity towards posterior cingulate cortex and its feedback projections is a key aspect of the relationship between alterations in consciousness after severe brain injury and the intrinsic functional architecture of the default mode network. This impairment might be principally due to the disruption of the mechanisms underlying self-inhibition and neuronal

Structural and functional differences in the cingulate cortex relate to disease severity in anorexia nervosa

Science.gov (United States)

Bär, Karl-Jürgen; de la Cruz, Feliberto; Berger, Sandy; Schultz, Carl Christoph; Wagner, Gerd

2015-01-01

Background The dysfunction of specific brain areas might account for the distortion of body image in patients with anorexia nervosa. The present study was designed to reveal brain regions that are abnormal in structure and function in patients with this disorder. We hypothesized, based on brain areas of altered activity in patients with anorexia nervosa and regions involved in pain processing, an interrelation of structural aberrations in the frontoparietal–cingulate network and aberrant functional activation during thermal pain processing in patients with the disorder. Methods We determined pain thresholds outside the MRI scanner in patients with anorexia nervosa and matched healthy controls. Thereafter, thermal pain stimuli were applied during fMRI imaging. Structural analyses with high-resolution structural T1-weighted volumes were performed using voxel-based morphometry and a surface-based approach. Results Twenty-six patients and 26 controls participated in our study, and owing to technical difficulties, 15 participants in each group were included in our fMRI analysis. Structural analyses revealed significantly decreased grey matter volume and cortical thickness in the frontoparietal–cingulate network in patients with anorexia nervosa. We detected an increased blood oxygen level–dependent signal in patients during the painful 45°C condition in the midcingulate and posterior cingulate cortex, which positively correlated with increased pain thresholds. Decreased grey matter and cortical thickness correlated negatively with pain thresholds, symptom severity and illness duration, but not with body mass index. Limitations The lack of a specific quantification of body image distortion is a limitation of our study. Conclusion This study provides further evidence for confined structural and functional brain abnormalities in patients with anorexia nervosa in brain regions that are involved in perception and integration of bodily stimuli. The association of

Anterior insula activation during inhibition to smoking cues is associated with ability to maintain tobacco abstinence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jodi M. Gilman

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Relapse to smoking after initial abstinence is a major clinical challenge with significant public health consequences. At the brain and behavioral level, those who relapse to tobacco smoking have both greater cue-reactivity and lower inhibitory control than those who remain abstinent. Little is known about neural activation during inhibitory control tasks in the presence of drug-related cues. In the current study, tobacco smokers (SMK; n = 22 and non-smoking controls (CON; n = 19 completed a Go/NoGo task involving smoking cues during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI scan. Following the scan session, smokers were required to quit smoking, and maintenance of abstinence was evaluated as part of a 12-week smoking cessation trial. We evaluated pre-cessation brain activity during NoGo trials in smokers who were versus were not able to quit smoking. We then compared fMRI and inhibitory control measures between smokers and non-smokers. We did not find differences between SMK and CON in performance or activation to smoking or neutral cues. However, compared to SMK who relapsed, SMK who attained biochemically-validated abstinence at the end of the smoking cessation trial had greater neural activation in the anterior insula during NoGo trials specifically with smoking-related cues. Results indicate that within SMK, decreased inhibitory control activation during direct exposure to drug-related stimuli may be a marker of difficulty quitting and relapse vulnerability. Keywords: Smoking cessation, Tobacco, fMRI, Insula, Cue, Relapse, Anterior cingulate cortex, ACC

Tratamiento de la mordida cruzada anterior con plano inclinado anterior. Efecto sobre los arcos dentales

OpenAIRE

Carolina Rodríguez Manjarrés; Jesús Alberto Hernández Silva

2017-01-01

Objetivo: Evaluar los cambios dimensionales de los arcos dentales primarios tratados con plano inclinado anterior como método de corrección de la mordida cruzada anterior. Métodos: Se trataron 10 pacientes con edades entre 3 y 5 años afectados con mordida cruzada anterior completa, se colocó un plano inclinado anterior elaborado en acrílico, que estuvo en posición en promedio 8.5 semanas. Se obtuvieron modelos de estudio en 3 momentos T0: antes del tratamiento; T1: 6 meses después de iniciado...

Perirolandic hypoperfusion on single-photon emission computed tomography in term infants with perinatal asphyxia: comparison with MRI and clinical findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, C.S.; Kim, D.I.; Lee, S.; Yoon, P.H.; Jeon, T.J.; Lee, J.D. [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea); Ryu, Y.H. [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea); Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ghil Medical Center, Gachon Medical School, Inchon (Korea); Park, C.I. [Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea)

2000-12-01

We describe the findings on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with perinatal asphyxia at term, with perirolandic cortico-subcortical changes on MRI, and to correlate them with clinical features. SPECT of 7 patients was obtained after injection of 185-370 MBq of Tc-99m-ECD (ethyl cysteinate dimer). The patients had spastic quadriplegia (7/7) with perinatal asphyxia (6/7) at term (7/7). The results were correlated with the MRI findings. Hypoperfusion of the perirolandic cortex was clearly seen on SPECT in all patients, even in two with subtle changes on MRI. SPECT demonstrated a more extensive area of involvement than MRI, notably in the cerebellum (in 4), the thalamus (in 7) and basal ganglia (in 5), where MRI failed to show any abnormalities. (orig.)

Perirolandic hypoperfusion on single-photon emission computed tomography in term infants with perinatal asphyxia: comparison with MRI and clinical findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, C.S.; Kim, D.I.; Lee, S.; Yoon, P.H.; Jeon, T.J.; Lee, J.D.; Ryu, Y.H.; Park, C.I.

2000-01-01

We describe the findings on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with perinatal asphyxia at term, with perirolandic cortico-subcortical changes on MRI, and to correlate them with clinical features. SPECT of 7 patients was obtained after injection of 185-370 MBq of Tc-99m-ECD (ethyl cysteinate dimer). The patients had spastic quadriplegia (7/7) with perinatal asphyxia (6/7) at term (7/7). The results were correlated with the MRI findings. Hypoperfusion of the perirolandic cortex was clearly seen on SPECT in all patients, even in two with subtle changes on MRI. SPECT demonstrated a more extensive area of involvement than MRI, notably in the cerebellum (in 4), the thalamus (in 7) and basal ganglia (in 5), where MRI failed to show any abnormalities. (orig.)

An FMRI study of the effects of psychostimulants on default-mode processing during Stroop task performance in youths with ADHD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peterson, Bradley S; Potenza, Marc N; Wang, Zhishun

2009-01-01

in the ADHD group. When off medication, youths with ADHD were unable to suppress default-mode activity to the same degree as comparison subjects, whereas when on medication, they suppressed this activity to comparison group levels. Greater activation of the lateral prefrontal cortex when off medication...... predicted a greater reduction in ADHD symptoms when on medication. Granger causality analyses demonstrated that activity in the lateral prefrontal and ventral anterior cingulate cortices mutually influenced one another but that the influence of the ventral anterior cingulate cortex on the lateral prefrontal...... cortex was significantly reduced in youths with ADHD off medication relative to comparison subjects and increased significantly to normal levels when ADHD youths were on medication. CONCLUSIONS: Psychostimulants in youths with ADHD improved suppression of default-mode activity in the ventral anterior...

Regional cerebral blood flow in pure dysarthria. A 3D-SSP study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Kensho; Kamogawa, Kenji; Okuda, Bungo; Kawabata, Keita; Tachibana, Hisao

2007-01-01

Pure dysarthria from brain infarction is a rare condition, and its pathophysiology remains unclear. To clarify the underlying mechanism of pure dysarthria, we investigated the lesion sites and regional cerebral blood flow in patients with pure dysarthria. We examined 18 consecutive patients with pure dysarthria (9 men and 9 women; mean age, 71 years) who underwent MRI and cerebral blood flow studies. To visualize the regional cerebral blood flow, we generated Z score images using the three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) method with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and N-isopropyl-p [ 123 I]iodoamphetamine. Data on the brain surface perfusion extracted by the 3D-SSP analysis were compared between the pure dysarthria (PD) patients and 9 control subjects. MRI revealed multiple lacunar infarctions involving the internal capsule and/or corona radiata in 11 patients, left internal capsule-corona radiata infarction in 4 patients, and pontine infarction in 3 patients. SPECT with 3D-SSP demonstrated bilateral frontal cortical hypoperfusion in all patients, particularly in the anterior opercular region. Based on intergroup comparisons, the PD group exhibited pronounced cortical hypoperfusion in the opercular and medial frontal regions, left more than right. In conclusion, pure dysarthria is considered to originate from frontal cortical hypoperfusion, mainly in the anterior opercular and medial frontal regions, which is probably due to interruption of the corticosubcortical neural networks relevant to speech expression and articulation. In addition, it is suggested that left hemispheric lesions may make a greater contribution to the development of pure dysarthria than do right ones. (author)

Mild toxic anterior segment syndrome mimicking delayed onset toxic anterior segment syndrome after cataract surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su-Na Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS is an acute sterile postoperative anterior segment inflammation that may occur after anterior segment surgery. I report herein a case that developed mild TASS in one eye after bilateral uneventful cataract surgery, which was masked during early postoperative period under steroid eye drop and mimicking delayed onset TASS after switching to weaker steroid eye drop.

Default-mode-like network activation in awake rodents.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaymin Upadhyay

Full Text Available During wakefulness and in absence of performing tasks or sensory processing, the default-mode network (DMN, an intrinsic central nervous system (CNS network, is in an active state. Non-human primate and human CNS imaging studies have identified the DMN in these two species. Clinical imaging studies have shown that the pattern of activity within the DMN is often modulated in various disease states (e.g., Alzheimer's, schizophrenia or chronic pain. However, whether the DMN exists in awake rodents has not been characterized. The current data provides evidence that awake rodents also possess 'DMN-like' functional connectivity, but only subsequent to habituation to what is initially a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI environment as well as physical restraint. Specifically, the habituation process spanned across four separate scanning sessions (Day 2, 4, 6 and 8. At Day 8, significant (p<0.05 functional connectivity was observed amongst structures such as the anterior cingulate (seed region, retrosplenial, parietal, and hippocampal cortices. Prior to habituation (Day 2, functional connectivity was only detected (p<0.05 amongst CNS structures known to mediate anxiety (i.e., anterior cingulate (seed region, posterior hypothalamic area, amygdala and parabracial nucleus. In relating functional connectivity between cingulate-default-mode and cingulate-anxiety structures across Days 2-8, a significant inverse relationship (r = -0.65, p = 0.0004 was observed between these two functional interactions such that increased cingulate-DMN connectivity corresponded to decreased cingulate anxiety network connectivity. This investigation demonstrates that the cingulate is an important component of both the rodent DMN-like and anxiety networks.

MRI appearances of the anterior fibulocalcaneus muscle: a rare anterior compartment muscle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Upadhyay, Bhavin [Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Imaging Department, Essex (United Kingdom); Amiras, Dimitri [Imperial College Health Care NHS Trust, Imaging Department, London (United Kingdom)

2015-05-01

MRI of a 62-year-old female presenting with ankle pain demonstrated an accessory muscle within the anterior compartment of the lower leg. The muscle originated from the fibula and anterior crural septum. The tendon passed anterior to the lateral malleolus and inserted at the critical angle of Gissane on the calcaneus. This muscle was initially described in the anatomic literature by Lambert and Atsas in 2010. To our knowledge, this is the first time the MRI appearances of this muscle has been described in the radiological literature. Awareness of the fibulocalcaneal muscle is important as it may represent a cause of ankle pain. In addition, the tendon could potentially be harvested for use in reconstructive procedures. (orig.)

The pathology of social phobia is independent of developmental changes in face processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, Karina S; Geraci, Marilla; Korelitz, Katherine; Otero, Marcela; Towbin, Ken; Ernst, Monique; Leibenluft, Ellen; Blair, R J R; Pine, Daniel S

2011-11-01

While social phobia in adolescence predicts the illness in adulthood, no study has directly compared the neural responses in social phobia in adults and adolescents. The authors examined neural responses to facial expressions in adults and adolescents with social phobia to determine whether the neural correlates of adult social phobia during face processing also manifest in adolescent social phobia. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses were compared in 39 medication-free participants with social phobia (25 adults and 14 adolescents) and 39 healthy comparison subjects (23 adults and 16 adolescents) matched on age, IQ, and gender. During fMRI scans, participants saw angry, fearful, and neutral expression stimuli while making a gender judgment. Significant diagnosis-by-emotion interactions were observed within the amygdala and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, as has previously been hypothesized. In these regions, both the adolescent and adult social phobia patients showed significantly increased BOLD responses relative to their respective age-matched comparison subjects, and there was no evidence of age-related modulation of between-group differences. These enhanced responses occurred specifically when viewing angry (rostral anterior cingulate cortex) and fearful (amygdala and rostral anterior cingulate cortex) expressions but not when viewing neutral expressions. In addition, the severity of social phobia was significantly correlated with the enhanced rostral anterior cingulate cortex response in the adults. The neural correlates of adult social phobia during face processing also manifest in adolescents. Neural correlates that are observed in adult social phobia may represent the persistence of profiles established earlier in life rather than adaptive responses to such earlier perturbations or maturational changes. These cross-sectional observations might encourage longitudinal fMRI studies of adolescent social phobia.

Decision salience signals in posterior cingulate cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah eHeilbronner

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Despite its phylogenetic antiquity and clinical importance, the posterior cingulate cortex (CGp remains an enigmatic nexus of attention, memory, motivation, and decision making. Here we show that CGp neurons track decision salience—the degree to which an option differs from a standard—but not the subjective value of a decision. To do this, we recorded the spiking activity of CGp neurons in monkeys choosing between options varying in reward-related risk, delay to reward, and social outcomes, each of which varied in level of decision salience. Firing rates were higher when monkeys chose the risky option, consistent with their risk-seeking preferences, but were also higher when monkeys chose the delayed and social options, contradicting their preferences. Thus, across decision contexts, neuronal activity was uncorrelated with how much monkeys valued a given option, as inferred from choice. Instead, neuronal activity signaled the deviation of the chosen option from the standard, independently of how it differed. The observed decision salience signals suggest a role for CGp in the flexible allocation of neural resources to motivationally significant information, akin to the role of attention in selective processing of sensory inputs.

Cognitive Control Signals in Posterior Cingulate Cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin eHayden

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Efficiently shifting between tasks is a central function of cognitive control. The role of the default network—a constellation of areas with high baseline activity that declines during task performance—in cognitive control remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that task switching demands cognitive control to shift the balance of processing towards the external world, and therefore predicted that switching between the two tasks would require suppression of activity of neurons within the CGp. To test this idea, we recorded the activity of single neurons in posterior cingulate cortex (CGp, a central node in the default network, in monkeys performing two interleaved tasks. As predicted, we found that basal levels of neuronal activity were reduced following a switch from one task to another and gradually returned to pre-switch baseline on subsequent trials. We failed to observe these effects in lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP, part of the dorsal fronto-parietal cortical attention network directly connected to CGp. These findings indicate that suppression of neuronal activity in CGp facilitates cognitive control, and suggest that activity in the default network reflects processes that directly compete with control processes elsewhere in the brain..

Filtering the reality: functional dissociation of lateral and medial pain systems during sleep in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastuji, Hélène; Mazza, Stéphanie; Perchet, Caroline; Frot, Maud; Mauguière, François; Magnin, Michel; Garcia-Larrea, Luis

2012-11-01

Behavioral reactions to sensory stimuli during sleep are scarce despite preservation of sizeable cortical responses. To further understand such dissociation, we recorded intracortical field potentials to painful laser pulses in humans during waking and all-night sleep. Recordings were obtained from the three cortical structures receiving 95% of the spinothalamic cortical input in primates, namely the parietal operculum, posterior insula, and mid-anterior cingulate cortex. The dynamics of responses during sleep differed among cortical sites. In sleep Stage 2, evoked potential amplitudes were similarly attenuated relative to waking in all three cortical regions. During paradoxical, or rapid eye movements (REM), sleep, opercular and insular potentials remained stable in comparison with Stage 2, whereas the responses from mid-anterior cingulate abated drastically, and decreasing below background noise in half of the subjects. Thus, while the lateral operculo-insular system subserving sensory analysis of somatic stimuli remained active during paradoxical-REM sleep, mid-anterior cingulate processes related to orienting and avoidance behavior were suppressed. Dissociation between sensory and orienting-motor networks might explain why nociceptive stimuli can be either neglected or incorporated into dreams without awakening the subject. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Age-related changes in the intrinsic functional connectivity of the human ventral vs. dorsal striatum from childhood to middle age

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James N. Porter

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The striatum codes motivated behavior. Delineating age-related differences within striatal circuitry can provide insights into neural mechanisms underlying ontogenic behavioral changes and vulnerabilities to mental disorders. To this end, a dual ventral/dorsal model of striatal function was examined using resting state intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC imaging in 106 healthy individuals, ages 9–44. Broadly, the dorsal striatum (DS is connected to prefrontal and parietal cortices and contributes to cognitive processes; the ventral striatum (VS is connected to medial orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, and contributes to affective valuation and motivation. Findings revealed patterns of age-related changes that differed between VS and DS iFCs. We found an age-related increase in DS iFC with posterior cingulate cortex (pCC that stabilized after the mid-twenties, but a decrease in VS iFC with anterior insula (aIns and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC that persisted into mid-adulthood. These distinct developmental trajectories of VS vs. DS iFC might underlie adolescents’ unique behavioral patterns and vulnerabilities to psychopathology, and also speaks to changes in motivational networks that extend well past 25 years old.

Altered cingulo-striatal function underlies reward drive deficits in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Il Ho; Chun, Ji Won; Park, Hae-Jeong; Koo, Min-Seong; Park, Sunyoung; Kim, Seok-Hyeong; Kim, Jae-Jin

2015-02-01

Amotivation in schizophrenia is assumed to involve dysfunctional dopaminergic signaling of reward prediction or anticipation. It is unclear, however, whether the translation of neural representation of reward value to behavioral drive is affected in schizophrenia. In order to examine how abnormal neural processing of response valuation and initiation affects incentive motivation in schizophrenia, we conducted functional MRI using a deterministic reinforcement learning task with variable intervals of contingency reversals in 20 clinically stable patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls. Behaviorally, the advantage of positive over negative reinforcer in reinforcement-related responsiveness was not observed in patients. Patients showed altered response valuation and initiation-related striatal activity and deficient rostro-ventral anterior cingulate cortex activation during reward approach initiation. Among these neural abnormalities, rostro-ventral anterior cingulate cortex activation was correlated with positive reinforcement-related responsiveness in controls and social anhedonia and social amotivation subdomain scores in patients. Our findings indicate that the central role of the anterior cingulate cortex is in translating action value into driving force of action, and underscore the role of the cingulo-striatal network in amotivation in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anterior approach for knee arthrography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zurlo, J.V.; Towers, J.D.; Golla, S.

2001-01-01

Objective. To develop a new method of magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) of the knee using an anterior approach analogous to the portals used for knee arthroscopy.Design. An anterior approach to the knee joint was devised mimicking anterior portals used for knee arthroscopy. Seven patients scheduled for routine knee MRA were placed in a decubitus position and under fluoroscopic guidance a needle was advanced from a position adjacent to the patellar tendon into the knee joint. After confirmation of the needle tip location, a dilute gadolinium solution was injected.Results and conclusion. All the arthrograms were technically successful. The anterior approach to knee MRA has greater technical ease than the traditional approach with little patient discomfort. (orig.)

Capsulorhexis contraction after cataract surgery: Comparison of sharp anterior edge and modified anterior edge acrylic intraocular lenses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Corydon, C.; Lindholt, M.; Knudsen, E.B.

2007-01-01

eyes) were included in a prospective randomized study. All had phacoemulsification followed by implantation of an IOL with a modified anterior edge (38 eyes) or a sharp anterior edge (46 eyes). One day (baseline) and 3 months postoperatively, the area of the anterior capsule opening was measured using...... retroillumination photographs. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the area of the anterior capsule opening from 1 day to 3 months postoperatively in both groups (Psharp...

Anterior vitrectomy and partial capsulectomy via anterior approach to treat chronic postoperative endophthalmitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mete Güler

2013-02-01

Full Text Available AIM:To describe the results of vitrectomy and partial capsulectomy via anterior approach surgical technique in treatment of chronic postoperative endophthalmitis (CPE.METHODS:Clinical records of 9 patients treated for CPE between 2006 and 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. All of these patients were treated with vitrectomy and partial capsulectomy via anterior approach.RESULTS:Six of 9 patients were male. The average patients’ age was (60±8.1 years. The average period between cataract extraction and onset of signs and symptoms was (3.6±1.3 weeks. The average presenting visual acuity was 0.3±0.1 and the average final post operative visual acuity was 0.7±0.2. The mean follow-up period was (28.1±8.9 weeks. In all patients, the inflammation subsided after surgery.CONCLUSION:Our results suggest that anterior vitrectomy and partial capsulectomy via anterior approach may be considered as potentially useful and relatively less invasive technique to treat CPE.

[Anterior guidance in complete dentures].

Science.gov (United States)

Dubreuil, J; Trevelo, A

1990-01-01

Although the anterior guidance in complete dentures is not really a guide, the arrangement of the anterior maxillary and mandibular prosthetic teeth, defines a propulsive line called the virtual anterior guidance, a part from the cinematic criterias. The influence of this guide on cuspal movement is superior, in all mandibular points, to the influence of the condylar pathway. If this line is not respected, the practitioner may have to do excessive grindings during occlusal adjustments.

Immediate postoperative anterior knee stability: double- versus triple-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mae, Tatsuo; Shino, Konsei; Matsumoto, Norinao; Yoneda, Kenji; Yoshikawa, Hideki; Nakata, Ken

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the triple-bundle (TB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with the double-bundle (DB) ACL reconstruction in immediate postoperative anterior knee stability. This study involved 133 patients who had undergone the anatomic ACL reconstruction with autogenous hamstring tendon unilaterally. Then 83 patients (mean age, 28.8 years) underwent the DB between November 2004 and December 2005, and 50 patients (mean age, 29.6 years) underwent the TB ACL reconstruction between January and December 2006. The 2 femoral tunnels were created in the ideal ACL attachment area, whereas 2 tibial tunnels for the DB and 3 tunnels for the TB were created in the ACL footprint. The 2 doubled tendon grafts were fixed with EndoButton-CL (Smith & Nephew Endoscopy, Andover, MA) on the femur. The grafts were fixed to the tibia using a Double Spike Plate and a screw under the total initial tension of 20 N at 20° of flexion, after meticulous in situ pretensioning using a tensioning boot. Then immediate postoperative anterior knee laxity in response to 89 N of anterior load was measured by one experienced examiner (T.M.) with the KT-2000 Knee Arthrometer (MEDmedtric, San Diego, CA) under general anesthesia at 30° of knee flexion with muscle relaxants. The measured anterior laxity was 3.4 ± 1.2 mm in the DB and 2.5 ± 0.7 mm in the TB ACL reconstruction, a statistically significant difference. The side-to-side difference of the laxity was -3.2 ± 1.6 mm in the DB and -4.2 ± 2.0 mm in the TB, again a significant difference. TB ACL reconstruction resulted in better immediate postoperative anterior knee stability than DB ACL reconstruction under 89 N of anterior tibial load (P = .031). Level III, therapeutic retrospective comparative study. Copyright © 2013 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cingulate neglect in humans: disruption of contralesional reward learning in right brain damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Lecce, Francesca; Rotondaro, Francesca; Bonnì, Sonia; Carlesimo, Augusto; Thiebaut de Schotten, Michel; Tomaiuolo, Francesco; Doricchi, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

Motivational valence plays a key role in orienting spatial attention. Nonetheless, clinical documentation and understanding of motivationally based deficits of spatial orienting in the human is limited. Here in a series of one group-study and two single-case studies, we have examined right brain damaged patients (RBD) with and without left spatial neglect in a spatial reward-learning task, in which the motivational valence of the left contralesional and the right ipsilesional space was contrasted. In each trial two visual boxes were presented, one to the left and one to the right of central fixation. In one session monetary rewards were released more frequently in the box on the left side (75% of trials) whereas in another session they were released more frequently on the right side. In each trial patients were required to: 1) point to each one of the two boxes; 2) choose one of the boxes for obtaining monetary reward; 3) report explicitly the position of reward and whether this position matched or not the original choice. Despite defective spontaneous allocation of attention toward the contralesional space, RBD patients with left spatial neglect showed preserved contralesional reward learning, i.e., comparable to ipsilesional learning and to reward learning displayed by patients without neglect. A notable exception in the group of neglect patients was L.R., who showed no sign of contralesional reward learning in a series of 120 consecutive trials despite being able of reaching learning criterion in only 20 trials in the ipsilesional space. L.R. suffered a cortical-subcortical brain damage affecting the anterior components of the parietal-frontal attentional network and, compared with all other neglect and non-neglect patients, had additional lesion involvement of the medial anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and of the adjacent sectors of the corpus callosum. In contrast to his lateralized motivational learning deficit, L.R. had no lateral bias in the early phases of

Sequential inhibitory control processes assessed through simultaneous EEG-fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumeister, Sarah; Hohmann, Sarah; Wolf, Isabella; Plichta, Michael M; Rechtsteiner, Stefanie; Zangl, Maria; Ruf, Matthias; Holz, Nathalie; Boecker, Regina; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Holtmann, Martin; Laucht, Manfred; Banaschewski, Tobias; Brandeis, Daniel

2014-07-01

Inhibitory response control has been extensively investigated in both electrophysiological (ERP) and hemodynamic (fMRI) studies. However, very few multimodal results address the coupling of these inhibition markers. In fMRI, response inhibition has been most consistently linked to activation of the anterior insula and inferior frontal cortex (IFC), often also the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). ERP work has established increased N2 and P3 amplitudes during NoGo compared to Go conditions in most studies. Previous simultaneous EEG-fMRI imaging reported association of the N2/P3 complex with activation of areas like the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) and anterior insula. In this study we investigated inhibitory control in 23 healthy young adults (mean age=24.7, n=17 for EEG during fMRI) using a combined Flanker/NoGo task during simultaneous EEG and fMRI recording. Separate fMRI and ERP analysis yielded higher activation in the anterior insula, IFG and ACC as well as increased N2 and P3 amplitudes during NoGo trials in accordance with the literature. Combined analysis modelling sequential N2 and P3 effects through joint parametric modulation revealed correlation of higher N2 amplitude with deactivation in parts of the default mode network (DMN) and the cingulate motor area (CMA) as well as correlation of higher central P3 amplitude with activation of the left anterior insula, IFG and posterior cingulate. The EEG-fMRI results resolve the localizations of these sequential activations. They suggest a general role for allocation of attentional resources and motor inhibition for N2 and link memory recollection and internal reflection to P3 amplitude, in addition to previously described response inhibition as reflected by the anterior insula. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

38 CFR 3.379 - Anterior poliomyelitis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Anterior poliomyelitis. 3... Specific Diseases § 3.379 Anterior poliomyelitis. If the first manifestations of acute anterior poliomyelitis present themselves in a veteran within 35 days of termination of active military service, it is...

The Efficacy of Bulbar Urethral Mobilization for Anastomotic Anterior Urethroplasty in a Case With Recurrent Anterior Urethral Stricture

OpenAIRE

Fukui, Shinji; Aoki, Katsuya; Kaneko, Yoshiteru; Samma, Shoji; Fujimoto, Kiyohide

2014-01-01

A 2-month-old boy was diagnosed with febrile urinary tract infection. Voiding cystourethrography showed bulbar and anterior urethral strictures, and endoscopic internal urethrotomy was performed. He developed febrile urinary tract infection again and revealed the recurrence of the anterior urethral stricture. Consequently, endoscopic internal urethrotomy was performed 4 times. Because the anterior urethral stricture had not improved, he was referred to us. Anterior urethroplasty was performed...

Changes in cue-induced, prefrontal cortex activity with video-game play.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Doug Hyun; Kim, Yang Soo; Lee, Yong Sik; Min, Kyung Joon; Renshaw, Perry F

2010-12-01

Brain responses, particularly within the orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices, to Internet video-game cues in college students are similar to those observed in patients with substance dependence in response to the substance-related cues. In this study, we report changes in brain activity between baseline and following 6 weeks of Internet video-game play. We hypothesized that subjects with high levels of self-reported craving for Internet video-game play would be associated with increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, particularly the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex. Twenty-one healthy university students were recruited. At baseline and after a 6-week period of Internet video-game play, brain activity during presentation of video-game cues was assessed using 3T blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Craving for Internet video-game play was assessed by self-report on a 7-point visual analogue scale following cue presentation. During a standardized 6-week video-game play period, brain activity in the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex of the excessive Internet game-playing group (EIGP) increased in response to Internet video-game cues. In contrast, activity observed in the general player group (GP) was not changed or decreased. In addition, the change of craving for Internet video games was positively correlated with the change in activity of the anterior cingulate in all subjects. These changes in frontal-lobe activity with extended video-game play may be similar to those observed during the early stages of addiction.

Two dose investigation of the 5-HT-agonist psilocybin on relative and global cerebral blood flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Candace R; Preller, Katrin H; Kraehenmann, Rainer; Michels, Lars; Staempfli, Philipp; Vollenweider, Franz X

2017-10-01

Psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, is an agonist of various serotonin receptors. Seminal psilocybin positron emission tomography (PET) research suggested regional increases in glucose metabolism in frontal cortex (hyperfrontality). However, a recent arterial spin labeling (ASL) study suggests psilocybin may lead to hypo-perfusion in various brain regions. In this placebo-controlled, double-blind study we used pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) to measure perfusion changes, with and without adjustment for global brain perfusion, after two doses of oral psilocybin (low dose: 0.160 mg/kg; high dose: 0.215 mg/kg) in two groups of healthy controls (n = 29 in both groups, total N = 58) during rest. We controlled for sex and age and used family-wise error corrected p values in all neuroimaging analyses. Both dose groups reported profound subjective drug effects as measured by the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (5D-ASC) with the high dose inducing significantly larger effects in four out of the 11 scales. After adjusting for global brain perfusion, psilocybin increased relative perfusion in distinct right hemispheric frontal and temporal regions and bilaterally in the anterior insula and decreased perfusion in left hemispheric parietal and temporal cortices and left subcortical regions. Whereas, psilocybin significantly reduced absolute perfusion in frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, and bilateral amygdalae, anterior cingulate, insula, striatal regions, and hippocampi. Our analyses demonstrate consistency with both the hyperfrontal hypothesis of psilocybin and the more recent study demonstrating decreased perfusion, depending on analysis method. Importantly, our data illustrate that relative changes in perfusion should be understood and interpreted in relation to absolute signal variations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neural activity predicts attitude change in cognitive dissonance.

Science.gov (United States)

van Veen, Vincent; Krug, Marie K; Schooler, Jonathan W; Carter, Cameron S

2009-11-01

When our actions conflict with our prior attitudes, we often change our attitudes to be more consistent with our actions. This phenomenon, known as cognitive dissonance, is considered to be one of the most influential theories in psychology. However, the neural basis of this phenomenon is unknown. Using a Solomon four-group design, we scanned participants with functional MRI while they argued that the uncomfortable scanner environment was nevertheless a pleasant experience. We found that cognitive dissonance engaged the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula; furthermore, we found that the activation of these regions tightly predicted participants' subsequent attitude change. These effects were not observed in a control group. Our findings elucidate the neural representation of cognitive dissonance, and support the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in detecting cognitive conflict and the neural prediction of attitude change.

Comparison of diffusion tensor imaging and proton MR spectroscopy in the posterior cingulate of patients with Alzheimer disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Bei; Ling Huawei; Zhang Hua; Chai Weimin; Chen Kemin; Li Xia; Wang Tao

2009-01-01

Objective To compare 1 HMRS and DTI findings of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and normal elderly controls. Methods: Fifteen mild AD patients, 20 moderate to severe AD patients and 20 aging controlled normal subjects (CN) were recruited. MRS imaging and DTI were performed on a 1.5 T MRI scanner. A ROI was positioned in the posterior part of the cingulate. MRS data were processed and the metabolite ratios were estimated, including the ratios of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, mI/Cr. Comparing with the axial MRS location, we chose the same level to posit the ROIs on both sides of the posterior cingulated fibers on fractional anisotropy map (FA) and mean diffusivity map (MD). Mean spectroscopy data and DTI values for each groups were analysed with Mann-Whitney U non parametric test. Correlations between MRS and DTI values for AD groups were estimated using partial correlations test controlling for the age related bias. Results Compared to normal aging groups, mild AD group showed a significantly lower FA value in the left side of posterior cingulum bundle (0.549±0.056 vs 0.517±0.058, Z=2.014, P -3 mm 2 /s vs (0.761±0.057) x 10 -3 mm 2 /s, Z=1.970, P<0.05). Obvious increasing mI/Cr ratio was found in mild AD group(0.61±0.07 vs 0.68±0.12,Z=2.911, P<0.01). NAA/Cr ratio showed gradually decrease in AD groups. Partial correlations analysis revealed a positive correlation between mI/Cr ratio and left posterior cingulated FA value in mild AD group (r=0.586, P< 0.05) and negative correlation between NAA/Cr and MD value in the right side of posterior cingulated region (r=-0.505, P<0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggested that there were different regional and temporal pattern in different course of AD disease, resulting from axonal loss or gliosis. Combining MRS with DTI alternations could be a better potential indicator and could better explain the pathological changes in AD progression. (authors)

Long anterior zonules and pigment dispersion.

Science.gov (United States)

Moroi, Sayoko E; Lark, Kurt K; Sieving, Paul A; Nouri-Mahdavi, Kouros; Schlötzer-Schrehardt, Ursula; Katz, Gregory J; Ritch, Robert

2003-12-01

To describe pigment dispersion associated with long anterior zonules. Multicenter observational case series. Fifteen patients, seven of whom were treated for glaucoma or ocular hypertension, were identified with long anterior zonules and pigment dispersion. Transmission electron microscopy was performed on one anterior capsule specimen. All patients had anterior zonules that inserted centrally on the lens capsule. Signs of pigment dispersion included corneal endothelial pigmentation, loss of the pupillary ruff, and variable trabecular meshwork pigmentation. Ultrasound biomicroscopy verified the lack of posterior iris insertion and concavity. There was no exfoliation material. Transmission electron microscopy showed zonular lamellae with adherent pigment granules, and no exfoliation material. Long anterior zonules inserted onto the central lens capsule may cause mechanical disruption of the pigment epithelium at the pupillary ruff and central iris leading to pigment dispersion.

Fenestration of the anterior cerebral artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, J.; Washiyama, K.; Hong Kim, C.; Ibuchi, Y.

1981-01-01

Three cases of angiographically demonstrated fenestration of the anterior cerebral artery are reported. Fenestration occurred at the medial half of the horizontal segment of the anterior cerebral artery in all cases. Its embryology and clinical significance are briefly discussed, and the anatomical and radiological literature on fenestration of the anterior cerebral artery is reviewed. (orig.)

Myocardial viability assessed by Tl-201 SPECT. Redistribution versus reinjection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chalela, William Azem; Pimentel, Flavio Ferrarini de Oliveira; Uchida, Augusto Hiroshi; Bottega, Augusto; Ramires, Jose Antonio Franchine; Izaki, Marisa; Moraes, Aguinaldo Pereira; Soares Junior, Jose; Giorgi, Maria C. Pinto; Moffa, Paulo Jorge; Bellotti, Giovanni; Giovanni Guido Cerri; Meneghetti, Jose Claudio

1994-01-01

The purpose of this study was to verify if a third series of images acquired by reinjection thallium-201, 24 h after conventional myocardial perfusion with the radioisotope, improves the identification of myocardial viability segments. The methods: we studied 30 patients, mean age 57.7 ±9.4 years, with old myocardial infarction using thallium (Tl)-201 SPECT, and we obtained three series of images (stress, redistribution after 4 h and reinjection after 24 h. Cardiac images were divided in 5 segments (apical, lateral, anterior, septal and inferior) and each one received a value by a score system according to the Tl-201 myocardial uptake (0=normal uptake; 1=mild hypoperfusion; 2=moderate hypoperfusion; 3=severe hypoperfusion or no myocardial uptake). We considered viable myocardium when the uptake of Tl-201 in the segment related to te myocardial infarction increases at least 1 point in two different axis of Tl-201 SPECT. The results: seven (23,3%) patients demonstrated increase of Tl-201 uptake only at reinjection images, showing a high efficacy of the method. Nine (30%) patients showed persistent hypoperfusion at all series of images suggesting only fibrosis in the are related to the infarction. Fourteen (46,7%) patients showed increase of Tl-201 concentration at redistribution images; among these patients, six showed improvement of myocardial uptake at reinjection. This condition was interpreted as regional chronic ischemic process: hibernating myocardium. The conclusion was that Tl-201 hypoperfusion at redistribution images without significant changes in relation to the stress images do not represent fibrosis at all. The reinjection technic was better than conventional redistribution in the detection of viable myocardium. This data allows a better therapeutic orientation. (author)

The Efficacy of Bulbar Urethral Mobilization for Anastomotic Anterior Urethroplasty in a Case With Recurrent Anterior Urethral Stricture.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukui, Shinji; Aoki, Katsuya; Kaneko, Yoshiteru; Samma, Shoji; Fujimoto, Kiyohide

2014-05-01

A 2-month-old boy was diagnosed with febrile urinary tract infection. Voiding cystourethrography showed bulbar and anterior urethral strictures, and endoscopic internal urethrotomy was performed. He developed febrile urinary tract infection again and revealed the recurrence of the anterior urethral stricture. Consequently, endoscopic internal urethrotomy was performed 4 times. Because the anterior urethral stricture had not improved, he was referred to us. Anterior urethroplasty was performed when he was 5 years. After excision of the scarred portions of the urethra, the defect of the urethra was 20 mm. Transperineal bulbar urethral mobilization was performed, and a single-stage end-to-end anterior urethroplasty without tension could be performed simultaneously.

Rostro-Caudal Organization of Connectivity between Cingulate Motor Areas and Lateral Frontal Regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kep Kee Loh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available According to contemporary views, the lateral frontal cortex is organized along a rostro-caudal functional axis with increasingly complex cognitive/behavioral control implemented rostrally, and increasingly detailed motor control implemented caudally. Whether the medial frontal cortex follows the same organization remains to be elucidated. To address this issue, the functional connectivity of the 3 cingulate motor areas (CMAs in the human brain with the lateral frontal cortex was investigated. First, the CMAs and their representations of hand, tongue, and eye movements were mapped via task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Second, using resting-state fMRI, their functional connectivity with lateral prefrontal and lateral motor cortical regions of interest (ROIs were examined. Importantly, the above analyses were conducted at the single-subject level to account for variability in individual cingulate morphology. The results demonstrated a rostro-caudal functional organization of the CMAs in the human brain that parallels that in the lateral frontal cortex: the rostral CMA has stronger functional connectivity with prefrontal regions and weaker connectivity with motor regions; conversely, the more caudal CMAs have weaker prefrontal and stronger motor connectivity. Connectivity patterns of the hand, tongue and eye representations within the CMAs are consistent with that of their parent CMAs. The parallel rostral-to-caudal functional organization observed in the medial and lateral frontal cortex could likely contribute to different hierarchies of cognitive-motor control.

Herniation of the anterior lens capsule

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pereira Nolette

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Herniation of the anterior lens capsule is a rare abnormality in which the capsule bulges forward in the pupillary area. This herniation can be mistaken for an anterior lenticonus where both the capsule and the cortex bulge forward. The exact pathology behind this finding is still unclear. We report the clinical, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM and histopathological findings of a case of herniation of the anterior lens capsule. UBM helped to differentiate this entity from anterior lenticonus. Light microscopy revealed capsular splitting suggestive of capsular delamination and collection of fluid (aqueous in the area of herniation giving it a characteristic appearance.

Multidisciplinary management of anterior diastemata

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Furuse, Adilson Yoshio; Herkrath, Fernando José; Franco, Eduardo Jacomino

2007-01-01

Anterior diastemata may compromise the harmony of a patient's smile. Consideration of etiologic factors, previous gingival conditioning, and individual treatment planning are essential in the proper management of anterior diastemata. An integrated orthodontic-restorative approach may enhance the ...

The Efficacy of Bulbar Urethral Mobilization for Anastomotic Anterior Urethroplasty in a Case With Recurrent Anterior Urethral Stricture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinji Fukui

2014-05-01

Full Text Available A 2-month-old boy was diagnosed with febrile urinary tract infection. Voiding cystourethrography showed bulbar and anterior urethral strictures, and endoscopic internal urethrotomy was performed. He developed febrile urinary tract infection again and revealed the recurrence of the anterior urethral stricture. Consequently, endoscopic internal urethrotomy was performed 4 times. Because the anterior urethral stricture had not improved, he was referred to us. Anterior urethroplasty was performed when he was 5 years. After excision of the scarred portions of the urethra, the defect of the urethra was 20 mm. Transperineal bulbar urethral mobilization was performed, and a single-stage end-to-end anterior urethroplasty without tension could be performed simultaneously.

99mTc-ECD brain perfusion SPECT in hyperalgesic fibromyalgia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guedj, Eric; Taieb, David; Cammilleri, Serge; Lussato, David; Laforte, Catherine de; Mundler, Olivier; Niboyet, Jean

2007-01-01

Neuro-imaging studies with 99m Tc-HMPAO SPECT in fibromyalgia (FM) patients have reported only limited subcortical hypoperfusion. 99m Tc-ECD SPECT is known to provide better evaluation of areas of high cerebral blood flow and regional metabolic rate. We evaluated a homogeneous group of hyperalgesic patients with FM using 99m Tc-ECD SPECT. The aim of this study was to investigate brain processing associated with spontaneous pain in FM patients. Eighteen hyperalgesic FM women (mean age 49 years, range 25-63 years; American College of Rheumatology criteria) and ten healthy women matched for age were enrolled in the study. A voxel-by-voxel group analysis was performed using SPM2 (p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). Visual Analogue Scale score for pain was 82±4 at the time of the SPECT study. Compared with control subjects, we observed individual brain SPECT abnormalities in FM patients, confirmed by SPM2 analysis, with hyperperfusion of the somatosensory cortex and hypoperfusion of the frontal, cingulate, medial temporal and cerebellar cortices. In the present study, performed without noxious stimuli in hyperalgesic FM patients, we found significant hyperperfusion in regions of the brain known to be involved in the sensory dimension of pain processing and significant hypoperfusion in areas assumed to be associated with the affective-attentional dimension. As current pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies act differently on the two components of pain, we hypothesise that SPECT could be a valuable and readily available tool to guide individual therapeutic strategy and provide objective follow-up of pain processing recovery under treatment. (orig.)

Resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico de los aneurismas del complejo cerebral anterior-arteria comunicante anterior

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Armando Alemán Rivera

2001-06-01

Full Text Available Se realiza un estudio de 30 pacientes con aneurismas localizados en el complejo de la arteria cerebral anterior-arteria comunicante anterior (ACoA, operados en el Servicio de Neurocirugía del Hospital Universitario "Arnaldo Milián Castro", durante un período de 7 años. Se analizan variables tales como edad, sexo, estado neurológico preoperatorio, momento quirúrgico, complicaciones y estado al egreso. La mortalidad general fue del 10 %The authors carried out a study in 30 patients with aneurysms located in the anterior communicating artery-anterior cerebral complex (ACA-ACC, that were operated on at the Neurosurgery Service of "Arnaldo Milián Castro" Teaching Hospital, during a period of 7 years. Variables such as age, sex, preoperative neurologic state, surgical moment, complications and status on discharge were analyzed. General mortality was 10 %

Combination nivolumab- and cabiralizumab-associated acute bilateral anterior and posterior scleritis and anterior uveitis

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John A. Gonzales

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To report on a case of uveitis and scleritis resulting as an immune-mediated side effect of cancer immunotherapy with nivolumab and cabiralizumab. Observations: Bilateral anterior nongranulomatous anterior uveitis and bilateral diffuse anterior and posterior scleritis occurred following the use of combination cancer immunotherapy. The uveitis and scleritis resolved following temporary discontinuation of nivolumab and cabiralizumab as well as systemic prednisone. Conclusions and importance: Ophthalmologists should be aware of the possibility of acute ocular inflammation developing with cancer immunotherapy. Systemic corticosteroids play a first-line role in managing such immune-mediated side effects. Keywords: Uveitis, Scleritis, Cancer immunotherapy, Side effects, Nivolumab, Cabiralizumab

Pilot study: is the fear response the same in anorexia nervosa as in controls?

Science.gov (United States)

Birmingham, C Laird; Sidhu, Shelley; Anderson, John

2018-03-14

To determine whether the fear response is the same in AN as in controls. We recorded the EEG in 10 participants with a history of AN and in 10 controls during a fear stimulus. The response of the brain was recorded using EEG LORETA. The recording was analyzed for a marked increase in activity in the amygdala, uncus, insula, and anterior cingulate from 300 to 500 ms following the stimulus. The order or response of the amygdala, uncus, insula, and anterior cingulate was not significantly different in AN and controls. These results suggest that the brain's response to a fear stimulus is not significantly different in AN and controls. Level 3, case-control study.

Anterior spinal cord syndrome of unknown etiology

OpenAIRE

Klakeel, Merrine; Thompson, Justin; Srinivasan, Rajashree; McDonald, Frank

2015-01-01

A spinal cord injury encompasses a physical insult to the spinal cord. In the case of anterior spinal cord syndrome, the insult is a vascular lesion at the anterior spinal artery. We present the cases of two 13-year-old boys with anterior spinal cord syndrome, along with a review of the anatomy and vasculature of the spinal cord and an explanation of how a lesion in the cord corresponds to anterior spinal cord syndrome.

Gender Differences in Behavioral and Neural Responses to Unfairness Under Social Pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Li; Ning, Reipeng; Li, Lin; Wei, Chunli; Cheng, Xuemei; Zhou, Chu; Guo, Xiuyan

2017-10-18

Numerous studies have revealed the key role of social pressure on individuals' decision-making processes. However, the impact of social pressure on unfairness-related decision-making processes remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated how social pressure modulated men's and women's responses in an ultimatum game. Twenty women and eighteen men played the ultimatum game as responders in the scanner, where fair and unfair offers were tendered by proposers acting alone (low pressure) or by proposers endorsed by three supporters (high pressure). Results showed that men rejected more, whereas women accepted more unfair offers in the high versus low pressure context. Neurally, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex activation in women positively predicted their acceptance rate difference between contexts. In men, stronger right anterior insula activation and increased connectivity between right anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex were observed when they receiving unfair offers in the high than low pressure context. Furthermore, more bilateral anterior insula and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activations were found when men rejected (relative to accepted) unfair offers in the high than low pressure context. These findings highlighted gender differences in the modulation of behavioral and neural responses to unfairness by social pressure.

Stenotic ligature: a simple technique for managing distal hypoperfusion ischemic syndrome following arteriovenous fistulas

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Ene Cristian Roata

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Distal Hypoperfusion Ischemic Syndrome (DHIS is a multifactorial debilitating condition causing peripheral ischemia and potentially tissue necrosis. In an effort to further refine its surgical treatment we aim to describe a modified, simple and reliable technique for managing DHIS in patients with arteriovenous fistulas. Materials and Methods. Twenty-nine consecutive patients with DHIS operated by a single surgical team over a period of 7 years were included in the study. All patients underwent the same surgical technique: stenotic ligature. Outcomes were analyzed clinically and the effectiveness of the procedure was proven using McNemar test. Clinical variables were statistically analyzed in SPSS 17.0 for Windows. Results. The technique we used consists in performing a stenosing ligature on the vein, using a 0-silk suture, and adjusting the suture in order to achieve either a radial pulse or capillary pulse, while maintaining a good thrill at palpation of the vein. The procedure was successful in 83% of patients proved by immediate symptomatic relief. Paired data analysis showed significant decrease of all symptoms: cold extremity (p=0,021, paraesthesia (p<0,001, pain (p<0,001. History of coronary artery disease, arteriopathy or the absence of radial pulse is statistically correlated with an increased risk of developing DHIS. Conclusions. Stenotic ligature is a simple, cheap and reliable technique for managing DHIS with lower septic risks which can be easily performed under local anesthesia.

[Psychotherapy of Depression as Neurobiological Process - Evidence from Neuroimaging].

Science.gov (United States)

Rubart, Antonie; Hohagen, Fritz; Zurowski, Bartosz

2018-06-01

Research on neurobiological effects of psychotherapy in depression facilitates the improvement of treatment strategies. The cortico-limbic dysregulation model serves as a framework for numerous studies on neurobiological changes in depression. In this model, depression is described as hypoactivation of dorsal cortical brain regions in conjunction with hyperactivation of ventral paralimbic regions. This assumption has been supported by various studies of structural and functional brain abnormalities in depression. However, also regions not included in the original cortico-limbic dysregulation model, such as the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, seem to play an important role in depression. Functional connectivity studies of depression have revealed an enhanced connectivity within the so-called default mode network which is involved in self-referential thinking. Studies also point to a normalization of limbic and cortical brain activity, especially in the anterior cingulate cortex, during psychotherapy. Some neurobiological markers like the activity of the anterior cingulate cortex, striatum and insula as well as hippocampal volume have been proposed to predict treatment response on a group-level. The activity of the anterior insula appears to be a candidate bio-marker for differential indication for psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy. The cortico-limbic dysregulation model and following research have inspired new forms of treatment for depression like deep brain stimulation of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, neurofeedback and attention training. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Brain Responses during the Anticipation of Dyspnea.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoeckel, M Cornelia; Esser, Roland W; Gamer, Matthias; Büchel, Christian; von Leupoldt, Andreas

2016-01-01

Dyspnea is common in many cardiorespiratory diseases. Already the anticipation of this aversive symptom elicits fear in many patients resulting in unfavorable health behaviors such as activity avoidance and sedentary lifestyle. This study investigated brain mechanisms underlying these anticipatory processes. We induced dyspnea using resistive-load breathing in healthy subjects during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Blocks of severe and mild dyspnea alternated, each preceded by anticipation periods. Severe dyspnea activated a network of sensorimotor, cerebellar, and limbic areas. The left insular, parietal opercular, and cerebellar cortices showed increased activation already during dyspnea anticipation. Left insular and parietal opercular cortex showed increased connectivity with right insular and anterior cingulate cortex when severe dyspnea was anticipated, while the cerebellum showed increased connectivity with the amygdala. Notably, insular activation during dyspnea perception was positively correlated with midbrain activation during anticipation. Moreover, anticipatory fear was positively correlated with anticipatory activation in right insular and anterior cingulate cortex. The results demonstrate that dyspnea anticipation activates brain areas involved in dyspnea perception. The involvement of emotion-related areas such as insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and amygdala during dyspnea anticipation most likely reflects anticipatory fear and might underlie the development of unfavorable health behaviors in patients suffering from dyspnea.

Obesity-induced hepatic hypoperfusion primes for hepatic dysfunction after resuscitated hemorrhagic shock.

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Matheson, Paul J; Hurt, Ryan T; Franklin, Glen A; McClain, Craig J; Garrison, R Neal

2009-10-01

Obese patients (BMI>35) after blunt trauma are at increased risk compared to non-obese for organ dysfunction, prolonged hospital stay, infection, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and mortality. Obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) produce a low grade systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) with compromised hepatic blood flow, which increases with body mass index. We hypothesized that obesity further aggravates liver dysfunction by reduced hepatic perfusion following resuscitated hemorrhagic shock (HEM). Age-matched Zucker rats (Obese, 314-519 g & Lean, 211-280 g) were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n = 10-12/group): (1) Lean-Sham; (2) Lean, HEM, and resuscitation (HEM/RES); (3) Obese-Sham; and (4) Obese-HEM/RES. HEM was 40% of mean arterial pressure (MAP) for 60 min; RES was return of shed blood/5 min and 2 volumes of saline/25 min. Hepatic blood flow (HBF) using galactose clearance, liver enzymes and complete metabolic panel were measured over 4 h after completion of RES. Obese rats had increased MAP, heart rate, and fasting blood glucose and BUN concentrations compared to lean controls, required less blood withdrawal (mL/g) to maintain 40% MAP, and RES did not restore BL MAP. Obese rats had decreased HBF at BL and during HEM/RES, which persisted 4 h post RES. ALT and BUN were increased compared to Lean-HEM/RES at 4 h post-RES. These data suggest that obesity significantly contributes to trauma outcomes through compromised vascular control or through fat-induced sinusoidal compression to impair hepatic blood flow after HEM/RES resulting in a greater hepatic injury. The pro-inflammatory state of NAFLD seen in obesity appears to prime the liver for hepatic ischemia after resuscitated hemorrhagic shock, perhaps intensified by insidious and ongoing hepatic hypoperfusion established prior to the traumatic injury or shock.

MRI of tibialis anterior tendon rupture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallo, Robert A.; DeMeo, Patrick J.; Kolman, Brett H.; Daffner, Richard H.; Sciulli, Robert L.; Roberts, Catherine C.

2004-01-01

Ruptures of the tibialis anterior tendon are rare. We present the clinical histories and MRI findings of three recent male patients with tibialis anterior tendon rupture aged 58-67 years, all of whom presented with pain over the dorsum of the ankle. Two of the three patients presented with complete rupture showing discontinuity of the tendon, thickening of the retracted portion of the tendon, and excess fluid in the tendon sheath. One patient demonstrated a partial tear showing an attenuated tendon with increased surrounding fluid. Although rupture of the tibialis anterior tendon is a rarely reported entity, MRI is a useful modality in the definitive detection and characterization of tibialis anterior tendon ruptures. (orig.)

Tissue Hypoperfusion, Hypercoagulopathy, and Kidney and Liver Dysfunction after Ingestion of a Naphazoline-Containing Antiseptic

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Yuko Ono

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Naphazoline is a peripheral α2-adrenergic receptor agonist commonly used as a topical decongestant. In Japan, over-the-counter antiseptics often contain naphazoline to effect local hemostasis. We present the first case involving the development of hypercoagulopathy, with kidney and liver dysfunction, following a naphazoline overdose. A 22-year-old Japanese woman with a history of depression ingested 160 mL of a commercially available antiseptic containing 0.1% naphazoline. Three days later, she was brought to the emergency department because of general fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Physical examination revealed cool, pale extremities. Laboratory data showed evidence of severe kidney and liver dysfunction (creatinine, 9.2 mg/dL; alanine aminotransferase, 2948 IU/L, hypercoagulation (D-dimers, 58.3 μg/mL, and thrombocytopenia (platelet count, 90,000/μL. After infusion of normal saline, intravenous administration of alprostadil, and hemodiafiltration, her organ function completely recovered. Because both the kidney and liver express α2-adrenergic receptors, their failure was likely associated with naphazoline overdose-induced hypoperfusion. The most plausible causes of hypercoagulation are peripheral low perfusion and subsequent microthrombus formation. This case illustrates that severe organ dysfunction can occur following over-the-counter antiseptic ingestion and serves as a caution for both drug manufacturers and healthcare professionals.

Neural circuits of eye movements during performance of the visual exploration task, which is similar to the responsive search score task, in schizophrenia patients and normal subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemoto, Yasundo; Matsuda, Tetsuya; Matsuura, Masato

2004-01-01

Abnormal exploratory eye movements have been studied as a biological marker for schizophrenia. Using functional MRI (fMRI), we investigated brain activations of 12 healthy and 8 schizophrenic subjects during performance of a visual exploration task that is similar to the responsive search score task to clarify the neural basis of the abnormal exploratory eye movement. Performance data, such as the number of eye movements, the reaction time, and the percentage of correct answers showed no significant differences between the two groups. Only the normal subjects showed activations at the bilateral thalamus and the left anterior medial frontal cortex during the visual exploration tasks. In contrast, only the schizophrenic subjects showed activations at the right anterior cingulate gyms during the same tasks. The activation at the different locations between the two groups, the left anterior medial frontal cortex in normal subjects and the right anterior cingulate gyrus in schizophrenia subjects, was explained by the feature of the visual tasks. Hypoactivation at the bilateral thalamus supports a dysfunctional filtering theory of schizophrenia. (author)

Effects of video game playing on cerebral blood flow in young adults: a SPECT study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Yuan-Hwa; Yang, Bang-Hung; Hsu, Ju-Wei; Wang, Shyh-Jen; Lin, Chun-Lung; Huang, Kai-Lin; Chien Chang, Alice; Lee, Shin-Min

2013-04-30

To study the impact of video game playing on the human brain, the effects of two video games playing on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in young adults were determined. Thirty healthy subjects comprising 18 males and 12 females who were familiar with video game playing were recruited. Each subject underwent three sessions of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a bolus injection of 20 mCi (99m)Tc ECD IV to measure their CBF. The first measurement was performed as baseline, the second and third measurements were performed after playing two different video games for 30 min, respectively. Statistic parametric mapping (SPM2) with Matlab 6.5 implemented on a personal computer was used for image analysis. CBF was significantly decreased in the prefrontal cortex and significantly increased in the temporal and occipital cortices after both video games playing. Furthermore, decreased CBF in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which was significantly correlated with the number of killed characters was found after the violent game playing. The major finding of hypo-perfusion in prefrontal regions after video game playing is consistent with a previous study showing reduced or abnormal prefrontal cortex functions after video game playing. The second finding of decreased CBF in the ACC after playing the violent video game provides support for a previous hypothesis that the ACC might play a role in regulating violent behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Humeral avulsion of the anterior shoulder stabilizing structures after anterior shoulder dislocation: demonstration by MRI and MR arthrography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tirman, P.F.J.; Steinbach, L.S.; Feller, J.F.; Stauffer, A.E.

1996-01-01

Objective. To demonstrate the MRI findings of an anterior shoulder capsular avulsion from the humerus, with or without subscapularis rupture, after anterior dislocation or severe abduction external rotation injury. Design and patients. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI and MR arthrographic examinations of seven patients who were identified at surgery with avulsion of the anterior shoulder stabilizers from the humerus. MRI was correlated with clinical history and surgical results. Results. MRI findings included: inhomogeneity or frank disruption of the anterior capsule at the humeral insertion (all), fluid intensity anterior to the shoulder (six patients), tear of the subscapularis tendon (six patients), dislocation of the biceps tendon (four patients), and a Hill-Sachs deformity (four patients). MR arthrography additionally found extravasation of contrast through the capsular defect (two patients). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that MRI is helpful for diagnosing humeral avulsion of the anterior glenohumeral capsule, especially when a tear of the subscapularis tendon insertion is present. MR arthrography may be of benefit for diagnosing capsular avulsion without associated subscapularis tendon abnormality. (orig.). With 4 figs

Prediction of progression in patients with mild cognitive impairment using IMP-SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamura, Nobuyuki; Shinkawa, Mitsutoshi; Arai, Hiroyuki; Matsui, Toshifumi; Nakajo, Kazushi; Maruyama, Masahiro; Hu, Xia Sheng; Sasaki, Hidetada

2000-01-01

To examine the difference in functional brain imaging between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal aging, we measured rCBF on functional brain imaging using 123 I-IMP single photon emission computed tomography (IMP-SPECT) in 19 MCI patients who progressed to develop AD on follow-up and 23 probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients as well as 15 age-matched normal subjects. Baseline MMSE score was 25.3 (SD 1.2) in the MCI group and 17.5 (SD 3.3) in the AD group. The regions of interest (ROI) in the posterior cingulate gyrus, frontal, temporal and parietal cortices were drawn on the image of IMP-SPECT with reference to an individual MRI image. The rCBF ratio was calculated using ROI value in the cerebellum as a reference. Voxel-based analysis was also preformed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The rCBF ratio in the posterior cingulate gyrus was significantly reduced in the MCI group (mean 0.956, SD 0.080) and the AD group (mean 0.833, SD 0.118) compared to that in the normal group (mean 1.083, SD 0.084). In the frontal, temporal and parietal cortices, the rCBF ratio was significantly reduced only in the AD group compared to the normal group. At a fixed specificity of 80%, the diagnostic sensitivity in the discrimination between MCI patients and normal subjects was 80.5% when using rCBF ratio in posterior cingulate gyrus. In the SPM analysis, significant reduction of the rCBF in MCI group was observed only in the posterior cingulate gyrus, compared with normal subject group. Our results suggest that MCI patients presenting with a posterior cingulate hypoperfusion are at higher risk for transition from MCI to clinically recognizable AD. (author)

Clinical utility of spatially normalized PET and SPECT to evaluate patients with memory and cognitive impairments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okumura, Ayumi; Nakayama, Noriyuki; Soeda, Akio; Miwa, Kazuhiro; Shinoda, Jun; Iwama, Toru

2004-01-01

We assessed cerebral metabolism and blood flow in patients with memory and other cognitive impairment using the easy Z score imaging system (eZIS) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) of FDG-PET and SPECT scans. Twenty patients with dementia (12 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 3 diffuse Lewy body disease (DLB), and 2 frontotemporal dementia (FTD)) and twenty with diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and cognitive impairments were studied with FDG-PET and ECD-SPECT. All images were analyzed using eZIS with the same processing procedures, including smoothing, normalization, and z-transformation, and compared to a database of normals. Z score maps were super-imposed on 3D MRI brain images. Group analyses were performed using SPM. Age-related declines in cerebral metabolism and blood flow were observed in the anterior cingulate association area. In contrast, reductions in these cerebral functions correlated best with severity of AD in the posterior cingulate association areas. In DLB and FTD, eZIS analysis of PET and SPECT revealed reductions of cerebral functions in specific areas. DAI showed low metabolism and blood flow in mesiofrontal cortex including the anterior cingulate association area. Dysfunction of the anterior cingulate association area in DAI, which resembled age-related cognitive decline, may be responsible for cognitive impairments. Overall, PET and SPECT scans showed significant correlations according to the type of dementia. Spatially normalized maps contributed to PET and SPECT image interpretation for patients with memory and cognitive impairments because better 3D visualization allowed more objective and systematic investigations. (author)

Positron emission tomography assessment of cerebral glucose metabolic rates in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitelman, Serge A; Bralet, Marie-Cecile; Mehmet Haznedar, M; Hollander, Eric; Shihabuddin, Lina; Hazlett, Erin A; Buchsbaum, Monte S

2018-04-01

Several models have been proposed to account for observed overlaps in clinical features and genetic predisposition between schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. This study assessed similarities and differences in topological patterns and vectors of glucose metabolism in both disorders in reference to these models. Co-registered 18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET and MRI scans were obtained in 41 schizophrenia, 25 ASD, and 55 healthy control subjects. AFNI was used to map cortical and subcortical regions of interest. Metabolic rates were compared between three diagnostic groups using univariate and multivariate repeated-measures ANOVA. Compared to controls, metabolic rates in schizophrenia subjects were decreased in the frontal lobe, anterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, amygdala and medial thalamic nuclei; rates were increased in the occipital cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia and lateral thalamic nuclei. In ASD subjects metabolic rates were decreased in the parietal lobe, frontal premotor and eye-fields areas, and amygdala; rates were increased in the posterior cingulate, occipital cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia. In relation to controls, subjects with ASD and schizophrenia showed opposite changes in metabolic rates in the primary motor and somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate and hypothalamus; similar changes were found in prefrontal and occipital cortices, inferior parietal lobule, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia. Schizophrenia and ASD appear to be associated with a similar pattern of metabolic abnormalities in the social brain. Divergent maladaptive trade-offs, as postulated by the diametrical hypothesis of their evolutionary relationship, may involve a more circumscribed set of anterior cingulate, motor and somatosensory regions and the specific cognitive functions they subserve.

Imaging findings of anterior hip dislocations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfeifer, Kyle [Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Department of Radiology, St. Louis, MO (United States); Leslie, Michael [Yale School of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, New Haven, CT (United States); Menn, Kirsten; Haims, Andrew [Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT (United States)

2017-06-15

Anterior hip dislocations are rare orthopedic emergencies resulting from high-energy trauma and have unique imaging characteristics on radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Imaging findings on CT and MRI allow for the prompt recognition and classification of anterior hip dislocations, which guides patient management and reduces complications. The purpose of this article is to review imaging findings of anterior hip dislocations, specifically focusing on CT and MRI. (orig.)

A NOVEL ANOMALY OF THE ANTERIOR DIGASTRIC MUSCLE. UNA ANOMALÍA NUEVA DEL MÚSCULO DIGÁSTRICO ANTERIOR

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Timothy W Hegeman

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Documentamos una anomalía del músculo digástrico anterior en un cadáver femenino de 85 años de edad. La anomalía consiste en cuatro vientres adicionales que salen entre los dos típicos digástricos anterior. Analizamos el significado embriológico y clínico de esta variante. El músculo digástrico es derivado de dos arcos branquiales o arcos faríngeos. El primer arco branquial forma el vientre anterior y el segundo forma el vientre posterior. Actuando juntos, los vientres ayudan a impulsar hacia abajo la mandíbula y a estabilizar el hioides. Varias anormalidades en el vientre anterior del digástrico han sido previamente descriptas en la literatura, pero ninguna ha replicado la formación precisa descripta aquí.  We document a novel anomaly of the anterior digastrics of an 85 year old female cadaver, consisting of four additional muscle bellies existing between the two typical anterior digastrics and go on to explain the embryologic and clinical significance of the variant. The digastric muscle is derived from two pharyngeal arches, the first pharyngeal arch forming the anterior belly and the second forming the posterior belly. Acting together, both bellies help to depress the mandible and stabilize the hyoid. Several abnormalities in the anterior belly of the digastric muscle have previously been described in the literature, but none have replicated the precise formation described here.

Improvement in Memory and Brain Long-term Potentiation Deficits Due to Permanent Hypoperfusion/Ischemia by Grape Seed Extract in Rats

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Alireza Sarkaki

2013-09-01

Full Text Available   Objective(s: Cerebral hypoperfusion/ischemia (CHI is a neurological disease where impaired hippocampus electrical activity and cognition caused by a serial pathophysiological events. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic oral administration of grape seed extract (GSE on passive avoidance memory and long-term potentiation (LTP after permanent bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (2CCAO in male adult rats.   Materials and Methods: Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into: 1 Sham+Veh, 2 Isch+Veh, 3 Sham+GSE, 4 Isch+GSE. In order to make 2CCAO as an animal model of CHI, carotid arteries were ligatured and then cut bilaterally. To evaluation of passive avoidance memory, step-down latency (STL was measured and LTP was recorded from hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG after high frequency stimulation (HFS in all rats. Results: We found that memory was significantly impaired in rats after CHI (P

Consolidation of Complex Events via Reinstatement in Posterior Cingulate Cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Keidel, James L.; Ing, Leslie P.; Horner, Aidan J.

2015-01-01

It is well-established that active rehearsal increases the efficacy of memory consolidation. It is also known that complex events are interpreted with reference to prior knowledge. However, comparatively little attention has been given to the neural underpinnings of these effects. In healthy adults humans, we investigated the impact of effortful, active rehearsal on memory for events by showing people several short video clips and then asking them to recall these clips, either aloud (Experiment 1) or silently while in an MRI scanner (Experiment 2). In both experiments, actively rehearsed clips were remembered in far greater detail than unrehearsed clips when tested a week later. In Experiment 1, highly similar descriptions of events were produced across retrieval trials, suggesting a degree of semanticization of the memories had taken place. In Experiment 2, spatial patterns of BOLD signal in medial temporal and posterior midline regions were correlated when encoding and rehearsing the same video. Moreover, the strength of this correlation in the posterior cingulate predicted the amount of information subsequently recalled. This is likely to reflect a strengthening of the representation of the video's content. We argue that these representations combine both new episodic information and stored semantic knowledge (or “schemas”). We therefore suggest that posterior midline structures aid consolidation by reinstating and strengthening the associations between episodic details and more generic schematic information. This leads to the creation of coherent memory representations of lifelike, complex events that are resistant to forgetting, but somewhat inflexible and semantic-like in nature. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Memories are strengthened via consolidation. We investigated memory for lifelike events using video clips and showed that rehearsing their content dramatically boosts memory consolidation. Using MRI scanning, we measured patterns of brain activity while

An anterior signaling center patterns and sizes the anterior neuroectoderm of the sea urchin embryo.

Science.gov (United States)

Range, Ryan C; Wei, Zheng

2016-05-01

Anterior signaling centers help specify and pattern the early anterior neuroectoderm (ANE) in many deuterostomes. In sea urchin the ANE is restricted to the anterior of the late blastula stage embryo, where it forms a simple neural territory comprising several types of neurons as well as the apical tuft. Here, we show that during early development, the sea urchin ANE territory separates into inner and outer regulatory domains that express the cardinal ANE transcriptional regulators FoxQ2 and Six3, respectively. FoxQ2 drives this patterning process, which is required to eliminate six3 expression from the inner domain and activate the expression of Dkk3 and sFRP1/5, two secreted Wnt modulators. Dkk3 and low expression levels of sFRP1/5 act additively to potentiate the Wnt/JNK signaling pathway governing the positioning of the ANE territory around the anterior pole, whereas high expression levels of sFRP1/5 antagonize Wnt/JNK signaling. sFRP1/5 and Dkk3 levels are rigidly maintained via autorepressive and cross-repressive interactions with Wnt signaling components and additional ANE transcription factors. Together, these data support a model in which FoxQ2 initiates an anterior patterning center that implements correct size and positions of ANE structures. Comparisons of functional and expression studies in sea urchin, hemichordate and chordate embryos reveal striking similarities among deuterostome ANE regulatory networks and the molecular mechanism that positions and defines ANE borders. These data strongly support the idea that the sea urchin embryo uses an ancient anterior patterning system that was present in the common ambulacrarian/chordate ancestor. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Atraumatic Anterior Dislocation of the Hip Joint

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Tadahiko Ohtsuru

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Dislocation of the hip joint in adults is usually caused by high-energy trauma such as road traffic accidents or falls from heights. Posterior dislocation is observed in most cases. However, atraumatic anterior dislocation of the hip joint is extremely rare. We present a case of atraumatic anterior dislocation of the hip joint that was induced by an activity of daily living. The possible causes of this dislocation were anterior capsule insufficiency due to developmental dysplasia of the hip, posterior pelvic tilt following thoracolumbar kyphosis due to vertebral fracture, and acetabular anterior coverage changes by postural factor. Acetabular anterior coverage changes in the sagittal plane were measured using a tomosynthesis imaging system. This system was useful for elucidation of the dislocation mechanism in the present case.

Do patients prefer mesh or anterior colporrhaphy for primary correction of anterior vaginal wall prolapse: a labelled discrete choice experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Notten, K. J. B.; Essers, B. A.; Weemhoff, M.; Rutten, A. G. H.; Donners, J. J. A. E.; van Gestel, I.; Kruitwagen, R. F. M. P.; Roovers, J. P. W. R.; Dirksen, C. D.

2015-01-01

We investigated patients' preferences for anterior colporrhaphy or mesh surgery as surgical correction of anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Labelled discrete choice experiment. Three Dutch teaching hospitals. Women with anterior vaginal wall prolapse Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification stage 2 or

Anterior pseudoarthrectomy for symptomatic Bertolotti's syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Malham, Gregory M; Limb, Rebecca J; Claydon, Matthew H; Brazenor, Graeme A

2013-12-01

Painful L5/S1 pseudoarthrosis has been previously managed with posterior excision and/or lumbar fusion. To our knowledge, the anterior approach for L5/S1 pseudoarthrectomy in the treatment of Bertolotti's syndrome has not been described. We present two patients with severe symptomatic L5/S1 pseudoarthroses that were successfully excised via an anterior retroperitoneal approach with 2 year clinical and radiological follow-up. The literature regarding surgical treatments for Bertolotti's syndrome is reviewed. The technique for an anterior retroperitoneal approach is described. This approach has been safe and effective in providing long term symptomatic relief to our two patients. Further studies comparing the outcomes of anterior versus posterior pseudoarthrectomy will guide the management of this condition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The anterior interhemispheric approach: a safe and effective approach to anterior skull base lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mielke, Dorothee; Mayfrank, Lothar; Psychogios, Marios Nikos; Rohde, Veit

2014-04-01

Many approaches to the anterior skull base have been reported. Frequently used are the pterional, the unilateral or bilateral frontobasal, the supraorbital and the frontolateral approach. Recently, endoscopic transnasal approaches have become more popular. The benefits of each approach has to be weighted against its complications and limitations. The aim of this study was to investigate if the anterior interhemispheric approach (AIA) could be a safe and effective alternative approach to tumorous and non-tumorous lesions of the anterior skull base. We screened the operative records of all patients with an anterior skull base lesion undergoing transcranial surgery. We have used the AIA in 61 patients. These were exclusively patients with either olfactory groove meningioma (OGM) (n = 43), ethmoidal dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) ( n = 6) or frontobasal fractures of the anterior midline with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage ( n = 12). Patient records were evaluated concerning accessibility of the lesion, realization of surgical aims (complete tumor removal, dAVF obliteration, closure of the dural tear), and approach related complications. The use of the AIA exclusively in OGMs, ethmoidal dAVFs and midline frontobasal fractures indicated that we considered lateralized frontobasal lesions not suitable to be treated successfully. If restricted to these three pathologies, the AIA is highly effective and safe. The surgical aim (complete tumor removal, complete dAVF occlusion, no rhinorrhea) was achieved in all patients. The complication rate was 11.5 % (wound infection (n = 2; 3.2 %), contusion of the genu of the corpus callosum, subdural hygroma, epileptic seizure, anosmia and asymptomatic bleed into the tumor cavity (n = 1 each). Only the contusion of the corpus callosum was directly related to the approach (1.6 %). Olfaction, if present before surgery, was preserved in all patients, except one (1.6 %). The AIA is an effective and a safe approach

Innervation of the Anterior Sacroiliac Joint.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Marcus; Ng, Garrett; Mashriqi, Faizullah; Iwanaga, Joe; Alonso, Fernando; Tubbs, Kevin; Loukas, Marios; Oskouian, Rod J; Tubbs, R Shane

2017-11-01

Sacroiliac joint pain can be disabling and recalcitrant to medical therapy. The innervation of this joint is poorly understood, especially its anterior aspect. Therefore, the present cadaveric study was performed to better elucidate this anatomy. Twenty-four cadaveric sides underwent dissection of the anterior sacroiliac joint, with special attention given to any branches from regional nerves to this joint. No femoral, obturator, or lumbosacral trunk branches destined to the anterior sacroiliac joint were identified in the 24 sides. In 20 sides, one or two small branches (less than 0.5 mm in diameter) were found to arise from the L4 ventral ramus (10%), the L5 ventral ramus (80%), or simultaneously from both the L4 and L5 ventral rami (10%). The length of the branches ranged from 5 to 31 mm (mean, 14 mm). All these branches arose from the posterior part of the nerves and traveled to the anterior surface of the sacroiliac joint. No statistical significance was found between sides or sexes. An improved knowledge of the innervation of the anterior sacroiliac joint might decrease suffering in patients with chronic sacroiliac joint pain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Medial Prefrontal and Cingulate Cortices Reduces Cocaine Self-Administration: A Pilot Study

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Diana Martinez

2018-03-01

Full Text Available BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may serve as a potential treatment for cocaine use disorder (CUD, which remains a public health problem that is refractory to treatment. The goal of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of rTMS on cocaine self-administration in the laboratory. In the self-administration sessions, CUD participants chose between cocaine and an alternative reinforcer (money in order to directly measure cocaine-seeking behavior. The rTMS was delivered with the H7 coil, which provides stimulation to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC. These brain regions were targeted based on previous imaging studies demonstrating alterations in their activation and connectivity in CUD.MethodsVolunteers with CUD were admitted to an inpatient unit for the entire study and assigned to one of three rTMS groups: high frequency (10 Hz, low frequency (1 Hz, and sham. Six participants were included in each group and the rTMS was delivered on weekdays for 3 weeks. The cocaine self-administration sessions were performed at three time points: at baseline (pre-TMS, session 1, after 4 days of rTMS (session 2, and after 13 days of rTMS (session 3. During each self-administration session, the outcome measure was the number of choices for cocaine.ResultsThe results showed a significant group by time effect (p = 0.02, where the choices for cocaine decreased between sessions 2 and 3 in the high frequency group. There was no effect of rTMS on cocaine self-administration in the low frequency or sham groups.ConclusionTaken in the context of the existing literature, these results contribute to the data showing that high frequency rTMS to the prefrontal cortex may serve as a potential treatment for CUD.

Resting-state functional connectivity between right anterior insula and right orbital frontal cortex correlate with insight level in obsessive-compulsive disorder

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Jie Fan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Few studies have explored the neurobiological basis of insight level in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD, though the salience network (SN has been implicated in insight deficits in schizophrenia. This study was then designed to investigate whether resting-state (rs functional connectivity (FC of SN was associated with insight level in OCD patients. We analyzed rs-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI data from 21 OCD patients with good insight (OCD-GI, 19 OCD patients with poor insight (OCD-PI, and 24 healthy controls (HCs. Seed-based whole-brain FC and ROI (region of interest-wise connectivity analyses were performed with seeds/ROIs in the bilateral anterior insula (AI and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC. The right AI-right medial orbital frontal cortex (mOFC connectivity was found to be uniquely decreased in the OCD-PI group, and the value of this aberrant connectivity correlated with insight level in OCD patients. In addition, we found that the OCD-GI group had significantly increased right AI-left dACC connectivity within the SN, relative to HCs (overall trend for groups: OCD-GI > OCD-PI > HC. Our findings suggest that abnormal right AI-right mOFC FC may mediate insight deficits in OCD, perhaps due to impaired encoding and integration of self-evaluative information about OCD-related beliefs and behaviors. Our findings indicate a SN connectivity dissociation between OCD-GI and OCD-PI patients and support the notion of considering OCD-GI and OCD-PI as two distinct disorder subtypes.

Anterior, posterior, left anterior oblique, and geometric mean views in gastric emptying studies using a glucose solution

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Phillips, W.T. [Dept. of Radiology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX (United States); McMahan, C.A. [Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX (United States); Lasher, J.C. [Dept. of Radiology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX (United States); Blumhardt, M.R. [Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX (United States); Schwartz, J.G. [Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX (United States)

1995-02-01

Previous research has shown that the single anterior view of the stomach overestimates the gastric half-emptying time of a solid meal compared to the geometric mean of the anterior and posterior views. Little research has been performed comparing the various views of gastric emptying of a glucose solution. After an overnight fast, 49 nondiabetic subjects were given a 450 ml solution containing 50 g of glucose and 200 {mu}Ci of technetium-99m sulfur colloid. Sequential 1-min anterior, posterior, and left anterior oblique views were obtained every 15 min. The mean percent solution remaining in the stomach for all three views differed from the geometric mean by 1.9% or less at all time points. Average gastric half-emptying times were: geometric mean, 62.7{+-}3.3 min; anterior, 61.9{+-}3.2 min; posterior, 63.5{+-}3.5 min; and left anterior oblique, 61.6{+-}3.3 min. These half-emptying times were not statistically different. For individual patients, differences between all three views and the geometric mean were not clinically important. Approximately 95% of all patients are expected to have gastric half-emptying times measured by any of the three single views within 17 min of the gastric half-emptying time obtained using the geometric mean. The imaging of gastric emptying using glucose solutions can be performed using a convenient single view which allows continuous dynamic imaging. (orig.)

Loss anticipation and outcome during the Monetary Incentive Delay Task: a neuroimaging systematic review and meta-analysis

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Jules R. Dugré

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background Reward seeking and avoidance of punishment are key motivational processes. Brain-imaging studies often use the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT to evaluate motivational processes involved in maladaptive behavior. Although the bulk of research has been done on the MIDT reward events, little is known about the neural basis of avoidance of punishment. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain activations during anticipation and receipt of monetary losses in healthy controls. Methods All functional neuro-imaging studies using the MIDT in healthy controls were retrieved using PubMed, Google Scholar & EMBASE databases. Functional neuro-imaging data was analyzed using the Seed-based d Mapping Software. Results Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 699 healthy adults. In both anticipation and loss outcome phases, participants showed large and robust activations in the bilateral striatum, (anterior insula, and anterior cingulate gyrus relatively to Loss > Neutral contrast. Although relatively similar activation patterns were observed during the two event types, they differed in the pattern of prefrontal activations: ventro-lateral prefrontal activations were observed during loss anticipation, while medial prefrontal activations were observed during loss receipt. Discussion Considering that previous meta-analyses highlighted activations in the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex, the anterior insula and the ventral striatum, the current meta-analysis highlighted the potential specificity of the ventro-lateral prefrontal regions, the median cingulate cortex and the amygdala in the loss events. Future studies can rely on these latter results to examine the neural correlates of loss processing in psychiatric populations characterized by harm avoidance or insensitivity to punishment.

Loss anticipation and outcome during the Monetary Incentive Delay Task: a neuroimaging systematic review and meta-analysis

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Dugré, Jules R.; Dumais, Alexandre; Bitar, Nathalie

2018-01-01

Background Reward seeking and avoidance of punishment are key motivational processes. Brain-imaging studies often use the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT) to evaluate motivational processes involved in maladaptive behavior. Although the bulk of research has been done on the MIDT reward events, little is known about the neural basis of avoidance of punishment. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain activations during anticipation and receipt of monetary losses in healthy controls. Methods All functional neuro-imaging studies using the MIDT in healthy controls were retrieved using PubMed, Google Scholar & EMBASE databases. Functional neuro-imaging data was analyzed using the Seed-based d Mapping Software. Results Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 699 healthy adults. In both anticipation and loss outcome phases, participants showed large and robust activations in the bilateral striatum, (anterior) insula, and anterior cingulate gyrus relatively to Loss > Neutral contrast. Although relatively similar activation patterns were observed during the two event types, they differed in the pattern of prefrontal activations: ventro-lateral prefrontal activations were observed during loss anticipation, while medial prefrontal activations were observed during loss receipt. Discussion Considering that previous meta-analyses highlighted activations in the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex, the anterior insula and the ventral striatum, the current meta-analysis highlighted the potential specificity of the ventro-lateral prefrontal regions, the median cingulate cortex and the amygdala in the loss events. Future studies can rely on these latter results to examine the neural correlates of loss processing in psychiatric populations characterized by harm avoidance or insensitivity to punishment. PMID:29761060

{sup 99m}Tc-ECD brain perfusion SPECT in hyperalgesic fibromyalgia

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Guedj, Eric; Taieb, David; Cammilleri, Serge; Lussato, David; Laforte, Catherine de; Mundler, Olivier [Assistance Publique des Hopitaux de Marseille, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de la Timone, Service Central de Biophysique et de Medecine Nucleaire, Marseille Cedex 05 (France); Niboyet, Jean [Clinique La Phoceanne, Unite d' Etude et de Traitement de la Douleur, Marseille (France)

2007-01-15

Neuro-imaging studies with {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO SPECT in fibromyalgia (FM) patients have reported only limited subcortical hypoperfusion. {sup 99m}Tc-ECD SPECT is known to provide better evaluation of areas of high cerebral blood flow and regional metabolic rate. We evaluated a homogeneous group of hyperalgesic patients with FM using {sup 99m}Tc-ECD SPECT. The aim of this study was to investigate brain processing associated with spontaneous pain in FM patients. Eighteen hyperalgesic FM women (mean age 49 years, range 25-63 years; American College of Rheumatology criteria) and ten healthy women matched for age were enrolled in the study. A voxel-by-voxel group analysis was performed using SPM2 (p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). Visual Analogue Scale score for pain was 82{+-}4 at the time of the SPECT study. Compared with control subjects, we observed individual brain SPECT abnormalities in FM patients, confirmed by SPM2 analysis, with hyperperfusion of the somatosensory cortex and hypoperfusion of the frontal, cingulate, medial temporal and cerebellar cortices. In the present study, performed without noxious stimuli in hyperalgesic FM patients, we found significant hyperperfusion in regions of the brain known to be involved in the sensory dimension of pain processing and significant hypoperfusion in areas assumed to be associated with the affective-attentional dimension. As current pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies act differently on the two components of pain, we hypothesise that SPECT could be a valuable and readily available tool to guide individual therapeutic strategy and provide objective follow-up of pain processing recovery under treatment. (orig.)

Anterior capsulotomy using the CO2 laser

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Barak, Adiel; Ma-Naim, Tova; Rosner, Mordechai; Eyal, Ophir; Belkin, Michael

1998-06-01

Continuous circular capsulorhexis (CCC) is the preferred technique for removal of the anterior capsule during cataract surgery due to this technique assuring accurate centration of the intraocular lens. During modern cataract surgery, especially with small or foldable intra ocular lenses, centration of the lens is obligatory. Radial tears at the margin of an anterior capsulotomy may be associated with the exit of at least one loop of an intraocular lens out of the capsular bag ('pea pod' effect) and its subsequent decentration. The anterior capsule is more likely to ream intact if the continuous circular capsulorhexis (CCC) technique is used. Although manual capsulorhexis is an ideal anterior capsulectomy technique for adults, many ophthalmologists are still uncomfortable with it and find it difficult to perform, especially in complicated cases such as these done behind small pupil, cataract extraction in children and pseudoexfoliation syndrome. We have developed a technique using a CO2 laser system for safe anterior capsulotomy and tested it in animal eyes.

Relationships between Cerebral Blood Flow and IQ in Typically Developing Children and Adolescents.

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Kilroy, Emily; Liu, Collin Y; Yan, Lirong; Kim, Yoon Chun; Dapretto, Mirella; Mendez, Mario F; Wang, Danny J J

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore the relationships between IQ and cerebral blood flow (CBF) measured by arterial spin labeling (ASL) in children and adolescents. ASL was used to collect perfusion MRI data on 39 healthy participants aged 7 to 17. The Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale was administered to determine IQ scores. Multivariate regression was applied to reveal correlations between CBF and IQ scores, accounting for age, sex and global mean CBF. Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM) analysis, which measures regional cortical volume, was performed as a control. Regression analyses were further performed on CBF data with adjustment of regional gray matter density (GMD). A positive correlation between CBF and IQ scores was primarily seen in the subgenual/anterior cingulate, right orbitofrontal, superior temporal and right inferior parietal regions. An inverse relationship between CBF and IQ was mainly observed in bilateral posterior temporal regions. After adjusting for regional GMD, the correlations between CBF and IQ in the subgenual/anterior cingulate cortex, right orbitofrontal, superior temporal regions and left insula remained significant. These findings support the Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory of intelligence, especially the role of the subgenual/anterior cingulate cortex in the neural networks associated with intelligence. The present study also demonstrates the unique value of CBF in assessing brain-behavior relationships, in addition to structural morphometric measures.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation potentiates glutamatergic neurotransmission in depressed adolescents.

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Croarkin, Paul E; Nakonezny, Paul A; Wall, Christopher A; Murphy, Lauren L; Sampson, Shirlene M; Frye, Mark A; Port, John D

2016-01-30

Abnormalities in glutamate neurotransmission may have a role in the pathophysiology of adolescent depression. The present pilot study examined changes in cortical glutamine/glutamate ratios in depressed adolescents receiving high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Ten adolescents with treatment-refractory major depressive disorder received up to 30 sessions of 10-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation at 120% motor threshold with 3000 pulses per session applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Baseline, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans of the anterior cingulate cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were collected at 3T with 8-cm(3) voxels. Glutamate metabolites were quantified with 2 distinct proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy sequences in each brain region. After repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and at 6 months of follow-up, glutamine/glutamate ratios increased in the anterior cingulate cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with both measurements. The increase in the glutamine/glutamate ratio reached statistical significance with the TE-optimized PRESS sequence in the anterior cingulate cortex. Glutamine/glutamate ratios increased in conjunction with depressive symptom improvement. This reached statistical significance with the TE-optimized PRESS sequence in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may modulate glutamate neurochemistry in depressed adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aphasia following anterior cerebral artery occlusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimosaka, Shinichi; Waga, Shiro; Kojima, Tadashi; Shimizu, Takeo; Morikawa, Atsunori

1982-01-01

We have report two cases of aphasia that had infarcts in the distribution of the left or right anterior cerebral artery, as confirmed by computed tomography. Case 1 is a right-handed, 65-year-old man in whom computerized tomographic scanning revealed an infarction of the territory of the left anterior cerebral artery after the clipping of the anterior communicating artery aneurysm. The standard language test of aphasia (SLTA) revealed non-fluent aphasia with dysarthria, good comprehension, almost normal repetition with good articulation, and a defectiveness in writing. This syndrome was considered an instance of transcortical motor aphasia. Although three years had passed from the onset, his aphasia did not show any improvement. Case 2 is a 37-year-old man who is right-handed but who can use his left hand as well. He was admitted because of subarachnoid hemorrhage from an anterior communicating aneurysm. Because of postoperative spasm, an infarction in the distribution of the right anterior cerebral artery developed. He was totally unable to express himself vocally, but he could use written language quite well to express his ideas and had a good comprehension of spoken language. This clinical picture was considered that of an aphemia. After several weeks, his vocalization returned, but the initial output was still hypophonic. (J.P.N.)

Anterior ethmoid anatomy facilitates dacryocystorhinostomy.

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Blaylock, W K; Moore, C A; Linberg, J V

1990-12-01

The ethmoid air cell labyrinth lies adjacent to the medial orbital wall, extending even beyond the sutures of the ethmoid bone. Its anatomic relationship to the lacrimal sac fossa is important in lacrimal surgery. We evaluated computed tomographic scans of 190 orbits with normal ethmoid anatomy to define the anatomic relationship of anterior ethmoid air cells to the lacrimal sac fossa. In 93% of the orbits, the cells extended anterior to the posterior lacrimal crest, with 40% entering the frontal process of the maxilla. This anatomic relationship may be used to facilitate the osteotomy during dacryocystorhinostomy. During a 10-year period (310 cases), one of us routinely entered the anterior ethmoid air cells to initiate the osteotomy during dacryocystorhinostomy. This technique has helped to avoid lacerations of the nasal mucosa.

Cognitive neuropsychology of alexithymia: implications for personality typology.

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Bermond, Bob; Vorst, Harrie C M; Moormann, Peter P

2006-05-01

We examine the cognitive neuroscience of the five components of the alexithymia syndrome, and propose a classification of alexithymia types based on psychobiological traits. Literature review. The following neural structures have been shown to be prominent in emotional function: right and left hemisphere, corpus callosum, anterior commissure, anterior cingulate, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and insular cortex. The specific relevance of these structures to alexithymia is discussed. The following conclusions and/or propositions are presented: The right hemisphere produces a global, nonverbal overview of emotional information; the left hemisphere seems dedicated to analysing emotions and higher explicit emotional cognitions. Both orbitoprefrontal cortices are important in affective aspects of alexithymia, while right temporal cortex is involved in cognitive aspects. Two subparts of anterior cingulate fulfil functions in the affective and cognitive dimensions of alexithymia. The amygdalae are involved in both cognitive and affective aspects. All structures mentioned can modulate one another. The role of interhemispheric information transfer via the corpus callosum and the anterior commissure is also discussed. The evidence that that cognitive processing of emotional information inhibits affective processing of such information is discussed in terms of its implications for a theory of alexithymia subtypes.

Associations between maternal negative affect and adolescent's neural response to peer evaluation

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Tan, Patricia Z.; Lee, Kyung Hwa; Dahl, Ronald E.; Nelson, Eric E.; Stroud, Laura J.; Siegle, Greg J.; Morgan, Judith K.; Silk, Jennifer S.

2016-01-01

Parenting is often implicated as a potential source of individual differences in youths’ emotional information processing. The present study examined whether parental affect is related to an important aspect of adolescent emotional development, response to peer evaluation. Specifically, we examined relations between maternal negative affect, observed during parent–adolescent discussion of an adolescent-nominated concern with which s/he wants parental support, and adolescent neural responses to peer evaluation in 40 emotionally healthy and depressed adolescents. We focused on a network of ventral brain regions involved in affective processing of social information: the amygdala, anterior insula, nucleus accumbens, and subgenual anterior cingulate, as well as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Maternal negative affect was not associated with adolescent neural response to peer rejection. However, longer durations of maternal negative affect were associated with decreased responsivity to peer acceptance in the amygdala, left anterior insula, subgenual anterior cingulate, and left nucleus accumbens. These findings provide some of the first evidence that maternal negative affect is associated with adolescents’ neural processing of social rewards. Findings also suggest that maternal negative affect could contribute to alterations in affective processing, specifically, dampening the saliency and/or reward of peer interactions during adolescence. PMID:24613174

Overlapping neural response to the pain or harm of people, animals, and nature.

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Mathur, Vani A; Cheon, Bobby K; Harada, Tokiko; Scimeca, Jason M; Chiao, Joan Y

2016-01-29

Interpersonal pain perception is a fundamental and evolutionarily beneficial social process. While critical for navigating the social world, whether or not people rely on similar processes to perceive and respond to the harm of the non-human biological world remains largely unknown. Here we investigate whether neural reactivity toward the suffering of other people is distinct from or overlapping with the neural response to pain and harm inflicted upon non-human entities, specifically animals and nature. We used fMRI to measure neural activity while participants (n=15) perceived and reported how badly they felt for the pain or harm of humans, animals, and nature, relative to neutral situations. Neural regions associated with perceiving the pain of other people (e.g. dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral anterior insula) were similarly recruited when perceiving and responding to painful scenes across people, animals, and nature. These results suggest that similar brain responses are relied upon when perceiving the harm of social and non-social biological entities, broadly construed, and that activity within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral anterior insula in response to pain-relevant stimuli is not uniquely specific to humans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolated intermittent vertigo: A presenting feature of persistent trigeminal artery

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Rajsrinivas Parthasarathy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Embryonic carotid – basilar anastomosis when persistent in adult life can present with a variety of neurological symptoms. We present a patient with isolated intermittent vertigo attributable to the embryonic anastomosis and describe the different types of persistent trigeminal artery. A 76-year-old Caucasian man presented with isolated intermittent vertigo and symptoms suggestive of anterior and posterior circulation strokes. Impaired vasomotor reactivity was demonstrated on insonation of the anterior and posterior cerebral arteries in this patient with a persistent left trigeminal artery and 75% stenosis of the left internal carotid artery (ICA. The symptom of intermittent vertigo resolved with carotid endarterectomy. Decreased flow across the stenotic segment of the ICA which subserved the posterior circulation resulted in basilar insufficiency. Hypoperfusion to the flocculonodular lobe supplied by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery is a likely cause for the intermittent vertigo.

Winging of scapula due to serratus anterior tear

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Varun Singh Kumar

2014-10-01

Full Text Available 【Abstract】Winging of scapula occurs most commonly due to injury to long thoracic nerve supplying serratus anterior muscle. Traumatic injury to serratus anterior muscle itself is very rare. We reported a case of traumatic winging of scapula due to tear of serratus anterior muscle in a 19-year-old male. Winging was present in neutral position and in extension of right shoulder joint but not on "push on wall" test. Patient was managed conservatively and achieved satisfactory result. Key words: Serratus anterior tear; Scapula; Wounds and injuries

Impact of Isometric Contraction of Anterior Cervical Muscles on Cervical Lordosis.

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Fedorchuk, Curtis A; McCoy, Matthew; Lightstone, Douglas F; Bak, David A; Moser, Jacque; Kubricht, Brett; Packer, John; Walton, Dustin; Binongo, Jose

2016-09-01

This study investigates the impact of isometric contraction of anterior cervical muscles on cervical lordosis. 29 volunteers were randomly assigned to an anterior head translation (n=15) or anterior head flexion (n=14) group. Resting neutral lateral cervical x-rays were compared to x-rays of sustained isometric contraction of the anterior cervical muscles producing anterior head translation or anterior head flexion. Paired sample t-tests indicate no significant difference between pre and post anterior head translation or anterior head flexion. Analysis of variance suggests that gender and peak force were not associated with change in cervical lordosis. Chamberlain's to atlas plane line angle difference was significantly associated with cervical lordosis difference during anterior head translation (p=0.01). This study shows no evidence that hypertonicity, as seen in muscle spasms, of the muscles responsible for anterior head translation and anterior head flexion have a significant impact on cervical lordosis.

The cortical structure of consolidated memory: a hypothesis on the role of the cingulate-entorhinal cortical connection.

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Insel, Nathan; Takehara-Nishiuchi, Kaori

2013-11-01

Daily experiences are represented by networks of neurons distributed across the neocortex, bound together for rapid storage and later retrieval by the hippocampus. While the hippocampus is necessary for retrieving recent episode-based memory associations, over time, consolidation processes take place that enable many of these associations to be expressed independent of the hippocampus. It is generally thought that mechanisms of consolidation involve synaptic weight changes between cortical regions; or, in other words, the formation of "horizontal" cortico-cortical connections. Here, we review anatomical, behavioral, and physiological data which suggest that the connections in and between the entorhinal and cingulate cortices may be uniquely important for the long-term storage of memories that initially depend on the hippocampus. We propose that current theories of consolidation that divide memory into dual systems of hippocampus and neocortex might be improved by introducing a third, middle layer of entorhinal and cingulate allocortex, the synaptic weights within which are necessary and potentially sufficient for maintaining initially hippocampus-dependent associations over long time periods. This hypothesis makes a number of still untested predictions, and future experiments designed to address these will help to fill gaps in the current understanding of the cortical structure of consolidated memory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deactivation of medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex in anxiety disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xiaohu; Wang Peijun; Dong Ningxin; Li Chunbo; Wu Wenyuan; Hu Zhenghui; Tang Xiaowei

2007-01-01

Objective: We used blood oxygenation level dependent-functional MR imaging (BOLD- fMRI) to explore the characteristics of deactivation patterns in patients with anxiety disorders and the underlying neural mechanism of this disease. Methods: Ten patients and ten healthy controls participated the experiments. All subjects performed the trait portion of the State-Trait anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) prior to the fMRI scans. The subjects underwent noninvasive functional magnetic resonance imaging while listening actively to emotionally neutral words alternating with no words (experiment 1) and threat related-words alternating with emotionally neutral words (experiment2). During fMRI scanning, subjects were instructed to closely listen to each stimuli word and to silently make a judgment of the word's valence. Data were analyzed with statistical parametric mapping (SPM 99). Individual and group analysis were conducted. Results: Mean STAI-T score was significantly higher for patients group than that of controls (58 ± 8 for patients group and 33 ± 5 for controls, t=8.3, P<0.01). Our fMRI data revealed sets of deactivation brain regions in Experiment for patients and healthy controls, however, the deactivation can be found in experiment 2 only for patients. Interestingly, all the observed deactivation patterns were similar. The related areas compromise medial prefrontal cortex(BA 10, BA 24/32), posterior cingulate (BA 31/30) and Bilateral inferior parietal cortex (MPFC) (BA 39/40), which nearly overlapping with the organized default model network. Further more, the mean t values in the MPFC area (BA 24/32) was significantly higher for control group than that of patient (5.1 controls and 4.2 for patients, t=4.8, P=0.006), conversely, the mean t values in the posterior cingulate cortex(PCC) area was significantly higher for patients l than that of controls (4.9 controls and 5.8 for patients, t=2.4, P=0.026). Conclusion: Our observations suggest that the default model network

Passive Anterior Tibial Subluxation in the Setting of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: A Comparative Analysis of Ligament-Deficient States.

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McDonald, Lucas S; van der List, Jelle P; Jones, Kristofer J; Zuiderbaan, Hendrik A; Nguyen, Joseph T; Potter, Hollis G; Pearle, Andrew D

2017-06-01

Static anterior tibial subluxation after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury highlights the abnormal relationship between the tibia and femur in patients with ACL insufficiency, although causal factors including injuries to secondary stabilizers or the time from injury to reconstruction have not been examined. To determine static relationships between the tibia and femur in patients with various states of ACL deficiency and to identify factors associated with anterior tibial subluxation. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Patients treated for ACL injuries were identified from an institutional registry and assigned to 1 of 4 cohorts: intact ACL, acute ACL disruption, chronic ACL disruption, and failed ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Anterior tibial subluxation of the medial and lateral compartments relative to the femoral condyles were measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and an MRI evaluation for meniscal tears, chondral defects, and injuries to the anterolateral ligament (ALL) was performed. One hundred eighty-six ACL-insufficient knees met inclusion criteria, with 26 patients without an ACL injury utilized as a control group. In the lateral compartment, the mean anterior tibial subluxation measured 0.78 mm for the control group (n = 26), 2.81 mm for the acute ACL injury group (n = 74), 3.64 mm for the chronic ACL injury group (n = 40), and 4.91 mm for the failed ACLR group (n = 72). In the failed ACLR group, 37.5% of patients demonstrated lateral compartment anterior subluxation ≥6 mm, and 11.1% of this group had anterior subluxation of the lateral compartment ≥10 mm. Multivariate regression revealed that the presence of both medial and lateral chondral defects was associated with a mean 1.09-mm increase in subluxation of the medial compartment ( P = .013). The combination of medial and lateral meniscal tears was an independent predictor of increased lateral tibia subluxation by 1.611 mm ( P = .0022). Additionally, across all knee states

Cognitive Functioning in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A BOLD-fMRI Study.

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Guo, Lili; Bai, Genji; Zhang, Hui; Lu, Daoyan; Zheng, Jiyong; Xu, Gang

2017-12-01

We aimed to analyze the association between resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (re-fMRI) and cognitive function (including language, executive, and memory functions) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients, which will help to explore the mechanism of brain function in patients. 15 TLE patients and 15 non-TLE patients were recruited. All subjects underwent neuropsychological testing and memory functional evaluation. Changes in verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ), performance intelligence quotient (PIQ), full intelligence quotient (FIQ), and memory quotient (MQ) were compared between two groups. Re-fMRI data were also collected from two groups to evaluate these changes. Each individual score of neuropsychological testing and memory functional evaluation were higher in control group, which was statistically different (all P temporal gyrus back, right superior temporal gyrus, left cerebellum, left angular gyrus, left wedge anterior lobe, and left central back; while the negatively activated brain regions were left prefrontal, right cerebellum, right corner back, and right anterior cingulate gyrus. During the language task, the activated brain regions of the TLE patients were right prefrontal lobe, the lateral temporal gyri, the left cerebellum, left cornu laterale gyrus, left precuneus, and the left postcentral gyrus, whereas the negatively activated brain areas were the left prefrontal cortex, the right cerebellum, right cornu laterale gyrus, and the right anterior cingulate gyrus. During the executive task, epilepsy patients showed activation difference in right prefrontal and right frontal lobe and right brain, left superior temporal gyrus, and right cerebellum anterior lobe compared with the control group; no negatively activated differences in brain areas. During the memory task, the difference lay in bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus and bilateral wedge anterior lobe while the negatively activated brain areas were the left inferior frontal

Anterior Urethral Valves

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Vidyadhar P. Mali

2006-07-01

Full Text Available We studied the clinical presentation and management of four patients with anterior urethral valves; a rare cause of urethral obstruction in male children. One patient presented antenatally with oligohydramnios, bilateral hydronephrosis and bladder thickening suggestive of an infravesical obstruction. Two other patients presented postnatally at 1 and 2 years of age, respectively, with poor stream of urine since birth. The fourth patient presented at 9 years with frequency and dysuria. Diagnosis was established on either micturating cystourethrogram (MCU (in 2 or on cystoscopy (in 2. All patients had cystoscopic ablation of the valves. One patient developed a postablation stricture that was resected with an end-to-end urethroplasty. He had an associated bilateral vesicoureteric junction (VUJ obstruction for which a bilateral ureteric reimplantation was done at the same time. On long-term follow-up, all patients demonstrated a good stream of urine. The renal function is normal. Patients are continent and free of urinary infections. Anterior urethral valves are rare obstructive lesions in male children. The degree of obstruction is variable, and so they may present with mild micturition difficulty or severe obstruction with hydroureteronephrosis and renal impairment. Hence, it is important to evaluate the anterior urethra in any male child with suspected infravesical obstruction. The diagnosis is established by MCU or cystoscopy and the treatment is always surgical, either a transurethral ablation or an open resection. The long-term prognosis is good.

Causes and consequences of anterior pharyngeal pouch after total laryngectomy.

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Anderson, S; Hogan, D; Panizza, B

2014-07-01

To assess the frequency of anterior pharyngeal pouch formation after total laryngectomy, and to discuss the causes and consequences of anterior pharyngeal pouch formation. A prospective, observational study of 43 patients undergoing total laryngectomy. Data collected included laryngeal defect closure type, tumour staging and demographic information. A barium swallow was performed on day 7-14 after surgery to assess for anterior pharyngeal pouch formation and fistula formation. The incidence of anterior pharyngeal pouch formation was 47 per cent. Patients who did not have an anterior pharyngeal pouch on swallow imaging assessment were less likely to develop a pharyngo-cutaneous fistula. There was no statistically significant association between laryngeal defect closure type and anterior pharyngeal pouch formation. The anterior pharyngeal pouch is a dynamic phenomenon best investigated with a fluoroscopic swallow imaging study. Its causes are multi-factorial. Absence of an anterior pharyngeal pouch appears to confer protection against pharyngo-cutaneous fistula formation, hastening commencement of adjuvant therapy and an oral diet.

Gelastic seizures and the anteromesial frontal lobe: a case report and review of intracranial EEG recording and electrocortical stimulation case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Unnwongse, Kanjana; Wehner, Tim; Bingaman, William; Foldvary-Schaefer, Nancy

2010-10-01

Symptomatogenic areas for ictal laughter have been described in the frontal and temporal lobes. Within the frontal lobe, gelastic seizures have been recorded from the cingulate gyrus. Electrocortical stimulation of the cingulate gyrus as well as the superior frontal gyrus induced laughter. We describe a patient whose gelastic seizures were associated with electrographic ictal activity in the mesial aspect of the right anterior frontal gyrus. The symptomatogenic area for ictal laughter in the frontal lobe may reside in the superior frontal gyrus.

Hypoperfusion Induced by Preconditioning Treadmill Training in Hyper-Early Reperfusion After Cerebral Ischemia: A Laser Speckle Imaging Study.

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He, Zhijie; Lu, Hongyang; Yang, Xiaojiao; Zhang, Li; Wu, Yi; Niu, Wenxiu; Ding, Li; Wang, Guili; Tong, Shanbao; Jia, Jie

2018-01-01

Exercise preconditioning induces neuroprotective effects during cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, which involves the recovery of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of re-established CBF following ischemia and reperfusion are unclear. The present study investigated CBF in hyper-early stage of reperfusion by laser speckle contrast imaging, a full-field high-resolution optical imaging technique. Rats with or without treadmill training were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. CBF in arteries, veins, and capillaries in hyper-early stage of reperfusion (1, 2, and 3 h after reperfusion) and in subacute stage (24 h after reperfusion) were measured. Neurological scoring and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining were further applied to determine the neuroprotective effects of exercise preconditioning. In hyper-early stage of reperfusion, CBF in the rats with exercise preconditioning was reduced significantly in arteries and veins, respectively, compared to rats with no exercise preconditioning. Capillary CBF remained stable in the hyper-early stage of reperfusion, though it increased significantly 24 h after reperfusion in the rats with exercise preconditioning. As a neuroprotective strategy, exercise preconditioning reduced the blood perfusion of arteries and veins in the hyper-early stage of reperfusion, which indicated intervention-induced neuroprotective hypoperfusion after reperfusion onset.

Tratamiento ortodóncico-quirúrgico de una adaquia anterior Orthodontic-surgical treatment of anterior open bite

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Anselmo López Rodríguez

2004-08-01

Full Text Available En la práctica y desarrollo de la cirugía ortognática en el Hospital Universitario "Comandante Manuel Fajardo" a lo largo de los años, la morbilidad de diferentes anomalías del desarrollo maxilo-mandibulares ha mostrado que la adaquia o mordida abierta anterior es bastante frecuente. Desde tempranas edades se detectan y son tratadas por el especialista en Ortodoncia. El cerrar una adaquia en ocasiones se torna difícil y es cuando el análisis del paciente debe realizarse en el grupo multidisciplianrio integrado por cirujanos maxilofaciales, ortodoncistas y protesistas. Se han detectado diferentes causas que pueden producir una adaquia y en su mayor parte son hábitos nocivos que perduran en el paciente; por ejemplo, la interferencia con el centro de crecimiento condilar, la succión del pulgar, la deglución atípica o lengua protractil, la respiración bucal, entre otras. Este trabajo está encaminado en mostrar los diferentes tratamientos que en la actualidad se emplean para reducir una mordida abierta anterior y presenta el caso de una niña de 14 años de edad portadora de una adaquia de más de 18 mm.In the context of orthognathic surgery practice and development at "Comandante Manuel Fajardo" university hospital, morbidity from several anomalies in the maxillomandibular growth has shown that anterior open bite is pretty common. Such anomalies are detected and treated by the orthodontist at early childhood. To close an anterior open bite is difficult sometimes and requires the analysis of the patient by a multidisciplinary group made up of maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists and denture specialists. A number of causes may be the origin of anterior open bite, mainly harmful habits that persist in the patient such as interference with the condylar growth center, dummy sucking, atypical deglutition or proctatile tongue, mouth breathing, among others. This paper is aimed at showing different therapies that presently reduce anterior open

Neural Correlates of Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Women With and Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Bremner, J. Douglas; Narayan, Meena; Staib, Lawrence H.; Southwick, Steven M.; McGlashan, Thomas; Charney, Dennis S.

2011-01-01

Objective Childhood sexual abuse is very common in our society, but little is known about the long-term effects of abuse on brain function. The purpose of this study was to measure neural correlates of memories of childhood abuse in sexually abused women with and without the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method Twenty-two women with a history of childhood sexual abuse underwent injection of [15O]H2O, followed by positron emission tomography imaging of the brain while they listened to neutral and traumatic (personalized childhood sexual abuse events) scripts. Brain blood flow during exposure to traumatic and neutral scripts was compared for sexually abused women with and without PTSD. Results Memories of childhood sexual abuse were associated with greater increases in blood flow in portions of anterior prefrontal cortex (superior and middle frontal gyri—areas 6 and 9), posterior cingulate (area 31), and motor cortex in sexually abused women with PTSD than in sexually abused women without PTSD. Abuse memories were associated with alterations in blood flow in medial prefrontal cortex, with decreased blood flow in subcallosal gyrus (area 25), and a failure of activation in anterior cingulate (area 32). There was also decreased blood flow in right hippocampus, fusiform/inferior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and visual association cortex in women with PTSD relative to women without PTSD. Conclusions These findings implicate dysfunction of medial prefrontal cortex (subcallosal gyrus and anterior cingulate), hippocampus, and visual association cortex in pathological memories of childhood abuse in women with PTSD. Increased activation in posterior cingulate and motor cortex was seen in women with PTSD. Dysfunction in these brain areas may underlie PTSD symptoms provoked by traumatic reminders in subjects with PTSD. PMID:10553744

Emotional valence modulates brain functional abnormalities in depression : Evidence from a meta-analysis of fMRI studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenewold, Nynke A.; Opmeer, Esther M.; de Jonge, Peter; Aleman, Andre; Costafreda, Sergi G.

Models describing the neural correlates of biased emotion processing in depression have focused on increased activation of anterior cingulate and amygdala and decreased activation of striatum and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. However, neuroimaging studies investigating emotion processing in

Perawatan Ortodontik Gigi Anterior Berjejal dengan Tulang Alveolar yang Tipis

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Miesje K. Purwanegara

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Anterior teeth movement in orthodontic treatment is limited to labiolingual direction by very thin alveolar bone. An uncontrolled anterior tooth movement to labiolingual direction can cause alveolar bone perforation at its root segment. This case report is to remind us that alveolar bone thickness limits orthodontc tooth movement. A case of crowded anterior teeth with thin alveolar bone in malocclusion I is reported. This case is treated using adgewise orthodontic appliance. Protraction of anterior teeth is anticipated due to thin alveolar bone on the anterior surface. The conclusion is although the alveolar bone surrounding the crowded anterior teeth is thin, by controlling the movement the teeth reposition is allowed.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament OsteoArthritis Score (ACLOAS)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roemer, Frank W; Frobell, Richard; Lohmander, Stefan

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To develop a whole joint scoring system, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament OsteoArthritis Score (ACLOAS), for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based assessment of acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and follow-up of structural sequelae, and to assess its reliability. DESIGN...

Biomechanical Measures During Landing and Postural Stability Predict Second Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Return to Sport

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Paterno, Mark V.; Schmitt, Laura C.; Ford, Kevin R.; Rauh, Mitchell J.; Myer, Gregory D.; Huang, Bin; Hewett, Timothy E.

2016-01-01

Background Athletes who return to sport participation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) have a higher risk of a second anterior cruciate ligament injury (either reinjury or contralateral injury) compared with non–anterior cruciate ligament–injured athletes. Hypotheses Prospective measures of neuromuscular control and postural stability after ACLR will predict relative increased risk for a second anterior cruciate ligament injury. Study Design Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods Fifty-six athletes underwent a prospective biomechanical screening after ACLR using 3-dimensional motion analysis during a drop vertical jump maneuver and postural stability assessment before return to pivoting and cutting sports. After the initial test session, each subject was followed for 12 months for occurrence of a second anterior cruciate ligament injury. Lower extremity joint kinematics, kinetics, and postural stability were assessed and analyzed. Analysis of variance and logistic regression were used to identify predictors of a second anterior cruciate ligament injury. Results Thirteen athletes suffered a subsequent second anterior cruciate ligament injury. Transverse plane hip kinetics and frontal plane knee kinematics during landing, sagittal plane knee moments at landing, and deficits in postural stability predicted a second injury in this population (C statistic = 0.94) with excellent sensitivity (0.92) and specificity (0.88). Specific predictive parameters included an increase in total frontal plane (valgus) movement, greater asymmetry in internal knee extensor moment at initial contact, and a deficit in single-leg postural stability of the involved limb, as measured by the Biodex stability system. Hip rotation moment independently predicted second anterior cruciate ligament injury (C = 0.81) with high sensitivity (0.77) and specificity (0.81). Conclusion Altered neuromuscular control of the hip and knee during a dynamic landing task

Memory-guided attention in the anterior thalamus.

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Leszczyński, Marcin; Staudigl, Tobias

2016-07-01

The anterior thalamus is densely connected with both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. It is known to play a role in learning and episodic memory. Given its connectivity profile with the prefrontal cortex, it may also be expected to contribute to executive functions. Recent studies in both rodents and humans add to our understanding of anterior thalamic function, suggesting that it is a key region for allocating attention. We discuss the convergence between studies in rodents and humans, both of which imply that the anterior thalamus may play a key role in memory-guided attention. We suggest that efficient allocation of attention to memory representations requires interaction between the memory-related hippocampal and the attention related fronto-parietal networks. We further propose that the anterior thalamus is a hub that connects and modulates both systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shared "core" areas between the pain and other task-related networks.

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Franco Cauda

Full Text Available The idea of a 'pain matrix' specifically devoted to the processing of nociceptive inputs has been challenged. Alternative views now propose that the activity of the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices (SI, SII, the insula and cingulate cortex may be related to a basic defensive system through which significant potentially dangerous events for the body's integrity are detected. By reviewing the role of the SI, SII, the cingulate and the insular cortices in the perception of nociceptive and tactile stimuli, in attentional, emotional and reward tasks, and in interoception and memory, we found that all these task-related networks overlap in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, the anterior insula and the dorsal medial thalamus. A thorough analysis revealed that the 'pain-related' network shares important functional similarities with both somatomotor-somatosensory networks and emotional-interoceptive ones. We suggest that these shared areas constitute the central part of an adaptive control system involved in the processing and integration of salient information coming both from external and internal sources. These areas are activated in almost all fMRI tasks and have been indicated to play a pivotal role in switching between externally directed and internally directed brain networks.

FMRI of working memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment and probable Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yetkin, F. Zerrin; Rosenberg, Roger N.; Weiner, Myron F.; Purdy, Phillip D.; Cullum, C. Munro

2006-01-01

The goals of this study were to evaluate brain activation in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and controls while performing a working memory (WM) task. Eleven AD patients, ten MCI subjects, and nine controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a visual WM task. Statistical parametric maps of brain activation were obtained in each group, and group activation difference maps were generated. Ability to perform the task did not differ among the groups. Activation was observed in the parahippocampal region, superior-middle-inferior frontal gyri, parietal region, anterior-posterior cingulate, fusiform gyrus, and basal ganglia. MCI and AD groups showed more activation than the controls in the right superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal, middle frontal, anterior cingulate, and fusiform gyri. Activation in the right parahippocampal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral cingulate and lingual gyri, right lentiform nucleus, right fusiform gyrus, and left supramarginal gyrus in the AD group was less than in the MCI group. The WM task evoked activation in widely distributed regions, consistent with previous fMRI studies. AD and MCI patients showed an increased extent of activation and recruitment of additional areas. (orig.)

[MRI for brain structure and function in patients with first-episode panic disorder].

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Zhang, Yan; Duan, Lian; Liao, Mei; Yang, Fan; Liu, Jun; Shan, Baoci; Li, Lingjiang

2011-12-01

To determine the brain function and structure in patinets with first-episode panic disorder (PD). All subjects (24 PD patients and 24 healthy subjects) received MRI scan and emotional counting Stroop task during the functional magnetic resonance imaging. Blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometric technology were used to detect the gray matter volume. Compared with the healthy controls, left thalamus, left medial frontal gyrus, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, left insula (panic-related words vs. neutral words) lacked activation in PD patients, but the over-activation were found in right brain stem, right occipital lobe/lingual gyrus in PD patients. Compared with the healthy controls, the gray matter volume in the PD patients significantly decreased in the left superior temporal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, left medial occipital gyrus, dorsomedial nucleus of left thalamus and right anterior cingulate gyrus. There was no significantly increased gray matter volume in any brain area in PD patients. PD patients have selective attentional bias in processing threatening information due to the depression and weakening of the frontal cingulated gyrus.

Corticolimbic functional connectivity in adolescents with bipolar disorder.

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Fei Wang

Full Text Available Convergent evidence supports regional dysfunction within a corticolimbic neural system that subserves emotional processing and regulation in adolescents and adults with bipolar disorder (BD, with abnormalities prominent within the amygdala and its major anterior paralimbic cortical connection sites including ventral anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal, insular and temporopolar cortices. Recent studies of adults with BD demonstrate abnormalities in the functional connectivity between the amygdala and anterior paralimbic regions suggesting an important role for the connections between these regions in the development of the disorder. This study tests the hypothesis that these functional connectivity abnormalities are present in adolescents with BD. Fifty-seven adolescents, twenty-one with BD and thirty-six healthy comparison (HC adolescents, participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging while processing emotional face stimuli. The BD and HC groups were compared in the strength of functional connectivity from amygdala to the anterior paralimbic cortical regions, and explored in remaining brain regions. Functional connectivity was decreased in the BD group, compared to the HC group, during processing of emotional faces in ventral anterior cingulate (VACC, orbitofrontal, insular and temporopolar cortices (p<0.005. Orbitofrontal and VACC findings for the happy condition, and additionally right insula for the neutral condition, survived multiple comparison correction. Exploratory analyses did not reveal additional regions of group differences. This study provides evidence for decreased functional connectivity between the amygdala and anterior paralimbic cortices in adolescents with BD. This suggests that amygdala-anterior paralimbic connectivity abnormalities are early features of BD that emerge at least by adolescence in the disorder.

Neurocognition and PET: strategies for data analysis in activation studies on working memory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hautzel, H.; Mottaghy, F.M.; Schmidt, D.; Mueller, H.-W.; Krause, B. J.

2003-01-01

Aim: In cognitive neuroscience regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) imaging with positron-emission-tomography (PET) is a powerful tool to characterize different aspects of cognitive processes by using different data analysis approaches. By use of an n-back verbal working memory task (varied from 0- to 3-back) we present cognitive subtraction analysis as basic strategy as well as parametric and covariance analyses and discuss the results. Methods: Correlation analyses were performed using the individual performance rate as an external covariate, computing inter-regional correlations, an as network analysis applying structural equation modelling to evaluate the effective connectivity between the involved brain regions. Results: Subtraction analyses revealed a fronto-parietal neuronal network also including the anterior cingulate cortex and the cerebellum. With higher memory load the parametric analysis evidenced linear rCBF increases in prefrontal, pre-motor and inferior parietal areas including the precuneus as well as in the anterior cingulate cortex. The rCBF correlation with the individual performance as external covariate depicted negative correlations in bilateral prefrontal and inferior parietal regions, in the precuneus and the anterior cingulate cortex. The network analysis demonstrated mainly occipito-frontally directed interactions which were predominantly left-hemispheric. Additionally, strong linkages were found between extrastriate and parietal regions as well as within the parietal cortex. Conclusion: The data analysis approaches presented here contribute to an extended and more elaborated understanding of cognitive processes and their different sub-aspects. (orig.) [de

Abnormal Spontaneous Neural Activity in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

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Ping, Li; Su-Fang, Li; Hai-Ying, Han; Zhang-Ye, Dong; Jia, Luo; Zhi-Hua, Guo; Hong-Fang, Xiong; Yu-Feng, Zang; Zhan-Jiang, Li

2013-01-01

Neuroimaging studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder have found abnormalities in orbitofronto-striato-thalamic circuitry, including the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, caudate, and thalamus, but few studies have explored abnormal intrinsic or spontaneous brain activity in the resting state. We investigated both intra- and inter-regional synchronized activity in twenty patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 20 healthy controls using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity methods were used to analyze the intra- and inter-regional synchronized activity, respectively. Compared with healthy controls, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder showed significantly increased ReHo in the orbitofrontal cortex, cerebellum, and insula, and decreased ReHo in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, caudate, and inferior occipital cortex. Based on ReHo results, we determined functional connectivity differences between the orbitofrontal cortex and other brain regions in both patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and controls. We found abnormal functional connectivity between the orbitofrontal cortex and ventral anterior cingulate cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder compared with healthy controls. Moreover, ReHo in the orbitofrontal cortex was correlated with the duration of obsessive-compulsive disorder. These findings suggest that increased intra- and inter-regional synchronized activity in the orbitofrontal cortex may have a key role in the pathology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In addition to orbitofronto-striato-thalamic circuitry, brain regions such as the insula and cerebellum may also be involved in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Frontolimbic neural circuit changes in emotional processing and inhibitory control associated with clinical improvement following transference-focused psychotherapy in borderline personality disorder.

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Perez, David L; Vago, David R; Pan, Hong; Root, James; Tuescher, Oliver; Fuchs, Benjamin H; Leung, Lorene; Epstein, Jane; Cain, Nicole M; Clarkin, John F; Lenzenweger, Mark F; Kernberg, Otto F; Levy, Kenneth N; Silbersweig, David A; Stern, Emily

2016-01-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by self-regulation deficits, including impulsivity and affective lability. Transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) is an evidence-based treatment proven to reduce symptoms across multiple cognitive-emotional domains in BPD. This pilot study aimed to investigate neural activation associated with, and predictive of, clinical improvement in emotional and behavioral regulation in BPD following TFP. BPD subjects (n = 10) were scanned pre- and post-TFP treatment using a within-subjects design. A disorder-specific emotional-linguistic go/no-go functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm was used to probe the interaction between negative emotional processing and inhibitory control. Analyses demonstrated significant treatment-related effects with relative increased dorsal prefrontal (dorsal anterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal, and frontopolar cortices) activation, and relative decreased ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampal activation following treatment. Clinical improvement in constraint correlated positively with relative increased left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activation. Clinical improvement in affective lability correlated positively with left posterior-medial orbitofrontal cortex/ventral striatum activation, and negatively with right amygdala/parahippocampal activation. Post-treatment improvements in constraint were predicted by pre-treatment right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex hypoactivation, and pre-treatment left posterior-medial orbitofrontal cortex/ventral striatum hypoactivation predicted improvements in affective lability. These preliminary findings demonstrate potential TFP-associated alterations in frontolimbic circuitry and begin to identify neural mechanisms associated with a psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy. © 2015 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2015 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Brain regions associated with cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson disease: quantitative analysis of cerebral blood flow using 123I iodoamphetamine SPECT.

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Hattori, Naoya; Yabe, Ichiro; Hirata, Kenji; Shiga, Tohru; Sakushima, Ken; Tsuji-Akimoto, Sachiko; Sasaki, Hidenao; Tamaki, Nagara

2013-05-01

Cognitive impairment is a representative neuropsychiatric presentation that accompanies Parkinson disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to localize the cerebral regions associated with cognitive impairment in patients with PD using quantitative SPECT. Thirty-two patients with PD (mean [SD] age, 75 [8] years; 25 women; Hoehn-Yahr scores from 2 to 5) underwent quantitative brain SPECT using 123I iodoamphetamine. Parametric images of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were spatially normalized to the standard brain atlas. First, voxel-by-voxel comparison between patients with PD with versus without cognitive impairment was performed to visualize overall trend of regional differences. Next, the individual quantitative rCBF values were extracted in representative cortical regions using a standard region-of-interest template to compare the quantitative rCBF values. Patients with cognitive impairment showed trends of lower rCBF in the left frontal and temporal cortices as well as in the bilateral medial frontal and anterior cingulate cortices in the voxel-by-voxel analyses. Region-of-interest-based analysis demonstrated significantly lower rCBF in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortices (right, 25.8 [5.5] vs 28.9 [5.7] mL per 100 g/min, P left, 25.8 [5.8] vs 29.1 [5.7] mL per 100 g/min, P left frontal and temporal cortices as well as in the bilateral medial frontal and anterior cingulate cortices. The results suggested dysexecutive function as an underlining mechanism of cognitive impairment in patients with PD.

Regional Metabolic Changes in the Hippocampus and Posterior Cingulate Area Detected with 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhiqun Wang; Cheng Zhao; Kuncheng Li; Lei Yu; Weidong Zhou

2009-01-01

Background: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) plays an important role in early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD). There are many reports on MRS studies among individuals with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, very few studies have compared spectroscopic data of different limbic regions among AD and MCI subjects. Purpose: To compare metabolite changes of different regions in the brain of AD and MCI patients by using 3.0T short-echo-time MRS. Material and Methods: Metabolite ratios in the hippocampus and posterior cingulate area were compared in a group of patients with AD (n=16), MCI (n=16), and normal subjects as a control group (n=16). Clinical neuropsychological tests were measured in all subjects. Results: In the hippocampus, there were significant differences in N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr), myo-inositol (mI)/Cr, and mI/NAA ratios among the three groups. However, there were no significant differences in choline (Cho)/Cr ratio among the three groups. In the posterior cingulate area, there were no significant differences in the NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, and mI/Cr ratios among the three groups. However, there were significant differences in mI/NAA ratio between patients with AD and the control group, and between the AD and MCI groups. In addition, there was significant correlation between mI/NAA ratio and Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) score in subjects with AD and MCI. Conclusion: The study reveals that the elevation of mI/NAA ratio in the hippocampus is more significant than that in the posterior cingulate area, which corresponds to the pathologic procession of AD. The ratios of mI/NAA in the hippocampus and in the posterior cingulate area together provide valuable discrimination among the three groups (AD, MCI, and controls). There is a significant correlation between mI/NAA ratio and cognitive decline

Developmental aspects of error and high-conflict-related brain activity in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: a fMRI study with a Flanker task before and after CBT

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huyser, C.; Veltman, D.J.; Wolters, L.H.; de Haan, E.; de Boer, F.

2011-01-01

Background: Heightened error and conflict monitoring are considered central mechanisms in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and are associated with anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) function. Pediatric obsessive-compulsive patients provide an opportunity to investigate the development of this area

Anterior Segment Ischemia after Strabismus Surger

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emine Seyhan Göçmen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A 46-year-old male patient was referred to our clinic with complaints of diplopia and esotropia in his right eye that developed after a car accident. The patient had right esotropia in primary position and abduction of the right eye was totally limited. Primary deviation was over 40 prism diopters at near and distance. The patient was diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy and 18 months after trauma, he underwent right medial rectus muscle recession. Ten months after the first operation, full-thickness tendon transposition of the superior and inferior rectus muscles (with Foster suture was performed. On the first postoperative day, slit-lamp examination revealed corneal edema, 3+ cells in the anterior chamber and an irregular pupil. According to these findings, the diagnosis was anterior segment ischemia. Treatment with 0.1/5 mL topical dexamethasone drops (16 times/day, cyclopentolate hydrochloride drops (3 times/day and 20 mg oral fluocortolone (3 times/day was initiated. After 1 week of treatment, corneal edema regressed and the anterior chamber was clean. Topical and systemic steroid treatment was gradually discontinued. At postoperative 1 month, the patient was orthophoric and there were no pathologic symptoms besides the irregular pupil. Anterior segment ischemia is one of the most serious complications of strabismus surgery. Despite the fact that in most cases the only remaining sequel is an irregular pupil, serious circulation deficits could lead to phthisis bulbi. Clinical properties of anterior segment ischemia should be well recognized and in especially risky cases, preventative measures should be taken.

A simple method for quantitative evaluation of the missing area of the anterior glenoid in anterior instability of the glenohumeral joint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barchilon, Vidal S. [Sapir Medical Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shoulder Service, Kfar-Saba (Israel); Kotz, Eugene [Sapir Medical Center, Department of Imaging, Kfar-Saba (Israel); Barchilon Ben-Av, Mercedes [Achva College of Education, Department of Mathematics, MP Shikmim (Israel); Glazer, Ernesto [Rabin Medical Center, Department of Imaging, Petah Tikva (Israel); Nyska, Meir [Sapir Medical Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kfar-Saba (Israel)

2008-08-15

The objective of this study was to describe and validate a simple method to quantitatively calculate the missing area of the anterior part of the glenoid in anterior glenohumeral instability. The calculations were developed from three-dimensional (3D)-reconstructed computerized tomography en face images of the glenoid with 'subtraction' of the humeral head in 13 consecutive cases with known anterior glenohumeral joint instability diagnosed by history and clinical examination. The inferior portion of the glenoid was approximated to a true circle whose center was determined by means of a femoral head gauge. The eroded anterior area was calculated as the ratio between the depth (a perpendicular line from the center of the circle to the eroded edge of the anterior glenoid) and the radius of the inferior glenoid circle. This data was then compared to the results obtained by two additional different methods: direct computerized measurements of the missing area and direct computerized measurement of the ratio between the radius and depth, on two dimensional computed tomography (CT) en face view reconstructions of the glenoid. We provide a function that correlates the ratio between depth and radius of the inferior glenoid circle and the area of the missing anterior glenoid. The results obtained by three different methods were comparable. Simple trigonometric calculations showed that a 5% area defect corresponds to 0.8 (12.5%) of the radius of the inferior glenoid, while a 20% area defect corresponds to 0.5 (50%) of the same radius. Using this simple method and the function provided, the eroded area of the anterior part of the glenoid in anterior glenohumeral instability can be calculated preoperatively using a 3D CT reconstruction of the glenoid with 'subtraction' of the humeral head, obviating the need for sophisticated software to obtain this critical information for preoperative decision making. (orig.)

Anterior Face Height Values in a Nigerian Population | Folaranmi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... Anterior Upper Face Height 47.7 (4) mm, Anterior Total Face Height (ATFH) 108.5 (5) mm, ratio of ALFH to ATFH ALFH: ATFH 56 (4)%. Conclusion: This study provides anterior face height measurements, which will be of great significance in evaluating facial proportions andesthetics in orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, ...

Why humans deviate from rational choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewig, Johannes; Kretschmer, Nora; Trippe, Ralf H; Hecht, Holger; Coles, Michael G H; Holroyd, Clay B; Miltner, Wolfgang H R

2011-04-01

Rational choice theory predicts that humans always optimize the expected utility of options when making decisions. However, in decision-making games, humans often punish their opponents even when doing so reduces their own reward. We used the Ultimatum and Dictator games to examine the affective correlates of decision-making. We show that the feedback negativity, an event-related brain potential that originates in the anterior cingulate cortex that has been related to reinforcement learning, predicts the decision to reject unfair offers in the Ultimatum game. Furthermore, the decision to reject is positively related to more negative emotional reactions and to increased autonomic nervous system activity. These findings support the idea that subjective emotional markers guide decision-making and that the anterior cingulate cortex integrates instances of reinforcement and punishment to provide such affective markers. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Sleep habits, academic performance, and the adolescent brain structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Urrila, Anna S; Artiges, Eric; Massicotte, Jessica; Miranda, Ruben; Vulser, Hélène; Bézivin-Frere, Pauline; Lapidaire, Winok; Lemaître, Hervé; Penttilä, Jani; Conrod, Patricia J; Garavan, Hugh; Paillère Martinot, Marie-Laure; Martinot, Jean-Luc

2017-02-09

Here we report the first and most robust evidence about how sleep habits are associated with regional brain grey matter volumes and school grade average in early adolescence. Shorter time in bed during weekdays, and later weekend sleeping hours correlate with smaller brain grey matter volumes in frontal, anterior cingulate, and precuneus cortex regions. Poor school grade average associates with later weekend bedtime and smaller grey matter volumes in medial brain regions. The medial prefrontal - anterior cingulate cortex appears most tightly related to the adolescents' variations in sleep habits, as its volume correlates inversely with both weekend bedtime and wake up time, and also with poor school performance. These findings suggest that sleep habits, notably during the weekends, have an alarming link with both the structure of the adolescent brain and school performance, and thus highlight the need for informed interventions.

Anterior tension band plating for anterior tibial stress fractures in high-performance female athletes: a report of 4 cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borens, Olivier; Sen, Milan K.; Huang, Russel C.; Richmond, Jeffrey; Kloen, Peter; Jupiter, Jesse B.; Helfet, David L.

2006-01-01

Stress fracture of the anterior tibial cortex is an extremely challenging fracture to treat, especially in the high-performance female athlete who requires rapid return to competition. Previous reports have not addressed treating these fractures in the world-class athlete with anterior plating. We

Different activation of opercular and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS I) compared with healthy controls during perception of electrically induced pain: a functional MRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Freund, Wolfgang; Wunderlich, Arthur P; Stuber, Gregor; Mayer, Florian; Steffen, Peter; Mentzel, Martin; Weber, Frank; Schmitz, Bernd

2010-05-01

Although the etiology of complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS 1) is still debated, many arguments favor central maladaptive changes in pain processing as an important causative factor. To look for the suspected alterations, 10 patients with CRPS affecting the left hand were explored with functional magnetic resonance imaging during graded electrical painful stimulation of both hands subsequently and compared with healthy participants. Activation of the anterior insula, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and caudate nucleus was seen in patients during painful stimulation. Compared with controls, CRPS patients had stronger activation of the PCC during painful stimulation of the symptomatic hand. The comparison of insular/opercular activation between controls and patients with CRPS I during painful stimulation showed stronger (posterior) opercular activation in controls than in patients. Stronger PCC activation during painful stimulation may be interpreted as a correlate of motor inhibition during painful stimuli different from controls. Also, the decreased opercular activation in CRPS patients shows less sensory-discriminative processing of painful stimuli.These results show that changed cerebral pain processing in CRPS patients is less sensory-discriminative but more motor inhibition during painful stimuli. These changes are not limited to the diseased side but show generalized alterations of cerebral pain processing in chronic pain patients.

The effect of hippocampal function, volume and connectivity on posterior cingulate cortex functioning during episodic memory fMRI in mild cognitive impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papma, Janne M.; Smits, Marion; De Groot, Marius; Mattace-Raso, Francesco U. S.; van der Lugt, Aad; Vrooman, Henri A.; Niessen, W.J.; Koudstaal, Peter J.; van Swieten, John C.; van der Veen, Frederik M.; Prins, Niels D.

2017-01-01

Objectives: Diminished function of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) is a typical finding in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is hypothesized that in early stage AD, PCC functioning relates to or reflects hippocampal dysfunction or atrophy. The aim of this study was to examine the

The effect of hippocampal function, volume and connectivity on posterior cingulate cortex functioning during episodic memory fMRI in mild cognitive impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.M. Papma (Janne); M. Smits (Marion); M. de Groot (Mirthe); F.U.S. Mattace Raso (Francesco); A. van der Lugt (Aad); H.A. Vrooman (Henri); W.J. Niessen (Wiro); P.J. Koudstaal (Peter Jan); J.C. van Swieten (John); F.M. van der Veen (Frederik); N.D. Prins (Niels)

2017-01-01

textabstractObjectives: Diminished function of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) is a typical finding in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is hypothesized that in early stage AD, PCC functioning relates to or reflects hippocampal dysfunction or atrophy. The aim of this study was to examine the

Application and experience of anterior vitrectomy in phacoemulsification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Bo Zeng

2016-02-01

Full Text Available AIM: To observe and discuss the clinical application and effect of anterior vitrectomy in phacoemulsification for the treatment of vitreous prolapse caused by posterior capsular rupture or suspensory ligament transection.METHODS:Retrospective analysis of 28 cases(35 eyeswith cataract in whom vitreous prolapse caused by posterior capsular rupture or suspensory ligament transection occurred in phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation and anterior vitrectomy were performed was conducted. RESULTS:Anterior vitrectomy for timely and accurate treatment for vitreous prolapse caused by posterior capsular rupture or suspensory ligament transection occurred in phacoemulsification was satisfied. CONCLUSION: Anterior vitrectomy has good curative effect for vitreous prolapse caused by posterior capsular rupture or suspensory ligament transection occurred in phacoemulsification and is effective with less severe complications.

Developmental aspects of error and high-conflict-related brain activity in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: a fMRI study with a Flanker task before and after CBT

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huyser, C.; Veltman, D.J.; Wolters, L.H.; de Haan, E.; Boer, F.

2011-01-01