Review
Behavioral Sciences
Lisie Valeria Paz, Thiago Wendt Viola, Bruna Bueno Milanesi, Juliana Henz Sulzbach, Regis Gemerasca Mestriner, Andrea Wieck, Leder Leal Xavier
Summary: Contagious depression theory suggests that depression can be induced or triggered by our social environment. This theory is based on the concept of emotional contagion, which states that affective states can be transferred during social interaction. This review summarizes two essential mechanisms of contagious depression - automatic mimicry and the mirror neuron system.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Stuart B. Murray, Joel P. Diaz-Fong, Christina J. Duval, Ane A. Balkchyan, Jason M. Nagata, Darrin J. Lee, Kyle T. Ganson, Arthur W. Toga, Steven J. Siegel, Kay Jann
Summary: This study found regional sex differences in terms of gray matter morphometry in early-onset binge eating disorder (BED), with girls showing higher gray matter density.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Maurizio Bergamino, Elizabeth G. Keeling, Leslie C. Baxter, Nicholas J. Sisco, Ryan R. Walsh, Ashley M. Stokes
Summary: The study investigates the differences in grey matter (GM) volume and white matter (WM) microstructural disorganization between males and females with Alzheimer's disease (AD) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and free-water-corrected diffusion tensor imaging (FW-DTI). The results show significant group and sex differences, and post-hoc comparisons reveal that AD is associated with reduced GM volume, reduced FW-FA, and higher FW-RD/FW-index, consistent with neurodegeneration. Females in both groups exhibit higher GM volume than males, while FW-DTI metrics show sex differences only in the AD group.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Erin E. Hecht, Olivia T. Reilly, Marcela E. Benitez, Kimberley A. Phillips, Sarah F. Brosnan
Summary: This study found significant expansion in different regions for female tufted capuchin monkeys, while male expansion was limited to the hypothalamus. The network connectivity of these regions was revealed through fiber tractography. Compared to rodents and humans, capuchins show non-overlapping male and female volumetric measures in brain regions.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Julio Plata-Bello, Nicole Privato, Cristian Modrono, Yaiza Perez-Martin, Africa Borges, Jose Luis Gonzalez-Mora, Tim Hodgson
Summary: The aim of this study was to analyze the brain activity patterns during the observation of painful expressions and establish the relationship between this activity and the scores obtained on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Observing painful expressions led to increased activity in specific regions of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. The regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between brain activity during the observation of pain and empathic concern scores on the IRI.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Katherine O. Bray, Elena Pozzi, Nandita Vijayakumar, Sally Richmond, Camille Deane, Christos Pantelis, Vicki Anderson, Sarah Whittle
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between empathy and brain structure in children and found that individual differences in empathy may be related to grey matter volume in the insula and the precuneus. The findings highlight the importance of further research on the neurobiological correlates of empathy in children.
COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Sandra Vieira, Qiyong Gong, Cristina Scarpazza, Su Lui, Xiaoqi Huang, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, Diana Tordesillas-Gutierrez, Victor Ortiz-Garcia de la Foz, Esther Setien-Suero, Floor Scheepers, Neeltje E. M. van Haren, Rene Kahn, Tiago Reis Marques, Simone Ciufolini, Marta Di Forti, Robin M. Murray, Anthony David, Paola Dazzan, Philip McGuire, Andrea Mechelli
Summary: This study identified a consistent pattern of neuroanatomical abnormalities in fronto-temporal, insular and occipital regions in five independent samples of individuals with first-episode psychosis. The extent of these alterations was found to be dependent on the severity of symptoms and duration of illness, providing evidence for reliable neuroanatomical changes in first-episode psychosis.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Psychiatry
Aliyah Allick, Grace Park, Kwon Kim, Michelle Vintimilla, Krutika Rathod, Rachael Lebo, Julie Nanavati, Christopher J. Hammond
Summary: Investigating gray matter volume differences between adolescent cannabis users and typically developing youth, it was found that these differences may vary subtly and depend on age, cumulative cannabis exposure, and sex, indicating potential complexity in the relationship.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Biology
David Elkind, Hannah Hochgerner, Etay Aloni, Noam Shental, Amit Zeisel, Tali Kimchi
Summary: Researchers used the Allen Mouse Brain Connectivity project's images to systematically characterize cell density and volume in the mouse brain. They discovered that overall brain volume does not uniformly expand across all regions and that region-specific density changes are often negatively correlated with region volume. They also found that cell count does not scale linearly with volume.
Article
Neurosciences
Sally C. Chester, Tatsuyoshi Ogawa, Maki Terao, Ryusuke Nakai, Nobuhito Abe, Stephane A. De Brito
Summary: This study investigated the neuroanatomical correlates of psychopathic traits in a Japanese sample using structural magnetic resonance imaging data. The results showed associations between psychopathic traits and gray matter volume as well as gyrification in specific brain regions. The associations varied based on sex and different levels of psychopathy factors.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin Skov, Oshin Vartanian, Gorka Navarrete, Cristian Modrono, Anjan Chatterjee, Helmut Leder, Jose L. Gonzalez-Mora, Marcos Nadal
Summary: The study found that the openness of interior spaces influences the beauty and pleasantness ratings, which are correlated with regional gray matter volume in the anterior prefrontal cortex and temporal pole. However, there were no significant correlations involving contour or ceiling height.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jordan Garris, Mark Quigg
Summary: Female patients with TD have later peak symptoms, less remission with age, and worse impairment from tics, especially in adulthood. Compared to males, female TD patients are less likely to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and more likely to have anxiety and mood disorders.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Francesca Biondo, Charlotte Nymberg Thunell, Bing Xu, Congying Chu, Tianye Jia, Alex Ing, Erin Burke Quinlan, Nicole Tay, Tobias Banaschewski, Arun L. W. Bokde, Christian Buechel, Sylvane Desrivieres, Herta Flor, Vincent Frouin, Hugh Garavan, Penny Gowland, Andreas Heinz, Bernd Ittermann, Jean-Luc Martinot, Herve Lemaitre, Frauke Nees, Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos, Luise Poustka, Sabina Millenet, Juliane H. Froehner, Michael N. Smolka, Henrik Walter, Robert Whelan, Edward D. Barker, Gunter Schumann
Summary: This study revealed sex differences in the neural correlates of hyperactivity/inattention symptoms in adolescents, with boys showing lower grey matter volume in specific brain regions and girls showing higher grey matter volume in certain regions. These findings underscore the importance of considering sex when examining mechanisms underlying psychopathology in adolescence.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Aylin Mehren, Christiane Margarete Thiel, Swantje Bruns, Alexandra Philipsen, Jale Ozyurt
Summary: The study found no differences in social cognition between adult patients with ADHD and healthy controls, but performance on affective aspects of ToM correlated positively with gray matter volumes in the medial part of the superior frontal gyri in both groups.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Daiki Hiraoka, Shota Nishitani, Koji Shimada, Ryoko Kasaba, Takashi X. Fujisawa, Akemi Tomoda
Summary: The study found that maternal empathy is influenced by oxytocin gene methylation, with methylation positively correlated with Personal Distress and negatively correlated with the volume of the right inferior temporal gyrus. However, the indirect effect of inferior temporal gyrus gray matter volumes on the relationship between oxytocin gene methylation and empathy was not significant.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neuroimaging
Yajuan Zhang, Qiong Xiang, Chu-Chung Huang, Jiajia Zhao, Yuchen Liu, Ching-Po Lin, Dengtang Liu, Chun-Yi Zac Lo
Summary: The effect of antipsychotic medications on the brain functions of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) remains unclear. This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance images to examine the changes in brain function after antipsychotic treatment. The results showed that drug-naive FEP patients had different patterns of functional connectivity compared to healthy volunteers, especially involving the right thalamus. After two months of treatment, patients showed reductions in ReHo and nodal clustering in visual networks, indicating improvements in psychotic symptoms. However, the functional alterations at baseline were not fully modulated by antipsychotic medications, suggesting limited effects in regions involved in disease pathophysiology.
BRAIN IMAGING AND BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jie Zhang, Ye Yao, Jin-song Wu, Edmund T. Rolls, Ce-chen Sun, Ling-hao Bu, Jun-feng Lu, Ching-po Lin, Jian-feng Feng, Ying Mao, Liang-fu Zhou
Summary: This study used multi-modal neuroimaging analyses to localize the cortical regions and white matter tracts responsible for auditory language comprehension. The results showed that cortical areas in the posterior temporal lobe are crucial for language comprehension. The fiber integrity of the arcuate fasciculus and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus was strongly correlated with auditory comprehension and the grey matter volume of the inferior temporal and middle temporal gyri.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Chih-Chin Heather Hsu, Shin Tai Chong, Yi-Chia Kung, Kuan-Tsen Kuo, Chu-Chung Huang, Ching-Po Lin
Summary: This article presents a semi-automated pipeline tool called iDIO for preprocessing and analysis of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data. The tool integrates features from various advanced dMRI software tools and provides a set of suggested processing steps based on the image header of the input data. Additionally, the pipeline offers post-processing options such as estimation of diffusion tensor metrics and whole-brain tractography-based connectomes reconstruction. iDIO also generates an easy-to-interpret quality control report for data assessment.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lei Wang, Qing Ma, Xiaoyi Sun, Zhilei Xu, Jiaying Zhang, Xuhong Liao, Xiaoqin Wang, Dongtao Wei, Yuan Chen, Bangshan Liu, Chu-Chung Huang, Yanting Zheng, Yankun Wu, Taolin Chen, Yuqi Cheng, Xiufeng Xu, Qiyong Gong, Tianmei Si, Shijun Qiu, Ching-Po Lin, Jingliang Cheng, Yanqing Tang, Fei Wang, Jiang Qiu, Peng Xie, Lingjiang Li, Yong He, Mingrui Xia, Yihe Zhang
Summary: This study conducted frequency-resolved connectome analysis on a large sample of MDD patients and healthy controls, revealing significant frequency-dependent connectome alterations in MDD. These alterations mainly occur in the left parietal, temporal, precentral, and fusiform cortices, as well as bilateral precuneus. Additionally, the connectome alteration in the high frequency band (0.16-0.24 Hz) is significantly associated with illness duration.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shang-Hua N. Lin, Yun R. Lien, Kazuhisa Shibata, Yuka Sasaki, Takeo Watanabe, Ching-Po Lin, Li-Hung Chang
Summary: Numerous studies have shown that rTMS can modulate brain plasticity, but the mechanism underlying rTMS-induced plasticity may differ from that associated with learning. In this study, we compared the effects of high-frequency rTMS and visual training on plasticity in early visual areas using neuroimaging techniques. The results revealed significant differences in neurotransmitter concentration changes and the time course of the excitatory-to-inhibitory ratio between high-frequency rTMS and training conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Chia-Lin Tsai, Kun-Hsien Chou, Pei-Lin Lee, Chih-Sung Liang, Chen-Yuan Kuo, Guan-Yu Lin, Yu-Kai Lin, Yi-Chih Hsu, Chien-An Ko, Fu-Chi Yang, Ching-Po Lin
Summary: This study found that individuals with SCD and migraine show hippocampal structural abnormalities and altered structural covariance within hippocampal subdivisions. Shared alterations in structural covariance were observed between the anterior hippocampus and inferior temporal gyri, as well as between the posterior hippocampus and precentral gyrus in both SCD and migraine. Furthermore, the structural covariance integrity of the posterior hippocampus-cerebellum axis was associated with the duration of SCD.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Jiajia Zhao, Chu-Chung Huang, Yajuan Zhang, Yuchen Liu, Shih-Jen Tsai, Ching-Po Lin, Chun-Yi Zac Lo
Summary: This study reveals the widespread connectivity abnormalities in both structural and functional brain circuits in individuals with schizophrenia. The abnormal signal transfer along the white matter pathways is found to be significantly associated with psychotic symptoms and illness duration in schizophrenia. This work supports the dysconnectivity hypothesis of schizophrenia and emphasizes the critical role of white matter networks in the pathophysiology of this disorder.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Jun-Ding Zhu, Yung-Fu Wu, Shih-Jen Tsai, Ching-Po Lin, Albert C. C. Yang
Summary: Brain-age prediction models were constructed using multimodal MRI, and deviations in aging trajectories in different brain regions of participants with schizophrenia were examined. The results showed accelerated aging in most gray matter regions, especially in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and insula. Deviations in aging trajectories were also observed in some white matter tracts. However, no accelerated brain aging was found in functional connectivity maps. These findings provide insights into the neuropathology of schizophrenia.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Yifan Yuan, Tianming Qiu, Shin Tai Chong, Sanford Pin-Chuan Hsu, Ying-Hua Chu, Yi-Cheng Hsu, Geng Xu, Yu-Ting Ko, Kuan-Tsen Kuo, Zixiao Yang, Wei Zhu, Ching-Po Lin, Jianping Song
Summary: Cerebral neoplasms can lead to neuro-functional deficits, and novel tracking technology like DTI combined with intraoperative navigation can help achieve maximum resection and minimize neurological deficit. The development of user-friendly software can automate the segmentation and reconstruction of functionally active areas to facilitate precise surgery.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Chen-Yuan Kuo, Pei-Lin Lee, Li-Ning Peng, Pei-Ning Wang, Wei-Ju Lee, Liang-Kung Chen, Kun-Hsien Chou, Chih-Ping Chung, Ching-Po Lin
Summary: The study examined the association between advanced brain biological age and accelerated age-related physical and cognitive functional decline. A brain age prediction model was constructed using gray matter features from the MRI of 1482 healthy individuals. The difference between predicted and chronological age (brain age gap) was analyzed in a community-dwelling population aged 50 years and above. Participants with the physio-cognitive decline syndrome (PCDS) had a significantly higher brain age gap compared to other groups, indicating that advanced brain aging may contribute to physical and cognitive decline in older individuals.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Yi-Chia Wei, Chih-Chin Heather Hsu, Wen-Yi Huang, Chemin Lin, Chih-Ken Chen, Yao-Liang Chen, Pin-Yuan Chen, Yu-Chiau Shyu, Ching-Po Lin
Summary: This study identified multiple modifiable and unmodifiable factors associated with the glymphatic imaging marker. The DTI-ALPS index correlated with various metabolic factors known to increase the risk of vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the DTI-ALPS index was associated with renal indices, suggesting a link of water regulation between the two systems. Additionally, the astrocytic biomarker, plasma GFAP, may serve as a potential marker of the glymphatic system, but further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness.
Article
Neuroimaging
Yajuan Zhang, Chu-Chung Huang, Jiajia Zhao, Yuchen Liu, Mingrui Xia, Xiaoqin Wang, Dongtao Wei, Yuan Chen, Bangshan Liu, Yanting Zheng, Yankun Wu, Taolin Chen, Yuqi Cheng, Xiufeng Xu, Qiyong Gong, Tianmei Si, Shijun Qiu, Jingliang Cheng, Yanqing Tang, Fei Wang, Jiang Qiu, Peng Xie, Lingjiang Li, Yong He, Ching-Po Lin, Chun-Yi Zac Lo
Summary: Through analysis of a large dataset, it has been found that there are abnormal functional connections between the brainstem nuclei and other brain regions in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). These findings improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and provide a theoretical foundation for the development of new pharmacotherapies.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Chen-Lan Shen, Shih-Jen Tsai, Ching-Po Lin, Albert C. C. Yang
Summary: This study examined the structural and functional brain abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia, and found that these abnormalities progress at different rates and in different brain areas throughout the course of the illness. Using MRI scanning, the study found that in the early stages of schizophrenia, there were only limited functional abnormalities in certain brain regions, but as the illness progressed, the abnormalities spread to wider brain areas and also involved gray matter density. In the third decade of the illness, structural connectivity abnormalities affecting almost all white matter tracts emerged.
Article
Psychiatry
Jun-Ding Zhu, Shih-Jen Tsai, Ching-Po Lin, Yi-Ju Lee, Albert C. Yang
Summary: Brain-age prediction is a novel approach for assessing deviated brain aging trajectories in different diseases. This study aimed to investigate the presence of declined brain structures in schizophrenia using brain volume, cortical thickness, and fractional anisotropy as features. The results showed that individuals with schizophrenia had larger brain age gaps compared to healthy controls across different illness durations.
Article
Rheumatology
H. Y. Liu, P. L. Lee, K. H. Chou, Y. F. Wang, S. P. Chen, K. L. Lai, L. L. Pan, C. P. Lin, S. J. Wang, W. T. Chen
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between fatigue severity and brain morphometry changes in fibromyalgia patients. The results showed that higher fatigue severity was associated with decreased bilateral thalamic volumes and increased right inferior temporal cortex volumes.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Yang He, Jun Tang, Meng Zhang, Junjie Ying, Dezhi Mu
Summary: This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of human placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) transplantation in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The results showed that hPMSCs transplantation reduced apoptosis and improved long-term neurological prognosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of Sema 3A/NRP-1 expression and activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway played a key role in the protective effects of hPMSCs.
Article
Neurosciences
Emily L. Isenstein, Edward G. Freedman, Jiayi Xu, Ian A. DeAndrea-Lazarus, John J. Foxe
Summary: This study evaluated electrophysiological discrimination of parametric somatosensory stimuli in healthy young adults to understand how the brain processes the duration of tactile information. The results showed that participants did not electrophysiologically discriminate between 100 and 115 ms, but they exhibited distinct electrophysiological responses when the deviant stimuli were 130, 145, and 160 ms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of tactile sensitivity in different clinical conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Juliana R. Souza, Ludmila Lima-Silveira, Daniela Accorsi-Mendonca, Benedito H. Machado
Summary: This study demonstrates that A2A receptors play a crucial role in modulating synaptic transmission in the NTS neurons and are required for the enhancement of glutamatergic transmission observed under short-term sustained hypoxia conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Miki Hashizume, Rina Ito, Rie Suge, Yasushi Hojo, Gen Murakami, Takayuki Murakoshi
Summary: The basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA) is closely involved in the formation of emotional memories, including both aversive memory and contextual fear memory. Acute sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts the acquisition of tone-associated fear memory in juvenile rats, but has no significant effect on contextual fear memory. Slow network oscillation in the amygdala contributes to the formation of amygdala-dependent fear memory in relation to sleep.
Article
Neurosciences
Qunxian Wang, Shipeng Guo, Dongjie Hu, Xiangjun Dong, Zijun Meng, Yanshuang Jiang, Zijuan Feng, Weihui Zhou, Weihong Song
Summary: GSDME plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by regulating the switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis and participating in neuroinflammatory response. Knockdown of GSDME has been shown to improve cognitive impairments, indicating that GSDME could be a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.
