Brain connectivity
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Functional connectivity studies play a huge role in understanding the relationship between the network connections and the behavioral phenotype of patients with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Some patients with PDD may not be able to tolerate the imaging procedure while they are awake, and, hence, they often need general anesthesia. General anesthesia is a confounding factor in functional imaging studies due to its effect on the functional connectivity. ⋯ Secondary analysis of connectivity showed a decrease in connectivity within the thalamus and an increase in DMN-ECN and DMN-SN cross-network connectivity in the anesthetized patient group compared to healthy controls. Previous reports suggested that even mild levels of anesthesia could reduce overall fluctuation levels in the major brain. However, our results provide strong evidence that most networks can sustain detectable levels of activity in patients with PDDs even under deep levels of anesthesia.
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The aim of this study is to determine whether regional homogeneity (ReHo) of resting-state blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data based on Kendall's coefficient of concordance (KCC-ReHo) and coherence (Cohe-ReHo) metrics may allow detection of brain tumor-induced neurovascular uncoupling (NVU) in the sensorimotor network similar to findings in standard motor task-based BOLD fMRI (tbfMRI) activation. Twelve de novo brain tumor patients undergoing clinical fMRI exams (tbfMRI and rsfMRI) were included in this Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study. Each patient displayed decreased/absent tbfMRI activation in the primary ipsilesional sensorimotor cortex in the absence of corresponding motor deficit or suboptimal task performance, consistent with NVU. ⋯ Voxel values in CL and IL ROIs of each map were divided by the corresponding global mean of KCC-ReHo and Cohe-ReHo in bihemispheric cortical brain tissue. Group analysis revealed significantly decreased IL mean KCC-ReHo (p = 0.02) and Cohe-ReHo (p = 0.04) metrics compared with respective values in the CL ROIs, consistent with similar findings of significantly decreased ipsilesional BOLD signal for tbfMRI (p = 0.0005). Ipsilesional abnormalities in ReHo derived from rsfMRI may serve as potential indicators of NVU in patients with brain tumors and other resectable brain lesions; as such, ReHo findings may complement findings on tbfMRI used for presurgical planning.
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The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is difficult to discern and poorly understood. An accurate differential diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of mTBI and PTSD are challenging due to significant symptom overlap and the absence of clearly established biomarkers. The objective of this work is to examine how post-traumatic stress influences task-free default mode network in chronic mTBI subjects. ⋯ Furthermore, the findings suggest a disruption in attention relating to a network of brain regions involved with emotional regulation and memory coding, rather than a fear-related response. Taken together, the results suggest these regions form a network that could be a target for future research pertaining to PTSD and chronic mTBI. Furthermore, the use of clinical measures, task-based imaging studies, or multimodal imaging could help further elucidate specific neural correlates of PTSS and mTBI.
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The pain matrix is comprised of an extensive network of brain structures involved in sensory and/or affective information processing. The thalamus is a key structure constituting the pain matrix. The thalamus serves as a relay center receiving information from multiple ascending pathways and relating information to and from multiple cortical areas. ⋯ Our findings suggest that M1 stimulation primarily modulates FC of sensory networks, whereas DLPFC stimulation modulates FC of both sensory and affective networks. Our findings when replicated in a larger group of individuals could provide useful evidence that may inform future studies on pain to differentiate between effects of M1 and DLPFC stimulation. Notably, our finding that individuals with high baseline pain thresholds experience greater FC changes with DLPFC tDCS implies the role of DLPFC in pain modulation, particularly pain tolerance.
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Brain functional connectivity undergoes dynamic changes from the awake to unconscious states. However, how the dynamics of functional connectivity patterns are linked to consciousness at the behavioral level remains elusive. In this study, we acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data during wakefulness and graded levels of consciousness in rats. ⋯ Our results demonstrate that whole-brain networks contained several quasi-stable patterns that dynamically recurred from the awake state into anesthetized states. Remarkably, two brain connectivity states with distinct spatial similarity to the structure of anatomical connectivity were strongly biased toward high and low consciousness levels, respectively. These results provide compelling neuroimaging evidence linking the dynamics of whole-brain functional connectivity patterns and states of consciousness at the behavioral level.