Dorsal brain activity reflects the severity of menopausal symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: The severity of menopausal symptoms, despite being triggered by hormonal imbalance, does not directly correspond to hormone levels in the blood; thus, the level of unpleasantness is assessed using subjective questionnaires in clinical practice. To provide better treatments, alternative objective assessments have been anticipated to support medical interviews and subjective assessments. This study aimed to develop a new objective measurement for assessing unpleasantness. METHODS: Fourteen participants with menopausal symptoms and two age-matched participants who visited our outpatient section were enrolled. Resting-state brain activity was measured using magnetoencephalography. The level of unpleasantness of menopausal symptoms was measured using the Kupperman Kohnenki Shogai Index. The blood level of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were also measured. Correlation analyses were performed between the oscillatory power of brain activity, index score, and hormone levels. RESULTS: The level of unpleasantness of menopausal symptoms was positively correlated with high-frequency oscillatory powers in the parietal and bordering cortices (alpha; P = 0.016, beta; P = 0.015, low gamma; P = 0.010). The follicle-stimulating hormone blood level was correlated with high-frequency oscillatory powers in the dorsal part of the cortex (beta; P = 0.008, beta; P = 0.005, low gamma; P = 0.017), whereas luteinizing hormone blood level was not correlated. CONCLUSION: Resting-state brain activity can serve as an objective measurement of unpleasantness associated with menopausal symptoms, which aids the selection of appropriate treatment and monitors its outcome.

Oscillatory characteristics of resting-state magnetoencephalography reflect pathological and symptomatic conditions of cognitive impairment.

Background: Dementia and mild cognitive impairment are characterised by symptoms of cognitive decline, which are typically assessed using neuropsychological assessments (NPAs), such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a novel clinical assessment technique that measures brain activities (summarised as oscillatory parameters), which are associated with symptoms of cognitive impairment. However, the relevance of MEG and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) data obtained using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has not been examined using clinical datasets. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships among MEG oscillatory parameters, clinically validated biomarkers computed from rCBF, and NPAs using outpatient data retrieved from hospital records. Methods: Clinical data from 64 individuals with mixed pathological backgrounds were retrieved and analysed. MEG oscillatory parameters, including relative power (RP) from delta to high gamma bands, mean frequency, individual alpha frequency, and Shannon's spectral entropy, were computed for each cortical region. For SPECT data, three pathological parameters-'severity', 'extent', and 'ratio'-were computed using an easy z-score imaging system (eZIS). As for NPAs, the MMSE and FAB scores were retrieved. Results: MEG oscillatory parameters were correlated with eZIS parameters. The eZIS parameters associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology were reflected in theta power augmentation and slower shift of the alpha peak. Moreover, MEG oscillatory parameters were found to reflect NPAs. Global slowing and loss of diversity in neural oscillatory components correlated with MMSE and FAB scores, whereas the associations between eZIS parameters and NPAs were sparse. Conclusion: MEG oscillatory parameters correlated with both SPECT (i.e. eZIS) parameters and NPAs, supporting the clinical validity of MEG oscillatory parameters as pathological and symptomatic indicators. The findings indicate that various components of MEG oscillatory characteristics can provide valuable pathological and symptomatic information, making MEG data a rich resource for clinical examinations of patients with cognitive impairments. SPECT (i.e. eZIS) parameters showed no correlations with NPAs. The results contributed to a better understanding of the characteristics of electrophysiological and pathological examinations for patients with cognitive impairments, which will help to facilitate their co-use in clinical application, thereby improving patient care.

Monitoring the outcomes of non-pharmacological treatments for cognitive impairment using magnetoencephalography: A case series.

Key Clinical Message: Cognitive impairment associated dementia is treatable non-pharmacologically. Monitoring tools are important to provide proper treatment. The present study showed that the resting-state brain activity measured using magnetoencephalography reflects their outcomes and captures clinical impressions better than neuropsychological assessments, which have inherent limitations such as the practice effect. Abstract: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal phase of dementia caused by brain diseases. Non-pharmacological treatments are sometimes effective in improving patient's cognition and quality of life. To provide better treatments, monitoring the treatment outcomes, which is done using neuropsychological assessments, is important. However, these assessments have inherent limitations, such as practice effects. Therefore, complementary assessments are anticipated. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a neuroimaging technique that is sensitive to changes in brain activity associated with cognitive impairment. It represents the state of brain activity in terms of MEG spectral parameters associated with neuropsychological assessment scores. MEG spectral parameters could reasonably be used to monitor treatment outcomes without the aforementioned limitations. However, few published longitudinal reports have assessed MEG spectral parameters during the non-pharmacological treatment period for cognitive impairment associated with dementia. In this study, we retrospectively examined the clinical records of two patients with MCI. Changes in neuropsychological assessment scores and MEG spectral parameters were qualitatively evaluated along with the patients' conditions, as described in the medical records during non-pharmacological treatments provided for more than 2 years. The changes in neuropsychological assessment scores and MEG spectral parameters showed comparable trends, with some discrepancies. Changes in MEG spectral parameters were more consistent with the subjective reports from caregivers and medical staff in the medical records. Our results suggest that MEG is a promising tool for monitoring patient conditions during treatment.

Reliability of Spectral Features of Resting-State Brain Activity: A Magnetoencephalography Study.

Background Cognition is a vital sign and its deterioration is a major concern in clinical medicine. It is usually evaluated using neuropsychological assessments, which have innate limitations such as the practice effect. To compensate for these assessments, the oscillatory power of resting-state brain activity has recently become available. The power is obtained noninvasively using magnetoencephalography and is summarized by spectral parameters such as the median frequency (MF), individual alpha frequency (IAF), spectral edge frequency 95 (SEF95), and Shannon's spectral entropy (SSE). As these parameters are less sensitive to practice effects, they are suitable for longitudinal studies. However, their reliability remains unestablished, hindering their proactive use in clinical practice. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the within-participant reliability of these parameters using repeated measurements of healthy participants to facilitate their clinical use and to evaluate the observed changes/differences in these parameters reported in previous studies. Methodology Resting-state brain activity with eyes closed was recorded using magnetoencephalography for five minutes from 15 healthy individuals (29.3 ± 4.6 years old: ranging from 23 to 28 years old). The following four spectral parameters were calculated: MF, IAF, SEF95, and SSE. To quantify reliability, the minimal detectable change (MDC) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were computed for each parameter. In addition, we used MDCs to evaluate the changes and differences in the spectral parameters reported in previous longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. Results The MDC at 95% confidence interval (MDC95) of MF, IAF, SEF95, and SSE were 0.61 Hz, 0.44 Hz, 2.91 Hz, and 0.028, respectively. The ICCs of these parameters were 0.96, 0.92, 0.94, and 0.83, respectively. The MDC95 of these parameters was smaller than the mean difference in the parameters between cognitively healthy individuals and patients with dementia, as reported in previous studies. Conclusions The spectral parameter changes/differences observed in prior studies were not attributed to measurement errors but rather reflected genuine effects. Furthermore, all spectral parameters exhibited high ICCs (>0.8), underscoring their robust within-participant reliability. Our results support the clinical use of these parameters, especially in the longitudinal monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes of interventions.

Resting-state brain activity distinguishes patients with generalised epilepsy from others.

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder characterised by repetitive seizures. It is categorised into three types: generalised epilepsy (GE), focal epilepsy (FE), and combined generalised and focal epilepsy. Correctly subtyping the epilepsy is important to select appropriate treatments. The types are mainly determined (i.e., diagnosed) by their semiologies supported by clinical examinations, such as electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Although these examinations are traditionally based on visual inspections of interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs), which are not always visible, alternative analyses have been anticipated. We examined if resting-state brain activities can distinguish patients with GE, which would help us to diagnose the type of epilepsy. METHODS: The 5 min resting-state brain activities acquired using MEG were obtained retrospectively from 15 patients with GE. The cortical source of the activities was estimated at each frequency band from delta to high-frequency oscillation (HFO). These estimated activities were compared with reference datasets from 133 healthy individuals and control data from 29 patients with FE. RESULTS: Patients with GE showed larger theta in the occipital, alpha in the left temporal, HFO in the rostral deep regions, and smaller HFO in the caudal ventral regions. Their area under the curves of the receiver operating characteristic curves was around 0.8-0.9. The distinctive pattern was not found for data from FE. CONCLUSION: Patients with GE show distinctive resting-state brain activity, which could be a potential biomarker and used complementarily to classical analysis based on the visual inspection of IEDs.

Decreased beta-band activity in left supramarginal gyrus reflects cognitive decline: Evidence from a large clinical dataset in patients with dementia.

Cognitive impairment is a major concern in clinical medicine. It is usually evaluated with neuropsychological assessments, which have inherent limitations. To compensate for them, magnetoencephalography has already come into clinical use to evaluate the level of cognitive impairment. It evaluates global changes in the frequency of resting-state brain activity, which are associated with cognitive status. However, it remains unclear what neural mechanism causes the frequency changes. To understand this, it is important to identify cortical regions that mainly contribute to these changes. We retrospectively analysed the clinical records from 310 individuals with cognitive impairment who visited the outpatient department at our hospital. The analysis included resting-state magnetoencephalography, neuropsychological assessment, and clinical diagnosis data. Regional oscillatory intensities were estimated from the magnetoencephalography data, which were statistically analysed, along with neuropsychological assessment scores, and the severity of cognitive impairment associated with clinical diagnosis. The regional oscillatory intensity covering a wide range of regions and frequencies was significantly associated with neuropsychological assessment scores and differed between healthy individuals and patients with cognitive impairment. However, these associations and differences in all conditions were overlapped by a single change in beta frequency in the left supramarginal gyrus. High frequency oscillatory intensity in the left supramarginal gyrus is associated with cognitive impairment levels among patients who were concerned about dementia. It provides new insights into cognitive status measurements using magnetoencephalography, which is expected to develop as an objective index to be used alongside traditional neuropsychological assessments.

Macroscopic Property Evaluation of Titania Nanocomposite Polymer Capable of Drawing Double-Network Macrostructure Using Photolithography.

In this study, we developed a double-network hybrid polymer that controls the strength and density of cross-linking points by utilizing the bonds of titania and catechol groups with an o-nitrobenzyl group (ONBg) as the photoreactive cross-linking points. In addition, this hybrid material system, which is composed of thermally dissociable bonds between titania and carboxyl groups, can be molded before light irradiation. The Young's modulus increased by approximately 1000 times upon irradiation with UV light. Moreover, introducing microstructures using the photolithography technique improved the tensile strength and fracture energy by approximately 32 and 15 times, respectively, compared to the sample without the photoreaction. The improved toughness was achieved by the macrostructures, which enhanced the effective cleavage of sacrificial bonds between the carboxyl groups and titania.

Distinctive effects of executive dysfunction and loss of learning/memory abilities on resting-state brain activity.

Dementia is a syndrome characterised by cognitive impairments, with a loss of learning/memory abilities at the earlier stages and executive dysfunction at the later stages. However, recent studies have suggested that impairments in both learning/memory abilities and executive functioning might co-exist. Cognitive impairments have been primarily evaluated using neuropsychological assessments, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Recently, neuroimaging techniques such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), which assess changes in resting-state brain activity, have also been used as biomarkers for cognitive impairment. However, it is unclear whether these changes reflect dysfunction in executive function as well as learning and memory. In this study, parameters from the MEG for brain activity, MMSE for learning/memory, and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) for executive function were compared within 207 individuals. Three MEG parameters were used as representatives of resting-state brain activity: median frequency, individual alpha frequency, and Shannon's spectral entropy. Regression analysis showed that median frequency was predicted by both the MMSE and FAB scores, while individual alpha frequency and Shannon's spectral entropy were predicted by MMSE and FAB scores, respectively. Our results indicate that MEG spectral parameters reflect both learning/memory and executive functions, supporting the utility of MEG as a biomarker of cognitive impairment.

The Menstrual Cycle Alters Resting-State Cortical Activity: A Magnetoencephalography Study.

Resting-state neural oscillations are used as biomarkers for functional diseases such as dementia, epilepsy, and stroke. However, accurate interpretation of clinical outcomes requires the identification and minimisation of potential confounding factors. While several studies have indicated that the menstrual cycle also alters brain activity, most of these studies were based on visual inspection rather than objective quantitative measures. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the effect of the menstrual cycle on spontaneous neural oscillations based on quantitative magnetoencephalography (MEG) parameters. Resting-state MEG activity was recorded from 25 healthy women with normal menstrual cycles. For each woman, resting-state brain activity was acquired twice using MEG: once during their menstrual period (MP) and once outside of this period (OP). Our results indicated that the median frequency and peak alpha frequency of the power spectrum were low, whereas Shannon spectral entropy was high, during the MP. Theta intensity within the right temporal cortex and right limbic system was significantly lower during the MP than during the OP. High gamma intensity in the left parietal cortex was also significantly lower during the MP than during the OP. Similar differences were also observed in the parietal and occipital regions between the proliferative (the late part of the follicular phase) and secretory phases (luteal phase). Our findings suggest that the menstrual cycle should be considered to ensure accurate interpretation of functional neuroimaging in clinical practice.

The association between carotid blood flow and resting-state brain activity in patients with cerebrovascular diseases.

Cerebral hypoperfusion impairs brain activity and leads to cognitive impairment. Left and right common carotid arteries (CCA) are the major source of cerebral blood supply. It remains unclear whether blood flow in both CCA contributes equally to brain activity. Here, CCA blood flow was evaluated using ultrasonography in 23 patients with cerebrovascular diseases. Resting-state brain activity and cognitive status were also assessed using magnetoencephalography and a cognitive subscale of the Functional Independence Measure, respectively, to explore the relationships between blood flow, functional brain activity, and cognitive status. Our findings indicated that there was an association between blood flow and resting-state brain activity, and between resting-state brain activity and cognitive status. However, blood flow was not significantly associated with cognitive status directly. Furthermore, blood velocity in the right CCA correlated with resting-state brain activity, but not with the resistance index. In contrast, the resistance index in the left CCA correlated with resting-state brain activity, but not with blood velocity. Our findings suggest that hypoperfusion is important in the right CCA, whereas cerebral microcirculation is important in the left CCA for brain activity. Hence, this asymmetry should be considered when designing appropriate therapeutic strategies.

Resting-State Magnetoencephalography Reveals Neurobiological Bridges Between Pain and Cognitive Impairment.

INTRODUCTION: Pain has been identified as a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction, which in turn affects pain perception. Although pain, cognitive dysfunction, and their interaction are clinically important, the neural mechanism connecting the two phenomena remains unclear. METHODS: The resting-state brain activity of 38 participants was measured using magnetoencephalography before and after the patients underwent selective nerve root block (SNRB) for the treatment of their pain. We then assessed the extent to which these data correlated with the subjective levels of pain experienced by the patients across SNRB based on the visual analogue scale and the cognitive status of the patients measured after SNRB using the Japanese versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-J). RESULTS: Slow oscillations (delta) in the right precentral gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus were negatively correlated with the subjective level of pain, and fast oscillations (gamma) in the right insular cortex and right middle temporal gyrus before SNRB were negatively correlated with the MMSE-J score afterwards. These correlations disappeared after SNRB. CONCLUSION: The presently observed changes in neural activity, as indicated by oscillation changes, might represent the transient bridge between pain and cognitive dysfunction in patients with severe pain. Our findings underscore the importance of treating pain before a transient diminishment of cognitive function becomes persistent.