Transdiagnostic alterations in neural emotion regulation circuits - neural substrates of cognitive reappraisal in patients with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Impaired cognitive reappraisal, associated with the social functioning and well-being of patients affected by mood or anxiety disorders, is characterized by distinct neural activation patterns across clinical populations. To date, studies dedicated to identifying common and distinct neural activation profiles need to be clarified. The aim of the present study was to investigate transdiagnostic differences and commonalities in brain activation patterns during reappraisal-mediated downregulation of emotions. METHODS: Cognitive reappraisal of negative images was contrasted with maintaining emotions during a control viewing condition. Brain activation in 35 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 20 patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 34 healthy controls (HC) during cognitive reappraisal was compared. Moreover, the neural circuitry of emotion regulation in these clinical populations was examined using seed-to-voxel and voxel-to-voxel functional connectivity analyses. RESULTS: Whole-brain fMRI analyses showed less right-lateralized activation of the inferior, middle, and superior frontal gyrus during cognitive reappraisal compared to viewing of negative images in MDD and PTSD patients compared to HCs. Right IFG activation was negatively correlated with the severity of anxiety and depressive symptomatology. In addition, increased seed-to-voxel connectivity of the right IFG as well as increased voxel-to-voxel connectivity was observed in PTSD patients compared to HCs and MDD patients. CONCLUSIONS: FMRI results therefore suggested a common deficit of depression and anxiety symptomatology reflected by reduced activation in right IFG during cognitive reappraisal as well as diagnosis specific effects in patients with PTSD based on seed-to-voxel and voxel-to-voxel connectivity showing an overactive and hyperconnected salience network. Findings highlight the role of transdiagnostic research to identify disorder specific brain patterns as well as patterns common across disorders.

Functional Connectivity and Quantitative EEG in Women with Alcohol Use Disorders: A Resting-State Study.

This study was aimed at exploring the electroencephalographic features associated with alcohol use disorders (AUD) during a resting-state condition, by using quantitative EEG and Functional Connectivity analyses. In addition, we explored whether EEG functional connectivity is associated with trait impulsivity. Absolute and relative powers and Synchronization Likelihood (SL) as a measure of functional connectivity were analyzed in 15 AUD women and fifteen controls matched in age, gender and education. Correlation analysis between self-report impulsivity as measured by the Barratt impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and SL values of AUD patients were performed. Our results showed increased absolute and relative beta power in AUD patients compared to matched controls, and reduced functional connectivity in AUD patients predominantly in the beta and alpha bands. Impaired connectivity was distributed at fronto-central and occipito-parietal regions in the alpha band, and over the entire scalp in the beta band. We also found that impaired functional connectivity particularly in alpha band at fronto-central areas was negative correlated with non-planning dimension of impulsivity. These findings suggest that functional brain abnormalities are present in AUD patients and a disruption of resting-state EEG functional connectivity is associated with psychopathological traits of addictive behavior.

fMRI Neurofeedback-Enhanced Cognitive Reappraisal Training in Depression: A Double-Blind Comparison of Left and Right vlPFC Regulation.

Affective disorders are associated with maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. In particular, the left more than the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) may insufficiently regulate emotion processing, e.g., in the amygdala. A double-blind cross-over study investigated NF-supported cognitive reappraisal training in major depression (n = 42) and age- and gender-matched controls (n = 39). In a randomized order, participants trained to upregulate either the left or the right vlPFC during cognitive reappraisal of negative images on two separate days. We wanted to confirm regional specific NF effects with improved learning for left compared to right vlPFC (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03183947). Brain responses and connectivity were studied with respect to training progress, gender, and clinical outcomes in a 4-week follow-up. Increase of vlPFC activity was stronger after NF training from the left- than the right-hemispheric ROI. This regional-specific NF effect during cognitive reappraisal was present across patients with depression and controls and supports a central role of the left vlPFC for cognitive reappraisal. Further, the activity in the left target region was associated with increased use of cognitive reappraisal strategies (r = 0.48). In the 4-week follow-up, 75% of patients with depression reported a successful application of learned strategies in everyday life and 55% a clinically meaningful symptom improvement suggesting clinical usability.

Perceptual/attentional anomalies in schizophrenia: a family study.

Endophenotypes have emerged as an important concept in the study of schizophrenia. Perceptual/attentional anomalies were examined as potential endophenotypes in a family study using a strategy for "multiplex/simplex schizophrenia". The sample was comprised of 797 subjects: 206 schizophrenia patients, 302 first-degree relatives and 289 controls. The Spanish versions of the Structured Interview for Assessing Perceptual/attentional Anomalies (SIAPA) and Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) were applied to measure the presence of perceptual/attentional anomalies, and positive and negative subscale respectively. An ANCOVA was carried out for global comparisons between groups. The multiplex schizophrenic group had significantly more frequent auditory and visual perceptual/attentional anomalies than Simplex schizophrenic and control groups. The most interesting finding was that the severity of auditory and visual perceptual/attentional anomalies and negative symptoms was significantly higher in the relatives of the multiplex schizophrenia group than in those relatives from the simplex schizophrenia and control groups. The existence of perceptual/attentional anomalies in nonaffected relatives suggests the presence of familial association for these symptoms which may therefore be a potential endophenotype suitable for genetic studies.

[Evoked potentials N200/P300 disorders and clinical phenotype in Cuban families with paranoid schizophrenia: a family-based association study]. / Estudio de asociación familiar entre las alteraciones de los potenciales evocados N200/P300 y el fenotipo clínico en familias cubanas con esquizofrenia paranoide.

INTRODUCTION: N200 and P300 event-related evoked potentials provide sensitive measurements of sensory and cognitive function and have been used to study information processing in patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected first-degree relatives. Reduced amplitude and increased latency of N200 and P300 potentials have been consistently reported in schizophrenia. Thus, event-related evoked potentials abnormalities are promising possible biological markers for genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of changes in latency, amplitude and topographic distribution of potentials N200 and P300 of patients with paranoid schizophrenia and their healthy first-degree relatives, in families with schizophrenia multiplex. METHODOLOGY: We measured latency and amplitude of the N200 and P300 component of evoked potentials using an auditory odd-ball paradigm in 25 schizophrenic patients (probands) from 60 families multiply affected with paranoid schizophrenia, 23 of their non-schizophrenic first-degree relatives and 25 unrelated healthy controls, through a study of family association. RESULTS: Schizophrenic patients and their relatives showed significant latency prolongation and amplitude reduction of the N200 and P300 waves compared to controls. Left-temporal as compared to right-temporal N200 and P300 were significantly smaller in schizophrenic patients and their non-schizophrenic first-degree relatives than in controls. Our results suggest that event-related evoked potentials abnormalities may serve as markers of genetic vulnerability in schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS: Confirming results of other researchers, this present study suggests that latency prolongation and amplitude reduction of the N200 and P300 waves and an altered topography at temporal sites may be a trait “marker” of paranoid schizophrenia.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los potenciales relacionados a eventos N200 y P300 son herramientas sensibles para evaluar el funcionamiento sensorial y cognitivo. Debido a que, frecuentemente se reporta una prolongación de la latencia y una disminución de la amplitud de los componentes N200 y P300 en pacientes con esquizofrenia, estos potenciales constituyen marcadores biológicos de vulnerabilidad genética para este trastorno mental. OBJETIVO: Precisar la asociación de las alteraciones en la latencia, la amplitud y la distribución topográfica de los potenciales N200 y P300 de pacientes con esquizofrenia paranoide y sus familiares sanos de primer grado, pertenecientes a familias con esquizofrenia multiplex. MÉTODOS: Se utilizó un paradigma “odd-ball” auditivo para evaluar la latencia, la amplitud y la distribución topográfica de los componentes N200 y P300 en 25 pacientes con esquizofrenia paranoide (probandos), 23 familiares sanos de primer grado y 25 sujetos controles, mediante un estudio de asociación familiar en 60 familias afectadas con esquizofrenia multiplex. RESULTADOS: Los probandos y sus familiares mostraron una prolongación significativa de la latencia y una disminución de amplitud de las ondas N200 y P300 cuando se compararon con los sujetos sanos. De igual forma, la amplitud de los potenciales N200 y P300 resultó significativamente disminuida en regiones temporales del hemisferio izquierdo de los probandos y sus familiares con respecto al grupo control. CONCLUSIONES: En concordancia con resultados de otros investigadores, este estudio sugiere que, la prolongación de latencia, la disminución de amplitud y las alteraciones en la distribución topográficas detectadas en regiones temporales de los potenciales N200 y P300, pueden constituir por su elevada asociación familiar, marcadores de rasgo para la esquizofrenia paranoide.