Cigarette craving modulation is more feasible than resistance modulation for heavy cigarette smokers: empirical evidence from functional MRI data.

BACKGROUND: Modulation of cigarette craving and neuronal activations from nicotine-dependent cigarette smokers using real-time functional MRI (rtfMRI)-based neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NF) has been previously reported. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rtfMRI-NF training in reducing cigarette cravings using fMRI data acquired before and after training. METHODS: Treatment-seeking male heavy cigarette smokers (N = 14) were enrolled and randomly assigned to two conditions related to rtfMRI-NF training aiming at resisting the urge to smoke. In one condition, subjects underwent conventional rtfMRI-NF training using neuronal activity as the neurofeedback signal (activity-based) within regions-of-interest (ROIs) implicated in cigarette craving. In another condition, subjects underwent rtfMRI-NF training with additional functional connectivity information included in the neurofeedback signal (functional connectivity-added). Before and after rtfMRI-NF training at each of two visits, participants underwent two fMRI runs with cigarette smoking stimuli and were asked to crave or resist the urge to smoke without neurofeedback. Cigarette craving-related or resistance-related regions were identified using a general linear model followed by paired t-tests and were evaluated using regression analysis on the basis of neuronal activation and subjective craving scores (CRSs). RESULTS: Visual areas were mainly implicated in craving, whereas the superior frontal areas were associated with resistance. The degree of (a) CRS reduction and (b) the correlation between neuronal activation and CRSs were statistically significant (P < 0.05) in the functional connectivity-added neurofeedback group for craving-related ROIs. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated the feasibility of altering cigarette craving in craving-related ROIs but not in resistance-related ROIs via rtfMRI-NF training.

Sex specific relationships between infants' mental rotation ability and amiotic sex hormones.

Sex differences in mental rotation, robust in adults, have recently been reported for infants' looking times although the pattern of results is not completely conclusive. In this context, organizational effects of gonadal steroids affecting the neural circuitry underlying spatial cognition could be (partly) responsible for the early sex difference. In the present study testosterone and estradiol levels measured in amniotic fluid via ultra performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry were used to examine the role of prenatal sex hormones on infants' looking times during mental rotation. N = 208 six-month-old infants participated in an expectation of violation task with 3D cube figures. Mental rotation was defined as the difference in looking times for familiar versus mirrored cube figures whereas vigilance was defined as the sum of both looking times. Sex differences were absent for mental rotation as well as for vigilance. Most importantly, however, for boys mental rotation but not vigilance was correlated with prenatal testosterone but not with estradiol. For girls mental rotation but not vigilance was correlated with prenatal estradiol but not with testosterone although it has to be noted that the testosterone values for girls suffered from a floor effect. Only 5% of the within-sex variance was due to prenatal sex hormones indicating small effects. These findings extend our knowledge concerning organizational effects of prenatal sex hormones on the brain circuitry underlying spatial cognition.

The inclusion of functional connectivity information into fMRI-based neurofeedback improves its efficacy in the reduction of cigarette cravings.

Real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) neurofeedback (NF) facilitates volitional control over brain activity and the modulation of associated mental functions. The NF signals of traditional rtfMRI-NF studies predominantly reflect neuronal activity within ROIs. In this study, we describe a novel rtfMRI-NF approach that includes a functional connectivity (FC) component in the NF signal (FC-added rtfMRI-NF). We estimated the efficacy of the FC-added rtfMRI-NF method by applying it to nicotine-dependent heavy smokers in an effort to reduce cigarette craving. ACC and medial pFC as well as the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus are associated with cigarette craving and were chosen as ROIs. Fourteen heavy smokers were randomly assigned to receive one of two types of NF: traditional activity-based rtfMRI-NF or FC-added rtfMRI-NF. Participants received rtfMRI-NF training during two separate visits after overnight smoking cessation, and cigarette craving score was assessed. The FC-added rtfMRI-NF resulted in greater neuronal activity and increased FC between the targeted ROIs than the traditional activity-based rtfMRI-NF and resulted in lower craving score. In the FC-added rtfMRI-NF condition, the average of neuronal activity and FC was tightly associated with craving score (Bonferroni-corrected p = .028). However, in the activity-based rtfMRI-NF condition, no association was detected (uncorrected p > .081). Non-rtfMRI data analysis also showed enhanced neuronal activity and FC with FC-added NF than with activity-based NF. These results demonstrate that FC-added rtfMRI-NF facilitates greater volitional control over brain activity and connectivity and greater modulation of mental function than activity-based rtfMRI-NF.

Asthma during pregnancy and clinical outcomes in offspring: a national cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Maternal asthma is a common pregnancy complication, with adverse short-term effects for the offspring. The objective was to determine whether asthma during pregnancy is a risk factor of offspring diseases. METHODS: We studied pregnant women from the Danish National Birth Cohort (births: 1996-2002; prospective data) giving birth to live singletons (n = 66 712 mother-child pairs), with 4145 (6.2%) women suffering from asthma during pregnancy. We estimated the associations between asthma during pregnancy and offspring diseases (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision diagnoses from national registries), controlling for potential confounders and validating findings by secondary analyses. RESULTS: Offspring median age at end of follow-up was 6.2 (3.6-8.9) years. Asthma was associated with an increased offspring risk of infectious and parasitic diseases (hazard ratio [HR] 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-1.46), diseases of the nervous system (HR 1.43; CI 1.18-1.73), ear (HR 1.33; CI 1.19-1.48), respiratory system (HR 1.43; CI 1.34-1.52), and skin (HR 1.39; CI 1.20-1.60), and potentially (not confirmed in secondary analyses) of endocrine and metabolic disorders (HR 1.26; CI 1.02-1.55), diseases of the digestive system (HR 1.17; CI 1.04-1.32), and malformations (odds ratio 1.13; CI 1.01-1.26), but not of neoplasms, mental disorders, or diseases of the blood and immune system, circulatory system, musculoskeletal system, and genitourinary system. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of the associations between asthma during pregnancy and a wide spectrum of offspring diseases. In line with previous data on selected outcomes, asthma during pregnancy may be a risk factor for numerous offspring diseases, suggesting that careful monitoring of women with asthma during pregnancy and their offspring is important.