Clinical-functional brain connectivity signature predicts longitudinal symptom improvement after acupuncture treatment in patients with functional dyspepsia.

Whilst acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for functional dyspepsia (FD), its efficacy varies significantly among patients. Knowing beforehand how each patient responds to acupuncture treatment will facilitate the ability to produce personalized prescriptions, therefore, improving acupuncture efficacy. The objective of this study was to construct the prediction model, based on the clinical-neuroimaging signature, to forecast the individual symptom improvement of FD patients following a 4-week acupuncture treatment and to identify the critical predictive features that could potentially serve as biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of acupuncture for FD. Clinical-functional brain connectivity signatures were extracted from samples in the training-test set (100 FD patients) and independent validation set (60 FD patients). Based on these signatures and support vector machine algorithms, prediction models were developed in the training test set, followed by model performance evaluation and predictive features extraction. Subsequently, the external robustness of the extracted predictive features in predicting acupuncture efficacy was evaluated by the independent validation set. The developed prediction models possessed an accuracy of 88% in predicting acupuncture responders, as well as an R2 of 0.453 in forecasting symptom relief. Factors that contributed significantly to stronger responsiveness of patients to acupuncture therapy included higher resting-state functional connectivity associated with the orbitofrontal gyrus, caudate, hippocampus, and anterior insula, as well as higher baseline scores of the Symptom Index of Dyspepsia and shorter durations of the condition. Furthermore, the robustness of these features in predicting the efficacy of acupuncture for FD was verified through various machine learning algorithms and independent samples and remained stable in univariate and multivariate analyses. These findings suggest that it is both feasible and reliable to predict the efficacy of acupuncture for FD based on the pre-treatment clinical-neuroimaging signature. The established prediction framework will promote the identification of suitable candidates for acupuncture treatment, thereby improving the efficacy and reducing the cost of acupuncture for FD.

Predicting acupuncture efficacy for functional dyspepsia based on functional brain network features: a machine learning study.

Acupuncture is effective in treating functional dyspepsia (FD), while its efficacy varies significantly from different patients. Predicting the responsiveness of different patients to acupuncture treatment based on the objective biomarkers would assist physicians to identify the candidates for acupuncture therapy. One hundred FD patients were enrolled, and their clinical characteristics and functional brain MRI data were collected before and after treatment. Taking the pre-treatment functional brain network as features, we constructed the support vector machine models to predict the responsiveness of FD patients to acupuncture treatment. These features contributing critically to the accurate prediction were identified, and the longitudinal analyses of these features were performed on acupuncture responders and non-responders. Results demonstrated that prediction models achieved an accuracy of 0.76 ± 0.03 in predicting acupuncture responders and non-responders, and a R2 of 0.24 ± 0.02 in predicting dyspeptic symptoms relief. Thirty-eight functional brain network features associated with the orbitofrontal cortex, caudate, hippocampus, and anterior insula were identified as the critical predictive features. Changes in these predictive features were more pronounced in responders than in non-responders. In conclusion, this study provided a promising approach to predicting acupuncture efficacy for FD patients and is expected to facilitate the optimization of personalized acupuncture treatment plans for FD.

Altered dynamic functional connectivity of striatal-cortical circuits in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) of striatal-cortical circuits changes in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). METHODS: The resting-state EEG-fMRI and the sliding-window approach were adopted to explore the dynamic striatal-cortical circuitry in thirty JME patients compared with 30 well-matched health controls (HCs). Six pairs of striatal seeds were selected as regions of interests. The correlation analysis was performed to reveal the relationship between the altered dFC variability and clinical variables in JME group. RESULTS: JME patients exhibited increased dFC variability mainly involved in fronto-striatal and striatal-thalamic networks; decreased dFC variability between striatum subdivisions and default mode network (DMN) regions compared with HCs (p<0.05, GRF corrected). In addition, the hypervariability between left ventral-rostral putamen and left medial superior frontal gyrus was positively (r= 0.493, p=0.008) correlated with the mean frequency score of myoclonic seizures in JME group. CONCLUSION: JME presented altered dFC variability in striatal-cortical circuits. The pattern of altered circuits showed increased variability in fronto-striatal and striatal-thalamic networks and decreased variability in striatal-DMN. These results provide novel information about the dynamic neural striatal-cortical circuitry of JME.

Neural Responses of Acupuncture for Treating Functional Dyspepsia: An fMRI Study.

Different acupoints exhibiting similar therapeutic effects are a common phenomenon in acupuncture clinical practice. However, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the similarities and differences in cerebral activities elicited through stimulation of CV12 and ST36, the two most commonly used acupoints, in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, so as to partly explore the mechanism of the different acupoints with similar effects. Thirty-eight eligible functional dyspepsia (FD) patients were randomly assigned into either group A (CV12 group) or group B (ST36 group). Each patient received five acupuncture treatments per week for 4 weeks. The Symptom Index of Dyspepsia (SID), Nepean Dyspepsia Symptom Index (NDSI), and Nepean Dyspepsia Life Quality Index (NDLQI) were used to assess treatment efficacy. Functional MRI (fMRI) scans were performed to detect cerebral activity changes at baseline and at the end of the treatment. The results demonstrated that (1) improvements in NDSI, SID, and NDLQI were found in both group A and group B (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the improvements of the SID, NDSI, and NDLQI scores between group A and group B (p > 0.05); (2) all FD patients showed significantly increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the left postcentral gyrus after acupuncture treatment, and the changes of ALFF in the left postcentral gyrus were significantly related to the improvements of SID scores (r = 0.358, p = 0.041); and (3) needling at CV12 significantly decreased the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the left postcentral gyrus and angular gyrus, caudate, middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and cerebellum, while needling at ST36 significantly increased the rsFC between the left postcentral gyrus with the precuneus, superior frontal gyrus (SFG), and MFG. The results indicated that CV12 and ST36 shared similar therapeutic effects for dyspepsia, with common modulation on the activity of the postcentral gyrus in FD patients. However, the modulatory pattern on the functional connectivity of the postcentral gyrus was different. Namely, stimulation of CV12 primarily involved the postcentral gyrus-reward network, while stimulation of ST36 primarily involved the postcentral gyrus-default mode network circuitry.

Cerebello-Thalamo-Cortical Hyperconnectivity Classifies Patients and Predicts Long-Term Treatment Outcome in First-Episode Schizophrenia.

It has previously been shown that cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) hyperconnectivity is likely a state-independent neural signature for psychosis. However, the potential clinical utility of this change has not yet been evaluated. Here, using fMRI and clinical data acquired from 214 untreated first-episode patients with schizophrenia (62 of whom were clinically followed-up at least once at the 12th and 24th months after treatment initiation) and 179 healthy controls, we investigated whether CTC hyperconnectivity would serve as an individualized biomarker for diagnostic classification and prediction of long-term treatment outcome. Cross-validated LASSO regression was conducted to estimate the accuracy of baseline CTC connectivity for patient-control classification, with the generalizability of classification performance tested in an independent sample including 42 untreated first-episode patients and 65 controls. Associations between baseline CTC connectivity and clinical outcomes were evaluated using linear mixed model and leave-one-out cross validation. We found significantly increased baseline CTC connectivity in patients (P = .01), which remained stable after treatment. Measures of CTC connectivity discriminated patients from controls with moderate classification accuracy (AUC = 0.68, P < .001), and the classification model had good generalizability in the independent sample (AUC = 0.70, P < .001). Higher CTC connectivity at baseline significantly predicted poorer long-term symptom reduction in negative symptoms (R = 0.31, P = .01) but not positive or general symptoms. These findings provide initial evidence for the putative "CTC hyperconnectivity" anomaly as an individualized diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for schizophrenia, and highlight the potential of this measure in precision psychiatry.

A preliminary study of the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on structural brain networks in mood-dysregulated youth with a familial risk for bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT-C), as a psychotherapeutic intervention, has been shown to be effective for treating mood dysregulation (MD). While previous neuroimaging studies of MD have reported both pre-treatment structural and functional alterations, the effects of MBCT-C on brain morphological network organisation has not been investigated. METHODS: We investigated brain morphological network organisation in 10 mood-dysregulated youth with familial risk for bipolar disorder and 15 matched healthy comparison youth (HC). Effects of 12 weeks of MBCT-C were examined in the mood-dysregulated youth. Topological properties of brain networks used for analyses were constructed based on morphological similarities in regional grey matter using a graph-theory approach using MRI data. RESULTS: At baseline, compared with the HC group, the mood-dysregulated group exhibited increased global efficiency (Eglob ), decreased path length (Lp ), and abnormal nodal properties, mainly in the limbic system. Right temporal pole alterations at baseline predicted change in Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure scores after treatment. The mood-dysregulated group showed significant decreases in both the Eglob and Lp metrics after MBCT-C, suggesting an improved capacity for optimal information processing. Changes in Lp were correlated with changes in Emotion Regulation Checklist scores. Our results show significant topological alterations in the mood-dysregulated group as compared to controls at baseline. After MBCT-C, disrupted topological properties in the mood-dysregulated group were significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: MBCT-C may facilitate clinically meaningful changes in the brain structural network in mood-dysregulated individuals.

Grey matter connectome abnormalities and age-related effects in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Convergent evidence is increasing to indicate progressive brain abnormalities in schizophrenia. Knowing the brain network features over the illness course in schizophrenia, independent of effects of antipsychotic medications, would extend our sight on this question. METHODS: We recruited 237 antipsychotic-naive patients with schizophrenia range from 16 to 73 years old, and 254 healthy controls. High-resolution T1 weighted images were obtained with a 3.0T MR scanner. Grey matter networks were constructed individually based on the similarities of regional grey matter measurements. Network metrics were compared between patient groups and healthy controls, and regression analyses with age were conducted to determine potential differential rate of age-related changes between them. FINDINGS: Nodal centrality abnormalities were observed in patients with untreated schizophrenia, particularly in the central executive, default mode and salience networks. Accelerated age-related declines and illness duration-related declines were observed in global assortativity, and in nodal metrics of left superior temporal pole in schizophrenia patients. Although no significant intergroup differences in age-related regression were observed, the pattern of network metric alternation of left thalamus indicated higher nodal properties in early course patients, which decreased in long-term ill patients. INTERPRETATIONS: Global and nodal alterations in the grey matter connectome related to age and duration of illness in antipsychotic-naive patients, indicating potentially progressive network organizations mainly involving temporal regions and thalamus in schizophrenia independent from medication effects. FUNDING: The National Natural Science Foundation of China, Sichuan Science and Technology Program, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Post-Doctor Research Project, West China Hospital, Sichuan University , the Science and Technology Project of the Health Planning Committee of Sichuan, Postdoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Project of Sichuan University and 1.3.5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence, West China Hospital, Sichuan University.

Integration of PEG-conjugated gadolinium complex and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as T 1-T 2 dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging probes.

The T 1-T 2 dual-mode probes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can non-invasively acquire comprehensive information of different tissues or generate self-complementary information of the same tissue at the same time, making MRI a more flexible imaging modality for complicated applications. In this work, three Gadolinium-diethylene-triaminepentaaceticacid (Gd-DTPA) complex conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles with different Gd/Fe molar ratio (0.94, 1.28 and 1.67) were prepared as T 1-T 2 dual-mode MRI probes, named as SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA0.94, SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA1.28 and SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA1.67, respectively. All SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA nanocomposites with 8 nm spherical SPIO nanocrystals showed good Gd3+ chelate stability. SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA0.94 nanocomposites with lowest Gd/Fe molar ratio show no cytotoxicity to Raw 264.7 cells as compared to SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA1.28 and SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA1.67. SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA0.94 nanocomposites with r 1 (8.4 mM-1s-1), r 2 (83.2 mM-1s-1) and relatively ideal r 2/r 1 ratio (9.9) were selected for T 1-T 2 dual-mode MRI of blood vessels and liver tissue in vivo. Good contrast images were obtained for both cardiovascular system and liver in animal studies under a clinical 3 T scanner. Importantly, one can get high-quality contrast-enhanced blood vessel images within the first 2 h after contrast agent administration and acquire liver tissue anatomy information up to 24 h. Overall, the strategy of one shot of the dual mode MRI agent could bring numerous benefits not only for patients but also to the radiologists and clinicians, e.g. saving time, lowering side effects and collecting data of different organs sequentially.

Functional connectivity of the thalamocortical circuit in patients with seizure relapse after antiseizure medication withdrawal.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the features of thalamocortical functional connectivity during seizure recurrence at the time of antiseizure medication (ASM) withdrawal. METHODS: Patients with chronic epilepsy who attempted to discontinue medications were prospectively registered and followed up; 19 patients remained seizure-free (SF-group), 18 patients had seizure relapses (SR-group) after ASM withdrawal, and 28 healthy controls were recruited. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed before ASM withdrawal. Thalamus subdivisions were set as seeds to calculate voxelwise functional connectivity. Partial correlation analysis between functional connectivity and clinical variables was performed. A support vector machine was used to assess the predictive ability of the specific functional connectivity for seizure relapse. RESULTS: The within-group comparison indicated that the SR-group had more extensive functional connectivity than the SF-group; the left inferior pulvinar, left medial pulvinar, and right anterior pulvinar showed a significantly stronger functional connection with the precuneus in the SR-group than in the SF-group (Gaussian random field correction, voxel-level p < .001 and cluster-level p < .05). In the SR-group, a positive correlation was found between the left inferior pulvinar-precuneus connectivity and the active period (r = .46, p = .05), seizure-free period (r = .67, p = .002), and disease duration (r = .53, p = .02), and between the left medial pulvinar-precuneus connectivity and the seizure-free period (r = .58, p = .01). The combination of these thalamocortical connections showed a high predictive ability, with an area under the curve of .92 and accuracy of .90 (p = .01). SIGNIFICANCE: This study determined distinct features of thalamocortical functional connectivity at the time of ASM withdrawal in patients with and without seizure relapse, showing a potential for predicting seizure outcomes following ASM withdrawal.

Emotion-Related Network Reorganization Following Fish Oil Supplementation in Depressed Bipolar Offspring: An fMRI Graph-Based Connectome Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Mood disorders are associated with fronto-limbic structural and functional abnormalities and deficits in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Emerging evidence also suggests that n-3 PUFA, which are enriched in fish oil, promote cortical plasticity and connectivity. The present study performed a graph-based connectome analysis to investigate the role of n-3 PUFA in emotion-related network organization in medication-free depressed adolescent bipolar offspring. METHODS: At baseline patients (n = 53) were compared with healthy controls (n = 53), and patients were then randomized to 12-week double-blind treatment with placebo or fish oil. At baseline and endpoint, erythrocyte EPA+DHA levels were measured and fMRI scans (4 Tesla) were obtained while performing a continuous performance task with emotional and neutral distractors (CPT-END). Graph-based analysis was used to characterize topological properties of large-scale brain network organization. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, patients exhibited lower erythrocyte EPA+DHA levels (p = 0.0001), lower network clustering coefficients (p = 0.029), global efficiency (p = 0.042), and lower node centrality and connectivity strengths in frontal-limbic regions (p<0.05). Compared with placebo, 12-week fish oil supplementation increased erythrocyte EPA+DHA levels (p<0.001), network clustering coefficient (p = 0.005), global (p = 0.047) and local (p = 0.023) efficiency, and node centralities mainly in temporal regions (p<0.05). LIMITATIONS: The duration of fish oil supplementation was relatively short and the sample size was relatively small. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide preliminary evidence that abnormalities in emotion-related network organization observed in depressed high-risk youth may be amenable to modification through fish oil supplementation.

Brain structural alterations in MDD patients with gastrointestinal symptoms: Evidence from the REST-meta-MDD project.

OBJECTIVE: While gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are very common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), few studies have investigated the neural basis behind these symptoms. In this study, we sought to elucidate the neural basis of GI symptoms in MDD patients by analyzing the changes in regional gray matter volume (GMV) and gray matter density (GMD) in brain structure. METHOD: Subjects were recruited from 13 clinical centers and categorized into three groups, each of which is based on the presence or absence of GI symptoms: the GI symptoms group (MDD patients with at least one GI symptom), the non-GI symptoms group (MDD patients without any GI symptoms), and the healthy control group (HCs). Structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) were collected of 335 patients in the GI symptoms group, 149 patients in the non-GI symptoms group, and 446 patients in the healthy control group. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) was administered to all patients. Correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to determine if there was a correlation between the altered brain regions and the clinical symptoms. RESULTS: There were significantly higher HAMD-17 scores in the GI symptoms group than that of the non-GI symptoms group (P < 0.001). Both GMV and GMD were significant different among the three groups for the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, left lingual gyrus, bilateral caudate nucleus, right Fusiform gyrus and bilateral Thalamus (GRF correction, cluster-P < 0.01, voxel-P < 0.001). Compared to the HC group, the GI symptoms group demonstrated increased GMV and GMD in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, and the non-GI symptoms group demonstrated an increased GMV and GMD in the right superior temporal gyrus, right fusiform gyrus and decreased GMV in the right Caudate nucleus (GRF correction, cluster-P < 0.01, voxel-P < 0.001). Compared to the non-GI symptoms group, the GI symptoms group demonstrated significantly increased GMV and GMD in the bilateral thalamus, as well as decreased GMV in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus and bilateral insula lobe (GRF correction, cluster-P < 0.01, voxel-P < 0.001). While these changed brain areas had significantly association with GI symptoms (P < 0.001), they were not correlated with depressive symptoms (P > 0.05). Risk factors for gastrointestinal symptoms in MDD patients (p < 0.05) included age, increased GMD in the right thalamus, and decreased GMV in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus and left Insula lobe. CONCLUSION: MDD patients with GI symptoms have more severe depressive symptoms. MDD patients with GI symptoms exhibited larger GMV and GMD in the bilateral thalamus, and smaller GMV in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus and bilateral insula lobe that were correlated with GI symptoms, and some of them and age may contribute to the presence of GI symptoms in MDD patients.

Network-level functional topological changes after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for bipolar disorder: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Given that psychopharmacological approaches routinely used to treat mood-related problems may result in adverse outcomes in mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for bipolar disorder (BD), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) provides an alternative effective and safe option. However, little is known about the brain mechanisms of beneficial outcomes from this intervention. Herein, we aimed to investigate the network-level neurofunctional effects of MBCT-C in mood dysregulated adolescents. METHODS: Ten mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for BD underwent a 12-week MBCT-C intervention. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed prior to and following MBCT-C. Topological metrics of three intrinsic functional networks (default mode network (DMN), fronto-parietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON)) were investigated respectively using graph theory analysis. RESULTS: Following MBCT-C, mood dysregulated adolescents showed increased global efficiency and decreased characteristic path length within both CON and FPN. Enhanced functional connectivity strength of frontal and limbic areas were identified within the DMN and CON. Moreover, change in characteristic path length within the CON was suggested to be significantly related to change in the Emotion Regulation Checklist score. CONCLUSIONS: 12-week MBCT-C treatment in mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for BD yield network-level neurofunctional effects within the FPN and CON, suggesting enhanced functional integration of the dual-network. Decreased characteristic path length of the CON may be associated with the improvement of emotion regulation following mindfulness training. However, current findings derived from small sample size should be interpreted with caution. Future randomized controlled trials including larger samples are critical to validate our findings.

A Bacteria-Inspired Morphology Genetic Biomedical Material: Self-Propelled Artificial Microbots for Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment.

Morphology genetic biomedical materials (MGBMs), referring to fabricating materials by learning from the genetic morphologies and strategies of natural species, hold great potential for biomedical applications. Inspired by the cargo-carrying-bacterial therapy (microbots) for cancer treatment, a MGBM (artificial microbots, AMBs) was constructed. Rather than the inherent bacterial properties (cancerous chemotaxis, tumor invasion, cytotoxicity), AMBs also possessed ingenious nitric oxide (NO) generation strategy. Mimicking the bacterial construction, the hyaluronic acid (HA) polysaccharide was induced as a coating capsule of AMBs to achieve long circulation in blood and specific tissue preference (tumor tropism). Covered under the capsule-like polysaccharide was the combinatorial agent, the self-assembly constructed by the amphiphilic dendrons with abundant l-arginine residues peripherally (as endogenous NO donor) and hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs at the core stacking on the surface of SWNTs (the photothermal agent) for a robust chemo-photothermal therapy (chemo-PTT) and the elicited immune therapy. Subsequently, the classic inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) pathway aroused by immune response was revolutionarily utilized to oxidize the l-arginine substrates for NO production, the process for which could also be promoted by the high reactive oxygen species level generated by chemo-PTT. The NO generated by AMBs was intended to regulate vasodilation and cause a dramatic invasion (as the microbots) to disperse the therapeutic agents throughout the solid tumor for a much more enhanced curative effect, which we defined as "self-propulsion". The self-propelled AMBs exhibiting impressive primary tumor ablation, as well as the distant metastasis regression to conquer the metastatic triple negative breast cancer, provided pioneering potential therapeutic opportunities, and enlightened broad prospects in biomedical application.

The participation of basolateral amygdala in the efficacy of acupuncture with deqi treating for functional dyspepsia.

Deqi is taken as an indispensable requirement to achieve acupuncture efficacy. This study aimed to explore the central influence of deqi on the efficacy of acupuncture for functional dyspepsia (FD). 70 FD patients were randomized to receive 20 sessions' acupuncture treatment with (n = 35) and without deqi (n = 35). In each group, 25 FD patients randomly selected underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans before and after treatment. After group re-division according to deqi response, changes of amygdala subregions-based resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) were compared between the acupuncture with and without obvious deqi group. The clinical changes of the Nepean Dyspepsia Symptom Index (NDSI) measuring FD symptoms were also used to further assess the correlation with amygdala subregions rsFC in FD patients. The decrease in the NDSI scores (pre-pos) in the obvious deqi group was significantly greater than that in the acupuncture without obvious deqi group (p < 0.05). Compared to the without obvious deqi group, the obvious deqi group showed significantly decreased the left basolateral amygdala (BLA) rsFC with bilateral insular (INS), putamen and middle/posterior cingulate cortex (MCC/PCC), right pallidum and hippocampus (HIPP) after treatment. The changed NDSI scores(pre-post) of all 41 FD patients was significantly positively correlated with their Fisher's transformed z value of the left BLA rsFC with left INS (r = 0.376, FDR corrected p = 0.015), and rsFC with right HIPP (r = 0.394, FDR corrected p = 0.015). The changed NDSI scores(pre-post) of the obvious deqi group was significantly negatively correlated with their Fisher's transformed z value of the right centromedial amygdala (CMA) rsFC with left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) (r = -0.463, p = 0.035). The results tested the hypothesis that the advantage of deqi on efficacy is related to affecting the BLA and CMA rsFC. It suggested that deqi might influence the abnormal rsFC within the salience network (SN), and participate in the adaptive modulation of disrupted relationship between the SN and default mode network (DMN).

Cerebral fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations may predict headache intensity improvement following acupuncture treatment in migraine patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how baseline resting-state cerebral function predicts clinical outcomes of acupuncture treatment for migraine. METHODS: One hundred migraine patients and 46 healthy subjects were recruited. Patients were randomized into the acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and waiting list groups. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected at baseline and after 1 month of longitudinal acupuncture treatments. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) calculations were applied to explore the associations between baseline fALFF and changes in clinical variables in the acupuncture treatment group and the waiting list group. RESULTS: Compared with healthy subjects, migraine patients had lower fALFF in the left rostral ventromedial medulla, right thalamus, left amygdala, and right angular gyrus. Regression analyses revealed that baseline fALFF values in the left middle frontal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus were positively associated with headache intensity changes in the acupuncture treatment group, while baseline fALFF values in the bilateral lingual gyrus and cuneus were negatively associated with headache intensity changes in this group. CONCLUSION: The baseline fALFF values of brain regions associated with cognitive pain modulation, but not migraine severity, may predict future headache intensity improvement levels in migraine patients receiving acupuncture treatment.

Brain structural connectome in relation to PRRT2 mutations in paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia.

This study explored the topological characteristics of brain white matter structural networks in patients with Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia (PKD), and the potential influence of the brain network stability gene PRRT2 on the structural connectome in PKD. Thirty-five PKD patients with PRRT2 mutations (PKD-M), 43 PKD patients without PRRT2 mutations (PKD-N), and 40 demographically-matched healthy control (HC) subjects underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Graph theory and network-based statistic (NBS) approaches were performed; the topological properties of the white matter structural connectome were compared across the groups, and their relationships with the clinical variables were assessed. Both disease groups PKD-M and PKD-N showed lower local efficiency (implying decreased segregation ability) compared to the HC group; PKD-M had longer characteristic path length and lower global efficiency (implying decreased integration ability) compared to PKD-N and HC, independently of the potential effects of medication. Both PKD-M and PKD-N had decreased nodal characteristics in the left thalamus and left inferior frontal gyrus, the alterations being more pronounced in PKD-M patients, who also showed abnormalities in the left fusiform and bilateral middle temporal gyrus. In the connectivity characteristics assessed by NBS, the alterations were more pronounced in the PKD-M group versus HC than in PKD-N versus HC. As well as the white matter alterations in the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit related to PKD with or without PRRT2 mutations, findings in the PKD-M group of weaker small-worldness and more pronounced regional disturbance show the adverse effects of PRRT2 gene mutations on brain structural connectome.

Characteristic alteration of subcortical nuclei shape in medication-free patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Subcortical nuclei are important components in the pathology model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and subregions of these structures subserve different functions that may distinctively contribute to OCD symptoms. Exploration of the subregional-level profile of structural abnormalities of these nuclei is needed to develop a better understanding of the neural mechanism of OCD. METHODS: A total of 83 medication-free, non-comorbid OCD patients and 93 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited, and high-resolution T1-weighted MR images were obtained for all participants. The volume and shape of the subcortical nuclei (including the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, caudate, pallidum, putamen and thalamus) were quantified and compared with an automated parcellation approach and vertex-wise shape analysis using FSL-FIRST software. Sex differences in these measurements were also explored with an exploratory subgroup analysis. RESULTS: Volumetric analysis showed no significant differences between patients and healthy control subjects. Relative to healthy control subjects, the OCD patients showed an expansion of the lateral amygdala (right hemisphere) and right pallidum. These deformities were associated with illness duration and symptom severity of OCD. Exploratory subgroup analysis by sex revealed amygdala deformity in male patients and caudate deformity in female patients. CONCLUSIONS: The lateral amygdala and the dorsal pallidum were associated with OCD. Neuroanatomic evidence of sexual dimorphism was also found in OCD. Our study not only provides deeper insight into how these structures contribute to OCD symptoms by revealing these subregional-level deformities but also suggests that gender effects may be important in OCD studies.

Iron oxide nanoparticles promote vascular endothelial cells survival from oxidative stress by enhancement of autophagy.

Dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Dex-SPIONs) are excellent magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents for disease diagnosis and therapy. They can be delivered to target tissues mainly though vascular endothelium cells, which are major targets of oxidative stress. In cardiovascular cells, autophagy serves primarily on a pro-survival approach that protects the cells from oxidative stress even some autophagy inducers have been developed for adjuvant therapy of cardiovascular disorders. Our study demonstrated that the nanoparticles could be taken up by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) without causing obvious cytotoxicity but triggering autophagy. Furthermore, our results revealed that Dex-SPIONs could enhance HUVECs survival and reverse the reduction of nitric oxide secretion under the condition of H2O2 damage. However, these effects could be diminished by the autophagy inhibitor. In particular, we discovered that Dex-SPIONs evoked autophagy in HUVECs by reducing the phosphorylation of PRAS40, an upstream regulator of autophagy initiation. These results suggested that Dex-SPIONs functions as an autophagic-related antioxidant in HUVECs which may be utilized as an adjuvant therapy to cardiovascular disease associated with oxidative stress.

Intrinsic brain abnormalities in drug-naive patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A resting-state functional MRI study.

BACKGROUND: Using the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in a relatively large sample of drug-naive patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the current study aims to explore alterations in regional and network-level neural function and to determine the association between these alterations in intrinsic neural activity and symptom severity in OCD. METHODS: A total of 68 drug-naive OCD patients and 68 healthy control subjects (HCS) were examined using rs-fMRI. Regional cerebral function was evaluated by measuring the fraction of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF). Regions with fALFF alterations were used as seeds in whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Statistical analyses of fALFF and FC differences between OCD patients with HCS were performed voxel-by-voxel using a two-sample t-test in Statistical Parametric Mapping version 8 (SPM8). Whole brain correlation analyses were performed to identify the association between functional neural correlates and OCD symptom severity evaluated using Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) and subscale scores. RESULTS: Relative to HCS, OCD patients showed higher fALFF in the right putamen and right superior frontal gyrus (P < 0.05, corrected for AlphaSim); higher FC in the limbic-striatal circuit and lower FC in the fronto-temporal and fronto-striato-thalamic networks (P < 0.05, corrected for AlphaSim). FC in striato-thalamic junction was negatively correlated with the Y-BOCS total score (r = -0.493, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These findings of focal spontaneous hyperfunction confirmed the prevailing frontal-striatal model of OCD, and altered brain connectivity in large-scale resting-state networks indicated a connectivity-based pathophysiological process in OCD.

The central mechanism of acupuncture treatment with a long-lasting effect for functional dyspepsia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of the long-lasting effect and the relationship between the long-lasting effect and the deqi sensation, which is the key of achieving the acupuncture effect, has not been well investigated. This trial focuses on investigating the possible central mechanism of the long-lasting effect influenced by the deqi sensation. METHODS: A randomized controlled functional brain imaging trial is currently being conducted in Sichuan, China. In total 105 functional dyspepsia (FD) patients will be allocated into three groups: an acupuncture with deqi group, an acupuncture without deqi group, and a wait-list group. This trial will include a 2-week baseline period, a 4-week treatment period, and a 4-week follow-up period. During the 4-week treatment, patients in two acupuncture groups will receive 20 sessions of acupuncture treatment with or without deqi. The Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) and the short form Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (SF-LDQ) will be used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment at baseline, the end of treatment, and the end of the follow-up. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans will be performed to detect cerebral functional changes in 25 patients in each group at three time points mentioned above. The clinical data and fMRI data will be analyzed, respectively. Correlation analysis will be conducted to investigate the relationship between cerebral functional changes and symptom improvement. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will allow us to compare the changes of acupuncture therapeutic effect at three time points (the baseline vs. the end of treatment vs. the end of follow-up), and investigate the potential central mechanism of the long-lasting effect influenced by acupuncture with deqi. This trial aims to re-identify the long-lasting effect of acupuncture and investigate its central mechanism, and to further explore the central influence of deqi sensation on the long-lasting effect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, IDF: ChiCTR-IOR-15006523 . Registered on 5 June 2015.