Association between Homocysteine and Vitamin D Levels in Asymptomatic Korean Adults.

An increased homocysteine level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, venous thromboembolism, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. In addition, vitamin D deficiency is associated with coronary artery disease and metabolic disorders. The present study included data from 1375 adults (895 men and 480 women) with a mean age of 52.62 ± 9.94 years who visited the Health Promotion Center of the University Hospital in Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea from January 2018 to December 2022 for routine checkups that included assessments of their homocysteine and vitamin D levels. Homocysteine levels were positively associated with age, a history of hypertension, a history of diabetes, current smoking habits, and levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatinine, uric acid, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. By contrast, vitamin D levels were negatively associated with serum levels of homocysteine after adjusting for covariates (ß = -0.033, p < 0.001). Additional long-term prospective studies are needed to elucidate the presence of a causal relationship between vitamin D status and serum levels of homocysteine in asymptomatic Korean adults. An intervention trial is warranted to determine whether the administration of vitamin D is helpful for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease by lowering the homocysteine level in this population.

Associations between Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Syndrome: Findings of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifactorial cluster of metabolic disorders related to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diet and dietary patterns are significant factors in the development and management of MetS. The associations between dietary patterns (i.e., high-carbohydrate [HCHO], high-fat [HF], and high-protein [HP] diets) and the prevalence of MetS in Koreans were examined using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, collected between 2018 and 2020. The study included data from 9069 participants (3777 men and 5292 women). The percentage of participants with MetS was significantly higher in the HCHO diet group than in the normal diet group in women. Women with HCHO diet were positively associated with elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels based on a comparison with the normal diet group (p = 0.032 and p = 0.005, respectively). Men with an HF diet were negatively associated with elevated fasting glucose levels based on a comparison with the normal diet group (p = 0.014). Our findings showed that HCHO intake was strongly associated with a higher risk of MetS, especially elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels in women, and an HF diet was negatively associated with elevated fasting glucose levels in men. Further prospective studies of the impact of dietary carbohydrate, fat, and protein proportions on metabolic health are needed. The optimal types and proportions of these dietary components, as well as the underlying mechanisms through which suboptimal proportions can lead to MetS, should also be investigated.

Risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in catholic priests compared with general public.

AIMS: Although Catholic priests have a life of discipline with many responsibilities, there has been little research on the health effects of their lifestyle. Analysis of disease prevalence in priests will help elucidate the influence of religious life and occupational characteristics on the occurrence of diabetes. This retrospective study was performed to examine the differences in the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes between Catholic priests and the general population. METHODS: The study population comprised 1845 Catholic priests aged 31-80 years who visited the health promotion centers of three university hospitals in Korea between 2010 and 2019. Controls consisted of 1801 adult non-clerics aged 31-80 years who underwent health checkups at the screening center during the same period. Logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the differences in the rates of diabetes and prediabetes between the priest and control groups. RESULT: Priests were younger and had lower rates of smoking, drinking alcohol, and hypertension compared with the control group. However, metabolic markers, such as BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass, insulin, HbA1c, and lipid profiles, were significantly higher in the priest group than the control group (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for covariates, the priest group had a significantly higher likelihood of having diabetes (OR = 1.651, 95% CI 1.146-2.379) or prediabetes (OR = 3.270, 95% CI 2.471-4.327) compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that Catholic priests have higher risks of diabetes and prediabetes compared with the general population, and these risks increase with age. Further large-scale prospective studies are required to confirm these relationships.

Regional Brain Volume Changes in Catholic Nuns: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Deep Learning-Based Brain MRI Segmentation.

OBJECTIVE: Religious behaviors are considered as complex brain-based phenomena that may be associated with structural brain change. To identify the pattern of regional brain volume change in nuns, we investigated structural alterations in the brains of nuns using a fast processing automated segmentation method based on deep learning algorithms. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the catholic sisters between the ages of 31 and 80 who are members of the charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Korea. A total of 193 asymptomatic subjects (86 nuns and 107 control subjects) received comprehensive health screening and underwent brain MRI scans. We compared cortical and sub-cortical volume between groups across multiple locations using our in-house U-Net++ deep learning-based automatic segmentation tool. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the nun group displayed increased gray matter volume in the right lingual cortex, left isthmus-cingulate, posterior-cingulate, rostral-middle-frontal, superior-frontal, supramarginal, temporal-pole cortices, and bilateral pars-triangularis cortices after correction for multiple comparisons. On the other hand, the nun group showed reduced gray matter volume in the temporal and parietal regions relative to healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that spiritual practice may affect brain structure, especially in several frontal regions involved in a higher level of insight function.

Cortical Thickness and White Matter Hyperintensity Changes Are Associated With Sarcopenia in the Cognitively Normal Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the impact of sarcopenia on the cortical thickness, white matter hyperintensity (WMH), and subcortical volumes in the cognitively normal older adults. METHODS: Sixty cognitively normal older adults with and without sarcopenia were enrolled in the study. They underwent T1 and FLAIR magnetic resonance imaging. Information on muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle function were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis, handgrip strength and 5 time-chair stand test (CST) respectively. Structural magnetic resonance images were analyzed and processed using Freesurfer v6.0. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the sarcopenia group demonstrated reduced cortical thickness in left superior frontal, precentral, right post central, inferior parietal, rostral middle frontal superior parietal and both lateral occipital and paracentral gyrus. Volumes of left hippocampus, and periventricular WMH were also reduced in the Sarcopenia group. In addition, we found a significant positive correlation between the left precuneus thickness and muscle mass. Periventricular WMH volumes were also positively correlated with the 5CST score. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia affects cortical and subcortical structures in the cognitively normal older adults. These structural changes might be associated with underlying neurobiological mechanisms of sarcopenia in the cognitively normal older adults.

Issues pertaining to Mg, Zn and Cu in the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans.

In the current years, it has now become necessary to establish standards for micronutrient intake based on scientific evidence. This review discusses issues related to the development of the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRI) for magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu), and future research directions. Following issues were encountered when establishing the KDRI for these minerals. First, characteristics of Korean subjects need to be applied to estimate nutrient requirements. When calculating the estimated average requirement (EAR), the KDRI used the results of balance studies for Mg absorption and factorial analysis for Zn, which is defined as the minimum amount to offset endogenous losses for Zn and Mg. For Cu, a combination of indicators, such as depletion/repletion studies, were applied, wherein all reference values were based on data obtained from other countries. Second, there was a limitation in that it was difficult to determine whether reference values of Mg, Zn, and Cu intakes in the 2020 KDRI were achievable. This might be due to the lack of representative previous studies on intakes of these nutrients, and an insufficient database for Mg, Zn, and Cu contents in foods. This lack of database for mineral content in food poses a problem when evaluating the appropriateness of intake. Third, data was insufficient to assess the adequacy of Mg, Zn, and Cu intakes from supplements when calculating reference values, considering the rise in both demand and intake of mineral supplements. Mg is more likely to be consumed as a multi-nutrient supplement in combination with other minerals than as a single supplement. Moreover, Zn-Cu interactions in the body need to be considered when determining the reference intake values of Zn and Cu. It is recommended to discuss these issues present in the 2020 KDRI development for Mg, Zn, and Cu intakes in a systematic way, and to find relevant solutions.

Fat-to-muscle Ratio: A New Indicator for Coronary Artery Disease in Healthy Adults.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important issue in public health. Previous studies have shown that the ratio of fat to muscle mass is a significant predictor of metabolic disease, and it is known to be associated with atherosclerosis. In this study, we evaluated the association between the fat-to-muscle ratio (FMR) and CAD in healthy adults. Methods: A total of 617 participants without diabetes mellitus, hypertension, known CAD, or stroke who visited the Health Promotion Center from 2009 to 2018 were included in this study. Computed tomography imaging and bioelectrical impedance analysis were used to ascertain the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, degree of CAD, and FMR. Results: Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that old age, male sex, smoking history, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, uric acid, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly associated with CAC. After adjusting for potential confounding covariates, the presence of CAC was independently associated with FMR (OR, 1.014; 95% CI, 1.002-1.026; p = 0.019. The association was maintained even after adjusting for body mass index and waist circumference (odds ratio, 1.019; 95% confidence interval, 1.004 -1.034; P = 0.012). Conclusion: In this study, a high FMR was significantly associated with CAC. A large-scale prospective study on the association with FMR and cardiovascular diseases is necessary to confirm this relationship.

Integrity of the Inferior Cerebellar Peduncle Correlates with Ambulatory Function after Hemorrhagic Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: Cerebro-cerebellar connectivity plays a critical role in motor recovery after stroke; however, the underlying mechanism of walking recovery is unclear. The dorsal spinocerebellar pathway has been suggested as a biomarker of poststroke ambulatory function. We aimed to explore the association between ambulatory function and the dorsal spinocerebellar pathway's integrity after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with ICH who were admitted for inpatient rehabilitation during the subacute phase of stroke and 27 age-matched healthy controls were included retrospectively. Ambulatory function was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale and Mobility score. We measured the fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the corticospinal tract (CST) and inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) as the final route of the dorsal spinocerebellar pathway. The FA laterality indices, representing the degree of degeneration, were calculated. A Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the associations between the FA laterality indices and ambulatory function. RESULTS: An FA reduction was found in both the ipsilesional CST and contralesional ICP of the patients. The ICP FA laterality index exhibited a moderate correlation with ambulatory function (Berg Balance Scale, ρBBS=0.589; Mobility score, ρMS=0.619). On dividing the patient group into the moderate (mRS 3, 4) and severe disability (mRS 5) groups, a stronger correlation was found (ρBBS=0.777, ρMS=0.856, moderate disability; ρBBS=0.732, ρMS=0.797, severe disability). The ICP FA laterality index and age were independently associated with the Mobility score (R2=0.525). CONCLUSIONS: ICP degeneration occurs after ICH, and its degree is associated with ambulatory function after ICH.

Inter-individual body mass variations relate to fractionated functional brain hierarchies.

Variations in body mass index (BMI) have been suggested to relate to atypical brain organization, yet connectome-level substrates of BMI and their neurobiological underpinnings remain unclear. Studying 325 healthy young adults, we examined associations between functional connectivity and inter-individual BMI variations. We utilized non-linear connectome manifold learning techniques to represent macroscale functional organization along continuous hierarchical axes that dissociate low level and higher order brain systems. We observed an increased differentiation between unimodal and heteromodal association networks in individuals with higher BMI, indicative of a disrupted modular architecture and hierarchy of the brain. Transcriptomic decoding and gene enrichment analyses identified genes previously implicated in genome-wide associations to BMI and specific cortical, striatal, and cerebellar cell types. These findings illustrate functional connectome substrates of BMI variations in healthy young adults and point to potential molecular associations.

Impact of dietary protein intake on the incidence of low muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults.

BACKGROUND: A reduction in skeletal muscle strength is a prognostic indicator of negative consequences, such as physical disability, frailty, and mortality in older adults. Studies investigating associations between the risk of reduction in skeletal muscle strength and the amount of dietary protein which is a factor influenced muscle health are scarce, particularly in Asian populations. Therefore, we investigated the association between the amount and change in daily protein intake and the prospective risk of developing low skeletal muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This study used data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study as an ongoing population-based cohort study of adults aged 40 years and over. The amount of daily protein consumed was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Low skeletal muscle strength was measured with a handgrip strength dynamometer. RESULTS: In total, 32,458 adults (11,358 males and 21,100 females) were evaluated. The amount of daily dietary protein consumed was not associated with the risk of low muscle strength over the 4-year follow-up period after adjusting for covariates. No associations between low muscle strength events according to the change in the amount of protein consumed from the baseline to the follow-up surveys were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of and change in dietary protein consumed were not associated with developing low muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults. Further studies with a focus on physical activity-protein intake interactions and specific conditions, such as mobility-limited adults or hospitalized patients, are warranted to clarify the relationship between protein intake status and the incidence of low skeletal muscle strength.

Fatigue and Mental Status of Caregivers of Severely Chronically Ill Patients.

Background and Aims: Fatigue is an unpleasant experience accompanied by functional deterioration involving both mental and physical factors. Caregivers of patients with severe illnesses who require long-term treatment often experience marked physical and mental fatigue. This study investigated the factors affecting fatigue among caregivers of patients with severe chronic diseases. Methods: The study enrolled 100 caregivers of patients providing home care nursing at a university hospital in Gyeonggi-do of Korea, including 47 caregivers caring for cancer patients and 53 caregivers caring for chronic disease patients (e.g., dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease). The degree of fatigue was measured using the Korean version of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-K). Caregiver depression and anxiety were examined using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: The average MFI-K score of all caregivers was 60.43 ± 13.77 and did not differ significantly between those caring for cancer patients and those caring for patients with severe chronic diseases (62.15 ± 13.27 vs. 58.49 ± 14.20, respectively, p=0.186). The longer the disease duration, the greater the general and physical fatigue of the caregiver (r = 0.284, p=0.004). However, caregiver mental fatigue did not differ according to disease duration (r = 0.169, p=0.094). The main factors affecting caregiver general and physical fatigue were caregiver anxiety and depression and patient's disease duration. Conclusions: The caregivers of patients with cancer or chronic severe illnesses experience high levels of fatigue: the longer the disease duration, the greater the degrees of depression, anxiety, and physical fatigue experienced by the caregivers. Such caregivers need strategies to manage their fatigue and depression.

Whole-brain functional connectivity correlates of obesity phenotypes.

Dysregulated neural mechanisms in reward and somatosensory circuits result in an increased appetitive drive for and reduced inhibitory control of eating, which in turn causes obesity. Despite many studies investigating the brain mechanisms of obesity, the role of macroscale whole-brain functional connectivity remains poorly understood. Here, we identified a neuroimaging-based functional connectivity pattern associated with obesity phenotypes by using functional connectivity analysis combined with machine learning in a large-scale (n ~ 2,400) dataset spanning four independent cohorts. We found that brain regions containing the reward circuit positively associated with obesity phenotypes, while brain regions for sensory processing showed negative associations. Our study introduces a novel perspective for understanding how the whole-brain functional connectivity correlates with obesity phenotypes. Furthermore, we demonstrated the generalizability of our findings by correlating the functional connectivity pattern with obesity phenotypes in three independent datasets containing subjects of multiple ages and ethnicities. Our findings suggest that obesity phenotypes can be understood in terms of macroscale whole-brain functional connectivity and have important implications for the obesity neuroimaging community.

Multivariate association between brain function and eating disorders using sparse canonical correlation analysis.

Eating disorder is highly associated with obesity and it is related to brain dysfunction as well. Still, the functional substrates of the brain associated with behavioral traits of eating disorder are underexplored. Existing neuroimaging studies have explored the association between eating disorder and brain function without using all the information provided by the eating disorder related questionnaire but by adopting summary factors. Here, we aimed to investigate the multivariate association between brain function and eating disorder at fine-grained question-level information. Our study is a retrospective secondary analysis that re-analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of 284 participants from the enhanced Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample database. Leveraging sparse canonical correlation analysis, we associated the functional connectivity of all brain regions and all questions in the eating disorder questionnaires. We found that executive- and inhibitory control-related frontoparietal networks showed positive associations with questions of restraint eating, while brain regions involved in the reward system showed negative associations. Notably, inhibitory control-related brain regions showed a positive association with the degree of obesity. Findings were well replicated in the independent validation dataset (n = 34). The results of this study might contribute to a better understanding of brain function with respect to eating disorder.

The orbitofrontal cortex functionally links obesity and white matter hyperintensities.

Many studies have linked dysfunction in cognitive control-related brain regions with obesity and the burden of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). This study aimed to explore how functional connectivity differences in the brain are associated with WMH burden and degree of obesity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 182 participants. Functional connectivity measures were compared among four different groups: (1) low WMH burden, non-obese; (2) low WMH burden, obese; (3) high WMH burden, non-obese; and (4) high WMH burden, obese. At a large-scale network-level, no networks showed significant interaction effects, but the frontoparietal network showed a main effect of degree of obesity. At a finer node level, the orbitofrontal cortex showed interaction effects between periventricular WMH burden and degree of obesity. Higher functional connectivity was observed when the periventricular WMH burden and degree of obesity were both high. These results indicate that the functional connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex is affected by the mutual interaction between the periventricular WMHs and degree of obesity. Our results suggest that this region links obesity with WMHs in terms of functional connectivity.

Are There Differences in Hair Mineral Concentrations Between Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Adults?

Obesity is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. However, obesity is not a homogenous state and not all subjects in an obese population are at an increased risk for metabolic abnormalities. Thus, obesity types can be subdivided into metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) according to metabolic status. Body minerals are important and are involved in various metabolic processes that may be related to obesity. Thus, this study determined whether hair mineral concentrations differ between MHO and MUO adults. The associations between metabolic risk factors and hair mineral concentrations were analyzed in 141 obese Korean adults (62 MHO subjects and 79 MUO subjects). The MUO subjects showed significantly higher triglyceride levels, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference and body mass index, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and greater insulin resistance as reflected by the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index compared with MHO subjects. No significant differences in hair mineral concentrations were detected between MHO and MUO adults. Hair iron and cobalt concentrations were significantly negatively correlated with blood pressure in subjects with MHO. In addition, hair zinc concentration was associated with decreased systolic blood pressure. The results of this study suggest that mineral status in obese adults may play a role in metabolic abnormalities. Further studies with a larger number of subjects are warranted to identify the nature of the relationship between hair mineral status and metabolic risk in MHO and MUO subjects.

Degeneration of the Inferior Cerebellar Peduncle After Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke: Another Perspective on Crossed Cerebellar Diaschisis.

Background and Purpose- Deafferentation of the cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway has been proposed as a key mechanism of crossed cerebellar diaschisis. Although the cerebellum receives afferent stimuli from both cortico-ponto-cerebellar and spinocerebellar pathways, evidence on whether spinocerebellar deafferentation contributes to a hypofunctional cerebellum is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether changes in the spinocerebellar pathway occur after middle cerebral artery stroke. Methods- Twenty-three patients admitted to our inpatient rehabilitation facility and 23 age-matched healthy controls were retrospectively enrolled. Patients' functional ambulation category was determined and the Medical Research Council muscle scale test of the lower limb muscles was performed at admission and discharge. The fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the corticospinal tract and the inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP), as the final route of the dorsal spinocerebellar pathway, were compared between the groups. The FA laterality indices of the ICP and corticospinal tract were calculated as follows: (FAaffected-FAunaffected)/(FAaffected+FAunaffected). Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the associations between the FA laterality indices and ambulatory function. Results- The FAs of the corticospinal tract and ICP were lower in the patient group than in the control group. The FA laterality index of the corticospinal tract was not correlated with the functional ambulation category or Medical Research Council muscle scale score at admission or discharge. The FA laterality index of the ICP at the pontomedullary junction was positively correlated with the functional ambulation category and Medical Research Council muscle scale scores of all hemiplegic lower limb muscles at admission and discharge. The FA laterality index of the ICP at the pontomedullary junction was independently associated with the functional ambulation category according to the multivariate regression models. Conclusions- ICP degeneration occurs in the subacute and early chronic phase of middle cerebral artery stroke. The lower FA laterality index of the ICP was indicative of poorer ambulatory and lower limb function.

The effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on body weight and food consumption in obese adults: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Although some studies have reported significant reductions in food cravings following the single-session of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), there is little research on the effects of multi-session of rTMS on food consumption and body weight in obese subjects. OBJECTIVE: We conducted 4-week randomized, sham-controlled, single-blind, parallel-group trial to examine the effect of rTMS on body weight in obese adults. METHODS: Forty-three obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m2) aged between 18 and 70 years were randomized to the sham or real treatment group (21 in the TMS group and 22 in the sham treatment group). A total of 8 sessions of rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was provided over a period of 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was weight change in kilograms from baseline to 4 weeks. Secondary endpoints included changes in anthropometric measures, cardiovascular risk factors, food intake, and appetite. RESULTS: Participants in the rTMS group showed significantly greater weight loss from baseline following the 8 session of rTMS (-2.75 ±â€¯2.37 kg vs. 0.38 ±â€¯1.0 kg, p < 0.01). Consistent with weight loss, there was a significant reduction in fat mass and visceral adipose tissue at week 4 in the rTMS group compared with the control group (p < 0.01). After the 8 sessions of rTMS, the TMS group consumed fewer total kilocalories and carbohydrates per day than the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 8 sessions of HF rTMS delivered to the left DLPFC were effective in inducing weight loss and decreasing food intake in obese patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registered with the Clinical Trials Registry at http://cris.cdc.go.kr (KCT0002548).

The effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on resting-state functional connectivity in obese adults.

AIMS: We conducted a 4-week randomized, sham-controlled, single-blind, parallel-group trial to examine the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on functional brain connectivity and body weight in adults with obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 45 volunteers with obesity, aged between 18 and 70 years (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m2 according to the obesity criterion for an Asian population), 36 participants (54.1 ± 11.0 years, BMI 30.2 ± 3.5 kg/m2 , 77.8% female) completed the 4 weeks of follow-up, undergoing two resting state fMRI scans (20 in the real stimulation group and 16 in the sham stimulation group). A total of eight sessions of high-frequency rTMS targeting the left DLPFC were provided over a period of 4 weeks (5-second trains with 25-second inter-train intervals, 10 Hz, 110% motor threshold; 2000 pulses over 20 minutes). RESULTS: Participants in the real stimulation group showed significantly greater weight loss from baseline following the eight session of rTMS (-2.53 ± 2.41 kg vs 0.38 ± 1.13 kg, P < 0.01). For intrinsic brain connectivity comparisons, the between-ness centrality values within the right frontoparietal network tended to increase with rTMS, and a significant interaction effect was identified for time (pre vs post) × rTMS (real vs sham) in the right frontoparietal network (P = 0.031, FDR corrected). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that rTMS selectively increased resting state functional connectivity within the right frontoparietal network. Our findings suggest that high-frequency rTMS to the left DLPFC might strengthen the frontoparietal network that orchestrates top-down inhibitory control to reduce food intake.

Laterality of cerebellar afferent and efferent pathways in a healthy right-handed population: A diffusion tensor imaging study.

The cerebellum communicates with the cerebral cortex through the cortico-ponto-cerebellar tract (CPCT, cerebellar afferent) and the dentato-rubro-thalamo-cortical tract (DRTCT, cerebellar efferent). This study explored the laterality of CPCT and DRTCT in a right-handed population. Forty healthy right-handed subjects (18 males and 22 females with age range of 26-79 years old) who underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were retrospectively enrolled. Bilateral CPCT, DRTCT, and the corticospinal tract (CST) were reconstructed using probabilistic diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Tract volume (TV) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were compared between dominant and non-dominant tracts. Subjects were divided into age groups (20-40, 41-60, and 61-80 years), and the DTI-derived parameters of the groups were compared to determine age-related differences. TV and FA of non-dominant CPCT were higher than those of dominant CPCT, and the dominant CST was higher than the non-dominant CST. The TV and FA of DRTCT showed no side-to-side difference. The 61-80 years age group had the highest TV of the dominant and non-dominant DRTCT among the three groups and the highest FA of the non-dominant CPCT and DRTCT. The results revealed the structural characteristics of CPCT and DRTCT using probabilistic DTT. Normal asymmetric patterns and age-related changes in cerebellar white matter tracts may be important to researchers investigating cerebro-cerebellar structural connectivity.