scholarly journals Whole-Cortex Mapping of Common Genetic Influences on Depression and Social Deficits

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Hatoum ◽  
Andrew E. Reinberg ◽  
Harry R. Smolker ◽  
John K. Hewitt ◽  
Naomi P. Friedman
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Genetic Vulnerability ◽  
Downstream Effects ◽  
Distributed Process ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractBackgroundSocial processes are associated with depression, particularly understanding and responding to others, deficits in which can manifest as callousness/unemotionality (CU). Thus, CU may reflect some of the genetic risk to depression. Further, this vulnerability likely reflects the neurological substrates of depression, presenting biomarkers to capture genetic vulnerability of depression severity. However, heritability varies within brain regions, so a high-resolution genetic perspective is needed.Method In a sample of 258 same-sex twin pairs from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study (LTS), we developed a toolbox that maps genetic and environmental associations between brain and behavior at high resolution. We used this toolbox to estimate brain areas that are genetically associated with both depressive symptoms and CU. We then overlapped the two maps to generate coordinates that allow for tests of downstream effects of genes influencing our clusters.Results Genetic variance influencing cortical thickness in the right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) sulci and gyri, ventral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), pre-somatic motor cortex (PreSMA), medial precuneus, left occipital-temporal junction (OTJ), parietal-temporal junction (PTJ), ventral somatosensory cortex (vSMA), and medial and lateral precuneus were genetically associated with both depression and CU. Split-half replication found support for both DLPFC clusters. Meta-analytic term search identified “theory of mind”, “inhibit”, and “pain” as likely functions. Gene and transcript mapping/enrichment analyses implicated calcium channels.ConclusionsCU reflects genetic vulnerability to depression that likely involves executive and social functioning in a distributed process across the cortex. This approach works to unify neuroimaging, neuroinformatics, and genetics to discover pathways to psychiatric vulnerability.

scholarly journals Whole-cortex mapping of common genetic influences on depression and a social deficits dimension

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Hatoum ◽  
Andrew E. Reineberg ◽  
Harry R. Smolker ◽  
John K. Hewitt ◽  
Naomi P. Friedman
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Genetic Vulnerability ◽  
Downstream Effects ◽  
Distributed Process ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractSocial processes are associated with depression, particularly understanding and responding to others, deficits in which can manifest as callousness/unemotionality (CU). Thus, CU may reflect some of the genetic risk to depression. Further, this vulnerability likely reflects the neurological substrates of depression, presenting biomarkers to capture genetic vulnerability of depression severity. However, heritability varies within brain regions, so a high-resolution genetic perspective is needed. We developed a toolbox that maps genetic and environmental associations between brain and behavior at high resolution. We used this toolbox to estimate brain areas that are genetically associated with both depressive symptoms and CU in a sample of 258 same-sex twin pairs from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study (LTS). We then overlapped the two maps to generate coordinates that allow for tests of downstream effects of genes influencing our clusters. Genetic variance influencing cortical thickness in the right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) sulci and gyri, ventral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), pre-somatic motor cortex (PreSMA), medial precuneus, left occipital-temporal junction (OTJ), parietal–temporal junction (PTJ), ventral somatosensory cortex (vSMA), and medial and lateral precuneus were genetically associated with both depression and CU. Split-half replication found support for both DLPFC clusters. Meta-analytic term search identified “theory of mind”, “inhibit”, and “pain” as likely functions. Gene and transcript mapping/enrichment analyses implicated calcium channels. CU reflects genetic vulnerability to depression that likely involves executive and social functioning in a distributed process across the cortex. This approach works to unify neuroimaging, neuroinformatics, and genetics to discover pathways to psychiatric vulnerability.

scholarly journals Sex differences in neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation revealed by fNIRS hyperscanning

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Baker ◽  
Ning Liu ◽  
Xu Cui ◽  
Pascal Vrticka ◽  
Manish Saggar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Behavioral Signatures ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Researchers from multiple fields have sought to understand how sex moderates human social behavior. While over 50 years of research has revealed differences in cooperation behavior of males and females, the underlying neural correlates of these sex differences have not been explained. A missing and fundamental element of this puzzle is an understanding of how the sex composition of an interacting dyad influences the brain and behavior during cooperation. Using fNIRS-based hyperscanning in 111 same- and mixed-sex dyads, we identified significant behavioral and neural sex-related differences in association with a computer-based cooperation task. Dyads containing at least one male demonstrated significantly higher behavioral performance than female/female dyads. Individual males and females showed significant activation in the right frontopolar and right inferior prefrontal cortices, although this activation was greater in females compared to males. Female/female dyad’s exhibited significant inter-brain coherence within the right temporal cortex, while significant coherence in male/male dyads occurred in the right inferior prefrontal cortex. Significant coherence was not observed in mixed-sex dyads. Finally, for same-sex dyads only, task-related inter-brain coherence was positively correlated with cooperation task performance. Our results highlight multiple important and previously undetected influences of sex on concurrent neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation.

scholarly journals AMPed-up adolescents: the role of age in the abuse of amphetamines and its consequences on cognition and prefrontal cortex development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Ruth Westbrook ◽  
Lauren Carrica ◽  
Asia Banks ◽  
Joshua Michael Gulley
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Drug Effects ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Vulnerability Factors ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Detrimental Impact

Adolescent use of amphetamine and its closely related, methylated version methamphetamine, is alarmingly high in those who use drugs for nonmedical purposes. This raises serious concerns about the potential for this drug use to have a long-lasting, detrimental impact on the normal development of the brain and behavior that is ongoing during adolescence. In this review, we explore recent findings from both human and laboratory animal studies that investigate the consequences of amphetamine and methamphetamine exposure during this stage of life. We highlight studies that assess sex differences in adolescence, as well as those that are designed specifically to address the potential unique effects of adolescent exposure by including groups at other life stages (typically young adulthood). We consider epidemiological studies on age and sex as vulnerability factors for developing problems with the use of amphetamines, as well as human and animal laboratory studies that tap into age differences in use, its short-term effects on behavior, and the long-lasting consequences of this exposure on cognition. We also focus on studies of drug effects in the prefrontal cortex, which is known to be critically important for cognition and is among the later maturing brain regions. Finally, we discuss important issues that should be addressed in future studies so that the field can further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying adolescent use of amphetamines and its outcomes on the developing brain and behavior.

Oxytocin and Vasopressin: Mechanisms for Potential Sex Differences Observed in Autism Spectrum Disorders

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Sue Carter ◽  
Suma Jacob
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Arginine Vasopressin ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Unique Role ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior

The effects of oxytocin and vasopressin on the brain and behavior can be sexually dimorphic, especially during the course of development (Bales, Kim, et al., 2004; Bales, Pfeifer, et al., 2004; Bales, Plotsky, et al., 2007; Bielsky et al., 2005a; Carter, 2003; Thompson et al., 2006; Yamamoto et al., 2005; Yamamoto et al., 2004). Given the sexual discrepancy observed in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), these two neuropeptides, oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), have received attention for their potential role in ASDs (Green and Hollander, 2010; Insel et al., 1999; Leckman & Herman, 2002; Welch et al., 2005; Winslow, 2005; Young et al., 2002). Changes in either OT or AVP and their receptors could be capable of influencing symptom domains or behaviors associated with ASDs. Arginine vasopressin is androgen dependent in some brain regions (De Vries & Panzica, 2006), and males are more sensitive to AVP, especially during development. We hypothesize here that AVP, which has a unique role in males, must be present in optimal levels to be protective against ASDs. Either excess AVP or disruptions in the AVP system could play a role in development of the traits found in ASDs. In contrast, OT may possibly be secreted in response to adversity, especially in females, serving as a protective factor.

scholarly journals Controllability over stressor decreases responses in key threat-related brain areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chirag Limbachia ◽  
Kelly Morrow ◽  
Anastasiia Khibovska ◽  
Christian Meyer ◽  
Srikanth Padmala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Insula ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Posterior Insula ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractControllability over stressors has major impacts on brain and behavior. In humans, however, the effect of controllability on responses to stressors is poorly understood. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated how controllability altered responses to a shock-plus-sound stressor with a between-group yoked design, where participants in controllable and uncontrollable groups experienced matched stressor exposure. Employing Bayesian multilevel analysis at the level of regions of interest and voxels in the insula, and standard voxelwise analysis, we found that controllability decreased stressor-related responses across threat-related regions, notably in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and anterior insula. Posterior cingulate cortex, posterior insula, and possibly medial frontal gyrus showed increased responses during control over stressor. Our findings support the idea that the aversiveness of stressors is reduced when controllable, leading to decreased responses across key regions involved in anxiety-related processing, even at the level of the extended amygdala.

scholarly journals Current Understanding of Religion, Spirituality, and Their Neurobiological Correlates

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James I. Rim ◽  
Jesse Caleb Ojeda ◽  
Connie Svob ◽  
Jürgen Kayser ◽  
Elisa Drews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Religion And Spirituality ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
And Behavior

Religion and spirituality (R/S) have been prominent aspects of most human cultures through the ages; however, scientific inquiry into this phenomenon has been limited. We conducted a systematic literature review of research on the neurobiological correlates of R/S, which resulted in 25 reports studying primarily R/S with electroencephalography, structural neuroimaging (MRI), and functional neuroimaging (fMRI, PET). These studies investigated a wide range of religions (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, Islam) and R/S states and behaviors (e.g., resting state, prayer, judgments) and employed a wide range of methodologies, some of which (e.g., no control group, varying measures of religiosity, small sample sizes) raise concerns about the validity of the results. Despite these limitations, the findings of these studies collectively suggest that the experience of R/S has specific neurobiological correlates and that these correlates are distinct from non-R/S counterparts. The findings implicate several brain regions potentially associated with R/S development and behavior, including the medial frontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, default mode network, and caudate. This research may suggest future clinical applications and interventions related to R/S and various disorders, including mood, anxiety, psychotic, pain, and vertiginous disorders. Further studies with more rigorous study designs are warranted to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms of R/S and their potential clinical applications.

scholarly journals Functional connectivity of the right inferior frontal gyrus and orbitofrontal cortex in depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund T Rolls ◽  
Wei Cheng ◽  
Jingnan Du ◽  
Dongtao Wei ◽  
Jiang Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Behavior

Abstract The orbitofrontal cortex extends into the laterally adjacent inferior frontal gyrus. We analyzed how voxel-level functional connectivity of the inferior frontal gyrus and orbitofrontal cortex is related to depression in 282 people with major depressive disorder (125 were unmedicated) and 254 controls, using FDR correction P < 0.05 for pairs of voxels. In the unmedicated group, higher functional connectivity was found of the right inferior frontal gyrus with voxels in the lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, temporal lobe, angular gyrus, precuneus, hippocampus and frontal gyri. In medicated patients, these functional connectivities were lower and toward those in controls. Functional connectivities between the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the angular and middle frontal gyri were higher in unmedicated patients, and closer to controls in medicated patients. Medial orbitofrontal cortex voxels had lower functional connectivity with temporal cortex areas, the parahippocampal gyrus and fusiform gyrus, and medication did not result in these being closer to controls. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the orbitofrontal cortex is involved in depression, and can influence mood and behavior via the right inferior frontal gyrus, which projects to premotor cortical areas.

scholarly journals Mouse brain-wide mitochondrial connectivity anchored in gene, brain and behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayelet Rosenberg ◽  
Manish Saggar ◽  
Peter Rogu ◽  
Aaron W. Limoges ◽  
Carmen Sandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Wide Scale ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
Large Scale Networks ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Multimodal Evidence

AbstractThe brain and behavior are under energetic constraints, which are likely driven by mitochondrial energy production capacity. However, the mitochondria-behavior relationship has not been systematically studied on a brain-wide scale. Here we examine the association between mitochondrial health index and stress-related behaviors in mice with diverse mitochondrial and behavioral phenotypes. Miniaturized assays of mitochondrial respiratory chain function and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content were deployed on 571 samples from 17 brain regions. We find specific patterns of mito-behavior associations that vary across brain regions and behaviors. Furthermore, multi-slice network analysis applied to our brain-wide mitochondrial dataset identified three large-scale networks of brain regions. A major network composed of cortico-striatal regions exhibits highest mitochondria-behavior correlations, suggesting that this mito-based network is functionally significant. Mito-based networks can also be recapitulated using correlated gene expression and structural connectome data, thereby providing convergent multimodal evidence of mitochondrial functional organization anchored in gene, brain and behavior.

scholarly journals Multivariate stochastic volatility modeling of neural data

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tung D Phan ◽  
Jessica A Wachter ◽  
Ethan A Solomon ◽  
Michael J Kahana
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variable ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobe ◽  
Implied Volatility ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Signals ◽  
Neurosurgical Patients ◽  
Multivariate Stochastic Volatility ◽  
Multivariate Autoregressive Models ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior

Because multivariate autoregressive models have failed to adequately account for the complexity of neural signals, researchers have predominantly relied on non-parametric methods when studying the relations between brain and behavior. Using medial temporal lobe (MTL) recordings from 96 neurosurgical patients, we show that time series models with volatility described by a multivariate stochastic latent-variable process and lagged interactions between signals in different brain regions provide new insights into the dynamics of brain function. The implied volatility inferred from our process positively correlates with high-frequency spectral activity, a signal that correlates with neuronal activity. We show that volatility features derived from our model can reliably decode memory states, and that this classifier performs as well as those using spectral features. Using the directional connections between brain regions during complex cognitive process provided by the model, we uncovered perirhinal-hippocampal desynchronization in the MTL regions that is associated with successful memory encoding.

scholarly journals P.104 Glioblastomas located in the right hemisphere are associated with worse quality of life

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (S2) ◽  
pp. S44-S44
Author(s):  
C Iorio-Morin ◽  
P Goffaux ◽  
M Descoteau ◽  
K Whittingstall ◽  
D Fortin
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Tumor Location ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Background: Because glioblastoma is currently incurable, the goal of therapy is the optimization of the patient’s quality of life (QOL). Tumor location is critical in screening surgical candidates, yet the impact of tumor location on QOL has never been demonstrated. By using a novel computer-driven algorithm, we set out to investigate the impact of tumor location on QOL. Methods: The tumors of fourty consecutive glioblastoma patients were segmented and the Euclidian distance between 90 brain regions and each tumor’s margin was calculated and correlated to the patients’ self-reported QOL as measured by the SNAS questionnaire. Results: QOL was statistically associated with proximity to three areas: the right para-hypocampal gyrus, the right posterior cingulate cortex and the right postcentral gyrus. We postulate that the adverse relation between proximity to these areas and QOL results from disruption in large-scale networks involved in high-order functions such as visuospatial memory. While harder to detect with a bedside clinical examination, such deficits are likely more impactful on QOL than those related to the motor cortex or Broca’s area. Conclusions: Tumor proximity to right parietooccipital region are associated with decreased QOL. This should be considered in the management strategies of glioma patients.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document