Human brain mapping
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Human brain mapping · Sep 2017
Altered white matter microarchitecture in the cingulum bundle in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A tract-based analysis study.
Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), as characterized by painful menstrual cramps without organic causes, is associated with central sensitization and brain function changes. Previous studies showed the integrated role of the default mode network (DMN) in the pain connectome and its key contribution on how an individual perceives and copes with pain disorders. Here, we aimed to investigate whether the cingulum bundle connecting hub regions of the DMN was disrupted in young women with PD. ⋯ Our study suggested that PD had trait changes of white matter integrities in the cingulum bundle that persisted beyond the time of menstruation. We inferred that altered anatomical connections may lead to less-flexible communication within the DMN, and/or between the DMN and other pain-related brain networks, which may result in the central susceptibility to develop chronic pain conditions in PD's later life. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4430-4443, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Human brain mapping · Sep 2017
Heritability of hippocampal subfield volumes using a twin and non-twin siblings design.
The hippocampus is composed of distinct subfields linked to diverse functions and disorders. The subfields can be mapped using high-resolution magnetic resonance images, and their volumes can potentially be used as quantitative phenotypes for genetic investigation of hippocampal function. We estimated the heritability of hippocampus subfield volumes of 465 subjects from the Human Connectome Project (twins and non-twin siblings) using two methods. ⋯ The pattern was opposite for shared heritability suggesting that subfields share greater proportion of the genetic architecture with TBV than with ipsilateral hippocampal volume. The relationship between the genetic architecture of TBV, hippocampal volume, and of individual subfields should be accounted for when using hippocampal subfield volumes as quantitative phenotypes for imaging genetics studies. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4337-4352, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Human brain mapping · Sep 2017
Functional activity of the sensorimotor cortex and cerebellum relates to cervical dystonia symptoms.
Cervical dystonia (CD) is the most common type of focal dystonia, causing abnormal movements of the neck and head. In this study, we used noninvasive imaging to investigate the motor system of patients with CD and uncover the neural correlates of dystonic symptoms. Furthermore, we examined whether a commonly prescribed anticholinergic medication in CD has an effect on the dystonia-related brain abnormalities. ⋯ Symptom severity was not significantly reduced post-treatment. Findings show widespread changes in functional brain activity in CD and most importantly that dystonic symptoms relate to disrupted activity in the somatosensory cortex and cerebellum. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4563-4573, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Human brain mapping · Sep 2017
Complementary cortical gray and white matter developmental patterns in healthy, preterm neonates.
Preterm birth is associated with brain injury and altered cognitive development. However, the consequences of extrauterine development are not clearly distinguished from perinatal brain injury. Therefore, we characterized cortical growth patterns from 30 to 46 postmenstrual weeks (PMW) in 27 preterm neonates (25-32 PMW at birth) without detectable brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging. ⋯ These findings map the development of neonatal cortical morphometry in the context of extrauterine brain development using a novel approach. Future studies may compare this developmental trajectory to preterm populations with brain injury. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4322-4336, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Human brain mapping · Aug 2017
Comparative StudyStructural signature of classical versus late-onset friedreich's ataxia by Multimodality brain MRI.
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is the most common autosomal-recessive ataxia worldwide. It is characterized by early onset, sensory abnormalities, and slowly progressive ataxia. However, some individuals manifest the disease after the age of 25 years and are classified as late-onset FRDA (LOFA). Therefore, we propose a transversal multimodal MRI-based study to investigate which anatomical substrates are involved in classical (cFRDA) and LOFA. ⋯ The cFRDA and LOFA groups have similar, but not identical neuroimaging damage pattern. These structural differences might help to explain the phenotypic variability observed in FRDA. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4157-4168, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.