Human brain mapping
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Grey matter (GM) atrophy is a prominent aspect of multiple sclerosis pathology and an important outcome in studies. GM atrophy measurement requires accurate GM segmentation. Several methods are used in vivo for measuring GM volumes in MS, but assessing their validity in vivo remains challenging. ⋯ The results support the use of FSL-SIENAX and FreeSurfer in cases of severe MS pathology. Interestingly none of the methods were significant in automated mode, which supports the use of manual editing to improve the automated segmentation. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2223-2233, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Human brain mapping · May 2016
Effects of change in FreeSurfer version on classification accuracy of patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.
Studies have found non-negligible differences in cortical thickness estimates across versions of software that are used for processing and quantifying MRI-based cortical measurements, and issues have arisen regarding these differences, as obtained estimates could potentially affect the validity of the results. However, more critical for diagnostic classification than absolute thickness estimates across versions is the inter-subject stability. We aimed to investigate the effect of change in software version on classification of older persons in groups of healthy, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. ⋯ However, change of version had very little effect on detectable differences in cortical thickness between diagnostic groups, and there were little differences in accuracy between versions when using entorhinal thickness for diagnostic classification. This lead us to conclude that differences in absolute thickness estimates across software versions in this case did not imply lacking validity, that classification results appeared reliable across software versions, and that classification results obtained in studies using different FreeSurfer versions can be reliably compared. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1831-1841, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Human brain mapping · Apr 2016
Intrinsic functional connectivity of periaqueductal gray subregions in humans.
The periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) is a key brain region of the descending pain modulation pathway. It is also involved in cardiovascular functions, anxiety, and fear; however, little is known about PAG subdivisions in humans. The aims of this study were to use resting-state fMRI-based functional connectivity (FC) to parcellate the human PAG and to determine FC of its subregions. ⋯ FC analysis of predefined subregions revealed that the ventolateral(VL)-PAG was supfunctionally connected to brain regions associated with descending pain modulation (anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), upper pons/medulla), whereas the lateral (L) and dorsolateral (DL) subregions were connected with brain regions implicated in executive functions (prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus). We also found sex differences in FC including areas implicated in pain, salience, and analgesia including the ACC and the insula in women, and the MCC, parahippocampal gyrus, and the temporal pole in men. The organization of the human PAG thus provides a framework to understand the circuitry underlying the broad range of responses to pain and its modulation in men and women.
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Human brain mapping · Apr 2016
FMRI of spinal and supra-spinal correlates of temporal pain summation in fibromyalgia patients.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a debilitating chronic pain condition, which afflicts primarily females. Although the etiology of this illness is not completely understood, FM pain is thought to rely on enhanced pain sensitivity maintained by central mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is central pain amplification, which is characterized by altered temporal summation of second pain (TSSP). ⋯ FM subjects, however, required significantly lower stimulus intensities than NC to achieve similar TSSP. fMRI analyses of perceptually equal TSSP identified similar brain activity in NC and FM subjects; however, multiple areas in the brainstem (rostral ventromedial medulla and periaqueductal grey region) and spinal cord (dorsal horn) exhibited greater activity in NC subjects. Finally, increased after-sensations and enhanced dorsal horn activity was demonstrated in FM patients. In conclusion, the spinal and brainstem BOLD responses to TSSP are different between NC and FM patients, which may indicate alterations to descending pain control mechanisms suggesting contributions of these mechanisms to central sensitization and pain of FM patients.
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Human brain mapping · Apr 2016
Brain network dysregulation, emotion, and complaints after mild traumatic brain injury.
To assess the role of brain networks in emotion regulation and post-traumatic complaints in the sub-acute phase after non-complicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). ⋯ Functional interactions of the executive and salience networks were related to emotion regulation and complaints after mTBI, with a key role for the bilateral frontal network. These findings may have implications for future studies on the effect of psychological interventions.