21 research outputs found

    Distributed changes of the functional connectome in patients with glioblastoma

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    Glioblastoma might have widespread effects on the neural organization and cognitive function, and even focal lesions may be associated with distributed functional alterations. However, functional changes do not necessarily follow obvious anatomical patterns and the current understanding of this interrelation is limited. In this study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate changes in global functional connectivity patterns in 15 patients with glioblastoma. For six patients we followed longitudinal trajectories of their functional connectome and structural tumour evolution using bi-monthly follow-up scans throughout treatment and disease progression. In all patients, unilateral tumour lesions were associated with inter-hemispherically symmetric network alterations, and functional proximity of tumour location was stronger linked to distributed network deterioration than anatomical distance. In the longitudinal subcohort of six patients, we observed patterns of network alterations with initial transient deterioration followed by recovery at first follow-up, and local network deterioration to precede structural tumour recurrence by two months. In summary, the impact of focal glioblastoma lesions on the functional connectome is global and linked to functional proximity rather than anatomical distance to tumour regions. Our findings further suggest a relevance for functional network trajectories as a possible means supporting early detection of tumour recurrence

    BOLD fractional contribution to resting-state functional connectivity above 0.1 Hz

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    Cilj je ovog rada ispitati ulogu školskog vrta u prevenciji vršnjačkog nasilja u osnovnoškolskom obrazovanju. Traži se odgovor na pitanje može li se zajedničkim trudom kroz razne aktivnosti učenika u školskom vrtu pridonijeti pozitivnoj školskoj klimi i prevenciji vršnjačkog nasilja te stvoriti sigurnu zajednicu u kojoj učenici razvijaju prosocijalno i suradničko ponašanje bez osjećaja nelagode i straha. Sadržaji nastave Prirode i društva koji se provode, pridonose pozitivnom i odgovornom ponašanju jednog učenika prema drugom učeniku. Usmjereni su podizanju emocionalnih, kognitivnih, socijalnih kompetencija učenika i razvoju pozitivnih vrijednosti. Kao primjer je poslužio preventivni program koji se provodi u Osnovnoj školi Jelkovec „Cvjećari u eko priči“. Provedena je opservacija nad učenikom Markom. koji je promatran tijekom Stručno-pedagoške prakse od prvog do četvrtog razreda. Učeniku je dijagnosticiran ADHD i agresivno ponašanje. Nakon sudjelovanja u raznim aktivnostima u školskom vrtu ciljevi rada su realizirani. Promatran učenik je shvatio koliko je bitan kao pojedinac i koliko pozitivno može utjecati na živi svijet oko sebe. Nestala je sklonost neprimjerenom vršnjačkom nasilnom ponašanju kod učenika.The goal of this dissertation is to research the role of school backyard when trying to prevent bullying amongst students in elementary school. We are trying to find an answer to the question- is there a possibility to develop a healhy and safe environment using different techniques and activities in school backyard and use them in preventing bullying and developing trust between each other. The curriculum that is currently in place for the module Priroda i društvo is supposed to deliver positive and responsible bahavior from one student to another. The curriculum is in place to increase emotional, cognitive and social competences of a student and development of positive values. As an example, we mentioned program that has been used as part of elementary school Jelkovec- “Cvjećari u eko priči“. The program observed student Marko throughout his first grade to his fourth grade. Marko was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and aggresive behavior. After participating in different activities in school backyard, the goal of this dissertation came to life. Observed student realized how important he is as an individual and how he can influence his life and world around him in positive way. Bullying of his fellow students dissapeared

    The Human Connectome Project's neuroimaging approach

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    Noninvasive human neuroimaging has yielded many discoveries about the brain. Numerous methodological advances have also occurred, though inertia has slowed their adoption. This paper presents an integrated approach to data acquisition, analysis and sharing that builds upon recent advances, particularly from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). The 'HCP-style' paradigm has seven core tenets: (i) collect multimodal imaging data from many subjects; (ii) acquire data at high spatial and temporal resolution; (iii) preprocess data to minimize distortions, blurring and temporal artifacts; (iv) represent data using the natural geometry of cortical and subcortical structures; (v) accurately align corresponding brain areas across subjects and studies; (vi) analyze data using neurobiologically accurate brain parcellations; and (vii) share published data via user-friendly databases. We illustrate the HCP-style paradigm using existing HCP data sets and provide guidance for future research. Widespread adoption of this paradigm should accelerate progress in understanding the brain in health and disease

    Disentangling the effects of age and mild traumatic brain injury on brain network connectivity:A resting state fMRI study

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    INTRODUCTION: Cognitive complaints are common shortly after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) but may persist up to years. Age-related cognitive decline can worsen these symptoms. However, effects of age on mTBI sequelae have scarcely been investigated. METHODS: Fifty-four mTBI patients (median age: 35 years, range 19-64 years, 67% male) and twenty age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging in the sub-acute phase. Independent component analysis was used to identify intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs). A multivariate approach was adopted to evaluate the effects of age and group on the ICNs in terms of (static) functional network connectivity (FNC), intensities of spatial maps (SMs) and time-course spectral power (TC). RESULTS: We observed significant age-related changes for a) FNC: changes between 10 pairs of ICNs, mostly involving the default mode (DM) and/or the cognitive-control (CC) domains; b) SMs: intensity decrease in clusters across three domains and intensity increase in clusters across two domains, including the CC but not the DM and c) TC: spectral power decrease within the 0-0.15 Hz range and increase within the 0.20-0.25 Hz range for increasing age within networks located in frontal areas, including the anterior DM. Groups only differed for TC within the 0.065-0.10 Hz range in the cerebellar ICN and no age × group interaction effect was found. CONCLUSIONS: We showed robust effects of age on connectivity between and within ICNs that are associated with cognitive functioning. Differences between mTBI patients and controls were only found for activity in the cerebellar network, increasingly recognized to participate in cognition. Our results suggest that to allow for capturing the true effects related to mTBI and its effects on cognitive functioning, age should be included as a covariate in mTBI studies, in addition to age-matching groups

    Prominent Changes in Cerebro-Cerebellar Functional Connectivity During Continuous Cognitive Processing

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    While task-dependent responses of specific brain areas during cognitive tasks are well established, much less is known about the changes occurring in resting state networks (RSNs) in relation to continuous cognitive processing. In particular, the functional involvement of cerebro-cerebellar loops connecting the posterior cerebellum to associative cortices, remains unclear. In this study, 22 healthy volunteers underwent a multi-session functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol composed of four consecutive 8-min resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) scans. After a first control scan, participants listened to a narrated story for the entire duration of the second rs-fMRI scan; two further rs-fMRI scans followed the end of story listening. The story plot was purposely designed to stimulate specific cognitive processes that are known to involve the cerebro-cerebellar loops. Almost all of the identified 15 RSNs showed changes in functional connectivity (FC) during and for several minutes after the story. The FC changes mainly occurred in the frontal and prefrontal cortices and in the posterior cerebellum, especially in Crus I-II and lobule VI. The FC changes occurred in cerebellar clusters belonging to different RSNs, including the cerebellar network (CBLN), sensory networks (lateral visual network, LVN; medial visual network, MVN) and cognitive networks (default mode network, DMN; executive control network, ECN; right and left ventral attention networks, RVAN and LVAN; salience network, SN; language network, LN; and working memory network, WMN). Interestingly, a k-means analysis of FC changes revealed clustering of FCN, ECN, and WMN, which are all involved in working memory functions, CBLN, DMN, and SN, which play a key-role in attention switching, and RSNs involved in visual imagery. These results show that the cerebellum is deeply entrained in well-structured network clusters, which reflect multiple aspects of cognitive processing, during and beyond the conclusion of auditory stimulation
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