Aberrant corticostriatal functional circuits in adolescents with Internet addiction disorder

Abnormal structure and function in the striatum and prefrontal cortex have been revealed in Internet addiction disorder (IAD). However, little is known about alterations of corticostriatal functional circuits in IAD. The aim of this study was to investigate the integrity of corticostriatal functional circuits and their relations to neuropsychological measures in IAD by resting-state functional connectivity. Fourteen IAD adolescents and 15 healthy controls underwent resting-state fMRI scans. Using 6 predefined bilateral striatal regions-of-interest, voxelwise correlation maps were computed and compared between groups. Relationships between alterations of corticostriatal connectivity and clinical measurements were examined in the IAD group. Compared to controls, IAD subjects exhibited reduced connectivity between the inferior ventral striatum and bilateral caudate head, subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and posterior cingulate cortex, and between the superior ventral striatum and bilateral dorsal/rostral ACC, ventral anterior thalamus, and putamen/pallidum/insula/inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and between the dorsal caudate and dorsal/rostral ACC, thalamus, and IFG, and between the left ventral rostral putamen and right IFG. IAD subjects also showed increased connectivity between the left dorsal caudal putamen and bilateral caudal cigulate motor area. Moreover, altered cotricostriatal functional circuits were significantly correlated with neuropsychological measures. This study directly provides evidence that IAD is associated with alterations of corticostriatal functional circuits involved in the affective and motivation processing, and cognitive control. These findings emphasize that functional connections in the corticostriatal circuits are modulated by affective/motivational/cognitive states and further suggest that IAD may have abnormalities of such modulation in this network

Developing the Symptoms and Functional Impairment Rating Scale:A Multi-Dimensional ADHD Scale

Objective: This research developed a practical, multi-dimensional attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rating scale (i.e., the Symptoms and Functional Impairment Rating Scale, SFIRS) for Chinese children, aged 6-12 years, with ADHD. Methods: The structural validity, criterion validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the scale were evaluated. Item screening was conducted with 412 ADHD patients and 322 developmentally typical controls. Results: The scale includes 44 items, divided among Hyperactivity-Impulsivity, Self-Control, Inattention, Self-Management, Academic Performance, and Social Interaction. The six-factor model showed good data fit, with each factor significantly correlated with its corresponding criterion (r=0.690-0.841). The Cronbach's α of the full scale was 0.976. Total score test-retest reliability was r=0.816 (p<0.01). Conclusion: The SFIRS thus demonstrated good reliability and validity and may be used to assess ADHD among children aged 6-12 years in China

Resting-State Activity of Prefrontal-Striatal Circuits in Internet Gaming Disorder: Changes With Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Predictors of Treatment Response

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is effective for the treatment of Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the mechanisms by which CBT improves IGD-related clinical symptoms remain unknown. This study aimed to discover the therapeutic mechanism of CBT in IGD subjects using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). Twenty-six IGD subjects and 30 matched healthy controls (HCs) received rsfMRI scan and clinical assessments; 20 IGD subjects completed CBT and then were scanned again. The amplitude of low-frequency (ALFF) values and the functional connectivity (FC) between the IGD group and the HC group were compared at baseline, as well as the ALFF values and FC before and after the CBT in the IGD group. Prior to treatment, the IGD group exhibited significantly increased ALFF values in the bilateral putamen, the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA), the left postcentral gyrus, and the left anterior cingulate (ACC) compared with the HC group. The HC group showed significantly increased FC values between the left medial OFC and the putamen compared with the IGD group, the FC values of IGD group were negatively associated with the BIS-11 scores before treatment. After the CBT, the weekly gaming time was significantly shorter, and the CIAS and BIS-II scores were significantly lower. The ALFF values in the IGD subjects significantly decreased in the left superior OFC and the left putamen, and the FC between them significantly increased after the CBT. The degree of the FC changes (ΔFC/Pre−FC) was positively correlated with the scale of the CIAS scores changes (ΔCIAS/Pre−CIAS) in the IGD subjects. CBT could regulate the abnormal low-frequency fluctuations in prefrontal-striatal regions in IGD subjects and could improve IGD-related symptoms. Resting-state alternations in prefrontal-striatal regions may reveal the therapeutic mechanism of CBT in IGD subjects

Abnormal White Matter Integrity in Adolescents with Internet Addiction Disorder: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study

Background: Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is currently becoming a serious mental health issue around the globe. Previous studies regarding IAD were mainly focused on associated psychological examinations. However, there are few studies on brain structure and function about IAD. In this study, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate white matter integrity in adolescents with IAD. Methodology/Principal Findings: Seventeen IAD subjects and sixteen healthy controls without IAD participated in this study. Whole brain voxel-wise analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) was performed by tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to localize abnormal white matter regions between groups. TBSS demonstrated that IAD had significantly lower FA than controls throughout the brain, including the orbito-frontal white matter, corpus callosum, cingulum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and corona radiation, internal and external capsules, while exhibiting no areas of higher FA. Volume-of-interest (VOI) analysis was used to detect changes of diffusivity indices in the regions showing FA abnormalities. In most VOIs, FA reductions were caused by an increase in radial diffusivity while no changes in axial diffusivity. Correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between FA and behavioral measures within the IAD group. Significantly negative correlations were found between FA values in the left genu of the corpus callosum and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, and between FA values in the left external capsule and the Young’s Internet addiction scale

New Generalizations and Results in Shift-Invariant Subspaces of Mixed-Norm Lebesgue Spaces ({L_{vec{p}}(mathbb{R}^d)})

In this paper, we establish new generalizations and results in shift-invariant subspaces of mixed-norm Lebesgue spaces Lp→(Rd). We obtain a mixed-norm Hölder inequality, a mixed-norm Minkowski inequality, a mixed-norm convolution inequality, a convolution-Hölder type inequality and a stability theorem to mixed-norm case in the setting of shift-invariant subspace of Lp→(Rd). Our new results unify and refine the existing results in the literature

The validity, reliability and normative scores of the parent, teacher and self report versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has become one of the most widely used measurement tools in child and adolescent mental health work across the globe. The SDQ was originally developed and validated within the UK and whilst its reliability and validity have been replicated in several countries important cross cultural issues have been raised. We describe normative data, reliability and validity of the Chinese translation of the SDQ (parent, teacher and self report versions) in a large group of children from Shanghai.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The SDQ was administered to the parents and teachers of students from 12 of Shanghai's 19 districts, aged between 3 and 17 years old, and to those young people aged between 11 and 17 years. Retest data was collected from parents and teachers for 45 students six weeks later. Data was analysed to describe normative scores, bandings and cut-offs for normal, borderline and abnormal scores. Reliability was assessed from analyses of internal consistency, inter-rater agreement, and temporal stability. Structural validity, convergent and discriminant validity were assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Full parent and teacher data was available for 1965 subjects and self report data for 690 subjects. Normative data for this Chinese urban population with bandings and cut-offs for borderline and abnormal scores are described. Principle components analysis indicates partial agreement with the original five factored subscale structure however this appears to hold more strongly for the Prosocial Behaviour, Hyperactivity – Inattention and Emotional Symptoms subscales than for Conduct Problems and Peer Problems. Internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's α coefficient were generally low ranging between 0.30 and 0.83 with only parent and teacher Hyperactivity – Inattention and teacher Prosocial Behaviour subscales having α > 0.7. Inter-rater correlations were similar to those reported previously (range 0.23 – 0.49) whilst test retest reliability was generally lower than would be expected (range 0.40 – 0.79). Convergent and discriminant validity are supported.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We report mixed findings with respect the psychometric properties of the Chinese translation of the SDQ. Reliability is a particular concern particularly for Peer Problems and self ratings by adolescents. There is good support for convergent validity but only partial support for structural validity. It may be possible to resolve some of these issues by carefully examining the wording and meaning of some of the current questions.</p

Resting-state brain activity in Chinese boys with low functioning autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the resting-state fMRI changes in Chinese boys with low functioning autism spectrum disorder (LFASD) and the correlation with clinical symptoms. Methods The current study acquired resting-state fMRI data from 15 Chinese boys with LFASD and 15 typically developing (TD) boys to examine the local brain activity using the regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) indexes; the researchers also examined these measures and their possible relationships with clinical symptoms using the autism behavior checklist. Results Results indicated that boys with LFASD exhibited increased ReHo in the right precuneus and inferior parietal gyrus (IPG), increased ALFF in right middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus and IPG. However, no correlation was found between the ALFF/ReHo score and clinical symptoms in the LFASD group. Conclusions Some of the brain regions had ReHo/ALFF values that were higher in the boys with LFASD than the TD group and these differentiated brain areas in boys with LFASD were all on the right cerebrum, which supported ‘atypical rightward asymmetry’ in boys with LFASD

Reducing negative interpretations in adolescents with anxiety disorders:a preliminary study investigating the effects of a single session of cognitive bias modification training

Anxiety disorders are globally prevalent, debilitating and onset in early life. Cognitive bias modification of interpretations (CBM-I) training has emerged as a targeted intervention for early emerging anxiety problems. While CBM-I can alter interpretational styles in unselected and clinical-analogue samples of adolescents, no studies have assessed its capacity to change biases in clinical samples. Here, we assessed training efficacy in ameliorating interpretation biases and anxious mood in adolescents with anxiety disorders. Twenty-eight Chinese adolescents meeting criteria for a current anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to receive positive or neutral CBM-I training. Training involved completing a word-fragment to resolve the outcomes of sixty ambiguous scenarios. During positive training, scenarios ended with benign/positive resolutions, but during neutral training, half of the scenarios were resolved positively and half negatively. Positively trained patients interpreted new ambiguous scenarios less negatively than the neutral training group although training effects were not observed on a questionnaire measure of interpretation bias. Training effects on mood were also absent. Before the clinical implications of CBM-I can be considered in adolescents, research needs to establish optimal training parameters for symptom-changes to occur