Neuroimaging of emotional dysregulation in multiple sclerosis: relationship with alexithymia

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often show alexithymia, but the brain mechanisms underlying this emotional disorder remains unknown. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate alterations of emotion processing and emotion regulation in patients with MS, and their relationships with alexithymia. Nineteen MS patients with minimal disability and twenty healthy control (HC) participants took part in this cross-sectional study. During fMRI, participants viewed scenes conveying negative or positive emotions, and were asked to rate the intensity of their emotional state (1) after spontaneous viewing and (2) after emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal). Self-reported questionnaires targeting alexithymia and other affective disorders were collected, in addition to functional and anatomical MRI. We compared brain activity and functional connectivity between each group during emotion processing and reappraisal. Moreover, we performed correlation analyses between affective questionnaire scores, subjective emotion ratings, brain activity, and structural integrity. Results showed a higher rate of alexithymia in MS patients. Globally, subjective ratings of emotional state were similar between MS and HC during both spontaneous perception and reappraisal. However, in both task conditions, the MS group showed increased responses to emotional scenes in the orbital inferior frontal gyrus, compared with controls. Moreover, during the reappraisal of negative scenes, these regions displayed increased functional connectivity with the amygdala, whose activity was positively correlated with alexithymia severity in MS. Our findings suggest a direct relationship between alexithymia and a lack of down-regulation of amygdala activity in response to negative emotions during reappraisal in MS. Moreover, they highlight compensatory mechanisms in minimally disabled MS patients, recruiting fronto-striatal circuits, which may serve to preserve homeostasis of amygdala activity and affective state

Psychophysical and electrophysiological evidence for enhanced pain facilitation and unaltered pain inhibition in acute low back pain patients

The aim of this case-control study was to examine differences in neural correlates of pain facilitatory and inhibitory mechanisms between acute low back pain (LBP) patients and healthy individuals. Pressure pain tolerance, electrical pain detection thresholds, pain ratings to repetitive suprathreshold electrical stimulation (SES) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) were assessed in 18 patients with acute LBP and 18 healthy control participants. Furthermore, event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to repetitive SES were obtained from high-density electroencephalography. Results showed that the LBP group presented lower pressure pain tolerance and higher pain ratings to SES compared with the control group. Both groups displayed effective CPM, with no differences in CPM magnitude between groups. Both groups presented similar reductions in ERP amplitudes during CPM, but ERP responses to repetitive SES were significantly larger in the LBP group. In conclusion, acute LBP patients presented enhanced pain facilitatory mechanisms, whereas no significant changes in pain inhibitory mechanisms were observed. These results provide new insight into the central mechanisms underlying acute LBP. Perspective: This article present evidence that acute LBP patients show enhanced pain facilitation and unaltered pain inhibition compared with pain-free volunteers. These results provide new insight into the central mechanisms underlying acute LBP.Fil: Vuilleumier, Pascal Henri. University of Bern; SuizaFil: Arguissain, Federico Gabriel. Aalborg University; DinamarcaFil: Biurrun Manresa, José Alberto. Aalborg University; Dinamarca. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Entre Rios. Universidad Nacional de Entre Rios. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Entre Rios; ArgentinaFil: Neziri, Alban Ymer. University of Bern; Suiza. Regional Hospital of Langenthal; SuizaFil: Nirkko, Arto Christian. University of Bern; SuizaFil: Andersen, Ole Kæseler. Aalborg University; DinamarcaFil: Arendt-Nielsen, Lars. Aalborg University; DinamarcaFil: Curatolo, Michele. Aalborg University; Dinamarca. University of Washington; Estados Unido

Gamma Oscillations in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex as an Endophenotype of Schizophrenia

Gamma oscillations (20-50 Hz) are a robust component of brain activity associated with information processing, but are also part of the background spontaneous activity during various brain states including sleep and anesthesia. Our goal was to examine the changes in gamma oscillations that result from pharmacological and genetic manipulations of glutamatergic transmission which produce endophenotypes of schizophrenia. We recorded local field potentials (LFP) and single units through the depth of the mouse primary visual cortex in vivo and examined the alterations in gamma frequency activity under both normal and pathological conditions. Our results indicate that both in awake and anesthetized animals, baseline gamma frequency power in the LFP is increased throughout the cortical lamina, and the signal-to-noise ratio of gamma oscillations produced by a visual stimulus is diminished, most notably in the superficial layers. In addition, the entrainment of single units to the local oscillations in the LFP is reduced in the supragranular (L2/3) and infragranular (L5/6) layers. This work supports the hypothesis that alterations in glutamatergic transmission result in changes to gamma oscillations in primary sensory areas and is consistent with the hypothesis that these changes are associated with disrupted sensory perception

Validation of an all-sky imager based nowcasting system for industrial PV plants

Because of the cloud-induced variability of the solar resource, the growing contributions of photovoltaic plants to the overall power generation challenges the stability of electricity grids. To avoid blackouts, administrations started to define maximum negative ramp rates. Storages can be used to reduce the occurring ramps. Their required capacity, durability, and costs can be optimized by nowcasting systems. Nowcasting systems use the input of upward-facing cameras to predict future irradiances. Previously, many nowcasting systems were developed and validated. However, these validations did not consider aggregation effects, which are present in industrial-sized power plants. In this paper, we present the validation of nowcasted global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and direct normal irradiance maps derived from an example system consisting of 4 all-sky cameras (“WobaS-4cam”). The WobaS-4cam system is operational at 2 solar energy research centers and at a commercial 50-MW solar power plant. Besides its validation on 30 days, the working principle is briefly explained. The forecasting deviations are investigated with a focus on temporal and spatial aggregation effects. The validation found that spatial and temporal aggregations significantly improve forecast accuracies: Spatial aggregation reduces the relative root mean square error (GHI) from 30.9% (considering field sizes of 25 m2) to 23.5% (considering a field size of 4 km2) on a day with variable conditions for 1 minute averages and a lead time of 15 minutes. Over 30 days of validation, a relative root mean square error (GHI) of 20.4% for the next 15 minutes is observed at pixel basis (25 m2). Although the deviations of nowcasting systems strongly depend on the validation period and the specific weather conditions, the WobaS-4cam system is considered to be at least state of the art

Brain activity underlying negative self- and other-perception in adolescents: The role of attachment-derived self-representations

One of teenagers' key developmental tasks is to engage in new and meaningful relationships with peers and adults outside the family context. Attachment-derived expectations about the self and others in terms of internal attachment working models have the potential to shape such social reorientation processes critically and thereby influence adolescents' social-emotional development and social integration. Because the neural underpinnings of this developmental task remain largely unknown, we sought to investigate them by functional magnetic resonance imaging. We asked n = 44 adolescents (ages 12.01-18.84 years) to evaluate positive and negative adjectives regarding either themselves or a close other during an adapted version of the well-established self-other trait-evaluation task. As measures of attachment, we obtained scores reflecting participants' positive versus negative attachment-derived self- and other-models by means of the Relationship Questionnaire. We controlled for possible confounding factors by also obtaining scores reflecting internalizing/externalizing problems, schizotypy, and borderline symptomatology. Our results revealed that participants with a more negative attachment-derived self-model showed increased brain activity during positive and negative adjective evaluation regarding the self, but decreased brain activity during negative adjective evaluation regarding a close other, in bilateral amygdala/parahippocampus, bilateral anterior temporal pole/anterior superior temporal gyrus, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These findings suggest that a low positivity of the self-concept characteristic for the attachment anxiety dimension may influence neural information processing, but in opposite directions when it comes to self- versus (close) other-representations. We discuss our results in the framework of attachment theory and regarding their implications especially for adolescent social-emotional development and social integration

Individual Attachment Style Modulates Human Amygdala and Striatum Activation during Social Appraisal

Adult attachment style refers to individual personality traits that strongly influence emotional bonds and reactions to social partners. Behavioral research has shown that adult attachment style reflects profound differences in sensitivity to social signals of support or conflict, but the neural substrates underlying such differences remain unsettled. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined how the three classic prototypes of attachment style (secure, avoidant, anxious) modulate brain responses to facial expressions conveying either positive or negative feedback about task performance (either supportive or hostile) in a social game context. Activation of striatum and ventral tegmental area was enhanced to positive feedback signaled by a smiling face, but this was reduced in participants with avoidant attachment, indicating relative impassiveness to social reward. Conversely, a left amygdala response was evoked by angry faces associated with negative feedback, and correlated positively with anxious attachment, suggesting an increased sensitivity to social punishment. Secure attachment showed mirror effects in striatum and amygdala, but no other specific correlate. These results reveal a critical role for brain systems implicated in reward and threat processing in the biological underpinnings of adult attachment style, and provide new support to psychological models that have postulated two separate affective dimensions to explain these individual differences, centered on the ventral striatum and amygdala circuits, respectively. These findings also demonstrate that brain responses to face expressions are not driven by facial features alone but determined by the personal significance of expressions in current social context. By linking fundamental psychosocial dimensions of adult attachment with brain function, our results do not only corroborate their biological bases but also help understand their impact on behavior

Neural correlates of socio-emotional perception in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Social impairments are described as a common feature of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). However, the neural correlates underlying these impairments are largely unknown in this population. In this study, we investigated neural substrates of socio-emotional perception. METHODS: We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore neural activity in individuals with 22q11DS and healthy controls during the visualization of stimuli varying in social (social or non-social) or emotional (positive or negative valence) content. RESULTS: Neural hyporesponsiveness in regions of the default mode network (inferior parietal lobule, precuneus, posterior and anterior cingulate cortex and frontal regions) in response to social versus non-social images was found in the 22q11DS population compared to controls. A similar pattern of activation for positive and negative emotional processing was observed in the two groups. No correlation between neural activation and social functioning was observed in patients with the 22q11DS. Finally, no social × valence interaction impairment was found in patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate atypical neural correlates of social perception in 22q11DS that appear to be independent of valence processing. Abnormalities in the social perception network may lead to social impairments observed in 22q11DS individuals

Altimetry for the future: Building on 25 years of progress

In 2018 we celebrated 25 years of development of radar altimetry, and the progress achieved by this methodology in the fields of global and coastal oceanography, hydrology, geodesy and cryospheric sciences. Many symbolic major events have celebrated these developments, e.g., in Venice, Italy, the 15th (2006) and 20th (2012) years of progress and more recently, in 2018, in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, 25 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry. On this latter occasion it was decided to collect contributions of scientists, engineers and managers involved in the worldwide altimetry community to depict the state of altimetry and propose recommendations for the altimetry of the future. This paper summarizes contributions and recommendations that were collected and provides guidance for future mission design, research activities, and sustainable operational radar altimetry data exploitation. Recommendations provided are fundamental for optimizing further scientific and operational advances of oceanographic observations by altimetry, including requirements for spatial and temporal resolution of altimetric measurements, their accuracy and continuity. There are also new challenges and new openings mentioned in the paper that are particularly crucial for observations at higher latitudes, for coastal oceanography, for cryospheric studies and for hydrology. The paper starts with a general introduction followed by a section on Earth System Science including Ocean Dynamics, Sea Level, the Coastal Ocean, Hydrology, the Cryosphere and Polar Oceans and the ‘‘Green” Ocean, extending the frontier from biogeochemistry to marine ecology. Applications are described in a subsequent section, which covers Operational Oceanography, Weather, Hurricane Wave and Wind Forecasting, Climate projection. Instruments’ development and satellite missions’ evolutions are described in a fourth section. A fifth section covers the key observations that altimeters provide and their potential complements, from other Earth observation measurements to in situ data. Section 6 identifies the data and methods and provides some accuracy and resolution requirements for the wet tropospheric correction, the orbit and other geodetic requirements, the Mean Sea Surface, Geoid and Mean Dynamic Topography, Calibration and Validation, data accuracy, data access and handling (including the DUACS system). Section 7 brings a transversal view on scales, integration, artificial intelligence, and capacity building (education and training). Section 8 reviews the programmatic issues followed by a conclusion

Altimetry for the future: building on 25 years of progress

In 2018 we celebrated 25 years of development of radar altimetry, and the progress achieved by this methodology in the fields of global and coastal oceanography, hydrology, geodesy and cryospheric sciences. Many symbolic major events have celebrated these developments, e.g., in Venice, Italy, the 15th (2006) and 20th (2012) years of progress and more recently, in 2018, in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, 25 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry. On this latter occasion it was decided to collect contributions of scientists, engineers and managers involved in the worldwide altimetry community to depict the state of altimetry and propose recommendations for the altimetry of the future. This paper summarizes contributions and recommendations that were collected and provides guidance for future mission design, research activities, and sustainable operational radar altimetry data exploitation. Recommendations provided are fundamental for optimizing further scientific and operational advances of oceanographic observations by altimetry, including requirements for spatial and temporal resolution of altimetric measurements, their accuracy and continuity. There are also new challenges and new openings mentioned in the paper that are particularly crucial for observations at higher latitudes, for coastal oceanography, for cryospheric studies and for hydrology. The paper starts with a general introduction followed by a section on Earth System Science including Ocean Dynamics, Sea Level, the Coastal Ocean, Hydrology, the Cryosphere and Polar Oceans and the “Green” Ocean, extending the frontier from biogeochemistry to marine ecology. Applications are described in a subsequent section, which covers Operational Oceanography, Weather, Hurricane Wave and Wind Forecasting, Climate projection. Instruments’ development and satellite missions’ evolutions are described in a fourth section. A fifth section covers the key observations that altimeters provide and their potential complements, from other Earth observation measurements to in situ data. Section 6 identifies the data and methods and provides some accuracy and resolution requirements for the wet tropospheric correction, the orbit and other geodetic requirements, the Mean Sea Surface, Geoid and Mean Dynamic Topography, Calibration and Validation, data accuracy, data access and handling (including the DUACS system). Section 7 brings a transversal view on scales, integration, artificial intelligence, and capacity building (education and training). Section 8 reviews the programmatic issues followed by a conclusion