Differential Effects of Single-Dose Escitalopram on Cognitive and Affective Interference during Stroop Task

Background and objective: Our aim was to study the regulatory role of serotonin [(5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] on two key nodes in the cognitive control networks – the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). We hypothesized that increasing the levels of 5-HT would preferentially modulate the activity in ACC during cognitive control during interference by negative affects compared to cognitive control during interference by a superimposed cognitive task. Methods: We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation on 11 healthy individuals, comparing the effects of the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor escitalopram on brain oxygenation level dependent signals in the ACC and the DLPFC using affective and cognitive counting Stroop paradigms (aStroop and cStroop). Results: Escitalopram significantly decreased the activity in rostral ACC during aStroop compared to cStroop (p < 0.05). In the absence of escitalopram, both aStroop and cStroop significantly activated ACC and DLPFC (Z ≥ 2.3, p < 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that escitalopram in a region and task specific manner modified the cognitive control networks and preferentially decreased activity induced by affective interference in the ACC

Decline in executive functions and speed in suspected low-grade gliomas : A 3-year follow-up of a clinical cohort

Changes over time in information processing speed and executive functions (EFs) were studied in patients with suspected low-grade gliomas (LGG) 3 years after diagnosis. Using a person-oriented approach, the study aimed at focusing solely on two cognitive domains known to be significant in the understanding of the impact of white matter diseases. The Barkley’s hybrid model of EFs was used as a theoretical framework for the evaluation of EFs. The majority of the patients showed a decline in at least one of these two cognitive domains indicating that the progress of diffuse brain injury cannot be neglected in understanding neuropsychological changes over time in patients with LGG. In our sample, higher age and radiological signs of radiotherapy-induced brain atrophy were seen in patients with a decline in both domains

Topography and Determinants of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)‐Visible Perivascular Spaces in a Large Memory Clinic Cohort

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging‐visible perivascular spaces (PVS) are related to interstitial fluid clearance pathways (including amyloid‐β) in the brain and are suggested to be a marker of cerebral small vessel disease. We investigated the role, topography, and possible implications of PVS in cognitive impairment. Methods and Results: A total of 1504 patients undergoing memory clinic investigation and an associated brain magnetic resonance imaging scan were included in this cross‐sectional study. Magnetic resonance images were assessed for markers of small vessel disease. Additionally, 1039 patients had cerebrospinal fluid analysis of amyloid‐β 42, total tau (T‐tau), and phosphorylated tau (P‐tau); 520 patients had apoE genotyping done. Results were analyzed with generalized linear models. A total of 289 (19%; 95% confidence interval, 17–21) had a high‐grade PVS in the centrum semiovale (CSO) and 65 (4%; 95% confidence interval: 3%–5%) in the basal ganglia (BG). Centrum semiovale– and BG‐PVS were both associated with high age (P<0.001), hypertension (P<0.001), probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy (P<0.05), moderate‐to‐severe white matter hyperintensities (P<0.001), cortical superficial siderosis (P<0.001), cerebral microbleeds (P<0.001), and PVS. centrum semiovale–PVS was separately associated with strictly lobar cerebral microbleeds (P=0.057). BG‐PVS was associated with strictly deep cerebral microbleeds (P<0.001), lacunes (P<0.001), and vascular dementia (P=0.04). BG‐PVS showed a tendency to be associated with high cerebrospinal fluid tau (B=0.002, P=0.04) in the whole cohort and in Alzheimer's disease (B=0.005; P=0.02). No other associations with cerebrospinal fluid or the apoE e4 allele was observed. Conclusions: Centrum semiovale–PVS and BG‐PVS have different underlying etiology, being associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy and hypertensive vasculopathy, respectively, although a significant overlap between these pathologies is likely to exist

Functional and structural alterations in the cingulate motor area relate to decreased fronto-striatal coupling in major depressive disorder with psychomotor disturbances

Psychomotor disturbances are a classic feature of major depressive disorders. These can manifest as lack of facial expressions and decreased speech production, reduced body posture and mobility, and slowed voluntary movement. The neural correlates of psychomotor disturbances in depression are poorly understood but it has been suggested that outputs from the cingulate motor area (CMA) to striatal motor regions, including the putamen, could be involved. We used functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging to conduct a region-of-interest analysis to test the hypotheses that neural activation patterns related to motor production and gray matter volumes in the CMA would be different between depressed subjects displaying psychomotor disturbances (n=13) and matched healthy controls (n=13). In addition, we conducted a psychophysiological interaction analysis to assess the functional coupling related to self-paced finger-tapping between the caudal CMA and the posterior putamen in patients compared to controls. We found a cluster of increased neural activation, adjacent to a cluster of decreased gray matter volume in the caudal CMA in patients compared to controls. The functional coupling between the left caudal CMA and the left putamen during finger-tapping task performance was additionally decreased in patients compared to controls. In addition, the strength of the functional coupling between the left caudal CMA and the left putamen was negatively correlated with the severity of psychomotor disturbances in the patient group. In conclusion, we found converging evidence for involvement of the caudal CMA and putamen in the generation of psychomotor disturbances in depression

Thinner cortex in the frontal lobes in mentally disordered offenders

Antisocial and violent behaviour have been associated with both structural and functional brain abnormalities in the frontal and the temporal lobes. The aim of the present study was to assess cortical thickness in offenders undergoing forensic psychiatric assessments, one group with psychopathy (PSY, n=7) and one group with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n=7) compared to each other as well as to a reference group consisting of healthy non-criminal subjects (RG, n=12). A second aim was to assess correlation between scores on a psychopathy checklist (PCL-SV) and cortical thickness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surface-based cortical segmentation were used to calculate cortical thickness. Analyses used both regions of interest and statistical maps. When the two groups of offenders were compared, there were no differences in cortical thickness, but the PSY group had thinner cortex in the temporal lobes and in the whole right hemisphere compared to RG. There were no differences in cortical thickness between the ASD group and RG. Across subjects there was a negative correlation between PCL-SV scores and cortical thickness in the temporal lobes and the whole right hemisphere. The findings indicate that thinner cortex in the temporal lobes is present in psychopathic offenders and that these regions are important for the expression of psychopathy. However, whether thinner temporal cortex is a cause or a consequence of the antisocial behaviour is still unknown