Testtömeg index-szel és kávéfogyasztással összefüggő agyi morphometriai és volumteriai eltérések vizsgálata mágneses rezonanciás képalkotással

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Érzelemszabályozás és machiavellizmus kapcsolata az agyi aktiváció tükrében: fMRI-kísérlet

A klasszikus nézet szerint a machiavellista személyek érzelmileg nem vagy kevésbé vonódnak be egy helyzetbe. Interperszonális kapcsolataikat a melegség hiánya jellemzi, kerülik mások szoros közelségét. A rájuk váró feladat kognitív aspektusára koncentrálnak, tehát egy helyzet értékelése és pontos megértése vezérli őket. Affektív távolságtartásuk következtében érzelmileg megterhelő helyzetekben is képesek hideg fejjel és logikusan gondolkodni. A kérdés az, hogy a machiavellisták érzelmi távolságtartása mögött az érzelmek megélésének hiánya áll-e, vagy a kialakuló érzelmeiket erősen kontroll alatt tartják? Kísérletünkben a résztvevők agym7ködését mértük érzelmeket előhívó feladat végrehajtása közben, ami egyúttal megkövetelte a helyzet eltérő nézőpontokból való értelmezését, a rugalmas váltás képességét is. Az eltérő (és átváltást igénylő) helyzetek egyben eltérő érzelmi állapotokat is jelentettek. Az érzelmi átkeretezési feladat során agyi aktivációt találtunk a machiavellisták hippokampuszában, az inzulában, a hátulsó cinguláris tekervény és a cuneus területén. A machiavellistákra jellemző agyi aktiváció többsége (hippokampusz, cuneus) kognitív funkciókat ellátó területeken jelentkezik. Ezek részt vesznek a figyelmi, emlékezeti folyamatok végrehajtásában, a nem releváns információk gátlásában. Ugyanakkor az érzelemszabályozás agyi folyamatai is megjelennek, melyet az inzula és a hátulsó cinguláris kéreg területeinek aktivációja bizonyít. Ezek az eredmények azt mutatják, hogy valóban jellemző rájuk egy érzelmi távolságtartás, ugyanakkor intenzív érzelmeket élnek át, amely befolyásolhatja a döntéshozatali folyamataikat

Comparison of accuracy between FSL’s FIRST and Freesurfer for caudate nucleus and putamen segmentation

AbstractAlthough several methods have been developed to automatically delineate subcortical gray matter structures from MR images, the accuracy of these algorithms has not been comprehensively examined. Most of earlier studies focused primarily on the hippocampus. Here, we assessed the accuracy of two widely used non-commercial programs (FSL-FIRST and Freesurfer) for segmenting the caudate and putamen. T1-weighted 1 mm3 isotropic resolution MR images were acquired for thirty healthy subjects (15 females). Caudate nucleus and putamen were segmented manually by two independent observers and automatically by FIRST and Freesurfer (v4.5 and v5.3). Utilizing manual labels as reference standard the following measures were studied: Dice coefficient (D), percentage volume difference (PVD), absolute volume difference as well as intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for consistency and absolute agreement. For putamen segmentation, FIRST achieved higher D, lower PVD and higher ICC for absolute agreement with manual tracing than either version of Freesurfer. Freesurfer overestimated the putamen, while FIRST was not statistically different from manual tracing. The ICC for consistency with manual tracing was similar between the two methods. For caudate segmentation, FIRST and Freesurfer performed more similarly. In conclusion, Freesurfer and FIRST are not equivalent when comparing to manual tracing. FIRST was superior for putaminal segmentation.</jats:p

Emotional Intelligence Not Only Can Make Us Feel Negative, but Can Provide Cognitive Resources to Regulate It Effectively: An fMRI Study

Neuroscientists have formulated the model of emotional intelligence (EI) based on brain imaging findings of individual differences in EI. The main objective of our study was to operationalize the advantage of high EI individuals in emotional information processing and regulation both at behavioral and neural levels of investigation. We used a self-report measure and a cognitive reappraisal task to demonstrate the role of EI in emotional perception and regulation. Participants saw pictures with negative or neutral captions and shifted (reappraised) from negative context to neutral while we registered brain activation. Behavioral results showed that higher EI participants reported more unpleasant emotions. The Utilization of emotions scores negatively correlated with the valence ratings and the subjective difficulty of reappraisal. In the negative condition, we found activation in hippocampus (HC), parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate cortex, insula and superior temporal lobe. In the neutral context, we found elevated activation in vision-related areas and HC. During reappraisal (negative-neutral) condition, we found activation in the medial frontal gyrus, temporal areas, vision-related regions and in cingulate gyrus. We conclude that higher EI is associated with intensive affective experiences even if emotions are unpleasant. Strong skills in utilizing emotions enable one not to repress negative feelings but to use them as source of information. High EI individuals use effective cognitive processes such as directing attention to relevant details; have advantages in allocation of cognitive resources, in conceptualization of emotional scenes and in building emotional memories; they use visual cues, imagination and executive functions to regulate negative emotions effectively

Osteopontin Levels Are associated with Late‑Time Lower Regional Brain Volumes in Multiple Sclerosis

Osteopontin (OPN) is a proinflammatory marker produced by systemic immune and central nervous system (CNS) resident cells. We examined, if the level of OPN in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood is associated with late-time regional brain volumes and white matter (WM) lesion load in MS. Concentrations of OPN in blood and CSF were related to MRI findings 10.1 ± 2.0 years later in 46 patients with MS. OPN concentration was measured by ELISA, while regional brain volumes and lesion load was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using 3D MPRAGE sequence and automated MR volumetry. OPN measured in the CSF was associated with several regional brain volumes and WM lesion load measured 10.1 ± 2.0 years later. CSF OPN concentration correlated with long-term enlargement of lateral- and inferior lateral ventricles and the elevation of gross CSF volume, in conjunction with the reduction of several cortical/subcortical gray matter and WM volumes. Serum OPN showed no long-term association with regional brain volumes. OPN measured from the CSF but not from the serum was associated with lower regional brain volumes measured a decade later, indicating the primary role of inflammation within the CNS in developing long-term brain related alterations

Internet addiction and functional brain networks: task-related fMRI study

A common brain-related feature of addictions is the altered function of higher-order brain networks. Growing evidence suggests that Internet-related addictions are also associated with breakdown of functional brain networks. Taking into consideration the limited number of studies used in previous studies in Internet addiction (IA), our aim was to investigate the functional correlates of IA in the default mode network (DMN) and in the inhibitory control network (ICN). To observe these relationships, task-related fMRI responses to verbal Stroop and non-verbal Stroop-like tasks were measured in 60 healthy university students. The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was used to assess IA. We found significant deactivations in areas related to the DMN (precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus) and these areas were negatively correlated with PIUQ during incongruent stimuli. In Stroop task the incongruent_minus_congruent contrast showed positive correlation with PIUQ in areas related to the ICN (left inferior frontal gyrus, left frontal pole, left central opercular, left frontal opercular, left frontal orbital and left insular cortex). Altered DMN might explain some comorbid symptoms and might predict treatment outcomes, while altered ICN may be the reason for having difficulties in stopping and controlling overuse

Internet addiction associated with right pars opercularis in females

Background and aims: Structural differences in higher-order brain areas are common features of behavioral addictions, including Internet addiction (IA) as well. Taking into consideration the limited number of studies and methods used in previous studies on IA, our aim was to investigate the correlates of IA and the morphometry of the frontal lobes. Methods: To observe these relationships, the high-resolution T1-weighted MR images of 144 healthy, Caucasian, university students were analyzed with volumetry and voxel-based morphometry. The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was used to assess IA. Results: We found significant correlations between PIUQ subscales and the volume of the right pars opercularis volume and gray matter mass in women. Discussion and conclusion: The increased gray matter measures of this structure might be explained with the extended effort to control for the impulsive behavior in addiction, and with the increased number of social interactions via the Internet