pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Childhood trauma and negative memory bias as shared risk factors for psychopathology and comorbidity in a naturalistic psychiatric patient sample

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                  174522.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Both childhood trauma and negative memory bias are associated with the onset and severity level of several psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders. Studies on these risk factors, however, generally use homogeneous noncomorbid samples. Hence, studies in naturalistic psychiatric samples are lacking. Moreover, we know little about the quantitative relationship between the frequency of traumatic childhood events, strength of memory bias and number of comorbid psychiatric disorders; the latter being an index of severity. The current study examined the association of childhood trauma and negative memory bias with psychopathology in a large naturalistic psychiatric patient sample. METHODS: Frequency of traumatic childhood events (emotional neglect, psychological-, physical- and sexual abuse) was assessed using a questionnaire in a sample of 252 adult psychiatric patients with no psychotic or bipolar-I disorder and no cognitive disorder as main diagnosis. Patients were diagnosed for DSM-IV Axis-I and Axis-II disorders using a structured clinical interview. This allowed for the assessment of comorbidity between disorders. Negative memory bias for verbal stimuli was measured using a computer task. Results : Linear regression models revealed that the frequency of childhood trauma as well as negative memory bias was positively associated with psychiatric comorbidity, separately and above and beyond each other (all p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that childhood trauma and negative memory bias may be of importance for a broader spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses, besides the frequently studied affective disorders. Importantly, frequently experiencing traumatic events during childhood increases the risk of comorbid psychiatric disorders.8 p
The effect of COMT Val158Met and DRD2 C957T polymorphisms on executive function and the impact of early life stress

Abstract\ud
Introduction: Previous research has indicated that variation in genes encoding\ud
catechol-O-\ud
methyltransferase\ud
(COMT) and dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) may influence\ud
cognitive function and that this may confer vulnerability to the development of\ud
mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. However, increasing evidence suggests\ud
environmental factors such as early life stress may interact with genetic variants in\ud
affecting these cognitive outcomes. This study investigated the effect of COMT\ud
Val158Met and DRD2 C957T polymorphisms on executive function and the impact of\ud
early life stress in healthy adults.\ud
Methods: One hundred and twenty-two\ud
healthy adult males (mean age 35.2 years,\ud
range 21–63) were enrolled in the study. Cognitive function was assessed using\ud
Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and early life stress was assessed\ud
using the Childhood Traumatic Events Scale (Pennebaker & Susman, 1988).\ud
Results: DRD2 C957T was significantly associated with executive function, with CC\ud
homozygotes having significantly reduced performance in spatial working memory\ud
and spatial planning. A significant genotype–trauma interaction was found in Rapid\ud
Visual Information Processing test, a measure of sustained attention, with CC carriers\ud
who had experienced early life stress exhibiting impaired performance compared to\ud
the CC carriers without early life stressful experiences. There were no significant findings\ud
for COMT Val158Met.\ud
Conclusions: This study supports previous findings that DRD2 C957T significantly affects\ud
performance on executive function related tasks in healthy individuals and shows\ud
for the first time that some of these effects may be mediated through the impact of\ud
childhood traumatic events. Future work should aim to clarify further the effect of\ud
stress on neuronal systems that are known to be vulnerable in mental health disorders\ud
and more specifically what the impact of this might be on cognitive function
The effects of acute responsive high frequency stimulation of the subiculum on the intra-hippocampal kainic acid seizure model in rats

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                  102990.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)The effects of acute responsive high frequency stimulation (HFS) to the subiculum on seizures and interictal spikes were investigated in a semi-acute kainic acid (KA) induced seizure model in rats. Wistar rats (n = 15) were implanted with an electrode-cannula complex in the CA3 area, stimulation and recording electrodes in the subiculum and another recording electrode at the contralateral motor cortex. Two weeks later rats were injected repeatedly with KA (0.05 μg/0.1 μL) for 3 days with an interval of 48 h. HFS (125 Hz, 100 μsec) was delivered to the subiculum at a predetermined intensity range (100–500 μA) in the HFS group (n = 7) when seizures were visually detected, while no stimulation was delivered in the sham control group (n = 8). Various severities of seizures were obtained (Stage I–V) and all rats of both groups reached Stage V (Racine's scale) on Day 1. The HFS group had less focal seizures and a longer inter-focal seizure interval on Day 1. Interictal spike rate was also lower in the HFS group and decreased with injection days. Significant day effects were found for the latency, number of focal seizures, and duration of focal seizures and generalized seizures while differences between groups were no longer present. Responsive HFS did not disrupt ongoing seizures. However, focal seizures and interictal spikes were suppressed by HFS. Such anticonvulsant effects of acute subicular stimulation indicate that the subiculum is involved in seizure generation. The reduction of seizure sensitivity over the injection day reflects an intrinsic anticonvulsant mechanism
Negative emotion evoked by viewing snakes has a motivating effect on cognitive processing in human children with or without intellectual disability

Background: It is well known that prioritization of the processing of threatening stimuli generally induces deleterious effects on task performance. However, a study recently reported that emotion (possibly fear) evoked by viewing images of snakes exerts a facilitating effect upon making judgments of the images' color in neurotypical adults and schoolchildren. Here, the author has attempted to confirm the relevance of this notion in children with and without intellectual disability. Methods: The author here compared the reaction time required to name the colors of snake and flower images between children with Down syndrome (DS) and mental age matched, typically-developing (TD) children. Results: Snake images were responded to faster than flower images in both the groups, while the children with DS tended to respond more slowly overall. Conclusions: As in TD children, negative emotion can have a motivating effect on cognitive processing in children with DS. Some implications of the findings are pointed out with respect to the lower-level task persistence as a characteristic motivational orientation in children with DS
Picture free recall performance linked to the brain's structural connectome

Memory functions are highly variable between healthy humans. The neural correlates of this variability remain largely unknown.; Here, we investigated how differences in free recall performance are associated with DTI-based properties of the brain's structural connectome and with grey matter volumes in 664 healthy young individuals tested in the same MR scanner.; Global structural connectivity, but not overall or regional grey matter volumes, positively correlated with recall performance. Moreover, a set of 22 inter-regional connections, including some with no previously reported relation to human memory, such as the connection between the temporal pole and the nucleus accumbens, explained 7.8% of phenotypic variance.; In conclusion, this large-scale study indicates that individual memory performance is associated with the level of structural brain connectivity
Social and environmental enrichment has different effects on ethanol and sucrose consumption in mice

<b>BACKGROUND</b>\ud
\ud
Factors leading to the harmful consumption of substances, like alcohol and sucrose, involve a complex interaction of genes and the environment. While we cannot control the genes we inherit, we can modify our environment. Understanding the role that social and environmental experiences play in alcohol and sucrose consumption is critical for developing preventative interventions and treatments for alcohol use disorders and obesity.\ud
\ud
<b>METHODS</b>\ud
\ud
We used the drinking in the dark two-bottle choice (2BC) model of ethanol and sucrose consumption to compare male C57BL/6 mice housed in the IntelliCage (an automated device capable of simultaneously measuring behaviors of up to 16 mice living in an enriched social environment) with mice housed in standard isolated and social environments.\ud
\ud
<b>RESULTS</b>\ud
\ud
Consistent with previous publications on ethanol-naïve and -experienced mice, social and environmental enrichment reduced ethanol preference. Isolated mice had the highest ethanol preference and IntelliCage mice the least, regardless of prior ethanol experience. In mice with no prior sucrose experience, the addition of social and environmental enrichment increased sucrose preference. However, moving isolated mice to enriched conditions did not affect sucrose preference in sucrose-experienced mice.\ud
\ud
<b>CONCLUSIONS</b>\ud
\ud
The impact of social and environmental enrichment on ethanol consumption differs from sucrose consumption suggesting that interventions and treatments developed for alcohol use disorders may not be suitable for sucrose consumption disorders
The impact of hemodynamic variability and signal mixing on the identifiability of effective connectivity structures in BOLD fMRI

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                  177101.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)PURPOSE: Multiple computational studies have demonstrated that essentially all current analytical approaches to determine effective connectivity perform poorly when applied to synthetic functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) datasets. In this study, we take a theoretical approach to investigate the potential factors facilitating and hindering effective connectivity research in fMRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this work, we perform a simulation study with use of Dynamic Causal Modeling generative model in order to gain new insights on the influence of factors such as the slow hemodynamic response, mixed signals in the network and short time series, on the effective connectivity estimation in fMRI studies. RESULTS: First, we perform a Linear Discriminant Analysis study and find that not the hemodynamics itself but mixed signals in the neuronal networks are detrimental to the signatures of distinct connectivity patterns. This result suggests that for statistical methods (which do not involve lagged signals), deconvolving the BOLD responses is not necessary, but at the same time, functional parcellation into Regions of Interest (ROIs) is essential. Second, we study the impact of hemodynamic variability on the inference with use of lagged methods. We find that the local hemodynamic variability provide with an upper bound on the success rate of the lagged methods. Furthermore, we demonstrate that upsampling the data to TRs lower than the TRs in state-of-the-art datasets does not influence the performance of the lagged methods. CONCLUSIONS: Factors such as background scale-free noise and hemodynamic variability have a major impact on the performance of methods for effective connectivity research in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE-ε4) genotype is associated with decreased 6-month verbal memory performance after mild traumatic brain injury

Introduction: The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele associates with memory impairment in neurodegenerative diseases. Its association with memory after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is unclear. Methods: mTBI patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score 13–15, no neurosurgical intervention, extracranial Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≤1) aged ≥18 years with APOE genotyping results were extracted from the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot (TRACK-TBI Pilot) study. Cohorts determined by APOE-ε4(+/−) were assessed for associations with 6-month verbal memory, measured by California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II) subscales: Immediate Recall Trials 1–5 (IRT), Short-Delay Free Recall (SDFR), Short-Delay Cued Recall (SDCR), Long-Delay Free Recall (LDFR), and Long-Delay Cued Recall (LDCR). Multivariable regression controlled for demographic factors, seizure history, loss of consciousness, posttraumatic amnesia, and acute intracranial pathology on computed tomography (CT). Results: In 114 mTBI patients (APOE-ε4(−)=79; APOE-ε4(+)=35), ApoE-ε4(+) was associated with long-delay verbal memory deficits (LDFR: B = −1.17 points, 95% CI [−2.33, −0.01], p =.049; LDCR: B = −1.58 [−2.63, −0.52], p =.004), and a marginal decrease on SDCR (B = −1.02 [−2.05, 0.00], p =.050). CT pathology was the strongest predictor of decreased verbal memory (IRT: B = −8.49, SDFR: B = −2.50, SDCR: B = −1.85, LDFR: B = −2.61, LDCR: B = −2.60; p <.001). Seizure history was associated with decreased short-term memory (SDFR: B = −1.32, p =.037; SDCR: B = −1.44, p =.038). Conclusion: The APOE-ε4 allele may confer an increased risk of impairment of 6-month verbal memory for patients suffering mTBI, with implications for heightened surveillance and targeted therapies. Acute intracranial pathology remains the driver of decreased verbal memory performance at 6 months after mTBI
BDNF Val66Met polymorphism interacts with sex to influence bimanual motor control in healthy humans

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                  110357.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in brain development. A common single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene encoding BDNF (rs6265, Val66Met) affects BDNF release and has been associated with altered learning and memory performance, and with structural changes in brain morphology and corpus callosum integrity. BDNF Val66Met has more recently been shown to influence motor learning and performance. Some of the BDNF effects seem to be modulated by an individual's sex, but currently the relationship between BDNF and sex in the motor domain remains elusive. Here, we investigate the relationship between BDNF Val66Met genotype and an individual's sex in the motor system. Seventy-six healthy, previously genotyped, individuals performed a task in which the participant drew lines at different angles of varying difficulty. Subjects controlled the horizontal and vertical movement of the line on a computer screen by rotating two cylinders. We used this bimanual motor control task to measure contributions from both current motor function and the pre-existing interhemispheric connectivity. We report that BDNF genotype interacts with sex to influence the motor performance of healthy participants in this bimanual motor control task. We further report that the BDNF genotype by sex interaction was present in the more difficult trials only, which is in line with earlier findings that genetic effects may become apparent only when a system is challenged. Our results emphasize the importance of taking sex into account when investigating the role of BDNF genotype in the motor system
Shades of grey; Assessing the contribution of the magno- and parvocellular systems to neural processing of the retinal input in the human visual system from the influence of neural population size and its discharge activity on the VEP

Introduction: Retinal input processing in the human visual system involves a phasic and tonic neural response. We investigated the role of the magno- and parvocellular systems by comparing the influence of the active neural population size and its discharge activity on the amplitude and latency of four VEP components.\ud
\ud
Method: We recorded the scalp electric potential of 20 human volunteers viewing a series of dartboard images presented as a pattern reversing and pattern on-/offset stimulus. These patterns were designed to vary both neural population size coding the temporal- and spatial luminance contrast property and the discharge activity of the population involved in a systematic manner.\ud
\ud
Results: When the VEP amplitude reflected the size of the neural population coding the temporal luminance contrast property of the image, the influence of luminance contrast followed the contrast response function of the parvocellular system. When the VEP amplitude reflected the size of the neural population responding to the spatial luminance contrast property the image, the influence of luminance contrast followed the contrast response function of the magnocellular system. The latencies of the VEP components examined exhibited the same behavior across our stimulus series.\ud
\ud
Conclusions: This investigation demonstrates the complex interplay of the magno- and parvocellular systems on the neural response as captured by the VEP. It also demonstrates a linear relationship between stimulus property, neural response, and the VEP and reveals the importance of feedback projections in modulating the ongoing neural response. In doing so, it corroborates the conclusions of our previous study
Brain resting-state networks in adolescents with high-functioning autism: Analysis of spatial connectivity and temporal neurodynamics

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                  183400.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is mainly characterized by functional and communication impairments as well as restrictive and repetitive behavior. The leading hypothesis for the neural basis of autism postulates globally abnormal brain connectivity, which can be assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Even in the absence of a task, the brain exhibits a high degree of functional connectivity, known as intrinsic, or resting-state, connectivity. Global default connectivity in individuals with autism versus controls is not well characterized, especially for a high-functioning young population. The aim of this study is to test whether high-functioning adolescents with ASD (HFA) have an abnormal resting-state functional connectivity. Materials and Methods: We performed spatial and temporal analyses on resting-state networks (RSNs) in 13 HFA adolescents and 13 IQ- and age-matched controls. For the spatial analysis, we used probabilistic independent component analysis (ICA) and a permutation statistical method to reveal the RSN differences between the groups. For the temporal analysis, we applied Granger causality to find differences in temporal neurodynamics. Results: Controls and HFA display very similar patterns and strengths of resting-state connectivity. We do not find any significant differences between HFA adolescents and controls in the spatial resting-state connectivity. However, in the temporal dynamics of this connectivity, we did find differences in the causal effect properties of RSNs originating in temporal and prefrontal cortices. Conclusion: The results show a difference between HFA and controls in the temporal neurodynamics from the ventral attention network to the salience-executive network: a pathway involving cognitive, executive, and emotion-related cortices. We hypothesized that this weaker dynamic pathway is due to a subtle trigger challenging the cognitive state prior to the resting state.10 p
The effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on resting-state functional brain network in drug-naive patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objectives: Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment
for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), the treatment mechanisms remain poorly
understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of CBT on changes in the
intrinsic whole-brain functional network of OCD patients.
Materials and Methods: Twenty drug-naive and noncomorbid OCD patients were
recruited, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed
before and after 12 weeks of CBT. Moreover, 20 healthy controls were scanned
twice with a 12-week interval. A graph-theory degree centrality (DC) approach and
functional connectivity method were used to analyze the whole-brain functional
network hub and connectivity changes in OCD patients before and after CBT
treatment.
Results: A significant group × time interaction on DC was found in the left dorsolateral
prefrontal cortex (DLPFC); the DC in the left DLPFC was significantly reduced
after CBT treatment. Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the left
DLPFC and right orbitofrontal cortex was increased in the OCD patients at baseline,
and normalized after CBT treatment. RSFC changes between the left DLPFC and
default mode network (DMN) positively correlated with changes in clinical symptoms
in OCD patients.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that CBT can modulate changes in intrinsic
functional network hubs in the cortico–striato–thalamo-cortical circuit in OCD patients.
Cognitive control network and DMN connectivity may be a potential imaging
biomarker for evaluating CBT treatment for OCD.Full Tex
The effect of a single dose of escitalopram on sensorimotor networks.

Serving as a pilot study of poststroke pharmacotherapy, the present investigation was intended to establish the effect of a single dose of escitalopram on motor task performance in normal volunteers.
Ten healthy volunteers of median age 63 years including four females performed a well-studied tactile manipulation task in two fMRI sessions using a double-blind cross-over design. The sessions began approximately three hours after ingestion of 20 mg escitalopram or placebo presented in pseudorandom order. The fMRI image sequences were submitted to principal component analysis (PCA).
Based on volume correlations of task-related principal components with the mean component images derived in our previous study, we established the reproducibility of two networks of sensorimotor activity proposed there. The network reflecting motor control (cerebral pattern I) appeared invariably in placebo and verum conditions. In contrast, the other network, attributed to diminished motor control due to distracting mental processing (cerebral pattern II), emerged less regularly and exhibited more variability. Second-level PCAs of both conditions confirmed the findings of the initial analysis. Specifically, it validated the dominant and invariable expression of cerebral pattern I after application of a single dose of escitalopram. Dynamic causal modeling confirmed enhanced motor output as a result of a significantly increased connectivity between primary motor cortex and dorsal premotor cortex.
This pilot study suggests the promise of stimulation by a specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor in regard to recovery and preservation of motor control after stroke