Anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) is involved in “the state in which patients do not care much about pain despite its presence” which is a goal of psychosomatic treatment. To investigate the absolute concentration of...Anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) is involved in “the state in which patients do not care much about pain despite its presence” which is a goal of psychosomatic treatment. To investigate the absolute concentration of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) as predictors of patients that may benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of chronic pain. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was performed with a 1.5 T MR system on a voxel in the bilateral ACC in 85 chronic pain patients and 20 age-matched normal control subjects. Eighteen out of 24 (75.0%) patients whose NAA concentration decreased significantly in the ACC, respectively, compared to the mean NAA concentration of the normal control subjects, needed cognitive behavioural therapy. Our results suggest that decreased NAA concentration in the ACC is associated with the necessity of cognitive behavioural therapy. 1H-MRS may serve as a useful non-invasive tool for evaluating chronic pain patients.展开更多
Pain is often comorbid with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression.Hyperexcitability of the anterior cingulate cortex has been implicated in pain and pain-related negative emotions that arise from impairme...Pain is often comorbid with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression.Hyperexcitability of the anterior cingulate cortex has been implicated in pain and pain-related negative emotions that arise from impairments in inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission.This review primarily aims to outline the main circuitry(including the input and output connectivity)of the anterior cingulate cortex and classification and functions of different gamma-aminobutyric acidergic neurons;it also describes the neurotransmitters/neuromodulators affecting these neurons,their intercommunication with other neurons,and their importance in mental comorbidities associated with chronic pain disorders.Improving understanding on their role in pain-related mental comorbidities may facilitate the development of more effective treatments for these conditions.However,the mechanisms that regulate gamma-aminobutyric acidergic systems remain elusive.It is also unclear as to whether the mechanisms are presynaptic or postsynaptic.Further exploration of the complexities of this system may reveal new pathways for research and drug development.展开更多
BACKGROUND Cases of depression among adolescents are gradually increasing.The study of the physiological basis of cognitive function from a biochemical perspective has therefore been garnering increasing attention.Dep...BACKGROUND Cases of depression among adolescents are gradually increasing.The study of the physiological basis of cognitive function from a biochemical perspective has therefore been garnering increasing attention.Depression has been hypothesized to be associated with the brain biochemical metabolism of the anterior cingulate gyrus,frontal lobe white matter,and the thalamus.AIM To explore the application of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(1H-MRS)in the metabolic alterations in the prefrontal white matter(PWM)and gray matter(GM)in adolescents with depression.METHODS 1H-MRS was performed for semi-quantitative analysis of the biochemical metabolites N-acetylaspartate(NAA),choline(Cho)complexes,creatine(Cr),and myoinositol(mI)in bilateral PWM,anterior cingulate GM,and thalami of 31 adolescent patients with depression(research group)and 35 healthy adolescents(control group),and the NAA/Cr,Cho/Cr,and mI/Cr ratios were calculated.Meanwhile,Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)and Wechsler Memory Scale were used to assess the degree of depression and memory function in all adolescents.The correlation of brain metabolite levels with scale scores was also analyzed.RESULTS The research group had markedly higher HAMD-24 scores and lower memory quotient(MQ)compared with the control group(P<0.05).Adolescents with depression were found to have lower bilateral PWM NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios compared with healthy adolescents(P<0.05).The mI/Cr ratios were found to be similar in both groups(P>0.05).The bilateral anterior cingulate GM NAA/Cr,Cho/Cr,and mI/Cr also did not demonstrate marked differences(P>0.05).No statistical inter-group difference was determined in NAA/Cr of the bilateral thalami(P>0.05),while bilateral thalamic Cho/Cr and mI/Cr were reduced in teenagers with depression compared with healthy adolescents(P<0.05).A significant negative correlation was observed between the HAMD-24 scores in adolescents with depression with bilateral PWM NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr and were inversely linked to bilateral thalamic Cho/Cr and mI/Cr(P<0.05).In adolescents with depressions,MQ positively correlated with right PWH NAA/Cr,left PWH Cho/Cr,and bilateral thalamic Cho/Cr and mI/Cr.CONCLUSION PWM and thalamic metabolic abnormalities might influence teen depression,and the reduction in bilateral PWM NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr could be related to the neuropathology of adolescents with depression suffering from memory impairment.There exists a possibility of dysfunction of nerve cell membrane phospholipids in the thalami of adolescent patients with depression.展开更多
In this study,we investigated how empathic neural responses unfold over time in different empathy networks when viewing same-race and other-race individuals in dynamic painful conditions.We recorded magnetoencephalogr...In this study,we investigated how empathic neural responses unfold over time in different empathy networks when viewing same-race and other-race individuals in dynamic painful conditions.We recorded magnetoencephalography signals from Chinese adults when viewing video clips showing a dynamic painful(or non-painful)stimulation to Asian and White models’faces to trigger painful(or neutral)expressions.We found that perceived dynamic pain in Asian models modulated neural activities in the visual cortex at 100 ms–200 ms,in the orbitofrontal and subgenual anterior cingulate cortices at 150 ms–200 ms,in the anterior cingulate cortex around 250 ms–350 ms,and in the temporoparietal junction and middle temporal gyrus around 600 ms after video onset.Perceived dynamic pain in White models modulated activities in the visual,anterior cingulate,and primary sensory cortices after 500 ms.Our findings unraveled earlier dynamic activities in multiple neural circuits in response to same-race(vs other-race)individuals in dynamic painful situations.展开更多
Stroke is a physiological alteration associated with changes in blood flow that can result in sudden-onset cognitive impairment. It has a heterogenous clinical presentation with varying degrees of severity correlated ...Stroke is a physiological alteration associated with changes in blood flow that can result in sudden-onset cognitive impairment. It has a heterogenous clinical presentation with varying degrees of severity correlated with specific central nervous system zones or areas, and its prognosis is uncertain. This case study describes a 62-year-old male patient with acquired brain damage of the anterior cingulate cortex as a result of an ischemic event in the territory of the left anterior cerebral artery. Cognitive function was assessed using the neuropsychological executive function and frontal lobe test battery (BANFE-2) as well as other neuropsychological tests. The results show a profile of higher mental functions characterized by the presence of dysexecutive syndrome with marked behavioral alteration and diencephalic amnesia. .展开更多
Objective To explore the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）/cAMP response element binding protein （CREB） pathway in the induction of long-term potentiation （LTP） in the anterior cingulate co...Objective To explore the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）/cAMP response element binding protein （CREB） pathway in the induction of long-term potentiation （LTP） in the anterior cingulate cortex （ACC） that may be implicated in pain-related negative emotion. Methods LTP of field potential was recorded in ACC slice and the expressions of phospho-ERK （pERK） and phospho-CREB （pCREB） were examined using immunohistochemistry method. Results LTP could be induced stably in ACC slice by high frequency stimulation （2-train, 100 Hz, 1 s）, while APv （an antagonist of NMDA receptor） could block the induction of LTP in the ACC, indicating that LTP in this experiment was NMDA receptor-dependent. Bath application of PD98059 （50 μmol/L）, a selective MEK inhibitor, at 30 min before tetanic stimulation could completely block the induction of LTP. Moreover, the protein level of pERK in the ACC was transiently increased after LTP induction, starting at 5 rain and returning to basal at 1 h after tetanic stimulation. The protein level of pCREB was also increased after LTP induction. The up-regulation in pERK and pCREB expressions could be blocked by pretreatment of PD98059. Double immunostaining showed that after LTP induction, most pERK was co-localized with pCREB. Conclusion NMDA receptor and ERK-CREB pathway are necessary for the induction of LTP in rat ACC and may play important roles in pain emotion.展开更多
Five days of Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) improves attention and self-regulation in comparison with the same amount of relaxation training. This paper explores
Based on the idea that intentions have different penetrability to perception and thought, four Stroop-like tasks, AA, AW, WA, and WW are used. Event-related brain potentials are recorded as participants completed thes...Based on the idea that intentions have different penetrability to perception and thought, four Stroop-like tasks, AA, AW, WA, and WW are used. Event-related brain potentials are recorded as participants completed these tasks, and standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography （sLORETA） is used to localize the sources at specific time points. These results show that there is an interference effect in the AA and WA tasks, but not in the AW or WW tasks. The activated brain areas related to the interference effect in the AA task are the PFC （prefrontal cortex） and ACC （anterior cingulated cortex）, and PFC aetivation takes place prior to ACC activation, but only in WA task. Combined with previous results, a new neural mechanism of cognitive control is proposed.展开更多
Pain consists of sensory-discriminative and emotional-affective components.The anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)is a critical brain area in mediating the affective pain.However,the molecular mechanisms involved remain la...Pain consists of sensory-discriminative and emotional-affective components.The anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)is a critical brain area in mediating the affective pain.However,the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unknown.Our recent study indicated that C-X-C motif chemokine 13(CXCL13)and its sole receptor CXCR5 are involved in sensory sensitization in the spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation(SNL).Whether CXCL13/CXCR5 signaling in the ACC contributes to the pathogenesis of pain-related aversion remains unknown.Here,we showed that SNL increased the CXCL13 level and CXCR5 expression in the ACC after SNL.Knockdown of CXCR5 by microinjection of Cxcr5 shRNA into the ACC did not affect SNL-induced mechanical allodynia but effectively alleviated neuropathic painrelated place avoidance behavior.Furthermore,electrophysiological recording from layer Ⅱ-Ⅲ neurons in the ACC showed that SNL increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents(sEPSCs),decreased the EPSC paired-pulse ratio,and increased the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ratio,indicating enhanced glutamatergic synaptic transmission.Finally,superfusion of CXCL13 onto ACC slices increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous EPSCs.Pre-injection of Cxcr5 shRNA into the ACC reduced the increase in glutamatergic synaptic transmis sion induced by SNL.Collectively,these results suggest that CXCL13/CXCR5 signaling in the ACC is involved in neuropathic pain-related aversion via synaptic potentiation.展开更多
Objective The rostral anterior cingulate cortex （rACC） is implicated in processing the emotional component of pain. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors （NMDARs） are highly expressed in the rACC and mediate painrelated ...Objective The rostral anterior cingulate cortex （rACC） is implicated in processing the emotional component of pain. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors （NMDARs） are highly expressed in the rACC and mediate painrelated affect by activating a signaling pathway that involves cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）/protein ki- nase A （PKA） and/or extracellular regulated kinase （ERK）/cAMP-response element-binding protein （CREB）. The present study investigated the contributions of the NMDAR glycine site and GluN2B subunit to the activation of ERK and CREB both in vitro and in vivo in rat rACC. Methods Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analy- sis were used to separately assess the expression of phospho-ERK （pERK） and phospho-CREB （pCREB） in vitro and in vivo. Double immunostaining was also used to determine the colocalization of pERK and pCREB. Results Both bath application of NMDA in brain slices in vitro and intraplantar injection of formalin into the rat hindpaw in vivo induced significant up-regulation of pERK and pCREB in the rACC, which was inhibited by the NMDAR antago- nist DL-2-amino-5-phospho-novaleric acid. Selective blockade of the NMDAR GluN2B subunit and the glycine- binding site, or degradation of endogenous D-serine, a co-agonist for the glycine site, significantly decreased the up- regulation of pERK and pCREB expression in the rACC. Further, the activated ERK predominantly colocalized with CREB. Conclusion Either the glycine site or the GluN2B subunit of NMDARs participates in the phosphorylation of ERK and CREB induced by bath application of NMDA in brain slices or hindpaw injection of 5% formalin in rats, and these might be fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying pain affect.展开更多
Central sensitization is essential in maintaining chronic pain induced by chronic pancreatitis(CP),but cortical modulation of painful CP remains elusive.Here,we examined the role of the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)i...Central sensitization is essential in maintaining chronic pain induced by chronic pancreatitis(CP),but cortical modulation of painful CP remains elusive.Here,we examined the role of the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)in the pathogenesis of abdominal hyperalgesia in a rat model of CP induced by intraductal administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid(TNBS).TNBS treatment resulted in long-term abdominal hyperalgesia and anxiety in rats.Morphological data indicated that painful CP induced a significant increase in FOS-expressing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii(NTS)and ACC,and some FOS-expressing neurons in the NTS projected to the ACC.In addition,a larger portion of ascending fibers from the NTS innervated pyramidal neurons,the neural subpopulation primarily expressing FOS under the condition of painful CP,rather than GABAergic neurons within the ACC.CP rats showed increased expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 1,and increased membrane trafficking and phosphorylation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)subunit NR2B and theα-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor(AMPAR)subunit GluR1 within the ACC.Microinjection of NMDAR and AMPAR antagonists into the ACC to block excitatory synaptic transmission significantly attenuated abdominal hyperalgesia in CP rats,which was similar to the analgesic effect of endomorphins injected into the ACC.Specifically inhibiting the excitability of ACC pyramidal cells via chemogenetics reduced both hyperalgesia and comorbid anxiety,whereas activating these neurons via optogenetics failed to aggravate hyperalgesia and anxiety in CP rats.Taken together,these findings provide neurocircuit,biochemical,and behavioral evidence for involvement of the ACC in hyperalgesia and anxiety in CP rats,as well as novel insights into the cortical modulation of painful CP,and highlights the ACC as a potential target for neuromodulatory interventions in the treatment of painful CP.展开更多
As the most common symptomatic reason to seek medical consultation,pain is a complex experience that has been classified into different categories and stages.In pain processing,noxious stimuli may activate the anterio...As the most common symptomatic reason to seek medical consultation,pain is a complex experience that has been classified into different categories and stages.In pain processing,noxious stimuli may activate the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC).But the function of ACC in the different pain conditions is not well discussed.In this review,we elaborate the commonalities and differences from accumulated evidence by a variety of pain assays for physiological pain and pathological pain including inflammatory pain,neuropathic pain,and cancer pain in the ACC,and discuss the cellular receptors and signaling molecules from animal studies.We further summarize the ACC as a new central neuromodulation target for invasive and non-invasive stimulation techniques in clinical pain management.The comprehensive understanding of pain processing in the ACC may lead to bridging the gap in translational research between basic and clinical studies and to develop new therapies.展开更多
Objective:To explore the characteristics of metabolic changes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder through 1H-MRS in neuroanatomical circuit comparing with age-matches controls.Methods:Fifty patients with p...Objective:To explore the characteristics of metabolic changes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder through 1H-MRS in neuroanatomical circuit comparing with age-matches controls.Methods:Fifty patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and SO gender-and agematched normal controls were involved.The neurochemical abnormalities including the levels of choline(Cho)/ creatine(Cr) and N-acetylaspartate(NAA)/Cr were measured respectively in hippocampus and the anterior cingulate gyrus with three-dimension 1H-proton specrroscopy(3D 1H-MRS).Results:The values of NAA/Cr ratios in hippocampus and the anterior cingulate gyrus were significant lower in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder(1.71±0.32,left l.58±0.29, right 1.55±0.31) than that in controls(2.24±0.41,left 1.98±0.27,right 2.02±0.36)(P【0.05).but the values of Cho/Cr in hippocampus(left 1.64±0.23,right 1.66±0.34) were no significant with that of controls(left 1.48±0.29,right 1.54±0.38).Values of Cho/Cr in cingulate gyrus were significant higher in post-traumatic stress disorder patients(I.88±0.44) than that in controls(1.37.±0.32) (P【0.05).Conclusions:The results indicate some special neurochemical and histological structure changes in post-traumatic stress disorder patients,which might occurre earlier in anterior cingulate gyrusthe than in hippocampus.展开更多
Previous studies have demonstrated that electroacupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. However, the precise mechanism of this therapy is unknown. The present study served to inve...Previous studies have demonstrated that electroacupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. However, the precise mechanism of this therapy is unknown. The present study served to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture therapy on treatment of patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS）. We compared brain activation maps based on the changes of cerebral glucose metabolism obtained by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scanning under three conditions： resting, rectal balloon distension and rectal balloon distension plus electroacupuncture. Under the resting condition, compared with healthy controls, IBS patients displayed an increasing regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose over a wide range： bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and bilateral middle frontal gyrus. However, there was no significant activity in the visceral pain center. Compared with the resting condition, under the rectal balloon distension condition, patients with IBS had a greater regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in the prefrontal cortex, left anterior cingulate cortex, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus and temporal gyrus. Under the rectal balloon distension plus electroacupuncture condition, stimulation by electroacupuncture at Tianshu （ST 25） manifested a decreased regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in the left cingulate gyrus, right insula, right caudate nucleus, fusiform gyrus and hippocampal gyrus. Electroacupuncture therapy relieved abdominal pain, distension or discomfort by decreasing glucose metabolism in the brain.展开更多
AIM To provide an overview of the current research in the functional neuroanatomy of panic disorder.METHODS Panic disorder(PD)is a frequent psychiatric disease.Gorman et al(1989;2000)proposed a comprehensive neuroanat...AIM To provide an overview of the current research in the functional neuroanatomy of panic disorder.METHODS Panic disorder(PD)is a frequent psychiatric disease.Gorman et al(1989;2000)proposed a comprehensive neuroanatomical model of PD,which suggested that fear-and anxiety-related responses are mediated by a so-called"fear network"which is centered in the amygdala and includes the hippocampus,thalamus,hypothalamus,periaqueductal gray region,locus coeruleus and other brainstem sites.We performed a systematic search by the electronic database PubMed.Thereby,the main focus was laid on recent neurofunctional,neurostructural,and neurochemical studies(from the period between January 2012 and April 2016).Within this frame,special attention was given to the emerging field of imaging genetics.RESULTS We noted that many neuroimaging studies have reinforced the role of the"fear network"regions in the pathophysiology of panic disorder.However,recent functional studies suggest abnormal activation mainly in an extended fear network comprising brainstem,anterior and midcingulate cortex(ACC and MCC),insula,and lateral as well as medial parts of the prefrontal cortex.Interestingly,differences in the amygdala activation were not as consistently reported as one would predict from the hypothesis of Gorman et al(2000).Indeed,amygdala hyperactivation seems to strongly depend on stimuli and experimental paradigms,sample heterogeneity and size,as well as on limitations of neuroimaging techniques.Advanced neurochemical studies have substantiated the major role of serotonergic,noradrenergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission in the pathophysiology of PD.However,alterations of GABAergic function in PD are still a matter of debate and also their specificity remains questionable.A promising new research approach is"imaging genetics".Imaging genetic studies are designed to evaluate the impact of genetic variations(polymorphisms)on cerebral function in regions critical for PD.Most recently,imaging genetic studies have not only confirmed the importance of serotonergic and noradrenergic transmission in the etiology of PD but also indicated the significance of neuropeptide S receptor,CRH receptor,human TransM EMbrane protein(TMEM123D),and amiloride-sensitive cation channel 2(ACCN2)genes.CONCLUSION In light of these findings it is conceivable that in the near future this research will lead to the development of clinically useful tools like predictive biomarkers or novel treatment options.展开更多
To explore whether experiencing inflammatory pain has an impact upon intracortical synaptic organization, the planar multi-electrode array （MEA） technique and 2-dimensional current source density （2D-CSD） imaging ...To explore whether experiencing inflammatory pain has an impact upon intracortical synaptic organization, the planar multi-electrode array （MEA） technique and 2-dimensional current source density （2D-CSD） imaging were used in slice preparations of the anterior cingulate cortex （ACC） from rats. Synaptic activity across different layers of the ACC was evoked by deep layer stimulation through one electrode. The layer-localization of both local field potentials （LFPs） and the spread of current sink calculated by 2D-CSD analysis was characterized pharmacologically. Moreover, the induction of long-term potentiation （LTP） and changes in LTP magnitude were also evaluated. We found that under naive conditions, the current sink was initially generated in layer Ⅵ, then spread to layer Ⅴ and finally confined to layers Ⅱ-Ⅲ. This spatial pattern of current sink movement typically reflected changes in depolarized sites from deep layers （Ⅴ-Ⅵ） to superficial layers （Ⅱ-Ⅲ） where intra- and extra- cortical inputs terminate. In the ACC slices from rats in an inflamed state （for 2 h） caused by intraplantar bee-venom injection, the spatial profile of intra-ACC synaptic organization was significantly changed,showing an enlarged current sink distribution and a leftward shift of the stimulus-response curves relative to the naive and saline controls. The change was more distinct in the superficial layers （Ⅱ-Ⅲ） than in the deep site. In terms of temporal properties, the rate of LTP induction was significantly increased in layers Ⅱ-Ⅲ by inflammatory pain. However, the magnitude of LTP was not significantly enhanced by this treatment. Taken together, these results show that inflammatory pain results in distinct spatial and temporal plasticity of synaptic organization in the ACC, which may lead to altered synaptic transmission and modulation.展开更多
Bipolar disorder and unipolar depressive disorder（UD） may be different in brain structure. In the present study,we performed voxel-based morphometry（VBM） to quantify the grey matter volumes in 23 patients with bip...Bipolar disorder and unipolar depressive disorder（UD） may be different in brain structure. In the present study,we performed voxel-based morphometry（VBM） to quantify the grey matter volumes in 23 patients with bipolar I depressive disorder（BP1） and 23 patients with UD,and 23 age-,gender-,and educationmatched healthy controls（HCs） using magnetic resonance imaging. We found that compared with the HC and UD groups,the BP1 group showed reduced grey matter volumes in the right inferior frontal gyrus and middle cingulate gyrus,while the UD group showed reduced volume in the right inferior frontal gyrus compared to HCs. In addition,correlation analyses revealed that the grey matter volumes of these regions were negatively correlated with the Hamilton depression rating scores. Taken together,the results of our study suggest that decreased grey matter volume of the right inferior frontal gyrus is a common abnormality in BP1 and UD,and decreasedgrey matter volume in the right middle cingulate gyrus may be specifi c to BP1.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to summarize and analyze the brain signal patterns of empathy for pain caused by facial expressions of pain utilizing activation likelihood estimation, a meta-analysis method....OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to summarize and analyze the brain signal patterns of empathy for pain caused by facial expressions of pain utilizing activation likelihood estimation, a meta-analysis method. DATA SOURCES: Studies concerning the brain mechanism were searched from the Science Citation Index, Science Direct, PubMed, DeepDyve, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, Wanfang, VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and other databases, such as SpringerLink, AMA, Science Online, Wiley Online, were collected. A time limitation of up to 13 December 2016 was applied to this study. DATA SELECTION: Studies presenting with all of the following criteria were considered for study inclusion: Use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, neutral and pained facial expression stimuli, involvement of adult healthy human participants over 18 years of age, whose empathy ability showed no difference from the healthy adult, a painless basic state, results presented in Talairach or Montreal Neurological Institute coordinates, multiple studies by the same team as long as they used different raw data. OUTCOME MEASURES: Activation likelihood estimation was used to calculate the combined main activated brain regions under the stimulation of pained facial expression. RESULTS: Eight studies were included, containing 178 subjects. Meta-analysis results suggested that the anterior cingulate cortex(BA32), anterior central gyrus(BA44), fusiform gyrus, and insula(BA13) were activated positively as major brain areas under the stimulation of pained facial expression. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that pained facial expression alone, without viewing of painful stimuli, activated brain regions related to pain empathy, further contributing to revealing the brain's mechanisms of pain empathy.展开更多
Psychosis is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease whose pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Parkinson’s disease in conjunction with psychosis has been shown to induce injury to extracorticospinal tr...Psychosis is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease whose pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Parkinson’s disease in conjunction with psychosis has been shown to induce injury to extracorticospinal tracts as wel as within some cortical areas. In this study, Parkinson’s disease patients with psychosis who did not receive antipsychotic treatment and those without psychosis underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Results revealed that in Parkinson’s disease patients with psychosis, damage to the left frontal lobe, bilateral occipital lobe, left cingulated gyrus, and left hippocampal white-matter fibers were greater than damage to the substantia nigra or the globus pal idus. Damage to white-matter fibers in the right frontal lobe and right cingulate gyrus were also more severe than in the globus pal idus, but not the substantia nigra. Damage to frontal lobe and cingulate gyrus white-matter fibers was more apparent than that to occipital or hippocampal fiber damage. Compared with Parkinson’s disease patients without psychosis, those with psychosis had significantly lower fractional anisotropy ratios of left frontal lobe, bilateral occipital lobe, left cingu-lated gyrus, and left hippocampus to ipsilateral substantia nigra or globus pal idus, indicating more severe damage to white-matter fibers. These results suggest that psychosis associated with Par-kinson’s disease is probably associated with an imbalance in the ratio of white-matter fibers be-tween brain regions associated with psychiatric symptoms （frontal lobe, occipital lobe, cingulate gyrus, and hippocampus） and those associated with the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease （the substantia nigra and globus pal idus）. The relatively greater damage to white-matter fibers in psychiatric symptom-related brain regions than in extracorticospinal tracts might explain why psy-chosis often occurs in Parkinson’s disease patients.展开更多
Individual differences in behavioral characteristics or initial responses to abused drugs had been recently demonstrated to have predictive value in the propensity of later abuse. The research described here was initi...Individual differences in behavioral characteristics or initial responses to abused drugs had been recently demonstrated to have predictive value in the propensity of later abuse. The research described here was initiated to determine the initial response of rats to administration of morphine if the physiological response has predictive value for the propensity of the animals to later self-administration. The initial response of extracellular fluid levels of the biogenic monoamine neurotransmitters in the anterior cingulate cortex (aCC) was assessed in drug rats with in vivo microdialysis following administration of morphine. Rats that did not acquire morphine self-administration (NSA) had higher baseline levels of aCC extracellular fluid levels of dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) than animals that developed stable morphine self-administration (SA). However, the response independent administration of morphine resulted in a dramatic increase in (DA) in aCC in the SA group, while the morphine injection in the NSA rats increased extracellular fluid levels of noradrenaline (NA). It is possible that these differences might be related to the development of physical dependence. Therefore, the development of physical dependence was observed in these animals. There was no relationship between the propensity to self-administration morphine and the development of physical dependence. Rats that showed the highest withdrawal scores had lower extracellular fluid levels of serotonin (5-HT) compared to rats showing low withdrawal scores. Thus, monoamine neuronal innervations of the aCC respond to an initial dose of morphine that is predictive of the later propensity to self-administration and the resistance and predisposition to the formation of opiate dependence, but there is no relationship between these two indices in individual animals. These data add to a growing body of evidence for the involvement of neuronal systems in the aCC in the actions of opiates.展开更多
文摘Anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) is involved in “the state in which patients do not care much about pain despite its presence” which is a goal of psychosomatic treatment. To investigate the absolute concentration of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) as predictors of patients that may benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of chronic pain. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was performed with a 1.5 T MR system on a voxel in the bilateral ACC in 85 chronic pain patients and 20 age-matched normal control subjects. Eighteen out of 24 (75.0%) patients whose NAA concentration decreased significantly in the ACC, respectively, compared to the mean NAA concentration of the normal control subjects, needed cognitive behavioural therapy. Our results suggest that decreased NAA concentration in the ACC is associated with the necessity of cognitive behavioural therapy. 1H-MRS may serve as a useful non-invasive tool for evaluating chronic pain patients.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.82374561(to JD),82174490(to JF)the Medical and Health Science and Technology Program of Zhejiang Province,No.2021RC098(to JD)the Research Project of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University,Nos.2022JKZKTS44(to JD),2022FSYYZZ07(to JF).
文摘Pain is often comorbid with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression.Hyperexcitability of the anterior cingulate cortex has been implicated in pain and pain-related negative emotions that arise from impairments in inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission.This review primarily aims to outline the main circuitry(including the input and output connectivity)of the anterior cingulate cortex and classification and functions of different gamma-aminobutyric acidergic neurons;it also describes the neurotransmitters/neuromodulators affecting these neurons,their intercommunication with other neurons,and their importance in mental comorbidities associated with chronic pain disorders.Improving understanding on their role in pain-related mental comorbidities may facilitate the development of more effective treatments for these conditions.However,the mechanisms that regulate gamma-aminobutyric acidergic systems remain elusive.It is also unclear as to whether the mechanisms are presynaptic or postsynaptic.Further exploration of the complexities of this system may reveal new pathways for research and drug development.
基金Supported by the General Scientific Research Project of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education,No.Y202248840 and No.Y201942374。
文摘BACKGROUND Cases of depression among adolescents are gradually increasing.The study of the physiological basis of cognitive function from a biochemical perspective has therefore been garnering increasing attention.Depression has been hypothesized to be associated with the brain biochemical metabolism of the anterior cingulate gyrus,frontal lobe white matter,and the thalamus.AIM To explore the application of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(1H-MRS)in the metabolic alterations in the prefrontal white matter(PWM)and gray matter(GM)in adolescents with depression.METHODS 1H-MRS was performed for semi-quantitative analysis of the biochemical metabolites N-acetylaspartate(NAA),choline(Cho)complexes,creatine(Cr),and myoinositol(mI)in bilateral PWM,anterior cingulate GM,and thalami of 31 adolescent patients with depression(research group)and 35 healthy adolescents(control group),and the NAA/Cr,Cho/Cr,and mI/Cr ratios were calculated.Meanwhile,Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)and Wechsler Memory Scale were used to assess the degree of depression and memory function in all adolescents.The correlation of brain metabolite levels with scale scores was also analyzed.RESULTS The research group had markedly higher HAMD-24 scores and lower memory quotient(MQ)compared with the control group(P<0.05).Adolescents with depression were found to have lower bilateral PWM NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios compared with healthy adolescents(P<0.05).The mI/Cr ratios were found to be similar in both groups(P>0.05).The bilateral anterior cingulate GM NAA/Cr,Cho/Cr,and mI/Cr also did not demonstrate marked differences(P>0.05).No statistical inter-group difference was determined in NAA/Cr of the bilateral thalami(P>0.05),while bilateral thalamic Cho/Cr and mI/Cr were reduced in teenagers with depression compared with healthy adolescents(P<0.05).A significant negative correlation was observed between the HAMD-24 scores in adolescents with depression with bilateral PWM NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr and were inversely linked to bilateral thalamic Cho/Cr and mI/Cr(P<0.05).In adolescents with depressions,MQ positively correlated with right PWH NAA/Cr,left PWH Cho/Cr,and bilateral thalamic Cho/Cr and mI/Cr.CONCLUSION PWM and thalamic metabolic abnormalities might influence teen depression,and the reduction in bilateral PWM NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr could be related to the neuropathology of adolescents with depression suffering from memory impairment.There exists a possibility of dysfunction of nerve cell membrane phospholipids in the thalami of adolescent patients with depression.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32230043)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2019YFA0707103)+1 种基金Das Chinesisch-Deutsche Zentrum fur Wissenschaftsforderung(M-0093)the High-performance Computing Platform of Peking University。
文摘In this study,we investigated how empathic neural responses unfold over time in different empathy networks when viewing same-race and other-race individuals in dynamic painful conditions.We recorded magnetoencephalography signals from Chinese adults when viewing video clips showing a dynamic painful(or non-painful)stimulation to Asian and White models’faces to trigger painful(or neutral)expressions.We found that perceived dynamic pain in Asian models modulated neural activities in the visual cortex at 100 ms–200 ms,in the orbitofrontal and subgenual anterior cingulate cortices at 150 ms–200 ms,in the anterior cingulate cortex around 250 ms–350 ms,and in the temporoparietal junction and middle temporal gyrus around 600 ms after video onset.Perceived dynamic pain in White models modulated activities in the visual,anterior cingulate,and primary sensory cortices after 500 ms.Our findings unraveled earlier dynamic activities in multiple neural circuits in response to same-race(vs other-race)individuals in dynamic painful situations.
文摘Stroke is a physiological alteration associated with changes in blood flow that can result in sudden-onset cognitive impairment. It has a heterogenous clinical presentation with varying degrees of severity correlated with specific central nervous system zones or areas, and its prognosis is uncertain. This case study describes a 62-year-old male patient with acquired brain damage of the anterior cingulate cortex as a result of an ischemic event in the territory of the left anterior cerebral artery. Cognitive function was assessed using the neuropsychological executive function and frontal lobe test battery (BANFE-2) as well as other neuropsychological tests. The results show a profile of higher mental functions characterized by the presence of dysexecutive syndrome with marked behavioral alteration and diencephalic amnesia. .
基金supported by National Natural Science Fundation of China (No.30870835,30821002,and 30900444)National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2007CB512303,2007CB512502,and 2006CB500807)Postdoctoral Fundation of China (No.20080440578)
文摘Objective To explore the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）/cAMP response element binding protein （CREB） pathway in the induction of long-term potentiation （LTP） in the anterior cingulate cortex （ACC） that may be implicated in pain-related negative emotion. Methods LTP of field potential was recorded in ACC slice and the expressions of phospho-ERK （pERK） and phospho-CREB （pCREB） were examined using immunohistochemistry method. Results LTP could be induced stably in ACC slice by high frequency stimulation （2-train, 100 Hz, 1 s）, while APv （an antagonist of NMDA receptor） could block the induction of LTP in the ACC, indicating that LTP in this experiment was NMDA receptor-dependent. Bath application of PD98059 （50 μmol/L）, a selective MEK inhibitor, at 30 min before tetanic stimulation could completely block the induction of LTP. Moreover, the protein level of pERK in the ACC was transiently increased after LTP induction, starting at 5 rain and returning to basal at 1 h after tetanic stimulation. The protein level of pCREB was also increased after LTP induction. The up-regulation in pERK and pCREB expressions could be blocked by pretreatment of PD98059. Double immunostaining showed that after LTP induction, most pERK was co-localized with pCREB. Conclusion NMDA receptor and ERK-CREB pathway are necessary for the induction of LTP in rat ACC and may play important roles in pain emotion.
文摘Five days of Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) improves attention and self-regulation in comparison with the same amount of relaxation training. This paper explores
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 30700226the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Grant No. 20080431271
文摘Based on the idea that intentions have different penetrability to perception and thought, four Stroop-like tasks, AA, AW, WA, and WW are used. Event-related brain potentials are recorded as participants completed these tasks, and standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography （sLORETA） is used to localize the sources at specific time points. These results show that there is an interference effect in the AA and WA tasks, but not in the AW or WW tasks. The activated brain areas related to the interference effect in the AA task are the PFC （prefrontal cortex） and ACC （anterior cingulated cortex）, and PFC aetivation takes place prior to ACC activation, but only in WA task. Combined with previous results, a new neural mechanism of cognitive control is proposed.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31671091 and 81771197)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK20171255)the Science and Technology Planning Project of Nantong Municipality, China (MS12017023-9)
文摘Pain consists of sensory-discriminative and emotional-affective components.The anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)is a critical brain area in mediating the affective pain.However,the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unknown.Our recent study indicated that C-X-C motif chemokine 13(CXCL13)and its sole receptor CXCR5 are involved in sensory sensitization in the spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation(SNL).Whether CXCL13/CXCR5 signaling in the ACC contributes to the pathogenesis of pain-related aversion remains unknown.Here,we showed that SNL increased the CXCL13 level and CXCR5 expression in the ACC after SNL.Knockdown of CXCR5 by microinjection of Cxcr5 shRNA into the ACC did not affect SNL-induced mechanical allodynia but effectively alleviated neuropathic painrelated place avoidance behavior.Furthermore,electrophysiological recording from layer Ⅱ-Ⅲ neurons in the ACC showed that SNL increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents(sEPSCs),decreased the EPSC paired-pulse ratio,and increased the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ratio,indicating enhanced glutamatergic synaptic transmission.Finally,superfusion of CXCL13 onto ACC slices increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous EPSCs.Pre-injection of Cxcr5 shRNA into the ACC reduced the increase in glutamatergic synaptic transmis sion induced by SNL.Collectively,these results suggest that CXCL13/CXCR5 signaling in the ACC is involved in neuropathic pain-related aversion via synaptic potentiation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30900444,31070973,30870835,31121061 and 30830044)
文摘Objective The rostral anterior cingulate cortex （rACC） is implicated in processing the emotional component of pain. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors （NMDARs） are highly expressed in the rACC and mediate painrelated affect by activating a signaling pathway that involves cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）/protein ki- nase A （PKA） and/or extracellular regulated kinase （ERK）/cAMP-response element-binding protein （CREB）. The present study investigated the contributions of the NMDAR glycine site and GluN2B subunit to the activation of ERK and CREB both in vitro and in vivo in rat rACC. Methods Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analy- sis were used to separately assess the expression of phospho-ERK （pERK） and phospho-CREB （pCREB） in vitro and in vivo. Double immunostaining was also used to determine the colocalization of pERK and pCREB. Results Both bath application of NMDA in brain slices in vitro and intraplantar injection of formalin into the rat hindpaw in vivo induced significant up-regulation of pERK and pCREB in the rACC, which was inhibited by the NMDAR antago- nist DL-2-amino-5-phospho-novaleric acid. Selective blockade of the NMDAR GluN2B subunit and the glycine- binding site, or degradation of endogenous D-serine, a co-agonist for the glycine site, significantly decreased the up- regulation of pERK and pCREB expression in the rACC. Further, the activated ERK predominantly colocalized with CREB. Conclusion Either the glycine site or the GluN2B subunit of NMDARs participates in the phosphorylation of ERK and CREB induced by bath application of NMDA in brain slices or hindpaw injection of 5% formalin in rats, and these might be fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying pain affect.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundations of China(81620108008 and 31971112)the Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi Province,China(2021TD-57).
文摘Central sensitization is essential in maintaining chronic pain induced by chronic pancreatitis(CP),but cortical modulation of painful CP remains elusive.Here,we examined the role of the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)in the pathogenesis of abdominal hyperalgesia in a rat model of CP induced by intraductal administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid(TNBS).TNBS treatment resulted in long-term abdominal hyperalgesia and anxiety in rats.Morphological data indicated that painful CP induced a significant increase in FOS-expressing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii(NTS)and ACC,and some FOS-expressing neurons in the NTS projected to the ACC.In addition,a larger portion of ascending fibers from the NTS innervated pyramidal neurons,the neural subpopulation primarily expressing FOS under the condition of painful CP,rather than GABAergic neurons within the ACC.CP rats showed increased expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 1,and increased membrane trafficking and phosphorylation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)subunit NR2B and theα-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor(AMPAR)subunit GluR1 within the ACC.Microinjection of NMDAR and AMPAR antagonists into the ACC to block excitatory synaptic transmission significantly attenuated abdominal hyperalgesia in CP rats,which was similar to the analgesic effect of endomorphins injected into the ACC.Specifically inhibiting the excitability of ACC pyramidal cells via chemogenetics reduced both hyperalgesia and comorbid anxiety,whereas activating these neurons via optogenetics failed to aggravate hyperalgesia and anxiety in CP rats.Taken together,these findings provide neurocircuit,biochemical,and behavioral evidence for involvement of the ACC in hyperalgesia and anxiety in CP rats,as well as novel insights into the cortical modulation of painful CP,and highlights the ACC as a potential target for neuromodulatory interventions in the treatment of painful CP.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2019YFA0709504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31930042,31771164,31900719,and 91630314)+6 种基金the Innovative Research Team of High-level Local Universities in ShanghaiDevelopment Project of Shanghai Peak Disciplines Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineShanghai Science and Technology Committee Rising-Star Program(19QA1401400)111 Project(B18015)Key Project of Shanghai Science&Technology(16JC1420402)Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project(2018SHZDZX01)ZJLab。
文摘As the most common symptomatic reason to seek medical consultation,pain is a complex experience that has been classified into different categories and stages.In pain processing,noxious stimuli may activate the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC).But the function of ACC in the different pain conditions is not well discussed.In this review,we elaborate the commonalities and differences from accumulated evidence by a variety of pain assays for physiological pain and pathological pain including inflammatory pain,neuropathic pain,and cancer pain in the ACC,and discuss the cellular receptors and signaling molecules from animal studies.We further summarize the ACC as a new central neuromodulation target for invasive and non-invasive stimulation techniques in clinical pain management.The comprehensive understanding of pain processing in the ACC may lead to bridging the gap in translational research between basic and clinical studies and to develop new therapies.
基金funded by key Technology Projects in Hainan Province (Grant No.090209.zdxm2010043)
文摘Objective:To explore the characteristics of metabolic changes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder through 1H-MRS in neuroanatomical circuit comparing with age-matches controls.Methods:Fifty patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and SO gender-and agematched normal controls were involved.The neurochemical abnormalities including the levels of choline(Cho)/ creatine(Cr) and N-acetylaspartate(NAA)/Cr were measured respectively in hippocampus and the anterior cingulate gyrus with three-dimension 1H-proton specrroscopy(3D 1H-MRS).Results:The values of NAA/Cr ratios in hippocampus and the anterior cingulate gyrus were significant lower in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder(1.71±0.32,left l.58±0.29, right 1.55±0.31) than that in controls(2.24±0.41,left 1.98±0.27,right 2.02±0.36)(P【0.05).but the values of Cho/Cr in hippocampus(left 1.64±0.23,right 1.66±0.34) were no significant with that of controls(left 1.48±0.29,right 1.54±0.38).Values of Cho/Cr in cingulate gyrus were significant higher in post-traumatic stress disorder patients(I.88±0.44) than that in controls(1.37.±0.32) (P【0.05).Conclusions:The results indicate some special neurochemical and histological structure changes in post-traumatic stress disorder patients,which might occurre earlier in anterior cingulate gyrusthe than in hippocampus.
基金the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program),No.2009CB522900the Leading Talents of Medical Science in Shanghai,No.LJ06019the Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project,No.S30304
文摘Previous studies have demonstrated that electroacupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. However, the precise mechanism of this therapy is unknown. The present study served to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture therapy on treatment of patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS）. We compared brain activation maps based on the changes of cerebral glucose metabolism obtained by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scanning under three conditions： resting, rectal balloon distension and rectal balloon distension plus electroacupuncture. Under the resting condition, compared with healthy controls, IBS patients displayed an increasing regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose over a wide range： bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and bilateral middle frontal gyrus. However, there was no significant activity in the visceral pain center. Compared with the resting condition, under the rectal balloon distension condition, patients with IBS had a greater regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in the prefrontal cortex, left anterior cingulate cortex, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus and temporal gyrus. Under the rectal balloon distension plus electroacupuncture condition, stimulation by electroacupuncture at Tianshu （ST 25） manifested a decreased regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in the left cingulate gyrus, right insula, right caudate nucleus, fusiform gyrus and hippocampal gyrus. Electroacupuncture therapy relieved abdominal pain, distension or discomfort by decreasing glucose metabolism in the brain.
文摘AIM To provide an overview of the current research in the functional neuroanatomy of panic disorder.METHODS Panic disorder(PD)is a frequent psychiatric disease.Gorman et al(1989;2000)proposed a comprehensive neuroanatomical model of PD,which suggested that fear-and anxiety-related responses are mediated by a so-called"fear network"which is centered in the amygdala and includes the hippocampus,thalamus,hypothalamus,periaqueductal gray region,locus coeruleus and other brainstem sites.We performed a systematic search by the electronic database PubMed.Thereby,the main focus was laid on recent neurofunctional,neurostructural,and neurochemical studies(from the period between January 2012 and April 2016).Within this frame,special attention was given to the emerging field of imaging genetics.RESULTS We noted that many neuroimaging studies have reinforced the role of the"fear network"regions in the pathophysiology of panic disorder.However,recent functional studies suggest abnormal activation mainly in an extended fear network comprising brainstem,anterior and midcingulate cortex(ACC and MCC),insula,and lateral as well as medial parts of the prefrontal cortex.Interestingly,differences in the amygdala activation were not as consistently reported as one would predict from the hypothesis of Gorman et al(2000).Indeed,amygdala hyperactivation seems to strongly depend on stimuli and experimental paradigms,sample heterogeneity and size,as well as on limitations of neuroimaging techniques.Advanced neurochemical studies have substantiated the major role of serotonergic,noradrenergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission in the pathophysiology of PD.However,alterations of GABAergic function in PD are still a matter of debate and also their specificity remains questionable.A promising new research approach is"imaging genetics".Imaging genetic studies are designed to evaluate the impact of genetic variations(polymorphisms)on cerebral function in regions critical for PD.Most recently,imaging genetic studies have not only confirmed the importance of serotonergic and noradrenergic transmission in the etiology of PD but also indicated the significance of neuropeptide S receptor,CRH receptor,human TransM EMbrane protein(TMEM123D),and amiloride-sensitive cation channel 2(ACCN2)genes.CONCLUSION In light of these findings it is conceivable that in the near future this research will lead to the development of clinically useful tools like predictive biomarkers or novel treatment options.
基金supported by grants from the National Basic Research Development ProgramMinistry of Science and Technology of China(2013CB835100+3 种基金2013BAI04B04)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(8107089981171049)a Military Project of China(AWS12J004)
文摘To explore whether experiencing inflammatory pain has an impact upon intracortical synaptic organization, the planar multi-electrode array （MEA） technique and 2-dimensional current source density （2D-CSD） imaging were used in slice preparations of the anterior cingulate cortex （ACC） from rats. Synaptic activity across different layers of the ACC was evoked by deep layer stimulation through one electrode. The layer-localization of both local field potentials （LFPs） and the spread of current sink calculated by 2D-CSD analysis was characterized pharmacologically. Moreover, the induction of long-term potentiation （LTP） and changes in LTP magnitude were also evaluated. We found that under naive conditions, the current sink was initially generated in layer Ⅵ, then spread to layer Ⅴ and finally confined to layers Ⅱ-Ⅲ. This spatial pattern of current sink movement typically reflected changes in depolarized sites from deep layers （Ⅴ-Ⅵ） to superficial layers （Ⅱ-Ⅲ） where intra- and extra- cortical inputs terminate. In the ACC slices from rats in an inflamed state （for 2 h） caused by intraplantar bee-venom injection, the spatial profile of intra-ACC synaptic organization was significantly changed,showing an enlarged current sink distribution and a leftward shift of the stimulus-response curves relative to the naive and saline controls. The change was more distinct in the superficial layers （Ⅱ-Ⅲ） than in the deep site. In terms of temporal properties, the rate of LTP induction was significantly increased in layers Ⅱ-Ⅲ by inflammatory pain. However, the magnitude of LTP was not significantly enhanced by this treatment. Taken together, these results show that inflammatory pain results in distinct spatial and temporal plasticity of synaptic organization in the ACC, which may lead to altered synaptic transmission and modulation.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81171286 and 91232714)National Basic Research Development Program (973 program) of China (2013CB835100 and 2009CB918303)
文摘Bipolar disorder and unipolar depressive disorder（UD） may be different in brain structure. In the present study,we performed voxel-based morphometry（VBM） to quantify the grey matter volumes in 23 patients with bipolar I depressive disorder（BP1） and 23 patients with UD,and 23 age-,gender-,and educationmatched healthy controls（HCs） using magnetic resonance imaging. We found that compared with the HC and UD groups,the BP1 group showed reduced grey matter volumes in the right inferior frontal gyrus and middle cingulate gyrus,while the UD group showed reduced volume in the right inferior frontal gyrus compared to HCs. In addition,correlation analyses revealed that the grey matter volumes of these regions were negatively correlated with the Hamilton depression rating scores. Taken together,the results of our study suggest that decreased grey matter volume of the right inferior frontal gyrus is a common abnormality in BP1 and UD,and decreasedgrey matter volume in the right middle cingulate gyrus may be specifi c to BP1.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81473769(to WW),81772430(to WW)a grant from the Training Program of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Undergraduates of Southern Medical University of Guangdong Province of China in 2016,No.201612121057(to WW)
文摘OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to summarize and analyze the brain signal patterns of empathy for pain caused by facial expressions of pain utilizing activation likelihood estimation, a meta-analysis method. DATA SOURCES: Studies concerning the brain mechanism were searched from the Science Citation Index, Science Direct, PubMed, DeepDyve, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, Wanfang, VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and other databases, such as SpringerLink, AMA, Science Online, Wiley Online, were collected. A time limitation of up to 13 December 2016 was applied to this study. DATA SELECTION: Studies presenting with all of the following criteria were considered for study inclusion: Use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, neutral and pained facial expression stimuli, involvement of adult healthy human participants over 18 years of age, whose empathy ability showed no difference from the healthy adult, a painless basic state, results presented in Talairach or Montreal Neurological Institute coordinates, multiple studies by the same team as long as they used different raw data. OUTCOME MEASURES: Activation likelihood estimation was used to calculate the combined main activated brain regions under the stimulation of pained facial expression. RESULTS: Eight studies were included, containing 178 subjects. Meta-analysis results suggested that the anterior cingulate cortex(BA32), anterior central gyrus(BA44), fusiform gyrus, and insula(BA13) were activated positively as major brain areas under the stimulation of pained facial expression. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that pained facial expression alone, without viewing of painful stimuli, activated brain regions related to pain empathy, further contributing to revealing the brain's mechanisms of pain empathy.
基金supported by the Applied Basic Research Foundation of Yunnan Province in China,No.2009CD193
文摘Psychosis is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease whose pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Parkinson’s disease in conjunction with psychosis has been shown to induce injury to extracorticospinal tracts as wel as within some cortical areas. In this study, Parkinson’s disease patients with psychosis who did not receive antipsychotic treatment and those without psychosis underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Results revealed that in Parkinson’s disease patients with psychosis, damage to the left frontal lobe, bilateral occipital lobe, left cingulated gyrus, and left hippocampal white-matter fibers were greater than damage to the substantia nigra or the globus pal idus. Damage to white-matter fibers in the right frontal lobe and right cingulate gyrus were also more severe than in the globus pal idus, but not the substantia nigra. Damage to frontal lobe and cingulate gyrus white-matter fibers was more apparent than that to occipital or hippocampal fiber damage. Compared with Parkinson’s disease patients without psychosis, those with psychosis had significantly lower fractional anisotropy ratios of left frontal lobe, bilateral occipital lobe, left cingu-lated gyrus, and left hippocampus to ipsilateral substantia nigra or globus pal idus, indicating more severe damage to white-matter fibers. These results suggest that psychosis associated with Par-kinson’s disease is probably associated with an imbalance in the ratio of white-matter fibers be-tween brain regions associated with psychiatric symptoms （frontal lobe, occipital lobe, cingulate gyrus, and hippocampus） and those associated with the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease （the substantia nigra and globus pal idus）. The relatively greater damage to white-matter fibers in psychiatric symptom-related brain regions than in extracorticospinal tracts might explain why psy-chosis often occurs in Parkinson’s disease patients.
文摘Individual differences in behavioral characteristics or initial responses to abused drugs had been recently demonstrated to have predictive value in the propensity of later abuse. The research described here was initiated to determine the initial response of rats to administration of morphine if the physiological response has predictive value for the propensity of the animals to later self-administration. The initial response of extracellular fluid levels of the biogenic monoamine neurotransmitters in the anterior cingulate cortex (aCC) was assessed in drug rats with in vivo microdialysis following administration of morphine. Rats that did not acquire morphine self-administration (NSA) had higher baseline levels of aCC extracellular fluid levels of dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) than animals that developed stable morphine self-administration (SA). However, the response independent administration of morphine resulted in a dramatic increase in (DA) in aCC in the SA group, while the morphine injection in the NSA rats increased extracellular fluid levels of noradrenaline (NA). It is possible that these differences might be related to the development of physical dependence. Therefore, the development of physical dependence was observed in these animals. There was no relationship between the propensity to self-administration morphine and the development of physical dependence. Rats that showed the highest withdrawal scores had lower extracellular fluid levels of serotonin (5-HT) compared to rats showing low withdrawal scores. Thus, monoamine neuronal innervations of the aCC respond to an initial dose of morphine that is predictive of the later propensity to self-administration and the resistance and predisposition to the formation of opiate dependence, but there is no relationship between these two indices in individual animals. These data add to a growing body of evidence for the involvement of neuronal systems in the aCC in the actions of opiates.
