Topographic diversity of structural connectivity in schizophrenia.

The neurobiological heterogeneity of schizophrenia is widely accepted, but it is unclear how mechanistic differences converge to produce the observed phenotype. Establishing a pathophysiological model that accounts for both neurobiological heterogeneity and phenotypic similarity is essential to inform stratified treatment approaches. In this cross-sectional diffusion tensor imaging study, we recruited 77 healthy controls, and 70 patients with DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Adolescent binge drinking disrupts normal trajectories of brain functional organization and personality maturation.

Adolescent binge drinking has been associated with higher risks for the development of many health problems throughout the lifespan. Adolescents undergo multiple changes that involve the co-development processes of brain, personality and behavior; therefore, certain behavior, such as alcohol consumption, can have disruptive effects on both brain development and personality maturation. However, these effects remain unclear due to the scarcity of longitudinal studies.

Functional Connectivity of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Depression and in Health.

The first voxel-level resting-state functional connectivity (FC) neuroimaging analysis of depression of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) showed in 282 patients with major depressive disorder compared with 254 controls, some higher, and some lower FCs. However, in 125 unmedicated patients, primarily increases of FC were found: of the subcallosal anterior cingulate with the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, of the pregenual/supracallosal anterior cingulate with the medial orbitofrontal cortex, and of parts of the anterior cingulate with the inferior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and with early cortical visual areas. In the 157 medicated patients, these and other FCs were lower than in the unmedicated group.

Functional Connectivity of the Precuneus in Unmedicated Patients With Depression.

Background: The precuneus has connectivity with brain systems implicated in depression.

Methods: We performed the first fully voxel-level resting-state functional connectivity (FC) neuroimaging analysis of depression of the precuneus, with 282 patients with major depressive disorder and 254 control subjects.

Results: In 125 unmedicated patients, voxels in the precuneus had significantly increased FC with the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, a region implicated in nonreward that is thereby implicated in depression.

Functional Connectivities in the Brain That Mediate the Association Between Depressive Problems and Sleep Quality.

Importance: Depression is associated with poor sleep quality. Understanding the neural connectivity that underlies both conditions and mediates the association between them is likely to lead to better-directed treatments for depression and associated sleep problems.

Objective: To identify the brain areas that mediate the association of depressive symptoms with poor sleep quality and advance understanding of the differences in brain connectivity in depression.

Effective Connectivity in Depression.

Background: Resting-state functional connectivity reflects correlations in the activity between brain areas, whereas effective connectivity between different brain areas measures directed influences of brain regions on each other. Using the latter approach, we compare effective connectivity results in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and control subjects.

Methods: We used a new approach to the measurement of effective connectivity, in which each brain area has a simple dynamical model, and known anatomical connectivity is used to provide constraints.