Multiple dimensions approach in polysubstance use: An ESEM analysis based on the RDoC framework.

Substance use disorders (SUD) are associated with cognitive alterations, influenced by genetic, neurodevelopmental, and environmental factors, and frequently co-occur with emotional disorders, complicating treatment strategies. Employing the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), this study investigated the direct and indirect relationships between drug abuse, neurocognitive performance, emotional indicators, and structural changes in brain regions implicated in emotional regulation and executive functions in SUD patients and healthy controls. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired from patients with SUD (n=50) and healthy controls (HC=50).

Intraoperative recordings from the posterior superior insula in awake humans with peripheral neuropathic pain.

Background And Objectives: The activity profile of the posterior insula in neuropathic pain (NeP) remains largely unexplored. To address this and examine its modulation by somatosensory stimulation, we recorded local field potentials (LFP) in awake patients with NeP undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode implantation to the posterior-superior insula (PSI) for analgesic purposes.

Materials And Methods: Six patients (one woman; 32-45 years), experiencing refractory peripheral NeP and having previously responded to non-invasive stimulation of the PSI underwent stereotactic implantation of DBS electrodes to the PSI as part of a phase II clinical trial.

Reduced gray matter volume in limbic and cortical areas is associated with anxiety and depression in alcohol use disorder patients.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a multifactorial disease closely related to neurodevelopment and environmental factors that influence behavior. This study explored the relationships between brain volume and behavior from an Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) based on the Research Domain Criteria. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from recent patients with AUD (n = 50) and healthy controls (HC=50).

Three-Dimensional Mapping of the Rotation of Interactive Virtual Objects with Eye-Tracking Data.

We present a method for real-time recording of human interaction with three-dimensional (3D) virtual objects. The approach consists of associating rotation data of the manipulated object with behavioral measures, such as eye tracking, to make better inferences about the underlying cognitive processes. The task consists of displaying two identical models of the same 3D object (a molecule), presented on a computer screen: a rotating, interactive object (iObj) and a static, target object (tObj).

Exploring neural efficiency in spatial cognition: A comparative study of 3D visual stimuli in virtual reality across STEM and non-STEM fields.

Spatial cognition plays a crucial role in our daily lives. The relationship between spatial abilities and mathematical performance is well-established, with visuospatial training offering significant benefits in academic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Developing visuospatial training requires an objective evaluation of spatial cognition and consideration of various 3D displays.

Eye-tracker and fNIRS: Using neuroscientific tools to assess the learning experience during children's educational robotics activities.

In technology education, there has been a paradigmatic shift towards student-centered approaches such as learning by doing, constructionism, and experiential learning. Educational robotics allows students to experiment with building and interacting with their creations while also fostering collaborative work. However, understanding the student's response to these approaches is crucial to adapting them during the teaching-learning process.

Left OFC Activation in Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy during an Inhibitory Control Task in an Early Years Sample: Integrating Stress Responses with Cognitive Function and Brain Activation.

Introduction: Previous functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies using Go/No-Go (GNG) tasks have focused on brain activation in relation to cognitive processes, particularly inhibitory control (IC). The results of these studies commonly describe right hemispheric engagement of the dorsolateral, ventromedial, or inferior frontal regions of the prefrontal cortex. Considering that typical healthy cognitive development is negatively correlated with higher cortisol levels (which may alter brain development), the overarching aim of the current study was to investigate how elevated stress (due to unforeseeable events such as the pandemic) impacts early cognitive development.

Causal relationships in longitudinal observational data: An integrative modeling approach.

Much research in psychology relies on data from observational studies that traditionally do not allow for causal interpretation. However, a range of approaches in statistics and computational sciences have been developed to infer causality from correlational data. Based on conceptual and theoretical considerations on the integration of interventional and time-restrainment notions of causality, we set out to design and empirically test a new approach to identify potential causal factors in longitudinal correlational data.

Cognitive Effort during Visuospatial Problem Solving in Physical Real World, on Computer Screen, and in Virtual Reality.

Spatial cognition plays a crucial role in academic achievement, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains. Immersive virtual environments (VRs) have the growing potential to reduce cognitive load and improve spatial reasoning. However, traditional methods struggle to assess the mental effort required for visuospatial processes due to the difficulty in verbalizing actions and other limitations in self-reported evaluations.

White matter diffusion estimates in obsessive-compulsive disorder across 1653 individuals: machine learning findings from the ENIGMA OCD Working Group.

White matter pathways, typically studied with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), have been implicated in the neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, due to limited sample sizes and the predominance of single-site studies, the generalizability of OCD classification based on diffusion white matter estimates remains unclear. Here, we tested classification accuracy using the largest OCD DTI dataset to date, involving 1336 adult participants (690 OCD patients and 646 healthy controls) and 317 pediatric participants (175 OCD patients and 142 healthy controls) from 18 international sites within the ENIGMA OCD Working Group.

Task-related brain activity in upper limb dystonia revealed by simultaneous fNIRS and EEG.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore differences in brain activity and connectivity using simultaneous electroencephalography and near-infrared spectroscopy in patients with focal dystonia during handwriting and finger-tapping tasks.

Methods: Patients with idiopathic right upper limb focal dystonia and controls were assessed by simultaneous near-infrared spectroscopy and electroencephalography during the writing and finger-tapping tasks in terms of the mu-alpha, mu-beta, beta and low gamma power and effective connectivity, as well as relative changes in oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) and deoxyhemoglobin using a channel-wise approach with a mixed-effect model.

Results: Patients exhibited higher oxy-Hb levels in the right and left motor cortex and supplementary motor area during writing, but lower oxy-Hb levels in the left sensorimotor and bilateral somatosensory area during finger-tapping compared to controls.

Exploring the potential of eye tracking on personalized learning and real-time feedback in modern education.

Eye tracking is one of the techniques used to investigate cognitive mechanisms involved in the school context, such as joint attention and visual perception. Eye tracker has portability, straightforward application, cost-effectiveness, and infant-friendly neuroimaging measures of cognitive processes such as attention, engagement, and learning. Furthermore, the ongoing software enhancements coupled with the implementation of artificial intelligence algorithms have improved the precision of collecting eye movement data and simplified the calibration process.

Analyzing teacher-student interactions through graph theory applied to hyperscanning fNIRS data.

Teacher-student relationships have been found consistently important for student school effectiveness in mathematics in the last three decades. Although this observation is generally made from the teacher's perspective, neuroscience can provide new insights by establishing the neurobiological underpinning of social interactions. This paper further develops this line of research by utilizing graph theory to represent interactions between teachers and students at the neural level.

Hyperscanning fNIRS data analysis using multiregression dynamic models: an illustration in a violin duo.

Introduction: Interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) demands a greater understanding of a brain's influence on others. Therefore, brain synchronization is an even more complex system than intrasubject brain connectivity and must be investigated. There is a need to develop novel methods for statistical inference in this context.

A Novel Exploratory Graph-Based Analytical Tool for Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Naturalistic Experiments: An Illustrative Application in Typically Developing Children.

Naturalistic paradigms are being increasingly applied to investigate human brain function. Compared with resting-state and task-based paradigms in neuroimaging, naturalistic stimuli and situations can be potentially more readily translated to daily-life applications. Among neuroimaging modalities, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is particularly suitable for naturalistic investigations and applications.

An MRI-based morphometric and structural covariance network study of Brazilian adolescents stratified by depression risk.

Objective: To explore differences in regional cortical morphometric structure between adolescents at risk for depression or with current depression.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional structural neuroimaging data from a sample of 150 Brazilian adolescents classified as low-risk (n=50) or high-risk for depression (n=50) or with current depression (n=50) through a vertex-based approach with measurements of cortical volume, surface area and thickness. Differences between groups in subcortical volumes and in the organization of networks of structural covariance were also explored.

Generalizability of 3D CNN models for age estimation in diverse youth populations using structural MRI.

Recently, several studies have investigated the neurodevelopment of psychiatric disorders using brain data acquired via structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). These analyses have shown the potential of sMRI data to provide a relatively precise characterization of brain structural biomarkers. Despite these advances, a relatively unexplored question is how reliable and consistent a model is when assessing subjects from other independent datasets.

Polygenic risk score for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and brain functional networks segregation in a community-based sample.

Neuroimaging studies suggest that brain development mechanisms might explain at least some behavioural and cognitive attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. However, the putative mechanisms by which genetic susceptibility factors influence clinical features via alterations of brain development remain largely unknown. Here, we set out to integrate genomics and connectomics tools by investigating the associations between an ADHD polygenic risk score (ADHD-PRS) and functional segregation of large-scale brain networks.

Non-invasive brain stimulation for fatigue in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC).

Background: and purpose: Fatigue is among the most common persistent symptoms following post-acute sequelae of Sars-COV-2 infection (PASC). The current study investigated the potential therapeutic effects of High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) associated with rehabilitation program for the management of PASC-related fatigue.

Methods: Seventy patients with PASC-related fatigue were randomized to receive 3 mA or sham HD-tDCS targeting the left primary motor cortex (M1) for 30 min paired with a rehabilitation program.