Intrinsic Infant Hippocampal Function Supports Inhibitory Processing.

Impaired cerebral inhibition is commonly observed in neurodevelopmental disorders and may represent a vulnerability factor for their development. The hippocampus plays a key role in inhibition among adults and undergoes significant and rapid changes during early brain development. Therefore, the structure represents an important candidate region for early identification of pathology that is relevant to inhibitory dysfunction.

Hierarchical Principal Components for Data-Driven Multiresolution fMRI Analyses.

Understanding the organization of neural processing is a fundamental goal of neuroscience. Recent work suggests that these systems are organized as a multiscale hierarchy, with increasingly specialized subsystems nested inside general processing systems. Current neuroimaging methods, such as independent component analysis (ICA), cannot fully capture this hierarchy since they are limited to a single spatial scale.

Relationship between functional connectivity and weight-gain risk of antipsychotics in schizophrenia.

Background: The mechanisms by which antipsychotic medications (APs) contribute to obesity in schizophrenia are not well understood. Because AP effects on functional brain connectivity may contribute to weight effects, the current study investigated how AP-associated weight-gain risk relates to functional connectivity in schizophrenia.

Methods: Fifty-five individuals with schizophrenia (final N = 54) were divided into groups based on previously reported AP weight-gain risk (no APs/low risk [N = 19]; moderate risk [N = 17]; high risk [N = 18]).

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of headache: Issues, best-practices, and new directions, a narrative review.

Objective: To ensure readers are informed consumers of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research in headache, to outline ongoing challenges in this area of research, and to describe potential considerations when asked to collaborate on fMRI research in headache, as well as to suggest future directions for improvement in the field.

Background: Functional MRI has played a key role in understanding headache pathophysiology, and mapping networks involved with headache-related brain activity have the potential to identify intervention targets. Some investigators have also begun to explore its use for diagnosis.

Sex Differences in Effects of Mood, Eating-Related Behaviors, and BMI on Food Appeal and Desire to Eat: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Although sex differences in food intake have been observed consistently, contributing factors are not well understood. Using a cross-sectional online survey ( = 306; 151 men, 155 women), this study aimed to assess how sex impacts relationships between food ratings (appeal/desire to eat for high-calorie (HC) and low-calorie (LC) food images) and eating-related attitudes/behaviors, body mass index (BMI), and mood. Across participants, increased state- and trait-based hunger, disinhibition, and cravings were associated with both increased HC appeal and desire ( < 0.

Appetitive and Metabolic Responses to an Exercise versus Dietary Intervention in Adults with Obesity.

Introduction/purpose: Dietary restriction (DIET) and aerobic exercise (AEX) interventions may impact energy balance differently. Our aim was to describe the effects of weight loss interventions via DIET or AEX on measures of energy balance.

Methods: Adults with overweight or obesity were randomized to 12 weeks of DIET or AEX with similar calorie deficit goals.

An implicit priming intervention alters brain and behavioral responses to high-calorie foods: a randomized controlled study.

Background: Conditioned food cues (e.g., smell, sight) can affect intake of foods associated with those cues, regardless of homeostatic need.

Mindfulness-based intervention in adolescents at risk for excess weight gain: 1.5-year follow-up of pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) may offer a novel means of preventing excess weight gain in adolescents, theoretically by decreasing stress-eating through altering executive functioning (EF) and food-reward sensitivity.

Methods: N = 54 12-17y girls and boys at-risk for excess weight gain (i.e.

Stable Meta-Networks, Noise, and Artifacts in the Human Connectome: Low- to High-Dimensional Independent Components Analysis as a Hierarchy of Intrinsic Connectivity Networks.

Connectivity within the human connectome occurs between multiple neuronal systems-at small to very large spatial scales. Independent component analysis (ICA) is potentially a powerful tool to facilitate multi-scale analyses. However, ICA has yet to be fully evaluated at very low (10 or fewer) and ultra-high dimensionalities (200 or greater).

Effects of Exercise during Weight Loss Maintenance on Appetite Regulation in Women.

Exercise is accepted as a method to improve weight loss maintenance; however, the mechanisms by which this occurs have yet to be elucidated. In this pilot study, 13 women with obesity underwent a structured weight loss program (goal 8%-10% weight loss) and were then randomized to either a 12-wk diet ( = 7) or an aerobic exercise training ( = 6) intervention aimed at maintaining weight loss. At baseline, post-weight loss, and following the weight loss maintenance interventions, measurements of appetite (hunger and satiety) and appetite-regulating hormones (leptin, ghrelin, peptide tyrosine tyrosine, and glucagon-like peptide 1) were obtained after an overnight fast and for 3 h after a standardized test meal.

Altered between-network connectivity in individuals prone to obesity.

Objective: Investigating intrinsic brain functional connectivity may help identify the neurobiology underlying cognitive patterns and biases contributing to obesity propensity. To address this, the current study used a novel whole-brain, data-driven approach to examine functional connectivity differences in large-scale network interactions between obesity-prone (OP) and obesity-resistant (OR) individuals.

Methods: OR (N = 24) and OP (N = 25) adults completed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during rest.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms are Associated with Connectivity Between Large-Scale Neural Networks and Brain Regions Involved in Social Processing.

The neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by examining the relationship between functional brain connectivity and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores using publicly available data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database (N = 107). This relationship was tested across all brain voxels, without a priori assumptions, using a novel statistical approach.

Hemodynamic responses are abnormal in isolated cervical dystonia.

Neuroimaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures brain activity by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation levels, are advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of dystonia. Neurobiological disturbances in dystonia, however, may affect neurovascular coupling and impact the interpretability of fMRI studies. We evaluated here whether the hemodynamic response patterns during a behaviorally matched motor task are altered in isolated cervical dystonia (CD).

Mindfulness-based group intervention in adolescents at-risk for excess weight gain: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Objectives: To assess feasibility/acceptability of a mindfulness-based approach to excess weight prevention in adolescents at-risk for excess weight gain. To pilot test efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention for improving food reward sensitivity, stress-eating, executive function (EF), and BMI/adiposity.

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 12-17y adolescents at-risk for excess weight gain based on above-average weight (body mass index [BMI]≥70%ile) or parental history of obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m).

Comparison of surgical versus diet-induced weight loss on appetite regulation and metabolic health outcomes.

Bariatric surgery is associated with significant and sustained weight loss and improved metabolic outcomes. It is unclear if weight loss alone is the main mechanism of improved metabolic health. The purpose of this trial was to compare indices of appetite regulation, insulin sensitivity and energy intake (EI) between participants achieving 10 kg of weight loss via Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) or dietary restriction (DIET); intake of a very low calorie liquid diet (800 kcal/d; 40% protein, 40% fat, 20% carbohydrate that matched the post-RYGB dietary protocol).

Eating in the absence of hunger in young children is related to brain reward network hyperactivity and reduced functional connectivity in executive control networks.

Background: Recent work has implicated disinhibited eating behaviours (DEB) as a potential pathway toward obesity development in children. However, the underlying neurobiology of disinhibited eating behaviours in young, healthy weight children, prior to obesity development, remains unknown.

Objectives: This study tested the relationship between DEB and intrinsic neuronal activity and connectivity in young children without obesity.

Predicting academic career outcomes by predoctoral publication record.

Background: For students entering a science PhD program, a tenure-track faculty research position is often perceived as the ideal long-term goal. A relatively small percentage of individuals ultimately achieve this goal, however, with the vast majority of PhD recipients ultimately finding employment in industry or government positions. Given the disparity between academic career ambitions and outcomes, it is useful to understand factors that may predict those outcomes.

Greater Reward-Related Neuronal Response to Hedonic Foods in Women Compared with Men.

Objective: The current study aimed to identify how sex influences neurobiological responses to food cues, particularly those related to hedonic eating, and how this relates to obesity propensity, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods: Adult men and women who were either obesity resistant (OR) or obesity prone (OP) underwent fMRI while viewing visual food cues (hedonic foods, neutral foods, and nonfood objects) in both fasted and fed states.

Results: When fasted, a significant sex effect on the response to hedonic vs.

Exposure to maternal diabetes in utero and offspring eating behavior: The EPOCH study.

The risk of becoming overweight among offspring exposed to gestational diabetes (GDM) in utero is two-fold higher than in the general population. The responsible mechanisms are likely multifactorial, with some evidence that GDM exposure alters brain satiety signaling, which may impact eating behavior. To better understand these effects, we investigated the relationship between GDM exposure, eating behavior, and total energy intake in 268 adolescents from the Exploring Perinatal Outcomes among Children cohort, who were exposed (n = 50) or not exposed (n = 217) to GDM in utero.

Nicotinic modulation of salience network connectivity and centrality in schizophrenia.

Although functional abnormalities of the salience network are associated with schizophrenia, the acute effects of nicotine on its function and network dynamics during the resting state in patients are poorly understood. In this study, the effects of a 7 mg nicotine patch (vs. placebo) on salience network connectivity were examined in 17 patients with schizophrenia and 19 healthy subjects.

MEG and EEG demonstrate similar test-retest reliability of the 40Hz auditory steady-state response.

The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is increasingly being used as a biomarker in neuropsychiatric disorders, but research investigating the test-retest reliability of this measure is needed. We previously reported ASSR reliability, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), to 40Hz amplitude-modulated white noise and click train stimuli. The purpose of the current study was to (a) assess the reliability of the MEG-measured ASSR to 40Hz amplitude-modulated white noise and click train stimuli, and (b) compare test-retest reliability between MEG and EEG measures of ASSR, which has not previously been investigated.

Effect of frequent interruptions of prolonged sitting on self-perceived levels of energy, mood, food cravings and cognitive function.

Background: While physical activity has been shown to improve cognitive performance and well-being, office workers are essentially sedentary. We compared the effects of physical activity performed as (i) one bout in the morning or (ii) as microbouts spread out across the day to (iii) a day spent sitting, on mood and energy levels and cognitive function.

Methods: In a randomized crossover trial, 30 sedentary adults completed each of three conditions: 6 h of uninterrupted sitting (SIT), SIT plus 30 min of moderate-intensity treadmill walking in the morning (ONE), and SIT plus six hourly 5-min microbouts of moderate-intensity treadmill walking (MICRO).

Exercise-related changes in between-network connectivity in overweight/obese adults.

Understanding how exercise affects communication across the brain in overweight/obese individuals may provide insight into mechanisms of weight loss and maintenance. In the current study, we examined the effects of a 6-month exercise program in 11 overweight/obese individuals (mean BMI: 33.6±1.

Targeting Functional Biomarkers in Schizophrenia with Neuroimaging.

Many of the most debilitating symptoms for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia remain poorly treated. As such, the development of novel treatments is urgently needed. Unfortunately, the costs associated with high failure rates for investigational compounds as they enter clinical trials has led to pharmaceutical companies downsizing or eliminating research programs needed to develop these drugs.