Altered cortical thickness and structural covariance networks in chronic low back pain.

Background: Despite regional brain structural changes having been reported in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), the topological properties of structural covariance networks (SCNs), which refer to the organization of the SCNs, remain unclear. This study applied graph theoretical analysis to explore the alterations of the topological properties of SCNs, aiming to comprehend the integration and separation of SCNs in patients with CLBP.

Methods: A total of 38 patients with CLBP and 38 healthy controls (HCs), balanced for age and sex, were scanned using three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Altered volume of the amygdala subregions in patients with chronic low back pain.

Background: Neuroimaging studies have suggested a pivotal role for the amygdala involvement in chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, the relationship between the amygdala subregions and CLBP has not yet been delineated. This study aimed to analyze whether the amygdala subregions were linked to the development of CLBP.

Factors correlated with excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with Parkinson's disease: A polysomnography study.

Objective: To explore the factors correlated with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: A total of 239 PD patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of EDS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale score≥10) (PD-EDS vs. PD-non-EDS).

Theory of mind and facial emotion recognition in adults with temporal lobe epilepsy: A meta-analysis.

Background: Mounting studies have investigated impairments in social cognitive domains (including theory of mind [ToM] and facial emotion recognition [FER] in adult patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, to date, inconsistent findings remain.

Methods: A search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases was conducted until December 2021.

Social cognition in children and adolescents with epilepsy: A meta-analysis.

Many studies have investigated impairments in two key domains of social cognition (theory of mind [ToM] and facial emotion recognition [FER]) in children and adolescents with epilepsy. However, inconsistent conclusions were found. Our objective was to characterize social cognition performance of children and adolescents with epilepsy.

Effect of cerebral small vessel disease on cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: To explore the association between cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) and cognitive impairment (CI) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: 81 PD patients were recruited into the study from September 2018 to December 2020. The demographic characteristics and radiologic and laboratory data were collected.

Theory of Mind and Empathy in Adults With Epilepsy: A Meta-Analysis.

Mounting evidence suggests that social cognitive abilities [including theory of mind (ToM) and empathy] are impaired in adult patients with epilepsy. Although the deficits in overall ToM in epilepsy have been documented well, the effects of epilepsy on empathic ability and specific subcomponents of ToM remain unclear. The primary aim of this study was to provide the first meta-analytic integration of ToM and empathy in adult patients with epilepsy, and to decompose these constructs to clearly differentiate their distinct (cognitive ToM and affective empathy) and overlapping (affective ToM/cognitive empathy) components.

Focusing on Comorbidity-A Novel Meta-Analytic Approach and Protocol to Disentangle the Specific Neuroanatomy of Co-occurring Mental Disorders.

Background: In mental health, comorbidities are the norm rather than the exception. However, current meta-analytic methods for summarizing the neural correlates of mental disorders do not consider comorbidities, reducing them to a source of noise and bias rather than benefitting from their valuable information.

Objectives: We describe and validate a novel neuroimaging meta-analytic approach that focuses on comorbidities.

Social cognition in multiple sclerosis and its subtypes: A meta-analysis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease that disrupts several social cognitive abilities, including the theory of mind (ToM) and facial emotion recognition (FER). It is unclear how specific ToM subcomponents, including cognitive and affective ToM, are affected in patients with MS and the social cognitive abilities in MS subtypes.

Methods: A search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases was conducted until June 2020.

Empathy and Theory of Mind in Multiple Sclerosis: A Meta-Analysis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Studies have shown that MS disrupts several social cognitive abilities [including empathy and theory of mind (ToM)]. Overall ToM deficits in MS are well documented, but how the specific ToM subcomponents and empathic capacity are affected remains unclear.

Grey matter alterations in restless legs syndrome: A coordinate-based meta-analysis.

Brain structural abnormalities in idiopathic restless legs syndrome have long been debated. Voxel-based morphometry is an objective structural magnetic resonance imaging technique to investigate regional grey matter volume or density differences between groups. In the last decade, voxel-based morphometry studies have exhibited inconsistent and conflicting findings regarding the presence and localization of brain grey matter alterations in restless legs syndrome.

Cortical Thickness in Migraine: A Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis.

Cortical thickness (CTh) via surface-based morphometry analysis is a popular method to characterize brain morphometry. Many studies have been performed to investigate CTh abnormalities in migraine. However, the results from these studies were not consistent and even conflicting.

Cortical thickness in Parkinson's disease: a coordinate-based meta-analysis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common age-related neurodegenerative disease that affects the structural architecture of the cerebral cortex. Cortical thickness (CTh) via surface-based morphometry (SBM) analysis is a popular measure to assess brain structural alterations in the gray matter in PD. However, the results of CTh analysis in PD lack consistency and have not been systematically reviewed.

Retinal nerve fiber layer changes in migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Migraine is one of the most common disabling diseases in the world. Its recurrent attacks may lead to abnormalities in the structure of the brain and retina. An increasing number of studies have investigated retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness alterations in migraine by the optical coherence tomography (OCT); however, no consensus has yet reached.

Blood neurofilament light chain in Parkinson disease and atypical parkinsonisms: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Neurofilament light chain (NfL), an index of neuroaxonal injury, is a promising diagnostic and prognostic fluid biomarker with high translational value in many neurodegenerative disorders. Blood NfL measurement has been an exciting and active field of research in idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonisms. However, blood NfL levels in these parkinsonisms from existing literature were inconsistent.

Empathy and theory of mind in multiple sclerosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Recently, numerous studies have shown that MS disrupts a number of social cognitive abilities, including empathy, theory of mind (ToM), and facial emotion recognition. In contrast to well-documented deficits in the core social cognitive domains of ToM and facial emotion recognition, it is not clear the broad and specific subcomponents of empathy processing affected.

Social cognition in multiple sclerosis and its subtypes: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and degenerative neurological disorder of the central nervous system. Cognitive impairment is frequent in MS patients, which not only includes deficits in abilities assessed by traditional neuropsychological batteries, but also often features impairments in social cognition (including theory of mind and facial emotion recognition). Recently, numerous studies have assessed social cognition performance in MS.

Retinal nerve fiber layer changes in migraine: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Migraine is a common neurological disease, which seriously affects the quality of life and daily activities of patients. Although migraine is a transient phenomenon of cerebral vasoconstriction, it is well documented that recurrent attacks of migraine may lead to abnormalities in retinal structure. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a sensitive method to detect subtle damage in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL).

Abnormal Spontaneous Neural Activity in Parkinson's Disease With "pure" Apathy.

Background: Apathy is one of the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, its pathophysiology remains unclear.

Methods: We analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquired at a 3.

Inflammatory cytokine levels in multiple system atrophy: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that progresses very rapidly and has a poor prognosis. Some studies indicate that the level of inflammatory cytokines may be related to MSA. However, no consistent conclusion has been drawn yet.

Cortical thickness in chronic pain: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Numerous studies using a variety of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques in vivo have demonstrated that chronic pain (CP) is associated with brain alterations. Cortical thickness (CTh) via surface-based morphometry (SBM) analysis of magnetic resonance imaging data is a valid and sensitive method to investigate the structure of brain gray matter. Many studies have employed SBM to measure CTh difference between patients with CP and pain-free controls and provided important insights into the brain basis of CP.

Cerebrospinal fluid and blood levels of neurofilament light chain in Parkinson disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder. Elevations of neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood are a marker of neuronal/axonal injury and degeneration. However, CSF and blood NfL alterations in patients with PD from existing studies remain inconclusive.

Cortical thickness in Parkinson disease: A coordinate-based meta-analysis.

Background: A growing number of studies have used surface-based morphometry (SBM) analyses to investigate gray matter cortical thickness (CTh) abnormalities in Parkinson disease (PD). However, the results across studies are inconsistent and have not been systematically reviewed. A clear picture of CTh alterations in PD remains lacked.

Altered local connectivity in chronic pain: A voxel-wise meta-analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies.

Background: A number of studies have used regional homogeneity (ReHo) to depict local functional connectivity in chronic pain (CP). However, the findings from these studies were mixed and inconsistent.

Methods: A computerized literature search will be performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, and SinoMed databases until June 15, 2019 and updated on March 20, 2020.