The threshold for conscious perception of stimuli within the environment varies from individual to individual. Functional neuroimaging studies have suggested that insular cortex activity is positively correlated with perceptual awareness. However, few studies have tested the relationship between awareness and structural variability in the insula. The purpose of this study was to examine structural differences in brain morphology related to perceptual awareness of fearful faces. This study hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between insular grey matter volume and scores on the forced-choice awareness check task. The forced-choice awareness check task was designed to assess awareness for the presence and location of backward masked fearful and neutral faces, masked with neutral faces. The participants responded by indicating the side on which the masked fearful face appeared, or whether there were two neutral faces. The task included a total of 60 trials. T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were collected to measure grey matter volumes. Individuals that were more aware of backward masked fearful faces had greater grey matter volume in the insula, middle cingulate, anterior temporal pole, ventral striatum, and hippocampus.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.31083/j.jin.2019.01.101DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

grey matter
16
matter volume
12
fearful faces
12
masked fearful
12
neutral faces
12
perceptual awareness
8
forced-choice awareness
8
awareness check
8
check task
8
backward masked
8

Similar Publications

Medial orbitofrontal cortex structure, function, and cognition associates with weight loss for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Obesity (Silver Spring)

February 2025

Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate underlying mechanisms of long-term effective weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and effects on the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and cognition.

Methods: A total of 18 individuals with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m) underwent LSG. Clinical data, cognitive scores, and brain magnetic resonance imaging scans were evaluated before LSG and 12 months after LSG.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Estrogen, a steroid hormone synthesized by both gonadal and nongonadal tissues, plays a pivotal role in modulating immune responses, including reducing relapse rates in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). This study explored the expression of aromatase, the enzyme responsible for estrogen synthesis, in lymph nodes (LNs) and its potential role in the pathogenesis of MS using a mouse model. We utilized Cyp19-RFP mice where cells that express or have previously expressed the Cyp19 gene (encoding aromatase) are marked by red fluorescent protein (RFP).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Early identification and quantification of core infarct is of importance in stroke management for treatment selection, prognostication, and complication prediction. Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) (NCCT) remains the primary tool, but it suffers from limited sensitivity and inter-rater variability; CT perfusion is inconsistently available and commonly blighted by movement artefact. We assessed the performance of a standardised form of CT angiographic source imaging (CTASI) obtained through addition of a delayed phase at 40 seconds post-contrast injection (DP40) following fast-acquisition CT angiography.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) loss in spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is accompanied by volume shifts between the intracranial compartments. This study investigated tricompartimental and longitudinal volume shifts after closure of a CSF leak.

Methods: Patients with SIH and suitable pre-therapeutic and post-therapeutic imaging for volumetric analysis were identified from our tertiary care center between 2020 and 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Whole-brain gray matter volume and fractional anisotropy of the posterior thalamic radiation and sagittal stratum in healthy adults correlate with the local environment.

Neuroimage

January 2025

Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan; ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan), Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan; Office for Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan; Brain Impact, Kyoto, Japan.

The impacts of air pollution, local climate, and urbanization on human health have been well-documented in recent studies. In this study, we combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain analysis with a questionnaire survey on the local environment in 141 healthy middle-aged men and women. Our findings reveal that a favorable environment is positively correlated with gray matter volume (GMV) in the frontal and occipital lobes, cerebellum, and whole brain, as well as with fractional anisotropy (FA) in the fornix (including the fornix stria terminalis), posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), sagittal stratum (SS), and whole brain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!