Neurovascular coupling of inhibitory control in late-onset depression: a simultaneous EEG-fMRI study.

Depression is a leading cause of disability that exerts an impact on neurocognitive functions. Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have shown alterations of processes underlying response inhibition, which is the cognitive process that permits the suppression of habitual or natural behavioural responses to stimuli to select a more appropriate response that is coherent with the goal; these alterations have been correlated with cognitive deficits, especially in older adults. Electrophysiological (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated the neuronal and hemodynamic process underlying inhibition through tasks measuring the ability to suppress a dominant response when non-target stimuli are shown and reported differences between healthy controls (HCs) and MDD subjects.

Integrating virtual reality, electroencephalography, and transcranial magnetic stimulation to study the neural correlates of awe experiences: The SUBRAIN protocol.

Introduction: Awe is a complex emotion unveiling a positive and mixed nature, which resembles the Romantic feeling of the Sublime. It has increasingly become the object of scientific investigation in the last twenty years. However, its underlying brain mechanisms are still unclear.

Differential miRNA expression in neural-enriched extracellular vesicles as potential biomarker for frontotemporal dementia and bipolar disorder.

Behavioral variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) share overlapping symptoms, complicating diagnosis. BvFTD, especially linked to C9orf72 expansions, often mimics BD, highlighting the need for reliable biomarkers. This study aimed to differentiate bvFTD from BD using miRNA profiles in neural-enriched extracellular vesicles (NEVs).

Data-driven Discovery of the Central Autonomic Network: Dynamic Integration of HRV and Multivariate fMRI Connectivity.

Introduction: Although the interaction between the brain and the heart, through the autonomic nervous system, is an established phenomenon, multimodal studies that have explored their bidirectional interplay are still limited.

Aim: In this context, the objective of the present study was to investigate the coupling between sympathetic and vagal dynamics and brain functional connectivity during resting state, thanks to simultaneously acquired electrocardiogram and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.

Methods: Twenty healthy controls (67.

Exploring Brain Activity During Awe-Inducing Virtual Reality Experiences: a Multi-Metric EEG Frequency Analysis.

This scientific research represents a novel investigation into the neural underpinnings of the complex awe emotion, made possible with an innovative experimental setup that integrates nature-based Virtual Reality scenarios (nVRs) with the concurrent recording of electroencephalography (EEG) signals. The noninvasive EEG technique enables to capture brain electrical activity in real time and therefore holds great promise in elucidating the neural dynamics associated with complex emotional experiences. A group of 15 healthy volunteers participated in the study; EEG recordings were performed at baseline (closed-eyes resting-state without VR), and during the participants' navigation within four immersive nVRs, three designed to elicit the profound feeling of awe and one of reference.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging alterations in first-degree relatives of individuals with bipolar disorder: A systematic review.

Background: Relatives of individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) are at higher risk of developing the disorder. Identifying brain alterations associated with familial vulnerability in BD can help discover endophenotypes, which are quantifiable biological traits more prevalent in unaffected relatives of BD (BD-RELs) than the general population. This review aimed at expanding our knowledge on endophenotypes of BD by providing an overview of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) alterations in BD-RELs.

Geometric Reliability of Super-Resolution Reconstructed Images from Clinical Fetal MRI in the Second Trimester.

Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an important noninvasive diagnostic tool to characterize the central nervous system (CNS) development, significantly contributing to pregnancy management. In clinical practice, fetal MRI of the brain includes the acquisition of fast anatomical sequences over different planes on which several biometric measurements are manually extracted. Recently, modern toolkits use the acquired two-dimensional (2D) images to reconstruct a Super-Resolution (SR) isotropic volume of the brain, enabling three-dimensional (3D) analysis of the fetal CNS.

Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Cardiac Arrhythmias: Focus on Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia and its prevalence increases with age. AF is strongly associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure and cardiovascular mortality. Among the risk factors associated with AF onset and severity, obesity and inflammation play a prominent role.

Neurobiologically Based Stratification of Recent-Onset Depression and Psychosis: Identification of Two Distinct Transdiagnostic Phenotypes.

Background: Identifying neurobiologically based transdiagnostic categories of depression and psychosis may elucidate heterogeneity and provide better candidates for predictive modeling. We aimed to identify clusters across patients with recent-onset depression (ROD) and recent-onset psychosis (ROP) based on structural neuroimaging data. We hypothesized that these transdiagnostic clusters would identify patients with poor outcome and allow more accurate prediction of symptomatic remission than traditional diagnostic structures.

Effects of pharmacological treatments on neuroimaging findings in borderline personality disorder: A review of FDG-PET and fNIRS studies.

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental condition characterized by instability in identity, interpersonal relationships, emotion regulation and impulsivity. These symptoms seem to be associated to specific brain alterations, which have been largely investigated. In particular, positron emission tomography (PET) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) have demonstrated abnormalities in brain metabolism and hemodynamics in BPD, specifically in the fronto-limbic system.

Using combined environmental-clinical classification models to predict role functioning outcome in clinical high-risk states for psychosis and recent-onset depression.

Background: Clinical high-risk states for psychosis (CHR) are associated with functional impairments and depressive disorders. A previous PRONIA study predicted social functioning in CHR and recent-onset depression (ROD) based on structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and clinical data. However, the combination of these domains did not lead to accurate role functioning prediction, calling for the investigation of additional risk dimensions.

Insula volumes in first-episode and chronic psychosis: A longitudinal MRI study.

Background: Alterations in insular grey matter (GM) volume has been consistently reported for affective and non-affective psychoses both in chronic and first-episode patients, ultimately suggesting that the insula might represent a good region to study in order to assess the longitudinal course of psychotic disorders. Therefore, in this longitudinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) study, we aimed at further investigating the key role of insular volumes in psychosis.

Material And Methods: 68 First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients, 68 patients with Schizophrenia (SCZ), 47 Bipolar Disorder (BD) patients, and 94 Healthy Controls (HC) were enrolled and underwent a 1.

Sexual Dimorphism in the Brain Correlates of Adult-Onset Depression: A Pilot Structural and Functional 3T MRI Study.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a disabling illness affecting more than 5% of the elderly population. Higher female prevalence and sex-specific symptomatology have been observed, suggesting that biologically-determined dimensions might affect the disease onset and outcome. Rumination and executive dysfunction characterize adult-onset MDD, but sex differences in these domains and in the related brain mechanisms are still largely unexplored.

Relationships between global functioning and neuropsychological predictors in subjects at high risk of psychosis or with a recent onset of depression.

Objective: Psychotic disorders are frequently associated with decline in functioning and cognitive difficulties are observed in subjects at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. In this work, we applied automatic approaches to neurocognitive and functioning measures, with the aim of investigating the link between global, social and occupational functioning, and cognition.

Methods: 102 CHR subjects and 110 patients with recent onset depression (ROD) were recruited.

ITAlian partnership for psychosis prevention (ITAPP): Improving the mental health of young people.

Background: The European impact of the clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) paradigm is constrained by the lack of critical mass (detection) to power prognostic and preventive interventions.

Methods: An ITAlian partnership for psychosis prevention (ITAPP) was created across CHR-P centers, which were surveyed to describe: (a) service, catchment area, and outreach; (b) service users; and (c) interventions and outcomes. Descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier failure function complemented the analyses.

Neuroinflammation in Major Depressive Disorder: A Review of PET Imaging Studies Examining the 18-kDa Translocator Protein.

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a severe psychiatric disorder whose pathological mechanisms are largely unknown. In the field of immuno-psychiatry, several evidences suggested a prominent role of inflammation in MDD not only in peripheral immune system but also in the brain. To date, brain inflammation is traceable in vivo with Positron Emission Tomography (PET), through the quantification of the expression of 18-kda Translocator Protein (TSPO) by active microglia.

Executive Functions in panic disorder: A mini-review.

Background: Panic disorder (PD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks whose aetiology might be associated with alterations of the prefrontal-amygdala circuitry. The prefrontal cortex is a key region involved in executive functioning (EF) whose disturbance may imply harsh consequences over personal, social, and working aspects of PD patients. Indeed, defining the real involvement of EF in PD could lead to early assessment, better treatment, and rehabilitation options.

Cognitive subtypes in recent onset psychosis: distinct neurobiological fingerprints?

In schizophrenia, neurocognitive subtypes can be distinguished based on cognitive performance and they are associated with neuroanatomical alterations. We investigated the existence of cognitive subtypes in shortly medicated recent onset psychosis patients, their underlying gray matter volume patterns and clinical characteristics. We used a K-means algorithm to cluster 108 psychosis patients from the multi-site EU PRONIA (Prognostic tools for early psychosis management) study based on cognitive performance and validated the solution independently (N = 53).

Heterogeneity and Classification of Recent Onset Psychosis and Depression: A Multimodal Machine Learning Approach.

Diagnostic heterogeneity within and across psychotic and affective disorders challenges accurate treatment selection, particularly in the early stages. Delineation of shared and distinct illness features at the phenotypic and brain levels may inform the development of more precise differential diagnostic tools. We aimed to identify prototypes of depression and psychosis to investigate their heterogeneity, with common, comorbid transdiagnostic symptoms.

Facial emotion recognition in panic disorder: a mini-review of behavioural studies.

Background: Panic Disorder (PD) is characterized by unexpected and repeated moments of intense fear or anxiety, which manifest themselves through strong cognitive and behavioural symptoms. However, a clear picture of how impairments in recognition and processing of facial emotions affect the everyday life of PD patients has yet to be delineated. This review attempts to provide an overview of behavioural studies of emotion detection from facial stimuli in PD patients.

Borderline personality disorder, metacognition and psychotherapy.

Background: Deficits in the ability to think about own mental states and that of others (mindreading) are seen as key aspects of borderline personality disorder (BPD), which could sustain BPD symptoms. Interestingly, some studies showed that in BPD patients metacognition is selectively compromised and could improve during treatments. However, empirical findings are inconsistent, and it is debatable whether BPD presents a specific profile of mindreading impairments that could improve during treatments.