All articles tagged with #neuroimaging
Resting-state fMRI shows both schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder patients have reduced coordination between distant brain regions compared with healthy controls, with broader network changes in schizophrenia; the results hint at overlapping brain network disturbances but do not yet serve as a diagnostic test.
A meta-analysis of seven trials (357 adults with major depressive disorder) finds acupuncture produces distinct neuroplastic changes in emotion and reward circuits, differing from antidepressants by activating the right cingulum and caudate and, with more sessions, changes in the left amygdala. Acupuncture also showed greater reductions in depression and anxiety scores than antidepressants, though many participants were also on meds. The study suggests acupuncture could offer complementary mechanisms for treatment-resistant depression, but larger, longer-term, standardized trials and studies of underlying molecular pathways are needed.
A seven-day residential silent retreat sharply reduced connectivity in the brain's default mode network—the self-talk hub—and boosted mystical experiences to levels usually associated with psilocybin, all without any drugs. The finding comes from an observational study and cannot prove causation or medical treatment claims, but suggests that simply removing external inputs and extending quiet can rewire self-talk networks.
A systematic review of 49 brain-imaging studies finds that COVID-19 is associated with widespread structural and functional brain changes, including reduced gray matter in frontal/temporal/parietal regions, white-matter integrity loss, altered resting-state connectivity in limbic networks, and reduced cerebral blood flow, changes that may relate to brain fog and fatigue. However, most studies are cross-sectional with no pre-infection baselines, making causality and persistence uncertain; long-term, whole-brain research is needed to determine if these changes are permanent or reversible.
A small Neuron study found that a slow, prolonged exhale can nudge people toward riskier gambles by heightening reward sensitivity, with brain activity shifting in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and precuneus. The effect appeared only in a lab-based, 41-participant task and did not increase sensitivity to losses, and researchers caution that the sample is small and results need replication before drawing broad conclusions about real-world decision making.
A midlife Framingham Heart Study analysis found that higher vitamin D levels at about age 39 were associated with lower brain tau protein deposits 16 years later, a potential protective marker against Alzheimer's disease; there was no observed link with amyloid beta. The study is observational, so causation can’t be established, and clinical trials are needed to test whether vitamin D supplementation could help prevent dementia.
A USC-led study of about 1,700 adults found that watching TV very often in midlife is linked to smaller brain regions involved in memory and decision-making and more white-matter damage decades later, independent of overall sitting time. In contrast, long hours of mentally engaging sitting jobs did not show the same pattern, suggesting the content of sedentary time matters. The effects were more pronounced in men. Limitations include self-reported TV viewing and lack of baseline MRI data. Researchers suggest doctors may eventually advise reducing TV time and choosing cognitively engaging activities to protect brain health.
Northeastern researchers using MRI in rodents show mescaline uniquely dampens the cerebellum—the brain’s sensory filter—while increasing cross-brain connectivity, potentially driving hallucinatory experiences and linking to sensory-disruption seen in some psychiatric conditions; findings differ from LSD/psilocybin and point to translational steps toward human studies and clinical relevance.
A Neuron study shows that consciously extending the exhale increases heart-rate variability and boosts reward-related brain activity, making people more likely to take risks. Brain regions like the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and precuneus showed greater activation, linking bodily state to decision-making. The findings suggest simple breathing techniques could aid self-regulation and have potential clinical use for anxiety, depression, and eating behavior.
A 60-year-old man in Spain with persistent headaches and multiple brain lesions was initially suspected to have metastatic cancer, but MRI revealed encapsulated tapeworm larvae (neurocysticercosis) caused by Taenia solium; no cancer was found after extensive testing, and he recovered after antiparasitic treatment, underscoring that NCC can mimic metastatic disease even without travel history.
A large cohort study of 2,044 Japanese adults aged 64+ found that lower plasma vitamin C levels were associated with reduced gray matter volume and weaker connectivity in the brain’s default mode network, suggesting nutrition may influence brain aging. The findings show associations, not causation, and the researchers call for longer-term, more diverse studies to understand underlying mechanisms.
A Mount Sinai study using functional MRI found that people with major depressive disorder often get stuck in specific brain states and have difficulty transitioning between them, creating a self-reinforcing negative thought loop. This cognitive rigidity, described as mental entrapment, suggests depression may be a dynamic disorder driven by abnormal brain-state transitions rather than solely a chemical imbalance.
New research shows male Drosophila confined in tiny spaces exhibit a lasting drop in courtship after stress, and dopamine release is required to maintain this suppression. Blocking dopamine synthesis or signaling—via drugs, RNA interference, or removing receptors in the mushroom body—and silencing key dopamine neuron clusters (PAM and PPL1) prevents the prolonged reduction, though the immediate decline occurs without dopamine. Longer confinement (7–24 hours) yields suppression lasting days, highlighting a dopamine-dependent mechanism linking stress to reduced mating drive in fruit flies.
A large UK Biobank analysis of over 18,000 middle-aged and older adults finds that fat distribution—arm, leg, trunk, and especially visceral fat around internal organs—independently shapes brain structure, connectivity, and cognitive performance beyond BMI. Arm and trunk fat are linked to sensorimotor cortex thinning and hippocampal volume loss; leg fat affects limbic networks; visceral fat shows the strongest association with white-matter deterioration and faster brain aging as estimated by a Brain Age model. These patterns persist after adjusting for BMI, but the cross-sectional design means causality cannot be established.
New evidence shows learning to read reshapes how the brain processes spoken language: literate adults recruit the right inferior frontal gyrus to perform phonological analysis in unfamiliar speech, a pattern not seen in functionally illiterate peers, indicating literacy training alters auditory processing and relies on neural reorganization.