Influence Characteristics of Laser Transmission Amplitude Fluctuation Based on Turbulent Medium

In order to study the transmission characteristics of laser in atmospheric turbulent medium and understand the influence degree of various factors on amplitude fluctuation, by means of smooth perturbation method, this paper establishes a theory model of amplitude fluctuation of laser propagation in turbulent medium by using the smooth perturbation method and reflects the amplitude fluctuation degree, carries out specific discussion on each influence factor. The results show that the larger the wavelength, the more stable the amplitude fluctuation. With the increase of laser section radius, the amplitude fluctuates sharply and then decreases slowly after reaching the peak. Transmission distance is the main influence factor of amplitude fluctuation. With the increase of transmission distance, the amplitude fluctuation will become more obvious. The amplitude acquisition can be comprehensively modulated in a specific transmission distance by wavelength and section ra-dius, so as to ensure the stability of the received laser and provide a theoretical basis for the interferometry technology.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in hypertensive retinopathy using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations:a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

AIM:To study functional brain abnormalities in patients with hypertensive retinopathy(HR)and to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms of HR by fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(fALFFs)method.METHODS:Twenty HR patients and 20 healthy controls(HCs)were respectively recruited.The age,gender,and educational background characteristics of the two groups were similar.After functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)scanning,the subjects’spontaneous brain activity was evaluated with the fALFF method.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to classify the data.Further,we used Pearson’s correlation analysis to explore the relationship between fALFF values in specific brain regions and clinical behaviors in patients with HR.RESULTS:The brain areas of the HR group with lower fALFF values than HCs were the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus(RO-MFG)and right lingual gyrus.In contrast,the values of fALFFs in the left middle temporal gyrus(MTG),left superior temporal pole(STP),left middle frontal gyrus(MFG),left superior marginal gyrus(SMG),left superior parietal lobule(SPL),and right supplementary motor area(SMA)were higher in the HR group.The results of a t-test showed that the average values of fALFFs were statistically significantly different in the HR group and HC group(P<0.001).The fALFF values of the left middle frontal gyrus in HR patients were positively correlated with anxiety scores(r=0.9232;P<0.0001)and depression scores(r=0.9682;P<0.0001).CONCLUSION:fALFF values in multiple brain regions of HR patients are abnormal,suggesting that these brain regions in HR patients may be dysfunctional,which may help to reveal the pathophysiological mechanisms of HR.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in patients with diabetic retinopathy using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by prolonged elevation of blood glucose due to various causes.Currently,the relationship between diabetic retinopathy(DR)and altered connectivity of brain function is unclear.AIM To investigate the relationship between this brain activity and clinical manifestations and behaviors of DR patients by using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(ALFF)technique.METHODS Twenty-four DR patients and 24 healthy controls(HCs)matched for age and gender were enrolled.We measured and recorded average ALFF values of DR patients and HCs and then classified them using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.RESULTS ALFF values of both left and right posterior cerebellar lobe and right anterior cingulate gyrus were remarkably higher in the DR patients than in the HCs;however,DR patients had lower values in the bilateral calcarine area.ROC curve analysis of different brain regions demonstrated high accuracy in the area under the curve analysis.There was no significant relationship between mean ALFF values for different regions and clinical presentations in DR patients.Neuronal synchronization abnormalities in some brain regions of DR patients were associated with cognitive and visual disorders.CONCLUSION Abnormal spontaneous brain activity was observed in many areas of DR patients’brains,which may suggest a possible link between clinical manifestations and behaviors in DR patients.

Survivors of COVID-19 exhibit altered amplitudes of low frequency fluctuation in the brain: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study at 1-year follow-up

Although some short-term follow-up studies have found that individuals recovering from coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)exhibit anxiety,depression,and altered brain microstructure,their long-term physical problems,neuropsychiatric sequelae,and changes in brain function remain unknown.This observational cohort study collected 1-year follow-up data from 22 patients who had been hospitalized with COVID-19(8 males and 11 females,aged 54.2±8.7 years).Fatigue and myalgia were persistent symptoms at the 1-year follow-up.The resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that compared with 29 healthy controls(7 males and 18 females,aged 50.5±11.6 years),COVID-19 survivors had greatly increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(ALFF)values in the left precentral gyrus,middle frontal gyrus,inferior frontal gyrus of operculum,inferior frontal gyrus of triangle,insula,hippocampus,parahippocampal gyrus,fusiform gyrus,postcentral gyrus,inferior parietal angular gyrus,supramarginal gyrus,angular gyrus,thalamus,middle temporal gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,caudate,and putamen.ALFF values in the left caudate of the COVID-19 survivors were positively correlated with their Athens Insomnia Scale scores,and those in the left precentral gyrus were positively correlated with neutrophil count during hospitalization.The long-term follow-up results suggest that the ALFF in brain regions related to mood and sleep regulation were altered in COVID-19 survivors.This can help us understand the neurobiological mechanisms of COVID-19-related neuropsychiatric sequelae.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University(approval No.2020 S004)on March 19,2020.

Altered amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and default mode network connectivity in high myopia:a resting-state fMRI study

AIM:To analyze changes in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(ALFFs)and default mode network(DMN)connectivity in the brain,using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI),in high myopia(HM)patients.METHODS:Eleven patients with HM(HM group)and 15 age-and sex-matched non-HM controls(non-HM group)were recruited.ALFFs were calculated and compared between HM group and non-HM group.Independent component analysis(ICA)was conducted to identify DMN,and comparisons between DMNs of two groups were performed.Region-of-interest(ROI)-based analysis was performed to explore functional connectivity(FC)between DMN regions.RESULTS:Significantly increased ALFFs in left inferior temporal gyrus(ITG),bilateral rectus gyrus(REC),bilateral middle temporal gyrus(MTG),left superior temporal gyrus(STG),and left angular gyrus(ANG)were detected in HM group compared with non-HM group(all P<0.01).HM group showed increased FC in the posterior cingulate gyrus(PCC)/precuneus(preCUN)and decreased FC in the left medial prefrontal cortex(mPFG)within DMN compared with nonHM group(all P<0.01).Compared with non-HM group,HM group showed higher FC between mPFG and bilateral middle frontal gyrus(MFG),ANG,and MTG(all P<0.01).In addition,HM patients showed higher FC between PCC/(preCUN)and the right cerebellum,superior frontal gyrus(SFG),left pre CUN,superior frontal gyrus(SFG),and medial orbital of the superior frontal gyrus(ORB supmed;all P<0.01).CONCLUSION:HM patients show different ALFFs and DMNs compared with non-HM subjects,which may imply the cognitive alterations related to HM.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in patients with hyperthyroidism exophthalmos using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation:a resting-state fMRI study

AIM:To assess changed spontaneous brain activity in hyperthyroid exophthalmos(HE)patients by the amplitude of the low-frequency fluctuation(ALFF)method,and to analyze the correlation between brain activity and ALFF values in these patients.METHODS:Totally 18 HE and 18 hyperthyroid nonexophthalmos(HNE)patients were enrolled.The participants were tested by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were generated to classify the ALFF values of the study population.Pearson’s correlation analysis was utilized to evaluate the relationship between the ALFF values obtained from different brain areas and clinical manifestations.RESULTS:Contrary to HNE patients,we observed lower ALFF values in the left calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex(LCFSC)in HE patients.In the ROC curve analysis of the LCFSC,the area under the curve reflected a high degree of accuracy.In addition,there was positive correlation between mean ALFF values of the LCFSC and the bestcorrected visual acuity of the affected eyes.CONCLUSION:The study displays abnormal brain activity in LCFSC in patients with HE,which might suggest pathological mechanism of visual impairment of HE patients.

AMPLITUDE OF LOW FREQUENCY FLUCTUATION AT DIFFERENT FREQUENCY BANDS IN EARLY AMNESTIC MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: RESULTS FROM ADNI

We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)to determine whether there are any abnormalities in different frequency bands between amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(ALFF)and fractional ALFF(fALFF)and between 10 early amnestic mild cognitive impairment(EMCI)patients and eight normal controls participating in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative(ADNI).We showed widespread difference in ALFF/fALFF between two frequency bands(slow-4:0.027-0.073 Hz,slow-5:0.01-0.027 Hz)in many brain areas including posterior cingulate cortex(PCC),medial prefrontal cortex(MPFC),suprasellar cistern(SC)and ambient cistern(AC).Compared to the normal controls,the EMCI patients showed increased ALFF values in PCu,cerebellum,occipital lobe and cerebellum posterior lobe in frequency band slow-4.While in frequency band slow-5,the EMCI patients showed decreased ALFF values in temporal lobe,left cerebrum and middle temporal gyrus5.Moreover,the EMCI patients showed increased fALFF values in frontal lobe and inferior frontal gyrus in band slow-5.While in frequency band slow-4,the EMCI patients showed decreased fALFF values in limbic lobe,cingulate gyrus and corpus callosum.These results demonstrated that EMCI patients had widespread abnormalities of amplitude of LFF in different frequency bands.

Changes in the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in specific frequency bands in major depressive disorder after electroconvulsive therapy

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder(MDD)tends to have a high incidence and high suicide risk.Electroconvulsive therapy(ECT)is currently a relatively effective treatment for MDD.However,the mechanism of efficacy of ECT is still unclear.AIM To investigate the changes in the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in specific frequency bands in patients with MDD after ECT.METHODS Twenty-two MDD patients and fifteen healthy controls(HCs)were recruited to this study.MDD patients received 8 ECT sessions with bitemporal placement.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was adopted to examine regional cerebellar blood flow in both the MDD patients and HCs.The MDD patients were scanned twice(before the first ECT session and after the eighth ECT session)to acquire data.Then,the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(ALFF)was computed to characterize the intrinsic neural oscillations in different bands(typical frequency,slow-5,and slow-4 bands).RESULTS Compared to before ECT(pre-ECT),we found that MDD patients after the eighth ECT(post-ECT)session had a higher ALFF in the typical band in the right middle frontal gyrus,posterior cingulate,right supramarginal gyrus,left superior frontal gyrus,and left angular gyrus.There was a lower ALFF in the right superior temporal gyrus.Compared to pre-ECT values,the ALFF in the slow-5 band was significantly increased in the right limbic lobe,cerebellum posterior lobe,right middle orbitofrontal gyrus,and frontal lobe in post-ECT patients,whereas the ALFF in the slow-5 band in the left sublobar region,right angular gyrus,and right frontal lobe was lower.In contrast,significantly higher ALFF in the slow-4 band was observed in the frontal lobe,superior frontal gyrus,parietal lobe,right inferior parietal lobule,and left angular gyrus.CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the abnormal ALFF in pre-and post-ECT MDD patients may be associated with specific frequency bands.

Neuropathological characteristics of abnormal white matter functional signaling in adolescents with major depression

BACKGROUND Major depression disorder(MDD)constitutes a significant mental health concern.Epidemiological surveys indicate that the lifetime prevalence of depression in adolescents is much higher than that in adults,with a corresponding increased risk of suicide.In studying brain dysfunction associated with MDD in adolescents,research on brain white matter(WM)is sparse.Some researchers even mistakenly regard the signals generated by the WM as noise points.In fact,studies have shown that WM exhibits similar blood oxygen level-dependent signal fluctuations.The alterations in WM signals and their relationship with disease severity in adolescents with MDD remain unclear.AIM To explore potential abnormalities in WM functional signals in adolescents with MDD.METHODS This study involved 48 adolescent patients with MDD and 31 healthy controls(HC).All participants were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Scale and the mini international neuropsychiatric interview(MINI)suicide inventory.In addition,a Siemens Skyra 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner was used to obtain the subjects'image data.The DPABI software was utilized to calculate the WM signal of the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations(fALFF)and regional homogeneity,followed by a two-sample t-test between the MDD and HC groups.Independent component analysis(ICA)was also used to evaluate the WM functional signal.Pearson’s correlation was performed to assess the relationship between statistical test results and clinical scales.RESULTS Compared to HC,individuals with MDD demonstrated a decrease in the fALFF of WM in the corpus callosum body,left posterior limb of the internal capsule,right superior corona radiata,and bilateral posterior corona radiata[P<0.001,family-wise error(FWE)voxel correction].The regional homogeneity of WM increased in the right posterior limb of internal capsule and left superior corona radiata,and decreased in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus(P<0.001,FWE voxel correction).The ICA results of WM overlapped with those of regional homogeneity.The fALFF of WM signal in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule was negatively correlated with the MINI suicide scale(P=0.026,r=-0.32),and the right posterior corona radiata was also negatively correlated with the MINI suicide scale(P=0.047,r=-0.288).CONCLUSION Adolescents with MDD involves changes in WM functional signals,and these differences in brain regions may increase the risk of suicide.

Modified constraint-induced movement therapy enhances cortical plasticity in a rat model of traumatic brain injury:a resting-state functional MRI study

Modified constraint-induced movement therapy(mCIMT)has shown beneficial effects on motor function improvement after brain injury,but the exact mechanism remains unclear.In this study,amplitude of low frequency fluctuation(ALFF)metrics measured by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of mCIMT in a control co rtical impact(CCI)rat model simulating traumatic brain injury.At 3 days after control co rtical impact model establishment,we found that the mean ALFF(mALFF)signals were decreased in the left motor cortex,somatosensory co rtex,insula cortex and the right motor co rtex,and were increased in the right corpus callosum.After 3 weeks of an 8-hour daily mClMT treatment,the mALFF values were significantly increased in the bilateral hemispheres compared with those at 3 days postoperatively.The mALFF signal valu es of left corpus callosum,left somatosensory cortex,right medial prefro ntal cortex,right motor co rtex,left postero dorsal hippocampus,left motor cortex,right corpus callosum,and right somatosensory cortex were increased in the mCIMT group compared with the control cortical impact group.Finally,we identified brain regions with significantly decreased mALFF valu es at 3 days postoperatively.Pearson correlation coefficients with the right forelimb sliding score indicated that the improvement in motor function of the affected upper limb was associated with an increase in mALFF values in these brain regions.Our findings suggest that functional co rtical plasticity changes after brain injury,and that mCIMT is an effective method to improve affected upper limb motor function by promoting bilateral hemispheric co rtical remodeling.mALFF values correlate with behavio ral changes and can potentially be used as biomarkers to assess dynamic cortical plasticity after traumatic brain injury.

Functional MRI study of mild Alzheimer＇s disease using amplitude of low frequency fluctuation analysis

Background Previous studies have shown that the functional brain activity in the resting state is impaired in Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） patients. However, most studies focused on the relationship between different brain areas, rather than the amplitude or strength of the regional brain activity. The purpose of this study was to explore the functional brain changes in AD patients by measuring the amplitude of the blood oxygenation level dependent （BOLD） functional MRI （fMRI） signals.

Brain activation and inhibition after acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi: resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Acupuncture can induce changes in the brain. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on a single acupoint at a time. In the present study, we observed activity changes in the brains of healthy volunteers before and after acupuncture atTaichong （LR3） andTaixi （KI3） using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Fifteen healthy volunteers underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain 15 minutes before acupuncture, then received acupuncture atTaichong andTaixi using the nail-pressing needle insertion method, after which the needle was retained in place for 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes after withdrawal of the needle, the volunteers underwent a further session of resting-state functional magnetic res-onance imaging, which revealed that the amplitude of low-frequency lfuctuation, a measure of spontaneous neuronal activity, increased mainly in the cerebral occipital lobe and middle occipital gyrus （Brodmann area 18/19）, inferior occipital gyrus （Brodmann area 18） and cuneus （Brodmann area 18）, but decreased mainly in the gyrus rectus of the frontal lobe （Brodmann area 11）, inferi-or frontal gyrus （Brodmann area 44） and the center of the posterior lobe of the cerebellum. The present ifndings indicate that acupuncture atTaichong andTaixi speciifcally promote blood lfow and activation in the brain areas related to vision, emotion and cognition, and inhibit brain areas related to emotion, attention, phonological and semantic processing, and memory.

Abnormal brain activity in adolescents with Internet addiction who attempt suicide: an assessment using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Internet addiction is associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior and can lead to brain dysfunction among adolescents.However,whether brain dysfunction occurs in adolescents with Internet addiction who attempt suicide remains unknown.This observational cross-sectional study enrolled 41 young Internet addicts,aged from 15 to 20 years,from the Department of Psychiatry,the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University,China from January to May 2018.The participants included 21 individuals who attempted suicide and 20 individuals with Internet addiction without a suicidal attempt history.Brain images in the resting state were obtained by a 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner.The results showed that activity in the gyrus frontalis inferior of the right pars triangularis and the right pars opercularis was significantly increased in the suicidal attempt group compared with the non-suicidal attempt group.In the resting state,the prefrontal lobe of adolescents who had attempted suicide because of Internet addiction exhibited functional abnormalities,which may provide a new basis for studying suicide pathogenesis in Internet addicts.The study was authorized by the Ethics Committee of Chongqing Medical University,China(approval No.2017 Scientific Research Ethics(2017-157))on December 11,2017.

Local synchronization and amplitude of the fluctuation of spontaneous brain activity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder:a resting-state fMRI study

Regional homogeneity（ReHo）and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation（ALFF）are two approaches to depicting different regional characteristics of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging（RS-fMRI）data.Whether they can complementarily reveal brain regional functional abnormalities in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder（ADHD）remains unknown.In this study,we applied ReHo and ALFF to 23 medication-na ve boys diagnosed with ADHD and 25 age-matched healthy male controls using whole-brain voxel-wise analysis.Correlation analyses were conducted in the ADHD group to investigate the relationship between the regional spontaneous brain activity measured by the two approaches and the clinical symptoms of ADHD.We found that the ReHo method showed widely-distributed differences between the two groups in the fronto-cingulo-occipitocerebellar circuitry,while the ALFF method showed a difference only in the right occipital area.When a larger smoothing kernel and a more lenient threshold were used for ALFF,more overlapped regions were found between ALFF and ReHo,and ALFF even found some new regions with group differences.The ADHD symptom scores were correlated with the ReHo values in the right cerebellum,dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and left lingual gyrus in the ADHD group,while no correlation was detected between ALFF and ADHD symptoms.In conclusion,ReHo may be more sensitive to regional abnormalities,at least in boys with ADHD,than ALFF.And ALFF may be complementary to ReHo in measuring local spontaneous activity.Combination of the two may yield a more comprehensive pathophy-siological framework for ADHD.

Analysis of the differences in brain function response after acupuncture and moxibustion at Zusanli(足三里ST36)in the patients with functional dyspepsia based on fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of rest functional magnetic resonance imaging

Objective:To explore the differences in the central response after acupuncture and moxibusbution at Zusanli(足三里ST36) in treatment of functional dyspepsia(FD) based on the analysis of fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation(fALFF) of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rfMRI).Methods:A total of 60 patients with FD were randomized into an acupuncture group and a moxibustion group,30 cases in each one.In the acupuncture group,acupuncture was applied to bilateral ST36.In the moxibustion group,moxibustion was exerted at bilateral ST36.The treatment was given once a day,5 times a week,totally for 4 weeks in each group,including 20 treatments with acupuncture or moxibustion.Separately,before and at the end of treatment,rfMRI scanning was conducted in two groups.Using data processing assistant for resting-state fMRI(DPARSF) software and MATLAB data platform,rfMRI data were collected for preprocessing and fALFF analysis.Results:Compared with the data before treatment,after treated with acupuncture at ST36 in FD patients,fALFF value was reduced in the right superior frontal gyrus,left superior frontal gyrus,left inferior frontal gyrus,right cuneus,left precuneus,right middle occipital gyrus,left middle occipital gyrus,etc.,and it was increased in the left parahippocampus,right parahippocampus,left cerebellum,etc(all P <0.01).After treated with moxibustion,the remarkable increase of fALFF was not discovered in brain areas,but fALFF decreased significantly in the left superior parietal gyrus(P <0.01).Compared with moxibustion at ST36,after acupuncture at ST36 in FD patients,the increase of fALFF appeared in the right putamen and the decrease of it occurred in the middle occipital gyrus,indicating the statistical significance(both P <0.05).Conclusion:The differences in central function responses are induced in treamtent with acupuncture and moxibustion,which is probably related to the resting-state default network associated with targeted regulation and ventral attention of brain areas in functional dyspepsia.

Effect of wind fluctuating on self-starting aerodynamics characteristics of VAWT

The present work deals with an investigation of the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of VAWT under fluctuating wind. In contrast to the previous studies, the rotational speed of the turbine is not fixed, the rotation of the turbine is determined by the dynamic interaction between the fluctuating wind and turbine. A weak coupling method is developed to simulate the dynamic interaction between the fluctuating wind and passive rotation turbine, and the results show that if the fluctuating wind with appropriate fluctuation amplitude and frequency, the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of VAWT will be enhanced. It is also found that compared with the fluctuation amplitude, the fluctuation frequency of the variation in wind velocity is shown to have a minor effect on the performance of the turbine. The analysis will provide straightforward physical insight into the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of VAWT under fluctuating wind.

Dynamic alterations of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in patients with chronic neck pain

Background:The pathogenesis of neck pain in the brain,which is the fourth most common cause of disability,remains unclear.Furthermore,little is known about the characteristics of dynamic local functional brain activity in cervical pain.Objective:The present study aimed to investigate the changes of local brain activity caused by chronic neck pain and the factors leading to neck pain.Methods:Using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(ALFF)method combined with sliding window approach,we compared local brain activity that was measured by the functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)of 107 patients with chronic neck pain(CNP)with that of 57 healthy control participants.Five pathogenic factors were selected for correlation analysis.Results:The group comparison results of dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(dALFF)variability showed that patients with CNP exhibited decreased dALFF variability in the left inferior temporal gyrus,the middle temporal gyrus,the angular gyrus,the inferior parietal marginal angular gyrus,and the middle occipital gyrus.The abnormal dALFF variability of the left inferior temporal gyrus was negatively correlated with the average daily working hours of patients with neck pain.Conclusions:The findings indicated that the brain regions of patients with CNP responsible for audition,vision,memory,and emotion were subjected to temporal variability of abnormal regional brain activity.Moreover,the dALFF variability in the left inferior temporal gyrus might be a risk factor for neck pain.This study revealed the brain dysfunction of patients with CNP from the perspective of dynamic local brain activity,and highlighted the important role of dALFF variability in understanding the neural mechanism of CNP.

The effect of lithium on resting-state brain networks in patients with bipolar depression

Objective： Although lithium has been a commonly prescribed neurotrophic/neuroprotective mood-stabilizing agents, its effect on spontaneous brain activity in patients with bipolar depression remains unclear. The aim of this study is to reveal the basic mechanism underlying the pathological influences of lithium on resting-state brain function of bipolar depression patients. Methods：97 subjects including 9 bipolar depression patients with lithium treatment, 19 bipolar depression patients without lithium treatment and 69 healthy controls, were recruited to participate in this study. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation （ ALFF ） and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation （ fALFF） were used to capture the changes of spontane-ous brain activity among different groups. In addition, further analysis in terms of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the number of depressive episodes, and illness duration in pooled bipolar depression patients were conducted, which combined FLEF and fALEF to identify the basic neural features of bipolar depression patients. Results： It was observed from the imaging results that both the bipolar depression patients receiving lithium treatment and healthy control subjects showed signifi-cantly decreased ALFF/fALFF values in the right anterior cingulate cortex and right middle frontal gyrus compared to that from the bipolar depression patients without lithium treatmetn. The ALFF values of the right＆amp;nbsp;middle temporal gyrus was also found to be negative related to the number of depressive episode and the total episodes. Conclusions：Our findings suggested that the bipolar depression subjects were identified to have ab-normal ALFF/ fALFF in the corticolimbic systems, in-cluding regions like right anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, right orbital frontal gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus. In addition, it was also revealed that the decreased ALFF/fALFF in the right anterior cingulate cortex and right middle frontal gyrus might be a biomarker that is related to the lithium effects.

针刺治疗屈光参差性弱视:一项随机对照试验及其潜在起效机制

Objective:To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on anisometropic amblyopia(AA)and explore its potential mechanism for children with AA.Methods:Seventy-six children with monocular AA were randomized into a conventional treatment group and a combined treatment group of acupuncture and conventional treatment,with 38 patients in each group.In the conventional treatment group,on the base of patching regimen,the red flashing,grating and visual stimulation were delivered.Each approach lasted for 5 min per session and was given once every two days,three times a week,for 4 consecutive weeks.In the acupuncture-combined treatment group,on the base of the regimen of conventional treatment group,acupuncture was applied to Jingming(BL1),Cuanzhu(BL2),Fengchi(GB20)and Guangming(GB37),with needles retained for 20 min per session,once every two days,three times of intervention a week and for 4 consecutive weeks.Before and after treatment,the best corrected vision acuity(BCVA)was observed to evaluate the clinical effect in the two groups.Before treatment started,15 patients with AA on left side were randomized selected from each group and the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)was operated before and after treatment.Simultaneously,eight healthy children with normal visual acuity were recruited to be the normal control group and received one-time rs-fMRI scanning.Based on the activation likelihood estimation(ALE),the visual"what"pathway network was constructed.By analyzing the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation(ALFF)and the regional homogeneity(ReHo),the differences in the regional autonomous function activities in the key brain areas of the"what"pathway were compared among the three groups.Results:(1)Clinical effect:After treatment,BCVA was(0.6[0.5,0.6]),higher than that(0.4[0.3,0.5])before treatment,presenting the statistical difference(P<0.05)in the conventional treatment group.BCVA was(0.6[0.6,0.8]),higher than that(0.4[0.4,0.5])before treatment,presenting the statistical difference(P<0.05)in the acupuncture-combined treatment group.BCVA in the acupuncture-combined treatment group was higher than that of the conventional treatment group(P<0.05)after treatment.The total effective rate was 86.1%in the acupuncture-combined treatment group,higher than that(65.8%)of the conventional treatment group(P<0.05).(2)Mechanism:(1)ALFF:In comparison with the healthy control group,the ALFF in the primary visual cortex of the"what"pathway for AA children was reduced significantly(P<0.05),and ALFF in the right fusiform gyrus and the right inferior temporal gyrus increased significantly when compared with the healthy children(P<0.05).Compared with that before treatment,there was no significant difference in the brain areas of the"what"pathway after treatment in the conventional treatment group(P>0.05).In the acupuncture-combined treatment group,ALFF in the right inferior occipital gyrus and the right fusiform gyrus of the"what"pathway increased after treatment when compared with that before treatment(P<0.05).After treatment,in comparison with the conventional treatment group,there was no significant difference in the brain areas of"what"pathway in the acupuncture-combined treatment group(P>0.05).(2)ReHo:ReHo in the right inferior occipital gyrus,the right fusiform gyrus and the right inferior temporal gyrus in the"what"pathway was elevated significantly in AA children when compared with that in the healthy control group(P<0.05).ReHo of the left inferior occipital gyrus and the left fusiform gyrus increased significantly after treatment when compared with that before treatment in the conventional treatment group(P<0.05).ReHo of the right inferior occipital gyrus,the left and the right fusiform gyrus increased significantly after treatment when compared with that before treatment in the acupuncture-combined treatment group(P<0.05).After treatment,ReHo of the right inferior temporal gyrus in the"what"pathway in the acupuncture-combined treatment group was significantly higher than that of the conventional treatment group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The acupuncture combined with conventional treatment improves BCVA and the total effective rate of AA children.The changes in the regional function activity of the brain areas within the"what"pathway were dominated by the compensatory increase of the autonomous activity in the occipital lobe(inferior occipital gyrus)and the temporal lobe(inferior temporal gyrus)in AA children.Both conventional treatment and acupuncture can enhance the intensity of autonomous function activities in the occipital lobe(inferior occipital gyrus)and the temporal lobe(fusiform gyrus/inferior temporal gyrus)in the"what"pathway so as to relieve visual impairment.ReHo in the inferior temporal gyrus in the acupuncture-combined treatment group was higher than that of the conventional treatment group and it suggests that the inferior temporal gyrus may be the key brain area to the improvement of visual function in the"what"pathway.

Altered regional brain activity and functional connectivity in primary intravaginal anejaculation patients revealed by resting-state fMRI

Ejaculation is regulated by the central nervous system.However,the central pathophysiology of primary intravaginal anejaculation(PIAJ)is unclear.The present study aimed to examine the changes in regional brain activity and functional connectivity underlying PIAJ.A total of 20 PIAJ patients and 16 healthy controls(HCs)were enrolled from September 2020 to September 2022 in the Department of Andrology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital(Nanjing,China).Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from all participants and then were preprocessed.The measures of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(fALFF),regional homogeneity(ReHo),and functional connectivity(FC)were calculated and compared between the groups.PIAJ patients showed increased fALFF values in the left precuneus compared with HCs.Additionally,PIAJ patients showed increased ReHo values in the left precuneus,left postcentral gyrus,left superior occipital gyrus,left calcarine fissure,right precuneus,and right middle temporal gyrus,and decreased ReHo values in the left inferior parietal gyrus,compared with HCs.Finally,brain regions with altered fALFF and ReHo values in PIAJ patients showed increased FC with widespread cortical regions,which included the frontal,parietal,temporal,and occipital regions,compared with HCs.In conclusion,increased regional brain activity in the parietal,temporal,and occipital regions,and increased FC between these brain regions,may be associated with PIAJ occurrence.