The long rather than the short allele of 5-HTTLPR predisposes Han Chinese to anxiety and reduced connectivity between prefrontal cortex and amygdala

The short allele of the serotonin-transporter gene is associated with higher risk for anxiety and depression in Caucasians, but this association is still unclear in Asians. Here, we addressed this issue using behavioral and multi-modal MRI approaches in a large group of healthy Han Chinese participants （n = 233）. In contrast to findings in Caucasians, we found that long-allele （L） carriers had higher anxiety scores. In another group （n = 64） experiencing significant levels of depression or anxiety, the L-allele frequency was also significantly higher. In healthy participants, L-carriers had reduced functional and anatomical connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex （PFC）, which was correlated with anxiety or depression scores. Our findings demonstrated that in Chinese Han participants, in contrast to Caucasians, the L-allele confers vulnerability to anxiety or depression and weakens top-down emotional control between the PFC and amygdala. Therefore, ethnic background should be taken into account in gene-related studies and their potential clinical applications.

Combination of Biomedical Techniques and Paradigms to Improve Prognostications for Disorders of Consciousness

For a long time,patients with disorders of consciousness(DoCs)have been considered to have a universally poor prognosis.However,along with the development of rehabilitation and nursing technology,the findings from recent clinical studies herald a philosophical shift:some DoC patients may have a better outcome than originally thought.A recent review suggests that>40%of DoC patients have the potential to achieve an improvement of consciousness level after specific follow-up[1].

A Longitudinal Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Working Memory in Patients Following a Transient Ischemic Attack: A Preliminary Study

In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) to investigate longitudinal changes in brain activation during a verbal working memory(VWM) task performed by patients who had experienced a transient ischemic attack(TIA). Twenty-five first-ever TIA patients without visible lesions in conventional MRI and 25 healthy volunteers were enrolled. VWM task-related fMRI was conducted 1 week and 3 months post-TIA. The brain activity evoked by the task and changes over time were assessed. We found that, compared with controls, patients exhibited an increased activation in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus(IFG), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(DLPFC), insula, inferior parietal lobe(IPL), and cerebellum during the task performed 1 week post-TIA. But only the right IFG still exhibited an increased activation at 3 months post-TIA. A direct comparison of fMRI data between 1 week and 3 months post-TIA showed greater activation in the bilateral middle temporal gyrus, right DLPFC, IPL, cerebellum, and left IFG in patients at 1 week post-TIA. We conclude that brain activity patterns induced by a VWM task remain dynamic for a period of time after a TIA, despite the cessation of clinical symptoms. Normalization of the VWM activation pattern may be progressively achieved after transient episodes of ischemia in TIA patients.

Multimodal Brain Imaging Fusion for the White-Matter Fiber Architecture in the Human Brain

Uncovering white-matter fiber architecture,particularly that of the human brain,is one of the major and most recent interests in the neuroscience community[1].Recently,a novel analysis method for quantifying white-matter axonal orientation at a resolution of a dozen microns has been reported[2].

Precise Modulation Strategies for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation:Advances and Future Directions

Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS)is a popular modulatory technique for the noninvasive diagnosis and therapy of neurological and psychiatric diseases.Unfortunately,current modulation strategies are only modestly effective.The literature provides strong evidence that the modulatory effects of TMS vary depending on device components and stimulation protocols.These differential effects are important when designing precise modulatory strategies for clinical or research applications.Developments in TMS have been accompanied by advances in combining TMS with neuroimaging techniques,including electroencephalography,functional nearinfrared spectroscopy,functional magnetic resonance imaging,and positron emission tomography.Such studies appear particularly promising as they may not only allow us to probe affected brain areas during TMS but also seem to predict underlying research directions that may enable us to precisely target and remodel impaired cortices or circuits.However,few precise modulation strategies are available,and the long-term safety and efficacy of these strategies need to be confirmed.Here,we review the literature on possible technologies for precise modulation to highlight progress along with limitations with the goal of suggesting future directions for this field.

Retraction Note to:Gray Matter-Based Age Prediction Characterizes Different Regional Patterns

The authors have retracted this article.After publication we found an error in the implementation code that resulted in data leakage in the age-prediction model training process.We have redesigned the prediction model and tested the mode with an extended dataset(around 2000 subjects,in contrast to the 600 subjects in this article).

Brain oscillations and electroencephalography scalp networks during tempo perception

In the current study we used electroencephalography（EEG） to investigate the relation between musical tempo perception and the oscillatory activity in specific brain regions,and the scalp EEG networks in the theta,alpha,and beta bands.The results showed that the theta power at the frontal midline decreased with increased arousal level related to tempo.The alpha power induced by original music at the bilateral occipital-parietal regions was stronger than that by tempo-transformed music.The beta power did not change with tempo.At the network level,the original music-related alpha network had high global efficiency and the optimal path length.This study was the first to use EEG to investigate multi-oscillatory activities and the data support the tempo-specific timing hypothesis.

Gray Matter-Based Age Prediction Characterizes Different Regional Patterns

Dear Editor,The brain experiences ongoing changes across different ages to support brain development and functional reorganization.During the span of adulthood,although the brain has matured from a neurobiological perspective,it is still continuously shaped by external factors such as habits,the family setting,socioeconomic status,and the work environment [1].In contrast to chronological age (CA),brain(or biological) age (BA) is conceptualized as an important index for characterizing the aging process and neuropsychological state,as well as individual cognitiveperformance.Growing evidence indicates that BA can be assessed by neuroimaging techniques,including MRI [2].