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Symmetrical lesions in the temporal poles and external capsules on brain MRI are known as radiological markers of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL); however, similar imaging findings have also been reported in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and this study investigated the frequency of such findings. The study included 55 NMOSD patients who met the 2015 international NMO diagnosis panel (IPND) criteria and were positive for aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-Ab). Images were evaluated based on the consensus of two neuroradiologists, and brain lesions were detected in 33 patients, of whom 2 (6%) had symmetrical lesions in both the temporal poles and external capsules, and 1 (3%) had symmetrical lesions confined to the external capsules. Therefore, when symmetrical lesions in the temporal poles and external capsules are observed on MRI, NMOSD should be considered in the differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathy requires the ability to understand another’s point of view and is critical for motivating a person to help others. However, little is known about the link between experiences of empathic emotional engagement in close friendships during adolescence and neural correlates of empathy in adulthood. Beginning in 1998, N = 88 participants drawn from a demographically diverse community sample were observed annually from ages 13 to 21 and rated on the amount of emotional engagement displayed toward a close friend during a support task. At approximately age 24, participants underwent functional brain imaging while a partner or stranger was under distress. Contrary to predictions, greater emotional engagement with close friends during adolescence corresponded prospectively with reduced temporal pole activity (a region associated with cognitive empathy and perspective taking) while observing threats directed at others. Results have implications for understanding the neurodevelopmental roots of empathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our ability to share memories constitutes a social foundation of our world. When exposed to another person'smemory, individuals canmentally reconstruct the events described, even if they were not present during the related events. However, the extent to which the neuronal connectivity patterns elicited by the mental reconstruction of an event mirror those present in the brains of individuals who experienced the original event remains unclear. Through two independent fMRI experiments, we explore the Functional Connectivity (FC) patterns at different timescales associated with these cognitive processes using the innovative Multiscale Functional Connectivity (MFC) technique. This study aims to shed light on how our brains construct mental representations of scenes in a movie compared to the verbal transmission of the same scenes. Our results demonstrated that the Default Mode Network (DMN) plays a crucial role in these experiments and exhibits unique FC patterns across different timescales, yet remarkably consistent among participants. In addition, we found significant connectivity patterns within the temporal cortex, including significant contributions of the temporal pole and the fusiform gyrus, which exhibited a pivotal role in cooperation with the DMN in both experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroimaging studies have consistently demonstrated concurrent activation of the human precuneus and temporal pole (TP), both during resting‐state conditions and various higher‐order cognitive functions. However, the precise underlying structural connectivity between these brain regions remains uncertain despite significant advancements in neuroscience research. In this study, we investigated the connectivity of the precuneus and TP by employing parcellation‐based fiber micro‐dissections in human brains and fiber tractography techniques in a sample of 1065 human subjects and a sample of 41 rhesus macaques. Our results demonstrate the connectivity between the posterior precuneus area POS2 and the areas 35, 36, and TG of the TP via the fifth subcomponent of the cingulum (CB‐V) also known as parahippocampal cingulum. This finding contributes to our understanding of the connections within the posteromedial cortices, facilitating a more comprehensive integration of anatomy and function in both normal and pathological brain processes. Practitioner Points: Our investigation delves into the intricate architecture and connectivity patterns of subregions within the precuneus and temporal pole, filling a crucial gap in our knowledge.We revealed a direct axonal connection between the posterior precuneus (POS2) and specific areas (35, 35, and TG) of the temporal pole.The direct connections are part of the CB‐V pathway and exhibit a significant association with the cingulum, SRF, forceps major, and ILF.Population‐based human tractography and rhesus macaque fiber tractography showed consistent results that support micro‐dissection outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There was more than a 10-fold increase in the incidence of narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) after the H1N1 mass vaccination in 2009/2010 in several countries. NT1 is associated with loss and increase of cell groups in the hypothalamus which may be associated with secondary affected sub-cortical and cortical gray matter. We performed a case-control comparison of MRI-based global and sub-cortical volume and cortical thickness in post-H1N1 NT1 patients compared with controls. We included 54 post-H1N1 NT1 patients (51 with confirmed hypocretin-deficiency; 48 H1N1-vaccinated with Pandemrix®; 39 females, mean age 21.8 ± 11.0 years) and 114 healthy controls (77 females, mean age 23.2 ± 9.0 years). 3T MRI brain scans were obtained, and the T1-weighted MRI data were processed using FreeSurfer. Group differences among three global, 10 sub-cortical volume measures and 34 cortical thickness measures for bilateral brain regions were tested using general linear models with permutation testing. Patients had significantly thinner brain cortex bilaterally in the temporal poles (Cohen's d = 0.68, p = 0.00080), entorhinal cortex (d = 0.60, p = 0.0018) and superior temporal gyrus (d = 0.60, p = 0.0020) compared to healthy controls. The analysis revealed no significant group differences for sub-cortical volumes. Post-H1N1(largely Pandemrix®-vaccinated) NT1 patients have significantly thinner cortex in temporal brain regions compared to controls. We speculate that this effect can be partly attributed to the hypothalamic neuronal change in NT1, including loss of function of the widely projecting hypocretin-producing neurons and secondary effects of the abnormal sleep-wake pattern in NT1 or could be specific for post-H1N1 (largely Pandemrix®-vaccinated) NT1 patients. • Largest brain-wide T1-study of narcolepsy type 1 patients to date. • First brain-wide T1 study of largely Pandemrix®-vaccinated narcolepsy type 1. • Narcolepsy type 1 patients have thinner cortex in temporal brain regions. • Specific findings in superior temporal gyrus, temporal poles and entorhinal cortex. • Superior temporal gyrus has previously been implicated in hallucinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our ability to share memories constitutes a social foundation of our world. When exposed to another person's memory, individuals can mentally reconstruct the events described, even if they were not present during the related events. However, the extent to which the neuronal connectivity patterns elicited by the mental reconstruction of an event mirror those present in the brains of individuals who experienced the original event remains unclear. Through two independent fMRI experiments, we explore the Functional Connectivity (FC) patterns at different timescales associated with these cognitive processes using the innovative Multiscale Functional Connectivity (MFC) technique. This study aims to shed light on how our brains construct mental representations of scenes in a movie compared to the verbal transmission of the same scenes. Our results demonstrated that the Default Mode Network (DMN) plays a crucial role in these experiments and exhibits unique FC patterns across different timescales, yet remarkably consistent among participants. In addition, we found significant connectivity patterns within the temporal cortex, including significant contributions of the temporal pole and the fusiform gyrus, which exhibited a pivotal role in cooperation with the DMN in both experiments.

The temporal pole (TP) is considered one of the major paralimbic cortical regions, and is involved in a variety of functions such as sensory perception, emotion, semantic processing, and social cognition. Based on differences in cytoarchitecture, the TP can be further subdivided into smaller regions (dorsal, ventrolateral and ventromedial), each forming key nodes of distinct functional networks. However, the brain structural connectivity profile of TP subregions is not fully clarified. Using diffusion MRI data in a set of 31 healthy subjects, we aimed to elucidate the comprehensive structural connectivity of three cytoarchitectonically distinct TP subregions. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis suggested that major association fiber pathways such as the inferior longitudinal, middle longitudinal, arcuate, and uncinate fasciculi provide structural connectivity to the TP. Further analysis suggested partially overlapping yet still distinct structural connectivity patterns across the TP subregions. Specifically, the dorsal subregion is strongly connected with wide areas in the parietal lobe, the ventrolateral subregion with areas including constituents of the default-semantic network, and the ventromedial subregion with limbic and paralimbic areas. Our results suggest the involvement of the TP in a set of extensive but distinct networks of cortical regions, consistent with its functional roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following prolonged neglect during the formative decades of behavioural neurology, the temporopolar region has become a site of vibrant research on the neurobiology of cognition and conduct. This turnaround can be attributed to increasing recognition of neurodegenerative diseases that target temporopolar regions for peak destruction. The resultant syndromes include behavioural dementia, associative agnosia, semantic forms of primary progressive aphasia and semantic dementia. Clinicopathological correlations show that object naming and word comprehension are critically dependent on the language-dominant (usually left) temporopolar region, whereas behavioural control and non-verbal object recognition display a more bilateral representation with a rightward bias. Neuroanatomical experiments in macaques and neuroimaging in humans show that the temporoparietal region sits at the confluence of auditory, visual and limbic streams of processing at the downstream (deep) pole of the 'what' pathway. The functional neuroanatomy of this region revolves around three axes, an anterograde horizontal axis from unimodal to heteromodal and paralimbic cortex; a radial axis where visual (ventral), auditory (dorsal) and paralimbic (medial) territories encircle temporopolar cortex and display hemispheric asymmetry; and a vertical depth-of-processing axis for the associative elaboration of words, objects and interoceptive states. One function of this neural matrix is to support the transformation of object and word representations from unimodal percepts to multimodal concepts. The underlying process is likely to start at canonical gateways that successively lead to generic (superordinate), specific (basic) and unique levels of recognition. A first sign of left temporopolar dysfunction takes the form of taxonomic blurring where boundaries among categories are preserved but not boundaries among exemplars of a category. Semantic paraphasias and coordinate errors in word-picture verification tests are consequences of this phenomenon. Eventually, boundaries among categories are also blurred and comprehension impairments become more profound. The medial temporopolar region belongs to the amygdalocentric component of the limbic system and stands to integrate exteroceptive information with interoceptive states underlying social interactions. Review of the pertinent literature shows that word comprehension and conduct impairments caused by temporopolar strokes and temporal lobectomy are far less severe than those seen in temporopolar atrophies. One explanation for this unexpected discrepancy invokes the miswiring of residual temporopolar neurons during the many years of indolently progressive neurodegeneration. According to this hypothesis, the temporopolar regions become not only dysfunctional but also sources of aberrant outputs that interfere with the function of areas elsewhere in the language and paralimbic networks, a juxtaposition not seen in lobectomy or stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD; ASD + DD) have more severe clinical symptoms than those with ASD without DD (ASD-only). However, little is known about the underlying neuroimaging mechanisms. The aim of this study was to explore the volumetric difference between patients with ASD + DD and ASD-only and investigate the relationship between brain alterations and clinical manifestations. Materials and methods: A total of 184 children with ASD aged 2-6 years were included in this study, who were divided into two groups according to their cognitive development: ASD + DD and ASD-only. Clinical symptoms and language development were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and the Putonghua Communicative Development Inventory. Of the 184 children, 60 age-matched males (30 ASD + DD and 30 ASD-only patients) with highresolution structural neuroimaging scans were included for further voxelbased morphometry analysis to examine the relationship between clinical symptoms and gray matter volumes. Results: The ASD + DD group had higher CARS and ADOS scores, lower gesture scores, and poorer performance in "responding to joint attention" (RJA) and "initiating joint attention" than the ASD-only group. Larger gray matter volumes in the temporal poles of the right and left middle temporal gyri were associated with the co-occurrence of DD in patients with ASD. Moreover, temporopolar volumes were correlated with CARS and ADOS scores, gesture scores, and RJA ability. Pre-language development significantly mediated the relationship between temporopolar volumes and both CARS and ADOS scores; RJA ability, but not gesture development, contributed to this mediating effect Conclusion: In this study, we found that temporopolar volumes were enlarged in patients with ASD who had comorbid DD, and these patients showed an association between symptom severity and language ability during the prelanguage stage. Offering early interventions focused on RJA and the temporal pole may help improve clinical symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The ability to understand emotions is often disturbed in patients with cognitive impairments. Right temporal lobe structures play a crucial role in emotional processing, especially the amygdala, temporal pole (TP), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and anterior cingulate (AC). Those regions are affected in early stages of Alzheimer´s disease (AD). The aim of our study was to evaluate emotional prosody recognition (EPR) in participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) due to AD, AD dementia patients, and cognitively healthy controls and to measure volumes or thickness of the brain structures involved in this process. In addition, we correlated EPR score to cognitive impairment as measured by MMSE. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the ability of EPR tests to differentiate the control group from the aMCI and dementia groups. Methods Eighty-nine participants from the Czech Brain Aging Study: 43 aMCI due to AD, 36 AD dementia, and 23 controls, underwent Prosody Emotional Recognition Test. This experimental test included the playback of 25 sentences with neutral meaning each recorded with different emotional prosody (happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger). Volume of the amygdala and thickness of the TP, STS, and rostral and caudal parts of AC (RAC and CAC) were measured using FreeSurfer algorithm software. ANCOVA was used to evaluate EPR score differences. ROC analysis was used to assess the ability of EPR test to differentiate the control group from the aMCI and dementia groups. The Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to explore relationships between EPR scores, structural brain measures, and MMSE. Results EPR was lower in the dementia and aMCI groups compared with controls. EPR total score had high sensitivity in distinguishing between not only controls and patients, but also controls and aMCI, controls and dementia, and aMCI and dementia. EPR decreased with disease severity as it correlated with MMSE. There was a significant positive correlation of EPR and thickness of the right TP, STS, and bilateral RAC. Conclusions EPR is impaired in AD dementia and aMCI due to AD. These data suggest that the broad range of AD symptoms may include specific deficits in the emotional sphere which further complicate the patient’s quality of life.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigations have provided a view of the default network (DN) as composed of a specific set of frontal, parietal, and temporal cortical regions. This spatial topography is typically defined with reference to an influential network parcellation scheme that designated the DN as one of seven large-scale networks (Yeo et al., 2011). However, the precise functional organization of the DN is still under debate, with studies arguing for varying subnetwork configurations and the inclusion of subcortical regions. In this vein, the so-called limbic network-defined as a distinct large-scale network comprising the bilateral temporal poles, ventral anterior temporal lobes, and orbitofrontal cortex-is of particular interest. A large multi-modal and multi-species literature on the anatomical, functional, and cognitive properties of these regions suggests a close relationship to the DN. Notably, these regions have poor signal quality with conventional fMRI acquisition, likely obscuring their network affiliation in most studies. Here, we leverage a multi-echo fMRI dataset with high temporal signal-to-noise and whole-brain coverage, including orbitofrontal and anterior temporal regions, to examine the large-scale network resting-state functional connectivity of these regions and assess their associations with the DN. Consistent with our hypotheses, our results support the inclusion of the majority of the orbitofrontal and anterior temporal cortex as part of the DN and reveal significant heterogeneity in their functional connectivity. We observed that left-lateralized regions within the temporal poles and ventral anterior temporal lobes, as well as medial orbitofrontal regions, exhibited the greatest resting-state functional connectivity with the DN, with heterogeneity across DN subnetworks. Overall, our findings suggest that, rather than being a functionally distinct network, the orbitofrontal and anterior temporal regions comprise part of a larger, extended default network., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (© 2024 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.)

Human neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that exercise influences the cortical structural plasticity as indexed by gray or white matter volume. It remains elusive, however, whether exercise affects cortical changes at the finer‐grained myelination structure level. To answer this question, we scanned 28 elite golf players in comparison with control participants, using a novel neuroimaging technique—quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI). The data showed myeloarchitectonic plasticity in the left temporal pole of the golf players: the microstructure of this brain region of the golf players was better proliferated than that of control participants. In addition, this myeloarchitectonic plasticity was positively related to golfing proficiency. Our study has manifested that myeloarchitectonic plasticity could be induced by exercise, and thus, shed light on the potential benefits of exercise on brain health and cognitive enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ability to understand emotions is often disturbed in patients with cognitive impairments. Right temporal lobe structures play a crucial role in emotional processing, especially the amygdala, temporal pole (TP), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and anterior cingulate (AC). Those regions are affected in early stages of Alzheimer´s disease (AD). The aim of our study was to evaluate emotional prosody recognition (EPR) in participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) due to AD, AD dementia patients, and cognitively healthy controls and to measure volumes or thickness of the brain structures involved in this process. In addition, we correlated EPR score to cognitive impairment as measured by MMSE. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the ability of EPR tests to differentiate the control group from the aMCI and dementia groups. Methods: Eighty-nine participants from the Czech Brain Aging Study: 43 aMCI due to AD, 36 AD dementia, and 23 controls, underwent Prosody Emotional Recognition Test. This experimental test included the playback of 25 sentences with neutral meaning each recorded with different emotional prosody (happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger). Volume of the amygdala and thickness of the TP, STS, and rostral and caudal parts of AC (RAC and CAC) were measured using FreeSurfer algorithm software. ANCOVA was used to evaluate EPR score differences. ROC analysis was used to assess the ability of EPR test to differentiate the control group from the aMCI and dementia groups. The Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to explore relationships between EPR scores, structural brain measures, and MMSE. Results: EPR was lower in the dementia and aMCI groups compared with controls. EPR total score had high sensitivity in distinguishing between not only controls and patients, but also controls and aMCI, controls and dementia, and aMCI and dementia. EPR decreased with disease severity as it correlated with MMSE. There was a significant positive correlation of EPR and thickness of the right TP, STS, and bilateral RAC. Conclusions: EPR is impaired in AD dementia and aMCI due to AD. These data suggest that the broad range of AD symptoms may include specific deficits in the emotional sphere which further complicate the patient's quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of older adults is increasing globally. Aging is associated with cognitive and sensory decline. Additionally, declined auditory performance and cognitive function affect the quality of life of older adults. Therefore, it is important to develop an intervention method to improve both auditory and cognitive performances. The current study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of auditory and cognitive training on auditory ability and cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Fifty healthy older adults were randomly divided into four training groups—an auditory-cognitive training group (AC training; n = 13), an auditory training group (A training; n = 13), a cognitive training group (C training; n = 14), and an active control group (n = 12). During the training period, we reduced the sound intensity level in AC and A training groups and increase training task difficulty in AC, A, and C training groups based on participants' performance. Cognitive function measures [digit-cancelation test (D-CAT); logical memory (LM); digit span (DS)], auditory measures [pure-tone audiometry (PTA)], and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed before and after the training periods. We found three key findings. First, the AC training group showed difference between other training groups (A, C, and active control training groups) in regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the left inferior temporal gyrus (L. ITG), the left superior frontal gyrus, the left orbitofrontal cortex, the right cerebellum (lobule 7 Crus 1). Second, the auditory training factor groups (ATFGs, the AC and A training groups) improved auditory measures and increased the rGMV and functional connectivity (FC) in the left temporal pole compared to the non-ATFGs (the C training group and active control group). Third, the cognitive training factor groups (CTFGs; the AC and C training groups) showed statistically significant improvement in cognitive performances in LM and D-CAT compared to the non-CTFGs (the A training group and active control group). Therefore, the auditory training factor and cognitive training factor would be useful in enhancing the quality of life of older adults. The current AC training study, the plasticity of the brain structure was observed after 4 weeks of training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals often anticipate an unrealistically favorable future for themselves (personal optimism bias) or others (social optimism bias). While such biases are well established, little is known about their neuroanatomy. In this study, participants engaged in a soccer task and estimated the likelihood of successful passes in personal and social scenarios. Voxel-based morphometry revealed that personal optimism bias varied as a positive function of gray matter volume (GMV) in the putamen, frontal pole, hippocampus, temporal pole, inferior temporal gyrus, visual association areas, and mid-superior temporal gyrus. Social optimism bias correlated positively with GMV in the temporoparietal junction and negatively with GMV in the inferior temporal gyrus and pre-supplementary motor areas. Together, these findings suggest that parts of our optimistic outlook are biologically rooted. Moreover, while the two biases looked similar at the behavioral level, they were related to distinct gray matter structures, proposing that their underlying mechanisms are not identical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of older adults is increasing globally. Aging is associated with cognitive and sensory decline. Additionally, declined auditory performance and cognitive function affect the quality of life of older adults. Therefore, it is important to develop an intervention method to improve both auditory and cognitive performances. The current study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of auditory and cognitive training on auditory ability and cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Fifty healthy older adults were randomly divided into four training groups—an auditory-cognitive training group (AC training; n = 13), an auditory training group (A training; n = 13), a cognitive training group (C training; n = 14), and an active control group (n = 12). During the training period, we reduced the sound intensity level in AC and A training groups and increase training task difficulty in AC, A, and C training groups based on participants’ performance. Cognitive function measures [digit-cancelation test (D-CAT); logical memory (LM); digit span (DS)], auditory measures [pure-tone audiometry (PTA)], and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed before and after the training periods. We found three key findings. First, the AC training group showed difference between other training groups (A, C, and active control training groups) in regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the left inferior temporal gyrus (L. ITG), the left superior frontal gyrus, the left orbitofrontal cortex, the right cerebellum (lobule 7 Crus 1). Second, the auditory training factor groups (ATFGs, the AC and A training groups) improved auditory measures and increased the rGMV and functional connectivity (FC) in the left temporal pole compared to the non-ATFGs (the C training group and active control group). Third, the cognitive training factor groups (CTFGs; the AC and C training groups) showed statistically significant improvement in cognitive performances in LM and D-CAT compared to the non-CTFGs (the A training group and active control group). Therefore, the auditory training factor and cognitive training factor would be useful in enhancing the quality of life of older adults. The current AC training study, the plasticity of the brain structure was observed after 4 weeks of training.

Prior reports suggest that affective effects in visual word processing cannot be fully explained by a dimensional perspective of emotions based on valence and arousal. In the current study, we focused on the contribution of approach and avoidance motivational systems that are related to different action components to the processing of emotional words. To this aim, we compared frontal alpha asymmetries and brain oscillations elicited by anger words associated with approach (fighting) motivational tendencies, and fear words that may trigger either avoidance (escaping), approach (fighting) or no (freezing) action tendencies. The participants' task was to make decisions about approaching or distancing from the concepts represented by words. The results of cluster-based and beamforming analyses revealed increased gamma power band synchronization for fear words relative to anger words between 725 and 750 ms, with an estimated neural origin in the temporal pole. These findings were interpreted to reflect a conflict between different action tendencies underlying the representation of fear words in semantic and emotional memories, when trying to achieve task requirements. These results are in line with the predictions made by the fear-hinders-action hypothesis. Additionally, current data highlights the contribution of motivational features to the representation and processing of emotional words. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The present study aimed to provide a basis for future research examining the neural mechanisms that underlie the beneficial effect of an intervention program, Photo-Integrated Conversation Moderated by Robots (PICMOR), on verbal fluency in older adults as identified in our previous randomized controlled trial. In this preliminary report, we conducted an additional experiment using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) after the intervention period. Specifically, we investigated the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) characteristics of the intervention group (INT) compared to the control group (CONT). Methods rsfMRI data were acquired from 31 and 30 participants in INT and CONT, respectively, after the intervention. In the analyses, two of the most important regions in verbal fluency, the left inferior and middle frontal gyri, were selected as seed regions, and the rsFCs were compared between groups. We also conducted regression analyses for rsFCs using the difference in individual phonemic verbal fluency task (PVFT) scores between the pre- and post-intervention periods (i.e., post- minus pre-intervention) as an independent variable. Results We found higher rsFC in INT than in CONT between the left inferior frontal gyrus as a seed region and the temporal pole and middle frontal gyrus. The rsFC strength between the left inferior frontal gyrus and temporal pole positively correlated with an increased PVFT score between the pre- and post-intervention periods. In contrast, we found lower rsFC in INT than in CONT between the left middle frontal gyrus as a seed region and the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and postcentral gyrus. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the beneficial intervention effect of PICMOR on verbal fluency is characterized by enhanced rsFC of the left inferior frontal gyrus with semantic and executive control-related regions and suppressed rsFC between the left middle frontal gyrus and posterior cortical midline structures. No definitive conclusions can be made because of a lack of rsfMRI data before the intervention. However, this pilot study provides the candidates for rsFCs, reflecting the beneficial effects of PICMOR on the brain network involved in verbal fluency. Trial registration The trial was retrospectively registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry ( UMIN000036667 ) (May 7th, 2019).

This study aimed to evaluate the use of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) to detect microstructural abnormalities within the temporal pole (TP) and its temporopolar cortex in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients. DKI quantitative maps were obtained from fourteen lesional TLE and ten non-lesional TLE patients, along with twenty-three healthy controls. Data collected included mean (MK); radial (RK) and axial kurtosis (AK); mean diffusivity (MD) and axonal water fraction (AWF). Automated fiber quantification (AFQ) was used to quantify DKI measurements along the inferior longitudinal (ILF) and uncinate fasciculus (Unc). ILF and Unc tract profiles were compared between groups and tested for correlation with disease duration. To characterize temporopolar cortex microstructure, DKI maps were sampled at varying depths from superficial white matter (WM) towards the pial surface. Patients were separated according to the temporal lobe ipsilateral to seizure onset and their AFQ results were used as input for statistical analyses. Significant differences were observed between lesional TLE and controls, towards the most temporopolar segment of ILF and Unc proximal to the TP within the ipsilateral temporal lobe in left TLE patients for MK, RK, AWF and MD. No significant changes were observed with DKI maps in the non-lesional TLE group. DKI measurements correlated with disease duration, mostly towards the temporopolar segments of the WM bundles. Stronger differences in MK, RK and AWF within the temporopolar cortex were observed in the lesional TLE and noticeable differences (except for MD) in non-lesional TLE groups compared to controls. This study demonstrates that DKI has potential to detect subtle microstructural alterations within the temporopolar segments of the ILF and Unc and the connected temporopolar cortex in TLE patients including non-lesional TLE subjects. This could aid our understanding of the extrahippocampal areas, more specifically the temporal pole role in seizure generation in TLE and might inform surgical planning, leading to better seizure outcomes.

Prior reports suggest that affective effects in visual word processing cannot be fully explained by a dimensional perspective of emotions based on valence and arousal. In the current study, we focused on the contribution of approach and avoidance motivational systems that are related to different action components to the processing of emotional words. To this aim, we compared frontal alpha asymmetries and brain oscillations elicited by anger words associated with approach (fighting) motivational tendencies, and fear words that may trigger either avoidance (escaping), approach (fighting) or no (freezing) action tendencies. The participants’ task was to make decisions about approaching or distancing from the concepts represented by words. The results of cluster-based and beamforming analyses revealed increased gamma power band synchronization for fear words relative to anger words between 725 and 750 ms, with an estimated neural origin in the temporal pole. These findings were interpreted to reflect a conflict between different action tendencies underlying the representation of fear words in semantic and emotional memories, when trying to achieve task requirements. These results are in line with the predictions made by the fear-hinders-action hypothesis. Additionally, current data highlights the contribution of motivational features to the representation and processing of emotional words.

Background: Hypertension is associated with poorer cognitive functions, but the mechanisms are unclear.Objective: This research aims to explore the cognitive status of elderly patients with hypertension and the possible mechanisms of hypertension affecting cognitive function.Methods: Data were obtained from the China Longitudinal Aging Study (CLAS), and a total of 128 residents, aged 60 years and above, were recruited in this study. Based on whether they had hypertension, these 128 people were divided into the hypertension (n = 64) and non-hypertension groups (n = 64). The Beijing version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used to assess the overall cognitive function of the subjects, while digit span, language fluency, Wechsler mapping, and Wechsler wood block were used to assess their domain-specific cognitive function (both at baseline and follow-up stages). At the same time, we also examined baseline blood biochemical indicators (such as total protein, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, and triglyceride) and baseline MRI data of hippocampus and amygdala volume and temporal polar cortex thickness.Results: The total protein and thickness of temporal polar cortex in patients with hypertension were significantly higher than those in normal controls, but the scores on MMSE, MoCA, digit span, Wechsler mapping and Wechsler wood block at baseline were significantly lower than those in normal controls (p < 0.05). By linear regression analysis and correlation analysis (age and education were controlled), we found that baseline Wechsler mapping scores were negatively correlated with total protein (B = −0.243, t = −3,735, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.371 to −0.114); and both the follow-up MMSE score (B = 2.657, t = 2.002, p = 0.049, 95% CI: 0.009~5.306) and the change score of MMSE (r = −0.025, p = 0.047) were related to the thickness of the right temporal pole cortex. Then, by linear regression analysis (mediating model), we found that hypertension may influence follow-up MMSE scores by influencing the cortical thickness of the right temporal pole (B = 1.727, p = 0.022, 95% CI: 0.261–3.193).Conclusions: Elderly patients with hypertension exhibit poorer overall cognitive function and executive function, and the mechanism may be related to the effect of hypertension on the cortical thickness of the right temporal pole.

Abstract Background Emotional processes and responses are underestimated in stroke patients because the massive clinical picture of large hemispheric strokes often hides these symptoms. We report on a patient with peculiar unpleasant emotional responses after temporal stroke. Case presentation We describe a 62-years old man with significant unpleasant emotional responses that occurred after an acute episode of confusional state, disorientation, agitation, vertigo, postural instability, vomiting, and photophobia. Since then, he complained that vision of pictures containing curved/multicolored lines or tangles was associated with an uncomfortable feeling of fear and disgust, lasting few minutes, so that he avoided looking at them. Notably, he also showed an abnormal facial expression of disgust and fear, together with neurovegetative reaction and horripilation, at the presentation of pictures of objects or animals containing curved, multicolored, or tangled lines. A post-acute infarction of the right temporal-insular region, together with mild periventricular white matter changes, were evident at the brain magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions The anterior insula is crucial in transforming unpleasant sensory input into visceromotor reactions and the accompanying feeling of disgust. It is also known that temporal pole modulates visceral emotional functions in response to emotionally evocative perceptual stimuli. In the present case, the ischemic lesion of anterior part of the insula and temporal pole may have caused a decoupling of emotional and visceral response to complex visual stimuli. Further reports will provide a significant contribution to the taxonomy of these complex and relatively uncommon non-motor post-stroke symptoms that negatively affect quality of life.

Abstract Objective To examine the patterns of cortical gray matter thickness in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods Seventy‐four MS patients—clinically isolated syndrome (4%), relapsing–remitting MS (79%), and progressive MS (17%)—and 21 healthy controls (HCs) underwent 1.5 Tesla T1‐weighted 3D MRI examinations to measure brain cortical thickness in a total of 68 regions of interest. Using hierarchical cluster analysis with multivariate cortical thickness data, cortical thickness reduction patterns were cross‐sectionally investigated in MS patients. Results The MS patients were grouped into three major clusters (Clusters 1, 2, and 3). Most of the regional cortical thickness values were equivalent between the HCs and Cluster 1, but decreased in the order of Clusters 2 and 3. Only the thicknesses of the temporal lobe cortices (the bilateral superior and left middle temporal cortex, as well as the left fusiform cortex) were significantly different among Clusters 1, 2, and 3. In contrast, temporal pole thickness reduction was evident exclusively in Cluster 3, which was also characterized by increased lesion loads in the temporal pole and the adjacent juxtacortical white matter, dilatation of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle, severe whole‐brain volume reduction, and longer disease duration. Although cortical atrophy was significantly more common in the progressive phase, approximately half of the MS patients with the severe cortical atrophy pattern had relapsing–remitting disease. Conclusion Cortical thickness reduction patterns in MS are mostly characterized by the degree of temporal lobe cortical atrophy, which may start in the relapsing–remitting phase. Among the temporal lobe cortices, the neurodegenerative change may accelerate in the temporal pole in the progressive phase.

Objective: To examine the patterns of cortical gray matter thickness in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods: Seventy‐four MS patients—clinically isolated syndrome (4%), relapsing–remitting MS (79%), and progressive MS (17%)—and 21 healthy controls (HCs) underwent 1.5 Tesla T1‐weighted 3D MRI examinations to measure brain cortical thickness in a total of 68 regions of interest. Using hierarchical cluster analysis with multivariate cortical thickness data, cortical thickness reduction patterns were cross‐sectionally investigated in MS patients. Results: The MS patients were grouped into three major clusters (Clusters 1, 2, and 3). Most of the regional cortical thickness values were equivalent between the HCs and Cluster 1, but decreased in the order of Clusters 2 and 3. Only the thicknesses of the temporal lobe cortices (the bilateral superior and left middle temporal cortex, as well as the left fusiform cortex) were significantly different among Clusters 1, 2, and 3. In contrast, temporal pole thickness reduction was evident exclusively in Cluster 3, which was also characterized by increased lesion loads in the temporal pole and the adjacent juxtacortical white matter, dilatation of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle, severe whole‐brain volume reduction, and longer disease duration. Although cortical atrophy was significantly more common in the progressive phase, approximately half of the MS patients with the severe cortical atrophy pattern had relapsing–remitting disease. Conclusion: Cortical thickness reduction patterns in MS are mostly characterized by the degree of temporal lobe cortical atrophy, which may start in the relapsing–remitting phase. Among the temporal lobe cortices, the neurodegenerative change may accelerate in the temporal pole in the progressive phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphasia, one of the most common cognitive impairments after stroke, is commonly considered to be a cortical deficit. However, many studies have reported cases of post subcortical stroke aphasia (PSSA). The pathology and recovery mechanism of PSSA remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate PSSA mechanism through a multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach and a two-session study design (baseline and one month after treatment). Thirty-six PSSA patients and twenty-four matched healthy controls (HC) were included. All patients had subcortical infarctions involving left subcortical white matter for 1 to 6 months. The patients underwent MRI scan and Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) examination before and after one month’s comprehensive treatment. Region-wise lesion-symptom mapping (RLSM), tractography, fractional anisotropy (FA), and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) analysis were conducted. After MRI preprocessing and exclusion, FA analysis included 35 patients pre-treatment and 16 patients post-treatment. ALFF analysis included 30 patients pre-treatment and 14 patients post-treatment. We found: 1) the amount of damage in the left uncinate fasciculus (UF) was associated with WAB aphasia quotient (AQ); 2) the left UF FA and left temporal pole (TP) ALFF were decreased and positively correlated with WAB-AQ, spontaneous speech, and naming in PSSA patients; and 3) PSSA patients showed increased left TP ALFF when their language ability recovered after treatment. The left TP ALFF change was positively correlated with AQ change. Our results demonstrate the importance of left UF and left TP (one of the cortical terminals of the left UF) in PSSA pathology and recovery. These results may further provide support for the disconnection theory in the mechanism of PSSA.

Individuals often anticipate an unrealistically favorable future for themselves (personal optimism bias) or others (social optimism bias). While such biases are well established, little is known about their neuroanatomy. In this study, participants engaged in a soccer task and estimated the likelihood of successful passes in personal and social scenarios. Voxel-based morphometry revealed that personal optimism bias varied as a positive function of gray matter volume (GMV) in the putamen, frontal pole, hippocampus, temporal pole, inferior temporal gyrus, visual association areas, and mid-superior temporal gyrus. Social optimism bias correlated positively with GMV in the temporoparietal junction and negatively with GMV in the inferior temporal gyrus and pre-supplementary motor areas. Together, these findings suggest that parts of our optimistic outlook are biologically rooted. Moreover, while the two biases looked similar at the behavioral level, they were related to distinct gray matter structures, proposing that their underlying mechanisms are not identical.

• Whether people recognition and proper naming follow modality-specific or aspecific mechanisms is still under debate. • The right anterior temporal lobe (ATL) was linked to familiarity and recognition; the left ATL is crucial for proper naming. • Anodal tDCS over the right ATL before a face or voice recognition and naming task modulated familiarity for faces. • A-tDCS of the left ATL improved naming for both faces and voices. • Familiarity seems modality-specific, occurring in the right ATL for faces; naming is amodal and processed by the left ATL. People's identity recognition and the neural correlates underlying this process are still a matter of debate. While neuropsychological reports on single cases show a crucial role of the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL) in proper naming, and of the right ATL in people's identification, reviews are less consistent. Moreover, it is still controversial whether familiarity and personal semantics access rely on amodal processes or follow modality-dependent paths. To disentangle these issues, we tested, in a parallel-group design, neurologically unimpaired subjects in two famous people recognition tasks after anodal tDCS over the left or right ATL or after a placebo stimulation condition. In the famous people recognition task, subjects were presented with visual (face recognition) or auditory (voice recognition) stimuli and subjects had to judge whether stimuli belonged to a famous or non-famous person (familiarity test); then, if the stimulus was recognized as famous, participants had to provide personal semantic information about the character; finally, to investigate proper naming, subjects were asked to name the famous person. While right ATL anodal tDCS increased accuracy in famous faces (but not voices) judgment and personal semantics retrieval, left ATL stimulation increased proper naming for both visual and auditory stimuli. Our data support a key role of the right ATL in famous people recognition and access to personal semantics from visual inputs, while the left ATL seems crucial for proper naming, which seems to occur at a later stage, when presentation modality no longer affects the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Professional Pingju opera actors had regional CBF changes compared with untrained subjects. • Long-term professional Pingju opera training might induce the regional CBF changes. • No significant CBF connectivity alteration was found in Pingju opera actors. Professional Pingju actors have been shown to exhibit practice-induced plastic changes in spontaneous regional brain activity; however, whether these changes are present in resting-state regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) remains largely unclear. Here, twenty professional Pingju opera actors and 20 age-, sex-, and handedness-matched untrained subjects were recruited, and resting-state CBF maps were obtained by using a three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labelling sequence. Voxel-based comparisons of the CBF maps between the two groups were performed with two-sample t -tests, and correlation analyses between the CBF changes and years of training in the actor group were conducted. In addition, the CBF connectivity between regions with CBF alterations and the whole brain was computed and compared between the two groups. Compared with untrained subjects, the actors showed significantly higher CBF in the right inferior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, left temporal pole, and left inferior frontal gyrus, whereas significantly lower CBF was not found in the actor group (voxel-level uncorrected p < 0.001, cluster-level family-wise error corrected p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was no correlation between the mean CBF values from significantly different clusters and the years of training, and no significant alterations in CBF connectivity were found in the actor group. Overall, these results provided preliminary evidence that neural plastic changes in CBF are present in professional Pingju opera actors, which may correspond to specific experiences associated with Pingju opera training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Τhe middle longitudinal fasciculus (MdLF) was initially identified in humans as a discrete subcortical pathway connecting the superior temporal gyrus (STG) to the angular gyrus (AG). Further anatomo-imaging studies, however, proposed more sophisticated but conflicting connectivity patterns and have created a vague perception on its functional anatomy. Our aim was, therefore, to investigate the ambiguous structural architecture of this tract through focused cadaveric dissections augmented by a tailored DTI protocol in healthy participants from the Human Connectome dataset. Three segments and connectivity patterns were consistently recorded: the MdLF-I, connecting the dorsolateral Temporal Pole (TP) and STG to the Superior Parietal Lobule/Precuneus, through the Heschl's gyrus; the MdLF-II, connecting the dorsolateral TP and the STG with the Parieto-occipital area through the posterior transverse gyri and the MdLF-III connecting the most anterior part of the TP to the posterior border of the occipital lobe through the AG. The lack of an established termination pattern to the AG and the fact that no significant leftward asymmetry is disclosed tend to shift the paradigm away from language function. Conversely, the theory of "where" and "what" auditory pathways, the essential relationship of the MdLF with the auditory cortex and the functional role of the cortical areas implicated in its connectivity tend to shift the paradigm towards auditory function. Allegedly, the MdLF-I and MdLF-II segments could underpin the perception of auditory representations; whereas, the MdLF-III could potentially subserve the integration of auditory and visual information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background To date, few MRI studies have been performed in patients affected by chronic migraine (CM), especially in those without medication overuse. Here, we performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses to investigate the gray matter (GM) volume of the whole brain in patients affected by CM. Our aim was to investigate whether fluctuations in the GM volumes were related to the clinical features of CM. Methods Twenty untreated patients with CM without a past medical history of medication overuse underwent 3-Tesla MRI scans and were compared to a group of 20 healthy controls (HCs). We used SPM12 and the CAT12 toolbox to process the MRI data and to perform VBM analyses of the structural T1-weighted MRI scans. The GM volume of patients was compared to that of HCs with various corrected and uncorrected thresholds. To check for possible correlations, patients’ clinical features and GM maps were regressed. Results Initially, we did not find significant differences in the GM volume between patients with CM and HCs (p

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common monogenic cause of stroke. Mutations in the NOTCH3 gene cause vasculopathic changes predominantly involving medium and small brain arteries leading to progressively impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation, hypoperfusion, and ischemia. Magnetic resonance neuroimaging of CADASIL patients shows progressive white matter hyperintensity and accumulation of deep infarcts. Though these findings resemble in many respects changes seen in hypertensive cerebral small vessel disease, CADASIL is distinguished by early and extensive involvement of two regions: the white matter of the anterior temporal poles and the external capsules. Despite the longstanding reliance on presence of these findings to render a diagnosis of CADASIL, to our knowledge no pathophysiologic explanation has hitherto been advanced for the early and extensive temporal pole and external capsule. This paper advances the hypothesis that two distinctive features of the vascularization of temporal polar and external capsule white matter underly their early injury in CADASIL. First, the intermediate lumen diameters (0.75–1.00 mm) and the obtuse takeoff angles of the temporopolar artery (supplying temporal pole white matter) and the lateral lenticulostriate arteries (supplying the external capsule) cause intensified radial and sheer wall stress and vessel injury. Second, the sparse collateral supply to these regions potentiates the ischemic insult from compromise of directly supplying vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), surrounding the genu of the corpus callosum, plays important roles in emotional processing and is functionally divided into the dorsal, perigenual, and subgenual subregions (dACC, pgACC, and sgACC, respectively). Previous studies have suggested that the pgACC and sgACC have distinctive roles in the regulation of emotion. In order to elicit appropriate emotional responses, these ACC regions require sensory information from the environment. Anatomically, the ACC has rich connections with the temporal lobe, where the higher-order processing of sensory information takes place. To clarify the organization of sensory inputs into the ACC subregions, we injected neuronal tracers into the pgACC, sgACC, and dACC and compared the afferent connections. Previously, we analyzed the afferent projections from the amygdala and found a distinct pattern for the sgACC. In the present study, the patterns of the afferent projections were analyzed in the temporal cortex, especially the temporal pole (TP) and medial temporal areas. After tracers were injected into the sgACC, we observed labeled neurons in the TP and the subiculum of the hippocampal formation. The majority of the labeled cell bodies were found in the superficial layers of the TP (“feedforward” type projections). The pgACC received afferent projections from the TP, the entorhinal cortex (EC), and the parahippocampal cortex (PHC), but not from the hippocampus. In each area, the labeled cells were mainly found in the deep layers (“feedback” type projection). The pattern for the dACC was similar to that for the pgACC. Previous studies suggested that the pgACC, but not the sgACC receive projections from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). These data suggest that the sgACC plays crucial roles for emotional responses based on sensory and mnemonic inputs from the anterior temporal lobe, whereas the pgACC is more related to the cognitive control of emotion.

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), surrounding the genu of the corpus callosum, plays important roles in emotional processing and is functionally divided into the dorsal, perigenual, and subgenual subregions (dACC, pgACC, and sgACC, respectively). Previous studies have suggested that the pgACC and sgACC have distinctive roles in the regulation of emotion. In order to elicit appropriate emotional responses, these ACC regions require sensory information from the environment. Anatomically, the ACC has rich connections with the temporal lobe, where the higher-order processing of sensory information takes place. To clarify the organization of sensory inputs into the ACC subregions, we injected neuronal tracers into the pgACC, sgACC, and dACC and compared the afferent connections. Previously, we analyzed the afferent projections from the amygdala and found a distinct pattern for the sgACC. In the present study, the patterns of the afferent projections were analyzed in the temporal cortex, especially the temporal pole (TP) and medial temporal areas. After tracers were injected into the sgACC, we observed labeled neurons in the TP and the subiculum of the hippocampal formation. The majority of the labeled cell bodies were found in the superficial layers of the TP ("feedforward" type projections). The pgACC received afferent projections from the TP, the entorhinal cortex (EC), and the parahippocampal cortex (PHC), but not from the hippocampus. In each area, the labeled cells were mainly found in the deep layers ("feedback" type projection). The pattern for the dACC was similar to that for the pgACC. Previous studies suggested that the pgACC, but not the sgACC receive projections from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). These data suggest that the sgACC plays crucial roles for emotional responses based on sensory and mnemonic inputs from the anterior temporal lobe, whereas the pgACC is more related to the cognitive control of emotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Tonality-changed melodies were associated with increased activation of the left vlPFC and left superior temporal pole. • Left vlPFC might underpin the cognitive control for retrieving the pitch-naming rule. • Left superior temporal pole might integrate the melodic/harmonic context and emotional meanings of music. Abstract In human music, the tonality (key) may change to punctuate sectional structures and to produce emotional effects. A tonality change would sound "smoother" when it is supported by appropriate harmony. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined the neural substrates of the processing of tonality change. We used a 2 × 2 factorial design with factors tonality change (tonality changed versus tonality unchanged) and harmonization (harmonized versus unharmonized). Participants were asked to covertly sing the pitch names in the movable- do system along with the heard melody. Repetitions of this melody were associated with or without a tonality change, with equal probability in a pseudo-random order. Our result demonstrated that tonality changes elicited increased activation in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and left temporal pole. When a tonality change occurred, the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex might underpin the cognitive control for retrieving the pitch-naming rule of the new tonality, whereas the left temporal pole might integrate the melodic/harmonic context and emotional meanings of music. This study provides a new insight into the cognitive and emotional processing of music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of research on depression, the underlying pathophysiology of depression remains incompletely understood. Emerging evidence from task-based studies suggests that the abnormal reward-related processing contribute to the development of depression. It is unclear about the function pattern of reward-related circuit during resting state in depressive patients. In present study, seed-based functional connectivity was used to evaluate the functional pattern of reward-related circuit during resting state. Selected seeds were two key nodes in reward processing, medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Fifty depressive patients and 57 healthy participants were included in present study. Clinical severity of participants was assessed with Hamilton depression scale and Hamilton anxiety scale. We found that compared with healthy participants, depressive patients showed decreased connectivity of right mOFC with left temporal pole (TP_L), right insula extending to superior temporal gyrus (INS_R/STG) and increased connectivity of right mOFC with left precuneus. Similarly, decreased connectivity of left mOFC with TP_L and increased connectivity with cuneus were found in depressive patients. There is also decreased connectivity of right NAcc with bilateral temporal pole, as well as decreased connectivity of left NAcc with INS_R/STG. In addition, the functional connectivity of right nucleus accumbens with right temporal pole (TP_R) was negatively correlated with clinical severity. Our results emphasize the role of communication deficits between reward systems and paralimbic cortex in the pathophysiology of depression.

The temporal pole (TP) is considered one of the major paralimbic cortical regions, and is involved in a variety of functions such as sensory perception, emotion, semantic processing, and social cognition. Based on differences in cytoarchitecture, the TP can be further subdivided into smaller regions (dorsal, ventrolateral and ventromedial), each forming key nodes of distinct functional networks. However, the brain structural connectivity profile of TP subregions is not fully clarified. Using diffusion MRI data in a set of 31 healthy subjects, we aimed to elucidate the comprehensive structural connectivity of three cytoarchitectonically distinct TP subregions. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis suggested that major association fiber pathways such as the inferior longitudinal, middle longitudinal, arcuate, and uncinate fasciculi provide structural connectivity to the TP. Further analysis suggested partially overlapping yet still distinct structural connectivity patterns across the TP subregions. Specifically, the dorsal subregion is strongly connected with wide areas in the parietal lobe, the ventrolateral subregion with areas including constituents of the default-semantic network, and the ventromedial subregion with limbic and paralimbic areas. Our results suggest the involvement of the TP in a set of extensive but distinct networks of cortical regions, consistent with its functional roles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Sasaki, Makris, Shenton, Savadjiev, Rathi, Eckbo, Bouix, Yeterian, Dickerson and Kubicki.)

Background: Conceptual knowledge does not decay randomly in patients with cerebral damage, suggesting that dedicated neural substrates may support different categories of knowledge. Semantic dementia is an optimal natural model for studying the organization of semantic memory. Nevertheless, in a pathology primarily characterized by a semantic memory disorder categorical- and modality- specific effects are not obvious findings. In fact, there is no clear evidence of categorical effects, at least concerning two broad categories of knowledge, that is, natural items and artifacts. Furthermore, transmodal deficits do not seem to be the rule in SD. Also quite robust is the observation that some conceptual domains are relatively spared in this pathology, that is, numerical knowledge, abstract words, and action verbs. Aims: To explore category specific and modality specific deficit in SD and to support the evidence that semantic degradation in SD primarily involves knowledge of the objects in the real world, whereas categories of knowledge whose items can be less easily identified by surface attributes, such as verbs, numbers and body parts, are more preserved. Methods and Procedures: We investigated the semantic impairment in 8 patients with Semantic Dementia (SD). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in each patient was also obtained Outcomes and Results: In some patients manmade objects were significantly more preserved than natural items, verbs more preserved than nouns and the number system entirely preserved; the body parts category was the least impaired in all subjects; finally, in three patients visual semantic knowledge was significantly more preserved than verbal semantic knowledge. VBM showed that atrophy of the anterior inferior temporal regions was insufficient to impair knowledge about verbs, numbers and body parts, whose impairment was associated with more widespread atrophy. In subjects whose verbal semantic knowledge was significantly more impaired than visual semantic knowledge, atrophy was principally distributed in the left hemisphere. In patients with significant impairment for natural items compared to manmade objects, atrophy was not confine in the temporal lobes. Conclusion: We conclude that in SD semantic decay primarily involves the real-world items whose knowledge is processed by surface sensorifunctional features and that this is the type of knowledge stored in the temporal lobes. Our data support a model that associates a semantic hub with modality/category specific neural substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of research on depression, the underlying pathophysiology of depression remains incompletely understood. Emerging evidence from task-based studies suggests that the abnormal reward-related processing contribute to the development of depression. It is unclear about the function pattern of reward-related circuit during resting state in depressive patients. In present study, seed-based functional connectivity was used to evaluate the functional pattern of reward-related circuit during resting state. Selected seeds were two key nodes in reward processing, medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Fifty depressive patients and 57 healthy participants were included in present study. Clinical severity of participants was assessed with Hamilton depression scale and Hamilton anxiety scale. We found that compared with healthy participants, depressive patients showed decreased connectivity of right mOFC with left temporal pole (TP_L), right insula extending to superior temporal gyrus (INS_R/STG) and increased connectivity of right mOFC with left precuneus. Similarly, decreased connectivity of left mOFC with TP_L and increased connectivity with cuneus were found in depressive patients. There is also decreased connectivity of right NAcc with bilateral temporal pole, as well as decreased connectivity of left NAcc with INS_R/STG. In addition, the functional connectivity of right nucleus accumbens with right temporal pole (TP_R) was negatively correlated with clinical severity. Our results emphasize the role of communication deficits between reward systems and paralimbic cortex in the pathophysiology of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical thinking enables people to form sound beliefs and provides a basis for emotional life. Research has indicated that individuals with better critical thinking disposition can better recognize and regulate their emotions, though the neuroanatomical mechanisms involved in this process remain to be elucidated. Further, the influence of emotional intelligence on the relationship between brain structure and critical thinking disposition has not been examined. The present study utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate the neural structures underlying critical thinking disposition in a large sample of college students (N = 296). Regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the bilateral temporal pole, which reflects an individual's ability to process social and emotional information, was negatively correlated with critical thinking disposition. In addition, rGMV in bilateral para hippocampal regions -regions involved in contextual association/emotional regulation-exhibited negative correlation with critical thinking disposition. Further analysis revealed that emotional intelligence moderated the relationship between rGMV of the temporal pole and critical thinking disposition. Specifically, critical thinking disposition was associated with decreased GMV of the temporal pole for individuals who have relatively higher emotional intelligence rather than lower emotional intelligence. The results of the present study indicate that people who have higher emotional intelligence exhibit more effective and automatic processing of emotional information and tend to be strong critical thinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite much research, bipolar depression remains poorly understood, with no clinically useful biomarkers for its diagnosis. The paralimbic system has become a target for biomarker research, with paralimbic structural connectivity commonly reported to distinguish bipolar patients from controls in tractography-based diffusion MRI studies, despite inconsistent findings in voxel-based studies. The purpose of this analysis was to validate existing findings with traditional diffusion MRI metrics and investigate the utility of a novel diffusion MRI metric, entropy of diffusion, in the search for bipolar depression biomarkers. We performed group-level analysis on 9 un-medicated (6 medication-naïve; 3 medication-free for at least 33 days) bipolar patients in a major depressive episode and 9 matched healthy controls to compare: (1) average mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) and; (2) MD and FA histogram entropy-a statistical measure of distribution homogeneity-in the amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex and temporal pole. We also conducted classification analyses with leave-one-out and separate testing dataset ( N = 11) approaches. We did not observe statistically significant differences in average MD or FA between the groups in any region. However, in the temporal pole, we observed significantly lower MD entropy in bipolar patients; this finding suggests a regional difference in MD distributions in the absence of an average difference. This metric allowed us to accurately characterize bipolar patients from controls in leave-one-out (accuracy = 83%) and prediction (accuracy = 73%) analyses. This novel application of diffusion MRI yielded not only an interesting separation between bipolar patients and healthy controls, but also accurately classified bipolar patients from controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report a case of 18-year-old woman with partial complex seizures compatible with temporal epilepsy by semiology. Due to medical refractoriness, she was referred to pre-surgical evaluation. Initially, MRI showed no significant structural abnormality and superficial scalp EEG demonstrated epileptiform activity in the frontotemporal areas. Due to the lack of clear MRI abnormalities and the potential involvement of dominant mesial temporal structures by seizure semiology and non-invasive data, extra-operative invasive evaluation using stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) methodology was indicated. Invasive monitoring demonstrated seizure onset in the left temporal pole with early spread to ipsilateral amygdala. Surgical treatment resulted in resection of the temporal pole and amygdala, with preservation of the remaining mesial temporal lobe structures. Intraoperatively, it was observed that multiple dural defects in the anterior middle temporal fossa with invagination of adjacent temporal pole parenchyma are compatible with temporal encephalocele. Patient remains seizure-free since surgery (12 months follow-up period) with preservation of neuropsychological functions. Although temporal pole resection plus amygdalohippocampectomy has been described as an adequate surgical approach in temporal encephalocele cases, we demonstrated the usefulness of the SEEG methodology in minimizing the volume of temporal lobe resection without compromising seizure and neuropsychological outcomes. The optimal results in this case and the review of the literature may suggest that in medically refractory epilepsies caused by temporal pole encephaloceles, preservation of the temporal lobe mesial structures should be attempted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, few MRI studies have been performed in patients affected by chronic migraine (CM), especially in those without medication overuse. Here, we performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses to investigate the gray matter (GM) volume of the whole brain in patients affected by CM. Our aim was to investigate whether fluctuations in the GM volumes were related to the clinical features of CM. Methods: Twenty untreated patients with CM without a past medical history of medication overuse underwent 3-Tesla MRI scans and were compared to a group of 20 healthy controls (HCs). We used SPM12 and the CAT12 toolbox to process the MRI data and to perform VBM analyses of the structural T1-weighted MRI scans. The GM volume of patients was compared to that of HCs with various corrected and uncorrected thresholds. To check for possible correlations, patients' clinical features and GM maps were regressed. Results: Initially, we did not find significant differences in the GM volume between patients with CM and HCs ( p < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons). However, using more-liberal uncorrected statistical thresholds, we noted that compared to HCs, patients with CM exhibited clusters of regions with lower GM volumes including the cerebellum, left middle temporal gyrus, left temporal pole/amygdala/hippocampus/pallidum/orbitofrontal cortex, and left occipital areas (Brodmann areas 17/18). The GM volume of the cerebellar hemispheres was negatively correlated with the disease duration and positively correlated with the number of tablets taken per month. Conclusion: No gross morphometric changes were observed in patients with CM when compared with HCs. However, using more-liberal uncorrected statistical thresholds, we observed that CM is associated with subtle GM volume changes in several brain areas known to be involved in nociception/antinociception, multisensory integration, and analgesic dependence. We speculate that these slight morphometric impairments could lead, at least in a subgroup of patients, to the development and continuation of maladaptive acute medication usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]