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We investigated brain activity associated with executive control attention network in elite, expert, and novice female ice hockey athletes during the revised lateralized attention network tast to determine whether the neural correlates of performance differ by skill level. We collected and analyzed functional near-infrared spectroscopy data of 38 participants while performing the revised lateralized attention network tast. Elite players were significantly faster than novices (p =.005), and the experts' overall accuracy rate (ACC) was higher than that of novices (p =.001). The effect of the executive network on reaction time was higher in novices than in elite players (p =.008) and experts (p =.004). The effect of the executive network on the ACC was lower in elite players than in experts (p =.009) and novices (p =.010). Finally, elite player had higher flanker conflict effects on RT (p =.005) under the invalid cue condition. the effect of the alertness network and orientation on the ACC was lower in elite players than in novices (p =.000) and experts (p =.022). Changes in the blood oxygen level-dependent signal related to the flanker effect were significantly different in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F=3.980, p =.028) and right inferior frontal gyrus (F=3.703, p =.035) among the three groups. Elit players showed more efficient executive control (reduced conflict effect on ACC) (p =.006)in the RH.The changes related to the effect of blood oxygen level on orienting were significantly different in the right frontal eye fields (F=3.883, p =.030) among the three groups, Accompanied by significant activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(p =.026). Our findings provide partial evidence of the superior cognitive performance and high neural efficiency of elite ice hockey players during cognitive tasks. These results demonstrate the right hemisphere superiority for executive control.We also found that specific brain activation in hockey players does not show a clear and linear relationship with skill level. • Brain activity of elite athletes was compared with that of experts and novices. • We assessed the cognitive activity of hockey players using fNIRS. • Elite players showed higher cognitive performance and neural efficiency. • Our findings support the neural efficiency hypothesis. • Brain activation does not show a clear linear relationship with skill level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in brain imaging have contributed to our understanding of the neural activity associated with acupuncture treatment. In this study, we investigated functional connectivity across longitudinal acupuncture treatments in older patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Over a period of 4 weeks (six treatments), we collected resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans from 30 patients before and after their first, third and sixth treatments. Clinical outcome showed a significantly greater pain subscore on the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) (indicative of improvement) with verum acupuncture than with sham acupuncture. Independent component analysis (ICA) of the resting state fMRI data showed that the right frontoparietal network (rFPN) and the executive control network (ECN) showed enhanced functional connectivity (FC) with the rostral anterior cingulate cortex/ medial prefrontal cortex, a key region in the descending pain modulatory system, in the verum groups as compared to the sham group after treatments. We also found that the rFPN connectivity with the left insula is (1) significantly associated with changes in KOOS pain score after treatments, and (2) significantly enhanced after verum acupuncture treatments as compared to sham treatment. Analysis of the acupuncture needle stimulation scan showed that compared with sham treatment, verum acupuncture activated the left operculum/insula, which also overlaps with findings observed in resting state analysis. Our results suggest that acupuncture may achieve its therapeutic effect on knee OA pain by modulating functional connectivity between the rFPN, ECN and the descending pain modulatory pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The symptoms and pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) are complicated and an accurate diagnosis of PD is difficult, particularly in early-stage. Because functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is non-invasive and is characterized by the integration of different brain areas in terms of functional connectivity (FC), fMRI has been widely used in PD research. Non-motor symptom (NMS) features are also frequently present in PD before the onset of classical motor symptoms with pain as the primary NMS. Considering that PD could affect the pain process at multiple levels, we hypothesized that pain is one of the earliest symptoms in PD and investigated whether FC of the pain network was disrupted in PD without pain. To better understand the pathogenesis of pain in PD, we combined resting state and pain-stimuli-induced task state fMRI to identify alterations in FC related to pain in PD. Methods: Fourteen early drug-naïve PD without pain and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) participated in our testing task. We used independent component analysis to select seven functional networks related to PD and pain. We focused on abnormalities in FC and in functional network connectivity (FNC) in PD compared with HC during the task (51°C heat pain stimuli) and at rest. Results: Compared with HC, PD showed decreased FC in putamen within basal ganglia network (BGN) in task state and decreased FC in putamen of salience network (SN) and mid-cingulate cortex of sensorimotor network in rest state. FNC between the BGN and the SN are reduced during both states in PD compared with HC. In addition, right frontoparietal network (RFPN), which is considered as a bridge between the SN and default-mode network, was significantly disturbed during the task. Conclusion: These findings suggest that BGN plays a role in the pathological mechanisms of pain underlying PD, and RFPN likely contributes greatly to harmonization between intrinsic brain activity and external stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the link between resting-state functional connectivity and cognition in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. An overview the methods of the study is given. The association of cognitive performance with reduced resting state functional connectivity is concluded by the study. The potential use of connectivity in monitoring and predicting cognitive impairment in MS patients is noted.

Background: The symptoms and pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) are complicated and an accurate diagnosis of PD is difficult, particularly in early-stage. Because functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is non-invasive and is characterized by the integration of different brain areas in terms of functional connectivity (FC), fMRI has been widely used in PD research. Non-motor symptom (NMS) features are also frequently present in PD before the onset of classical motor symptoms with pain as the primary NMS. Considering that PD could affect the pain process at multiple levels, we hypothesized that pain is one of the earliest symptoms in PD and investigated whether FC of the pain network was disrupted in PD without pain. To better understand the pathogenesis of pain in PD, we combined resting state and pain-stimuli-induced task state fMRI to identify alterations in FC related to pain in PD., Methods: Fourteen early drug-naïve PD without pain and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) participated in our testing task. We used independent component analysis to select seven functional networks related to PD and pain. We focused on abnormalities in FC and in functional network connectivity (FNC) in PD compared with HC during the task (51°C heat pain stimuli) and at rest., Results: Compared with HC, PD showed decreased FC in putamen within basal ganglia network (BGN) in task state and decreased FC in putamen of salience network (SN) and mid-cingulate cortex of sensorimotor network in rest state. FNC between the BGN and the SN are reduced during both states in PD compared with HC. In addition, right frontoparietal network (RFPN), which is considered as a bridge between the SN and default-mode network, was significantly disturbed during the task., Conclusion: These findings suggest that BGN plays a role in the pathological mechanisms of pain underlying PD, and RFPN likely contributes greatly to harmonization between intrinsic brain activity and external stimuli.

Recent advances in brain imaging have contributed to our understanding of the neural activity associated with acupuncture treatment. In this study, we investigated functional connectivity across longitudinal acupuncture treatments in older patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Over a period of 4 weeks (six treatments), we collected resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans from 30 patients before and after their first, third and sixth treatments. Clinical outcome showed a significantly greater pain subscore on the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) (indicative of improvement) with verum acupuncture than with sham acupuncture. Independent component analysis (ICA) of the resting state fMRI data showed that the right frontoparietal network (rFPN) and the executive control network (ECN) showed enhanced functional connectivity (FC) with the rostral anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex, a key region in the descending pain modulatory system, in the verum groups as compared to the sham group after treatments. We also found that the rFPN connectivity with the left insula is (1) significantly associated with changes in KOOS pain score after treatments, and (2) significantly enhanced after verum acupuncture treatments as compared to sham treatment. Analysis of the acupuncture needle stimulation scan showed that compared with sham treatment, verum acupuncture activated the left operculum/insula, which also overlaps with findings observed in resting state analysis. Our results suggest that acupuncture may achieve its therapeutic effect on knee OA pain by modulating functional connectivity between the rFPN, ECN and the descending pain modulatory pathway. Clinical trial number: NCT01079390 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12990-015-0071-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.