Functional Activation During a Cognitive Control Task in Healthy Youth Specific to Externalizing or Internalizing Behaviors

Relationship between δ-catenin expression and whole-brain small-world network in breast cancer patients before chemotherapy

Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between δ-catenin expression and whole-brain small-world network in breast cancer patients before chemotherapy using rs-fMRI. The study was based on the hypothesis that different δ-catenin expression levels correspond to distinct brain imaging characteristics. A total of 105 pathologically confirmed breast cancer patients were collected and categorized into high δ-catenin expression (DH, 52 cases) and low expression (DL, 53 cases) groups. Additionally, 36 age-matched healthy women were enrolled as a healthy control group (HC). The results demonstrated differences in several network topology attributes among the three groups. Furthermore, in addition to differences in nodal efficiency, betweenness, and degree centrality metrics observed between the patient groups and HCs across multiple brain regions, significant alterations were also identified between the DL and DH groups, particularly in the supramarginal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus. Correlation analysis revealed associations between cognitive and memory-related brain regions, such as the caudate nucleus and frontal lobe, and scores on cognitive and verbal memory scales (all P < 0.05). This study concludes that high and low expression levels of δ-catenin in breast cancer patients are associated with distinct whole-brain network topology patterns, and that these differences in network segregation and integration functions are associated with alterations in cognition and verbal memory.

40-Hz Blue Light Changes Hippocampal Activation and Functional Connectivity Underlying Recognition Memory

Research on light modulation has typically examined the wavelength, intensity, and exposure time of light, and measured rhythm, sleep, and cognitive ability to evaluate the regulatory effects of light variables on physiological and cognitive functions. Although the frequency of light is one of the main dimensions of light, few studies have attempted to manipulate it to test the effect on brain activation and performance. Recently, 40-Hz light stimulation has been proven to significantly alleviate deficits in gamma oscillation of the hippocampus caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Although this oscillation is one of the key functional characteristics of performing memory tasks in healthy people, there is no evidence that 40-Hz blue light exposure can effectively regulate brain activities related to complex cognitive tasks. In the current study, we examined the difference in the effects of 40-Hz light or 0-Hz light exposure on brain activation and functional connectivity during a recognition memory task. Through joint augmentation of visual area activation, 40-Hz light enhanced brain areas mostly in the limbic system that are related to memory, such as the hippocampus and thalamus. Conversely, 0-Hz light enhanced brain areas mostly in the prefrontal cortex. Additionally, functional connection analysis, with the hippocampus as the seed point, showed that 40-Hz light enhanced connection with the superior parietal lobe and reduced the connection with the default network. These results indicate that light at a frequency of 40 Hz can change the activity and functional connection of memory-related core brain areas. They also indicate that in the use of light to regulate cognitive functions, its frequency characteristics merit attention.

The long-term associations between parental behaviors, cognitive function and brain activation in adolescence

Parenting behavior has a vital role in the development of the brain and cognitive abilities of offspring throughout childhood and adolescence. While positive and aggressive parenting behavior have been suggested to impact neurobiology in the form of abnormal brain activation in adolescents, little work has investigated the links between parenting behavior and the neurobiological correlates of cognitive performance during this age period. In the current longitudinal fMRI study, associations between parenting behaviors and cognitive performance and brain activation across mid- and late-adolescence were assessed. Observed measures of maternal aggressive and positive behavior were recorded in early adolescence (12 years) and correlated with fMRI activation and in-scanner behavioral scores on the multi-source interference task (MSIT) during mid- (16 years; 95 participants) and late-adolescence (19 years; 75 participants). There was a significant reduction in inhibitory-control-related brain activation in posterior parietal and cingulate cortices as participants transitioned from mid- to late-adolescence. Positive maternal behavior in early-adolescence was associated with lower activation in the left parietal and DLPFC during the MSIT in mid-adolescence, whereas maternal aggressive behavior was associated with longer reaction time to incongruent trials in late-adolescence. The study supports the notion that maternal behavior may influence subsequent neurocognitive development during adolescence.