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Volfart A, McMahon KL, de Zubicaray GI. A Comparison of Denoising Approaches for Spoken Word Production Related Artefacts in Continuous Multiband fMRI Data. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:901-921. [PMID: 39301209 PMCID: PMC11410355 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
It is well-established from fMRI experiments employing gradient echo echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequences that overt speech production introduces signal artefacts compromising accurate detection of task-related responses. Both design and post-processing (denoising) techniques have been proposed and implemented over the years to mitigate the various noise sources. Recently, fMRI studies of speech production have begun to adopt multiband EPI sequences that offer better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and temporal resolution allowing adequate sampling of physiological noise sources (e.g., respiration, cardiovascular effects) and reduced scanner acoustic noise. However, these new sequences may also introduce additional noise sources. In this study, we demonstrate the impact of applying several noise-estimation and removal approaches to continuous multiband fMRI data acquired during a naming-to-definition task, including rigid body motion regression and outlier censoring, principal component analysis for removal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/edge-related noise components, and global fMRI signal regression (using two different approaches) compared to a baseline of realignment and unwarping alone. Our results show the strongest and most spatially extensive sources of physiological noise are the global signal fluctuations arising from respiration and muscle action and CSF/edge-related noise components, with residual rigid body motion contributing relatively little variance. Interestingly, denoising approaches tended to reduce and enhance task-related BOLD signal increases and decreases, respectively. Global signal regression using a voxel-wise linear model of the global signal estimated from unmasked data resulted in dramatic improvements in temporal SNR. Overall, these findings show the benefits of combining continuous multiband EPI sequences and denoising approaches to investigate the neurobiology of speech production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelique Volfart
- Faculty of Health, School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Katie L McMahon
- Faculty of Health, School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
- Herston Imaging Research Facility, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Greig I de Zubicaray
- Faculty of Health, School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Zhao X, Wang Y, Wu X, Liu S. An MRI Study of Morphology, Asymmetry, and Sex Differences of Inferior Precentral Sulcus. Brain Topogr 2024; 37:748-763. [PMID: 38374489 PMCID: PMC11393153 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-024-01035-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Numerous studies utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have observed sex and interhemispheric disparities in sulcal morphology, which could potentially underpin certain functional disparities in the human brain. Most of the existing research examines the precentral sulcus comprehensively, with a rare focus on its subsections. To explore the morphology, asymmetry, and sex disparities within the inferior precentral sulcus (IPCS), we acquired 3.0T magnetic resonance images from 92 right-handed Chinese adolescents. Brainvisa was used to reconstruct the IPCS structure and calculate its mean depth (MD). Based on the morphological patterns of IPCS, it was categorized into five distinct types. Additionally, we analyzed four different types of spatial relationships between IPCS and inferior frontal sulcus (IFS). There was a statistically significant sex disparity in the MD of IPCS, primarily observed in the right hemisphere. Females exhibited significantly greater asymmetry in the MD of IPCS compared to males. No statistically significant sex or hemispheric variations were identified in sulcal patterns. Our findings expand the comprehension of inconsistencies in sulcal structure, while also delivering an anatomical foundation for the study of related regions' function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinran Zhao
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, Shandong, China
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Medical College, Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaokang Wu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, Shandong, China
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Shuwei Liu
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
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Cargnelutti E, Ius T, Maieron M, D’Agostini S, Skrap M, Tomasino B. Comparative Analysis of Brain Coping Mechanisms in Small Left-Hemisphere Lesions: Incidental vs. Symptomatic Gliomas. Brain Sci 2024; 14:887. [PMID: 39335382 PMCID: PMC11429952 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14090887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Incidentally discovered low-grade gliomas (iLGGs) are very rare and little is still known about their associated functional imaging activation patterns, white-matter status, and plasticity potential. Recent studies shed light on several clinical factors responsible for the good clinical status observed in these patients versus those with their symptomatic counterpart (sLGGs), including small volume. Comparisons were typically carried out by comparing iLGGs with the wider and more heterogeneous sLGG group. In this study, we investigated whether iLGGs affect the brain differently from comparably small sLGGs. METHOD Starting from a sample of 13 patients with iLGG, in the current comparative cross-sectional study, we identified a group of patients with sLGGs, primarily matched by lesion volume. We looked for potential differences between the two groups in language-related functional and structural parameters (the fMRI network associated with naming and white-matter fascicles). RESULTS The t-test did not show significant differences in the fMRI network, but these emerged when performing masking. No significant differences were observed at the white-matter level. CONCLUSIONS Given that small volumes characterized both groups and that demographic variables were comparable, too, we hypothesized that differences between the two groups could be attributed to alternative lesion-related parameters. We discussed these findings from clinical and neurosurgical perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Cargnelutti
- Scientific Institute, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico E. Medea, Dipartimento/Unità Operativa Pasian di Prato, 33037 Pasian di Prato, Italy
| | - Tamara Ius
- Neurosurgery Unit, Head-Neck and Neurosciences Department, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Friuli Centrale, 33100 Udine, Italy; (T.I.); (M.S.)
| | - Marta Maieron
- Department of Physics, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Friuli Centrale, 33100 Udine, Italy;
| | - Serena D’Agostini
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Friuli Centrale, 33100 Udine, Italy;
| | - Miran Skrap
- Neurosurgery Unit, Head-Neck and Neurosciences Department, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Friuli Centrale, 33100 Udine, Italy; (T.I.); (M.S.)
| | - Barbara Tomasino
- Scientific Institute, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico E. Medea, Dipartimento/Unità Operativa Pasian di Prato, 33037 Pasian di Prato, Italy
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Nolan E, Loh KK, Petrides M. Morphological patterns and spatial probability maps of the inferior frontal sulcus in the human brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26759. [PMID: 38989632 PMCID: PMC11237881 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The inferior frontal sulcus (ifs) is a prominent sulcus on the lateral frontal cortex, separating the middle frontal gyrus from the inferior frontal gyrus. The morphology of the ifs can be difficult to distinguish from adjacent sulci, which are often misidentified as continuations of the ifs. The morphological variability of the ifs and its relationship to surrounding sulci were examined in 40 healthy human subjects (i.e., 80 hemispheres). The sulci were identified and labeled on the native cortical surface meshes of individual subjects, permitting proper intra-sulcal assessment. Two main morphological patterns of the ifs were identified across hemispheres: in Type I, the ifs was a single continuous sulcus, and in Type II, the ifs was discontinuous and appeared in two segments. The morphology of the ifs could be further subdivided into nine subtypes based on the presence of anterior and posterior sulcal extensions. The ifs was often observed to connect, either superficially or completely, with surrounding sulci, and seldom appeared as an independent sulcus. The spatial variability of the ifs and its various morphological configurations were quantified in the form of surface spatial probability maps which are made publicly available in the standard fsaverage space. These maps demonstrated that the ifs generally occupied a consistent position across hemispheres and across individuals. The normalized mean sulcal depths associated with the main morphological types were also computed. The present study provides the first detailed description of the ifs as a sulcal complex composed of segments and extensions that can be clearly differentiated from adjacent sulci. These descriptions, together with the spatial probability maps, are critical for the accurate identification of the ifs in anatomical and functional neuroimaging studies investigating the structural characteristics and functional organization of this region in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Nolan
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kep Kee Loh
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael Petrides
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Akkad H, Hope TMH, Howland C, Ondobaka S, Pappa K, Nardo D, Duncan J, Leff AP, Crinion J. Mapping spoken language and cognitive deficits in post-stroke aphasia. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103452. [PMID: 37321143 PMCID: PMC10275719 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Aphasia is an acquired disorder caused by damage, most commonly due to stroke, to brain regions involved in speech and language. While language impairment is the defining symptom of aphasia, the co-occurrence of non-language cognitive deficits and their importance in predicting rehabilitation and recovery outcomes is well documented. However, people with aphasia (PWA) are rarely tested on higher-order cognitive functions, making it difficult for studies to associate these functions with a consistent lesion correlate. Broca's area is a particular brain region of interest that has long been implicated in speech and language production. Contrary to classic models of speech and language, cumulative evidence shows that Broca's area and surrounding regions in the left inferior frontal cortex (LIFC) are involved in, but not specific to, speech production. In this study we aimed to explore the brain-behaviour relationships between tests of cognitive skill and language abilities in thirty-six adults with long-term speech production deficits caused by post-stroke aphasia. Our findings suggest that non-linguistic cognitive functions, namely executive functions and verbal working memory, explain more of the behavioural variance in PWA than classical language models imply. Additionally, lesions to the LIFC, including Broca's area, were associated with non-linguistic executive (dys)function, suggesting that lesions to this area are associated with non-language-specific higher-order cognitive deficits in aphasia. Whether executive (dys)function - and its neural correlate in Broca's area - contributes directly to PWA's language production deficits or simply co-occurs with it, adding to communication difficulties, remains unclear. These findings support contemporary models of speech production that place language processing within the context of domain-general perception, action and conceptual knowledge. An understanding of the covariance between language and non-language deficits and their underlying neural correlates will inform better targeted aphasia treatment and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haya Akkad
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK.
| | - Thomas M H Hope
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, UK
| | | | - Sasha Ondobaka
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | | | - Davide Nardo
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK; Department of Education, University of Roma Tre, Italy
| | - John Duncan
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Alexander P Leff
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, UK; Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Jenny Crinion
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, UK
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Forkel SJ, Labache L, Nachev P, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Hesling I. Stroke disconnectome decodes reading networks. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2897-2908. [PMID: 36192557 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02575-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive functional neuroimaging has been around for over 30 years and has shed light on the brain areas relevant for reading. However, new methodological developments enable mapping the interaction between functional imaging and the underlying white matter networks. In this study, we used such a novel method, called the disconnectome, to decode the reading circuitry in the brain. We used the resulting disconnection patterns to predict a typical lesion that would lead to reading deficits after brain damage. Our results suggest that white matter connections critical for reading include fronto-parietal U-shaped fibres and the vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF). The lesion most predictive of a reading deficit would impinge on the left temporal, occipital, and inferior parietal gyri. This novel framework can systematically be applied to bridge the gap between the neuropathology of language and cognitive neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J Forkel
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France. .,Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6525 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.
| | - Loïc Labache
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Parashkev Nachev
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3GB, UK
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France.,Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Isabelle Hesling
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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7
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Li A, Yang R, Qu J, Dong J, Gu L, Mei L. Neural representation of phonological information during Chinese character reading. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4013-4029. [PMID: 35545935 PMCID: PMC9374885 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have revealed that phonological processing of Chinese characters elicited activation in the left prefrontal cortex, bilateral parietal cortex, and occipitotemporal regions. However, it is controversial what role the left middle frontal gyrus plays in Chinese character reading, and whether the core regions (e.g., the left superior temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus) for phonological processing of alphabetic languages are also involved in Chinese character reading. To address these questions, the present study used both univariate and multivariate analysis (i.e., representational similarity analysis, RSA) to explore neural representations of phonological information during Chinese character reading. Participants were scanned while performing a reading aloud task. Univariate activation analysis revealed a widely distributed network for word reading, including the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, lateral temporal cortex, and occipitotemporal cortex. More importantly, RSA showed that the left prefrontal (i.e., the left middle frontal gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus) and bilateral occipitotemporal areas (i.e., the left inferior and middle temporal gyrus and bilateral fusiform gyrus) represented phonological information of Chinese characters. These results confirmed the importance of the left middle frontal gyrus and regions in ventral pathway in representing phonological information of Chinese characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqian Li
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Qu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Dong
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lala Gu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Leilei Mei
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
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