Brain charts for the human lifespan

Over the past few decades, neuroimaging has become a ubiquitous tool in basic research and clinical studies of the human brain. However, no reference standards currently exist to quantify individual differences in neuroimaging metrics over time, in contrast to growth charts for anthropometric traits such as height and weight1. Here we assemble an interactive open resource to benchmark brain morphology derived from any current or future sample of MRI data ( http://www.brainchart.io/ ). With the goal of basing these reference charts on the largest and most inclusive dataset available, acknowledging limitations due to known biases of MRI studies relative to the diversity of the global population, we aggregated 123,984 MRI scans, across more than 100 primary studies, from 101,457 human participants between 115 days post-conception to 100 years of age. MRI metrics were quantified by centile scores, relative to non-linear trajectories2 of brain structural changes, and rates of change, over the lifespan. Brain charts identified previously unreported neurodevelopmental milestones3, showed high stability of individuals across longitudinal assessments, and demonstrated robustness to technical and methodological differences between primary studies. Centile scores showed increased heritability compared with non-centiled MRI phenotypes, and provided a standardized measure of atypical brain structure that revealed patterns of neuroanatomical variation across neurological and psychiatric disorders. In summary, brain charts are an essential step towards robust quantification of individual variation benchmarked to normative trajectories in multiple, commonly used neuroimaging phenotypes.

Cost and cost-effectiveness of computerized vs. in-person motivational interventions in the criminal justice system

INTRODUCTION

Although substance use is common among probationers in the United States, treatment initiation remains an ongoing problem. Among the explanations for low treatment initiation are that probationers are insufficiently motivated to seek treatment, and that probation staff have insufficient training and resources to use evidence-based strategies such as motivational interviewing. A web-based intervention based on motivational enhancement principles may address some of the challenges of initiating treatment but has not been tested to date in probation settings. The current study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a computerized intervention, Motivational Assessment Program to Initiate Treatment (MAPIT), relative to face-to-face Motivational Interviewing (MI) and supervision as usual (SAU), delivered at the outset of probation.

METHODS

The intervention took place in probation departments in two U.S. cities. The baseline sample comprised 316 participants (MAPIT = 104, MI = 103, and SAU = 109), 90% (n = 285) of whom completed the 6-month follow-up. Costs were estimated from study records and time logs kept by interventionists. The effectiveness outcome was self-reported initiation into any treatment (formal or informal) within 2 and 6 months of the baseline interview. The cost-effectiveness analysis involved assessing dominance and computing incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Implementation costs were used in the base case of the cost-effectiveness analysis, which excludes both a hypothetical license fee to recoup development costs and startup costs. An intent-to-treat approach was taken.

RESULTS

MAPIT cost $79.37 per participant, which was ~$55 lower than the MI cost of $134.27 per participant. Appointment reminders comprised a large proportion of the cost of the MAPIT and MI intervention arms. In the base case, relative to SAU, MAPIT cost $6.70 per percentage point increase in the probability of initiating treatment. If a decision-maker is willing to pay $15 or more to improve the probability of initiating treatment by 1%, estimates suggest she can be 70% confident that MAPIT is good value relative to SAU at the 2-month follow-up and 90% confident that MAPIT is good value at the 6-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Web-based MAPIT may be good value compared to in-person delivered alternatives. This conclusion is qualified because the results are not robust to narrowing the outcome to initiating formal treatment only. Further work should explore ways to improve access to efficacious treatment in probation settings.

Gender differences in substance use treatment and substance use among adults on probation

BACKGROUND

Although many formal and informal substance use treatment programs were originally designed for men, no studies have investigated how gender affects the use of substance use treatment modalities, and how gender differences in treatment utilization impact substance use in the unique probation context.

OBJECTIVE

To describe gender differences in use and effectiveness of substance use treatment modalities (formal and informal) among probationers.

METHODS

Longitudinal data were obtained from 335 individuals (93 women) who participated in the Motivational Assessment Program to Initiate Treatment (MAPIT) study. Timeline follow-back measures were used to quantify daily substance use and treatment modality (formal treatment included inpatient and outpatient treatment; informal treatment included self-help, religious, and all other group meetings). Multivariate generalized estimating equations were used to examine relationships between gender, treatment, and substance use.

RESULTS

Gender was not associated with alcohol use. Use of formal treatment programs reduced the odds of alcohol use by 15%. The probability of alcohol use was the lowest (8%) for men who participated in formal treatment. For men using informal treatment programs, the probability of alcohol use was 11%. The probability of alcohol use for women was similar regardless of the type of treatment utilization (15-16%). No differences in illicit drug use by gender or type of treatment were detected.

CONCLUSION

This research found limited evidence of a relationship between gender, substance use treatment modality, and alcohol use. These findings have clinical significance in that both formal and informal treatment approaches are similarly effective across both men and women.

Effectiveness of a computerized motivational intervention on treatment initiation and substance use: Results from a randomized trial

As many as 80% of the nearly five million adults under community supervision (i.e., probation, parole) are substance involved; however, treatment utilization is low. Using a multi-site randomized controlled trial, we tested the efficacy of in-person motivational interviewing (MI), a motivational computer intervention (MAPIT), or standard probation intake (SAU) to encourage treatment initiation among 316 substance-involved probationers in Dallas, Texas and Baltimore City, Maryland. Ninety-three percent (n=295) of participants completed the 2-month follow-up and 90% (n=285) completed the 6-month follow-up. At 2-months, individuals in the MAPIT condition were more likely to report treatment initiation compared to the SAU condition (OR=2.40, 95% CI=1.06, 5.47) via intent-to-treat analysis, especially among those completing both sessions (RE=0.50, 95% CI=0.05, 0.95) via instrumental variable analysis. At 6-months, MAPIT approached significance for treatment initiation in both analyses. MI did not achieve significance in any model. We did not find any differential impact on substance use. The success of MAPIT suggests that an integrated health-justice computerized intervention as part of a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) can be used to address public safety and health issues.

Effekte der telefonischen Nachsorge in der onkologischen Rehabilitation nach Brustkrebs – Ergebnisse einer randomisierten Studie

Hintergrund Die Effekte und Evidenz der onkologischen Rehabilitation und von Nachsorgeprogrammen nach onkologischer Erkrankung werden unverändert kontrovers beurteilt. Ziel dieser Studie war daher die Evaluation der Durchführbarkeit und der Nutzen einer telefonischen Nachsorge zur Verbesserung von therapeutischen Effekten nach onkologischer Rehabilitation.

Methodik 172 Brustkrebspatientinnen (27–54 Jahre) wurden zu Beginn der stationären Rehabilitation (T1), zu Reha-Ende (T2) und 6 Monate nach Reha-Ende (T3) (Kontroll-Gruppe ohne, Interventionsgruppe mit telefonischer Nachsorge in 4-wöchigen Abständen) mit einem Fragebogenpaket untersucht (u. a. IRES-24. HADS, LZI, Emotional Thermometer, Fragebogen „Return-to-work).

Ergebnisse Für den IRES-24 ergab sich in der 2-faktoriellen Varianzanalyse ein signifikanter Haupteffekt für den Messzeitpunkt (F(2,116)=40,49, p<0,01), ebenso für den HADS-Angst- sowie Depressionswert (F(2,117)=31,50, p<0,01; (F(2,11 6)=31,19, p<0,01), jedoch keine signifikanten Unterschiede in Abhängigkeit von der Intervention (KG vs. NG; (F(2,116)=3,03, p=0,059).

Schlussfolgerung Eine Verbesserung der Wirkung durch die telefonische Nachsorge ließ sich nicht belegen. Ursächlich hierfür könnte neben einer zu geringen Dosis der Intervention auch die in den letzten Jahren schon umgesetzten multimodalen Therapiekonzepte in der onkologischen Rehabilitation sein.

Motivational tools to improve probationer treatment outcomes

BACKGROUND

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a promising practice to increase motivation, treatment retention, and reducing recidivism among offender populations. Computer-delivered interventions have grown in popularity as a way to change behaviors associated with drug and alcohol use.

METHODS/DESIGN

Motivational Assistance Program to Initiate Treatment (MAPIT) is a three arm, multisite, randomized controlled trial, which examines the impact of Motivational interviewing (MI), a motivational computer program (MC), and supervision as usual (SAU) on addiction treatment initiation, engagement, and retention. Secondary outcomes include drug/alcohol use, probation progress, recidivism (i.e., criminal behavior) and HIV/AIDS testing and treatment among probationers. Participant characteristics are measured at baseline, 2, and 6 months after assignment. The entire study will include 600 offenders, with each site recruiting 300 offenders (Baltimore City, Maryland and Dallas, Texas). All participants will go through standard intake procedures for probation and participate in probation requirements as usual. After standard intake, participants will be recruited and screened for eligibility.

DISCUSSION

The results of this clinical trial will fill a gap in knowledge about ways to motivate probationers to participate in addiction treatment and HIV care. This randomized clinical trial is innovative in the way it examines the use of in-person vs. technological approaches to improve probationer success.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT01891656.

MAPIT: development of a web-based intervention targeting substance abuse treatment in the criminal justice system

Although drug and alcohol treatment are common requirements in the U.S. criminal justice system, only a minority of clients actually initiate treatment. This paper describes a two-session, web-based intervention to increase motivation for substance abuse treatment among clients using illicit substances. MAPIT (Motivational Assessment Program to Initiate Treatment) integrates the extended parallel process model, motivational interviewing, and social cognitive theory. The first session (completed near the start of probation) targets motivation to complete probation, to make changes in substance use (including treatment initiation), and to obtain HIV testing and care. The second session (completed approximately 30days after session 1) focuses on goal setting, coping strategies, and social support. Both sessions can generate emails or mobile texts to remind clients of their goals. MAPIT uses theory-based algorithms and a text-to-speech engine to deliver custom feedback and suggestions. In an initial test, participants indicated that the program was respectful, easy to use, and would be helpful in making changes in substance use. MAPIT is being tested in a randomized trial in two large U.S. probation agencies. MAPIT addresses the difficulties of many probation agencies to maximize client involvement in treatment, in a way that is cost effective and compatible with the existing service delivery system.

Intellectual ability and cortical development in children and adolescents

Children who are adept at any one of the three academic 'R's (reading, writing and arithmetic) tend to be good at the others, and grow into adults who are similarly skilled at diverse intellectually demanding activities. Determining the neuroanatomical correlates of this relatively stable individual trait of general intelligence has proved difficult, particularly in the rapidly developing brains of children and adolescents. Here we demonstrate that the trajectory of change in the thickness of the cerebral cortex, rather than cortical thickness itself, is most closely related to level of intelligence. Using a longitudinal design, we find a marked developmental shift from a predominantly negative correlation between intelligence and cortical thickness in early childhood to a positive correlation in late childhood and beyond. Additionally, level of intelligence is associated with the trajectory of cortical development, primarily in frontal regions implicated in the maturation of intelligent activity. More intelligent children demonstrate a particularly plastic cortex, with an initial accelerated and prolonged phase of cortical increase, which yields to equally vigorous cortical thinning by early adolescence. This study indicates that the neuroanatomical expression of intelligence in children is dynamic.

Whole-brain voxel-based statistical analysis of gray matter and white matter in temporal lobe epilepsy

Volumetric MRI studies based on manual labeling of selected anatomical structures have provided in vivo evidence that brain abnormalities associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) extend beyond the hippocampus. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a fully automated image analysis technique allowing identification of regional differences in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) between groups of subjects without a prior region of interest. The purpose of this study was to determine whole-brain GM and WM changes in TLE and to investigate the relationship between these abnormalities and clinical parameters. We studied 85 patients with pharmacologically intractable TLE and unilateral hippocampal atrophy and 47 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. The seizure focus was right sided in 40 patients and left sided in 45. Student's t test statistical maps of differences between patients' and controls' GM and WM concentrations were obtained using a general linear model. A further regression against duration of epilepsy, age of onset, presence of febrile convulsions, and secondary generalized seizures was performed with the TLE population. Voxel-based morphometry revealed that GM pathology in TLE extends beyond the hippocampus involving other limbic areas such as the cingulum and the thalamus, as well as extralimbic areas, particularly the frontal lobe. White matter reduction was found only ipsilateral to the seizure focus, including the temporopolar, entorhinal, and perirhinal areas. This pattern of structural changes is suggestive of disconnection involving preferentially frontolimbic pathways in patients with pharmacologically intractable TLE.

Changes in pulp temperature during thermostimulation of human teeth by a simple electrically controlled thermode

A simple electrically controlled thermode is described that was used in psychophysical experiments on thermoperception from teeth in human subjects. The time course of the intrapulpal temperature changes during a 60 s cooling or heating procedure was measured in in vitro experiments in which the temperature exchange between tooth and surrounding tissue, present in the psychophysical experiments, was stimulated.