77 research outputs found
Neural correlates of emotional responses to self-selected music: Evidence from multivariate pattern analysis
No full textMusic is a uniquely powerful stimulus for evoking complex and deeply felt emotions. While previous research has identified neural correlates of music-evoked emotional responses, less is known about how these felt emotions are represented in the brain, particularly when elicited by familiar, personally meaningful music. Here, we used a personalized fMRI paradigm in which participants (N = 20) each selected musical excerpts corresponding to the nine emotion categories defined by the Geneva Emotional Music Scale. These self-selected excerpts were presented during functional MRI scanning. We first examined the neural correlates of music-evoked emotion by comparing brain activity during music listening to that during exposure to white noise. The maps were consistent with previous research, highlighting clusters in sensory and limbic regions. We then used multivoxel pattern analysis to decode emotion categories from whole-brain activation patterns. The results revealed that music-evoked emotions could be reliably discriminated based on distributed neural activity, with consistent involvement of the superior temporal gyrus, supplementary motor area, amygdala, and cerebellum, among other auditory, motor, and interoceptive regions. These findings provide new insight into the neural encoding of musical emotions and highlight the value of personalized, music-based paradigms for research in auditory and affective neuroscience
Exploring dynamic functional brain connectivity in perceptual decision
No full textTrabalho de Projeto do Mestrado em Engenharia Biomédica apresentado à Faculdade de Ciências e TecnologiaO efeito da história recente num sistema dinâmico não linear é designado de histerese. Este conceito tem a sua origem na física, mas é visível e aplicável a outras áreas da ciência, incluindo na neurociência cognitiva. Ao estudar a decisão percetual no sistema visual, foram encontradas evidências de histerese recorrendo à utilização de estímulos visuais ambíguos, tais como pontos em movimento, expressões faciais dinâmicas, e grelhas em movimento. Os mecanismos neuronais de adaptação têm sido associados à histerese negativa (quando a resposta ao estímulo é antecipada numa situação com o efeito da história recente presente em relação a uma situação onde não há efeito de história) e os mecanismos neuronais de persistência estão associados à histerese positiva (quando há um atraso na resposta na situação com história recente em relação a uma situação sem efeito de história) (Sayal et al, 2020). Guiando-nos por trabalho anterior que mostra evidências de competição entre estes dois mecanismos neuronais, temos por objetivo perceber os mecanismos neuronais que levam a diferentes efeitos de histerese percetual através da análise de conectividade funcional dinâmica na rede cerebral de perceção visual.Neste projeto, utilizámos métodos atuais de análise de conectividade aplicados a um dataset de ressonância magnética funcional (IRMf) adquirido durante uma tarefa de perceção visual. Nestas análises, encontrámos um aumento da conectividade funcional entre as regiões visuais de baixo nível hMT+ e V3A durante as transições percetuais que apresentaram histerese negativa. Este achado é consistente com a hipótese da dominância neuronal de fenómenos de adaptação em relação aos de persistência durante a histerese negativa. Como a adaptação neuronal é predominantemente um mecanismo de baixo-nível, esta pode explicar o aumento da conectividade entre estas duas regiões. Para além disso, o estudo exploratório para avaliar o impacto que a escolha da região de interesse (ROI) possui na análise de conectividade funcional revelou que pequenas variações na definição da ROI podem alterar os resultados obtidos. Os nossos resultados realçam a necessidade de continuar a investigar métodos de análise de conectividade funcional dinâmica.The effect of recent history in a nonlinear dynamic system is known as hysteresis. This concept has its origin in physics, but has been applied to several other fields, including cognitive neuroscience. In the study of visual perceptual decision-making, hysteresis has been found with the use of ambiguous visual stimuli, such as moving dots, dynamic facial expressions, and moving plaids. The neural mechanisms of adaptation have been associated with negative hysteresis (when the response to the stimulus is anticipated in a situation with recent history effect vs. in a situation without the history effect), and the neural mechanisms of persistence associated with positive hysteresis (when there is a lag in the response of the system in a situation with recent history effect when compared with a situation without such effect) (Sayal et al., 2020). Following previous work that showed evidence for competition between these two neural mechanisms, we aimed to understand the neural mechanisms leading to different perceptual hysteresis effects by measuring the dynamic functional connectivity in the visual perception brain network. Here, we thoroughly applied state of the art tools for connectivity analysis to a functional magnetic resonance magnetic (fMRI) dataset acquired during a visual perception task. We found an increase in functional connectivity between the low-level visual regions hMT+ and V3A during the perceptual transitions with negative hysteresis. This is consistent with the hypothesized neuronal adaptation dominance over persistence during negative hysteresis. As neuronal adaptation is known to be predominantly a low-level mechanism, it might explain the increased connectivity between these low-level visual regions. Furthermore, an exploratory study regarding the impact of the region of interest (ROI) definition method in functional connectivity estimates revealed that small changes in the ROI definition can alter the functional connectivity results obtained. Our results highlighted the need to further investigate the methods to perform dynamic functional connectivity analysis
A qualitative process evaluation of electronic session-by-session outcome measurement in child and adolescent mental health services
No full textBackground: Regular monitoring of patient progress is important to assess the clinical effectiveness of an intervention. Recently, initiatives within UK child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) have advocated the use of session-by-session monitoring to continually evaluate the patient’s outcome throughout the course of the intervention. However, the feasibility and acceptability of such regular monitoring is unknown. Method: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with clinicians (n= 10), administrative staff (n=8) and families (n= 15) who participated in a feasibility study of an electronic session-by-session outcome monitoring tool, (SxS), which is based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). This study took place in three CAMHS clinics in Nottinghamshire. The interview transcripts were thematically analysed. Results: We found clinicians accepted the need to complete outcome measures, particularly valuing those completed by the patient. However, there were some difficulties with engaging clinicians in this practice and in the training offered. Generally, patients were supportive of completing SxS in the waiting room prior to the clinic session and assistance with the process from administrative staff was seen to be a key factor
Supplemental materials for preprint: Music in the loop: an overview of current neurofeedback methodologies using music
No full textSupplemental materials for preprint: Music in the loop: an overview of current neurofeedback methodologies using music
No full text
Prenatal exposure to binge pattern of alcohol consumption: Mental health and learning outcomes at age 11
No full textThe objective of the study is to investigate whether episodic binge pattern of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is independently associated with child mental health and academic outcomes. Using data from the prospective, population-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we investigated the associations between binge patterns of alcohol consumption during pregnancy (>4 drinks per day) and child mental health [as rated by both parent (n = 4,610) and teacher (n = 4,274)] and academic outcomes [based on examination results (n = 6,939)] at age 11 years. After adjusting for prenatal and postnatal risk factors, binge pattern of alcohol consumption (>4 drinks in a day on at least one occasion) during pregnancy was associated with higher levels of mental health problems (especially hyperactivity/inattention) in girls at age 11 years, according to parental report. After disentangling binge-pattern and daily drinking, binge-pattern drinking was independently associated with teacher-rated hyperactivity/inattention and lower academic scores in both genders. Episodic drinking involving >4 drinks per day during pregnancy may increase risk for child mental health problems and lower academic attainment even if daily average levels of alcohol consumption are low. Episodic binge pattern of drinking appears to be a risk factor for these outcomes, especially hyperactivity and inattention problems, in the absence of daily drinking. Copyright © 2014, The Author(s).http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00787-014-0599-
Preschool hyperactivity specifically elevates long-term mental health risks more strongly in males than females: A prospective longitudinal study through to young adulthood
No full textEvidence of continuities between preschool hyperactivity and adult mental health problems highlights the potential value of targeting early identification and intervention strategies. However, specific risk factors are currently unclear. This large-scale prospective longitudinal study aimed to identify which hyperactive preschoolers are at the greatest long-term risk of poor mental health. One hundred and seventy children (89 females) rated as hyperactive by their parents, and 88 non-hyperactive controls (48 females) were identified from a community sample of 4215 3-year-olds. Baseline data relating to behavioral/emotional problems and background characteristics were collected. Follow-up mental health and functional impairment outcomes were collected between 14 and 25 years of age. At age 3 years, males and females in the hyperactive group had similarly raised levels of hyperactivity and other behavior problems. In adolescence/young adulthood, these individuals showed elevated symptoms of ADHD, conduct disorder, mood disorder, anxiety and autism, as well as functional impairment. Preschool hyperactivity was strongly predictive of poor adolescent/adult outcomes for males across domains with effects being specifically driven by hyperactivity. For females, the effects of preschool hyperactivity were smaller and dropped to non-significant levels when other preschool problems were taken into account. Environmental risk factors also differed between the sexes, although these may also have been mediated by genetic risk. In conclusion, these results demonstrate marked sex differences in preschool predictors of later adolescent/adult mental health problems. Future research should include a measure of preschool inattention as well as hyperactivity. The findings highlight the potential value of tailored approaches to early identification strategies. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s)http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-016-0876-
Sex differences in ADHD diagnosis and clinical care: A national study of population healthcare records in Wales [in press]
No full textBackground: Population-based studies have observed sex biases in the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Females are less likely to be diagnosed or prescribed ADHD medication. This study uses national healthcare records, to investigate sex differences in diagnosis and clinical care in young people with ADHD, particularly regarding recognition and treatment of other mental health conditions. Method(s): The cohort included individuals diagnosed with ADHD, born between 1989 and 2013 and living in Wales between 2000 and 2019. Routine primary and secondary healthcare record data were used to derive diagnoses of ADHD and other neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions, as well as ADHD and antidepressant medications. Demographic variables included ethnicity, socioeconomic deprivation, and contact with social services. Result(s): There were 16,458 individuals diagnosed with ADHD (20.3% females, ages 3-30 years), with a male-to-female ratio of 3.9:1. Higher ratios (4.8:1) were seen in individuals diagnosed younger (18). Males were younger at first recorded ADHD diagnosis (mean=10.9 vs 12.6 years), more likely to be prescribed ADHD medication, and younger at diagnosis of co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions. In contrast, females were more likely to receive a diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition and to be prescribed antidepressant medications, prior to ADHD diagnosis. These sex differences were largely stable across demographic groups. Conclusion(s): This study adds to the evidence base that females with ADHD are experiencing later recognition and treatment of ADHD. The results indicate that this may be partly because of diagnostic over-shadowing from other mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, or initial misdiagnosis. Further research and dissemination of findings to the public are needed to improve awareness, timely diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD in females. Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.20.23297324v
Brain Connectivity Analysis for real-time fMRI Neurofeedback Experiments
No full textDissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Biomédica apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de CoimbraImagiologia por Ressonância Magnética Funcional (IRMf) é uma das técnicas mais inovadoras para estudar o cérebro humano. Com a utilização de um sistema de IRMf em tempo real,
torna-se possível o desenvolvimento de experiências de ”neurofeedback”, em que o estímulo
é adaptado em tempo real à actividade medida do cérebro do participante. Os processos
cognitivos dependem da comunicação entre regiões no cérebro, e por isso, é de grande interesse a análise de conectividade antes, durante e depois da experiência de Neurofeedback.
Este trabalho analisa e compara alguns dos métodos actualmente usados em dados de IRMf:
Correlação, Coerência, Causalidade de Granger e Modelação Causal Dinâmica. Testes executados em dados simulados mostram que a métrica de Coerência consegue devolver resultados válidos mesmo com baixas taxas de amostragem dos sinais, ao contrário das métricas
de Correlação e Causalidade de Granger. A análise preliminar de conectividade em dados
experimentais apresenta resultados interessantes relativamente ao funcionamento da rede
de memória de trabalho. Os estudos efectuados levantam algumas questões relacionadas
com a aplicação de métodos de conectividade a dados de IRMf, validação de resultados e
optimização de protocolos experimentais, assim como um número de desafios a serem ultrapassados em trabalho futuro.Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has evolved to become one of the most innovative methods to study the human brain. With a real time fMRI system, it is possible to perform
neurofeedback experiments, where stimuli are adapted in real time to the participants’ measured brain activity. Cognitive processes depend on the communication between regions of
the brain, and so the analysis of connectivity before, during and after a neurofeedback experiment is of great interest. This work analyses and benchmarks some of the methods currently
used on fMRI data: Correlation, Coherence, Granger Causality and Dynamic Causal Modelling. Tests performed on simulated datasets showed that Coherence presents robustness to
downsampling, unlike Correlation and Granger Causality. Preliminary analysis of connectivity
on an experimental dataset allowed for interesting insights on the working memory network
functioning. The work developed has raised a number of questions related to the application
of connectivity methods to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data, results validation and optimisation of fMRI experimental setups, as well as a number of challenges to be surpassed in future work
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