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Modulation of Resting Connectivity Between the Mesial Frontal Cortex and Basal Ganglia.
Traian Popa1, Laurel S Morris2,3, Rachel Hunt1,4
1Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
Deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the mesial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) altered brain connectivity. This inhibitory rTMS reduced MPFC connectivity, potentially aiding addiction treatment by enhancing response inhibition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The mesial fronto-striatal circuit, including the mesial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), cingulate cortex, and ventral striatum, is crucial for decision-making and executive functions.
- Dysfunction in this circuit is implicated in various pathological disorders.
- Understanding the impact of interventions on this circuit's functional connectivity is vital for therapeutic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether deep wide-field repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the mesial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) influences resting-state functional connectivity.
- To characterize the default functional connectivity patterns within the MPFC and mid-cingulate cortex (MCC) in healthy subjects.
- To examine the effects of inhibitory rTMS on the functional connectivity of the MPFC and dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) with other brain regions.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Resting-state multi-echo and independent components analysis in 154 healthy subjects to map MPFC and MCC connectivity.
- Study 2: Application of 1 Hz deep rTMS with an H7-coil targeting MPFC and dACC in 20 healthy volunteers.
- Assessment of pre- and post-TMS functional connectivity using seed-based and independent components analysis.
Main Results:
- Distinct functional connectivity patterns were observed: MPFC-ventral striatum showed negative connectivity, while MCC-ventral striatum exhibited positive connectivity.
- Low-frequency rTMS significantly decreased functional connectivity between the MPFC/dACC and the ventral striatum.
- An unexpected enhancement of functional connectivity between the MCC and ventral striatum was observed post-rTMS.
Conclusions:
- Deep inhibitory rTMS, specifically with the H7-coil targeting the MPFC, can modulate brain network functional connectivity.
- Reduced MPFC connectivity may enhance response inhibition and decrease drug-cue reactivity, offering potential benefits for addiction treatment.
- The observed enhancement in MCC-ventral striatum connectivity might result from decreased MPFC influence, highlighting complex network interactions relevant to treating disorders of this circuit.
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