Investigating resting-state functional connectivity changes within procedural memory network across neuropsychiatric...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Cognitive network impairments are prevalent in neuropsychiatric disorders such as ADHD, BD, and SZ.
• The role of procedural memory in cognitive network deficits within these disorders is not well understood.
• This research examines alterations in the procedural memory network to understand brain function in these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) within the procedural memory network.
• To explore the relationship between procedural memory network function and cognitive network impairments in ADHD, BD, and SZ.
• To compare rs-FC in the procedural memory network between patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 40 ADHD, 49 BD, 50 SZ patients, and 50 healthy controls (HCs).
• Definition of a procedural memory network using 34 regions of interest (ROIs) from the Harvard-Oxford Cortical Structural Atlas.
• Application of multivariate region of interest to region of interest connectivity (mRRC) to assess rs-FC within the network.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in rs-FC were observed within the procedural memory network across patient groups compared to HCs (P < 0.001).
• Specific alterations included increased and decreased rs-FC in various brain regions for ADHD, BD, and SZ patients.
• Notable findings include altered connectivity in regions like the cerebellum, claustrum, caudate, subthalamic nucleus, and putamen.

Conclusions:

• Significant alterations in rs-FC within the procedural memory network are present in patients with ADHD, BD, and SZ.
• These disruptions in rs-FC may underlie the cognitive network impairments observed in these neuropsychiatric disorders.
• The procedural memory network is a potential target for understanding and addressing cognitive deficits in these conditions.