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Additional file 1. SPIRIT Checklist.

The overlap/distinctiveness between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been increasingly investigated in recent years, particularly since the DSM-5 allows the dual diagnosis of ASD and ADHD, but the underlying brain mechanisms remain unclear. Although both disorders are associated with brain volumetric abnormalities, it is necessary to unfold the shared and specific volume abnormalities that could contribute to explain the similarities and differences in the clinical and neurocognitive profiles between ADHD and ASD. In this voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study, regional grey matter volumes (GMV) were compared between 22 children with ADHD, 18 children with ASD and 17 typically developing (TD) children aged 8 to 12 years old, controlling for age and total intracranial volume. When compared to TD children or children with ASD, children with ADHD had a larger left precuneus, and a smaller right thalamus, suggesting that these brain abnormalities are specific to ADHD relative to ASD. Overall, this study contributes to the delineation of disorder-specific structural abnormalities in ADHD and ASD., info:eu-repo/semantics/published

OBJECTIVE: Although accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) designs seem to be able to alleviate mood over a relatively short period of time, no studies yet examined the cellular effects on neurochemicals with regard to working mechanisms, safety and neural integrity. METHODS: Eighteen right-handed antidepressant-free unipolar treatment resistant depressed (TRD) patients participated in this sham-controlled accelerated high frequency (aHF)-rTMS (1)H MR spectroscopy study applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Baseline measurements were compared to eighteen age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We explicitly focused on neurochemical concentrations in the bilateral DLPFC and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). RESULTS: Compared to healthy individuals, TRD patients displayed significantly lower baseline glutamatergic (sum absolute concentrations glutamate and glutamine) concentrations in the left DLPFC. aHF-rTMS does not significantly alter neurochemical concentrations in the three predefined brain regions. Clinical improvement was related to significant GABA concentration increases in the left DLPFC. CONCLUSIONS: Accelerated HF-rTMS treatment did not affect neural integrity in the examined regions. The observed GABA concentration increases suggest that the immediate therapeutic effects of aHF-rTMS could be mediated through a locally increased GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission. SIGNIFICANCE: Although more statistical power is needed for reaching firm conclusions, aHF-rTMS does not appear to negatively influence neural integrity.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of nicotine patches (NP) on cognitive processes linked to cigarette addiction and craving. Materials and Methods: An fMRI experiment (3T, Achieva, Philips) was performed on five healthy volunteers (age 18–26 years; 1 male, 4 females) with smoking addiction (FTND C 4) in four random conditions and 1-week interscan interval: regular smoking (S); smoking deprivation for 14 h (SD) prior to the scan; smoking deprivation for 14 h combined with a 21 mg nicotine patch (SD + NP); and smoking deprivation for 14 h combined with a 0 mg placebo patch (SD + PP). Visual stimulation was provoked in block design by randomly displaying 42 images of smoking related scenes alternating with neutral images. First and second level analysis was performed for image processing. ANOVA was used to compare average group activations between conditions. Results were also compared to a non-smoking control group (N = 5). The standard Questionnaire for Smoking Urges (QSU) on a 7-point scale was simultaneously obtained immediately before and after each scan. Non-smokers were compared to smokers in all conditions. Cases: The QSU showed that craving significantly increased from 1.63 ± 1.01 in the S condition to 3.34 ± 1.94 after performing the experimental fMRI scan. Between conditions, only significant differences were seen when comparing SD (5.59 ± 1.33) with S (1.63 ± 1.01) or SD + NP (2.52 ± 1.23). The fMRI imaging results showed frontal and limbic activation in non-smokers when comparing to all conditions in smokers. During the S condition, significant activation was seen in the limbic system, attention areas and frontal regions compared to SD + NP, SD + PP and SD. In the SD + NP condition, limbic circuit and attention area were activated compared to SD and SD + PP. The SD + PP and SD condition showed activation in different areas of the frontal cortex and limbic system compared to S, SD + NP conditions. Discussion: The QSU showed a significant difference between SD condition and when nicotine is present (S and SD + NP), and thus nicotine reduced craving. The fMRI experiment revealed lower activity in areas associated with attention when nicotine lacks (SD + PP and SD). In line with the QSU results, areas involved with craving showed less activity when nicotine is present (S and SD + NP). References: Menossi HS, Goudriaan AE, Azevedo-Marques Pe´rico C, de Andrade AG, D’Elia G, Li CS, Castaldelli-Maia JM. (2013) Neural bases of pharmacological treatment of nicotine dependence—insights from functional brain imaging: a systematic review. CNS Drugs; 27(11): 921–941.

rbeek2, Johan De Mey2, Chris Baeken2 1 vrij Universiteit Brussel 2 UZ Brussel Objective: As one of the most prominent changes in cognitive function is the development of language in the first 2 decades of life, we hypothesized that the differences in linguistic skills would affect the general cognitive control in children. In our two year longitudinal fMRI study, the effect of bilingualism and the age and manner of 2nd language acquisition on neuro-maturation of cognitive control process was investigated in children's brain. Simultaneous and sequential bilinguals were compared to their monolingual peers in processing non-verbal conflicts in an fMRI study using a colour-Simon (stimulus-response) paradigm. Simultaneous-bilinguals acquired both languages from birth at home while Sequential bilinguals acquired the second language later at school. We expected that cognitive control tasks would be influenced by the level of language acquisition in children. Method: 40 children (with the initial age of 96-141 Months (113.5±10.5) and time interval of 19-27 months (22.3±2.3)) were scanned with a 3T MRI system (Philips Achieva Release 2.5), with an 8 channel SENSE head coil. 10 monolinguals, 16 sequential bilinguals and 14 simultaneous bilinguals were included. A SE-EPI with 130 dynamics was used. (FOV: 212x230 mm2, matrix: 104x105, 22-4mm slices, TR: 3 In Simon task red or green squares were shown in a jittered event related design in two categories congruent (position and colour match) and incongruent (position and colour mismatch). The participants were instructed to press the right button for the red figure and the left button for the green. Analysis Data analysis was conducted based on a general linear model using SPM8 software (Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, London, UK). All functional volumes were realigned, normalized, smoothed (8mm FWHM). For each task, the BOLD signal was modelled by the HRF and its time derivative, including six motion parameters. The magnitude image was calculated based on the combination of basis functions for higher level analysis (Steffener 2010). A second-level analysis (repeated measures ANOVA) was performed with groups as between subject and runs as within- subject factors. Conclusion: Cognitive control processes are known to be mediated by the frontal and the temporal lobes. Cognitive functional development of parietal lobe matures by adolescence. Prefrontal cortex function, however, develops into adulthood. The decrease in the activation of language processing and general conflict processing areas might be related to a decreased recruitment of compensatory brain areas as the specialised cognitive control areas become more efficient with age and this process seems to have different rate between bilinguals and monolinguals. As we expected the language conflict resolving areas and also general conflict processing parts of the brain seemed to have specialized functions through development of the brain which leads to different activation patterns between thegroups with different linguistic skills while solving conflict problems

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Diffusion weighted imaging sequences are now widely available on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) of the brain is able to show white matter tracts and is now commonly used in human medicine to study brain anatomy, tumors, structural pathways,... The purpose of this study was to show the interest of DTI to reveal the white matter fibers in the dogs' brain. DTI MR Images for this study were obtained with a 3 T system of 4 dogs euthanized for other reasons than neurological disorders. Combined fractional anisotropic (FA) and directional maps were obtained in the first 2 hours after death. The heads were amputated immediately after scanning and stored in 10% formalin until preparation for dissection. An experienced anatomist tracked white matter tracts with clinical relevance using the scanner software. The selected tracts were REFVIDume rendered and correlated with gross dissection. Using DTI we were able to track relevant neurological connections, such as the corticospinal tract, the optic and the cerebellar tract. The three dimensional anatomy is better presented using modern visualization techniques. DTI seems to be a valuable tool in order to present clinically relevant white matter tracts to neurological clinicians and researchers.

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