Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Cereb Cortex. 2013 Jun;23(6):1444-52. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhs126. Epub 2012 May 29.
Impulsivity is a complex trait associated with a range of maladaptive behaviors, including many forms of psychopathology. Previous research has implicated multiple neural circuits and neurotransmitter systems in impulsive behavior, but the relationship between impulsivity and organization of whole-brain networks has not yet been explored. Using graph theory analyses, we characterized the relationship between impulsivity and the functional segregation ("modularity") of the whole-brain network architecture derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. These analyses revealed remarkable differences in network organization across the impulsivity spectrum. Specifically, in highly impulsive individuals, regulatory structures including medial and lateral regions of the prefrontal cortex were isolated from subcortical structures associated with appetitive drive, whereas these brain areas clustered together within the same module in less impulsive individuals. Further exploration of the modular organization of whole-brain networks revealed novel shifts in the functional connectivity between visual, sensorimotor, cortical, and subcortical structures across the impulsivity spectrum. The current findings highlight the utility of graph theory analyses of resting-state fMRI data in furthering our understanding of the neurobiological architecture of complex behaviors.
冲动性是一种与多种适应不良行为相关的复杂特征，包括许多形式的精神病理学。先前的研究已经涉及到多个神经回路和神经递质系统与冲动行为的关系，但冲动性与全脑网络组织之间的关系尚未得到探索。使用图论分析，我们描述了冲动性与从静息态功能磁共振成像（fMRI）数据中得出的全脑网络结构的功能分离（“模块性”）之间的关系。这些分析揭示了冲动性谱上网络组织的显著差异。具体而言，在高度冲动的个体中，包括前额叶皮层的内侧和外侧区域的调节结构与与食欲驱动相关的皮质下结构分离，而在冲动性较低的个体中，这些大脑区域聚集在同一个模块内。对全脑网络的模块组织的进一步探索揭示了冲动性谱上视觉、感觉运动、皮质和皮质下结构之间功能连接的新变化。目前的研究结果强调了静息态 fMRI 数据的图论分析在进一步理解复杂行为的神经生物学结构方面的效用。
