These findings suggest that at least some consequences of high-level collegiate football play persist even after the cessation of regular head blows. Longer-term studies are warranted to examine potential cognitive and functional implications of sustained cortical atrophy.
Background
Given that psychopharmacological approaches routinely used to treat mood-related problems may result in adverse outcomes in mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for bipolar disorder (BD), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) provides an alternative effective and safe option. However, little is known about the brain mechanisms of beneficial outcomes from this intervention. Herein, we aimed to investigate the network-level neurofunctional effects of MBCT-C in mood dysregulated adolescents.
Methods
Ten mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for BD underwent a 12-week MBCT-C intervention. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed prior to and following MBCT-C. Topological metrics of three intrinsic functional networks (default mode network (DMN), fronto-parietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON)) were investigated respectively using graph theory analysis.
Results
Following MBCT-C, mood dysregulated adolescents showed increased global efficiency and decreased characteristic path length within both CON and FPN. Enhanced functional connectivity strength of frontal and limbic areas were identified within the DMN and CON. Moreover, change in characteristic path length within the CON was suggested to be significantly related to change in the Emotion Regulation Checklist score.
Conclusions
12-week MBCT-C treatment in mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for BD yield network-level neurofunctional effects within the FPN and CON, suggesting enhanced functional integration of the dual-network. Decreased characteristic path length of the CON may be associated with the improvement of emotion regulation following mindfulness training. However, current findings derived from small sample size should be interpreted with caution. Future randomized controlled trials including larger samples are critical to validate our findings.
Background
Mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT‐C), as a psychotherapeutic intervention, has been shown to be effective for treating mood dysregulation (MD). While previous neuroimaging studies of MD have reported both pre‐treatment structural and functional alterations, the effects of MBCT‐C on brain morphological network organisation has not been investigated.
Methods
We investigated brain morphological network organisation in 10 mood‐dysregulated youth with familial risk for bipolar disorder and 15 matched healthy comparison youth (HC). Effects of 12 weeks of MBCT‐C were examined in the mood‐dysregulated youth. Topological properties of brain networks used for analyses were constructed based on morphological similarities in regional grey matter using a graph‐theory approach using MRI data.
Results
At baseline, compared with the HC group, the mood‐dysregulated group exhibited increased global efficiency (Eglob), decreased path length (Lp), and abnormal nodal properties, mainly in the limbic system. Right temporal pole alterations at baseline predicted change in Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure scores after treatment. The mood‐dysregulated group showed significant decreases in both the Eglob and Lp metrics after MBCT‐C, suggesting an improved capacity for optimal information processing. Changes in Lp were correlated with changes in Emotion Regulation Checklist scores. Our results show significant topological alterations in the mood‐dysregulated group as compared to controls at baseline. After MBCT‐C, disrupted topological properties in the mood‐dysregulated group were significantly reduced.
Conclusion
MBCT‐C may facilitate clinically meaningful changes in the brain structural network in mood‐dysregulated individuals.
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