INTRODUCTION:The brain network correlates of personality traits in major depressive disorder (MDD) have not yet been investigated. Furthermore, it is still unclear whether personality traits relate to the depressive episode. METHODS:This study assessed network properties, depression severity, and personality traits in patients with MDD (n = 25) compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 22). We performed TCI questionnaire which assesses novelty seeking (NS, an urge to explore new experiences with heightened emotional responses), harm avoidance (HA, the tendency to hold back when faced with unpleasant situations), reward dependence (RD, a tendency to seek and value rewards rooted in social recognition), persistence (P, an individual's ability to remain focused and driven toward goals despite encountering challenges), self-directness (SD, an expression of willpower that enables individuals to adapt their behavior to situational demands while remaining focused on their personal goals and values), cooperativeness (C, a behavioral trait reflecting a person's general approach to others; ranging from friendly and cooperative to hostile), and self-transcendence (ST, lessening of self-centeredness, allowing for expanded empathy) traits of participants. RESULTS:MDD patients with distinctive character traits exhibited significant differences in terms of depression diagnosis and severity of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores compared to the controls. The MDD patients also exhibited reduced resting-state network activity between the posterior default mode network, right putamen, and right frontal pole, while SD was significantly less frequently diagnosed in MDD patients. In evaluating the network correlates, differences in the SD traits were significantly associated with critical brain network alterations that were not evident in other traits. DISCUSSION:To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide preliminary evidence of an abnormal connectome in the SD trait in MDD, thus providing convincing evidence for personalized antidepressant treatment strategies in MDD. A small sample size and our depression group being not drug-naive were our limitation for this research.

BACKGROUND: While the last decade of extensive research revealed the prominent role of the claustrum for functions such as attention), it is poorly understood whether the claustrum is relevant for schizophrenia and related cognitive symptoms. We hypothesized that claustrum volumes are lower in schizophrenia and also that potentially lower volumes mediate patients' attention deficits. METHODS: Based on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, advanced automated claustrum segmentation, and attention symbol coding task in 90 patients with schizophrenia and 96 healthy control participants from 2 independent sites, the COBRE open-source database and Munich dataset, we compared total intracranial volume-normalized claustrum volumes and symbol coding task scores across groups via analysis of covariance and related variables via correlation and mediation analysis. RESULTS: Patients had lower claustrum volumes of about 13% (p < .001, Hedges' g = 0.63), which not only correlated with (r = 0.24, p = .014) but also mediated lower symbol coding task scores (indirect effect ab = -1.30 6 0.69; 95% CI, -3.73 to -1.04). Results were not confounded by age, sex, global and claustrum-adjacent gray matter changes, scanner site, smoking, and medication. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate lower claustrum volumes that mediate patients' attention deficits in schizophrenia. Data indicate the claustrum as being relevant for schizophrenia pathophysiology and cognitive functioning.

INTRODUCTION:Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a ubiquitous chronic inflammatory disease with deleterious effects on various tissues, including the kidney, retina, and peripheral nerves. Studies using histopathology and magnetic resonance imaging have revealed that diabetes-related chronic hyperglycemia may impact the brain's essential functioning by causing microvascular damage. The aim of this study was to examine the cognitive functioning of type 2 diabetic individuals with and without retinopathy by evaluating their morphological, structural, and biochemical differences. METHODS:Demographic characteristics, education level, type of diabetes mellitus (DM), disease duration, treatment received, other diabetic complications, such as nephropathy and neuropathy, and detailed medical histories were recorded. All participants underwent an extensive neuropsychological examination with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) testing. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate gray matter volume differences between the groups. RESULTS:Gray matter volume differences between the groups were observed. Differences were observed after multiple corrections (age, education, and total intracranial volume [TIV]). First, the diabetic retinopathy group exhibited a significantly smaller gray matter volume in the right inferior temporal gyrus than the diabetic group (p = 0.032). In addition, the diabetic retinopathy group exhibited a significantly smaller gray matter volume than the control group in the right insula (lateral and central part) (p = 0.011). In addition, MoCA scores exhibited significant correlation with the two regions emerging as statistically significant in our analyses (the right inferior temporal gyrus and right insula) (p = 0.003, p = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION:Our results suggest the presence of a neurodegenerative process associated with cognitive dysfunction that is particularly prominent in the retinopathy stage of DM.

Introduction:Only limited information is still available concerning cognitive dysfunctions and cortical thickness in individuals who recovered from mild COVID-19 infections and did not require hospitalization. Our aim was to evaluate if the highly adaptive potential of cortical thickness might play a critical role in COVID-19-related cognitive disorder in a compensatory manner. Methods:Fifteen individuals with no history of medical, neurological, or psychiatric disease and with positive COVID-19 test results, and sixteen healthy age and education-matched healthy controls identified from the official hospital health system were evaluated in terms of cognitive scores using Alzheimer Disease's Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) and brain MRI cortical thickness measurements using FreeSurfer, Version 7.4.0. Results:An increased cortical thickness in the right entorhinal cortex (EC) and impaired cognition (increased ADAS score) were observed in the post-COVID 19 group as compared to the controls confirmed by the student's t test (respectively, p=0.006, p<0.001).The apparent correlation observed between cognitive impairment and increased entorhinal cortical thickness in our COVID-19 patients might suggest a continuum pathophysiology between healthy and COVID-19 affected brains that was not evident in previous COVID-19 cases with cognitive impairment. Conclusion:Our findings of increased entorhinal cortical thickness, together with impaired cognitive scores, may indicate a flexible role of EC thickness in compensatory mechanisms of cognition.

Language is a sophisticated cognitive skill that relies on the coordinated activity of cerebral cortex. Acquiring a second language creates intricate modifications in brain connectivity. Although considerable studies have evaluated the impact of second language acquisition on brain networks in adulthood, the results regarding the ultimate form of adaptive plasticity remain inconsistent within the adult population. Furthermore, due to the assumption that subcortical regions are not significantly involved in language-related tasks, the thalamus has rarely been analyzed in relation to other language-relevant cortical regions. Given these limitations, we aimed to evaluate the functional connectivity and volume modifications of thalamic subfields using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities following the acquisition of a second language. Structural MRI and fMRI data from 51 participants were collected from the OpenNeuro database. The participants were divided into three groups: monolingual (ML), early bilingual (EB), and late bilingual (LB). The EB group consisted of individuals proficient in both English and Spanish, with exposure to these languages before the age of 10 years. The LB group consisted of individuals proficient in both English and Spanish, but with exposure to these languages after the age of 14 years. The ML group included participants proficient only in English. Our results revealed that the ML group exhibited increased functional connectivity in all thalamic subfields (anterior, intralaminar-medial, lateral, ventral, and pulvinar) compared with the EB and LB groups. In addition, a significantly decreased volume of the left suprageniculate nucleus was found in the bilingual groups compared with the ML group. This study provides valuable evidence suggesting that acquiring a second language may be protective against dementia, due to its high plasticity potential, which acts synergistically with cognitive functions to slow the degenerative process.

Despite substantial neuroscience research in the last decade revealing the claustrum's prominent role in mammalian forebrain organization, as evidenced by its extraordinarily widespread connectivity pattern, claustrum studies in humans are rare. This is particularly true for studies focusing on claustrum connections. Two primary reasons may account for this situation: First, the intricate anatomy of the human claustrum located between the external and extreme capsule hinders straightforward and reliable structural delineation. In addition, the few studies that used diffusion-weighted-imaging (DWI)-based tractography could not clarify whether in vivo tractography consistently and reliably identifies claustrum connections in humans across different subjects, cohorts, imaging methods, and connectivity metrics. To address these issues, we combined a recently developed deep-learning-based claustrum segmentation tool with DWI-based tractography in two large adult cohorts: 81 healthy young adults from the human connectome project and 81 further healthy young participants from the Bavarian longitudinal study. Tracts between the claustrum and 13 cortical and 9 subcortical regions were reconstructed in each subject using probabilistic tractography. Probabilistic group average maps and different connectivity metrics were generated to assess the claustrum's connectivity profile as well as consistency and replicability of tractography. We found, across individuals, cohorts, DWI-protocols, and measures, consistent and replicable cortical and subcortical ipsi- and contralateral claustrum connections. This result demonstrates robust in vivo tractography of claustrum connections in humans, providing a base for further examinations of claustrum connectivity in health and disease.

Abstract Background: The pathogenesis of the cognitive impairment associated with migraine is still unknown. However, the recurrence rate is rising rapidly, and recent studies suggest that migraine patients may be at an increased risk of dementia. The aim of the current study is to investigate alterations in hippocampal subfield functional connectivity and volume in patients with migraine. Methods: Ninety participants were recruited consecutively from the Alanya University Neurology Department Headache Clinic, 49 patients with migraine and 41 healthy controls. All participants underwent functional and T1-weighted anatomical imaging. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was conducted using the CONN toolbox program, while hippocampal subfield volumes were analyzed using FreeSurfer. Findings: Significant differences were observed in terms of some specific hippocampal subfield volumes. We also found that the left-CA3, left-HATA, and right-fimbria exhibited functional differences between the two groups that were significantly correlated with cognitive scores (linear regression results). Interpretation: Our findings suggest that functional and structural brain alterations may play a critical role in comparatively earlier stages of migraine with cognitive impairment, leading to migraine patients exhibiting subtle cognitive symptoms associated with critical brain network and structural changes that may have a particular impact on the likelihood of developing dementia. To summarize, the current investigation, to the best of our knowledge the first of its kind, revealed considerable functional and structural changes in the hippocampus correlated with cognitive performances in migraine patients. Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

The etiology of cognitive decline linked to migraine remains unclear, with a growing recurrence rate and potential increased dementia risk among sufferers. Cognitive dysfunction has recently gained attention as a significant problem among migraine sufferers that can be related to alterations in hippocampal function and structure. This study explores hippocampal subfield connectivity and volume changes in migraine patients.We recruited 90 individuals from Alanya University's Neurology Department, including 49 migraine patients and 41 controls, for functional and anatomical imaging. Using the CONN toolbox and FreeSurfer, we assessed functional connectivity and subfield volumes, respectively. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) was used to assess cognition in the entire sample. As a result, migraine patients exhibited significantly lower MOCA scores compared to controls (p<.001). Also, we found significant differences in hippocampal subfields between migraine patients and control groups in terms of functional connectivity after adjusting for years of education; here we showed that the left CA3 showed higher connectivity with right MFG and right occipitolateral cortex. Furthermore, the connectivity of left fimbria with the left temporal lobe and hippocampus and the connectivity of the right hippocampal-tail with right insula, heschl's gyrus, and frontorbital cortex were lower in the migraineurs.Additionally, volumes of specific hippocampal subfields were significantly lower in the migraineurs (whole hippocampus p = 0.004, whole hippocampus head p = 0.003, right CA1 head p = 0.006, and right HATA p = 0.005) compared to controls. In conclusion, these findings indicate that migraine-associated cognitive impairment involves significant functional and structural brain changes, particularly in the hippocampus, which may heighten dementia risk. This pioneering study unveils critical hippocampal alterations linked to cognitive function in migraine sufferers, underscoring the potential for these changes to impact dementia development.

INTRODUCTION:Emotionally driven cognitive complaints represent a major diagnostic challenge for clinicians and indicate the importance of objective confirmation of the accuracy of depressive patients' descriptions of their cognitive symptoms. METHODS:We compared cognitive status and structural and functional brain connectivity changes in the pulvinar and hippocampus between patients with total depression and healthy controls. The depressive group was also classified as "amnestic" or "nonamnestic," based on the members' subjective reports concerning their forgetfulness. We then sought to determine whether these patients would differ in terms of objective neuroimaging and cognitive findings. RESULTS:The right pulvinar exhibited altered connectivity in individuals with depression with objective cognitive impairment, a finding which was not apparent in depressive patients with subjective cognitive impairment. DISCUSSION:The pulvinar may play a role in depression-related cognitive impairments. Connectivity network changes may differ between objective and subjective cognitive impairment in depression and may play a role in the increased risk of dementia in patients with depression.

Although no longer considered a public health threat, post-COVID cognitive syndrome continues to impact on a considerable proportion of individuals who were infected with COVID-19. Recent studies have also suggested that COVID may be represent a critical risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We compared 17 COVID patients with 20 controls and evaluated the effects of COVID-19 on general cognitive performance, hippocampal volume, and connections using structural and seed-based connectivity analysis. We showed that COVID patients exhibited considerably worse cognitive functioning and increased hippocampal connectivity supported by the strong correlation between hippocampal connectivity and cognitive scores. Our findings of higher hippocampal connectivity with no observable hippocampal morphological changes even in mild COVID cases may be represent evidence of a prestructural compensatory mechanism for stimulating additional neuronal resources to combat cognitive dysfunction as recently shown for the prodromal stages of degenerative cognitive disorders. Our findings may be also important in light of recent data showing that other viral infections as well as COVID may constitute a critical risk factor for the development of AD. To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigated network differences in COVID patients, with a particular focus on compensatory hippocampal connectivity.

The median nerve and subclavius muscle are two critical neuromuscular structures of the upper extremity. Although their anatomical variations are well described in the literature, a case report involving both anatomical variations in the same extremity is rare. Here, we report a case involving different anatomical variations in the median nerve formation and aberrant subclavius posticus muscle. During routine dissection, a rare anatomical variation was encountered in the left upper extremity of an adult male cadaver. In this case report, we observed two distinct findings in the left upper extremity of a 66-year-old male cadaver: a variant basilic vein passing between the lateral and medial roots of the median nerve and the presence of the subclavius posticus muscle. To our knowledge, a case involving an unusual basilic vein passing between the lateral and medial roots of the median nerve and an aberrant subclavian posticus muscle in the same extremity has not been reported to date. Knowledge of such variations may be useful for surgeons in avoiding iatrogenic injuries during anaesthetic and surgical procedures around the axilla and arm.

The claustrum is a sheet-like of telencephalic gray matter structure whose function is poorly understood. The claustrum is considered a multimodal computing network due to its reciprocal connections with almost all cortical areas as well as subcortical structures. Although the claustrum has been involved in several neurodegenerative diseases, specific changes in connections of the claustrum remain unclear in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). Resting-state fMRI and T1-weighted structural 3D images from healthy elderly (n = 15), AD (n = 16), and PD (n = 12) subjects were analyzed. Seed-based FC analysis was performed using CONN FC toolbox and T1-weighted images were analyzed with the Computational Anatomy Toolbox for voxel-based morphometry analysis. While we observed a decreased FC between the left claustrum and sensorimotor cortex, auditory association cortex, and cortical regions associated with social cognition in PD compared with the healthy control group (HC), no significant difference was found in alterations in the FC of both claustrum comparing the HC and AD groups. In the AD group, high FC of claustrum with regions of sensorimotor cortex and cortical regions related to cognitive control, including cingulate gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and insular cortex were demonstrated. In addition, the structural results show significantly decreased volume in bilateral claustrum in AD and PD compared with HC. There were no significant differences in the claustrum volumes between PD and AD groups so the FC may offer more precise findings in distinguishing changes for claustrum in AD and PD.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), structural and functional changes in the brain may give rise to disruption of specific cognitive functions. The aim of this study is to investigate the functional connectivity alterations in the pulvinar's subdivisions and total pulvinar voxel-based morphometry (VBM) changes in individuals with AD and healthy controls. A seed-based functional connectivity analysis was applied to the anterior, inferior, lateral, and medial pulvinar in each hemisphere. Furthermore, VBM analysis was carried out to compare gray matter (GM) volume differences in the pulvinar and thalamus between the two groups. Connectivity analysis revealed that the pulvinar subdivisions had decreased connectivity in individuals with AD. In addition, the pulvinar and thalamus in each hemisphere were significantly smaller in the AD group. The pulvinar may have a role in AD-related cognitive impairments and the intrinsic connectivity network changes and GM loss in pulvinar subdivisions suggest the cognitive deterioration occurring in those with AD. HIGHLIGHTS: The pulvinar may play a role in pathophysiology of cognitive impairments in those with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Decreased structural volume and functional connectivity were found in patients with AD. The inferior pulvinar is functionally the most affected subdivision by AD compared to the others.

Abstract The pulvinar is largest thalamic nucleus and has been subdivided into anterior pulvinar (PuA), inferior pulvinar (PuI), medial pulvinar (PuM) and, lateral pulvinar (PuL). Although the function of pulvinar is well known, its role in neurodegenerative diseases is still unclear. We aimed to examine the functional connectivity of PuA, PuI, PuM and, PuL in healthy controls (HC) and patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Resting-state fMRI and T1 weighted images of 15 healthy control (HC), and 12 PD patients were used in this study. SPM12 and CONN software were used to preprocessing the imaging data using published pipelines. Seed based resting-state fMRI analyses were carried out to compare the functional connectivity changes between groups. Besides, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was performed to compare gray matter volume differences between two groups. The bilateral PuI, PuL and PuM exhibited a decreased functional connectivity in the PD group compared to the HC group in the bilateral thalamus, posterior cingulate cortex, cerebellum, and brainstem. Moreover, pulvinar nuclei in each hemisphere had significantly smaller volume in the patients with PD compared to HC. This study highlights that the patients with PD have a smaller volume in pulvinar nuclei in each hemisphere compared to HC. The pulvinar showed less connectivity in the PD group compared to the HC, the diminished connectivity may be associated with hallucination, executive function, and working memory dysfunctions in PD.

The aim of our study was to determine the variations of the anterior branches of the external carotid artery (ECA) and investigate the morphometric and geometric features of the anterior branches of the ECA and carotid bifurcation (CB). A total of 563 ECAs were included from 288 patients in the study. Classification and exit angles of anterior branches of ECA and determination of vertebral levels of CB and anterior branches were performed. The anterior branch variants of the ECA were observed in 8 different subgroups. The most common variations were type Ia 42.3% (n = 120) on the right and type Ib 40.9% (n = 114) on the left. When looking at the vertebral levels, CB was detected at C4 level in 32.9% of total ECAs (n = 185), STA was at C4 level in 33.4% of total ECAs (n = 188), LA was at C3 level in 50.1% of total ECAs (n = 282), and FA was at C2 level in 37.3% of total ECAs. The mean CB angle in all cases was 59.93° ± 16.04. In the anterior branches of the ECA in cases belonging to the Type I group, the widest angle belonged to FA (R = 116.88 ± 27.04°, L = 110.32° ± 25.94). In conclusion, a new classification of the variations of the anterior branches of the ECA was made on the basis of the CTA images to gain more practicality in surgical procedures. This study revealed for the first time the angular and level relationship between CB and ECA anterior branches.

Although acute and chronic pathologies of the glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joints are frequently encountered in the population, the anatomy and morphometry are not fully known. The aim of this study is to determine the measurements of morphometric parameters according to age groups and sex in a large series of Turkish population. Nine hundred and forty-one shoulders computed tomography (CT) images were screened and those of subjects with healthy anatomical structure were included. Humeral head diameter (HDD) was measured on CT images. Measurements were made using 3D-CT images of: width (GW) and height (GH) of the glenoid cavity; width (CW) and height (CH) of the distal clavicular joint surface; and width (AW) and height (AH) of the acromial joint surface. Data were compared, stratified by age and sex. Images of 223 patients (118 men, 105 women) were analyzed. The following mean measurements were determined: HDD, 41.77 +/- 3.77 mm; GH, 34.66 +/- 3.26 mm; GW, 25.50 +/- 2.90 mm; CW, 14.85 +/- 3.51 mm; CH, 8.49 +/- 2.27 mm; AW, 12.97 +/- 2.94 mm; AH, 7.01 +/- 1.77 mm. When startified by sex, HDD (p<0.001), GH (p<0.001), GW (p<0.001), CW (p<0.001), CH (p=0.002), AW (p<0.001) and AH (p<0.001) measurements were significantly different and mean values were greater in men. Similarly for age, significant differences were found for GH (p=0.028), CW (p<0.001), AW (p<0.001), AH (p<0.001). The parametric values we have obtained in the Turkish population we measure differ from the measurements made in different populations according to age groups and sex. Knowing these features will contribute to treatment planning, implant and prosthesis applications.

Objectives: Until recently, distance education at universities has supplemented face-to-face education in blended programs that combine the two. But during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of the 2019–2020 academic year, many universities were forced to conduct distance education exclusively. The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions, thoughts, and experiences of university students regarding the completely online process of distance education during this period. Methods: In this process, all theoretical lessons and exams were conducted on the advance learning management system (ALMS) for distance education at İstinye University. The present study used the original form of WEBLEI to survey 324 students from medicine, pharmacy and health science departments at İstinye University. Results: WEBLEI measures students’ perceptions using four scales: access, interaction, response and results. Though students did not experience problems accessing online lessons or interacting with their teachers and other students, they did not find online distance education alone more effective and satisfying than combined with face-to-face education. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of the pros and cons of distance education by evaluating the attitudes and perceptions of university students.

Amaç: Covid-19 pandemisi süresince verilen uzaktan tıp eğitiminin, öğrenciler üzerindeki etkilerinin nitel ve nicel yansımaları ile birlikte değerlendirilmesi amaçlandı. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışma 217 tıp fakültesi öğrencisi üzerinde gerçekleştirildi. Çalışmada, uzaktan öğretimin modellenmesi için geliştirilen ve 35 soru içeren ‘Uzaktan Eğitim Memnuniyet Anketi’ kullanıldı. Bu anket ile İstinye Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi öğrencilerinin ALMS tabanlı uzaktan eğitim sistemiyle ilgili kayıt işlemleri, teknik destek ve verilen eğitim hakkındaki görüş ve deneyimleri elde edildi. Bulgular: Araştırmamıza katılan 217 gönüllü katılımcının %63,1’i kadın ve %36,9’u erkek olarak tespit edildi. Katılımcıların %86,6’lık kısmı uzaktan eğitimi bilgisayar ile takip ettiklerini belirttiler. Katılımcıların çoğunluğunun (%54,2) uzaktan eğitim öğrenme tekniklerini yakından takip ettikleri, yine %70,6’sının uzaktan eğitim ile ders içeriklerine hızlı bir şekilde ulaşabildikleri görüldü. Öğrencilerin %50,7’si uzaktan eğitim sayesinde gerekli bilgilere daha hızlı erişilebildiklerini, %47,9’u uzaktan eğitim sayesinde vakitlerinden tasarruf ederek diğer ilgi alanlarına da yönelebildiklerini belirttiler. Sanal sınıf uygulamasının yüz yüze eğitim ile eşdeğerde olduğu düşüncesi, öğrencilerin %66,4’ü tarafından olumsuz karşılandı. Sonuç: Öğrenciler, genel olarak yöntemi onayladılar, ancak öğretici veya teknik kaynaklı eksiklikleri içeren memnuniyetsizliklerini de belirttiler. Çalışmamızdan da net bir şekilde anlaşıldı ki, çevrimiçi öğrenme ortamları öğrencilerin ihtiyaçlarını ve tercihlerini dikkate almadan etkili olamaz ve gelişemez.