Most recent paper

J Psychiatr Res. 2025 Mar 6;184:395-404. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.055. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID) a profound incongruity between the physical body and the desired, i.e., amputated body, often leads to a desire for limb amputation. Virtual reality (VR) and multisensory stimulation paradigms provide powerful tools to create the experience of being embodied in an amputated body. Here we investigate the impact of such an experience on neural and subjective responses in 18 individuals with BID and 18 controls. We used both task-based and resting-state MRI before and after participants played an immersive virtual game in an amputated body corresponding to their desired bodily shape and mimicking their movements. The task-based fMRI assessed neural activity when viewing images of the body in the desired versus the undesired state. Individuals with BID reported higher sense of ownership and control over the virtual body. Task-based fMRI showed increased pre-VR activity in the right superior parietal lobule (rSPL), right angular gyrus, and right supplementary motor area in the BID group, normalizing after VR exposure. Resting-state fMRI showed reduced connectivity in the rSPL, visuo-occipital areas, fronto-parietal, and fronto-striatal mirror and limb system networks, also normalizing post-VR. Additionally, there was a normalization in the pattern of increased connectivity of cortico-striatal tracts connecting the rSPL and the pars orbitalis of the right inferior frontal gyrus with the nucleus accumbens. Our findings suggest that virtual embodiment effectively modulates BID-related neural networks, offering a safe, cost-effective intervention for BID and highlights VR's potential in exploring the complex interaction between body and self, with potential implications for similar psychiatric conditions.

PMID:40090220 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.055

Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 15;15(1):81. doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03303-9.

ABSTRACT

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet the inaccurate selection of stimulation sites may constrain its efficacy. This study aimed to identify novel NIBS targets for ADHD by integrating meta-analytic findings with cross-dataset validation of functional connectivity patterns. A meta-analysis including 124 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies was first conducted to delineate critical brain regions associated with ADHD, which were defined as regions of interest (ROIs). Subsequently, functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed using resting-state fMRI data from two independent databases comprising 116 patients with ADHD. Surface brain regions exhibiting consistent FC patterns with the ADHD-related ROIs across both datasets were identified as candidate NIBS targets. These targets were then translated to scalp-level stimulation sites using the 10-20 system and continuous proportional coordinates (CPC). Key regions mapped to the scalp included the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area (SMA), and pre-SMA. These findings propose a set of precise stimulation location for NIBS interventions in ADHD, potentially broadening the scope of neuromodulation strategies for this disorder. The study emphasized the utility of cross-dataset functional connectivity analysis in refining NIBS target selection and highlights novel brain targets that warrant further investigation in clinical trials.

PMID:40089469 | DOI:10.1038/s41398-025-03303-9