Gui Xue

YNIMG Journal 2025 Journal Article

Understanding episodic memory dynamics: Retrieval and updating mechanisms revealed by fMRI and tDCS

• Dong-ni Pan
• CuiZhu Lin
• Ma Xin
• Oliver T. Wolf
• Gui Xue
• Xuebing Li

This study investigates brain mechanisms in memory preservation and alteration using a three-phase design: memory encoding (Day 1), interference under fMRI (Day 2), and testing (Day 3). Thirty-one participants completed the core experiment, supplemented by a tDCS study (n = 118) targeting the visual cortex. Original memories were more susceptible to incorrect updating during old-background/new-object interference compared to relearning and no-retrieval conditions. Interference trials elicited heightened activation in the Inferior Parietal Lobe (IPL), Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Gyrus (dACC) versus no-retrieval controls, and increased frontoparietal and Occipital Fusiform Gyrus (OFG) activation versus relearning. Analyzing interference trials by Day 3 outcomes revealed preserved memories correlated with stronger cingulo-opercular and frontoparietal activation (indicating effective conflict resolution), whereas updated memories showed elevated OFG activity (suggesting new sensory integration). Crucially, IPL/DLPFC activation during interference positively correlated with original memory accuracy, while OFG activation showed negative correlation. tDCS stimulation of the occipital cortex during memory reactivation significantly enhanced memory updating, confirming visual cortex involvement in contextual distortion. Findings demonstrate distinct neural profiles underlie memory outcomes: preserved memories require efficient conflict processing networks, while perceptual interference during reactivation promotes updates through sensory integration systems. This supports targeted neuromodulation approaches for memory modification, highlighting intervention potential through visual cortex engagement during critical memory phases.

YNIMG Journal 2022 Journal Article

Dynamic changes in neural representations underlie the repetition effect on false memory

• Xuhao Shao
• Chuansheng Chen
• Elizabeth F. Loftus
• Gui Xue
• Bi Zhu

Restudying word lists (e.g., dream, awake, and bed) strengthens true memory of the studied words and reduces false memory for unstudied but semantically related lures (e.g., sleep). Yet, the neural mechanisms involved in this repetition effect on false memory remain unclear. Possible mechanisms involve item-specific and semantic neural representations at encoding, and the memory strength between encoding and retrieval. This study first replicated the behavioral results (Exp. 1) and then investigated various neural mechanisms by using slow event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and representational similarity analysis (Exp. 2). Behavioral results confirmed that restudy improved true memory and reduced false memory. The fMRI results showed that restudy induced item-specific neural representations at encoding in the left occipital pole, but reduced neural overlap between semantic representations at encoding in the left temporal pole. Individual differences in these two encoding neural mechanisms were correlated with the behavioral measure of false memory, with greater restudy-induced representational changes at encoding (item-specific neural representations and reduced neural overlap between semantic representations) being associated with lower false memory. Moreover, restudy enhanced the memory strength between encoding and retrieval in the visuoparietal cortex but reduced it in the frontal cortex. These findings suggest that dynamic changes in neural representations underlie the repetition effect on false memory, supporting a dual-coding neural framework.

YNIMG Journal 2021 Journal Article

The coupling of BOLD signal variability and degree centrality underlies cognitive functions and psychiatric diseases

• Jintao Sheng
• Liang Zhang
• Junjiao Feng
• Jing Liu
• Anqi Li
• Wei Chen
• Yuedi Shen
• Jinhui Wang

Brain signal variability has been consistently linked to functional integration; however, whether this coupling is associated with cognitive functions and/or psychiatric diseases has not been clarified. Using multiple multimodality datasets, including resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP: N = 927) and a Beijing sample (N = 416) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) and rsfMRI data from a Hangzhou sample (N = 29), we found that, compared with the existing variability measure (i. e. , SDBOLD), the mean-scaled (standardized) fractional standard deviation of the BOLD signal (mfSDBOLD) maintained very high test-retest reliability, showed greater cross-site reliability and was less affected by head motion. We also found strong reproducible couplings between the mfSDBOLD and functional integration measured by the degree centrality (DC), both cross-voxel and cross-subject, which were robust to scanning and preprocessing parameters. Moreover, both mfSDBOLD and DC were correlated with CBF, suggesting a common physiological basis for both measures. Critically, the degree of coupling between mfSDBOLD and long-range DC was positively correlated with individuals’ cognitive total composite scores. Brain regions with greater mismatches between mfSDBOLD and long-range DC were more vulnerable to brain diseases. Our results suggest that BOLD signal variability could serve as a meaningful index of local function that underlies functional integration in the human brain and that a strong coupling between BOLD signal variability and functional integration may serve as a hallmark of balanced brain networks that are associated with optimal brain functions.

YNIMG Journal 2020 Journal Article

Individual-specific and shared representations during episodic memory encoding and retrieval

• Xiaoqian Xiao
• Yu Zhou
• Jing Liu
• Zhifang Ye
• Li Yao
• Jiacai Zhang
• Chuansheng Chen
• Gui Xue

Although human memories seem unique to each individual, they are shared to a great extent across individuals. Previous studies have examined, separately, subject-specific and cross-subject shared representations during memory encoding and retrieval, but how shared memories are formed from individually encoded representations is not clearly understood. Using a unique fMRI design involving memory encoding and retrieval, and representational similarity analysis to link representations from different individuals, brain regions, and processing stages, the current study revealed that distributed brain regions showed both subject-specific and shared neural representations during both memory encoding and retrieval. Furthermore, different brain regions showed stage-specific representational strength, with the visual cortex showing greater unique and shared representations during encoding, whereas the left angular gyrus showing greater unique and shared representations during retrieval. The neural representations during encoding were transformed during retrieval, as shown by smaller cross-subject encoding-retrieval similarity (ERS) than cross-subject similarity either during encoding or during retrieval. This cross-subject and cross-stage similarity was found both within and across regions, with strong pattern similarity between the encoded representation in VVC and the retrieved representation in the angular gyrus. Simulation analysis further suggested that these patterns could be achieved by incorporating stage-specific representational strength, and cross-region reinstatement from encoding to retrieval, but not by a common transformation from encoding to retrieval across subjects. Together, our results shed light on how memory representations are encoded and transformed to maintain individual characteristics and at the same time to create shared representations to facilitate interpersonal communication.

YNIMG Journal 2019 Journal Article

The regional homogeneity patterns of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex predict individual differences in decision impulsivity

• Chenyu Lv
• Qiang Wang
• Chuansheng Chen
• Jiang Qiu
• Gui Xue
• Qinghua He

Intertemporal choice refers to the process of making decisions by weighing short- and long-term benefits and costs. On average people prefer immediate rewards over delayed rewards with larger amounts, which is a form of decision impulsivity. Based on previous research showing the importance of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in decision impulsivity, the present study examined whether regional homogeneity (ReHo) patterns in DMPFC were associated with individual differences in intertemporal choices. Two cohorts of college students (N = 239 and N = 227, respectively) were recruited and resting-state data were collected. Results from both univariate and multivariate pattern analyses of the two cohorts consistently showed that ReHo patterns in the DMPFC were associated with the delay discounting rate (i. e. , log k). These results further support the important role of DMPFC in intertemporal choice and have potential practical implications for decision making in our daily life and at the level of national policies as well as for the treatment of clinical populations with decision impulsivity (e. g. , gamblers, individuals with substance use disorders).

YNIMG Journal 2017 Journal Article

Corrigendum to “Long-term experience with Chinese language shapes the fusiform asymmetry of English reading” [NeuroImage 110 (2015) 3–10]

• Leilei Mei
• Gui Xue
• Zhong-Lin Lu
• Chuansheng Chen
• Miao Wei
• Qinghua He
• Qi Dong

YNIMG Journal 2017 Journal Article

Corrigendum to “Native language experience shapes neural basis of addressed and assembled phonologies” [Neuroimage 114 (2015) 38–48]

• Leilei Mei
• Gui Xue
• Zhong-Lin Lu
• Qinghua He
• Miao Wei
• Mingxia Zhang
• Qi Dong
• Chuansheng Chen

YNICL Journal 2017 Journal Article

Dissociable neural processes during risky decision-making in individuals with Internet-gaming disorder

• Lu Liu
• Gui Xue
• Marc N. Potenza
• Jin-Tao Zhang
• Yuan-Wei Yao
• Cui-Cui Xia
• Jing Lan
• Shan-Shan Ma

Risk-taking is purported to be central to addictive behaviors. However, for Internet gaming disorder (IGD), a condition conceptualized as a behavioral addiction, the neural processes underlying impaired decision-making (risk evaluation and outcome processing) related to gains and losses have not been systematically investigated. Forty-one males with IGD and 27 healthy comparison (HC) male participants were recruited, and the cups task was used to identify neural processes associated with gain- and loss-related risk- and outcome-processing in IGD. During risk evaluation, the IGD group, compared to the HC participants, showed weaker modulation for experienced risk within the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (t =−4. 07; t =−3. 94; P FWE <0. 05) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) (t =−4. 08; t =−4. 08; P FWE <0. 05) for potential losses. The modulation of the left DLPFC and bilateral IPL activation were negatively related to addiction severity within the IGD group (r =−0. 55; r =−0. 61; r =−0. 51; P FWE <0. 05). During outcome processing, the IGD group presented greater responses for the experienced reward within the ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (t =5. 04, P FWE <0. 05) for potential gains, as compared to HC participants. Within the IGD group, the increased reward-related activity in the right OFC was positively associated with severity of IGD (r =0. 51, P FWE <0. 05). These results provide a neurobiological foundation for decision-making deficits in individuals with IGD and suggest an imbalance between hypersensitivity for reward and weaker risk experience and self-control for loss. The findings suggest a biological mechanism for why individuals with IGD may persist in game-seeking behavior despite negative consequences, and treatment development strategies may focus on targeting these neural pathways in this population.

YNIMG Journal 2017 Journal Article

Dissociated roles of the parietal and frontal cortices in the scope and control of attention during visual working memory

• Siyao Li
• Ying Cai
• Jing Liu
• Dawei Li
• Zifang Feng
• Chuansheng Chen
• Gui Xue

Mounting evidence suggests that multiple mechanisms underlie working memory capacity. Using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), the current study aimed to provide causal evidence for the neural dissociation of two mechanisms underlying visual working memory (WM) capacity, namely, the scope and control of attention. A change detection task with distractors was used, where a number of colored bars (i. e. , two red bars, four red bars, or two red plus two blue bars) were presented on both sides (Experiment 1) or the center (Experiment 2) of the screen for 100ms, and participants were instructed to remember the red bars and to ignore the blue bars (in both Experiments), as well as to ignore the stimuli on the un-cued side (Experiment 1 only). In both experiments, participants finished three sessions of the task after 15min of 1. 5mA anodal tDCS administered on the right prefrontal cortex (PFC), the right posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and the primary visual cortex (VC), respectively. The VC stimulation served as an active control condition. We found that compared to stimulation on the VC, stimulation on the right PPC specifically increased the visual WM capacity under the no-distractor condition (i. e. , 4 red bars), whereas stimulation on the right PFC specifically increased the visual WM capacity under the distractor condition (i. e. , 2 red bars plus 2 blue bars). These results suggest that the PPC and PFC are involved in the scope and control of attention, respectively. We further showed that compared to central presentation of the stimuli (Experiment 2), bilateral presentation of the stimuli (on both sides of the fixation in Experiment 1) led to an additional demand for attention control. Our results emphasize the dissociated roles of the frontal and parietal lobes in visual WM capacity, and provide a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms of WM.

YNIMG Journal 2016 Journal Article

Alertness function of thalamus in conflict adaptation

• Xiangpeng Wang
• Xiaoyue Zhao
• Gui Xue
• Antao Chen

Conflict adaptation reflects the ability to improve current conflict resolution based on previously experienced conflict, which is crucial for our goal-directed behaviors. In recent years, the roles of alertness are attracting increasing attention when discussing the generation of conflict adaptation. However, due to the difficulty of manipulating alertness, very limited progress has been made in this line. Inspired by that color may affect alertness, we manipulated background color of experimental task and found that conflict adaptation significantly presented in gray and red backgrounds but did not in blue background. Furthermore, behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging results revealed that the modulation of color on conflict adaptation was implemented through changing alertness level. In particular, blue background eliminated conflict adaptation by damping the alertness regulating function of thalamus and the functional connectivity between thalamus and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). In contrast, in gray and red backgrounds where alertness levels are typically high, the thalamus and the right IFG functioned normally and conflict adaptations were significant. Therefore, the alertness function of thalamus is determinant to conflict adaptation, and thalamus and right IFG are crucial nodes of the neural circuit subserving this ability. Present findings provide new insights into the neural mechanisms of conflict adaptation.

YNIMG Journal 2016 Journal Article

Dissociated neural substrates underlying impulsive choice and impulsive action

• Qiang Wang
• Chunhui Chen
• Ying Cai
• Siyao Li
• Xiao Zhao
• Li Zheng
• Hanqi Zhang
• Jing Liu

There is a growing consensus that impulsivity is a multifaceted construct that comprises several components such as impulsive choice and impulsive action. Although impulsive choice and impulsive action have been shown to be the common characteristics of some impulsivity-related psychiatric disorders, surprisingly few studies have directly compared their neural correlates and addressed the question whether they involve common or distinct neural correlates. We addressed this important empirical gap using an individual differences approach that could characterize the functional relevance of neural networks in behaviors. A large sample (n=227) of college students was tested with the delay discounting and stop-signal tasks, and their performances were correlated with the neuroanatomical (gray matter volume, GMV) and functional (resting-state functional connectivity, RSFC) measures, using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) and 10-fold cross-validation. Behavioral results showed no significant correlation between impulsive choice measured by discounting rate (k) and impulsive action measured by stop signal reaction time (SSRT). The GMVs in the right frontal pole (FP) and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) were predictive of k, but not SSRT. In contrast, the GMVs in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), supplementary motor area (SMA), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) could predict individuals' SSRT, but not k. RSFC analysis using the FP and right IFG as seed regions revealed two distinct networks that correspond well to the “waiting” and “stopping” systems, respectively. Furthermore, the RSFC between the FP and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) was predictive of k, whereas the RSFC between the IFG and pre-SMA was predictive of SSRT. These results demonstrate clearly neural dissociations between impulsive choice and impulsive action, provide new insights into the nature of impulsivity, and have implications for impulsivity-related disorders.

YNIMG Journal 2015 Journal Article

Long-term experience with Chinese language shapes the fusiform asymmetry of English reading

• Leilei Mei
• Gui Xue
• Zhong-Lin Lu
• Chuansheng Chen
• Miao Wei
• Qinghua He
• Qi Dong

Previous studies have suggested differential engagement of the bilateral fusiform gyrus in the processing of Chinese and English. The present study tested the possibility that long-term experience with Chinese language affects the fusiform laterality of English reading by comparing three samples: Chinese speakers, English speakers with Chinese experience, and English speakers without Chinese experience. We found that, when reading words in their respective native language, Chinese and English speakers without Chinese experience differed in functional laterality of the posterior fusiform region (right laterality for Chinese speakers, but left laterality for English speakers). More importantly, compared with English speakers without Chinese experience, English speakers with Chinese experience showed more recruitment of the right posterior fusiform cortex for English words and pseudowords, which is similar to how Chinese speakers processed Chinese. These results suggest that long-term experience with Chinese shapes the fusiform laterality of English reading and have important implications for our understanding of the cross-language influences in terms of neural organization and of the functions of different fusiform subregions in reading.

YNIMG Journal 2015 Journal Article

Native language experience shapes neural basis of addressed and assembled phonologies

• Leilei Mei
• Gui Xue
• Zhong-Lin Lu
• Qinghua He
• Miao Wei
• Mingxia Zhang
• Qi Dong
• Chuansheng Chen

Previous studies have suggested differential engagement of addressed and assembled phonologies in reading Chinese and alphabetic languages (e. g. , English) and the modulatory role of native language in learning to read a second language. However, it is not clear whether native language experience shapes the neural mechanisms of addressed and assembled phonologies. To address this question, we trained native Chinese and native English speakers to read the same artificial language (based on Korean Hangul) either through addressed (i. e. , whole-word mapping) or assembled (i. e. , grapheme-to-phoneme mapping) phonology. We found that, for both native Chinese and native English speakers, addressed phonology relied on the regions in the ventral pathway, whereas assembled phonology depended on the regions in the dorsal pathway. More importantly, we found that the neural mechanisms of addressed and assembled phonologies were shaped by native language experience. Specifically, one key region for addressed phonology (i. e. , the left middle temporal gyrus) showed greater activation for addressed phonology in native Chinese speakers, while one key region for assembled phonology (i. e. , the left supramarginal gyrus) showed more activation for assembled phonology in native English speakers. These results provide direct neuroimaging evidence for the effect of native language experience on the neural mechanisms of phonological access in a new language and support the assimilation–accommodation hypothesis.

YNIMG Journal 2014 Journal Article

Fiber connectivity between the striatum and cortical and subcortical regions is associated with temperaments in Chinese males

• Xuemei Lei
• Chuansheng Chen
• Feng Xue
• Qinghua He
• Chunhui Chen
• Qi Liu
• Robert K. Moyzis
• Gui Xue

The seven-factor biopsychosocial model of personality distinguished four biologically based temperaments and three psychosocially based characters. Previous studies have suggested that the four temperaments—novelty seeking (NS), reward dependence (RD), harm avoidance (HA), and persistence (P)—have their respective neurobiological correlates, especially in the striatum-connected subcortical and cortical networks. However, few studies have investigated their neurobiological basis in the form of fiber connectivity between brain regions. This study correlated temperaments with fiber connectivity between the striatum and subcortical and cortical hub regions in a sample of 50 Chinese adult males. Generally consistent with our hypotheses, results showed that: (1) NS was positively correlated with fiber connectivity from the medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC, lOFC) and amygdala to the striatum; (2) RD was positively correlated with fiber connectivity from the mOFC, posterior cingulate cortex/retrosplenial cortex (PCC), hippocampus, and amygdala to the striatum; (3) HA was positively linked to fiber connectivity from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and PCC to the striatum; and (4) P was positively linked to fiber connectivity from the mOFC to the striatum. These results extended the research on the neurobiological basis of temperaments by identifying their anatomical fiber connectivity correlates within the subcortical–cortical neural networks.

YNIMG Journal 2014 Journal Article

Language-general and -specific white matter microstructural bases for reading

• Mingxia Zhang
• Chuansheng Chen
• Gui Xue
• Zhong-Lin Lu
• Leilei Mei
• Hongli Xue
• Miao Wei
• Qinghua He

In the past decade, several studies have investigated language-general and -specific brain regions for reading. However, very limited research has examined the white matter that connects these cortical regions. By using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), the current study investigated the common and divergent relationship between white matter integrity indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA) and native language reading abilities in 89 Chinese and 93 English speakers. Conjunction analysis revealed that for both groups, reading ability was associated with the FA of seven white matter fiber bundles in two main anatomical locations in the left hemisphere: the dorsal corona radiate/corpus callosum/superior longitudinal fasciculus which might be for phonological access, and the ventral uncinate fasciculus/external capsule/inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus which might be for semantic processing. Contrast analysis showed that the FA of the left temporal part of superior longitudinal fasciculus contributed more to reading in English than in Chinese, which is consistent with the notion that this tract is involved in grapheme-to-phoneme conversion for alphabetic language reading. These results are the first evidence of language-general and –specific white matter microstructural bases for reading.

YNIMG Journal 2014 Journal Article

Neural processes during encoding support durable memory

• Qi Liu
• Qi Dong
• Chuansheng Chen
• Gui Xue

The ability to form durable memory is critical for human survival and development, but its underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms have not been well understood. In particular, existing studies have not clearly dissociated the neural processes supporting short- and long-duration memories. The present study addressed this issue with functional MRI and a modified subsequent memory paradigm. Participants were asked to make semantic judgment on a list of 320 words in the scanner. Half of the words were tested after a short delay (i. e. , 1day, T1) and again after a long delay (i. e. , 1week, T12), whereas the other half were tested only once after the long delay (T2). Materials forgotten during T1 were categorized as forgotten trials, and those remembered during T2 were categorized as long-duration trials. In contrast, trials remembered during T1 but not during T12 were categorized as short-duration trials. We found that compared to forgotten trials, short-duration trials showed decreased activation in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and precuneus, which is consistent with many previous observations. Importantly, long-duration trials showed stronger activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) but less deactivation in the PCC relative to short-duration trials. Psychophysiological interactions (PPI) analysis revealed stronger functional connectivity between LIFG and PCC for long-duration trials than for forgotten trials. Our results suggest that strong PCC activity, in combination with strong LIFG activity, supports long-lasting memory.

YNIMG Journal 2014 Journal Article

Resting-state functional connectivity and reading abilities in first and second languages

• Mingxia Zhang
• Jin Li
• Chuansheng Chen
• Gui Xue
• Zhonglin Lu
• Leilei Mei
• Hongli Xue
• Feng Xue

An intriguing discovery in recent years is that resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is associated with cognitive performance. The current study investigated whether RSFC within the reading network was correlated with Chinese adults' reading abilities in their native language (L1, Chinese) and second language (L2, English). Results showed that RSFC within the reading network was positively correlated to reading abilities in L1 and L2, and RSFC between reading areas and the default network was negatively correlated to reading abilities in L1 and L2. Further conjunction and contrast analyses revealed that L1 and L2 shared similar RSFC correlates including connectivities between the areas for visual analysis (e. g. , bilateral posterior fusiform gyrus, lateral occipital cortices, and right superior parietal lobules) and those for phonological processing (e. g. , bilateral precentral gyri and postcentral gyrus, Wernicke's area). These results indicate that RSFC is a potential neural marker for reading abilities in both L1 and L2, with important theoretical implications for reading in L1 and L2.

YNIMG Journal 2014 Journal Article

The GABRB1 gene is associated with thalamus volume and modulates the association between thalamus volume and intelligence

• Bi Zhu
• Chuansheng Chen
• Gui Xue
• Xuemei Lei
• Jin Li
• Robert K. Moyzis
• Qi Dong
• Chongde Lin

The GABRB1 gene encodes the beta 1 subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor (GABA A receptor), which is responsible for mediating inhibitory neurotransmission in the thalamus. Potential relationships between the GABRB1 gene, thalamus volume, and intelligence have been suggested by previous clinical studies, but have not been directly examined among nonclinical samples. The current study collected structural MRI, genetic, and behavioral data from 316 healthy Chinese adults (including 187 females and 129 males), and examined associations between GABRB1 variants, thalamus volume, and intelligence (measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised). After controlling for intracranial volume, sex, and age, GABRB1 genetic polymorphism at the SNP rs7435958 had the strongest association with thalamus volume (p =0. 002 and 0. 00008 for left and right thalamus volumes, respectively), with GG homozygotes having smaller bilateral thalamus volumes than the other genotypes. Furthermore, there were positive correlations between bilateral thalamus volumes and intelligence, especially for GABRB1 rs7435958 GG female homozygotes (r's=0. 31 and 0. 29, p <0. 01, for the correlations of intelligence with left and right thalamus volumes, respectively). This study provides the first evidence for the involvement of the GABRB1 gene in the thalamus structure and their interactive effects on intelligence. Future studies of the thalamus–intelligence associations should consider genetic factors as potential moderators.

YNIMG Journal 2014 Journal Article

The SEMA5A gene is associated with hippocampal volume, and their interaction is associated with performance on Raven's Progressive Matrices

• Bi Zhu
• Chuansheng Chen
• Gui Xue
• Robert K. Moyzis
• Qi Dong
• Chunhui Chen
• Jin Li
• Qinghua He

The Allen Brain Atlas shows that the semaphorin 5A (SEMA5A) gene, which encodes an important protein for neurogenesis and neuronal apoptosis, is predominantly expressed in the human hippocampus. Structural and functional neuroimaging studies have further shown that the hippocampus plays an important role in the performance on Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), a measure of reasoning ability and general fluid intelligence. Thus far, however, no study has examined the relationships between the SEMA5A gene polymorphism, hippocampal volume, and RPM performance. The current study collected both structural MRI, genetic, and behavioral data in 329 healthy Chinese adults, and examined associations between SEMA5A variants, hippocampal volume, and performance on RAPM (the advanced form of RPM). After controlling for intracranial volume (ICV), sex, and age, SEMA5A genetic polymorphism at the SNP rs42352 had the strongest association with hippocampal volume (p =0. 00000552 and 0. 000103 for right and left hippocampal volumes, respectively), with TT homozygotes having higher hippocampal volume than the other genotypes. Furthermore, there was a high correlation between right hippocampal volume and RAPM performance (r =0. 42, p =0. 0000509) for SEMA5A rs42352 TT homozygotes. This study provides the first evidence for the involvement of the SEMA5A gene in hippocampal structure and their interaction on RAPM performance. Future studies of the hippocampus–RPM associations should consider genetic factors as potential moderators.

RLDM Conference 2013 Conference Abstract

Common and Distinct Neural Mechanisms for Associative Learning by Reward and Punishment

• Gui Xue
• Feng Xue
• Vita Droutman
• Stephen Read

It is still debated whether there are similar or distinct neural substrates for reinforcement learning via reward and punishment, which is complicated by the use of monetary gains and losses in existing stud- ies. To address this issue, the present study used monetary gain and mild shock as reward and punishment in a deterministic reinforcement learning task. Forty male subjects were asked to learn the association (with 5 to 8 repetitions) between a novel image and a left or right key press through deterministic feedback. The contingency was then reversed and subjects learned the new contingency over 5 repetitions to achieve high accuracy. Under the reward condition, subjects received one point (convertible to real money at the end of the experiment) for each correct response but otherwise nothing; under the punishment condition, subjects received a mild electric shock for each incorrect response but otherwise nothing. Behavioral results sug- gest that subjects learned equally well via both reward and punishment. Functional results suggest that for both reward and punishment learning, there was significant activation in the striatum (caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens) and in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex for positive PE (i. e. , not fully predicted pres- ence of an appetitive outcome, not fully predicted omission of an aversive outcome), but strong activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and adjacent preSMA and right prefrontal cortex for negative PE. In addition, whereas no difference for positive PE was found between reward and punishment learning, there was stronger response to negative PE in ACC, bilateral insula and amygdala for punishment learning. These results suggest that the striatum is commonly involved in positive prediction error by the presence of a not fully predicted appetitive outcome and the avoidance of a not fully predicted aversive outcome, whereas the ACC, insula and amygdala are particularly important for punishment learning.

YNIMG Journal 2013 Journal Article

Processing of time within the prefrontal cortex: Recent time engages posterior areas whereas distant time engages anterior areas

• Gilly Koritzky
• Qinghua He
• Gui Xue
• Savio Wong
• Lin Xiao
• Antoine Bechara

Studies of prefrontal cortex (PFC) lesion patients suggest that information conveying high immediacy, certainty, or tangibility engages the more posterior part of the PFC, whereas information that is more abstract or complex engages the anterior part. We examined whether the anterior and posterior subdivisions of the PFC have distinct roles in processing temporal information during decision making in healthy individuals. We hypothesized that the more the locus of activation is in the posterior (as opposed to anterior) PFC, the more the decision maker will be affected by recent information at the expense of past outcomes. Participants performed a complex decision task while their PFC activity was monitored using fMRI. Results indicate that individual differences in the effect of recent outcomes correspond to differences in the locus of activation, with elevated recency associated with more posterior loci of activation.

YNIMG Journal 2013 Journal Article

The contribution of the left mid-fusiform cortical thickness to Chinese and English reading in a large Chinese sample

• Mingxia Zhang
• Jin Li
• Chuansheng Chen
• Leilei Mei
• Gui Xue
• Zhonglin Lu
• Chunhui Chen
• Qinghua He

Previous functional neuroimaging studies have shown that the left mid-fusiform cortex plays a critical role in reading. However, there is very limited research relating this region's anatomical structure to reading performance either in native or second language. Using structural MRI and three reading tasks (Chinese characters, English words, and alphabetic pseudowords) and a non-reading task (visual–auditory learning), this study investigated the contributions of the left mid-fusiform cortical thickness to reading in a large sample of 226 Chinese subjects. Results showed that the cortical thickness in the left mid-fusiform gyrus was positively correlated with performance on all three reading tasks but not with the performance on the non-reading task. Our findings provide structural evidence for the left mid-fusiform cortex as the “gateway” region for reading Chinese and English. The absence of the association between the left mid-fusiform cortical thickness and non-reading performance implied the specific role of this area in reading skills, not in general language skills.

YNIMG Journal 2013 Journal Article

The NTSR1 gene modulates the association between hippocampal structure and working memory performance

• Jin Li
• Chuansheng Chen
• Xuemei Lei
• Yunxin Wang
• Chunhui Chen
• Qinghua He
• Robert K. Moyzis
• Gui Xue

The genetic and neural basis of working memory (WM) has been extensively studied. Many dopamine (DA) related genes, including the NTSR1 gene (a DA modulator gene), have been reported to be associated with WM performance. The NTSR1 protein is predominantly expressed in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, the latter of which is closely involved in WM processing based on both lesion and fMRI studies. Thus far, however, no study has examined the joint effects of NTSR1 gene polymorphism and hippocampal morphology on WM performance. Participants of the current study were 330 healthy Chinese college students. WM performance was measured with a 2-back WM paradigm. Structural MRI data were acquired and then analyzed using an automated procedure with atlas-based FreeSurfer segmentation software (v 4. 5. 0) package. Linear regression analyses were conducted with a NTSR1 C/T polymorphism which was previously reported to be associated with WM (rs4334545), hippocampal volume, and their interaction as predictors of WM performance, with gender and intracranial volume (ICV) as covariates. Results showed a significant interaction between NTSR1 genotype and hippocampal volume (p <. 05 for both the left and right hippocampi). Further analysis showed that the correlation between hippocampal volume and WM scores was significant for carriers of the NTSR1 T-allele (p <. 05 for both hippocampi), but not for CC homozygotes. These results indicate that the association between hippocampal structure and WM performance was modulated by variation in the NTSR1 gene, and suggest that further studies of brain–behavior associations should take genetic background information into account.

YNIMG Journal 2011 Journal Article

Corrigendum to “Engagement of large-scale networks is related to individual differences in inhibitory control” [NeuroImage 53/2 (2010) 653–663]

• Eliza Congdon
• Jeanette A. Mumford
• Jessica R. Cohen
• Adriana Galvan
• Adam R. Aron
• Gui Xue
• Eric Miller
• Russell A. Poldrack

YNIMG Journal 2010 Journal Article

Engagement of large-scale networks is related to individual differences in inhibitory control

• Eliza Congdon
• Jeanette A. Mumford
• Jessica R. Cohen
• Adriana Galvan
• Adam R. Aron
• Gui Xue
• Eric Miller
• Russell A. Poldrack

Understanding which brain regions regulate the execution, and suppression, of goal-directed behavior has implications for a number of areas of research. In particular, understanding which brain regions engaged during tasks requiring the execution and inhibition of a motor response provides insight into the mechanisms underlying individual differences in response inhibition ability. However, neuroimaging studies examining the relation between activation and stopping have been inconsistent regarding the direction of the relationship, and also regarding the anatomical location of regions that correlate with behavior. These limitations likely arise from the relatively low power of voxelwise correlations with small sample sizes. Here, we pooled data over five separate fMRI studies of the Stop-signal task in order to obtain a sufficiently large sample size to robustly detect brain/behavior correlations. In addition, rather than performing mass univariate correlation analysis across all voxels, we increased statistical power by reducing the dimensionality of the data set using independent component analysis and then examined correlations between behavior and the resulting component scores. We found that components reflecting activity in regions thought to be involved in stopping were associated with better stopping ability, while activity in a default-mode network was associated with poorer stopping ability across individuals. These results clearly show a relationship between individual differences in stopping ability in specific activated networks, including regions known to be critical for the behavior. The results also highlight the usefulness of using dimensionality reduction to increase the power to detect brain/behavior correlations in individual differences research.

YNIMG Journal 2010 Journal Article

The impact of prior risk experiences on subsequent risky decision-making: The role of the insula

• Gui Xue
• Zhonglin Lu
• Irwin P. Levin
• Antoine Bechara

Risky decision-making is significantly affected by homeostatic states associated with different prior risk experiences, yet the neural mechanisms have not been well understood. Using functional MRI, we examined how gambling decisions and their underlying neural responses were modulated by prior risk experiences, with a focus on the insular cortex since it has been implicated in interoception, emotion and risky decision-making. Fourteen healthy young participants were scanned while performing a gambling task that was designed to simulate daily-life risk taking. Prior risk experience was manipulated by presenting participants with gambles that they were very likely to accept or gambles that they were unlikely to accept. A probe gamble, which was sensitive to individual's risk preference, was presented to examine the effect of prior risk experiences (Risk vs. Norisk) on subsequent risky decisions. Compared to passing on a gamble (Norisk), taking a gamble, especially winning a gamble (Riskwin), was associated with significantly stronger activation in the insular and dorsal medial prefrontal cortices. Decision making after Norisk was more risky and more likely to recruit activation of the insular and anterior cingulate cortices. This insular activity during decision making predicted the extent of risky decisions both within- and across-subjects, and was also correlated with an individual's personality trait of urgency. These findings suggest that the insula plays an important role in activating representations of homeostatic states associated with the experience of risk, which in turn exerts an influence on subsequent decisions.

YNIMG Journal 2010 Journal Article

The “visual word form area” is involved in successful memory encoding of both words and faces

• Leilei Mei
• Gui Xue
• Chuansheng Chen
• Feng Xue
• Mingxia Zhang
• Qi Dong

Previous studies have identified the critical role of the left fusiform cortex in visual word form processing, learning, and memory. However, this so-called visual word form area's (VWFA) other functions are not clear. In this study, we used fMRI and the subsequent memory paradigm to examine whether the putative VWFA was involved in the processing and successful memory encoding of faces as well as words. Twenty-two native Chinese speakers were recruited to memorize the visual forms of faces and Chinese words. Episodic memory for the studied material was tested 3h after the scan with a recognition test. The fusiform face area (FFA) and the VWFA were functionally defined using separate localizer tasks. We found that, both within and across subjects, stronger activity in the VWFA was associated with better recognition memory of both words and faces. Furthermore, activation in the VWFA did not differ significantly during the encoding of faces and words. Our results revealed the important role of the so-called VWFA in face processing and memory and supported the view that the left mid-fusiform cortex plays a general role in the successful processing and memory of different types of visual objects (i. e. , not limited to visual word forms).

YNIMG Journal 2008 Journal Article

Language experience shapes early electrophysiological responses to visual stimuli: The effects of writing system, stimulus length, and presentation duration

• Gui Xue
• Ting Jiang
• Chuansheng Chen
• Qi Dong

How language experience affects visual word recognition has been a topic of intense interest. Using event-related potentials (ERPs), the present study compared the early electrophysiological responses (i. e. , N1) to familiar and unfamiliar writings under different conditions. Thirteen native Chinese speakers (with English as their second language) were recruited to passively view four types of scripts: Chinese (familiar logographic writings), English (familiar alphabetic writings), Korean Hangul (unfamiliar logographic writings), and Tibetan (unfamiliar alphabetic writings). Stimuli also differed in lexicality (words vs. non-words, for familiar writings only), length (characters/letters vs. words), and presentation duration (100 ms vs. 750 ms). We found no significant differences between words and non-words, and the effect of language experience (familiar vs. unfamiliar) was significantly modulated by stimulus length and writing system, and to a less degree, by presentation duration. That is, the language experience effect (i. e. , a stronger N1 response to familiar writings than to unfamiliar writings) was significant only for alphabetic letters, but not for alphabetic and logographic words. The difference between Chinese characters and unfamiliar logographic characters was significant under the condition of short presentation duration, but not under the condition of long presentation duration. Long stimuli elicited a stronger N1 response than did short stimuli, but this effect was significantly attenuated for familiar writings. These results suggest that N1 response might not reliably differentiate familiar and unfamiliar writings. More importantly, our results suggest that N1 is modulated by visual, linguistic, and task factors, which has important implications for the visual expertise hypothesis.

YNIMG Journal 2008 Journal Article

Neural correlates of envisioning emotional events in the near and far future

• Arnaud D’Argembeau
• Gui Xue
• Zhong-Lin Lu
• Martial Van der Linden
• Antoine Bechara

Being able to envision emotional events that might happen in the future has a clear adaptive value. This study addressed the functional neuroanatomy of this process and investigated whether it is modulated by temporal distance. Participants imagined positive and negative events pertaining to the near future or far future while their brain activity was measured with fMRI. The results demonstrate that the anterior part of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) was more active in envisioning emotional events in the far future than in the near future, whereas the caudate nucleus was engaged in envisioning emotional (especially positive) situations in the near future. We argue that the anterior part of the vmPFC might assign emotional values to mental representations of future events that pertain to long-term goals. On the other hand, the caudate might support more concrete simulations of action plans to achieve rewarding situations in the near future.

YNIMG Journal 2007 Journal Article

Neural bases of asymmetric language switching in second-language learners: An ER-fMRI study

• Yapeng Wang
• Gui Xue
• Chuansheng Chen
• Feng Xue
• Qi Dong

Using the ER-fMRI technique, the present study was designed to investigate the neural substrates of language switching among second-language learners. Twelve Chinese college students who were learning English were scanned when they performed language switching tasks (naming pictures in their first [L1, Chinese] and second [L2, English] languages according to response cues). Compared to non-switching conditions, language switching elicited greater activation in the right superior prefrontal cortex (BA9/10/32), left middle and superior frontal cortex (BA8/9/46), and right middle cingulum and caudate (BA11). When the direction of switching was considered, forward switching (from L1 to L2), but not backward switching (from L2 to L1), activated several brain regions related to executive functions (i. e. , bilateral frontal cortices and left ACC) relative to non-switching conditions. These results suggest that neural correlates of language switching differ depending on the direction of the switch and that there does not seem to be a specific brain area acting as a “language switch”.

YNIMG Journal 2006 Journal Article

Language experience shapes fusiform activation when processing a logographic artificial language: An fMRI training study

• Gui Xue
• Chuansheng Chen
• Zhen Jin
• Qi Dong

The significant role of the left midfusiform cortex in reading found in recent neuroimaging studies has led to the visual word form area (VWFA) hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that years of experience reading native language change the visual expertise of this region to be especially sensitive to the visual form of native language. The present study aimed at testing this hypothesis by exploring the role of language experience in shaping the fusiform activation. We designed a logographic artificial language (LAL) using the visual form and pronunciation of Korean Hangul characters (but their correspondence was shuffled) and assigning arbitrary meanings to these characters. Twelve native Chinese Mandarin speakers (6 male and 6 female, 18 to 21 years old) with no prior knowledge of Korean language were trained in the visual form of these characters for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks each of phonological and semantic training. Behavioral data indicated that training was effective in increasing the efficiency of visual form processing and establishing the connections among visual form, sounds, and meanings. Imaging data indicated that at the pre-training stage, subjects showed stronger activation in the fusiform regions for LAL than for Chinese across both one-back visual matching task and the passive viewing task. Visual form training significantly decreased the activation of bilateral fusiform cortex and the left inferior occipital cortex, whereas phonological training increased activation in these regions, and the right fusiform remained more active after semantic training. Increased activations after phonological and semantic training were also evident in other regions involved in language processing. These findings thus do not seem to be consistent with the visual-expertise-induced-sensitivity hypothesis about fusiform regions. Instead, our results suggest that visual familiarity, phonological processing, and semantic processing all make significant but different contributions to shaping the fusiform activation.

YNIMG Journal 2004 Journal Article

Mapping of verbal working memory in nonfluent Chinese–English bilinguals with functional MRI

• Gui Xue
• Qi Dong
• Zhen Jin
• Chuansheng Chen

Existing cognitive and neural imaging studies have suggested a frontoparietal network of multiple, cooperative components for verbal working memory (WM). We used functional MRI to investigate whether this neural network is also involved in the processing of second language by nonfluent bilinguals. Twelve (five males, seven females) native Chinese speakers who had limited English proficiency were scanned while performing working memory tasks in Chinese and English. They were asked to make judgment continuously whether the word presented on the screen was semantically related to (i. e. , the semantic tasks) another word presented two words earlier. On a different task (i. e. , the phonological tasks), they were asked to make judgment whether the target word rhymed with the other word. A naming and judgment task in each language was adopted to control for the visual process, initial lexical process, and motor responses. Behavioral data showed that subjects performed better at tasks in their native language (Chinese, L1) than in English (L2). Imaging results showed that all working memory tasks in both L1 and L2 elicited a very similar pattern of left-hemisphere-dominated activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, pars opercularis region, pars triangularis region, precentral cortex, and parietal lobule. Consistent with the behavioral data, the volume of activation in the left opercularis region, left parietal lobule, and right precentral region was greater for L2 than for L1. These results suggest that working memory in L1 and L2 is mediated by a unitary neural system (i. e. , frontoparietal region), which is capable of recruiting surrounding cortical resources to meet the increased computational demand caused by low L2 proficiency.