The Chinese Imaging Genetics (CHIMGEN) study establishes the largest Chinese neuroimaging genetics cohort and aims to identify genetic and environmental factors and their interactions that are associated with neuroimaging and behavioral phenotypes. This study prospectively collected genomic, neuroimaging, environmental, and behavioral data from more than 7000 healthy Chinese Han participants aged 18–30 years. As a pioneer of large-sample neuroimaging genetics cohorts of non-Caucasian populations, this cohort can provide new insights into ethnic differences in genetic-neuroimaging associations by being compared with Caucasian cohorts. In addition to micro-environmental measurements, this study also collects hundreds of quantitative macro-environmental measurements from remote sensing and national survey databases based on the locations of each participant from birth to present, which will facilitate discoveries of new environmental factors associated with neuroimaging phenotypes. With lifespan environmental measurements, this study can also provide insights on the macro-environmental exposures that affect the human brain as well as their timing and mechanisms of action.

Objective: To explore the imaging characterization of neurological complications associated with the enterovirus 71 (EV71) epidemics. Methods: Thirty-five cases of hand-foot-mouth disease with neurological complications during the recent EV71 outbreaks in Hainan Province, China, from May 2008 to September 2010 were collected. All patients were performed MRI scan. The clinical data and MRI appearance were analyzed. Results: Acute flaccid paralysis associated with EV71 infected hand-foot-mouth diseases was seen in seven cases. The typical MRI appearance was linear long T2 signal intensity in the posterior part of spinal cord. Symmetrical, well-defined hyperintensity lesions in the spinal cord were seen in T2-weighted transverse images. Obvious enhancements of the ventral horns and root were seen in the contrast-enhanced axial T1-weighted image. In 21 cases of pontine encephalitis, long T1 and long T2 signal intensity was seen in the posterior portions of the medulla oblongata, midbrain, and pons. It is nonspecific MRI appearance in seven cases of aseptic meningitis (AM), but subdural effusion, meningeal enhancement, and hydrocephalus can be indirect sign of AM. Conclusion: MRI is an effective modality to investigate neurological complications associated with the EV71 epidemics. Involvements of posterior portions of the medulla oblongata and pons, and bilateral anterior horns of spinal cord are characteristic findings.

The brain functional alterations at regional and network levels in post-traumatic stress disorder patients are still unclear. This study explored brain functional alterations at regional and network levels in post-traumatic stress disorder patients with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and evaluated the relationship between brain function and clinical indices in post-traumatic stress disorder. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and seed-based functional connectivity analyses were conducted among typhoon survivors with (n = 27) and without post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 33) and healthy controls (n = 30) to assess the spontaneous brain activity and network-level brain function. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to examine the association of brain function with clinical symptom and social support. Both the post-traumatic stress disorder group and the trauma-exposed control group showed decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex relative to the healthy control group. The post-traumatic stress disorder group showed increased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right paracentral lobule and bilateral precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus relative to both control groups. Both traumatized groups exhibited decreased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right hippocampus and left cerebellum relative to the healthy control group. More decreased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right hippocampus was found in the post-traumatic stress disorder group. The Checklist-Civilian Version score positively correlated with functional connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the right paracentral lobule as well as between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the right precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus. The social support was associated with functional connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the bilateral precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the left middle frontal gyrus. Trauma exposure may result in aberrant local and network-level functional connectivity in individuals with or without post-traumatic stress disorder. Altered amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex may be a predisposing risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder development following trauma exposure. More prominent decreased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity with the right hippocampus might be specific in the post-traumatic stress disorder group. Improvement of social support might possibly be significant for post-traumatic stress disorder patients.