351
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Stolicyn A, Harris MA, Shen X, Barbu MC, Adams MJ, Hawkins EL, de Nooij L, Yeung HW, Murray AD, Lawrie SM, Steele JD, McIntosh AM, Whalley HC. Automated classification of depression from structural brain measures across two independent community-based cohorts. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:3922-3937. [PMID: 32558996 PMCID: PMC7469862 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been the subject of many neuroimaging case-control classification studies. Although some studies report accuracies ≥80%, most have investigated relatively small samples of clinically-ascertained, currently symptomatic cases, and did not attempt replication in larger samples. We here first aimed to replicate previously reported classification accuracies in a small, well-phenotyped community-based group of current MDD cases with clinical interview-based diagnoses (from STratifying Resilience and Depression Longitudinally cohort, 'STRADL'). We performed a set of exploratory predictive classification analyses with measures related to brain morphometry and white matter integrity. We applied three classifier types-SVM, penalised logistic regression or decision tree-either with or without optimisation, and with or without feature selection. We then determined whether similar accuracies could be replicated in a larger independent population-based sample with self-reported current depression (UK Biobank cohort). Additional analyses extended to lifetime MDD diagnoses-remitted MDD in STRADL, and lifetime-experienced MDD in UK Biobank. The highest cross-validation accuracy (75%) was achieved in the initial current MDD sample with a decision tree classifier and cortical surface area features. The most frequently selected decision tree split variables included surface areas of bilateral caudal anterior cingulate, left lingual gyrus, left superior frontal, right precentral and paracentral regions. High accuracy was not achieved in the larger samples with self-reported current depression (53.73%), with remitted MDD (57.48%), or with lifetime-experienced MDD (52.68-60.29%). Our results indicate that high predictive classification accuracies may not immediately translate to larger samples with broader criteria for depression, and may not be robust across different classification approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleks Stolicyn
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Mathew A. Harris
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Xueyi Shen
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Miruna C. Barbu
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Mark J. Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Emma L. Hawkins
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Laura de Nooij
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Hon Wah Yeung
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Alison D. Murray
- Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging CentreUniversity of AberdeenLilian Sutton Building, ForesterhillAberdeenUK
| | - Stephen M. Lawrie
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - J. Douglas Steele
- School of Medicine (Division of Imaging Science and Technology)University of DundeeDundeeUK
| | - Andrew M. McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
| | - Heather C. Whalley
- Division of Psychiatry, University of EdinburghKennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside ParkEdinburghUK
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352
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Chao LL. The Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in a Convenience Sample of 202 Gulf War Veterans. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197158. [PMID: 33007845 PMCID: PMC7579246 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multisymptom disorder estimated to affect approximately 25–32% of Gulf War veterans (GWVs). Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom of GWI. On the continuum of cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is conceptualized as a transitional phase between normal aging and dementia. Individuals with MCI exhibit cognitive decline but have relatively spared activities of daily function and do not meet criteria for dementia. The current study sought to investigate the prevalence of MCI in a convenience sample of 202 GWVs (median age: 52 years; 18% female). Twelve percent of the sample (median age: 48 years) had MCI according to an actuarial neuropsychological criterion, a rate materially higher than expected for this age group. GWVs with MCI also had a smaller hippocampal volume and a thinner parietal cortex, higher rates of current posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder compared to GWVs without MCI. Because people with MCI are more likely to progress to dementia compared to those with normal cognition, these results may portend future higher rates of dementia among deployed GWVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda L. Chao
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
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353
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Shinohara I, Moriguchi Y. Are there sex differences in the development of prefrontal function during early childhood? Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:641-649. [PMID: 32984957 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Research has demonstrated the possibility of minor sex differences in executive function (EF) development of young children; however, this may be limited to the measurements used in previous studies (questionnaires and cognitive tasks), which tend to be less sensitive to the detection of sex differences. The present study uses brain measures to examine the effect of sex on EF development. In this study, preschool children were given an EF task, and patterns of activation in the lateral prefrontal regions were measured by a functional near-infrared spectroscopy. In Study 1, there were no behavioral differences between girls and boys, though girls showed stronger prefrontal activation than boys. Study 2 was conducted as an attempt to replicate the results, and some of the results were inconsistent with the results in Study 1. Results suggest that sex differences in EF tasks are small, although such differences may exist irrespective of methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuko Shinohara
- National Institute for Educational Policy Research of Japan, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Moriguchi
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Education, Joetsu University of Education, Joetsu, Japan
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354
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Forde NJ, Jeyachandra J, Joseph M, Jacobs GR, Dickie E, Satterthwaite TD, Shinohara RT, Ameis SH, Voineskos AN. Sex Differences in Variability of Brain Structure Across the Lifespan. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5420-5430. [PMID: 32483605 PMCID: PMC7566684 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several brain disorders exhibit sex differences in onset, presentation, and prevalence. Increased understanding of the neurobiology of sex-based differences in variability across the lifespan can provide insight into both disease vulnerability and resilience. In n = 3069 participants, from 8 to 95 years of age, we found widespread greater variability in males compared with females in cortical surface area and global and subcortical volumes for discrete brain regions. In contrast, variance in cortical thickness was similar for males and females. These findings were supported by multivariate analysis accounting for structural covariance, and present and stable across the lifespan. Additionally, we examined variability among brain regions by sex. We found significant age-by-sex interactions across neuroimaging metrics, whereby in very early life males had reduced among-region variability compared with females, while in very late life this was reversed. Overall, our findings of greater regional variability, but less among-region variability in males in early life may aid our understanding of sex-based risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. In contrast, our findings in late life may provide a potential sex-based risk mechanism for dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Forde
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jerrold Jeyachandra
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael Joseph
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
| | - Grace R Jacobs
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, M5S 1A8, Toronto, Canada
| | - Erin Dickie
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Russell T Shinohara
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
| | - Stephanie H Ameis
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
| | - Aristotle N Voineskos
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, M5T 1R8, Toronto, Canada
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355
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Patel Y, Shin J, Drakesmith M, Evans J, Pausova Z, Paus T. Virtual histology of multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging of cerebral cortex in young men. Neuroimage 2020; 218:116968. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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356
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Travica N, Ried K, Hudson I, Sali A, Scholey A, Pipingas A. The Contribution of Plasma and Brain Vitamin C on Age and Gender-Related Cognitive Differences: A Mini-Review of the Literature. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 14:47. [PMID: 32973470 PMCID: PMC7471743 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that sex differences in the brain may contribute to gender-related behavioral differences, including cognitive function. Literature has revealed gender dimorphisms in cognitive function between males and females. Additionally, several risk factors associated with cognitive decline depend on chronological age. It is well recognized that the process of aging is associated with a decline in cognitive ability and brain function. Various explanations may account for these gender-related cognitive differences and age-associated cognitive changes. Recent investigations have highlighted the importance of vitamin C in maintaining brain health and its association with cognitive function in both cognitively intact and impaired cohorts. The present review explores previous literature that has evaluated differences in plasma/brain vitamin C between genders and during aging. It then assesses whether these age and gender-related differences may affect the relationship between plasma/brain vitamin C and cognition. The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence for a link between plasma/brain vitamin C and cognition and the impact of gender and age on this relationship. Epidemiological studies have frequently shown higher vitamin C plasma concentrations in women. Similarly, aging has been systematically associated with reductions in plasma vitamin C levels. A range of animal studies has demonstrated potential gender and age-related differences in vitamin C brain distribution and utilization. The reviewed literature suggests that gender differences in plasma and brain vitamin C may potentially contribute to differences in gender-associated cognitive ability, particularly while females are pre-menopausal. Additionally, we can propose that age-associated differences in plasma and brain vitamin C may be potentially linked to age-associated cognitive differences, with older cohorts appearing more vulnerable to experience declines in plasma vitamin C concentrations alongside compromised vitamin C brain regulation. This review encourages future investigations to take into account both gender and age when assessing the link between plasma vitamin C concentrations and cognitive function. Further large scale investigations are required to assess whether differences in cognitive function between genders and age groups may be causally attributed to plasma vitamin C status and brain distribution and utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj Travica
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Karin Ried
- The National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Torrens University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Irene Hudson
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, Mathematical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Mathematical and Physical Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Avni Sali
- The National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Scholey
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Pipingas
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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357
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Sorouri Khorashad B, Khazai B, Talaei A, Acar F, Hudson AR, Borji N, Saberi H, Aminzadeh B, Mueller SC. Neuroanatomy of transgender persons in a Non-Western population and improving reliability in clinical neuroimaging. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:2166-2177. [PMID: 32776583 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although the neuroanatomy of transgender persons is slowly being charted, findings are presently discrepant. Moreover, the major body of work has focused on Western populations. One important factor is the issue of power and low signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio in neuroimaging studies of rare study populations including endocrine or neurological patient groups. The present study focused on the structural neuroanatomy of a Non-Western (Iranian) sample of 40 transgender men (TM), 40 transgender women (TW), 30 cisgender men (CM), and 30 cisgender women (CW), while assessing whether the reliability of findings across structural anatomical measures including gray matter volume (GMV), cortical surface area (CSA), and cortical thickness (CTh) could be increased by using two back-to-back within-session structural MRI scans. Overall, findings in transgender persons were more consistent with sex assigned at birth in GMV and CSA, while no group differences emerged for CTh. Repeated measures analysis also indicated that having a second scan increased SNR in all regions of interest, most notably bilateral frontal poles, pre- and postcentral gyri and putamina. The results suggest that a simple time and cost-effective measure to improve SNR in rare clinical populations with low prevalence rates is a second anatomical scan when structural MRI is of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Sorouri Khorashad
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Solna, Sweden.,Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Behnaz Khazai
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ali Talaei
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Freya Acar
- Department of Data Analysis, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anna R Hudson
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nahid Borji
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hedieh Saberi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Behzad Aminzadeh
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
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358
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Boucher FJO, Chinnah TI. Gender Dysphoria: A Review Investigating the Relationship Between Genetic Influences and Brain Development. ADOLESCENT HEALTH MEDICINE AND THERAPEUTICS 2020; 11:89-99. [PMID: 32801984 PMCID: PMC7415463 DOI: 10.2147/ahmt.s259168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Gender dysphoria (GD) is a facet of modern human biology which is believed to be derived from the sexual differentiation of the brain. GD “involves a conflict between a person’s physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify”, as defined in the DSM-5. Individuals report feeling uncomfortable and faced with prejudice from those around them, affecting their mental health. Elucidating the relationship between genetic influences on gonadal and brain development could give an insight into understanding this clinical condition. To explore this issue, a review of the literature database was carried out. Evidence suggests that abnormal biological processes, including mutations in certain genes, can lead to abnormal gonadal development, causing some fetuses to present with indifferent gonads and to be reassigned at birth to the default female sex. This disparity in genetic influences relates to an increased likelihood of a diagnosis of GD. An investigation into complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, involving androgen receptor (AR) gene mutation, suggests that such individuals also experience GD. It is known that the brains of males and females are different. Evidence further suggests that brain anatomy and neuronal signaling pathways are more closely aligned with a person’s perceived gender identity. Individuals who present with discordant gonadal and brain developments experience psychological challenges that may contribute to a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with their biological sex. These point to a possible biological and genetic underpinning of GD as stemming from a discordance between gonadal and brain development. However, not enough evidence has associated these differences with GD. Further research is required to elucidate the true mechanisms and possible inheritance pattern of GD for a better education and greater understanding by clinicians and the general public on perceptions regarding GD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tudor I Chinnah
- University of Exeter, Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
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359
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Sanchis-Segura C, Ibañez-Gual MV, Aguirre N, Cruz-Gómez ÁJ, Forn C. Effects of different intracranial volume correction methods on univariate sex differences in grey matter volume and multivariate sex prediction. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12953. [PMID: 32737332 PMCID: PMC7395772 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69361-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in 116 local gray matter volumes (GMVOL) were assessed in 444 males and 444 females without correcting for total intracranial volume (TIV) or after adjusting the data with the scaling, proportions, power-corrected proportions (PCP), and residuals methods. The results confirmed that only the residuals and PCP methods completely eliminate TIV-variation and result in sex-differences that are "small" (∣d∣ < 0.3). Moreover, as assessed using a totally independent sample, sex differences in PCP and residuals adjusted-data showed higher replicability ([Formula: see text] 93%) than scaling and proportions adjusted-data [Formula: see text] 68%) or raw data ([Formula: see text] 45%). The replicated effects were meta-analyzed together and confirmed that, when TIV-variation is adequately controlled, volumetric sex differences become "small" (∣d∣ < 0.3 in all cases). Finally, we assessed the utility of TIV-corrected/ TIV-uncorrected GMVOL features in predicting individuals' sex with 12 different machine learning classifiers. Sex could be reliably predicted (> 80%) when using raw local GMVOL, but also when using scaling or proportions adjusted-data or TIV as a single predictor. Conversely, after properly controlling TIV variation with the PCP and residuals' methods, prediction accuracy dropped to [Formula: see text] 60%. It is concluded that gross morphological differences account for most of the univariate and multivariate sex differences in GMVOL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Sanchis-Segura
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain.
| | | | - Naiara Aguirre
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Álvaro Javier Cruz-Gómez
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Cristina Forn
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain
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360
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Alteration of the Intra- and Inter-Lobe Connectivity of the Brain Structural Network in Normal Aging. ENTROPY 2020; 22:e22080826. [PMID: 33286597 PMCID: PMC7517412 DOI: 10.3390/e22080826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The morphological changes in cortical parcellated regions during aging and whether these atrophies may cause brain structural network intra- and inter-lobe connectivity alterations are subjects that have been minimally explored. In this study, a novel fractal dimension-based structural network was proposed to measure atrophy of 68 parcellated cortical regions. Alterations of structural network parameters, including intra- and inter-lobe connectivity, were detected in a middle-aged group (30–45 years old) and an elderly group (50–65 years old). The elderly group exhibited significant lateralized atrophy in the left hemisphere, and most of these fractal dimension atrophied regions were included in the regions of the “last-in, first-out” model. Globally, the elderly group had lower modularity values, smaller component size modules, and fewer bilateral association fibers. They had lower intra-lobe connectivity in the frontal and parietal lobes, but higher intra-lobe connectivity in the temporal and occipital lobes. Both groups exhibited similar inter-lobe connecting pattern. The elderly group revealed separations, sparser long association fibers, commissural fibers, and lateral inter-lobe connectivity lost effect, mainly in the right hemisphere. New wiring and reconfiguring modules may have occurred within the brain structural network to compensate for connectivity, decreasing and preventing functional loss in cerebral intra- and inter-lobe connectivity.
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361
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Zhang X, Liang M, Qin W, Wan B, Yu C, Ming D. Gender Differences Are Encoded Differently in the Structure and Function of the Human Brain Revealed by Multimodal MRI. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:244. [PMID: 32792927 PMCID: PMC7385398 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite widely reported gender differences in both brain structure and brain function, very few studies have examined the relationship between the structural differences and the functional differences between genders. Here, different imaging measures including both structural [i.e., gray matter volume (GMV)] and functional [i.e., regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC)] measures were employed to detect the gender differences in the human brain based on univariate and multivariate approaches with a sample of 290 healthy adults (155 females). The univariate analyses revealed that gender differences were detected in both structural (i.e., GMV) and functional (ReHo or FC) imaging measures, mainly manifested as greater values in females than in males in regions of the frontal, parietal, occipital lobes and cerebellum. Importantly, there was little overlap between the differences detected in GMV and those detected in ReHo and FC, and their differences between genders were not correlated with each other. The multivariate pattern analyses revealed that each of these measures had discriminative power to successfully distinguish between genders (classification accuracy: 94.3%, 90.73%, and 83.89% for GMV, ReHo, and FC, respectively) and their combination further improved the classification performance (96.6%). Our results suggest that gender differences are encoded in both brain structure and brain function, but in different manners. The finding of different and complementary information contained in structural and functional differences between genders highlights the complex relationship between brain structure and function, which may underlie the complex nature of gender differences in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Meng Liang
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Baikun Wan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunshui Yu
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Dong Ming
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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362
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Integrative structural, functional, and transcriptomic analyses of sex-biased brain organization in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:18788-18798. [PMID: 32690678 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1919091117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans display reproducible sex differences in cognition and behavior, which may partly reflect intrinsic sex differences in regional brain organization. However, the consistency, causes and consequences of sex differences in the human brain are poorly characterized and hotly debated. In contrast, recent studies in mice-a major model organism for studying neurobiological sex differences-have established: 1) highly consistent sex biases in regional gray matter volume (GMV) involving the cortex and classical subcortical foci, 2) a preponderance of regional GMV sex differences in brain circuits for social and reproductive behavior, and 3) a spatial coupling between regional GMV sex biases and brain expression of sex chromosome genes in adulthood. Here, we directly test translatability of rodent findings to humans. First, using two independent structural-neuroimaging datasets (n > 2,000), we find that the spatial map of sex-biased GMV in humans is highly reproducible (r > 0.8 within and across cohorts). Relative GMV is female biased in prefrontal and superior parietal cortices, and male biased in ventral occipitotemporal, and distributed subcortical regions. Second, through systematic comparison with functional neuroimaging meta-analyses, we establish a statistically significant concentration of human GMV sex differences within brain regions that subserve face processing. Finally, by imaging-transcriptomic analyses, we show that GMV sex differences in human adulthood are specifically and significantly coupled to regional expression of sex-chromosome (vs. autosomal) genes and enriched for distinct cell-type signatures. These findings establish conserved aspects of sex-biased brain development in humans and mice, and shed light on the consistency, candidate causes, and potential functional corollaries of sex-biased brain anatomy in humans.
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363
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Li G, Zhang S, Le TM, Tang X, Li CSR. Neural responses to negative facial emotions: Sex differences in the correlates of individual anger and fear traits. Neuroimage 2020; 221:117171. [PMID: 32682098 PMCID: PMC7789231 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have examined sex differences in emotion processing in health and illness. However, it remains unclear how these neural processes may relate to individual differences in affective traits. We addressed this issue with a dataset of 970 subjects (508 women) curated from the Human Connectome Project. Participants were assessed with the NIH Toolbox Emotion Measures and fMRI while identifying negative facial emotion and neutral shape targets in alternating blocks. Imaging data were analyzed with published routines and the results were reported at a corrected threshold. Men scored similarly in Anger- but lower in Fear-Affect, as compared to women. Men as compared with women engaged the occipital-temporal visual cortex, retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and both anterior and posterior cingulate cortex to a greater extent during face versus shape identification. Women relative to men engaged higher activation of bilateral middle frontal cortex. In regional brain responses to face versus shape identification, men relative to women showed more significant modulations by both Anger- and Fear- Affect traits. The left RSC and right RSC/precuneus each demonstrated activities during face vs. shape identification in negative correlation with Anger- and Fear- Affect scores in men only. Anger affect was positively correlated with prolonged RT in identifying face vs. shape target in men but not women. In contrast, women relative to men showed higher Fear-Affect score and higher activation in the right middle frontal cortex, which was more strongly correlated with prolonged RT during face vs. shape identification. Together, men and women with higher Fear-Affect demonstrated lower accuracy in identifying negative facial emotion versus neutral shape target, a relationship mediated by activity of the RSC. These findings add to the literature of sex and trait individual differences in emotion processing and may help research of sex-shared and sex-specific behavioral and neural markers of emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of technology, 715-3 Teaching Building No.5, Beijing Institute of technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of technology, 715-3 Teaching Building No.5, Beijing Institute of technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center S112, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519-1109, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
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364
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Damato EG, Flak TA, Mayes RS, Strohl KP, Ziganti AM, Abdollahifar A, Flask CA, LaManna JC, Decker MJ. Neurovascular and cortical responses to hyperoxia: enhanced cognition and electroencephalographic activity despite reduced perfusion. J Physiol 2020; 598:3941-3956. [PMID: 33174711 DOI: 10.1113/jp279453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Extreme aviation is accompanied by ever-present risks of hypobaric hypoxia and decompression sickness. Neuroprotection against those hazards is conferred through fractional inspired oxygen ( F I , O 2 ) concentrations of 60-100% (hyperoxia). Hyperoxia reduces global cerebral perfusion (gCBF), increases reactive oxygen species within the brain and leads to cell death within the hippocampus. However, an understanding of hyperoxia's effect on cortical activity and concomitant levels of cognitive performance is lacking. This limits our understanding of whether hyperoxia could lower the brain's threshold of tolerance to physiological stressors inherent to extreme aviation, such as high gravitational forces. This study aimed to quantify the impact of hyperoxia upon global cerebral perfusion (gCBF), cognitive performance and cortical electroencephalography (EEG). Hyperoxia evoked a rapid reduction in gCBF, yet cognitive performance and vigilance were enhanced. EEG measurements revealed enhanced alpha power, suggesting less desynchrony, within the cortical temporal regions. Collectively, this work suggests hyperoxia-induced brain hypoperfusion is accompanied by enhanced cognitive processing and cortical arousal. ABSTRACT Extreme aviators continually inspire hyperoxic gas to mitigate risk of hypoxia and decompression injury. This neuroprotection carries a physiological cost: reduced cerebral perfusion (CBF). As reduced CBF may increase vulnerability to ever-present physiological challenges during extreme aviation, we defined the magnitude and duration of hyperoxia-induced changes in CBF, cortical electrical activity and cognition in 30 healthy males and females. Magnetic resonance imaging with pulsed arterial spin labelling provided serial measurements of global CBF (gCBF), first during exposure to 21% inspired oxygen ( F I , O 2 ) followed by a 30-min exposure to 100% F I , O 2 . High-density EEG facilitated characterization of cortical activity during assessment of cognitive performance, also measured during exposure to 21% and 100% F I , O 2 . Acid-base physiology was measured with arterial blood gases. We found that exposure to 100% F I , O 2 reduced gCBF to 63% of baseline values across all participants. Cognitive performance testing at 21% F I , O 2 was accompanied by increased theta and beta power with decreased alpha power across multiple cortical areas. During cognitive testing at 100% F I , O 2 , alpha activity was less desynchronized within the temporal regions than at 21% F I , O 2 . The collective hyperoxia-induced changes in gCBF, cognitive performance and EEG were similar across observed partial pressures of arterial oxygen ( P a O 2 ), which ranged between 276-548 mmHg, and partial pressures of arterial carbon dioxide ( P aC O 2 ), which ranged between 34-50 mmHg. Sex did not influence gCBF response to 100% F I , O 2 . Our findings suggest hyperoxia-induced reductions in gCBF evoke enhanced levels of cortical arousal and cognitive processing, similar to those occurring during a perceived threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G Damato
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Tod A Flak
- Bioautomatix, LLC, Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, USA
| | - Ryan S Mayes
- United States Air Force, 711th Human Performance Wing, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 45433, USA
| | - Kingman P Strohl
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Aemilee M Ziganti
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Alireza Abdollahifar
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Chris A Flask
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Joseph C LaManna
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Michael J Decker
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
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365
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van Eijk L, Hansell NK, Strike LT, Couvy-Duchesne B, de Zubicaray GI, Thompson PM, McMahon KL, Zietsch BP, Wright MJ. Region-specific sex differences in the hippocampus. Neuroimage 2020; 215:116781. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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366
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Neuroimaging of Sex/Gender Differences in Obesity: A Review of Structure, Function, and Neurotransmission. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12071942. [PMID: 32629783 PMCID: PMC7400469 DOI: 10.3390/nu12071942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
While the global prevalence of obesity has risen among both men and women over the past 40 years, obesity has consistently been more prevalent among women relative to men. Neuroimaging studies have highlighted several potential mechanisms underlying an individual’s propensity to become obese, including sex/gender differences. Obesity has been associated with structural, functional, and chemical alterations throughout the brain. Whereas changes in somatosensory regions appear to be associated with obesity in men, reward regions appear to have greater involvement in obesity among women than men. Sex/gender differences have also been observed in the neural response to taste among people with obesity. A more thorough understanding of these neural and behavioral differences will allow for more tailored interventions, including diet suggestions, for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
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367
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Studholme C, Kroenke CD, Dighe M. Motion corrected MRI differentiates male and female human brain growth trajectories from mid-gestation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3038. [PMID: 32546755 PMCID: PMC7297991 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16763-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It is of considerable scientific, medical, and societal interest to understand the developmental origins of differences between male and female brains. Here we report the use of advances in MR imaging and analysis to accurately measure global, lobe and millimetre scale growth trajectory patterns over 18 gestational weeks in normal pregnancies with repeated measures. Statistical modelling of absolute growth trajectories revealed underlying differences in many measures, potentially reflecting overall body size differences. However, models of relative growth accounting for global measures revealed a complex temporal form, with strikingly similar cortical development in males and females at lobe scales. In contrast, local cortical growth patterns and larger scale white matter volume and surface measures differed significantly between male and female. Many proportional differences were maintained during neurogenesis and over 18 weeks of growth. These indicate sex related sculpting of neuroanatomy begins early in development, before cortical folding, potentially influencing postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Studholme
- Biomedical Image Computing Group, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Box 356320, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, 98195, WA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, 98195, WA, USA.
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, 98195, WA, USA.
| | - Christopher D Kroenke
- Advanced Imaging Research Center and Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, 97239, OR, USA
| | - Manjiri Dighe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, 98195, WA, USA
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368
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Yang G, Bozek J, Han M, Gao J. Constructing and evaluating a cortical surface atlas and analyzing cortical sex differences in young Chinese adults. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2495-2513. [PMID: 32141680 PMCID: PMC7267952 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical surface templates are an important standardized coordinate frame for cortical structure and function analysis in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies. The widely used adult cortical surface templates (e.g., fsaverage, Conte69, and the HCP-MMP atlas) are based on the Caucasian population. Neuroanatomical differences related to environmental and genetic factors between Chinese and Caucasian populations make these templates unideal for analysis of the cortex in the Chinese population. We used a multimodal surface matching algorithm in an iterative procedure to create Chinese (sCN200) and Caucasian (sUS200) cortical surface atlases based on 200 demographically matched high-quality T1- and T2-weighted (T1w and T2w, respectively) MR images from the Chinese Human Connectome Project (CHCP) and the Human Connectome Project (HCP), respectively. Templates for anatomical cortical surfaces (white matter, pial, midthickness) and cortical feature maps of sulcal depth, curvature, thickness, T1w/T2w myelin, and cortical labels were generated. Using independent subsets from the CHCP and the HCP, we quantified the accuracy of cortical registration when using population-matched and mismatched atlases. The performance of the cortical registration and accuracy of curvature alignment when using population-matched atlases was significantly improved, thereby demonstrating the importance of using the sCN200 cortical surface atlas for Chinese adult population studies. Finally, we analyzed female and male cortical differences within the Chinese and Caucasian populations. We identified significant between-sex differences in cortical curvature, sulcal depth, thickness, and T1w/T2w myelin maps in the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, and insular lobes as well as the cingulate cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyuan Yang
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and EngineeringInstitute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary StudiesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jelena Bozek
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and ComputingUniversity of ZagrebZagrebCroatia
| | - Meizhen Han
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and EngineeringInstitute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary StudiesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jia‐Hong Gao
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and EngineeringInstitute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary StudiesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
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369
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Fuensalida-Novo S, Jiménez-Antona C, Benito-González E, Cigarán-Méndez M, Parás-Bravo P, Fernández-De-Las-Peñas C. Current perspectives on sex differences in tension-type headache. Expert Rev Neurother 2020; 20:659-666. [PMID: 32510251 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2020.1780121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clinical and experimental evidence supports the presence of several gender differences in the pain experience. AREAS COVERED The current paper discusses biological, psychological, emotional, and social differences according to gender and their relevance to TTH. Gender differences have also been observed in men and women with tension-type headache and they should be considered by clinicians managing this condition. It appears that multimodal treatment approaches lead to better outcomes in people with tension-type headache; however, management of tension-type headache should consider these potential gender differences. Different studies have observed the presence of complex interactions between tension-type headache, emotional stress, sleep, and burden and that these interactions are different between men and women. EXPERT OPINION Based on current results, the authors hypothesize that treatment of men with tension-type headache should focus on the improvement of sleep quality and the level of depression whereas treatment of women with TTH should focus on nociceptive mechanisms and emotional/stressful factors. Future trials should investigate the proposed hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Fuensalida-Novo
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos , Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Carmen Jiménez-Antona
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos , Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Elena Benito-González
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos , Alcorcón, Spain
| | | | - Paula Parás-Bravo
- Department of Nursing, Universidad de Cantabria , Spain.,Nursing Area, Nursing Research Group IDIVAL , Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - César Fernández-De-Las-Peñas
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos , Alcorcón, Spain
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370
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Qi R, Luo Y, Zhang L, Weng Y, Surento W, Jahanshad N, Xu Q, Yin Y, Li L, Cao Z, Thompson PM, Lu GM. Social support modulates the association between PTSD diagnosis and medial frontal volume in Chinese adults who lost their only child. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 13:100227. [PMID: 32490056 PMCID: PMC7256056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Losing an only child is a devastating life event that a parent can experience and may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social support could buffer against the negative influence of this trauma, but the neural mechanism underlying this alleviation effect remains poorly understood. In this study, voxel-based morphometry was conducted on brain MRI of 220 Han Chinese adults who had lost their only child. We performed multiple regression analysis to investigate the associations between social support scores – along with PTSD diagnosis, age, sex, body mass index (BMI) – and brain grey matter (GM) volumes in these bereaved parents. For all trauma-exposed adults, social support-by-diagnosis interaction was significantly associated with medial prefrontal volume (multiple comparisons corrected P ˂ 0.05), where positive correlation was found in adults with PTSD but not in those without PTSD. Besides, PTSD diagnosis was associated with decreased GM volume in medial and middle frontal gyri (P ˂ 0.001, uncorrected); older age was associated with widespread GM volume deficits; male sex was associated with lower GM volume in rolandic operculum, insular, postcentral gyrus (corrected P ˂ 0.05), and lower GM in thalamus but greater GM in parahippocampus (P ˂ 0.001, uncorrected); higher BMI was associated with GM deficits in occipital gyrus (corrected P ˂ 0.05) and precuneus (P ˂ 0.001, uncorrected). In conclusions, social support modulates the association between PTSD diagnosis and medial frontal volume, which may play an important role in the emotional disturbance in PTSD development in adults who lost their only child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongfeng Qi
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292, USA
| | - Yifeng Luo
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Yixing Hospital of Jiangsu University, Wuxi, 75 Tongzhenguan Road, 214200, Wuxi, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Yifei Weng
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China
| | - Wesley Surento
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292, USA
| | - Qiang Xu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China
| | - Yan Yin
- Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Mental Health Center of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 305 Tianmushan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310013, China
| | - Lingjiang Li
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Zhihong Cao
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Yixing Hospital of Jiangsu University, Wuxi, 75 Tongzhenguan Road, 214200, Wuxi, China
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Guang Ming Lu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 305 Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210002, China.
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371
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Silander NC, Geczy B, Marks O, Mather RD. Implications of ideological bias in social psychology on clinical practice. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY-SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/cpsp.12312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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372
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Associations of cigarette smoking with gray and white matter in the UK Biobank. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1215-1222. [PMID: 32032968 PMCID: PMC7235023 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0630-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk for myriad health consequences including cognitive decline and dementia, but research on the link between smoking and brain structure is nascent. In the current study, we assessed the relationship of cigarette smoking with gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in the UK Biobank, controlling for numerous confounding demographic and health variables. We used negative-binomial regression to model the association of cigarette smoking (having ever smoked regularly, cigarettes per day, and duration smoked) with GM and WM (GM N = 19,615; WM N = 17,760), adjusting for confounders. Ever smoked and duration were associated with smaller total GM volume. Ever smoked was associated with reduced volume of the right VIIIa cerebellum and elevated WM hyperintensity volume. Smoking duration was associated with reduced total WM volume. Regarding specific tracts, ever smoked was associated with reduced fractional anisotropy in the left cingulate gyrus part of the cingulum, left posterior thalamic radiation, and bilateral superior thalamic radiation, and increased mean diffusivity in the middle cerebellar peduncle, right medial lemniscus, bilateral posterior thalamic radiation, and bilateral superior thalamic radiation. This study identified significant associations of cigarette exposure with global measures of GM and WM, and select associations of ever smoked, but not cigarettes per day or duration, with specific GM and WM regions. By controlling for important sociodemographic and health confounders, such as alcohol use, this study identifies distinct associations between smoking and brain structure, highlighting potential mechanisms of risk for common neurological sequelae (e.g., dementia).
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373
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Lahey BB, Hinton KE, Meyer FC, Villalta-Gil V, Van Hulle CA, Applegate B, Yang X, Zald DH. Sex differences in associations of socioemotional dispositions measured in childhood and adolescence with brain white matter microstructure 12 years later. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 3:e5. [PMID: 32524066 PMCID: PMC7253690 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2020.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Predictive associations were estimated between socioemotional dispositions measured at 10-17 years using the Child and Adolescent Dispositions Scale (CADS) and future individual differences in white matter microstructure measured at 22-31 years of age. Participants were 410 twins (48.3% monozygotic) selected for later neuroimaging by oversampling on risk for psychopathology from a representative sample of child and adolescent twins. Controlling for demographic covariates and total intracranial volume (TICV), each CADS disposition (negative emotionality, prosociality, and daring) rated by one of the informants (parent or youth) significantly predicted global fractional anisotropy (FA) averaged across the major white matter tracts in brain in adulthood, but did so through significant interactions with sex after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. In females, each 1 SD difference in greater parent-rated prosociality was associated with 0.43 SD greater FA (p < 0.0008). In males, each 1 SD difference in greater parent-rated daring was associated with 0.24 SD lower FA (p < 0.0008), and each 1 SD difference in greater youth-rated negative emotionality was associated with 0.18 SD greater average FA (p < 0.0040). These findings suggest that CADS dispositions are associated with FA, but associations differ by sex. Exploratory analyses suggest that FA may mediate the associations between dispositions and psychopathology in some cases. These associations over 12 years could reflect enduring brain-behavior associations in spite of transactions with the environment, but could equally reflect processes in which dispositional differences in behavior influence the development of white matter. Future longitudinal studies are needed to resolve the causal nature of these sex-moderated associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B. Lahey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kendra E. Hinton
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Carol A. Van Hulle
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brooks Applegate
- Department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Xiaochan Yang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David H. Zald
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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374
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Uribe C, Junque C, Gómez-Gil E, Abos A, Mueller SC, Guillamon A. Brain network interactions in transgender individuals with gender incongruence. Neuroimage 2020; 211:116613. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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375
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DeCasien AR, Sherwood CC, Schapiro SJ, Higham JP. Greater variability in chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes) brain structure among males. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192858. [PMID: 32315585 PMCID: PMC7211446 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, males tend to exhibit more behavioural and morphological variability than females, consistent with the 'greater male variability hypothesis'. This may reflect multiple mechanisms operating at different levels, including selective mechanisms that produce and maintain variation, extended male development, and X chromosome effects. Interestingly, human neuroanatomy shows greater male variability, but this pattern has not been demonstrated in any other species. To address this issue, we investigated sex-specific neuroanatomical variability in chimpanzees by examining relative and absolute surface areas of 23 cortical sulci across 226 individuals (135F/91M), using permutation tests of the male-to-female variance ratio of residuals from MCMC generalized linear mixed models controlling for relatedness. We used these models to estimate sulcal size heritability, simulations to assess the significance of heritability, and Pearson correlations to examine inter-sulcal correlations. Our results show that: (i) male brain structure is relatively more variable; (ii) sulcal surface areas are heritable and therefore potentially subject to selection; (iii) males exhibit lower heritability values, possibly reflecting longer development; and (iv) males exhibit stronger inter-sulcal correlations, providing indirect support for sex chromosome effects. These results provide evidence that greater male neuroanatomical variability extends beyond humans, and suggest both evolutionary and developmental explanations for this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R. DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Steven J. Schapiro
- Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, The University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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376
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Doucet GE, Moser DA, Rodrigue A, Bassett DS, Glahn DC, Frangou S. Person-Based Brain Morphometric Similarity is Heritable and Correlates With Biological Features. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:852-862. [PMID: 30462205 PMCID: PMC6319174 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The characterization of the functional significance of interindividual variation in brain morphometry is a core aim of cognitive neuroscience. Prior research has focused on interindividual variation at the level of regional brain measures thus overlooking the fact that each individual brain is a person-specific ensemble of interdependent regions. To expand this line of inquiry we introduce the person-based similarity index (PBSI) for brain morphometry. The conceptual unit of the PBSI is the individual person’s brain structural profile which considers all relevant morphometric measures as features of a single vector. In 2 independent cohorts (total of 1756 healthy participants), we demonstrate the foundational validity of this approach by affirming that the PBSI scores for subcortical volume and cortical thickness in healthy individuals differ between men and women, are heritable, and robust to variation in neuroimaging parameters, sample composition, and regional brain morphometry. Moreover, the PBSI scores correlate with age, body mass index, and fluid intelligence. Collectively, these results suggest that the person-based measures of brain morphometry are biologically and functionally meaningful and have the potential to advance the study of human variation in multivariate brain imaging phenotypes in healthy and clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle E Doucet
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dominik A Moser
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda Rodrigue
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Olin Neuropsychiatric Institute, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Sophia Frangou
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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377
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Kijonka M, Borys D, Psiuk-Maksymowicz K, Gorczewski K, Wojcieszek P, Kossowski B, Marchewka A, Swierniak A, Sokol M, Bobek-Billewicz B. Whole Brain and Cranial Size Adjustments in Volumetric Brain Analyses of Sex- and Age-Related Trends. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:278. [PMID: 32317915 PMCID: PMC7147247 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Our goal was to determine the influence of sex, age and the head/brain size on the compartmental brain volumes in the radiologically verified healthy population (96 subjects; 54 women and 42 men) from the Upper Silesia region in Poland. The MRI examinations were done using 3T Philips Achieva with the same T1-weighted and T2-weighted protocols. The image segmentation procedures were performed with SPM (Statistical Parameter Mapping) and FSL-FIRST software. The volumes of 14 subcortical structures for the left and right hemispheres and 4 overall volumes were calculated. The General Linear Models (GLM) analysis was used with and without the Total Brain Volume (TBV) and Intracranial Volume (ICV) parameters as the covariates to study the regional vs. global brain atrophy. After the ICV/TBV adjustments, the majority of sex differences in the specific volumes of interest (VOIs) revealed to be linked to the difference in the head/brain size parameters. The analysis also confirmed the significant effect of the aging process on the brain loss. After the TBV adjustment, the age- and sex-related volumetric trends for the gray and white matter volumes were observed: the negative age dependence of the gray matter volume is more pronounced in the males, while in case of the white matter the positive age-related trend in the female group is weaker. The local losses of the left caudate nucleus and the right thalamus are more advanced than the global brain atrophy. Different head-size correction strategies are not interchangeable and may yield various volumetric results, but when used together, facilitate studies on the regional dependencies inherent to a healthy, but aging, brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Kijonka
- Department of Medical Physics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Damian Borys
- Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland.,Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Psiuk-Maksymowicz
- Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland.,Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Kamil Gorczewski
- Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Piotr Wojcieszek
- Brachytherapy Department, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kossowski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Artur Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Swierniak
- Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland.,Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Maria Sokol
- Department of Medical Physics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Barbara Bobek-Billewicz
- Department of Radiology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Poland
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378
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Weis S, Patil KR, Hoffstaedter F, Nostro A, Yeo BTT, Eickhoff SB. Sex Classification by Resting State Brain Connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:824-835. [PMID: 31251328 PMCID: PMC7444737 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A large amount of brain imaging research has focused on group studies delineating differences between males and females with respect to both cognitive performance as well as structural and functional brain organization. To supplement existing findings, the present study employed a machine learning approach to assess how accurately participants' sex can be classified based on spatially specific resting state (RS) brain connectivity, using 2 samples from the Human Connectome Project (n1 = 434, n2 = 310) and 1 fully independent sample from the 1000BRAINS study (n = 941). The classifier, which was trained on 1 sample and tested on the other 2, was able to reliably classify sex, both within sample and across independent samples, differing both with respect to imaging parameters and sample characteristics. Brain regions displaying highest sex classification accuracies were mainly located along the cingulate cortex, medial and lateral frontal cortex, temporoparietal regions, insula, and precuneus. These areas were stable across samples and match well with previously described sex differences in functional brain organization. While our data show a clear link between sex and regionally specific brain connectivity, they do not support a clear-cut dimorphism in functional brain organization that is driven by sex alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Weis
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Alessandra Nostro
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- ECE, CIRC, N.1, MNP and NGS, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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379
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Shah M, Kurth F, Luders E. The impact of aging on the subregions of the fusiform gyrus in healthy older adults. J Neurosci Res 2020; 99:263-270. [PMID: 32147882 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The fusiform gyrus is known to decrease in size with increasing age. However, reported findings are inconsistent and existing studies differ in terms of the cohorts examined and/or the methods applied. Here, we analyzed age-related links in four distinct subregions of the fusiform gyrus through integrating imaging-based intensity information with microscopically defined cytoarchitectonic probabilities. In addition to age effects we investigated sex effects as well as age-by-sex interactions in a relatively large sample of 468 healthy subjects (272 females/196 males) covering a broad age range (42-97 years). We observed significant negative correlations between age and all four subregions of the fusiform gyrus indicating volume decreases over time, albeit with subregion-specific trajectories. Additionally, we observed significant negative quadratic associations with age for some subregions, suggesting an accelerating volume loss over time. These findings may serve as a frame of reference for future cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies, not only for normative samples but also potentially for clinical conditions that present with abnormal atrophy of the fusiform gyrus. We did not detect any significant sex differences or sex-by-age interactions, suggesting that the size of the fusiform gyrus is similar in male and female brains and that age-related atrophy follows a similar trajectory in both men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahima Shah
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Florian Kurth
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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380
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Kiesow H, Dunbar RIM, Kable JW, Kalenscher T, Vogeley K, Schilbach L, Marquand AF, Wiecki TV, Bzdok D. 10,000 social brains: Sex differentiation in human brain anatomy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaaz1170. [PMID: 32206722 PMCID: PMC7080454 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz1170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In human and nonhuman primates, sex differences typically explain much interindividual variability. Male and female behaviors may have played unique roles in the likely coevolution of increasing brain volume and more complex social dynamics. To explore possible divergence in social brain morphology between men and women living in different social environments, we applied probabilistic generative modeling to ~10,000 UK Biobank participants. We observed strong volume effects especially in the limbic system but also in regions of the sensory, intermediate, and higher association networks. Sex-specific brain volume effects in the limbic system were linked to the frequency and intensity of social contact, such as indexed by loneliness, household size, and social support. Across the processing hierarchy of neural networks, different conditions for social interplay may resonate in and be influenced by brain anatomy in sex-dependent ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Kiesow
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Joseph W. Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tobias Kalenscher
- Comparative Psychology, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kai Vogeley
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine—Cognitive Neuroscience (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen Strasse, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Leonhard Schilbach
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Outpatient and Day Clinic for Disorders of Social Interaction, Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Andre F. Marquand
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | | | - Danilo Bzdok
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA), Aachen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Mila-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, Canada
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381
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Lee JK, Amaral DG, Solomon M, Rogers SJ, Ozonoff S, Nordahl CW. Sex Differences in the Amygdala Resting-State Connectome of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 5:320-329. [PMID: 31563470 PMCID: PMC7033019 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multifactorial liability models predict greater dissimilarity in the neural phenotype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in female individuals than in male individuals, while gender incoherence and extreme male brain models predict attenuated sex differences in ASD. The amygdala is an informative target to explore these models because it is implicated in both the neurobiology of ASD and sex differences in typical development. METHODS This study investigated amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in a cohort of 116 children with ASD (36 female) and 58 typically developing children (27 female) 2 to 7 years of age during natural sleep. First, multivariate distance matrix regression assessed global sex and diagnostic differences across the amygdala connectome. Second, univariate general linear models identified regions with mean connectivity differences. RESULTS Multivariate distance matrix regression revealed greater differences between typically developing children and those with ASD in females than in males, consistent with multifactorial liability models, and attenuated sex differences in the left amygdala connectome of children with ASD in a pattern consistent with the gender incoherence model. Univariate analysis identified similar sex differences in dorsomedial and ventral prefrontal cortices, lingual gyrus, and posterior cingulate cortex, but also noted that lower amygdala connectivity with superior temporal sulcus is observed across sexes. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that compared with sex-matched control subjects, ASD manifests differently in the brain at the time of diagnosis and prior to the influence of compensatory mechanisms in male and female children, consistent with multifactorial liability models, and that ASD is associated with reduced sex differences in a pattern consistent with gender incoherence models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua K Lee
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California.
| | - David G Amaral
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Sally J Rogers
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California.
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382
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Maghsadhagh S, Eklund A, Behjat H. Graph Spectral Characterization of Brain Cortical Morphology. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020; 2019:458-462. [PMID: 31945937 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2019.8856468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The human brain cortical layer has a convoluted morphology that is unique to each individual. Characterization of the cortical morphology is necessary in longitudinal studies of structural brain change, as well as in discriminating individuals in health and disease. A method for encoding the cortical morphology in the form of a graph is presented. The design of graphs that encode the global cerebral hemisphere cortices as well as localized cortical regions is proposed. Spectral metrics derived from these graphs are then studied and proposed as descriptors of cortical morphology. As proof-of-concept of their applicability in characterizing cortical morphology, the metrics are studied in the context of hemispheric asymmetry as well as gender dependent discrimination of cortical morphology.
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383
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Buckley RF, Mormino EC, Rabin JS, Hohman TJ, Landau S, Hanseeuw BJ, Jacobs HIL, Papp KV, Amariglio RE, Properzi MJ, Schultz AP, Kirn D, Scott MR, Hedden T, Farrell M, Price J, Chhatwal J, Rentz DM, Villemagne VL, Johnson KA, Sperling RA. Sex Differences in the Association of Global Amyloid and Regional Tau Deposition Measured by Positron Emission Tomography in Clinically Normal Older Adults. JAMA Neurol 2020; 76:542-551. [PMID: 30715078 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.4693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Importance Mounting evidence suggests that sex differences exist in the pathologic trajectory of Alzheimer disease. Previous literature shows elevated levels of cerebrospinal fluid tau in women compared with men as a function of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 status and β-amyloid (Aβ). What remains unclear is the association of sex with regional tau deposition in clinically normal individuals. Objective To examine sex differences in the cross-sectional association between Aβ and regional tau deposition as measured with positron emission tomography (PET). Design, Setting and Participants This is a study of 2 cross-sectional, convenience-sampled cohorts of clinically normal individuals who received tau and Aβ PET scans. Data were collected between January 2016 and February 2018 from 193 clinically normal individuals from the Harvard Aging Brain Study (age range, 55-92 years; 118 women [61%]) who underwent carbon 11-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B and flortaucipir F18 PET and 103 clinically normal individuals from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (age range, 63-94 years; 55 women [51%]) who underwent florbetapir and flortaucipir F 18 PET. Main Outcomes and Measures A main association of sex with regional tau in the entorhinal cortices, inferior temporal lobe, and a meta-region of interest, which was a composite of regions in the temporal lobe. Associations between sex and global Aβ as well as sex and APOE ε4 on these regions after controlling for age were also examined. Results The mean (SD) age of all individuals was 74.2 (7.6) years (81 APOE ε4 carriers [31%]; 89 individuals [30%] with high Aβ). There was no clear association of sex with regional tau that was replicated across studies. However, in both cohorts, clinically normal women exhibited higher entorhinal cortical tau than men (meta-analytic estimate: β [male] = -0.11 [0.05]; 95% CI, -0.21 to -0.02; P = .02), which was associated with individuals with higher Aβ burden. A sex by APOE ε4 interaction was not associated with regional tau (meta-analytic estimate: β [male, APOE ε4+] = -0.15 [0.09]; 95% CI, -0.32 to 0.01; P = .07). Conclusions and Relevance Early tau deposition was elevated in women compared with men in individuals on the Alzheimer disease trajectory. These findings lend support to a growing body of literature that highlights a biological underpinning for sex differences in Alzheimer disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel F Buckley
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,The Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Science, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Jennifer S Rabin
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Timothy J Hohman
- Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Susan Landau
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley
| | - Bernard J Hanseeuw
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Department of Neurology, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Kathryn V Papp
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca E Amariglio
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael J Properzi
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Aaron P Schultz
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dylan Kirn
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthew R Scott
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Trey Hedden
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Michelle Farrell
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Julie Price
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Jasmeer Chhatwal
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dorene M Rentz
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Victor L Villemagne
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Centre for PET, Austin Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Reisa A Sperling
- Harvard Aging Brain Study, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.,Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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384
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Peyre H, Mohanpuria N, Jednoróg K, Heim S, Grande M, van Ermingen-Marbach M, Altarelli I, Monzalvo K, Williams CM, Germanaud D, Toro R, Ramus F. Neuroanatomy of dyslexia: An allometric approach. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:3595-3609. [PMID: 31991019 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite evidence for a difference in total brain volume between dyslexic and good readers, no previous neuroimaging study examined differences in allometric scaling (i.e. differences in the relationship between regional and total brain volumes) between dyslexic and good readers. The present study aims to fill this gap by testing differences in allometric scaling and regional brain volume differences in dyslexic and good readers. Object-based morphometry analysis was used to determine grey and white matter volumes of the four lobes, the cerebellum and limbic structures in 130 dyslexic and 106 good readers aged 8-14 years. Data were collected across three countries (France, Poland and Germany). Three methodological approaches were used as follows: principal component analysis (PCA), linear regression and multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). Difference in total brain volume between good and dyslexic readers was Cohen's d = 0.39. We found no difference in allometric scaling, nor in regional brain volume between dyslexic and good readers. Results of our three methodological approaches (PCA, linear regression and MGCFA) were consistent. This study provides evidence for total brain volume differences between dyslexic and control children, but no evidence for differences in the volumes of the four lobes, the cerebellum or limbic structures, once allometry is taken into account. It also finds no evidence for a difference in allometric relationships between the groups. We highlight the methodological interest of the MGCFA approach to investigate such research issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Peyre
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France.,Neurodiderot, INSERM UMR 1141, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Neha Mohanpuria
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stefan Heim
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren (HZ), Jülich, Germany
| | - Marion Grande
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Muna van Ermingen-Marbach
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Irene Altarelli
- Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, CNRS UMR 8240, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Karla Monzalvo
- INSERM, UMR992, CEA, NeuroSpin Center, University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Camille Michèle Williams
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - David Germanaud
- Neurodiderot, INSERM UMR 1141, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France.,INSERM, UMR992, CEA, NeuroSpin Center, University Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Department of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolic Diseases, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.,INSERM, CEA, UMR 1129, Sorbonne Paris Cité University (USPC), Paris, France
| | - Roberto Toro
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Franck Ramus
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France
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385
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Bohn L, McFall GP, Wiebe SA, Dixon RA. Body mass index predicts cognitive aging trajectories selectively for females: Evidence from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. Neuropsychology 2020; 34:388-403. [PMID: 31999164 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Elevated body weight in midlife is an established risk factor for accelerated cognitive decline, impairment, and dementia. Research examining the impact of later-life body mass index (BMI) on normal cognitive aging has produced mixed results. There is a need for longitudinal designs, replication across multiple cognitive domains, and consideration of BMI effects in the context of important moderators. The present research examined (a) BMI prediction of neuropsychological performance and decline in executive function (EF), neurocognitive speed, and memory and (b) sex stratification of BMI effects. METHOD Participants (n = 869; 573 females; M age = 71.75, range = 53-85 years) were older adults from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. Latent growth modeling was used to examine BMI as a predictor of level and change in three latent variables of cognition. The data were then stratified by sex to test whether BMI effects differed for females and males. We adjusted for selected medical, psychosocial, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS Higher BMI predicted less decline in EF, neurocognitive speed, and memory. Interestingly, when the data were stratified by sex, higher BMI predicted less neuropsychological decline across domains for females only. BMI was unrelated to cognitive aging trajectories for males. CONCLUSIONS We found that elevated BMI was a risk-reducing factor for cognitive decline only for females. Results may be used to enhance the precision with which intervention protocols may target specific subgroups of older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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386
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Angelopoulou G, Meier EL, Kasselimis D, Pan Y, Tsolakopoulos D, Velonakis G, Karavasilis E, Kelekis NL, Goutsos D, Potagas C, Kiran S. Investigating Gray and White Matter Structural Substrates of Sex Differences in the Narrative Abilities of Healthy Adults. Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1424. [PMID: 32063823 PMCID: PMC7000661 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Linguistic aspects of narration have been investigated in healthy populations, in a wide variety of languages and speech genres with very different results. There is some evidence indicating that linguistic elements, such as speech rate (i.e., the measure indicating the amount of speech produced in a certain time period), mean length of utterance (MLU) (i.e., the index reflecting sentence grammatical structure), frequency of nouns and verbs, might be affected by non-linguistic factors such as sex. On the other hand, despite the existence of neuroimaging evidence of structural differences between males and females, it is yet unknown how such differences could explain between-sex disparities in linguistic abilities in natural speech contexts. To date, no study has evaluated discourse production elements in relation to sex differences and their neural correlates in terms of brain structure, a topic that could provide unique insights on the relationship between language and the brain. The aim of the present study was to determine sex differences in narrative skills in healthy adults and to investigate white and gray matter structural correlates of linguistic skills in each group. Twenty-seven male and 30 female (N = 57) right-handed, neurologically intact, monolingual Greek speakers, matched for age and years of education, participated. Narrations of a personal medical event were elicited. Linguistic elements of speech rate (words per minute), MLUs, frequency of nouns and verbs were calculated for each speech sample, by two independent raters. Structural 3D T1 images were segmented and parcellated using FreeSurfer and whole-brain between-sex differences in cortical thickness, cortical volume and surface area, were obtained. Between-group differences in white matter diffusion tensor scalars were examined via Tract-Based Spatial-Statistics and whole-brain tractography and automated tract delineation using Automated Fiber Quantification. Speech rate and noun frequency were significantly lower for men, while verb frequency was significantly higher for women, but no differences were identified for MLU. Regarding cortical measures, males demonstrated increased volume, surface area and cortical thickness in several bilateral regions, while no voxel-wise or tractography-based between-group differences in white matter metrics were observed. Regarding the relationship between sex and speech variables, hierarchical regression analyses showed that the superior/middle frontal cluster in surface area may serve as a significant predictor of speech rate variance, but only in females. We discuss several possible interpretations of how sex-related speech abilities could be represented differently in men and women in gray matter structures within the broad language network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Angelopoulou
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erin L. Meier
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Dimitrios Kasselimis
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Yue Pan
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dimitrios Tsolakopoulos
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George Velonakis
- 2nd Department of Radiology, General University Hospital “Attikon”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios Karavasilis
- 2nd Department of Radiology, General University Hospital “Attikon”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos L. Kelekis
- 2nd Department of Radiology, General University Hospital “Attikon”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dionysios Goutsos
- Department of Linguistics, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Constantin Potagas
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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387
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Buchanan CR, Bastin ME, Ritchie SJ, Liewald DC, Madole JW, Tucker-Drob EM, Deary IJ, Cox SR. The effect of network thresholding and weighting on structural brain networks in the UK Biobank. Neuroimage 2020; 211:116443. [PMID: 31927129 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-brain structural networks can be constructed using diffusion MRI and probabilistic tractography. However, measurement noise and the probabilistic nature of the tracking procedure result in an unknown proportion of spurious white matter connections. Faithful disentanglement of spurious and genuine connections is hindered by a lack of comprehensive anatomical information at the network-level. Therefore, network thresholding methods are widely used to remove ostensibly false connections, but it is not yet clear how different thresholding strategies affect basic network properties and their associations with meaningful demographic variables, such as age. In a sample of 3153 generally healthy volunteers from the UK Biobank Imaging Study (aged 44-77 years), we constructed whole-brain structural networks and applied two principled network thresholding approaches (consistency and proportional thresholding). These were applied over a broad range of threshold levels across six alternative network weightings (streamline count, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity and three novel weightings from neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging) and for four common network measures (mean edge weight, characteristic path length, network efficiency and network clustering coefficient). We compared network measures against age associations and found that: 1) measures derived from unthresholded matrices yielded the weakest age-associations (0.033 ≤ |β| ≤ 0.409); and 2) the most commonly-used level of proportional-thresholding from the literature (retaining 68.7% of all possible connections) yielded significantly weaker age-associations (0.070 ≤ |β| ≤ 0.406) than the consistency-based approach which retained only 30% of connections (0.140 ≤ |β| ≤ 0.409). However, we determined that the stringency of the threshold was a stronger determinant of the network-age association than the choice of threshold method and the two thresholding approaches identified a highly overlapping set of connections (ICC = 0.84), when matched at 70% network sparsity. Generally, more stringent thresholding resulted in more age-sensitive network measures in five of the six network weightings, except at the highest levels of sparsity (>90%), where crucial connections were then removed. At two commonly-used threshold levels, the age-associations of the connections that were discarded (mean β ≤ |0.068|) were significantly smaller in magnitude than the corresponding age-associations of the connections that were retained (mean β ≤ |0.219|, p < 0.001, uncorrected). Given histological evidence of widespread degeneration of structural brain connectivity with increasing age, these results indicate that stringent thresholding methods may be most accurate in identifying true white matter connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin R Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK; Brain Research Imaging Centre, Neuroimaging Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stuart J Ritchie
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David C Liewald
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James W Madole
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
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388
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Mesri HY, David S, Viergever MA, Leemans A. The adverse effect of gradient nonlinearities on diffusion MRI: From voxels to group studies. Neuroimage 2020; 205:116127. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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389
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Gegenhuber B, Tollkuhn J. Signatures of sex: Sex differences in gene expression in the vertebrate brain. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 9:e348. [PMID: 31106965 PMCID: PMC6864223 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Women and men differ in disease prevalence, symptoms, and progression rates for many psychiatric and neurological disorders. As more preclinical studies include both sexes in experimental design, an increasing number of sex differences in physiology and behavior have been reported. In the brain, sex-typical behaviors are thought to result from sex-specific patterns of neural activity in response to the same sensory stimulus or context. These differential firing patterns likely arise as a consequence of underlying anatomic or molecular sex differences. Accordingly, gene expression in the brains of females and males has been extensively investigated, with the goal of identifying biological pathways that specify or modulate sex differences in brain function. However, there is surprisingly little consensus on sex-biased genes across studies and only a handful of robust candidates have been pursued in the follow-up experiments. Furthermore, it is not known how or when sex-biased gene expression originates, as few studies have been performed in the developing brain. Here we integrate molecular genetic and neural circuit perspectives to provide a conceptual framework of how sex differences in gene expression can arise in the brain. We detail mechanisms of gene regulation by steroid hormones, highlight landmark studies in rodents and humans, identify emerging themes, and offer recommendations for future research. This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Regulatory Mechanisms Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Sex Determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Gegenhuber
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
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390
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Maglanoc LA, Kaufmann T, Jonassen R, Hilland E, Beck D, Landrø NI, Westlye LT. Multimodal fusion of structural and functional brain imaging in depression using linked independent component analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:241-255. [PMID: 31571370 PMCID: PMC7267936 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous structural and functional neuroimaging studies have implicated distributed brain regions and networks in depression. However, there are no robust imaging biomarkers that are specific to depression, which may be due to clinical heterogeneity and neurobiological complexity. A dimensional approach and fusion of imaging modalities may yield a more coherent view of the neuronal correlates of depression. We used linked independent component analysis to fuse cortical macrostructure (thickness, area, gray matter density), white matter diffusion properties and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging default mode network amplitude in patients with a history of depression (n = 170) and controls (n = 71). We used univariate and machine learning approaches to assess the relationship between age, sex, case-control status, and symptom loads for depression and anxiety with the resulting brain components. Univariate analyses revealed strong associations between age and sex with mainly global but also regional specific brain components, with varying degrees of multimodal involvement. In contrast, there were no significant associations with case-control status, nor symptom loads for depression and anxiety with the brain components, nor any interaction effects with age and sex. Machine learning revealed low model performance for classifying patients from controls and predicting symptom loads for depression and anxiety, but high age prediction accuracy. Multimodal fusion of brain imaging data alone may not be sufficient for dissecting the clinical and neurobiological heterogeneity of depression. Precise clinical stratification and methods for brain phenotyping at the individual level based on large training samples may be needed to parse the neuroanatomy of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi A. Maglanoc
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Rune Jonassen
- Faculty of Health SciencesOslo Metropolitan UniversityOsloNorway
| | - Eva Hilland
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Division of PsychiatryDiakonhjemmet HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Dani Beck
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Nils Inge Landrø
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Lars T. Westlye
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
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391
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Lombardo MV, Auyeung B, Pramparo T, Quartier A, Courraud J, Holt RJ, Waldman J, Ruigrok ANV, Mooney N, Bethlehem RAI, Lai MC, Kundu P, Bullmore ET, Mandel JL, Piton A, Baron-Cohen S. Sex-specific impact of prenatal androgens on social brain default mode subsystems. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2175-2188. [PMID: 30104728 PMCID: PMC7473837 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0198-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Early-onset neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism) affect males more frequently than females. Androgens may play a role in this male-bias by sex-differentially impacting early prenatal brain development, particularly neural circuits that later develop specialized roles in social cognition. Here, we find that increasing prenatal testosterone in humans is associated with later reduction of functional connectivity between social brain default mode (DMN) subsystems in adolescent males, but has no effect in females. Since testosterone can work directly via the androgen receptor (AR) or indirectly via the estrogen receptor through aromatase conversion to estradiol, we further examined how a potent non-aromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), acts via the AR to influence gene expression in human neural stem cells (hNSC)-particularly for genes of high-relevance for DMN circuitry. DHT dysregulates a number of genes enriched for syndromic causes of autism and intellectual disability and for genes that in later development are expressed in anatomical patterns that highly correspond to the cortical midline DMN subsystem. DMN-related and DHT-affected genes (e.g., MEF2C) are involved in a number of synaptic processes, many of which impact excitation-inhibition balance. Androgens have male-specific prenatal influence over social brain circuitry in humans and may be relevant towards explaining some component of male-bias in early-onset neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V. Lombardo
- grid.6603.30000000121167908Center for Applied Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus ,grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tiziano Pramparo
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Angélique Quartier
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Jérémie Courraud
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Rosemary J. Holt
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Waldman
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Mooney
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A. I. Bethlehem
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Prantik Kundu
- grid.59734.3c0000 0001 0670 2351Section on Advanced Functional Neuroimaging, Departments of Radiology & Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.418236.a0000 0001 2162 0389ImmunoPsychiatry, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Louis Mandel
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,grid.410533.00000 0001 2179 2236Chair of Human Genetics, Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Amélie Piton
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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392
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Jaggar M, Rea K, Spichak S, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. You've got male: Sex and the microbiota-gut-brain axis across the lifespan. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 56:100815. [PMID: 31805290 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sex is a critical factor in the diagnosis and development of a number of mental health disorders including autism, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, anorexia nervosa and others; likely due to differences in sex steroid hormones and genetics. Recent evidence suggests that sex can also influence the complexity and diversity of microbes that we harbour in our gut; and reciprocally that our gut microbes can directly and indirectly influence sex steroid hormones and central gene activation. There is a growing emphasis on the role of gastrointestinal microbiota in the maintenance of mental health and their role in the pathogenesis of disease. In this review, we introduce mechanisms by which gastrointestinal microbiota are thought to mediate positive health benefits along the gut-brain axis, we report how they may be modulated by sex, the role they play in sex steroid hormone regulation, and their sex-specific effects in various disorders relating to mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minal Jaggar
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kieran Rea
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Simon Spichak
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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393
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Luders E, Kurth F. Structural differences between male and female brains. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:3-11. [PMID: 33008534 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00001-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Research based on structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revealed a number of sex differences in the anatomy of the human brain. The first part of this chapter presents an excerpt of these findings discriminating among effects on a global, regional, and local level. While findings are far from consistent and conclusive, there is general consensus with respect to sex-specific brain size, with male brains being bigger on average than female brains. So, the question arises as to whether any of the observed sex differences are merely driven by brain size. The second part of this chapter thus sheds light on a unique scientific attempt to discriminate between brain size effects and sex effects. The overarching goal of this chapter is to exemplify the variety of findings and to demonstrate that the presence, magnitude, and direction of significant sex differences strongly depend on the measurement applied. The assumption that sex differences are simply a by-product of brain size, rather than pure (size independent) sex effects has proven to be true for some but certainly not all findings. Therefore, when examining the possible sexual dimorphism of the brain, it is imperative to avoid oversimplification and generalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| | - Florian Kurth
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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394
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Guo X, Simas T, Lai M, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Ruigrok ANV, Bullmore ET, Baron‐Cohen S, Chen H, Suckling J. Enhancement of indirect functional connections with shortest path length in the adult autistic brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:5354-5369. [PMID: 31464062 PMCID: PMC6864892 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical brain functional organization. Here we investigated the intrinsic indirect (semi-metric) connectivity of the functional connectome associated with autism. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 65 neurotypical adults (33 males/32 females) and 61 autistic adults (30 males/31 females). From functional connectivity networks, semi-metric percentages (SMPs) were calculated to assess the proportion of indirect shortest functional pathways at global, hemisphere, network, and node levels. Group comparisons were then conducted to ascertain differences between autism and neurotypical control groups. Finally, the strength and length of edges were examined to explore the patterns of semi-metric connections associated with autism. Compared with neurotypical controls, autistic adults displayed significantly higher SMP at all spatial scales, similar to prior observations in adolescents. Differences were primarily in weaker, longer-distance edges in the majority between networks. However, no significant diagnosis-by-sex interaction effects were observed on global SMP. These findings suggest increased indirect functional connectivity in the autistic brain is persistent from adolescence to adulthood and is indicative of reduced functional network integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Guo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China
| | - Tiago Simas
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Meng‐Chuan Lai
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Hospital for Sick Children, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
- Autism Research Centre, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychiatryNational Taiwan University Hospital and College of MedicineTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Italian Institute of TechnologyRoveretoItaly
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Autism Research Centre, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUK
| | - Simon Baron‐Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUK
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUK
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395
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Barha CK, Hsu CL, Ten Brinke L, Liu-Ambrose T. Biological Sex: A Potential Moderator of Physical Activity Efficacy on Brain Health. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:329. [PMID: 31866852 PMCID: PMC6908464 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of older people worldwide living with cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases is growing at an unprecedented rate. Despite accumulating evidence that engaging in physical activity is a promising primary behavioral strategy to delay or avert the deleterious effects of aging on brain health, a large degree of variation exists in study findings. Thus, before physical activity and exercise can be prescribed as “medicine” for promoting brain health, it is imperative to understand how different biological factors can attenuate or amplify the effects of physical activity on cognition at the individual level. In this review article, we briefly discuss the current state of the literature, examining the relationship between physical activity and brain health in older adults and we present the argument that biological sex is a potent moderator of this relationship. Additionally, we highlight some of the potential neurobiological mechanisms underlying this sex difference for this relatively new and rapidly expanding line of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy K Barha
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Chun-Liang Hsu
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lisanne Ten Brinke
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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396
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Toschi N, Gisbert RA, Passamonti L, Canals S, De Santis S. Multishell diffusion imaging reveals sex-specific trajectories of early white matter degeneration in normal aging. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 86:191-200. [PMID: 31902522 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
During aging, human white matter (WM) is subject to dynamic structural changes which have a deep impact on healthy and pathological evolution of the brain through the lifespan; characterizing this pattern is of key importance for understanding brain development, maturation, and aging as well as for studying its pathological alterations. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide a quantitative assessment of the white-matter microstructural organization that characterizes these trajectories. Here, we use both conventional and advanced diffusion MRI in a cohort of 91 individuals (age range: 13-62 years) to study region- and sex-specific features of WM microstructural integrity in healthy aging. We focus on the age at which microstructural imaging parameters invert their development trend as the time point which marks the onset of microstructural decline in WM. Importantly, our results indicate that age-related brain changes begin earlier in males than females and affect more frontal regions-in accordance with evolutionary theories and numerous evidences across non-MRI domains. Advanced diffusion MRI reveals age-related WM modification patterns which cannot be detected using conventional diffusion tensor imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Toschi
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luca Passamonti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare (IBFM), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Segrate, Milano, Italia
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante (CSIC-UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Silvia De Santis
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante (CSIC-UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain; Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
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397
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Pearse RV, Young-Pearse TL. Lost in translational biology: Understanding sex differences to inform studies of diseases of the nervous system. Brain Res 2019; 1722:146352. [PMID: 31351977 PMCID: PMC6755063 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Female and male humans are different. As simple and obvious as that statement is, in biomedical research there has been an historical tendency to either not consider sex at all or to only use males in clinical and in preclinical model system studies. The result is a large volume of research that reflects the average biology and pathology of males even though we know that disease risk, presentation, and response to therapies can be different between females and males. This is true, albeit to differing degrees, for virtually all neurological and psychiatric diseases. However, the days of ignoring sex as a biological variable are over - both because of the realization that genetic sex impacts brain function, and because of the 2014 mandate by the U.S. National Institutes of Health that requires that "sex as a biological variable" be addressed in each grant application. This review is written for neuroscientists who may not have considered sex as a biological variable previously but who now are navigating the best way to adapt their research programs to consider this important biology. We first provide a brief overview of the evidence that male versus female differences in the brain are biologically and clinically meaningful. We then present some fundamental principles that have been forged by a dedicated but small group of ground-breaking researchers along with a description of tools and model systems for incorporating a sex differences component into a research project. Finally, we will highlight some key technologies that, in the coming years, are likely to provide critical information about sex differences in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard V Pearse
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tracy L Young-Pearse
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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398
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399
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Ebbesen CL, Bobrov E, Rao RP, Brecht M. Highly structured, partner-sex- and subject-sex-dependent cortical responses during social facial touch. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4634. [PMID: 31604919 PMCID: PMC6789031 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12511-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Touch is a fundamental aspect of social, parental and sexual behavior. In contrast to our detailed knowledge about cortical processing of non-social touch, we still know little about how social touch impacts cortical circuits. We investigated neural activity across five frontal, motor and sensory cortical areas in rats engaging in naturalistic social facial touch. Information about social touch and the sex of the interaction partner (a biologically significant feature) is a major determinant of cortical activity. 25.3% of units were modulated during social touch and 8.3% of units displayed ‘sex-touch’ responses (responded differently, depending on the sex of the interaction partner). Single-unit responses were part of a structured, partner-sex- and, in some cases, subject-sex-dependent population response. Spiking neural network simulations indicate that a change in inhibitory drive might underlie these population dynamics. Our observations suggest that socio-sexual characteristics of touch (subject and partner sex) widely modulate cortical activity and need to be investigated with cellular resolution. Touch is an important sensory modality during social encounters. Here the authors report that during naturalistic social encounters in rats, the cortical activity in widespread areas at the level of single neurons is modulated by sociosexual characteristics such as the subject and partner sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian L Ebbesen
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany. .,Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany. .,Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, NY, 10016, USA. .,Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
| | - Evgeny Bobrov
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany.,QUEST Center for Transforming Biomedical Research, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), 10178, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rajnish P Rao
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany. .,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
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400
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Abstract
The gap between predicted brain age using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and chronological age may serve as a biomarker for early-stage neurodegeneration. However, owing to the lack of large longitudinal studies, it has been challenging to validate this link. We aimed to investigate the utility of such a gap as a risk biomarker for incident dementia using a deep learning approach for predicting brain age based on MRI-derived gray matter (GM). We built a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to predict brain age trained on 3,688 dementia-free participants of the Rotterdam Study (mean age 66 ± 11 y, 55% women). Logistic regressions and Cox proportional hazards were used to assess the association of the age gap with incident dementia, adjusted for age, sex, intracranial volume, GM volume, hippocampal volume, white matter hyperintensities, years of education, and APOE ε4 allele carriership. Additionally, we computed the attention maps, which shows which regions are important for age prediction. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models showed that the age gap was significantly related to incident dementia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11 and 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.05-1.16; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.11, and 95% CI = 1.06-1.15, respectively). Attention maps indicated that GM density around the amygdala and hippocampi primarily drove the age estimation. We showed that the gap between predicted and chronological brain age is a biomarker, complimentary to those that are known, associated with risk of dementia, and could possibly be used for early-stage dementia risk screening.
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