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Cotter DL, Ahmadi H, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Bottenhorn KL, Gauderman WJ, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Hackman DA, Chen JC, Herting MM. Exposure to multiple ambient air pollutants changes white matter microstructure during early adolescence with sex-specific differences. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:155. [PMID: 39090375 PMCID: PMC11294340 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00576-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is ubiquitous, yet questions remain regarding its impact on the developing brain. Large changes occur in white matter microstructure across adolescence, with notable differences by sex. METHODS We investigate sex-stratified effects of annual exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) at ages 9-10 years on longitudinal patterns of white matter microstructure over a 2-year period. Diffusion-weighted imaging was collected on 3T MRI scanners for 8182 participants (1-2 scans per subject; 45% with two scans) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. Restriction spectrum imaging was performed to quantify intracellular isotropic (RNI) and directional (RND) diffusion. Ensemble-based air pollution concentrations were assigned to each child's primary residential address. Multi-pollutant, sex-stratified linear mixed-effect models assessed associations between pollutants and RNI/RND with age over time, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS Here we show higher PM2.5 exposure is associated with higher RND at age 9 in both sexes, with no significant effects of PM2.5 on RNI/RND change over time. Higher NO2 exposure is associated with higher RNI at age 9 in both sexes, as well as attenuating RNI over time in females. Higher O3 exposure is associated with differences in RND and RNI at age 9, as well as changes in RND and RNI over time in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS Criteria air pollutants influence patterns of white matter maturation between 9-13 years old, with some sex-specific differences in the magnitude and anatomical locations of affected tracts. This occurs at concentrations that are below current U.S. standards, suggesting exposure to low-level pollution during adolescence may have long-term consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devyn L Cotter
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - W James Gauderman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel A Hackman
- USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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2
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Pecheva D, Smith DM, Casey BJ, Woodward LJ, Dale AM, Filippi CG, Watts R. Sex and mental health are related to subcortical brain microstructure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2403212121. [PMID: 39042688 PMCID: PMC11295051 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2403212121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Some mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are more common in females, while others such as autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity (AD/H) are more common in males. However, the neurobiological origins of these sex differences are poorly understood. Animal studies have shown substantial sex differences in neuronal and glial cell structure, while human brain imaging studies have shown only small differences, which largely reflect overall body and brain size. Advanced diffusion MRI techniques can be used to examine intracellular, extracellular, and free water signal contributions and provide unique insights into microscopic cellular structure. However, the extent to which sex differences exist in these metrics of subcortical gray matter structures implicated in psychiatric disorders is not known. Here, we show large sex-related differences in microstructure in subcortical regions, including the hippocampus, thalamus, and nucleus accumbens in a large sample of young adults. Unlike conventional T1-weighted structural imaging, large sex differences remained after adjustment for age and brain volume. Further, diffusion metrics in the thalamus and amygdala were associated with depression, anxiety, AD/H, and antisocial personality problems. Diffusion MRI may provide mechanistic insights into the origin of sex differences in behavior and mental health over the life course and help to bridge the gap between findings from experimental, epidemiological, and clinical mental health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diliana Pecheva
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - Diana M. Smith
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - B. J. Casey
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY10027
| | - Lianne J. Woodward
- Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury, Christchurch8140, New Zealand
| | - Anders M. Dale
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - Christopher G. Filippi
- Department of Radiology, The Hospital for Sick Children and the SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1E8, Canada
| | - Richard Watts
- Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury, Christchurch8140, New Zealand
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3
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Herlin B, Uszynski I, Chauvel M, Dupont S, Poupon C. Sex-related variability of white matter tracts in the whole HCP cohort. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02833-0. [PMID: 39012482 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02833-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral differences between men and women have been studied extensively, as have differences in brain anatomy. However, most studies have focused on differences in gray matter, while white matter has been much less studied. We conducted a comprehensive study of 77 deep white matter tracts to analyze their volumetric and microstructural variability between men and women in the full Human Connectome Project (HCP) cohort of 1065 healthy individuals aged 22-35 years. We found a significant difference in total brain volume between men and women (+ 12.6% in men), consistent with the literature. 16 tracts showed significant volumetric differences between men and women, one of which stood out due to a larger effect size: the corpus callosum genu, which was larger in women (+ 7.3% in women, p = 5.76 × 10-19). In addition, we found several differences in microstructural parameters between men and women, both using standard Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) parameters and more complex microstructural parameters from the Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) model, with the tracts showing the greatest differences belonging to motor (cortico-spinal tracts, cortico-cerebellar tracts) or limbic (cingulum, fornix, thalamo-temporal radiations) systems. These microstructural differences may be related to known behavioral differences between the sexes in timed motor performance, aggressiveness/impulsivity, and social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Herlin
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.
- Rehabilitation Unit, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
- Université Paris Sorbonne, Paris, France.
| | - I Uszynski
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - M Chauvel
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - S Dupont
- Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies, Department of Neurology, Epileptology Unit, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Rehabilitation Unit, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Sorbonne-Université, Inserm U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris, France
- Université Paris Sorbonne, Paris, France
| | - C Poupon
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
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4
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Gupta G, Arrington CN, Morris R. Sex Differences in White Matter Diffusivity in Children with Developmental Dyslexia. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:721. [PMID: 38929300 PMCID: PMC11201584 DOI: 10.3390/children11060721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of developmental dyslexia in the U.S. population, research remains limited and possibly biased due to the overrepresentation of males in most dyslexic samples. Studying biological sex differences in the context of developmental dyslexia can help provide a more complete understanding of the neurological markers that underly this disorder. The current study aimed to explore sex differences in white matter diffusivity in typical and dyslexic samples in third and fourth graders. Participants were asked to complete behavioral/cognitive assessments at baseline followed by MRI scanning and diffusion-weighted imaging sequences. A series of ANOVAs were conducted for comparing group membership (developmental dyslexia or typically developing), gender status (F/M), and white matter diffusivity in the tracts of interest. The Results indicated significant differences in fractional anisotropy in the left hemisphere components of the inferior and superior (parietal and temporal) longitudinal fasciculi. While males with dyslexia had lower fractional anisotropy in these tracts compared to control males, no such differences were found in females. The results of the current study may suggest that females may use a more bilateral/alternative reading network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gehna Gupta
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA;
- Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA;
| | - C. Nikki Arrington
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA;
- Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA;
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Robin Morris
- Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA;
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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5
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Benavidez SM, Abaryan Z, Kim GS, Laltoo E, McCracken JT, Thompson PM, Lawrence KE. Sex Differences in the Brain's White Matter Microstructure during Development assessed using Advanced Diffusion MRI Models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.02.578712. [PMID: 38352346 PMCID: PMC10862784 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.02.578712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Typical sex differences in white matter (WM) microstructure during development are incompletely understood. Here we evaluated sex differences in WM microstructure during typical brain development using a sample of neurotypical individuals across a wide developmental age (N=239, aged 5-22 years). We used the conventional diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) model, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and two advanced dMRI models, the tensor distribution function (TDF) and neurite orientation dispersion density imaging (NODDI) to assess WM microstructure. WM microstructure exhibited significant, regionally consistent sex differences across the brain during typical development. Additionally, the TDF model was most sensitive in detecting sex differences. These findings highlight the importance of considering sex in neurodevelopmental research and underscore the value of the advanced TDF model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian M Benavidez
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Zvart Abaryan
- Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gaon S Kim
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Emily Laltoo
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - James T McCracken
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Katherine E Lawrence
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
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Torgerson C, Ahmadi H, Choupan J, Fan CC, Blosnich JR, Herting MM. Sex, gender diversity, and brain structure in early adolescence. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26671. [PMID: 38590252 PMCID: PMC11002534 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
There remains little consensus about the relationship between sex and brain structure, particularly in early adolescence. Moreover, few pediatric neuroimaging studies have analyzed both sex and gender as variables of interest-many of which included small sample sizes and relied on binary definitions of gender. The current study examined gender diversity with a continuous felt-gender score and categorized sex based on X and Y allele frequency in a large sample of children ages 9-11 years old (N = 7195). Then, a statistical model-building approach was employed to determine whether gender diversity and sex independently or jointly relate to brain morphology, including subcortical volume, cortical thickness, gyrification, and white matter microstructure. Additional sensitivity analyses found that male versus female differences in gyrification and white matter were largely accounted for by total brain volume, rather than sex per se. The model with sex, but not gender diversity, was the best-fitting model in 60.1% of gray matter regions and 61.9% of white matter regions after adjusting for brain volume. The proportion of variance accounted for by sex was negligible to small in all cases. While models including felt-gender explained a greater amount of variance in a few regions, the felt-gender score alone was not a significant predictor on its own for any white or gray matter regions examined. Overall, these findings demonstrate that at ages 9-11 years old, sex accounts for a small proportion of variance in brain structure, while gender diversity is not directly associated with neurostructural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carinna Torgerson
- Department of Population and Public Health SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jeiran Choupan
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chun Chieh Fan
- Center for Population Neuroscience and GeneticsLaureate Institute for Brain ResearchTulsaOklahomaUSA
- Department of Radiology, School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - John R. Blosnich
- Suzanne Dworak‐Peck School of Social WorkUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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7
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Xia Y, Shi Y. Diffusion MRI harmonization via personalized template mapping. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26661. [PMID: 38520363 PMCID: PMC10960558 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
One fundamental challenge in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) harmonization is to disentangle the contributions of scanner-related effects from the variable brain anatomy for the observed imaging signals. Conventional harmonization methods rely on establishing an atlas space to resolve anatomical variability and generate a unified inter-site mapping function. However, this approach is limited in accounting for the misalignment of neuroanatomy that still widely persists even after registration, especially in regions close to cortical boundaries. To overcome this challenge, we propose a personalized framework in this paper to more effectively address the confounding from the misalignment of neuroanatomy in dMRI harmonization. Instead of using a common template representing site-effects for all subjects, the main novelty of our method is the adaptive computation of personalized templates for both source and target scanning sites to estimate the inter-site mapping function. We integrate our method with the rotation invariant spherical harmonics (RISH) features to achieve the harmonization of dMRI signals between sites. In our experiments, the proposed approach is applied to harmonize the dMRI data acquired from two scanning platforms: Siemens Prisma and GE MR750 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development dataset and compared with a state-of-the-art method based on RISH features. Our results indicate that the proposed harmonization framework achieves superior performance not only in reducing inter-site variations due to scanner differences but also in preserving sex-related biological variability in original cohorts. Moreover, we assess the impact of harmonization on the estimation of fiber orientation distributions and show the robustness of the personalized harmonization procedure in preserving the fiber orientation of original dMRI signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihao Xia
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Viterbi School of EngineeringUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yonggang Shi
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Viterbi School of EngineeringUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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8
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Stowe NA, Singh AP, Barnett BR, Yi SY, Frautschi PC, Messing A, Hagemann TL, Yu JPJ. Quantitative diffusion imaging and genotype-by-sex interactions in a rat model of Alexander disease. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:1087-1098. [PMID: 37946544 PMCID: PMC10842025 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The clinical diagnosis and classification of Alexander disease (AxD) relies in part on qualitative neuroimaging biomarkers; however, these biomarkers fail to distinguish and discriminate different subtypes of AxD, especially in the presence of overlap in clinical symptoms. To address this gap in knowledge, we applied neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to an innovative CRISPR-Cas9 rat genetic model of AxD to gain quantitative insights into the neural substrates and brain microstructural changes seen in AxD and to potentially identify novel quantitative NODDI biomarkers of AxD. METHODS Multi-shell DWI of age- and sex-matched AxD and wild-type Sprague Dawley rats (n = 6 per sex per genotype) was performed and DTI and NODDI measures calculated. A 3 × 2 × 2 analysis of variance model was used to determine the effect of genotype, biological sex, and laterality on quantitative measures of DTI and NODDI across regions of interest implicated in AxD. RESULTS There is a significant effect of genotype in the amygdala, hippocampus, neocortex, and thalamus in measures of both DTI and NODDI brain microstructure. A genotype by biological sex interaction was identified in DTI and NODDI measures in the corpus callosum, hippocampus, and neocortex. CONCLUSION We present the first application of NODDI to the study of AxD using a rat genetic model of AxD. Our analysis identifies alterations in NODDI and DTI measures to large white matter tracts and subcortical gray nuclei. We further identified genotype by sex interactions, suggesting a possible role for biological sex in the neuropathogenesis of AxD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Stowe
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ajay P Singh
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Brian R Barnett
- Neuroscience Training Program, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sue Y Yi
- Neuroscience Training Program, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Paloma C Frautschi
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Albee Messing
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Tracy L Hagemann
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - John-Paul J Yu
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Neuroscience Training Program, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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9
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Zhu AH, Nir TM, Javid S, Villalon-Reina JE, Rodrigue AL, Strike LT, de Zubicaray GI, McMahon KL, Wright MJ, Medland SE, Blangero J, Glahn DC, Kochunov P, Håberg AK, Thompson PM, Jahanshad N. Lifespan reference curves for harmonizing multi-site regional brain white matter metrics from diffusion MRI. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.22.581646. [PMID: 38463962 PMCID: PMC10925090 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.22.581646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Age-related white matter (WM) microstructure maturation and decline occur throughout the human lifespan, complementing the process of gray matter development and degeneration. Here, we create normative lifespan reference curves for global and regional WM microstructure by harmonizing diffusion MRI (dMRI)-derived data from ten public datasets (N = 40,898 subjects; age: 3-95 years; 47.6% male). We tested three harmonization methods on regional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based fractional anisotropy (FA), a metric of WM microstructure, extracted using the ENIGMA-DTI pipeline. ComBat-GAM harmonization provided multi-study trajectories most consistent with known WM maturation peaks. Lifespan FA reference curves were validated with test-retest data and used to assess the effect of the ApoE4 risk factor for dementia in WM across the lifespan. We found significant associations between ApoE4 and FA in WM regions associated with neurodegenerative disease even in healthy individuals across the lifespan, with regional age-by-genotype interactions. Our lifespan reference curves and tools to harmonize new dMRI data to the curves are publicly available as eHarmonize (https://github.com/ahzhu/eharmonize).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa H Zhu
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Talia M Nir
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Shayan Javid
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julio E Villalon-Reina
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Amanda L Rodrigue
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lachlan T Strike
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Katie L McMahon
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Margaret J Wright
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah E Medland
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Psychology, `, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - John Blangero
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
- South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Asta K Håberg
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Department of MiDtT National Research Center, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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10
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Herting M, Cotter D, Ahmadi H, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Bottenhorn K, Gauderman WJ, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Hackman D, Chen JC. Sex-specific effects in how childhood exposures to multiple ambient air pollutants affect white matter microstructure development across early adolescence. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3213618. [PMID: 37645919 PMCID: PMC10462194 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3213618/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Ambient air pollution is ubiquitous, yet questions remain as to how it might impact the developing brain. Large changes occur in the brain's white matter (WM) microstructure across adolescence, with noticeable differences in WM integrity in male and female youth. Here we report sex-stratified effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) on longitudinal patterns of WM microstructure from 9-13 years-old in 8,182 (49% female) participants using restriction spectrum imaging. After adjusting for key sociodemographic factors, multi-pollutant, sex-stratified models showed that one-year annual exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with higher, while O3 was associated with lower, intracellular diffusion at age 9. All three pollutants also affected trajectories of WM maturation from 9-13 years-old, with some sex-specific differences in the number and anatomical locations of tracts showing altered trajectories of intracellular diffusion. Concentrations were well-below current U.S. standards, suggesting exposure to these criteria pollutants during adolescence may have long-term consequences on brain development.
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Brown O, Healey K, Fang Z, Zemek R, Smith A, Ledoux AA. Associations between psychological resilience and metrics of white matter microstructure in pediatric concussion. Hum Brain Mapp 2023. [PMID: 37126608 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated associations between psychological resilience and characteristics of white matter microstructure in pediatric concussion. This is a case control study and a planned substudy of a larger randomized controlled trial. Children with an acute concussion or orthopedic injury were recruited from the emergency department. Participants completed both the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 10 and an MRI at 72 h and 4-weeks post-injury. The association between resiliency and fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) at both timepoints were examined. We examined whether these associations were moderated by group. The association between resiliency captured at 72 h and diffusion tensor imaging metrics at 4 weeks was also investigated. Clusters were extracted using a significance threshold of threshold-free cluster enhancement corrected p < .05. A total of 66 children with concussion (median (IQR) age = 12.88 (IQR: 11.80-14.36); 47% female) and 29 children with orthopedic-injury (median (IQR) age = 12.49 (IQR: 11.18-14.01); 41% female) were included. A negative correlation was identified in the concussion group between 72 h resilience and 72 h FA. Meanwhile, positive correlations were identified in the concussion group with concussion between 72 h resilience and both 72 h MD and 72 h RD. These findings suggest that 72 h resilience is associated with white matter microstructure of the forceps minor, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and anterior thalamic radiation at 72 h post-concussion. Resilience seems to be associated with neural integrity only in the acute phase of concussion and thus may be considered when researching concussion recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Brown
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katherine Healey
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zhuo Fang
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roger Zemek
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andra Smith
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrée-Anne Ledoux
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Li ZA, Cai Y, Taylor RL, Eisenstein SA, Barch DM, Marek S, Hershey T. Associations between socioeconomic status and white matter microstructure in children: indirect effects via obesity and cognition. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.02.09.23285150. [PMID: 36798149 PMCID: PMC9934783 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.09.23285150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Importance Both neighborhood and household socioeconomic disadvantage relate to negative health outcomes and altered brain structure in children. It is unclear whether such findings extend to white matter development, and via what mechanisms socioeconomic status (SES) influences the brain. Objective To test independent associations between neighborhood and household SES indicators and white matter microstructure in children, and examine whether body mass index and cognitive function (a proxy of environmental cognitive/sensory stimulation) may plausibly mediate these associations. Design This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, an ongoing 10-year cohort study tracking child health. Setting School-based recruitment at 21 U.S. sites. Participants Children aged 9 to 11 years and their parents/caregivers completed baseline assessments between October 1 st , 2016 and October 31 st , 2018. Data analysis was conducted from July to December 2022. Exposures Neighborhood disadvantage was derived from area deprivation indices at primary residence. Household SES indicators were total income and the highest parental education attainment. Main Outcomes and Measures Thirty-one major white matter tracts were segmented from diffusion-weighted images. The Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI) model was implemented to measure restricted normalized directional (RND; reflecting oriented myelin organization) and isotropic (RNI; reflecting glial/neuronal cell bodies) diffusion in each tract. Obesity-related measures were body mass index (BMI), BMI z -scores, and waist circumference, and cognitive performance was assessed using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery. Linear mixed-effects models tested the associations between SES indicators and scanner-harmonized RSI metrics. Structural equation models examined indirect effects of obesity and cognitive performance in the significant associations between SES and white mater microstructure summary principal components. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, pubertal development stage, intracranial volume, and head motion. Results The analytical sample included 8842 children (4299 [48.6%] girls; mean age [SD], 9.9 [0.7] years). Greater neighborhood disadvantage and lower parental education were independently associated with lower RSI-RND in forceps major and corticospinal/pyramidal tracts, and had overlapping associations in the superior longitudinal fasciculus. Lower cognition scores and greater obesity-related measures partially accounted for these SES associations with RSI-RND. Lower household income was related to higher RSI-RNI in almost every tract, and greater neighborhood disadvantage had similar effects in primarily frontolimbic tracts. Lower parental education was uniquely linked to higher RSI-RNI in forceps major. Greater obesity-related measures partially accounted for these SES associations with RSI-RNI. Findings were robust in sensitivity analyses and mostly corroborated using traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Conclusions and Relevance These cross-sectional results demonstrate that both neighborhood and household contexts are relevant to white matter development in children, and suggest cognitive performance and obesity as possible pathways of influence. Interventions targeting obesity reduction and improving cognition from multiple socioeconomic angles may ameliorate brain health in low-SES children. Key Points Question: Are neighborhood and household socioeconomic levels associated with children’s brain white matter microstructure, and if so, do obesity and cognitive performance (reflecting environmental stimulation) mediate the associations?Findings: In a cohort of 8842 children, higher neighborhood disadvantage, lower household income, and lower parental education had independent and overlapping associations with lower restricted directional diffusion and greater restricted isotropic diffusion in white matter. Greater body mass index and poorer cognitive performance partially mediated these associations.Meaning: Both neighborhood and household poverty may contribute to altered white matter development in children. These effects may be partially explained by obesity incidence and poorer cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaolong Adrian Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA,Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Yuqi Cai
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Rita L. Taylor
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Sarah A. Eisenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA,Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA,Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA,Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Scott Marek
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Co-corresponding authors: Scott Marek, PhD, Assistant Professor, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, MSC 8134-0070-02, Phone: (314)-454-6120, ; Tamara Hershey, PhD, James S. McDonnell Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, MSC 8134-0070-02, Phone: (314)-362-5593,
| | - Tamara Hershey
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA,Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA,Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Co-corresponding authors: Scott Marek, PhD, Assistant Professor, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, MSC 8134-0070-02, Phone: (314)-454-6120, ; Tamara Hershey, PhD, James S. McDonnell Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, MSC 8134-0070-02, Phone: (314)-362-5593,
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