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Xu S, Li M, Yang C, Fang X, Ye M, Wu Y, Yang B, Huang W, Li P, Ma X, Fu S, Yin Y, Tian J, Gan Y, Jiang G. Abnormal Degree Centrality in Children with Low-Function Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Sleeping-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:1363-1374. [PMID: 35818374 PMCID: PMC9270980 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s367104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study used the graph-theory approach, degree centrality (DC) to analyze whole-brain functional networks at the voxel level in children with ASD, and investigated whether DC changes were correlated with any clinical variables in ASD children. METHODS The current study included 86 children with ASD and 54 matched healthy subjects Aged 2-5.5 years. Next, chloral hydrate induced sleeping-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (ss-fMRI) datasets were acquired from these ASD and healthy subjects. For a given voxel, the DC was calculated by calculating the number of functional connections with significantly positive correlations at the individual level. Group differences were tested using two-sample t-tests (p < 0.01, AlphaSim corrected). Finally, relationships between abnormal DCs and clinical variables were investigated via Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS Children with ASD exhibited low DC values in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) (p < 0.01, AlphaSim corrected). Furthermore, significantly negative correlations were established between the decreased average DC values within the right MFG in ASD children and the total ABC scores, as well as with two ABC subscales measuring highly relevant impairments in ASD (ie, stereotypes and object-use behaviors and difficulties in language). CONCLUSION Taken together, the results of our ss-fMRI study suggest that abnormal DC may represent an important contribution to elucidation of the neuropathophysiological mechanisms of preschoolers with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoujun Xu
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunlan Yang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangling Fang
- Department of Department of Children Healthcare, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Miaoting Ye
- Department of Department of Children Healthcare, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunfan Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Binrang Yang
- Department of Department of Children Healthcare, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxian Huang
- Department of Department of Children Healthcare, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofen Ma
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shishun Fu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Yin
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Junzhang Tian
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yungen Gan
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Guihua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Anashkina AA, Erlykina EI. Molecular Mechanisms of Aberrant Neuroplasticity in Autism Spectrum Disorders (Review). Sovrem Tekhnologii Med 2021; 13:78-91. [PMID: 34513070 PMCID: PMC8353687 DOI: 10.17691/stm2021.13.1.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This review presents the analysis and systematization of modern data on the molecular mechanisms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) development. Polyetiology and the multifactorial nature of ASD have been proved. The attempt has been made to jointly review and systematize current hypotheses of ASD pathogenesis at the molecular level from the standpoint of aberrant brain plasticity. The mechanism of glutamate excitotoxicity formation, the effect of imbalance of neuroactive amino acids and their derivatives, neurotransmitters, and hormones on the ASD formation have been considered in detail. The strengths and weaknesses of the proposed hypotheses have been analyzed from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine. The conclusion has been drawn on the leading role of glutamate excitotoxicity as a biochemical mechanism of aberrant neuroplasticity accompanied by oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. The mechanism of aberrant neuroplasticity has also been traced at the critical moments of the nervous system development taking into account the influence of various factors of the internal and external environment. New approaches to searching for ASD molecular markers have been considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Anashkina
- Senior Teacher, Department of Biochemistry named after G.Y. Gorodisskaya; Senior Researcher, Central Scientific Research Laboratory, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod, 603005, Russia
| | - E I Erlykina
- Professor, Head of the Department of Biochemistry named after G.Y. Gorodisskaya, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod, 603005, Russia
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Skakkebæk A, Wallentin M, Gravholt CH. Klinefelter syndrome or testicular dysgenesis: Genetics, endocrinology, and neuropsychology. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 181:445-462. [PMID: 34238477 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-820683-6.00032-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) is a frequent chromosomal disorder among males, often presenting with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, small firm testicles, metabolic disorders, neurocognitive challenges, and increased height. Neurologic disorders such as epilepsy, seizures, and tremor as well as psychiatric disorders are also seen more frequently. The neurocognitive deficits seen are present in many areas of cognition, typically affecting general cognitive abilities, language, and executive functioning. Also, social dysfunction is frequent. Dyslexia is present in more than half of all males. Brain imaging studies generally show a typical pattern, with many nuclei and brain areas being smaller than among controls. However, it has not been possible to link the brain alterations found in imaging studies with the neurocognitive profile. The genetics underlying the phenotypic traits found among males with Klinefelter syndrome still remains to be elucidated; however, recent studies have described pervasive changes in the methylome and transcriptome and new and interesting candidate genes have been pinpointed, but their involvement in the phenotype of Klinefelter syndrome has not been proven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Skakkebæk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Wallentin
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Semiotics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Claus Højbjerg Gravholt
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine and Medical Research Laboratories, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Niego A, Benítez-Burraco A. Autism and Williams syndrome: Dissimilar socio-cognitive profiles with similar patterns of abnormal gene expression in the blood. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 25:464-489. [PMID: 33143449 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320965074] [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] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome are complex cognitive conditions exhibiting quite opposite features in the social domain: whereas people with autism spectrum disorders are mostly hyposocial, subjects with Williams syndrome are usually reported as hypersocial. At the same time, autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this article, we adopted a comparative molecular approach and looked for genes that might be differentially (or similarly) regulated in the blood of people with these conditions. We found a significant overlap between genes dysregulated in the blood of patients compared to neurotypical controls, with most of them being upregulated or, in some cases, downregulated. Still, genes with similar expression trends can exhibit quantitative differences between conditions, with most of them being more dysregulated in Williams syndrome than in autism spectrum disorders. Differentially expressed genes are involved in aspects of brain development and function (particularly dendritogenesis) and are expressed in brain areas (particularly the cerebellum, the thalamus, and the striatum) of relevance for the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome etiopathogenesis. Overall, these genes emerge as promising candidates for the similarities and differences between the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome socio-cognitive profiles.
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Warling A, Liu S, Wilson K, Whitman E, Lalonde FM, Clasen LS, Blumenthal JD, Raznahan A. Sex chromosome aneuploidy alters the relationship between neuroanatomy and cognition. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2020; 184:493-505. [PMID: 32515138 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) increases the risk for cognitive deficits, and confers changes in regional cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA). Neuroanatomical correlates of inter-individual variation in cognitive ability have been described in health, but are not well-characterized in SCA. Here, we modeled relationships between general cognitive ability (estimated using full-scale IQ [FSIQ] from Wechsler scales) and regional estimates of SA and CT (from structural MRI scans) in both aneuploid (28 XXX, 55 XXY, 22 XYY, 19 XXYY) and typically-developing euploid (79 XX, 85 XY) individuals. Results indicated widespread decoupling of normative anatomical-cognitive relationships in SCA: we found five regions where SCA significantly altered SA-FSIQ relationships, and five regions where SCA significantly altered CT-FSIQ relationships. The majority of areas were characterized by the presence of positive anatomy-IQ relationships in health, but no or slightly negative anatomy-IQ relationships in SCA. Disrupted anatomical-cognitive relationships generalized from the full cohort to karyotypically defined subcohorts (i.e., XX-XXX; XY-XYY; XY-XXY), demonstrating continuity across multiple supernumerary SCA conditions. As the first direct evidence of altered regional neuroanatomical-cognitive relationships in supernumerary SCA, our findings shed light on potential genetic and structural correlates of the cognitive phenotype in SCA, and may have implications for other neurogenetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allysa Warling
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kathleen Wilson
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ethan Whitman
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - François M Lalonde
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Liv S Clasen
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan D Blumenthal
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Karipidis II, Hong DS. Specific learning disorders in sex chromosome aneuploidies: Neural circuits of literacy and mathematics. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2020; 184:518-530. [DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Iliana I. Karipidis
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesSchool of Medicine, Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - David S. Hong
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesSchool of Medicine, Stanford University Stanford California USA
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Foland-Ross LC, Ross JL, Reiss AL. Androgen treatment effects on hippocampus structure in boys with Klinefelter syndrome. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 100:223-228. [PMID: 30388596 PMCID: PMC6644684 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Klinefelter syndrome (KS, 47,XXY) is the most common sex chromosome aneuploidy in males. A variety of complex clinical needs is associated with KS, including physical, cognitive and psychosocial impairments. Standard treatment for KS consists of androgen replacement therapy in adolescence to offset testosterone deficiency. Such treatment has a beneficial effect on the physical and behavioral manifestations of this syndrome. Whether androgen supplementation has a significant influence on the brain, however, is unknown. In the current study, we examined regional gray matter volume in boys with KS to assess whether treatment with oxandrolone, a synthetic hormone analog of testosterone, was associated with structural changes in the brain. Specifically, we focused our investigation on the hippocampus, given (1) its involvement in KS, and (2) the high concentration of androgen receptors found in this region. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data was acquired from a subsample of boys who completed a 2-year double-blind clinical trial in which patients were randomized to treatment with oxandrolone or to placebo, as well as from a sample of typically developing (TD) boys. Group differences in hippocampal volume were examined. A significant main effect of group was observed. Pairwise comparisons indicated smaller hippocampal volume in the placebo group relative to the oxandrolone group, as well as smaller volume in the placebo group relative to the TD control group. No difference in volume was observed between the treatment and TD groups. Moreover, across KS subgroups, a significant positive association was observed between hippocampus volume and performance on a spatial memory task, indicating treatment-based changes in brain structure may underlie cognitive change. These findings confirm prior reports implicating a role of the hippocampus in KS and are important in extending previous research by demonstrating a significant effect of androgens on brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara C Foland-Ross
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94304, United States.
| | - Judith L Ross
- Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Pediatrics, Philadelphia, PA, United States; A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, United States
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94304, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
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8
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Diagnostic and Severity-Tracking Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Mol Neurosci 2018; 66:492-511. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-018-1192-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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9
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Gravholt CH, Chang S, Wallentin M, Fedder J, Moore P, Skakkebæk A. Klinefelter Syndrome: Integrating Genetics, Neuropsychology, and Endocrinology. Endocr Rev 2018; 39:389-423. [PMID: 29438472 DOI: 10.1210/er.2017-00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Although first identified over 70 years ago, Klinefelter syndrome (KS) continues to pose substantial diagnostic challenges, as many patients are still misdiagnosed, or remain undiagnosed. In fact, as few as 25% of patients with KS are accurately diagnosed and most of these diagnoses are not made until adulthood. Classic characteristics of KS include small testes, infertility, hypergonadothropic hypogonadism, and cognitive impairment. However, the pathophysiology behind KS is not well understood, although genetic effects are also thought to play a role. For example, recent developments in genetics and genomics point to a fundamental change in our understanding of KS, with global epigenetic and RNA expression changes playing a central role for the phenotype. KS is also associated with more general health markers, including higher morbidity and mortality rates and lower socioeconomic status (which likely affect both morbidity and mortality). In addition, hypogonadism is associated with greater risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and extragonadal germ cell tumors. Medical treatment typically focuses on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), although the effects of this therapy have not been studied rigorously, and future studies need to evaluate the effects of TRT on metabolic risk and neurocognitive outcomes. This review presents a comprehensive interdisciplinary examination of recent developments in genetic, endocrine, and neurocognitive science, including the study of animal models. It provides a number of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of research and clinical practice, including neonatal KS screening programs, and a multidisciplinary approach to KS treatment from childhood until senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus H Gravholt
- Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine (MEA), Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Simon Chang
- Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine (MEA), Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Esbjerg Sygehus, Esbjerg, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Wallentin
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jens Fedder
- Centre of Andrology and Fertility Clinic, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark
| | - Philip Moore
- Department of Psychology, The George Washington University, Washington DC
| | - Anne Skakkebæk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
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10
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Blanken LME, Muetzel RL, Jaddoe VWV, Verhulst FC, van der Lugt A, Tiemeier H, White T. White matter microstructure in children with autistic traits. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2017; 263:127-134. [PMID: 28384486 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is thought to arise from aberrant development of connections in the brain. Previous studies have identified differences in white matter microstructure in children with ASD, offering support to such hypotheses. While ASD is thought to represent the severe end of a spectrum of traits, there are no studies evaluating white matter microstructure in relation to autistic traits in children from the general population. In a population-based sample of 604 6-to-10 year-old children, we assessed the relation between a continuous measure of autistic traits and white matter microstructure, using both probabilistic tractography and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Using the TBSS approach, a cluster in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) was identified where autistic traits negatively associated with fractional anisotropy (FA). In addition, two clusters of lower axial diffusion were identified; one in the corpus callosum and another in the corticospinal tract. Part of the findings remained when excluding children with ASD and were paralleled with similar, trend-level differences in 19 children with ASD, compared to matched controls. This study showed localized associations between autistic traits on a continuum and white matter microstructure, which could indicate a continuum of the neurobiology along the spectrum of autistic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M E Blanken
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent W V Jaddoe
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank C Verhulst
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC - Sophia, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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