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Zeng C, Li Y, Deng H, Luo X, Xiao R, Zhang C, Yang H. Asymmetry of brain development in adolescent rats studied by 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroreport 2023; 34:741-747. [PMID: 37556595 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
To study the developmental patterns of brain structure in adolescent rats based on the registration with the SIGMA template by 3.0T MRI. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats (180-220 g) were randomly divided into four groups. Rats in the four groups underwent 3.0 T MRI head scans at 7, 11, 15, and 19 weeks of age, respectively. The voxel-based morphological analysis of the rat brain was performed by coregistration with the SIGMA rat brain template. 3.0 T MRI can be used to study the anatomical structure of the rat brain by registration with the SIGMA template The gray matter volume of the bilateral hippocampus and bilateral entorhinal cortex increased significantly in the development of the rat from 7 to 19 weeks of age. In this period, the subtle structure of the rat brain is asymmetrically developed. The rat aged 7-19 weeks has asymmetrical gray matter volume development in the bilateral entorhinal cortex and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu
| | - Yehan Li
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Hao Deng
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong
| | - Xing Luo
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong
| | - Ruhui Xiao
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong
| | - Chuan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong
| | - Hanfeng Yang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong
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Wang J, Ma S, Yu P, He X. Evolution of Human Brain Left-Right Asymmetry: Old Genes with New Functions. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad181. [PMID: 37561991 PMCID: PMC10473864 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad181] [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: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain is generally anatomically symmetrical, boasting mirror-like brain regions in the left and right hemispheres. Despite this symmetry, fine-scale structural asymmetries are prevalent and are believed to be responsible for distinct functional divisions within the brain. Prior studies propose that these asymmetric structures are predominantly primate specific or even unique to humans, suggesting that the genes contributing to the structural asymmetry of the human brain might have evolved recently. In our study, we identified approximately 1,500 traits associated with human brain asymmetry by collecting paired brain magnetic resonance imaging features from the UK Biobank. Each trait is measured in a specific region of one hemisphere and mirrored in the corresponding region of the other hemisphere. Conducting genome-wide association studies on these traits, we identified over 1,000 quantitative trait loci. Around these index single nucleotide polymorphisms, we found approximately 200 genes that are enriched in brain-related Gene Ontology terms and are predominantly upregulated in brain tissues. Interestingly, most of these genes are evolutionarily old, originating just prior to the emergence of Bilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals) and Euteleostomi (bony vertebrates with a brain), at a significantly higher ratio than expected. Further analyses of these genes reveal a brain-specific upregulation in humans relative to other mammalian species. This suggests that the structural asymmetry of the human brain has been shaped by evolutionarily ancient genes that have assumed new functions over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Sidi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Peijie Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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Katsube M, Rolfe SM, Bortolussi SR, Yamaguchi Y, Richman JM, Yamada S, Vora SR. Analysis of facial skeletal asymmetry during foetal development using μCT imaging. Orthod Craniofac Res 2019; 22 Suppl 1:199-206. [PMID: 31074127 DOI: 10.1111/ocr.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Asymmetry has been noted in the human craniofacial region in several pathological conditional and growth abnormalities, often with a directional predilection. Physiological asymmetry has also been reported in normal adults and adolescents, with certain regions of the cranioskeleton, such as the mandible, displaying prevalent asymmetry. However, the timing at which such asymmetries arise has not been evaluated. The objectives of this study were to assess the degree of asymmetry in facial bones during the foetal stages of human development. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-one preserved conceptuses from the Congenital Anomaly Research Center at Kyoto University, between ages 15 and 20 weeks of gestation, were studied using high-resolution μCT imaging. Asymmetry analysis was performed on digitally segmented facial bone pairs, using geometric morphometric (GM) approaches as well as adapted deformation-based asymmetry (DBA) methods. RESULTS GM analysis revealed that the developing facial bones display statistically significant fluctuating and directional asymmetry. DBA methods suggest that the magnitude of asymmetry in facial bones is low and does not appear to be correlated to the estimate of overall size of conceptus. Additionally, the patterns of asymmetry are highly variable between individual specimens. CONCLUSIONS The developing foetal facial skeleton displays variable patterns of low magnitude asymmetry. GM and DBA methods offer unique advantages to assess facial asymmetry quantitatively and qualitatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoki Katsube
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.,Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sara M Rolfe
- Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephanie R Bortolussi
- Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yutaka Yamaguchi
- Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Joy M Richman
- Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shigehito Yamada
- Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.,Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Siddharth R Vora
- Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Selçuk ML, Tıpırdamaz S. A morphological and stereological study on brain, cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum of New Zealand rabbits. Anat Histol Embryol 2019; 49:90-96. [DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammet Lütfi Selçuk
- Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Faculty of Health Sciences Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University Karaman Turkey
| | - Saadettin Tıpırdamaz
- Department of Anatomy Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Selcuk University Konya Turkey
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Engelkes K, Helfsgott J, Hammel JU, Büsse S, Kleinteich T, Beerlink A, Gorb SN, Haas A. Measurement error in μCT-based three-dimensional geometric morphometrics introduced by surface generation and landmark data acquisition. J Anat 2019; 235:357-378. [PMID: 31062345 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Computed-tomography-derived (CT-derived) polymesh surfaces are widely used in geometric morphometric studies. This approach is inevitably associated with decisions on scanning parameters, resolution, and segmentation strategies. Although the underlying processing steps have been shown to potentially contribute artefactual variance to three-dimensional landmark coordinates, their effects on measurement error have rarely been assessed systematically in CT-based geometric morphometric studies. The present study systematically assessed artefactual variance in landmark data introduced by the use of different voxel sizes, segmentation strategies, surface simplification degrees, and by inter- and intra-observer differences, and compared their magnitude to true biological variation. Multiple CT-derived surface variants of the anuran (Amphibia: Anura) pectoral girdle were generated by systematic changes in the factors that potentially influence the surface geometries. Twenty-four landmarks were repeatedly acquired by different observers. The contribution of all factors to the total variance in the landmark data was assessed using random-factor nested permanovas. Selected sets of Euclidean distances between landmark sets served further to compare the variance among factor levels. Landmark precision was assessed by landmark standard deviation and compared among observers and days. Results showed that all factors, except for voxel size, significantly contributed to measurement error in at least some of the analyses performed. In total, 6.75% of the variance in landmark data that mimicked a realistic biological study was caused by measurement error. In this landmark dataset, intra-observer error was the major source of artefactual variance followed by inter-observer error; the factor segmentation contributed < 1% and slight surface simplification had no significant effect. Inter-observer error clearly exceeded intra-observer error in a different landmark dataset acquired by six partly inexperienced observers. The results suggest that intra-observer error can potentially be reduced by including a training period prior to the actual landmark acquisition task and by acquiring landmarks in as few sessions as possible. Additionally, the application of moderate and careful surface simplification and, potentially, also the use of case-specific optimal combinations of automatic local thresholding algorithms and parameters for segmentation can help reduce intra-observer error. If landmark data are to be acquired by several observers, it is important to ensure that all observers are consistent in landmark identification. Despite the significant amount of artefactual variance, we have shown that landmark data acquired from microCT-derived surfaces are precise enough to study the shape of anuran pectoral girdles. Yet, a systematic assessment of measurement error is advisable for all geometric morphometric studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolin Engelkes
- Center of Natural History (CeNak), Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jennice Helfsgott
- Center of Natural History (CeNak), Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jörg U Hammel
- Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht, Germany.,Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung mit Phyletischem Museum, Ernst-Hackel-Haus und Biologiedidaktik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Büsse
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | | | - Stanislav N Gorb
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alexander Haas
- Center of Natural History (CeNak), Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Procrustes-based geometric morphometrics on MRI images: An example of inter-operator bias in 3D landmarks and its impact on big datasets. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197675. [PMID: 29787586 PMCID: PMC5963746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Using 3D anatomical landmarks from adult human head MRIs, we assessed the magnitude of inter-operator differences in Procrustes-based geometric morphometric analyses. An in depth analysis of both absolute and relative error was performed in a subsample of individuals with replicated digitization by three different operators. The effect of inter-operator differences was also explored in a large sample of more than 900 individuals. Although absolute error was not unusual for MRI measurements, including bone landmarks, shape was particularly affected by differences among operators, with up to more than 30% of sample variation accounted for by this type of error. The magnitude of the bias was such that it dominated the main pattern of bone and total (all landmarks included) shape variation, largely surpassing the effect of sex differences between hundreds of men and women. In contrast, however, we found higher reproducibility in soft-tissue nasal landmarks, despite relatively larger errors in estimates of nasal size. Our study exemplifies the assessment of measurement error using geometric morphometrics on landmarks from MRIs and stresses the importance of relating it to total sample variance within the specific methodological framework being used. In summary, precise landmarks may not necessarily imply negligible errors, especially in shape data; indeed, size and shape may be differentially impacted by measurement error and different types of landmarks may have relatively larger or smaller errors. Importantly, and consistently with other recent studies using geometric morphometrics on digital images (which, however, were not specific to MRI data), this study showed that inter-operator biases can be a major source of error in the analysis of large samples, as those that are becoming increasingly common in the 'era of big data'.
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Abstract
Many strains of mice are utilized in mouse models of cerebrovascular diseases. Variations in vascular anatomy between these strains has been documented and may influence the phenotype in stroke models. To address inter-strain variations in the circle of Willis anatomy, the diameters of internal carotid, posterior communicating, anterior cerebral, and middle cerebral arteries in 144 mice from 32 inbred strains were measured. Arterial diameters were analyzed as a function of animal weight, age, and strain. Variations in the structure of the circle of Willis across strains were observed and noted. While right-sided anterior cerebral arteries were significantly greater in diameter than their left-sided counterparts across most strains, variations in arterial diameter are strain specific. Adult mouse weight was not found to be associated with arterial diameter across strains, suggesting that cerebral artery size is associated with strain independently of weight. This study demonstrates strain dependent variations in the murine circle of Willis, which should be taken into consideration when studying mouse models of cerebrovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baogang Qian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Robert F Rudy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tianxi Cai
- Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rose Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
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Waddington JL, Katina S, O'Tuathaigh CMP, Bowman AW. Translational Genetic Modelling of 3D Craniofacial Dysmorphology: Elaborating the Facial Phenotype of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Through the "Prism" of Schizophrenia. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2017; 4:322-330. [PMID: 29201594 PMCID: PMC5694503 DOI: 10.1007/s40473-017-0136-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review In the context of human developmental conditions, we review the conceptualisation of schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder, the status of craniofacial dysmorphology as a clinically accessible index of brain dysmorphogenesis, the ability of genetically modified mouse models of craniofacial dysmorphology to inform on the underlying dysmorphogenic process and how geometric morphometric techniques in mutant mice can extend quantitative analysis. Recent Findings Mutant mice with disruption of neuregulin-1, a gene associated meta-analytically with risk for schizophrenia, constitute proof-of-concept studies of murine facial dysmorphology in a manner analogous to clinical studies in schizophrenia. Geometric morphometric techniques informed on the topography of facial dysmorphology and identified asymmetry therein. Summary Targeted disruption in mice of genes involved in individual components of developmental processes and analysis of resultant facial dysmorphology using geometric morphometrics can inform on mechanisms of dysmorphogenesis at levels of incisiveness not possible in human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Waddington
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research & Therapy for Neuro-Psychiatric-Disorders and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 China
| | - Stanislav Katina
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK.,Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Adrian W Bowman
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
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