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Vandecruys F, Vandermosten M, De Smedt B. The inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus correlates with early precursors of mathematics and reading before the start of formal schooling. Cortex 2024; 174:149-163. [PMID: 38547813 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted imaging studies in preschoolers have almost exclusively been done in the field of reading. As a result, virtually nothing is known about white matter tracts associated with individual differences in mathematics at this age. Studying the preschoolers' brain is crucial because it allows us to identify individual differences in brain anatomy without influences of formal mathematics and reading instruction. To fill this gap, we investigated for the first time before the start of formal school entry the associations between white matter tracts and precursors of mathematics and reading simultaneously. We also investigated whether these associations were specific to mathematics and to reading, or not. We focused on four bilateral white matter tracts (arcuate fasciculus (direct, anterior), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus), which have been previously correlated with mathematical performance in older children and with reading performance in children of a similar age as the current study. Participants were 56 5-year-old children (Mage = 67 months; SD = 1.8), none of which received formal instruction. Our results showed an association between the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and precursors of mathematics (numerical ordering, numeral knowledge) and reading (phonological awareness, letter knowledge). Follow-up regression analyses revealed that the associations found with the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus were neither specific to mathematics nor specific to reading. These findings suggest that, already before the start of formal schooling, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus might be related to the neural overlap between mathematics and reading. This overlap potentially reflects one of their many shared mechanisms, such as the reliance on phonological codes or the processing of visual symbols, and these mechanisms should be exploited in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor Vandecruys
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Experimental ORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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2
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Fresnoza S, Ischebeck A. Probing Our Built-in Calculator: A Systematic Narrative Review of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Studies on Arithmetic Operation-Related Brain Areas. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0318-23.2024. [PMID: 38580452 PMCID: PMC10999731 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0318-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
This systematic review presented a comprehensive survey of studies that applied transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial electrical stimulation to parietal and nonparietal areas to examine the neural basis of symbolic arithmetic processing. All findings were compiled with regard to the three assumptions of the triple-code model (TCM) of number processing. Thirty-seven eligible manuscripts were identified for review (33 with healthy participants and 4 with patients). Their results are broadly consistent with the first assumption of the TCM that intraparietal sulcus both hold a magnitude code and engage in operations requiring numerical manipulations such as subtraction. However, largely heterogeneous results conflicted with the second assumption of the TCM that the left angular gyrus subserves arithmetic fact retrieval, such as the retrieval of rote-learned multiplication results. Support is also limited for the third assumption of the TCM, namely, that the posterior superior parietal lobule engages in spatial operations on the mental number line. Furthermore, results from the stimulation of brain areas outside of those postulated by the TCM show that the bilateral supramarginal gyrus is involved in online calculation and retrieval, the left temporal cortex in retrieval, and the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in online calculation of cognitively demanding arithmetic problems. The overall results indicate that multiple cortical areas subserve arithmetic skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Fresnoza
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anja Ischebeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, 8010 Graz, Austria
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3
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Geva S, Hoskote A, Saini M, Clark CA, Banks T, Chong WKK, Baldeweg T, de Haan M, Vargha-Khadem F. Cognitive outcome and its neural correlates after cardiorespiratory arrest in childhood. Dev Sci 2024:e13501. [PMID: 38558493 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Hypoxia-ischaemia (HI) can result in structural brain abnormalities, which in turn can lead to behavioural deficits in various cognitive and motor domains, in both adult and paediatric populations. Cardiorespiratory arrest (CA) is a major cause of hypoxia-ischaemia in adults, but it is relatively rare in infants and children. While the effects of adult CA on brain and cognition have been widely studied, to date, there are no studies examining the neurodevelopmental outcome of children who suffered CA early in life. Here, we studied the long-term outcome of 28 children who suffered early CA (i.e., before age 16). They were compared to a group of control participants (n = 28) matched for age, sex and socio-economic status. The patient group had impairments in the domains of memory, language and academic attainment (measured using standardised tests). Individual scores within the impaired range were most commonly found within the memory domain (79%), followed by academic attainment (50%), and language (36%). The patient group also had reduced whole brain grey matter volume, and reduced volume and fractional anisotropy of the white matter. In addition, lower performance on memory tests was correlated with bilaterally reduced volume of the hippocampi, thalami, and striatum, while lower attainment scores were correlated with bilateral reduction of fractional anisotropy in the superior cerebellar peduncle, the main output tract of the cerebellum. We conclude that patients who suffered early CA are at risk of developing specific cognitive deficits associated with structural brain abnormalities. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Our data shed light on the long-term outcome and associated neural mechanisms after paediatric hypoxia-ischaemia as a result of cardiorespiratory arrest. Patients had impaired scores on memory, language and academic attainment. Memory impairments were associated with smaller hippocampi, thalami, and striatum. Lower academic attainment correlated with reduced fractional anisotropy of the superior cerebellar peduncle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Geva
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Aparna Hoskote
- Heart and Lung Division, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Maneet Saini
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Christopher A Clark
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Tina Banks
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - W K Kling Chong
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Torsten Baldeweg
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Michelle de Haan
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Faraneh Vargha-Khadem
- Department of Developmental Neurosciences, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Neuropsychology Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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4
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Dattola S, Bonanno L, Ielo A, Quercia A, Quartarone A, La Foresta F. Brain Active Areas Associated with a Mental Arithmetic Task: An eLORETA Study. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1388. [PMID: 38135979 PMCID: PMC10740510 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10121388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural underpinnings of mental calculation, the fundamentals of arithmetic representations and processes, and the development of arithmetic abilities have been explored by researchers over the years. In the present work, we report a study that analyzes the brain-activated areas of a group of 35 healthy subjects (9 males, 26 females, mean age ± SD = 18.23 ± 2.20 years) who performed a serial subtraction arithmetic task. In contrast to most of the studies in the literature based on fMRI, we performed the brain active source reconstruction starting from EEG signals by means of the eLORETA method. In particular, the subjects were classified as bad counters or good counters, according to the results of the task, and the brain activity of the two groups was compared. The results were statistically significant only in the beta band, revealing that the left limbic lobe was found to be more active in people showing better performance. The limbic lobe is involved in visuospatial processing, memory, arithmetic fact retrieval, and emotions. However, the role of the limbic lobe in mental arithmetic has been barely explored, so these interesting findings could represent a starting point for future in-depth analyses. Since there is evidence in the literature that the motor system is affected by the execution of arithmetic tasks, a more extensive knowledge of the brain activation associated with arithmetic tasks could be exploited not only for the assessment of mathematical skills but also in the evaluation of motor impairments and, consequently, in rehabilitation for motor disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Dattola
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Lilla Bonanno
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Augusto Ielo
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Angelica Quercia
- Department of Biomedical, Dental, Morphological and Functional Imaging Sciences, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy;
| | - Angelo Quartarone
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo c/da Casazza, SS. 113, 98124 Messina, Italy; (S.D.); (L.B.); (A.Q.)
| | - Fabio La Foresta
- DICEAM Department, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, Via Graziella Feo di Vito, 89060 Reggio Calabria, Italy;
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Yu H. The neuroscience basis and educational interventions of mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety: a systematic literature review. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1282957. [PMID: 38098529 PMCID: PMC10720715 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1282957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mathematics is a fundamental subject with significant implications in education and neuroscience. Understanding the cognitive processes underlying mathematical cognition is crucial for enhancing educational practices. However, mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety significantly hinder learning and application in this field. This systematic literature review aims to investigate the neuroscience basis and effective educational interventions for these challenges. Methods The review involved a comprehensive screening of 62 research articles that meet the ESSA evidence levels from multiple databases. The selection criteria focused on studies employing various methodologies, including behavioral experiments and neuroimaging techniques, to explore the neuroscience underpinnings and educational interventions related to mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety. Results The review identified key themes and insights into the neuroscience basis of mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety. It also examined their impact on educational practices, highlighting the interplay between cognitive processes and educational outcomes. The analysis of these studies revealed significant findings on how these impairments and anxieties manifest and can be addressed in educational settings. Discussion The review critically analyzes the shortcomings of existing research, noting gaps and limitations in current understanding and methodologies. It emphasizes the need for more comprehensive and diverse studies to better understand these phenomena. The discussion also suggests new directions and potential improvement strategies for future research, aiming to contribute to more effective educational interventions and enhanced learning experiences in mathematics. Conclusion This systematic review provides valuable insights into the neuroscience basis of mathematical cognitive impairment and anxiety, offering a foundation for developing more effective educational strategies. It underscores the importance of continued research in this area to improve educational outcomes and support learners facing these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yu
- Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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6
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Salillas E, Benavides-Varela S, Semenza C. The brain lateralization and development of math functions: progress since Sperry, 1974. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1288154. [PMID: 37964804 PMCID: PMC10641455 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1288154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In 1974, Roger Sperry, based on his seminal studies on the split-brain condition, concluded that math was almost exclusively sustained by the language dominant left hemisphere. The right hemisphere could perform additions up to sums less than 20, the only exception to a complete left hemisphere dominance. Studies on lateralized focal lesions came to a similar conclusion, except for written complex calculation, where spatial abilities are needed to display digits in the right location according to the specific requirements of calculation procedures. Fifty years later, the contribution of new theoretical and instrumental tools lead to a much more complex picture, whereby, while left hemisphere dominance for math in the right-handed is confirmed for most functions, several math related tasks seem to be carried out in the right hemisphere. The developmental trajectory in the lateralization of math functions has also been clarified. This corpus of knowledge is reviewed here. The right hemisphere does not simply offer its support when calculation requires generic space processing, but its role can be very specific. For example, the right parietal lobe seems to store the operation-specific spatial layout required for complex arithmetical procedures and areas like the right insula are necessary in parsing complex numbers containing zero. Evidence is found for a complex orchestration between the two hemispheres even for simple tasks: each hemisphere has its specific role, concurring to the correct result. As for development, data point to right dominance for basic numerical processes. The picture that emerges at school age is a bilateral pattern with a significantly greater involvement of the right-hemisphere, particularly in non-symbolic tasks. The intraparietal sulcus shows a left hemisphere preponderance in response to symbolic stimuli at this age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Salillas
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Carlo Semenza
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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7
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Ayyıldız N, Beyer F, Üstün S, Kale EH, Mançe Çalışır Ö, Uran P, Öner Ö, Olkun S, Anwander A, Witte AV, Villringer A, Çiçek M. Changes in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and anterior thalamic radiation in the left brain are associated with developmental dyscalculia. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1147352. [PMID: 37868699 PMCID: PMC10586317 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1147352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder specific to arithmetic learning even with normal intelligence and age-appropriate education. Difficulties often persist from childhood through adulthood lowering the individual's quality of life. However, the neural correlates of developmental dyscalculia are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify brain structural connectivity alterations in developmental dyscalculia. All participants were recruited from a large scale, non-referred population sample in a longitudinal design. We studied 10 children with developmental dyscalculia (11.3 ± 0.7 years) and 16 typically developing peers (11.2 ± 0.6 years) using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. We assessed white matter microstructure with tract-based spatial statistics in regions-of-interest tracts that had previously been related to math ability in children. Then we used global probabilistic tractography for the first time to measure and compare tract length between developmental dyscalculia and typically developing groups. The high angular resolution diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and crossing-fiber probabilistic tractography allowed us to evaluate the length of the pathways compared to previous studies. The major findings of our study were reduced white matter coherence and shorter tract length of the left superior longitudinal/arcuate fasciculus and left anterior thalamic radiation in the developmental dyscalculia group. Furthermore, the lower white matter coherence and shorter pathways tended to be associated with the lower math performance. These results from the regional analyses indicate that learning, memory and language-related pathways in the left hemisphere might be related to developmental dyscalculia in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazife Ayyıldız
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Sciences Institute and Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Frauke Beyer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Subproject A1, CRC 1052 “Obesity Mechanisms”, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sertaç Üstün
- Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Sciences Institute and Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Emre H. Kale
- Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Sciences Institute and Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Öykü Mançe Çalışır
- Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Sciences Institute and Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Program of Counseling and Guidance, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Pınar Uran
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Izmir Democracy University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Özgür Öner
- Department of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Sinan Olkun
- Department of Elementary Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Alfred Anwander
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - A. Veronica Witte
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité and Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Metehan Çiçek
- Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Sciences Institute and Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence, Ankara, Türkiye
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8
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Cona G, Wiener M, Allegrini F, Scarpazza C. Gradient Organization of Space, Time, and Numbers in the Brain: A Meta-analysis of Neuroimaging Studies. Neuropsychol Rev 2023:10.1007/s11065-023-09609-z. [PMID: 37594695 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-023-09609-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we ran a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies to pinpoint the neural regions that are commonly activated across space, time, and numerosity, and we tested the existence of gradient transitions among these magnitude representations in the brain. Following PRISMA guidelines, we included in the meta-analysis 112 experiments (for space domain), 114 experiments (time domain), and 115 experiments (numerosity domain), and we used the activation likelihood estimation method. We found a system of brain regions that was commonly recruited in all the three magnitudes, which included bilateral insula, the supplementary motor area (SMA), the right inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral intraparietal sulci. Gradiental transitions between different magnitudes were found along all these regions but insulae, with space and numbers leading to gradients mainly over parietal regions (and SMA) whereas time and numbers mainly over frontal regions. These findings provide evidence for the GradiATOM theory (Gradient Theory of Magnitude), suggesting that spatial proximity given by overlapping activations and gradients is a key aspect for efficient interactions and integrations among magnitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Cona
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy.
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
| | - Martin Wiener
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Francesco Allegrini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy
- IRCSS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
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9
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Smaczny S, Sperber C, Jung S, Moeller K, Karnath HO, Klein E. Disconnection in a left-hemispheric temporo-parietal network impairs multiplication fact retrieval. Neuroimage 2023; 268:119840. [PMID: 36621582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Arithmetic fact retrieval has been suggested to recruit a left-lateralized network comprising perisylvian language areas, parietal areas such as the angular gyrus (AG), and non-neocortical structures such as the hippocampus. However, the underlying white matter connectivity of these areas has not been evaluated systematically so far. Using simple multiplication problems, we evaluated how disconnections in parietal brain areas affected arithmetic fact retrieval following stroke. We derived disconnectivity measures by jointly considering data from n = 73 patients with acute unilateral lesions in either hemisphere and a white-matter tractography atlas (HCP-842) using the Lesion Quantification Toolbox (LQT). Whole-brain voxel-based analysis indicated a left-hemispheric cluster of white matter fibers connecting the AG and superior temporal areas to be associated with a fact retrieval deficit. Subsequent analyses of direct gray-to-gray matter disconnections revealed that disconnections of additional left-hemispheric areas (e.g., between the superior temporal gyrus and parietal areas) were significantly associated with the observed fact retrieval deficit. Results imply that disconnections of parietal areas (i.e., the AG) with language-related areas (i.e., superior and middle temporal gyri) seem specifically detrimental to arithmetic fact retrieval. This suggests that arithmetic fact retrieval recruits a widespread left-hemispheric network and emphasizes the relevance of white matter connectivity for number processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Smaczny
- Centre of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - C Sperber
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - S Jung
- Department of Computer Science/Therapy Science, Trier University of Applied Science, Trier, Germany; Leibniz Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - K Moeller
- Leibniz Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; Centre for Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA), Frankfurt, Germany; Centre for Mathematical Cognition, School of Science, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
| | - H O Karnath
- Centre of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - E Klein
- Leibniz Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany; University of Paris, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
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10
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A macroscopic link between interhemispheric tract myelination and cortico-cortical interactions during action reprogramming. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4253. [PMID: 35869067 PMCID: PMC9307658 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31687-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelination has been increasingly implicated in the function and dysfunction of the adult human brain. Although it is known that axon myelination shapes axon physiology in animal models, it is unclear whether a similar principle applies in the living human brain, and at the level of whole axon bundles in white matter tracts. Here, we hypothesised that in humans, cortico-cortical interactions between two brain areas may be shaped by the amount of myelin in the white matter tract connecting them. As a test bed for this hypothesis, we use a well-defined interhemispheric premotor-to-motor circuit. We combined TMS-derived physiological measures of cortico-cortical interactions during action reprogramming with multimodal myelin markers (MT, R1, R2* and FA), in a large cohort of healthy subjects. We found that physiological metrics of premotor-to-motor interaction are broadly associated with multiple myelin markers, suggesting interindividual differences in tract myelination may play a role in motor network physiology. Moreover, we also demonstrate that myelination metrics link indirectly to action switching by influencing local primary motor cortex dynamics. These findings suggest that myelination levels in white matter tracts may influence millisecond-level cortico-cortical interactions during tasks. They also unveil a link between the physiology of the motor network and the myelination of tracts connecting its components, and provide a putative mechanism mediating the relationship between brain myelination and human behaviour. Myelination is a key regulator of brain function. Here the authors use MR-based myelin measures to examine if cortico-cortical interactions, as assessed by paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, are affected by variations in myelin in the human brain.
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11
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Sokolowski HM, Levine B. Common neural substrates of diverse neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain 2022; 146:438-447. [PMID: 36299249 PMCID: PMC9924912 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders are categorized and studied according to their manifestations as distinct syndromes. For instance, congenital prosopagnosia and dyslexia have largely non-overlapping research literatures and clinical pathways for diagnosis and intervention. On the other hand, the high incidence of neurodevelopmental comorbidities or co-existing extreme strengths and weaknesses suggest that transdiagnostic commonalities may be greater than currently appreciated. The core-periphery model holds that brain regions within the stable core perceptual and motor regions are more densely connected to one another compared to regions in the flexible periphery comprising multimodal association regions. This model provides a framework for the interpretation of neural data in normal development and clinical disorders. Considering network-level commonalities reported in studies of neurodevelopmental disorders, variability in multimodal association cortex connectivity may reflect a shared origin of seemingly distinct neurodevelopmental disorders. This framework helps to explain both comorbidities in neurodevelopmental disorders and profiles of strengths and weaknesses attributable to competitive processing between cognitive systems within an individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Moriah Sokolowski
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: H. Moriah Sokolowski E-mail: Twitter: https://twitter.com/hm_sokolowski
| | - Brian Levine
- Correspondence to: Brian Levine 3560 Bathurst St, North York, ON M6A 2E1, Canada E-mail: Website: www.LevineLab.ca Twitter: https://twitter.com/briantlevine
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12
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Cheng D, Cui Z, Hu Y, Zhou X. Which visual property correlates with the relationship between numerosity sense and arithmetic fluency. VISUAL COGNITION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2022.2128130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dazhi Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhijun Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuwei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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13
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Laporta-Hoyos O, Pannek K, Pagnozzi AM, Whittingham K, Wotherspoon J, Benfer K, Fiori S, Ware RS, Boyd RN. Cognitive, academic, executive and psychological functioning in children with spastic motor type cerebral palsy: Influence of extent, location, and laterality of brain lesions. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2022; 38:33-46. [PMID: 35381411 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate, in spastic motor-type cerebral palsy, the association between 1) the location and extent of brain lesions and numerous psychological outcomes; 2) the laterality of brain lesions and performance of verbal-related cognitive functions. METHODS The semi-quantitative scale for MRI (sqMRI) was scored for 101 children with cerebral palsy. Non-verbal and verbal proxy intelligence quotients (IQ), word reading, spelling, numerical operations skills, executive functioning, and psychological adjustment were assessed. Relationships between global and regional sqMRI scores and clinical scores were examined. The best multivariable linear regression model for each outcome was identified using the Bayesian Information Criteria. Regional sqMRI scores, gross motor functioning, manual ability, and epilepsy status were considered for inclusion as covariables. Where sqMRI scores made statistically significant contributions to models of verbal-related functioning, data were reanalysed including these sqMRI scores' laterality index. Verbal-related outcomes were compared between participants with left-sided versus bilateral brain lesions. RESULTS Medial dorsal thalamus and parietal lobe lesions significantly accounted for poorer verbal proxy-IQ. Left-hemisphere lateralization of temporal lobe lesions was associated with poorer verbal proxy-IQ. Participants with bilateral lesions performed significantly better than those with unilateral left-sided lesions in verbal cognitive functions. Controlling for epilepsy diagnosis, participants with ventral posterior lateral thalamus lesions presented with better Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function scores, although within the normal range. sqMRI scores were not significantly associated with some psychological outcomes or these only bordered on significance after accounting for relevant control variables. CONCLUSION The laterality of early-life lesions influences the development of verbal-related cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Laporta-Hoyos
- Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Kerstin Pannek
- Australian E-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Alex M Pagnozzi
- Australian E-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Koa Whittingham
- Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Jane Wotherspoon
- Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Kath Benfer
- Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Simona Fiori
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Robert S Ware
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Roslyn N Boyd
- Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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14
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Sunderaraman P, Gazes Y, Ortiz G, Langfield C, Mensing A, Chapman S, Joyce JL, Brickman AM, Stern Y, Cosentino S. Financial decision-making and self-awareness for financial decision-making is associated with white matter integrity in older adults. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:1630-1639. [PMID: 34984770 PMCID: PMC8886641 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Financial decision-making (FDM) and awareness of the integrity of one's FDM abilities (or financial awareness) are both critical for preventing financial mistakes. We examined the white matter correlates of these constructs and hypothesized that the tracts connecting the temporal-frontal regions would be most strongly correlated with both FDM and financial awareness. Overall, 49 healthy older adults were included in the FDM analysis and 44 in the financial awareness analyses. The Objective Financial Competency Assessment Inventory was used to measure FDM. Financial awareness was measured by integrating metacognitive ratings into this inventory and was calculated as the degree of overconfidence or underconfidence. Diffusion tensor imaging data were processed with Tracts Constrained by Underlying Anatomy distributed as part of the FreeSurfer analytic suite, which produced average measures of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity in 18 white matter tracts along with the overall tract average. As expected, FDM showed the strongest negative associations with average mean diffusivity measure of the superior longitudinal fasciculus -temporal (SLFT; r = -.360, p = .011) and -parietal (r = -.351, p = .014) tracts. After adjusting for FDM, only the association between financial awareness and average mean diffusivity measure of the right SLFT (r = .310, p = .046) was significant. Overlapping white matter tracts were involved in both FDM and financial awareness. More importantly, these preliminary findings reinforce emerging literature on a unique role of right hemisphere temporal connections in supporting financial awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Sunderaraman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yunglin Gazes
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gema Ortiz
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christopher Langfield
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ashley Mensing
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Silvia Chapman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jillian L Joyce
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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15
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Polspoel B, Vandermosten M, De Smedt B. The value of structural brain imaging in explaining individual differences in children's arithmetic fluency. Cortex 2021; 144:99-108. [PMID: 34666301 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
How do different measures of brain structure correlate with individual differences in arithmetic fluency? This paper builds on two previously published studies in which individual differences in children's arithmetic fluency were correlated with measures of white (Polspoel et al., 2019) and grey matter (Polspoel et al., 2020) in one sample of children. We combined the brain imaging data of these two studies with measures of cognitive abilities that have been shown to be predictive of arithmetic fluency, i.e., numerical magnitude processing, working memory and rapid automatized naming (RAN). This allowed us to investigate to which extend the observed structural brain imaging measures uniquely correlated with children's arithmetic fluency, on top of each other as well as on top of the abovementioned cognitive variables. Participants were 43 typically developing 9-10-year-olds. All measures were added to a hierarchical multiple regression model. This regression model showed that the white matter integrity of the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus and the cortical complexity of the left postcentral gyrus remained unique predictors of individual differences in arithmetic when the abovementioned cognitive variables were taken into account. This indicates that structural neuroimaging measures can explain individual differences in arithmetic performance that are not merely accounted for by relevant cognitive predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brecht Polspoel
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Experimental ORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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16
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Early life exposure to poly I:C impairs striatal DA-D2 receptor binding, myelination and associated behavioural abilities in rats. J Chem Neuroanat 2021; 118:102035. [PMID: 34597812 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2021.102035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Early-life viral infections critically influence the brain development and have been variously reported to cause neuropsychiatric diseases such as Schizophrenia, Parkinson's diseases, demyelinating diseases, etc. To investigate the alterations in the dopaminergic system, myelination and associated behavioral impairments following neonatal viral infection, the viral immune activation model was created by an intraperitoneal injection of Poly I:C (5 mg/kg bw/ip) to neonatal rat pups on PND-7. The DA-D2 receptor binding was assessed in corpus striatum by using 3H-Spiperone at 3, 6 and 12 weeks of age. MOG immunolabelling was performed to check myelination stature and myelin integrity, while corpus callosum calibre was assessed by Luxol fast blue staining. Relative behavioral tasks i.e., motor activity, motor coordination and neuromuscular strength were assessed by open field, rotarod and grip strength meter respectively at 3, 6 and 12 weeks of age. Following Poly I:C exposure, a significant decrease in DA-D2 receptor binding, reduction in corpus callosum calibre and MOG immunolabelling indicating demyelination and a significant decrease in locomotor activity, neuromuscular strength and motor coordination signify motor deficits and hypokinetic influence of early life viral infection. Thus, the findings suggest that early life poly I:C exposure may cause demyelination and motor deficits by decreasing DA-D2 receptor binding affinity.
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17
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Collins SE, Thompson DK, Kelly CE, Yang JYM, Pascoe L, Inder TE, Doyle LW, Cheong JLY, Burnett AC, Anderson PJ. Development of brain white matter and math computation ability in children born very preterm and full-term. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 51:100987. [PMID: 34273749 PMCID: PMC8319459 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Children born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks' gestation) have alterations in brain white matter and poorer math ability than full-term (FT) peers. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging studies suggest a link between white matter microstructure and math in VPT and FT children, although longitudinal studies using advanced modelling are lacking. In a prospective longitudinal cohort of VPT and FT children we used Fixel-Based Analysis to investigate associations between maturation of white matter fibre density (FD), fibre-bundle cross-section (FC), and combined fibre density and cross-section (FDC) and math computation ability at 7 (n = 136 VPT; n = 32 FT) and 13 (n = 130 VPT; n = 44 FT) years, as well as between change in white matter and math computation ability from 7 to 13 years (n = 103 VPT; n = 21 FT). In both VPT and FT children, higher FD, FC and FDC in visual, sensorimotor and cortico-thalamic/thalamo-cortical white matter tracts were associated with better math computation ability at 7 and 13 years. Longitudinally, accelerated maturation of the posterior body of the corpus callosum (FDC) was associated with greater math computation development. White matter-math associations were similar for VPT and FT children. In conclusion, white matter maturation is associated with math computation ability across late childhood, irrespective of birth group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simonne E Collins
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Deanne K Thompson
- Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Claire E Kelly
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joseph Y M Yang
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Neuroscience Advanced Clinical Imaging Suite (NACIS), Department of Neurosurgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Neuroscience Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Leona Pascoe
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Terrie E Inder
- Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Lex W Doyle
- Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Newborn Research, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Premature Infant Follow-Up Program, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jeanie L Y Cheong
- Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Newborn Research, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Premature Infant Follow-Up Program, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alice C Burnett
- Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Premature Infant Follow-Up Program, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Neonatal Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter J Anderson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
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18
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Rakesh D, Whittle S. Socioeconomic status and the developing brain - A systematic review of neuroimaging findings in youth. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:379-407. [PMID: 34474050 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A growing literature has shown associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and neural properties (such as brain structure and function). In this review, we aimed to synthesize findings on the neural correlates of socioeconomic status (SES) in youth samples across neuroimaging modalities. We also aimed to disentangle the effects of different SES measures (e.g., parent income and education) in our synthesis. We found relatively consistent patterns of positive associations between SES and both volume and cortical surface area of frontal regions, and amygdala, hippocampal, and striatal volume (with most consistent results for composite SES indices). Despite limited longitudinal work, results suggest that SES is associated with developmental trajectories of gray matter structure. Higher SES was also found to be associated with increased fractional anisotropy of some white matter tracts, although there were more null than positive findings. Finally, methodological heterogeneity in brain function and connectivity studies prevented us from making strong inferences. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for future research, discuss the role of mitigating factors, and implications for policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia.
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia
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19
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Vogel SE, De Smedt B. Developmental brain dynamics of numerical and arithmetic abilities. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2021; 6:22. [PMID: 34301948 PMCID: PMC8302738 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-021-00099-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of numerical and arithmetic abilities constitutes a crucial cornerstone in our modern and educated societies. Difficulties to acquire these central skills can lead to severe consequences for an individual's well-being and nation's economy. In the present review, we describe our current broad understanding of the functional and structural brain organization that supports the development of numbers and arithmetic. The existing evidence points towards a complex interaction among multiple domain-specific (e.g., representation of quantities and number symbols) and domain-general (e.g., working memory, visual-spatial abilities) cognitive processes, as well as a dynamic integration of several brain regions into functional networks that support these processes. These networks are mainly, but not exclusively, located in regions of the frontal and parietal cortex, and the functional and structural dynamics of these networks differ as a function of age and performance level. Distinctive brain activation patterns have also been shown for children with dyscalculia, a specific learning disability in the domain of mathematics. Although our knowledge about the developmental brain dynamics of number and arithmetic has greatly improved over the past years, many questions about the interaction and the causal involvement of the abovementioned functional brain networks remain. This review provides a broad and critical overview of the known developmental processes and what is yet to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan E Vogel
- Educational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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20
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Abstract
Strong foundational skills in mathematical problem solving, acquired in early childhood, are critical not only for success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) fields but also for quantitative reasoning in everyday life. The acquisition of mathematical skills relies on protracted interactive specialization of functional brain networks across development. Using a systems neuroscience approach, this review synthesizes emerging perspectives on neurodevelopmental pathways of mathematical learning, highlighting the functional brain architecture that supports these processes and sources of heterogeneity in mathematical skill acquisition. We identify the core neural building blocks of numerical cognition, anchored in the posterior parietal and ventral temporal-occipital cortices, and describe how memory and cognitive control systems, anchored in the medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex, help scaffold mathematical skill development. We highlight how interactive specialization of functional circuits influences mathematical learning across different stages of development. Functional and structural brain integrity and plasticity associated with math learning can be examined using an individual differences approach to better understand sources of heterogeneity in learning, including cognitive, affective, motivational, and sociocultural factors. Our review emphasizes the dynamic role of neurodevelopmental processes in mathematical learning and cognitive development more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Symbolic Systems Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Hyesang Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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21
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Peterson RK, Williams S, Janzen L. Cognitive Correlates of Math Performance in School-Aged Children with Sickle Cell Disease and Silent Cerebral Infarcts. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2021; 36:465-474. [PMID: 32890401 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acaa071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Attention, processing speed, executive functioning, and math difficulties are common in youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) with silent cerebral infarcts (SCI). This study investigated the cognitive underpinnings of math difficulties in children with SCD and SCI. METHOD Youth (n = 68) with SCD and SCI completed measures of attention [Digit Span forward (DSF); Conners Continuous Performance Test-Third Edition/Kiddie Conners Continuous Performance Test-Second Edition (CPT-3/KCPT-2)]; working memory [Wechsler Intelligence Scales (WPPSI-IV, WISC-IV, WISC-V, WAIS-IV), Working Memory Index (WMI), Digit Span backwards (DSB)]; processing speed [WPPSI-IV, WISC-IV, WISC-V, WAIS-IV Processing Speed Index (PSI)]; math reasoning [Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) Mathematics composite (MC)]; and math fluency [WIAT-III Math Fluency composite (MF)] as part of a clinical neuropsychological evaluation. Parent ratings of attention and executive functioning were obtained [Behavior Assessment System for Children-Third Edition (BASC-3), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)]. RESULTS MC was positively correlated with WMI (r = 0.59, p = 0.00), PSI (r = 0.40, p < 0.001), DSF (r = 0.29, p = 0.03), DSB (r = 0.47, p < 0.001), and MF (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Correlations between MC, sustained attention, and parent ratings were nonsignificant. The linear regression model using correlated variables was significant [F(4,51) = 8.29, R2 = 0.39, p < 0.001]. WMI was the only significant variable within the model (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Working memory deficits account for significant variance in untimed mathematical performance in this population-consistent with other populations with white matter dysfunction. Interventions targeting both mathematics and working memory may be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K Peterson
- Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Suzan Williams
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura Janzen
- Department of Neuropsychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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22
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Johnson A, Bathelt J, Akarca D, Crickmore G, Astle DE. Far and wide: Associations between childhood socio-economic status and brain connectomics. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100888. [PMID: 33453544 PMCID: PMC7811130 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have identified localized associations between childhood environment - namely their socio-economic status (SES) - and particular neural structures. The primary aim of the current study was to test whether associations between SES and brain structure are widespread or limited to specific neural pathways. We employed advances in whole-brain structural connectomics to address this. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to construct whole-brain connectomes in 113 6-12 year olds. We then applied an adapted multi-block partial-least squares (PLS) regression to explore how connectome organisation is associated with childhood SES (parental income, education levels, and neighbourhood deprivation). The Fractional Anisotropy (FA) connectome was significantly associated with childhood SES and this effect was widespread. We then pursued a secondary aim, and demonstrated that the connectome mediated the relationship between SES and cognitive ability (matrix reasoning and vocabulary). However, the connectome did not significantly mediate SES relationships with academic ability (maths and reading) or internalising and externalising behavior. This multivariate approach is important for advancing our theoretical understanding of how brain development may be shaped by childhood environment, and the role that it plays in predicting key outcomes. We also discuss the limitations with this new methodological approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Johnson
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Bathelt
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Danyal Akarca
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Crickmore
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan E Astle
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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23
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Thomas MB, Raghava JM, Pantelis C, Rostrup E, Nielsen MØ, Jensen MH, Glenthøj BY, Mandl RCW, Ebdrup BH, Fagerlund B. Associations between cognition and white matter microstructure in first-episode antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls: A multivariate pattern analysis. Cortex 2021; 139:282-297. [PMID: 33933719 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive functions have been associated with white matter (WM) microstructure in schizophrenia, but most studies are limited by examining only select cognitive measures and single WM tracts in chronic, medicated patients. It is unclear if the cognition-WM relationship differs between antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, as differential associations have not been directly examined. Here we examine if there are differential patterns of associations between cognition and WM microstructure in first-episode antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and we characterize reliable contributors to the pattern of associations across multiple cognitive domains and WM regions, in order to elucidate white matter contribution to the neural underpinnings of cognitive deficits. METHODS Thirty-six first-episode antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 52 matched healthy controls underwent cognitive tests and diffusion-weighted imaging on a 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner. Using a multivariate partial least squares correlation analysis, we included 14 cognitive variables and mean fractional anisotropy values of 48 WM regions. RESULTS Initial analyses showed significant group differences in both measures of WM and cognition. There was no group interaction effect in the pattern of associations between cognition and WM microstructure. The combined analysis of patients and controls lead to a significant pattern of associations (omnibus test p = .015). Thirty-four regions and seven cognitive functions contributed reliably to the associations. CONCLUSIONS The lack of an interaction effect suggests similar associations in first-episode antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. This, together with the differences in both WM and cognitive measurements, supports the involvement of WM in cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Our findings add to the field by showing a coherent picture of the overall pattern of association between cognition and WM. These findings increase our understanding of the impact of WM on cognition, contributing to the search for neuromarkers of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie B Thomas
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Jayachandra M Raghava
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark.
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Egill Rostrup
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark.
| | - Mette Ø Nielsen
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark.
| | - Maria H Jensen
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark.
| | - Birte Y Glenthøj
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - René C W Mandl
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; UMC Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
| | - Bjørn H Ebdrup
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Birgitte Fagerlund
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CNSR and Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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24
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Baseline Brain Segmental Volumes in Responders and Nonresponders to Anticholinergic Therapy for Overactive Bladder Syndrome. Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg 2021; 27:e399-e407. [PMID: 32925424 DOI: 10.1097/spv.0000000000000945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evaluate structural differences in brains of responders (R) and nonresponders (NR) to anticholinergic (AC) therapy for overactive bladder (OAB). MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of age matched women treated with an AC medication for OAB and underwent magnetic resonance imaging within 12 months before treatment. Data on pretreatment demographic and clinical variables and symptom severity was also collected.T1-weighted magnetic resonance images of the brain for each subject were segmented using FreeSurfer software. Structures included for analysis were cerebral cortex, white matter, subcortical gray matter, cerebellum, and brain stem.Nonresponders were defined as patients who reported less than 50% improvement after a minimum of 4 weeks on the maximum dose of the prescribed medication. Pairwise analysis between groups was performed using the Wilcoxon-Rank Sum test and Fisher exact test where appropriate. Spearman ρ was used to evaluate for correlations between neurologic structures and symptom severity. RESULTS There were no differences in pretreatment characteristics or symptom severity between the 21 R and 18 NR. Nonresponders had lower volumes of the right caudal anterior cingulate gyrus white matter (1919 mm3 vs 2416 mm3, P = 0.008) and right parahippocampal gyrus white matter (1008 mm3 vs 1469 mm3, P = 0.001). Incontinence episode frequency showed a negative moderate correlation with the anterior cingulate gyrus white matter volume (ρ = -0.4228, P = 0.007). The right and left cerebellar cortices showed weak and moderate negative correlations to frequency of nocturia (ρ = -0.384, P = 0.02 and ρ -0.443, P = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION There are measurable volumetric differences in brain structures in R and NR to AC therapy.
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25
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Torre GA, Matejko AA, Eden GF. The relationship between brain structure and proficiency in reading and mathematics in children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100856. [PMID: 32949854 PMCID: PMC7502824 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral and brain imaging studies speak to commonalities between reading and math. Here, we investigated relationships between individual differences in reading and math ability (single word reading and calculation) with brain anatomy (cortical thickness and surface area) in 342 participants between 6-22 years of age from the NIH Pediatric MRI Database. We found no brain-behavioral correlations in the full sample. When dividing the dataset into three age-specific subgroups, cortical thickness of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and fusiform gyrus (FG) correlated with reading ability in the oldest subgroup (15-22 years) only. Next, we tested unique contributions of these educational measures to neuroanatomy. Single word reading ability, age, and their interaction all contributed unique variance to cortical thickness in the left SMG and intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Age, and the interaction between age and reading, predicted cortical thickness in the left FG. However, regression analyses for math ability showed no relationships with cortical thickness; nor for math or reading ability with surface area. Overall, our results demonstrate relationships between cortical thickness and reading ability in emerging adults, but not in younger age groups. Surprisingly, there were no such relationships with math, and hence no convergence between the reading and math results.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Torre
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States.
| | - A A Matejko
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States
| | - G F Eden
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States.
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26
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Liu Z, He S, Xu Z, Duan R, Yuan L, Xiao C, Yi Z, Wang R. Association between white matter impairment and cognitive dysfunction in patients with ischemic Moyamoya disease. BMC Neurol 2020; 20:302. [PMID: 32799829 PMCID: PMC7429789 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-020-01876-0] [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: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ischemic Moyamoya disease is one of the important causes of stroke, which leads to severe impairment in cognitive functions. This cognitive impairment occurs prior to stroke. However, the cognitive functions that are impaired and the mechanisms of these impairments have not been determined. Methods We analyzed 12 patients with Moyamoya disease and 12 controls. All participants underwent cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data was processed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Significantly different white matter areas were correlated with different cognitive functions. Results There were significant differences in intelligence and subtraction between the patients and controls (p < 0.05). The parameters of DTI such as fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) have different changes in anterior thalamic radiation, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), uncinate fasciculus (UF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus, forceps minor, and other regions between the two groups. Conclusion Left UF and IFO may be the key brain regions affecting arithmetic function, while bilateral IFO has an effect on intelligence. RD and AD may be better indicators for early prediction of chronic white matter damage than FA, while MD tends to have a comprehensive indirect change. There is cognitive impairment in ischemic MMD, which is closely related to white matter impairment. Trial registration Clinical Trial Registration, Unique identifier: ChiCTR1900023610. Registered 4 June 2019 – Prospective study registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Shihao He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Zongsheng Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Ran Duan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Li Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/Mc Govern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chu Xiao
- Jishuitan Hospital, Fourth Clinical College of Peking University, Beijing, 100096, China
| | - Zhe Yi
- Jishuitan Hospital, Fourth Clinical College of Peking University, Beijing, 100096, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China. .,Center of Stroke, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, 10069, China. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, 102206, China.
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27
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McCaskey U, von Aster M, O’Gorman R, Kucian K. Persistent Differences in Brain Structure in Developmental Dyscalculia: A Longitudinal Morphometry Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:272. [PMID: 32765241 PMCID: PMC7379856 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a learning disability affecting the acquisition of numerical-arithmetical skills. Affected people show persistent deficits in number processing, which are associated with aberrant brain activation and structure. Reduced gray matter has been reported in DD for the parietal cortex including the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), but also the frontal and occipito-temporal cortex. Furthermore, dyscalculics show white matter differences for instance in the inferior (ILF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). However, the longitudinal development of these structural differences is unknown. Therefore, our goal was to investigate the developmental trajectory of gray and white matter in children with and without DD. In this longitudinal study, neuropsychological measures and T1-weighted structural images were collected twice with an interval of 4 years from 13 children with DD (8.2-10.4 years) and 10 typically developing (TD) children (8.0-10.4 years). Voxel-wise estimation of gray and white matter volumes was assessed using voxel-based morphometry for longitudinal data. The present findings reveal for the first time that DD children show persistently reduced gray and white matter volumes over development. Reduced gray matter was found in the bilateral inferior parietal lobes including the IPS, supramarginal gyri, left precuneus, cuneus, right superior occipital gyrus, bilateral inferior and middle temporal gyri, and insula. White matter volumes were reduced in the bilateral ILF and SLF, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), corticospinal tracts, and right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR). Behaviorally, children with DD performed significantly worse in various numerical tasks at baseline and follow-up, corroborating persistent deficits in number processing. The present results are in line with the literature showing that children with DD have reduced gray and white matter volumes in the numerical network. Our study further sheds light on the trajectory of brain development, revealing that these known structural differences in the long association fibers and the adjacent regions of the temporal- and frontoparietal cortex persist in dyscalculic children from childhood into adolescence. In conclusion, our results underscore that DD is a persistent learning disorder accompanied by deficits in number processing and reduced gray and white matter volumes in number related brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursina McCaskey
- Center for MR-Research, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael von Aster
- Center for MR-Research, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, German Red Cross Hospitals, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ruth O’Gorman
- Center for MR-Research, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Kucian
- Center for MR-Research, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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28
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Denyer R, Morris SR, Greeley B, Ferris JK, White K, Laule C, Boyd LA, Weber RC. Learning-Challenged Youth Show an Abnormal Relationship Between Fronto-Parietal Myelination and Mathematical Ability. J Neuroimaging 2020; 30:648-657. [PMID: 32533740 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Differences in the microstructure of fronto-parietal white matter tracts have been associated with mathematical achievement. However, much of the supporting evidence relies on nonspecific diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, making it difficult to isolate the role of myelin in math ability. METHODS We used myelin water imaging to measure brain myelin. We related myelin water fraction (MWF) to Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III) basic math scores using region of interest (ROI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analyses, in 14 typically developing and 36 learning challenged youth aged 9-17 years. RESULTS The ROI analysis found a positive relationship between fronto-parietal MWF and math in typically developing youth, but not in learning challenged youth. The relationship between fronto-parietal MWF and math observed in typically developing youth was fully mediated by age. No group differences in fronto-parietal MWF were found between typically developing and learning challenged youth. TBSS also found no group differences in MWF values. TBSS indicated math-MWF relationships extend beyond fronto-parietal tracts to descending and ascending projection tracts in typically developing youth. TBSS identified math-MWF relationships in the cerebral peduncles of learning challenged youth. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that in typically developing youth, brain myelination contributes to individual differences in basic math achievement. In contrast, youth with learning challenges appear to have less capacity to leverage myelin to improve math achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Denyer
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah R Morris
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brian Greeley
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jennifer K Ferris
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Katherine White
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Cornelia Laule
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lara A Boyd
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Rachel C Weber
- Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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29
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White matter injury and neurodevelopmental disabilities: A cross-disease (dis)connection. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 193:101845. [PMID: 32505757 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
White matter (WM) injury, once known primarily in preterm newborns, is emerging in its non-focal (diffused), non-necrotic form as a critical component of subtle brain injuries in many early-life diseases like prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, congenital heart defects, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. While advances in medical techniques have reduced the number of severe outcomes, the incidence of tardive impairments in complex cognitive functions or psychopathology remains high, with lifelong detrimental effects. The importance of WM in coordinating neuronal assemblies firing and neural groups synchronizing within multiple frequency bands through myelination, even mild alterations in WM structure, may interfere with the cognitive performance that increasing social and learning demands would exploit tardively during children growth. This phenomenon may contribute to explaining longitudinally the high incidence of late-appearing impairments that affect children with a history of perinatal insults. Furthermore, WM abnormalities have been highlighted in several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. In this review, we gather and organize evidence on how diffused WM injuries contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders through different perinatal diseases and insults. An insight into a possible common, cross-disease, mechanism, neuroimaging and monitoring, biomarkers, and neuroprotective strategies will also be presented.
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30
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Morris SR, Holmes RD, Dvorak AV, Liu H, Yoo Y, Vavasour IM, Mazabel S, Mädler B, Kolind SH, Li DKB, Siegel L, Beaulieu C, MacKay AL, Laule C. Brain Myelin Water Fraction and Diffusion Tensor Imaging Atlases for 9-10 Year-Old Children. J Neuroimaging 2020; 30:150-160. [PMID: 32064721 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Myelin water imaging (MWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provide information about myelin and axon-related brain microstructure, which can be useful for investigating normal brain development and many childhood brain disorders. While pediatric DTI atlases exist, there are no pediatric MWI atlases available for the 9-10 years old age group. As myelination and structural development occurs throughout childhood and adolescence, studies of pediatric brain pathologies must use age-specific MWI and DTI healthy control data. We created atlases of myelin water fraction (MWF) and DTI metrics for healthy children aged 9-10 years for use as normative data in pediatric neuroimaging studies. METHODS 3D-T1 , DTI, and MWI scans were acquired from 20 healthy children (mean age: 9.6 years, range: 9.2-10.3 years, 4 females). ANTs and FSL registration were used to create quantitative MWF and DTI atlases. Region of interest (ROI) analysis in nine white matter regions was used to compare pediatric MWF with adult MWF values from a recent study and to investigate the correlation between pediatric MWF and DTI metrics. RESULTS Adults had significantly higher MWF than the pediatric cohort in seven of the nine white matter ROIs, but not in the genu of the corpus callosum or the cingulum. In the pediatric data, MWF correlated significantly with mean diffusivity, but not with axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, or fractional anisotropy. CONCLUSIONS Normative MWF and DTI metrics from a group of 9-10 year old healthy children provide a resource for comparison to pathologies. The age-specific atlases are ready for use in pediatric neuroimaging research and can be accessed: https://sourceforge.net/projects/pediatric-mri-myelin-diffusion/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Morris
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Adam V Dvorak
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hanwen Liu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Youngjin Yoo
- Medical Imaging Technologies, Siemens Healthineers, Princeton, NJ
| | - Irene M Vavasour
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Silvia Mazabel
- Educational and Counseling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Shannon H Kolind
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - David K B Li
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Linda Siegel
- Educational and Counseling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Alex L MacKay
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Cornelia Laule
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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31
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Jennings JE, Kassam AB, Fukui MB, Monroy-Sosa A, Chakravarthi S, Kojis N, Rovin RA. The Surgical White Matter Chassis: A Practical 3-Dimensional Atlas for Planning Subcortical Surgical Trajectories. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2019; 14:469-482. [PMID: 28961936 DOI: 10.1093/ons/opx177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The imperative role of white matter preservation in improving surgical functional outcomes is now recognized. Understanding the fundamental white matter framework is essential for translating the anatomic and functional literature into practical strategies for surgical planning and neuronavigation. OBJECTIVE To present a 3-dimensional (3-D) atlas of the structural and functional scaffolding of human white matter-ie, a "Surgical White Matter Chassis (SWMC)"-that can be used as an organizational tool in designing precise and individualized trajectory-based neurosurgical corridors. METHODS Preoperative diffusion tensor imaging magnetic resonance images were obtained prior to each of our last 100 awake subcortical resections, using a clinically available 3.0 Tesla system. Tractography was generated using a semiautomated deterministic global seeding algorithm. Tract data were conceptualized as a 3-D modular chassis based on the 3 major fiber types, organized along median and paramedian planes, with special attention to limbic and neocortical association tracts and their interconnections. RESULTS We discuss practical implementation of the SWMC concept, and highlight its use in planning select illustrative cases. Emphasis has been given to developing practical understanding of the arcuate fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and vertical rami of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, which are often-neglected fibers in surgical planning. CONCLUSION A working knowledge of white matter anatomy, as embodied in the SWMC, is of paramount importance to the planning of parafascicular surgical trajectories, and can serve as a basis for developing reliable safe corridors, or modules, toward the goal of "zero-footprint" transsulcal access to the subcortical space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E Jennings
- Aurora Neuroscience Innovation Insti-tute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Amin B Kassam
- Aurora Neuroscience Innovation Insti-tute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Melanie B Fukui
- Aurora Neuroscience Innovation Insti-tute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Alejandro Monroy-Sosa
- Aurora Neuroscience Innovation Insti-tute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Srikant Chakravarthi
- Aurora Neuroscience Innovation Insti-tute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Nathan Kojis
- Aurora Neuroscience Innovation Insti-tute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Richard A Rovin
- Aurora Neuroscience Innovation Insti-tute, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Bevilacqua ZW, Kerby ME, Fletcher D, Chen Z, Merritt B, Huibregtse ME, Kawata K. Preliminary evidence-based recommendations for return to learn: a novel pilot study tracking concussed college students. Concussion 2019; 4:CNC63. [PMID: 31608152 PMCID: PMC6787519 DOI: 10.2217/cnc-2019-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Students re-entering the academic setting after a concussion is commonly referred to as return-to-learn and, to date, very few studies have examined the return-to-learn aspect of concussion recovery. Methodology: Nine college-aged, full-time students who were diagnosed with concussions were monitored throughout their concussion recovery. The severity for five chief symptoms (headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, anxiety) were recorded six-times per day through text messages, and daily phone calls recorded participant's behavioral traits. Results: We identified five behavioral variables which significantly influenced symptom resolution (music, sleep, physical activity, water and time) (p = 0.0004 to p = 0.036). Additionally, subjects reported math and computer-oriented courses as the most difficult (33 and 44%, respectively). Conclusion: We introduce a novel approach to monitor concussed students throughout their recovery, as well as factors that may influence concussion recovery process. Concussed students and student-athletes returning to the classroom is commonly referred as return-to-learn. To date, there are very few recommendations that can aid students’ concussion recovery in relation to their academic responsibilities. This is trouble giving that every student-athlete is first and foremost a ‘student’. In light of this, we sought to track behavioral factors that might influence the resolution of college students’ concussion symptoms as they recover from their injury and return to their coursework. Students also gave a perception of their recovery, including what types of activities and school accommodations appeared beneficial. In turn, behaviors such as minimizing music, getting more sleep, introducing more physical activity, drinking more water and overall time since injury appeared to help resolving the concussion symptoms. Additionally, students reported that math and computer-oriented courses were the most difficult, and that additional time on assignments/exams and reducing screen brightness were the most beneficial accommodations. These results are the first of their kind and will optimistically lead to recommendations utilized by healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary W Bevilacqua
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Mary E Kerby
- Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest, Lebanon, OR 97355, USA
| | - David Fletcher
- Indiana University Health Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Zhongxue Chen
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Becca Merritt
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Megan E Huibregtse
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Keisuke Kawata
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, College of Arts & Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Grotheer M, Zhen Z, Lerma-Usabiaga G, Grill-Spector K. Separate lanes for adding and reading in the white matter highways of the human brain. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3675. [PMID: 31417075 PMCID: PMC6695422 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11424-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Math and reading involve distributed brain networks and have both shared (e.g. encoding of visual stimuli) and dissociated (e.g. quantity processing) cognitive components. Yet, to date, the shared vs. dissociated gray and white matter substrates of the math and reading networks are unknown. Here, we define these networks and evaluate the structural properties of their fascicles using functional MRI, diffusion MRI, and quantitative MRI. Our results reveal that there are distinct gray matter regions which are preferentially engaged in either math (adding) or reading, and that the superior longitudinal and arcuate fascicles are shared across the math and reading networks. Strikingly, within these fascicles, reading- and math-related tracts are segregated into parallel sub-bundles and show structural differences related to myelination. These findings open a new avenue of research that examines the contribution of sub-bundles within fascicles to specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Grotheer
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Zonglei Zhen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Garikoitz Lerma-Usabiaga
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- BCBL. Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Mikeletegi Pasealekua 69, Donostia - San Sebastián, 20009, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Neural underpinnings of numerical and spatial cognition: An fMRI meta-analysis of brain regions associated with symbolic number, arithmetic, and mental rotation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:316-336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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White matter microstructure correlates with mathematics but not word reading performance in 13-year-old children born very preterm and full-term. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:101944. [PMID: 31426019 PMCID: PMC6706654 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Individuals born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks' gestational age) are at increased risk of impaired mathematics and word reading performance, as well as widespread white matter microstructural alterations compared with individuals born full term (FT; ≥37 weeks' gestational age). To date, the link between academic performance and white matter microstructure is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the associations between mathematics and reading performance with white matter microstructure in 114 VPT and 36 FT 13-year-old children. Additionally, we aimed to investigate whether the association of mathematics and reading performance with white matter microstructure in VPT children varied as a function of impairment. To do this, we used diffusion tensor imaging and advanced diffusion modelling techniques (Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging and the Spherical Mean Technique), combined with a whole-brain analysis approach (Tract-Based Spatial Statistics). Mathematics performance across VPT and FT groups was positively associated with white matter microstructural measurements of fractional anisotropy and neurite density, and negatively associated with radial and mean diffusivities in widespread, bilateral regions. Furthermore, VPT children with a mathematics impairment (>1 standard deviation below FT mean) had significantly reduced neurite density compared with VPT children without an impairment. Reading performance was not significantly associated with any of the white matter microstructure parameters. Additionally, the associations between white matter microstructure and mathematics and reading performance did not differ significantly between VPT and FT groups. Our findings suggest that alterations in white matter microstructure, and more specifically lower neurite density, are associated with poorer mathematics performance in 13-year-old VPT and FT children. More research is required to understand the association between reading performance and white matter microstructure in 13-year-old children. Diffusion tensor and neurite density metrics were associated with mathematics. Associations were present in very preterm and full-term children. Associations were widespread throughout the white matter microstructure. Decreased neurite density was evident in children with a mathematics impairment. Limited evidence of associations between white matter microstructure and reading.
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36
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Bulthé J, Prinsen J, Vanderauwera J, Duyck S, Daniels N, Gillebert CR, Mantini D, Op de Beeck HP, De Smedt B. Multi-method brain imaging reveals impaired representations of number as well as altered connectivity in adults with dyscalculia. Neuroimage 2019; 190:289-302. [PMID: 29885484 PMCID: PMC6494208 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Two hypotheses have been proposed about the etiology of neurodevelopmental learning disorders, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia: representation impairments and disrupted access to representations. We implemented a multi-method brain imaging approach to directly investigate these representation and access hypotheses in dyscalculia, a highly prevalent but understudied neurodevelopmental disorder in learning to calculate. We combined several magnetic resonance imaging methods and analyses, including univariate and multivariate analyses, functional and structural connectivity. Our sample comprised 24 adults with dyscalculia and 24 carefully matched controls. Results showed a clear deficit in the non-symbolic magnitude representations in parietal, temporal and frontal regions, as well as hyper-connectivity in visual brain regions in adults with dyscalculia. Dyscalculia in adults was thereby related to both impaired number representations and altered connectivity in the brain. We conclude that dyscalculia is related to impaired number representations as well as altered access to these representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Bulthé
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Jellina Prinsen
- Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Jolijn Vanderauwera
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Duyck
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Nicky Daniels
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium; Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Céline R Gillebert
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium; Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Dante Mantini
- Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK; Research Center for Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3001, Belgium; Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Hans P Op de Beeck
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
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Lebel C, Treit S, Beaulieu C. A review of diffusion MRI of typical white matter development from early childhood to young adulthood. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2019; 32:e3778. [PMID: 28886240 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding typical, healthy brain development provides a baseline from which to detect and characterize brain anomalies associated with various neurological or psychiatric disorders and diseases. Diffusion MRI is well suited to study white matter development, as it can virtually extract individual tracts and yield parameters that may reflect alterations in the underlying neural micro-structure (e.g. myelination, axon density, fiber coherence), though it is limited by its lack of specificity and other methodological concerns. This review summarizes the last decade of diffusion imaging studies of healthy white matter development spanning childhood to early adulthood (4-35 years). Conclusions about anatomical location, rates, and timing of white matter development with age are discussed, as well as the influence of image acquisition, analysis, age range/sample size, and statistical model. Despite methodological variability between studies, some consistent findings have emerged from the literature. Specifically, diffusion studies of neurodevelopment overwhelmingly demonstrate regionally varying increases of fractional anisotropy and decreases of mean diffusivity during childhood and adolescence, some of which continue into adulthood. While most studies use linear fits to model age-related changes, studies with sufficient sample sizes and age range provide clear evidence that white matter development (as indicated by diffusion) is non-linear. Several studies further suggest that maturation in association tracts with frontal-temporal connections continues later than commissural and projection tracts. The emerging contributions of more advanced diffusion methods are also discussed, as they may reveal new aspects of white matter development. Although non-specific, diffusion changes may reflect increases of myelination, axonal packing, and/or coherence with age that may be associated with changes in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarah Treit
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Polspoel B, Vandermosten M, De Smedt B. Relating individual differences in white matter pathways to children's arithmetic fluency: a spherical deconvolution study. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 224:337-350. [PMID: 30317391 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Connectivity between brain regions is integral to efficient complex cognitive processing, making the study of white matter pathways in clarifying the neural mechanisms of individual differences in arithmetic abilities critical. This white matter connectivity underlying arithmetic has only been investigated through classic diffusion tensor imaging, which, due to methodological limitations, might lead to an oversimplification of the underlying anatomy. More complex non-tensor models, such as spherical deconvolution, however, allow a much more fine-grained delineation of the underlying brain anatomy. Against this background, the current study is the first to use spherical deconvolution to investigate white matter tracts and their relation to individual differences in arithmetic fluency in typically developing children. Participants were 48 typically developing 9-10-year-olds, who were all in grade 4, and who underwent structural diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Theoretically relevant white matter tracts were manually delineated with a region of interest approach, after which the hindrance modulated orientational anisotropy (HMOA) index, which provides information on the structural integrity of the tract at hand, was derived for each tract. These HMOA indices were correlated with measures of arithmetic fluency, using frequentist and Bayesian approaches. Our results point towards an association between the HMOA of the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus and individual differences in arithmetic fluency. This might reflect the efficiency with which children process Arabic numerals. Other previously found associations between white matter and individual differences in arithmetic fluency were not observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brecht Polspoel
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, box 3765, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Experimental ORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, box 721, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32, box 3765, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Butterworth B, Gallistel CR, Vallortigara G. Introduction: The origins of numerical abilities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2016.0507. [PMID: 29292355 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Butterworth
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - C R Gallistel
- Center for Cog Science, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto (Trento), 38068, Italy
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Peters L, De Smedt B. Arithmetic in the developing brain: A review of brain imaging studies. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 30:265-279. [PMID: 28566139 PMCID: PMC6969129 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain imaging studies on academic achievement offer an exciting window on experience-dependent cortical plasticity, as they allow us to understand how developing brains change when children acquire culturally transmitted skills. This contribution focuses on the learning of arithmetic, which is quintessential to mathematical development. The nascent body of brain imaging studies reveals that arithmetic recruits a large set of interconnected areas, including prefrontal, posterior parietal, occipito-temporal and hippocampal areas. This network undergoes developmental changes in its function, connectivity and structure, which are not yet fully understood. This network only partially overlaps with what has been found in adults, and clear differences are observed in the recruitment of the hippocampus, which are related to the development of arithmetic fact retrieval. Despite these emerging trends, the literature remains scattered, particularly in the context of atypical development. Acknowledging the distributed nature of the arithmetic network, future studies should focus on connectivity and analytic approaches that investigate patterns of brain activity, coupled with a careful design of the arithmetic tasks and assessments of arithmetic strategies. Such studies will produce a more comprehensive understanding of how the arithmetical brain unfolds, how it changes over time, and how it is impaired in atypical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien Peters
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology, Educational Sciences KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology, Educational Sciences KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Belgium.
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41
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Moreau D, Wilson AJ, McKay NS, Nihill K, Waldie KE. No evidence for systematic white matter correlates of dyslexia and dyscalculia. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:356-366. [PMID: 29487792 PMCID: PMC5814378 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and their comorbid manifestation are prevalent, affecting as much as 15% of the population. Structural neuroimaging studies have indicated that these disorders can be related to differences in white matter integrity, although findings remain disparate. In this study, we used a unique design composed of individuals with dyslexia, dyscalculia, both disorders and controls, to systematically explore differences in fractional anisotropy across groups using diffusion tensor imaging. Specifically, we focused on the corona radiata and the arcuate fasciculus, two tracts associated with reading and mathematics in a number of previous studies. Using Bayesian hypothesis testing, we show that the present data favor the null model of no differences between groups for these particular tracts—a finding that seems to go against the current view but might be representative of the disparities within this field of research. Together, these findings suggest that structural differences associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia might not be as reliable as previously thought, with potential ramifications in terms of remediation. Previous literature indicates important discrepancies in structural differences associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia We explore the relationship between these disorders and fractional anisotropy, a measure of white matter integrity We show support for the null model in the corona radiata and the arcuate fasciculus This suggests that structural differences associated with these disorders are not as reliable as previously thought
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moreau
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Anna J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - Nicole S McKay
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kasey Nihill
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karen E Waldie
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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Abstract
Over the past 50 years, research on children and adults with learning disabilities has seen significant advances. Neuropsychological research historically focused on the administration of tests sensitive to brain dysfunction to identify putative neural mechanisms underlying learning disabilities that would serve as the basis for treatment. Led by research on classifying and identifying learning disabilities, four pivotal changes in research paradigms have produced a contemporary scientific, interdisciplinary, and international understanding of these disabilities. These changes are (1) the emergence of cognitive science, (2) the development of quantitative and molecular genetics, (3) the advent of noninvasive structural and functional neuroimaging, and (4) experimental trials of interventions focused on improving academic skills and addressing comorbid conditions. Implications for practice indicate a need to move neuropsychological assessment away from a primary focus on systematic, comprehensive assessment of cognitive skills toward more targeted performance-based assessments of academic achievement, comorbid conditions, and intervention response that lead directly to evidence-based treatment plans. Future research will continue to cross disciplinary boundaries to address questions regarding the interaction of neurobiological and contextual variables, the importance of individual differences in treatment response, and an expanded research base on (a) the most severe cases, (b) older people with LDs, and (c) domains of math problem solving, reading comprehension, and written expression. (JINS, 2017, 23, 930-940).
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Oostenbroek MHW, Kersten RHJ, Tros B, Kunst AE, Vrijkotte TGM, Finken MJJ. Maternal hypothyroxinaemia in early pregnancy and problem behavior in 5-year-old offspring. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 81:29-35. [PMID: 28411411 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is evidence, though not consistent, that offspring born to mothers with subtle decreases in thyroid function early in their pregnancies may be at risk of cognitive impairments and attention problems. However, other types of problem behavior have not been addressed thus far. We tested whether maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy is associated with several types of problem behavior in offspring at age 5-6 years. METHODS This was a longitudinal study that included the data of 2000 mother-child pairs from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study. At a median gestational age of 12.9 (interquartile range: 11.9-14.1) weeks, maternal blood was sampled for assessment of free T4 and TSH. Overall problem behavior, hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems, emotional problems, peer relationship problems and prosocial behavior were measured at age 5-6 years using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, which was filled out by both parents and teachers. RESULTS Maternal hypothyroxinaemia <5th percentile was associated with a 1.70 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.86) increased odds of teacher-reported hyperactivity/inattention after adjustment for confounders. By increasing the cut-off level to <10th percentile, the odds ratio became 1.47 (95% CI: 0.99-2.20). There were no associations between maternal thyroid function parameters and hyperactivity/inattention as reported by parents, nor with teacher or parent reports of other types of problem behavior. CONCLUSIONS Our results partially confirm previous observations, showing that early disruptions in the maternal thyroid hormone supply may be associated with ADHD symptoms in offspring. Our study adds that there is no evidence for an effect on other types of problem behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurits H W Oostenbroek
- Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Remco H J Kersten
- Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Benjamin Tros
- Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Anton E Kunst
- Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Tanja G M Vrijkotte
- Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Martijn J J Finken
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Golgi trafficking defects in postnatal microcephaly: The evidence for “Golgipathies”. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 153:46-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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45
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Schroeder PA, Dresler T, Bahnmueller J, Artemenko C, Cohen Kadosh R, Nuerk HC. Cognitive Enhancement of Numerical and Arithmetic Capabilities: a Mini-Review of Available Transcranial Electric Stimulation Studies. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-016-0006-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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46
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Braddick O, Atkinson J, Akshoomoff N, Newman E, Curley LB, Gonzalez MR, Brown T, Dale A, Jernigan T. Individual differences in children's global motion sensitivity correlate with TBSS-based measures of the superior longitudinal fasciculus. Vision Res 2016; 141:145-156. [PMID: 27793590 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2016.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Reduced global motion sensitivity, relative to global static form sensitivity, has been found in children with many neurodevelopmental disorders, leading to the "dorsal stream vulnerability" hypothesis (Braddick et al., 2003). Individual differences in typically developing children's global motion thresholds have been shown to be associated with variations in specific parietal cortical areas (Braddick et al., 2016). Here, in 125 children aged 5-12years, we relate individual differences in global motion and form coherence thresholds to fractional anisotropy (FA) in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), a major fibre tract communicating between parietal lobe and anterior cortical areas. We find a positive correlation between FA of the right SLF and individual children's sensitivity to global motion coherence, while FA of the left SLF shows a negative correlation. Further analysis of parietal cortical area data shows that this is also asymmetrical, showing a stronger association with global motion sensitivity in the left hemisphere. None of these associations hold for an analogous measure of global form sensitivity. We conclude that a complex pattern of structural asymmetry, including the parietal lobe and the superior longitudinal fasciculus, is specifically linked to the development of sensitivity to global visual motion. This pattern suggests that individual differences in motion sensitivity are primarily linked to parietal brain areas interacting with frontal systems in making decisions on integrated motion signals, rather than in the extra-striate visual areas that perform the initial integration. The basis of motion processing deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders may depend on these same structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Braddick
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.
| | - Janette Atkinson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK; Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Natacha Akshoomoff
- Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Erik Newman
- Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lauren B Curley
- Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marybel Robledo Gonzalez
- Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Timothy Brown
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anders Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Terry Jernigan
- Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Mapping human temporal and parietal neuronal population activity and functional coupling during mathematical cognition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E7277-E7286. [PMID: 27821758 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1608434113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain areas within the lateral parietal cortex (LPC) and ventral temporal cortex (VTC) have been shown to code for abstract quantity representations and for symbolic numerical representations, respectively. To explore the fast dynamics of activity within each region and the interaction between them, we used electrocorticography recordings from 16 neurosurgical subjects implanted with grids of electrodes over these two regions and tracked the activity within and between the regions as subjects performed three different numerical tasks. Although our results reconfirm the presence of math-selective hubs within the VTC and LPC, we report here a remarkable heterogeneity of neural responses within each region at both millimeter and millisecond scales. Moreover, we show that the heterogeneity of response profiles within each hub mirrors the distinct patterns of functional coupling between them. Our results support the existence of multiple bidirectional functional loops operating between discrete populations of neurons within the VTC and LPC during the visual processing of numerals and the performance of arithmetic functions. These findings reveal information about the dynamics of numerical processing in the brain and also provide insight into the fine-grained functional architecture and connectivity within the human brain.
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Simner J, Rehme M, Carmichael D, Bastin M, Sprooten E, McIntosh A, Lawrie S, Zedler M. Social responsiveness to inanimate entities: Altered white matter in a ‘social synaesthesia’. Neuropsychologia 2016; 91:282-289. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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49
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Filley CM, Fields RD. White matter and cognition: making the connection. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:2093-2104. [PMID: 27512019 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00221.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas the cerebral cortex has long been regarded by neuroscientists as the major locus of cognitive function, the white matter of the brain is increasingly recognized as equally critical for cognition. White matter comprises half of the brain, has expanded more than gray matter in evolution, and forms an indispensable component of distributed neural networks that subserve neurobehavioral operations. White matter tracts mediate the essential connectivity by which human behavior is organized, working in concert with gray matter to enable the extraordinary repertoire of human cognitive capacities. In this review, we present evidence from behavioral neurology that white matter lesions regularly disturb cognition, consider the role of white matter in the physiology of distributed neural networks, develop the hypothesis that white matter dysfunction is relevant to neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and the newly described entity chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and discuss emerging concepts regarding the prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction associated with white matter disorders. Investigation of the role of white matter in cognition has yielded many valuable insights and promises to expand understanding of normal brain structure and function, improve the treatment of many neurobehavioral disorders, and disclose new opportunities for research on many challenging problems facing medicine and society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Filley
- Behavioral Neurology Section, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado; .,Denver Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, Colorado; and
| | - R Douglas Fields
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Vanbinst K, De Smedt B. Individual differences in children's mathematics achievement: The roles of symbolic numerical magnitude processing and domain-general cognitive functions. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2016; 227:105-30. [PMID: 27339010 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This contribution reviewed the available evidence on the domain-specific and domain-general neurocognitive determinants of children's arithmetic development, other than nonsymbolic numerical magnitude processing, which might have been overemphasized as a core factor of individual differences in mathematics and dyscalculia. We focused on symbolic numerical magnitude processing, working memory, and phonological processing, as these determinants have been most researched and their roles in arithmetic can be predicted against the background of brain imaging data. Our review indicates that symbolic numerical magnitude processing is a major determinant of individual differences in arithmetic. Working memory, particularly the central executive, also plays a role in learning arithmetic, but its influence appears to be dependent on the learning stage and experience of children. The available evidence on phonological processing suggests that it plays a more subtle role in children's acquisition of arithmetic facts. Future longitudinal studies should investigate these factors in concert to understand their relative contribution as well as their mediating and moderating roles in children's arithmetic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Vanbinst
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - B De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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