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Li J, Jin S, Li Z, Zeng X, Yang Y, Luo Z, Xu X, Cui Z, Liu Y, Wang J. Morphological Brain Networks of White Matter: Mapping, Evaluation, Characterization, and Application. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2400061. [PMID: 39005232 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Although white matter (WM) accounts for nearly half of adult brain, its wiring diagram is largely unknown. Here, an approach is developed to construct WM networks by estimating interregional morphological similarity based on structural magnetic resonance imaging. It is found that morphological WM networks showed nontrivial topology, presented good-to-excellent test-retest reliability, accounted for phenotypic interindividual differences in cognition, and are under genetic control. Through integration with multimodal and multiscale data, it is further showed that morphological WM networks are able to predict the patterns of hamodynamic coherence, metabolic synchronization, gene co-expression, and chemoarchitectonic covariance, and associated with structural connectivity. Moreover, the prediction followed WM functional connectomic hierarchy for the hamodynamic coherence, is related to genes enriched in the forebrain neuron development and differentiation for the gene co-expression, and is associated with serotonergic system-related receptors and transporters for the chemoarchitectonic covariance. Finally, applying this approach to multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, it is found that both diseases exhibited morphological dysconnectivity, which are correlated with clinical variables of patients and are able to diagnose and differentiate the diseases. Altogether, these findings indicate that morphological WM networks provide a reliable and biologically meaningful means to explore WM architecture in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junle Li
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Suhui Jin
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zhen Li
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Xiangli Zeng
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Yuping Yang
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zhenzhen Luo
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Xiaoyu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yaou Liu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Jinhui Wang
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
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van Drunen L, Dobbelaar S, Crone EA, Wierenga LM. Genetic and environmental influences on structural brain development from childhood to adolescence: A longitudinal twin study on cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volume. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 68:101407. [PMID: 38870602 PMCID: PMC11225697 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101407] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The human brain undergoes structural development from childhood to adolescence, with specific regions in the sensorimotor, social, and affective networks continuing to grow into adulthood. While genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in these brain trajectories, the extent remains understudied. Our longitudinal study, utilizing up to three biennial MRI scans (n=485), aimed to assess the genetic and environmental effects on brain structure (age 7) and development (ages 7-14) in these regions. Heritability estimates varied across brain regions, with all regions showing genetic influence (ranging from 18 % to 59 %) with additional shared environmental factors affecting the primary motor cortex (30 %), somatosensory cortex (35 %), DLPFC (5 %), TPJ (17 %), STS (17 %), precuneus (10 %), hippocampus (22 %), amygdala (5 %), and nucleus accumbens (10 %). Surface area was more genetically driven (38 %) than cortical thickness (14 %). Longitudinal brain changes were primarily driven by genetics (ranging from 1 % to 29 %), though shared environment factors (additionally) influenced the somatosensory cortex (11 %), DLPFC (7 %), cerebellum (28 %), TPJ (16 %), STS (20 %), and hippocampus (17 %). These findings highlight the importance of further investigating brain-behavior associations and the influence of enriched and deprived environments from childhood to adolescence. Ultimately, our study can provide insights for interventions aimed at supporting children's development.
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Affiliation(s)
- L van Drunen
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), the Netherlands; Erasmus University Rotterdam, Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - S Dobbelaar
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), the Netherlands; Erasmus University Rotterdam, Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - E A Crone
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), the Netherlands; Erasmus University Rotterdam, Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), the Netherlands
| | - L M Wierenga
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands
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3
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Crone EA, Bol T, Braams BR, de Rooij M, Franke B, Franken I, Gazzola V, Güroğlu B, Huizenga H, Hulshoff Pol H, Keijsers L, Keysers C, Krabbendam L, Jansen L, Popma A, Stulp G, van Atteveldt N, van Duijvenvoorde A, Veenstra R. Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS): A team science effort to predict societal trajectories in adolescence and young adulthood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 67:101403. [PMID: 38852381 PMCID: PMC11214182 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Our society faces a great diversity of opportunities for youth. The 10-year Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS) program has the long-term goal to understand which combination of measures best predict societal trajectories, such as school success, mental health, well-being, and developing a sense of belonging in society. Our leading hypothesis is that self-regulation is key to how adolescents successfully navigate the demands of contemporary society. We aim to test these questions using socio-economic, questionnaire (including experience sampling methods), behavioral, brain (fMRI, sMRI, EEG), hormonal, and genetic measures in four large cohorts including adolescents and young adults. Two cohorts are designed as test and replication cohorts to test the developmental trajectory of self-regulation, including adolescents of different socioeconomic status thereby bridging individual, family, and societal perspectives. The third cohort consists of an entire social network to examine how neural and self-regulatory development influences and is influenced by whom adolescents and young adults choose to interact with. The fourth cohort includes youth with early signs of antisocial and delinquent behavior to understand patterns of societal development in individuals at the extreme ends of self-regulation and societal participation, and examines pathways into and out of delinquency. We will complement the newly collected cohorts with data from existing large-scale population-based and case-control cohorts. The study is embedded in a transdisciplinary approach that engages stakeholders throughout the design stage, with a strong focus on citizen science and youth participation in study design, data collection, and interpretation of results, to ensure optimal translation to youth in society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveline A Crone
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden University, Institute of Psychology, the Netherlands.
| | - Thijs Bol
- Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara R Braams
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mark de Rooij
- Leiden University, Institute of Psychology, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Departments of Cognitive Neuroscience and Human Genetics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ingmar Franken
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (KNAW) and University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Berna Güroğlu
- Leiden University, Institute of Psychology, the Netherlands
| | - Hilde Huizenga
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Loes Keijsers
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Keysers
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (KNAW) and University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lydia Krabbendam
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lucres Jansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Psychosocial Care, AmsterdamUMC and Research Institute Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Psychosocial Care, AmsterdamUMC and Research Institute Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gert Stulp
- University of Groningen, Department of Sociology / Inter-University Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nienke van Atteveldt
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - René Veenstra
- University of Groningen, Department of Sociology / Inter-University Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Lee S, Cheong Y, Ryu Y, Kosaka H, Jung M. Vasotocin receptor gene genotypes moderate the relationship between cortical thickness and sensory processing. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:356. [PMID: 37990008 PMCID: PMC10663457 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02657-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory processing is the process by which the central nervous system gathers, interprets, and regulates sensory stimuli in response to environmental cues. However, our understanding of the genetic factors and neuroanatomical correlations that influence sensory processing is limited. The vasotocin system modulates sensory input responsiveness, making it a potential candidate for further investigation. Additionally, human neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the ability to modulate sensory stimuli is related to neuroanatomical features such as cortical thickness. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between functional polymorphisms in vasotocin receptor (VTR) genes, sensory profiles, and neuroanatomical correlations. We used structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) questionnaire in 98 healthy adult participants to assess sensory processing and identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found that A-allele carriers of rs1042615 in VTR had higher scores for "sensory sensitivity" and "sensation avoiding". Moreover, higher scores for three AASP subscales were associated with decreased cortical thickness in various regions, including the right precentral, paracentral, and fusiform gyri, as well as bilateral inferior temporal gyri. This study sheds light on the potential role of genetic variations in the VTR in modulating sensory processing and correlation with cortical thickness which has future implications for better understanding sensory abnormalities in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seonkyoung Lee
- Cognitive Science Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjeon Cheong
- Cognitive Science Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeseul Ryu
- Cognitive Science Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hirotaka Kosaka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Fukui, Japan.
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.
| | - Minyoung Jung
- Cognitive Science Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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Teeuw J, Klein M, Mota NR, Brouwer RM, van ‘t Ent D, Al-Hassaan Z, Franke B, Boomsma DI, Hulshoff Pol HE. Multivariate Genetic Structure of Externalizing Behavior and Structural Brain Development in a Longitudinal Adolescent Twin Sample. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063176. [PMID: 35328598 PMCID: PMC8949114 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Externalizing behavior in its more extreme form is often considered a problem to the individual, their families, teachers, and society as a whole. Several brain structures have been linked to externalizing behavior and such associations may arise if the (co)development of externalizing behavior and brain structures share the same genetic and/or environmental factor(s). We assessed externalizing behavior with the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self Report, and the brain volumes and white matter integrity (fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean diffusivity [MD]) with magnetic resonance imaging in the BrainSCALE cohort, which consisted of twins and their older siblings from 112 families measured longitudinally at ages 10, 13, and 18 years for the twins. Genetic covariance modeling based on the classical twin design, extended to also include siblings of twins, showed that genes influence externalizing behavior and changes therein (h2 up to 88%). More pronounced externalizing behavior was associated with higher FA (observed correlation rph up to +0.20) and lower MD (rph up to −0.20), with sizeable genetic correlations (FA ra up to +0.42; MD ra up to −0.33). The cortical gray matter (CGM; rph up to −0.20) and cerebral white matter (CWM; rph up to +0.20) volume were phenotypically but not genetically associated with externalizing behavior. These results suggest a potential mediating role for global brain structures in the display of externalizing behavior during adolescence that are both partially explained by the influence of the same genetic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalmar Teeuw
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (R.M.B.); (Z.A.-H.); (H.E.H.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-(088)-75-53-387
| | - Marieke Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (N.R.M.); (B.F.)
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nina Roth Mota
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (N.R.M.); (B.F.)
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel M. Brouwer
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (R.M.B.); (Z.A.-H.); (H.E.H.P.)
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis van ‘t Ent
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.v.‘t.E.); (D.I.B.)
| | - Zyneb Al-Hassaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (R.M.B.); (Z.A.-H.); (H.E.H.P.)
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (N.R.M.); (B.F.)
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I. Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.v.‘t.E.); (D.I.B.)
- Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E. Hulshoff Pol
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (R.M.B.); (Z.A.-H.); (H.E.H.P.)
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
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6
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James D, Lam VT, Jo B, Fung LK. Region-specific associations between gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor binding and cortical thickness in high-functioning autistic adults. Autism Res 2022; 15:1068-1082. [PMID: 35261207 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The neurobiology of autism has been shown to involve alterations in cortical morphology and gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA ) receptor density. We hypothesized that GABAA receptor binding potential (GABAA R BPND ) would correlate with cortical thickness, but their correlations would differ between autistic adults and typically developing (TD) controls. We studied 50 adults (23 autism, 27 TD, mean age of 27 years) using magnetic resonance imaging to measure cortical thickness, and [18 F]flumazenil positron emission tomography imaging to measure GABAA R BPND . We determined the correlations between cortical thickness and GABAA R BPND by cortical lobe, region-of-interest, and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We also explored potential sex differences in the relationship between cortical thickness and autism characteristics, as measured by autism spectrum quotient (AQ) scores. Comparing autism and TD groups, no significant differences were found in cortical thickness or GABAA R BPND . In both autism and TD groups, a negative relationship between cortical thickness and GABAA R BPND was observed in the frontal and occipital cortices, but no relationship was found in the temporal or limbic cortices. A positive correlation was seen in the parietal cortex that was only significant for the autism group. Interestingly, in an exploratory analysis, we found sex differences in the relationships between cortical thickness and GABAA R BPND , and cortical thickness and AQ scores in the left postcentral gyrus. LAY SUMMARY: The thickness of the brain cortex and the density of the receptors associated with inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA have been hypothesized to underlie the neurobiology of autism. In this study, we found that these biomarkers correlate positively in the parietal cortex, but negatively in the frontal and occipital cortical regions of the brain. Furthermore, we collected preliminary evidence that the correlations between cortical thickness and GABA receptor density are sexdependent in a brain region where sensory inputs are registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- David James
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Vicky T Lam
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lawrence K Fung
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Xia K, Schmitt JE, Jha SC, Girault JB, Cornea E, Li G, Shen D, Styner M, Gilmore JH. Genetic Influences on Longitudinal Trajectories of Cortical Thickness and Surface Area during the First 2 Years of Life. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:367-379. [PMID: 34231837 PMCID: PMC8897991 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic influences on cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) are known to vary across the life span. Little is known about the extent to which genetic factors influence CT and SA in infancy and toddlerhood. We performed the first longitudinal assessment of genetic influences on variation in CT and SA in 501 twins who were aged 0-2 years. We observed substantial additive genetic influences on both average CT (0.48 in neonates, 0.37 in 1-year-olds, and 0.44 in 2-year-olds) and total SA (0.59 in neonates, 0.74 in 1-year-olds, and 0.73 in 2-year-olds). In addition, we found strong heritability of the change in average CT (0.49) from neonates to 1-year-olds, but not from 1- to 2-year-olds. Moreover, we found strong genetic correlations for average CT (rG = 0.92) between 1- and 2-year-olds and strong genetic correlations for total SA across all timepoints (rG = 0.96 between neonates and 1-year-olds, rG = 1 between 1- and 2-year-olds). In addition, we found CT and SA are strongly genetic correlated at birth, but weaken over time. Overall, results suggest a dynamic genetic relationship between CT and SA during first 2 years of life and provide novel insights into how genetic influences shape the cortical structure during early brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Xia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA
| | - J Eric Schmitt
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shaili C Jha
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jessica B Girault
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA
| | - Emil Cornea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7320, USA
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7320, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA
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8
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Where the genome meets the connectome: Understanding how genes shape human brain connectivity. Neuroimage 2021; 244:118570. [PMID: 34508898 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The integration of modern neuroimaging methods with genetically informative designs and data can shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the structural and functional organization of the human connectome. Here, we review studies that have investigated the genetic basis of human brain network structure and function through three complementary frameworks: (1) the quantification of phenotypic heritability through classical twin designs; (2) the identification of specific DNA variants linked to phenotypic variation through association and related studies; and (3) the analysis of correlations between spatial variations in imaging phenotypes and gene expression profiles through the integration of neuroimaging and transcriptional atlas data. We consider the basic foundations, strengths, limitations, and discoveries associated with each approach. We present converging evidence to indicate that anatomical connectivity is under stronger genetic influence than functional connectivity and that genetic influences are not uniformly distributed throughout the brain, with phenotypic variation in certain regions and connections being under stronger genetic control than others. We also consider how the combination of imaging and genetics can be used to understand the ways in which genes may drive brain dysfunction in different clinical disorders.
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9
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Birth order and prosociality in the early adolescent brain. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21806. [PMID: 34750406 PMCID: PMC8575884 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01146-0] [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: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Birth order is a crucial environmental factor for child development. For example, later-born children are relatively unlikely to feel secure due to sibling competition or diluted parental resources. The positive effect of being earlier-born on cognitive intelligence is well-established. However, whether birth order is linked to social behavior remains controversial, and the neural correlates of birth order effects in adolescence when social cognition develops remain unknown. Here, we explored the birth order effect on prosociality using a large-scale population-based adolescent cohort. Next, since the amygdala is a key region for sociality and environmental stress, we examined amygdala substrates of the association between birth order and prosociality using a subset neuroimaging cohort. We found enhanced prosociality in later-born adolescents (N = 3160), and observed the mediating role of larger amygdala volume (N = 208) and amygdala-prefrontal functional connectivity with sex-selective effects (N = 183). We found that birth order, a non-genetic environmental factor, affects adolescent social development via different neural substrates. Our findings may indicate the later-born people’s adaptive survival strategy in stressful environments.
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10
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Ong JL, Jamaluddin SA, Tandi J, Chee NIYN, Leong RLF, Huber R, Lo JCY, Chee MWL. Cortical Thinning and Sleep Slow Wave Activity Reductions Mediate Age-Related Improvements in Cognition During Mid-Late Adolescence. Sleep 2021; 45:6348270. [PMID: 34379782 PMCID: PMC8754498 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab206] [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: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Study Objectives Gains in cognitive test performance that occur during adolescence are associated with brain maturation. Cortical thinning and reduced sleep slow wave activity (SWA) are markers of such developmental changes. Here we investigate whether they mediate age-related improvements in cognition. Methods 109 adolescents aged 15–19 years (49 males) underwent magnetic resonance imaging, polysomnography (PSG), and a battery of cognitive tasks within a 2-month time window. Cognitive tasks assessed nonverbal intelligence, sustained attention, speed of processing and working memory and executive function. To minimize the effect of sleep history on SWA and cognitive performance, PSG and test batteries were administered only after at least 8 nights of 9-h time-in-bed (TIB) sleep opportunity. Results Age-related improvements in speed of processing (r = 0.33, p = 0.001) and nonverbal intelligence (r = 0.24, p = 0.01) domains were observed. These cognitive changes were associated with reduced cortical thickness, particularly in bilateral temporoparietal regions (rs = −0.21 to −0.45, ps < 0.05), as well as SWA (r = −0.35, p < 0.001). Serial mediation models found that ROIs in the middle/superior temporal cortices, together with SWA mediated the age-related improvement observed on cognition. Conclusions During adolescence, age-related improvements in cognition are mediated by reductions in cortical thickness and sleep SWA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Lynn Ong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - S Azrin Jamaluddin
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Jesisca Tandi
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Nicholas I Y N Chee
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Ruth L F Leong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Reto Huber
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Switzerland & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - June C Y Lo
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Michael W L Chee
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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11
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Fung MH, Taylor BK, Lew BJ, Frenzel MR, Eastman JA, Wang YP, Calhoun VD, Stephen JM, Wilson TW. Sexually dimorphic development in the cortical oscillatory dynamics serving early visual processing. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 50:100968. [PMID: 34102602 PMCID: PMC8187257 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual processing dynamics continue to develop throughout childhood and adolescence. Visual alpha response power differed between males and females. Sex and age interacted to modulate visual gamma responses. Peak frequency predicted response power above and beyond the effects of age and sex.
Successful interaction with one’s visual environment is paramount to developing and performing many basic and complex mental functions. Although major aspects of visual development are completed at an early age, other structural and functional components of visual processing appear to be dynamically changing across a much more protracted period extending into late childhood and adolescence. However, the underlying neurophysiological changes and cortical oscillatory dynamics that support maturation of the visual system during this developmental period remain poorly understood. The present study utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate maturational changes in the neural dynamics serving basic visual processing during childhood and adolescence (ages 9–15, n = 69). Our key results included robust sex differences in alpha oscillatory activity within the left posterior parietal cortex, and sex-by-age interactions in gamma activity in the right lingual gyrus and superior parietal lobule. Hierarchical regression revealed that the peak frequency of both the alpha and gamma responses predicted response power in parietal regions above and beyond the noted effects of age and sex. These findings affirm the view that neural oscillations supporting visual processing develop over a much more protracted period, and illustrate that these maturational trajectories are influenced by numerous elements, including age, sex, and individual variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison H Fung
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brandon J Lew
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Michaela R Frenzel
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Jacob A Eastman
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) [Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University], Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA.
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12
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Brouwer RM, Schutte J, Janssen R, Boomsma DI, Hulshoff Pol HE, Schnack HG. The Speed of Development of Adolescent Brain Age Depends on Sex and Is Genetically Determined. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:1296-1306. [PMID: 33073292 PMCID: PMC8204942 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Children and adolescents show high variability in brain development. Brain age-the estimated biological age of an individual brain-can be used to index developmental stage. In a longitudinal sample of adolescents (age 9-23 years), including monozygotic and dizygotic twins and their siblings, structural magnetic resonance imaging scans (N = 673) at 3 time points were acquired. Using brain morphology data of different types and at different spatial scales, brain age predictors were trained and validated. Differences in brain age between males and females were assessed and the heritability of individual variation in brain age gaps was calculated. On average, females were ahead of males by at most 1 year, but similar aging patterns were found for both sexes. The difference between brain age and chronological age was heritable, as was the change in brain age gap over time. In conclusion, females and males show similar developmental ("aging") patterns but, on average, females pass through this development earlier. Reliable brain age predictors may be used to detect (extreme) deviations in developmental state of the brain early, possibly indicating aberrant development as a sign of risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Brouwer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht
Brain Center, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jelle Schutte
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht
Brain Center, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald Janssen
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht
Brain Center, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology and Netherlands Twin
Register, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht
Brain Center, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hugo G Schnack
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht
Brain Center, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
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13
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Crone EA, Achterberg M, Dobbelaar S, Euser S, van den Bulk B, der Meulen MV, van Drunen L, Wierenga LM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH. Neural and behavioral signatures of social evaluation and adaptation in childhood and adolescence: The Leiden consortium on individual development (L-CID). Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100805. [PMID: 33040969 PMCID: PMC7390777 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition period between early childhood and late adolescence is characterized by pronounced changes in social competence, or the capacity for flexible social adaptation. Here, we propose that two processes, self-control and prosociality, are crucial for social adaptation following social evaluation. We present a neurobehavioral model showing commonalities in neural responses to experiences of social acceptance and rejection, and multiple pathways for responding to social context. The Leiden Consortium on Individual Development (L-CID) provides a comprehensive approach towards understanding the longitudinal developmental pathways of, and social enrichment effects on, social competence, taking into account potential differential effects of such enrichment. Using Neurosynth based brain maps we point towards the medial prefrontal cortex as an important region integrating social cognition, self-referential processing and self-control for learning to respond flexibly to changing social contexts. Based on their role in social evaluation processing, we suggest to examine medial prefrontal cortex connections with lateral prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum as potential neural differential susceptibility markers, in addition to previously established markers of differential susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveline A Crone
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands.
| | - Michelle Achterberg
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
| | - Simone Dobbelaar
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Euser
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca van den Bulk
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Mara van der Meulen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Lina van Drunen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
| | - Lara M Wierenga
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands; School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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14
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Colich NL, Rosen ML, Williams ES, McLaughlin KA. Biological aging in childhood and adolescence following experiences of threat and deprivation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 2020; 146:721-764. [PMID: 32744840 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory argues that exposure to early life adversity (ELA) accelerates development, although existing evidence for this varies. We present a meta-analysis and systematic review testing the hypothesis that ELA involving threat (e.g., violence exposure) will be associated with accelerated biological aging across multiple metrics, whereas exposure to deprivation (e.g., neglect, institutional rearing) and low-socioeconomic status (SES) will not. We meta-analyze 54 studies (n = 116,010) examining associations of ELA with pubertal timing and cellular aging (telomere length and DNA methylation age), systematically review 25 studies (n = 3,253) examining ELA and neural markers of accelerated development (cortical thickness and amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity) and evaluate whether associations of ELA with biological aging vary according to the nature of adversity experienced. ELA overall was associated with accelerated pubertal timing (d = -0.10) and cellular aging (d = -0.21), but these associations varied by adversity type. Moderator analysis revealed that ELA characterized by threat was associated with accelerated pubertal development (d = -0.26) and accelerated cellular aging (d = -0.43), but deprivation and SES were unrelated to accelerated development. Systematic review revealed associations between ELA and accelerated cortical thinning, with threat-related ELA consistently associated with thinning in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and deprivation and SES associated with thinning in frontoparietal, default, and visual networks. There was no consistent association of ELA with amygdala-PFC connectivity. These findings suggest specificity in the types of early environmental experiences associated with accelerated biological aging and highlight the importance of evaluating how accelerated aging contributes to health disparities and whether this process can be mitigated through early intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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15
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van der Meulen M, Wierenga LM, Achterberg M, Drenth N, van IJzendoorn MH, Crone EA. Genetic and environmental influences on structure of the social brain in childhood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 44:100782. [PMID: 32716847 PMCID: PMC7374548 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prosocial behavior and empathy are important aspects of developing social relations in childhood. Prior studies showed protracted structural development of social brain regions associated with prosocial behavior. However, it remains unknown how structure of the social brain is influenced by genetic or environmental factors, and whether overlapping heritability factors explain covariance in structure of the social brain and behavior. The current study examined this hypothesis in a twin sample (aged 7–9-year; N = 512). Bilateral measures of surface area and cortical thickness of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), and precuneus were analyzed. Results showed genetic contributions to surface area and cortical thickness for all brain regions. We found additional shared environmental influences for TPJ, suggesting that this region might be relatively more sensitive to social experiences. Genetic factors also influenced parent-reported prosocial behavior (A = 45%) and empathy (A = 59%). We provided initial evidence that the precuneus shares genetically determined variance with empathy, suggesting a possible small genetic overlap (9%) in brain structure and empathy. These findings show that structure of the social brain and empathy are driven by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with some factors overlapping for brain structure and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara van der Meulen
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - Lara M Wierenga
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Michelle Achterberg
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Nadieh Drenth
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands; School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands
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16
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Maggioni E, Squarcina L, Dusi N, Diwadkar VA, Brambilla P. Twin MRI studies on genetic and environmental determinants of brain morphology and function in the early lifespan. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 109:139-149. [PMID: 31911159 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopment represents a period of increased opportunity and vulnerability, during which a complex confluence of genetic and environmental factors influences brain growth trajectories, cognitive and mental health outcomes. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on twins have increased our knowledge of the extent to which genes, the environment and their interactions shape inter-individual brain variability. The present review draws from highly salient MRI studies in young twin samples to provide a robust assessment of the heritability of structural and functional brain changes during development. The available studies suggest that (as with many other traits), global brain morphology and network organization are highly heritable from early childhood to young adulthood. Conversely, genetic correlations among brain regions exhibit heterogeneous trajectories, and this heterogeneity reflects the progressive, experience-related increase in brain network complexity. Studies also support the key role of environment in mediating brain network differentiation via changes of genetic expression and hormonal levels. Thus, rest- and task-related functional brain circuits seem to result from a contextual and dynamic expression of heritability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via F. Sforza 28, Milano, Italy
| | - Letizia Squarcina
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, via Don Luigi Monza 20, Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Nicola Dusi
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via F. Sforza 28, Milano, Italy
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, 42 W Warren Ave, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, via F. Sforza 28, Milano, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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17
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Genetic and environmental influences on functional connectivity within and between canonical cortical resting-state networks throughout adolescent development in boys and girls. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116073. [PMID: 31386921 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain is active during rest and hierarchically organized into intrinsic functional networks. These functional networks are largely established early in development, with reports of a shift from a local to more distributed organization during childhood and adolescence. It remains unknown to what extent genetic and environmental influences on functional connectivity change throughout adolescent development. We measured functional connectivity within and between eight cortical networks in a longitudinal resting-state fMRI study of adolescent twins and their older siblings on two occasions (mean ages 13 and 18 years). We modelled the reliability for these inherently noisy and head-motion sensitive measurements by analyzing data from split-half sessions. Functional connectivity between resting-state networks decreased with age whereas functional connectivity within resting-state networks generally increased with age, independent of general cognitive functioning. Sex effects were sparse, with stronger functional connectivity in the default mode network for girls compared to boys, and stronger functional connectivity in the salience network for boys compared to girls. Heritability explained up to 53% of the variation in functional connectivity within and between resting-state networks, and common environment explained up to 33%. Genetic influences on functional connectivity remained stable during adolescent development. In conclusion, longitudinal age-related changes in functional connectivity within and between cortical resting-state networks are subtle but wide-spread throughout adolescence. Genes play a considerable role in explaining individual variation in functional connectivity with mostly stable influences throughout adolescence.
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18
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Caplan R. Epilepsy, language, and social skills. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 193:18-30. [PMID: 28987707 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Language and social skills are essential for intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning and quality of life. Since epilepsy impacts these important domains of individuals' functioning, understanding the psychosocial and biological factors involved in the relationship among epilepsy, language, and social skills has important theoretical and clinical implications. This review first describes the psychosocial and biological factors involved in the association between language and social behavior in children and in adults and their relevance for epilepsy. It reviews the findings of studies of social skills and the few studies conducted on the inter-relationship of language and social skills in pediatric and adult epilepsy. The paper concludes with suggested future research and clinical directions that will enhance early identification and treatment of epilepsy patients at risk for impaired language and social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle Caplan
- UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, United States.
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19
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Strike LT, Hansell NK, Couvy-Duchesne B, Thompson PM, de Zubicaray GI, McMahon KL, Wright MJ. Genetic Complexity of Cortical Structure: Differences in Genetic and Environmental Factors Influencing Cortical Surface Area and Thickness. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:952-962. [PMID: 29377989 PMCID: PMC6373676 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying the genetic architecture of the cerebral cortex is necessary for understanding disease and changes to the brain across the lifespan. Prior work shows that both surface area (SA) and cortical thickness (CT) are heritable. However, we do not yet understand the extent to which region-specific genetic factors (i.e., independent of global effects) play a dominant role in the regional patterning or inter-regional associations across the cortex. Using a population sample of young adult twins (N = 923), we show that the heritability of SA and CT varies widely across regions, generally independent of measurement error. When global effects are controlled for, we detected a complex pattern of genetically mediated clusters of inter-regional associations, which varied between hemispheres. There were generally weak associations between the SA of different regions, except within the occipital lobe, whereas CT was positively correlated within lobar divisions and negatively correlated across lobes, mostly due to genetic covariation. These findings were replicated in an independent sample of twins and siblings (N = 698) from the Human Connectome Project. The different genetic contributions to SA and CT across regions reveal the value of quantifying sources of covariation to appreciate the genetic complexity of cortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan T Strike
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | - Narelle K Hansell
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | | | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Greig I de Zubicaray
- Faculty of Health and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | - Katie L McMahon
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | - Margaret J Wright
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
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20
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Paul S, Mukherjee S, Bhattacharyya S. Network organization of co-opetitive genetic influences on morphologies of the human cerebral cortex. J Neural Eng 2019; 16:026028. [PMID: 30654334 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aaff85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The brain can be represented as a network, where anatomical regions are nodes and relations between regions are edges. Within a network, the co-existence of co-operative and competitive relationships between different nodes is called co-opetition. Inter-regional genetic influences on morphological phenotypes (thickness, surface area) of the cerebral cortex display such co-opetitive relationships. However, whether these co-operative and competitive genetic influences are organized similarly has remained elusive. How the collective organization of the co-operative and competitive genetic influences is related to the inter-individual variations of cortical morphological phenotypes has also remained unexplored. APPROACH We constructed inter-regional genetic influence networks underlying the morphologies (thickness, surface area) of the human cerebral cortex combining the T1 weighted MRI of genetically confirmed 593 siblings and twin-study design. Graph theory was used to characterize the genetic influence networks and the collective organizations of genetic influences were characterized using the theory of structural balance. Principal component (PC) analysis was used to estimate the principal modes of morphological phenotype variations. MAIN RESULTS The inter-regional co-operative genetic influences are assortative, while competitive influences are disassortative. Co-operative genetic influences are more cohesive and less diverse than the competitive influences. The collective organization of co-opetitive genetic influences partially explains the fifth principal modes of inter-individual variation of cortical morphological phenotypes. Other principal modes were not significantly associated with collective genetic influences. SIGNIFICANCE Our study furnishes fundamental insight regarding the organization of co-opetitive genetic influences underlying the morphologies of the human cerebral cortex. In future studies, investigation of the alterations of co-opetitive genetic network properties in brain disorders may furnish disorder-specific insight that may be associated with the disease state or lead to vulnerability to those conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadip Paul
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
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21
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Kaczkurkin AN, Raznahan A, Satterthwaite TD. Sex differences in the developing brain: insights from multimodal neuroimaging. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:71-85. [PMID: 29930385 PMCID: PMC6235840 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0111-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Youth (including both childhood and adolescence) is a period when the brain undergoes dramatic remodeling and is also a time when neuropsychiatric conditions often emerge. Many of these illnesses have substantial sex differences in prevalence, suggesting that sex differences in brain development may underlie differential risk for psychiatric symptoms between males and females. Substantial evidence documents sex differences in brain structure and function in adults, and accumulating data suggests that these sex differences may be present or emerge during development. Here we review the evidence for sex differences in brain structure, white matter organization, and perfusion during development. We then use these normative differences as a framework to understand sex differences in brain development associated with psychopathology. In particular, we focus on sex differences in the brain as they relate to anxiety, depression, psychosis, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms. Finally, we highlight existing limitations, gaps in knowledge, and fertile avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia N Kaczkurkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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22
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Ferguson B, Petridou N, Fracasso A, van den Heuvel MP, Brouwer RM, Hulshoff Pol HE, Kahn RS, Mandl RCW. Detailed T1-Weighted Profiles from the Human Cortex Measured in Vivo at 3 Tesla MRI. Neuroinformatics 2018; 16:181-196. [PMID: 29352389 PMCID: PMC5984962 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-018-9356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Studies into cortical thickness in psychiatric diseases based on T1-weighted MRI frequently report on aberrations in the cerebral cortex. Due to limitations in image resolution for studies conducted at conventional MRI field strengths (e.g. 3 Tesla (T)) this information cannot be used to establish which of the cortical layers may be implicated. Here we propose a new analysis method that computes one high-resolution average cortical profile per brain region extracting myeloarchitectural information from T1-weighted MRI scans that are routinely acquired at a conventional field strength. To assess this new method, we acquired standard T1-weighted scans at 3 T and compared them with state-of-the-art ultra-high resolution T1-weighted scans optimised for intracortical myelin contrast acquired at 7 T. Average cortical profiles were computed for seven different brain regions. Besides a qualitative comparison between the 3 T scans, 7 T scans, and results from literature, we tested if the results from dynamic time warping-based clustering are similar for the cortical profiles computed from 7 T and 3 T data. In addition, we quantitatively compared cortical profiles computed for V1, V2 and V7 for both 7 T and 3 T data using a priori information on their relative myelin concentration. Although qualitative comparisons show that at an individual level average profiles computed for 7 T have more pronounced features than 3 T profiles the results from the quantitative analyses suggest that average cortical profiles computed from T1-weighted scans acquired at 3 T indeed contain myeloarchitectural information similar to profiles computed from the scans acquired at 7 T. The proposed method therefore provides a step forward to study cortical myeloarchitecture in vivo at conventional magnetic field strength both in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Ferguson
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, HPNR A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Natalia Petridou
- Radiology Department, Imaging Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alessio Fracasso
- Radiology Department, Imaging Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584, CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, HPNR A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel M Brouwer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, HPNR A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, HPNR A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, HPNR A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René C W Mandl
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, HPNR A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584, CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- CNSR, Psykiatrisk Center Glostrup, Ndr. Ringvej 29-67, DK-2600, Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
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23
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Walhovd KB, Fjell AM, Giedd J, Dale AM, Brown TT. Through Thick and Thin: a Need to Reconcile Contradictory Results on Trajectories in Human Cortical Development. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1472-1481. [PMID: 28365755 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how brain development normally proceeds is a premise of understanding neurodevelopmental disorders. This has sparked a wealth of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. Unfortunately, they are in marked disagreement on how the cerebral cortex matures. While cortical thickness increases for the first 8-9 years of life have repeatedly been reported, others find continuous cortical thinning from early childhood, at least from age 3 or 4 years. We review these inconsistencies, and discuss possible reasons, including the use of different scanners, recording parameters and analysis tools, and possible effects of variables such as head motion. When tested on the same subsample, 2 popular thickness estimation methods (CIVET and FreeSurfer) both yielded a continuous thickness decrease from 3 years. Importantly, MRI-derived measures of cortical development are merely our best current approximations, hence the term "apparent cortical thickness" may be preferable. We recommend strategies for reaching consensus in the field, including multimodal neuroimaging to measure phenomena using different techniques, for example, the use of T1/T2 ratio, and data sharing to allow replication across analysis methods. As neurodevelopmental origins of early- and late-onset disease are increasingly recognized, resolving inconsistencies in brain maturation trajectories is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine B Walhovd
- Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M Fjell
- Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology.,Department of Neurosciences
| | - Timothy T Brown
- Department of Neurosciences.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
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24
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Teeuw J, Brouwer RM, Koenis MMG, Swagerman SC, Boomsma DI, Hulshoff Pol HE. Genetic Influences on the Development of Cerebral Cortical Thickness During Childhood and Adolescence in a Dutch Longitudinal Twin Sample: The Brainscale Study. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:978-993. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jalmar Teeuw
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 5384 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rachel M Brouwer
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 5384 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marinka M G Koenis
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 5384 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Suzanne C Swagerman
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 5384 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
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25
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Morphometry and Development: Changes in Brain Structure from Birth to Adult Age. NEUROMETHODS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7647-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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26
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Vijayakumar N, Mills KL, Alexander-Bloch A, Tamnes CK, Whittle S. Structural brain development: A review of methodological approaches and best practices. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 33:129-148. [PMID: 29221915 PMCID: PMC5963981 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Continued advances in neuroimaging technologies and statistical modelling capabilities have improved our knowledge of structural brain development in children and adolescents. While this has provided an increasingly nuanced understanding of brain development, the field is still plagued by inconsistent findings. This review highlights the methodological diversity in existing longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on structural brain development during childhood and adolescence, and addresses how such variation might contribute to inconsistencies in the literature. We discuss the impact of method choices at multiple decision points across the research process, from study design and sample selection, to image processing and statistical analysis. We also highlight the extent to which different methodological considerations have been empirically examined, drawing attention to specific areas that would benefit from future investigation. Where appropriate, we recommend certain best practices that would be beneficial for the field to adopt, including greater completeness and transparency in reporting methods, in order to ultimately develop an accurate and detailed understanding of normative child and adolescent brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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27
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Koenis MMG, Brouwer RM, Swagerman SC, van Soelen ILC, Boomsma DI, Hulshoff Pol HE. Association between structural brain network efficiency and intelligence increases during adolescence. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 39:822-836. [PMID: 29139172 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence represents an important period during which considerable changes in the brain take place, including increases in integrity of white matter bundles, and increasing efficiency of the structural brain network. A more efficient structural brain network has been associated with higher intelligence. Whether development of structural network efficiency is related to intelligence, and if so to which extent genetic and environmental influences are implicated in their association, is not known. In a longitudinal study, we mapped FA-weighted efficiency of the structural brain network in 310 twins and their older siblings at an average age of 10, 13, and 18 years. Age-trajectories of global and local FA-weighted efficiency were related to intelligence. Contributions of genes and environment were estimated using structural equation modeling. Efficiency of brain networks changed in a non-linear fashion from childhood to early adulthood, increasing between 10 and 13 years, and leveling off between 13 and 18 years. Adolescents with higher intelligence had higher global and local network efficiency. The dependency of FA-weighted global efficiency on IQ increased during adolescence (rph =0.007 at age 10; 0.23 at age 18). Global efficiency was significantly heritable during adolescence (47% at age 18). The genetic correlation between intelligence and global and local efficiency increased with age; genes explained up to 87% of the observed correlation at age 18. In conclusion, the brain's structural network differentiates depending on IQ during adolescence, and is under increasing influence of genes that are also associated with intelligence as it develops from late childhood to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinka M G Koenis
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel M Brouwer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne C Swagerman
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Inge L C van Soelen
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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28
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Brouwer RM, Panizzon MS, Glahn DC, Hibar DP, Hua X, Jahanshad N, Abramovic L, de Zubicaray GI, Franz CE, Hansell NK, Hickie IB, Koenis MMG, Martin NG, Mather KA, McMahon KL, Schnack HG, Strike LT, Swagerman SC, Thalamuthu A, Wen W, Gilmore JH, Gogtay N, Kahn RS, Sachdev PS, Wright MJ, Boomsma DI, Kremen WS, Thompson PM, Hulshoff Pol HE. Genetic influences on individual differences in longitudinal changes in global and subcortical brain volumes: Results of the ENIGMA plasticity working group. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:4444-4458. [PMID: 28580697 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural brain changes that occur during development and ageing are related to mental health and general cognitive functioning. Individuals differ in the extent to which their brain volumes change over time, but whether these differences can be attributed to differences in their genotypes has not been widely studied. Here we estimate heritability (h2 ) of changes in global and subcortical brain volumes in five longitudinal twin cohorts from across the world and in different stages of the lifespan (N = 861). Heritability estimates of brain changes were significant and ranged from 16% (caudate) to 42% (cerebellar gray matter) for all global and most subcortical volumes (with the exception of thalamus and pallidum). Heritability estimates of change rates were generally higher in adults than in children suggesting an increasing influence of genetic factors explaining individual differences in brain structural changes with age. In children, environmental influences in part explained individual differences in developmental changes in brain structure. Multivariate genetic modeling showed that genetic influences of change rates and baseline volume significantly overlapped for many structures. The genetic influences explaining individual differences in the change rate for cerebellum, cerebellar gray matter and lateral ventricles were independent of the genetic influences explaining differences in their baseline volumes. These results imply the existence of genetic variants that are specific for brain plasticity, rather than brain volume itself. Identifying these genes may increase our understanding of brain development and ageing and possibly have implications for diseases that are characterized by deviant developmental trajectories of brain structure. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4444-4458, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Brouwer
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Derrek P Hibar
- Imaging Genetics Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Xue Hua
- Imaging Genetics Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Lucija Abramovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Greig I de Zubicaray
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Narelle K Hansell
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Clinical Research Unit, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marinka M G Koenis
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Karen A Mather
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katie L McMahon
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Hugo G Schnack
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lachlan T Strike
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Suzanne C Swagerman
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anbupalam Thalamuthu
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wei Wen
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Nitin Gogtay
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Margaret J Wright
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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29
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Cairó O. Assessing Relevance of External Cognitive Measures. Front Integr Neurosci 2017; 11:3. [PMID: 28270753 PMCID: PMC5319308 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2017.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The arrival of modern brain imaging technologies has provided new opportunities for examining the biological essence of human intelligence as well as the relationship between brain size and cognition. Thanks to these advances, we can now state that the relationship between brain size and intelligence has never been well understood. This view is supported by findings showing that cognition is correlated more with brain tissues than sheer brain size. The complexity of cellular and molecular organization of neural connections actually determines the computational capacity of the brain. In this review article, we determine that while genotypes are responsible for defining the theoretical limits of intelligence, what is primarily responsible for determining whether those limits are reached or exceeded is experience (environmental influence). Therefore, we contend that the gene-environment interplay defines the intelligent quotient of an individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osvaldo Cairó
- Department of Computer Science, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) Mexico City, Mexico
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30
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Development of the Cerebral Cortex across Adolescence: A Multisample Study of Inter-Related Longitudinal Changes in Cortical Volume, Surface Area, and Thickness. J Neurosci 2017; 37:3402-3412. [PMID: 28242797 PMCID: PMC5373125 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3302-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 405] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Before we can assess and interpret how developmental changes in human brain structure relate to cognition, affect, and motivation, and how these processes are perturbed in clinical or at-risk populations, we must first precisely understand typical brain development and how changes in different structural components relate to each other. We conducted a multisample magnetic resonance imaging study to investigate the development of cortical volume, surface area, and thickness, as well as their inter-relationships, from late childhood to early adulthood (7-29 years) using four separate longitudinal samples including 388 participants and 854 total scans. These independent datasets were processed and quality-controlled using the same methods, but analyzed separately to study the replicability of the results across sample and image-acquisition characteristics. The results consistently showed widespread and regionally variable nonlinear decreases in cortical volume and thickness and comparably smaller steady decreases in surface area. Further, the dominant contributor to cortical volume reductions during adolescence was thinning. Finally, complex regional and topological patterns of associations between changes in surface area and thickness were observed. Positive relationships were seen in sulcal regions in prefrontal and temporal cortices, while negative relationships were seen mainly in gyral regions in more posterior cortices. Collectively, these results help resolve previous inconsistencies regarding the structural development of the cerebral cortex from childhood to adulthood, and provide novel insight into how changes in the different dimensions of the cortex in this period of life are inter-related.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Different measures of brain anatomy develop differently across adolescence. Their precise trajectories and how they relate to each other throughout development are important to know if we are to fully understand both typical development and disorders involving aberrant brain development. However, our understanding of such trajectories and relationships is still incomplete. To provide accurate characterizations of how different measures of cortical structure develop, we performed an MRI investigation across four independent datasets. The most profound anatomical change in the cortex during adolescence was thinning, with the largest decreases observed in the parietal lobe. There were complex regional patterns of associations between changes in surface area and thickness, with positive relationships seen in sulcal regions in prefrontal and temporal cortices, and negative relationships seen mainly in gyral regions in more posterior cortices.
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31
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Boucetta S, Salimi A, Dadar M, Jones BE, Collins DL, Dang-Vu TT. Structural Brain Alterations Associated with Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder in Parkinson's Disease. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26782. [PMID: 27245317 PMCID: PMC4887790 DOI: 10.1038/srep26782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterized by dream-enactment motor manifestations arising from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is frequently encountered in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Yet the specific neurostructural changes associated with RBD in PD patients remain to be revealed by neuroimaging. Here we identified such neurostructural alterations by comparing large samples of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in 69 PD patients with probable RBD, 240 patients without RBD and 138 healthy controls, using deformation-based morphometry (p < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons). All data were extracted from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative. PD patients with probable RBD showed smaller volumes than patients without RBD and than healthy controls in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum, medullary reticular formation, hypothalamus, thalamus, putamen, amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex. These results demonstrate that RBD is associated with a prominent loss of volume in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum, where cholinergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons are located and implicated in the promotion of REM sleep and muscle atonia. It is additionally associated with more widespread atrophy in other subcortical and cortical regions whose loss also likely contributes to the altered regulation of sleep-wake states and motor activity underlying RBD in PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soufiane Boucetta
- Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, PERFORM Center and Dpt of Exercise Science, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6 Canada.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal and Dpt of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, 4545 Chemin Queen Mary, Montréal, Québec, H3W 1W4 Canada
| | - Ali Salimi
- Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, PERFORM Center and Dpt of Exercise Science, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6 Canada.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal and Dpt of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, 4545 Chemin Queen Mary, Montréal, Québec, H3W 1W4 Canada
| | - Mahsa Dadar
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B4 Canada
| | - Barbara E Jones
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B4 Canada
| | - D Louis Collins
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B4 Canada
| | - Thien Thanh Dang-Vu
- Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, PERFORM Center and Dpt of Exercise Science, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6 Canada.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal and Dpt of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, 4545 Chemin Queen Mary, Montréal, Québec, H3W 1W4 Canada
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32
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Hedman AM, van Haren NEM, van Baal GCM, Brouwer RM, Brans RGH, Schnack HG, Kahn RS, Hulshoff Pol HE. Heritability of cortical thickness changes over time in twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2016. [PMID: 26215507 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cortical thickness and surface area changes have repeatedly been found in schizophrenia. Whether progressive loss in cortical thickness and surface area are mediated by genetic or disease related factors is unknown. Here we investigate to what extent genetic and/or environmental factors contribute to the association between change in cortical thickness and surface area and liability to develop schizophrenia. METHOD Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study over a 5-year interval. Monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia were compared with healthy control twin pairs using repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Twins discordant for schizophrenia and healthy control twins were recruited from the twin cohort at the University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands. A total of 90 individuals from 46 same sex twin pairs were included: 9 MZ and 10 DZ discordant for schizophrenia and 14 MZ and 13 (11 complete and 2 incomplete) DZ healthy twin-pairs. Age varied between 19 and 57years. RESULTS Higher genetic liability for schizophrenia was associated with progressive global thinning of the cortex, particularly of the left superior temporal cortex. Higher environmental liability for schizophrenia was associated with global attenuated thinning of the cortex, and including of the left superior temporal cortex. Cortical surface area change was heritable, but not significantly associated with higher genetic or environmental liability for schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Excessive cortical thinning, particularly of the left superior temporal cortex, may represent a genetic risk marker for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Hedman
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - G Caroline M van Baal
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel M Brouwer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel G H Brans
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo G Schnack
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, A01.126, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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33
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Koenis MMG, Brouwer RM, van den Heuvel MP, Mandl RCW, van Soelen ILC, Kahn RS, Boomsma DI, Hulshoff Pol HE. Development of the brain's structural network efficiency in early adolescence: A longitudinal DTI twin study. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:4938-53. [PMID: 26368846 PMCID: PMC6869380 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is a network and our intelligence depends in part on the efficiency of this network. The network of adolescents differs from that of adults suggesting developmental changes. However, whether the network changes over time at the individual level and, if so, how this relates to intelligence, is unresolved in adolescence. In addition, the influence of genetic factors in the developing network is not known. Therefore, in a longitudinal study of 162 healthy adolescent twins and their siblings (mean age at baseline 9.9 [range 9.0-15.0] years), we mapped local and global structural network efficiency of cerebral fiber pathways (weighted with mean FA and streamline count) and assessed intelligence over a three-year interval. We find that the efficiency of the brain's structural network is highly heritable (locally up to 74%). FA-based local and global efficiency increases during early adolescence. Streamline count based local efficiency both increases and decreases, and global efficiency reorganizes to a net decrease. Local FA-based efficiency was correlated to IQ. Moreover, increases in FA-based network efficiency (global and local) and decreases in streamline count based local efficiency are related to increases in intellectual functioning. Individual changes in intelligence and local FA-based efficiency appear to go hand in hand in frontal and temporal areas. More widespread local decreases in streamline count based efficiency (frontal cingulate and occipital) are correlated with increases in intelligence. We conclude that the teenage brain is a network in progress in which individual differences in maturation relate to level of intellectual functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinka M G Koenis
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel M Brouwer
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René C W Mandl
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Inge L C van Soelen
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
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34
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Regional Cortical Surface Area in Adolescents: A Preliminary MRI Twin Study of Genetic and Environmental Contributions. Behav Genet 2015; 46:205-16. [PMID: 26519369 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-015-9755-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Cortical surface area (CSA) has particular relevance for understanding development, behavior, and the connection between brain structure and function. Little is known about genetic and environmental determinants of CSA during development. We utilized bivariate twin methods to identify global and regionally specific genetic factors which influence CSA in a preliminary sample of typically-developing adolescents, with hypotheses based on findings in middle-aged adults. Similar to previous findings, we observed high heritability for total CSA. There was also significant evidence for genetic influences on regional CSA, particularly when these were not adjusted for total CSA, with highest heritability in frontal cortex and relatively fewer genetic contributions to medial temporal cortical structures. Adjustment for total CSA reduced regional CSA heritability dramatically, but a moderate influence of genetic factors remained in some regions. Both global and regionally-specific genetic factors influence regional CSA during adolescence.
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Ducharme S, Albaugh MD, Nguyen TV, Hudziak JJ, Mateos-Pérez JM, Labbe A, Evans AC, Karama S. Trajectories of cortical thickness maturation in normal brain development--The importance of quality control procedures. Neuroimage 2015; 125:267-279. [PMID: 26463175 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Several reports have described cortical thickness (CTh) developmental trajectories, with conflicting results. Some studies have reported inverted-U shape curves with peaks of CTh in late childhood to adolescence, while others suggested predominant monotonic decline after age 6. In this study, we reviewed CTh developmental trajectories in the NIH MRI Study of Normal Brain Development, and in a second step, evaluated the impact of post-processing quality control (QC) procedures on identified trajectories. The quality-controlled sample included 384 individual subjects with repeated scanning (1-3 per subject, total scans n=753) from 4.9 to 22.3years of age. The best-fit model (cubic, quadratic, or first-order linear) was identified at each vertex using mixed-effects models. The majority of brain regions showed linear monotonic decline of CTh. There were few areas of cubic trajectories, mostly in bilateral temporo-parietal areas and the right prefrontal cortex, in which CTh peaks were at, or prior to, age 8. When controlling for total brain volume, CTh trajectories were even more uniformly linear. The only sex difference was faster thinning of occipital areas in boys compared to girls. The best-fit model for whole brain mean thickness was a monotonic decline of 0.027mm per year. QC procedures had a significant impact on identified trajectories, with a clear shift toward more complex trajectories (i.e., quadratic or cubic) when including all scans without QC (n=954). Trajectories were almost exclusively linear when using only scans that passed the most stringent QC (n=598). The impact of QC probably relates to decreasing the inclusion of scans with CTh underestimation secondary to movement artifacts, which are more common in younger subjects. In summary, our results suggest that CTh follows a simple linear decline in most cortical areas by age 5, and all areas by age 8. This study further supports the crucial importance of implementing post-processing QC in CTh studies of development, aging, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Ducharme
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; McGill University Health Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1025 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada.
| | - Matthew D Albaugh
- Vermont Centre for Children, Youth and Families, Fletcher Allen Pediatric Psychiatry, University of Vermont, 1 South Prospect Street, Arnold, Level 3, Burlington, VT 05401, USA.
| | - Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- McGill University Health Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1025 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada; McGill University Health Centre, Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada.
| | - James J Hudziak
- Vermont Centre for Children, Youth and Families, Fletcher Allen Pediatric Psychiatry, University of Vermont, 1 South Prospect Street, Arnold, Level 3, Burlington, VT 05401, USA.
| | - J M Mateos-Pérez
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.
| | - Aurelie Labbe
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 6875 Lasalle Boulevard, Verdun, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, 6875 Lasalle Boulevard, Verdun, QC H4H 1R3, Canada.
| | - Alan C Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.
| | - Sherif Karama
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 6875 Lasalle Boulevard, Verdun, QC H4H 1R3, Canada.
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Douet V, Chang L, Cloak C, Ernst T. Genetic influences on brain developmental trajectories on neuroimaging studies: from infancy to young adulthood. Brain Imaging Behav 2015; 8:234-50. [PMID: 24077983 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-013-9260-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Human brain development has been studied intensively with neuroimaging. However, little is known about how genes influence developmental brain trajectories, even though a significant number of genes (about 10,000, or approximately one-third) in the human genome are expressed primarily in the brain and during brain development. Interestingly, in addition to showing differential expression among tissues, many genes are differentially expressed across the ages (e.g., antagonistic pleiotropy). Age-specific gene expression plays an important role in several critical events in brain development, including neuronal cell migration, synaptogenesis and neurotransmitter receptor specificity, as well as in aging and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). In addition, the majority of psychiatric and mental disorders are polygenic, and many have onsets during childhood and adolescence. In this review, we summarize the major findings from neuroimaging studies that link genetics with brain development, from infancy to young adulthood. Specifically, we focus on the heritability of brain structures across the ages, age-related genetic influences on brain development and sex-specific developmental trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Douet
- Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA,
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Robertson FC, Narr KL, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Meintjes EM. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure is Associated with Regionally Thinner Cortex During the Preadolescent Period. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:3083-95. [PMID: 26088967 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) may exhibit craniofacial dysmorphology, neurobehavioral deficits, and reduced brain volume. Studies of cortical thickness in FASD have yielded contradictory findings, with 3 reporting thicker cerebral cortex in frontal and temporal brain regions and 2 showing thinner cortex across multiple regions. All 5 studies included subjects spanning a broad age range, and none have examined continuous measures of prenatal alcohol exposure. We investigated the relation of extent of in utero alcohol exposure to cortical thickness in 78 preadolescent children with FASD and controls within a narrow age range. A whole-brain analysis using FreeSurfer revealed no significant clusters where cortical thickness differed by FASD diagnostic group. However, alcohol dose/occasion during pregnancy was inversely related to cortical thickness in 3 regions-right cuneus/pericalcarine/superior parietal lobe, fusiform/lingual gyrus, and supramarginal/postcentral gyrus. The effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on IQ was mediated by cortical thickness in the right occipitotemporal region. It is noteworthy that a continuous measure of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy was more sensitive than FASD diagnosis and that the effect on cortical thickness was most evident in relation to a measure of maternal binge drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances C Robertson
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences
| | - Katherine L Narr
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences
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Mills KL. Effects of Internet use on the adolescent brain: despite popular claims, experimental evidence remains scarce. Trends Cogn Sci 2015; 18:385-7. [PMID: 25064168 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2014.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Revised: 04/06/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Twenty-five years have passed since the invention of the World Wide Web changed society by allowing unfettered access to the Internet. How this technological revolution has affected brain development continues to be an open question. There is particular concern about how Internet use is affecting the brains of adolescents. This Forum article discusses the possible effects of the Internet, as well as the behaviors and capabilities associated with its use, on the adolescent brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L Mills
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK; Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Strike LT, Couvy-Duchesne B, Hansell NK, Cuellar-Partida G, Medland SE, Wright MJ. Genetics and Brain Morphology. Neuropsychol Rev 2015; 25:63-96. [DOI: 10.1007/s11065-015-9281-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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What twin studies tell us about the heritability of brain development, morphology, and function: a review. Neuropsychol Rev 2015; 25:27-46. [PMID: 25672928 PMCID: PMC4412550 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-015-9278-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of brain structure and function shows large inter-individual variation. The extent to which this variation is due to genetic or environmental influences has been investigated in twin studies using structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The current review presents an overview of twin studies using MRI in children, adults and elderly, and focuses on cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. The majority of the investigated brain measures are heritable to a large extent (60–80 %), although spatial differences in heritability are observed as well. Cross-sectional studies suggest that heritability estimates slightly increase from childhood to adulthood. Long-term longitudinal studies are better suited to study developmental changes in heritability, but these studies are limited. Results so far suggest that the heritability of change over time is relatively low or absent, but more studies are needed to confirm these findings. Compared to brain structure, twin studies of brain function are scarce, and show much lower heritability estimates (~40 %). The insights from heritability studies aid our understanding of individual differences in brain structure and function. With the recent start of large genetic MRI consortia, the chance of finding genes that explain the heritability of brain morphology increases. Gene identification may provide insight in biological mechanisms involved in brain processes, which in turn will learn us more about healthy and disturbed brain functioning.
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Longitudinal development of hormone levels and grey matter density in 9 and 12-year-old twins. Behav Genet 2015; 45:313-23. [PMID: 25656383 PMCID: PMC4422848 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-015-9708-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Puberty is characterized by major changes in hormone levels and structural changes in the brain. To what extent these changes are associated and to what extent genes or environmental influences drive such an association is not clear. We acquired circulating levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol and testosterone and magnetic resonance images of the brain from 190 twins at age 9 [9.2 (0.11) years; 99 females/91 males]. This protocol was repeated at age 12 [12.1 (0.26) years] in 125 of these children (59 females/66 males). Using voxel-based morphometry, we tested whether circulating hormone levels are associated with grey matter density in boys and girls in a longitudinal, genetically informative design. In girls, changes in FSH level between the age of 9 and 12 positively associated with changes in grey matter density in areas covering the left hippocampus, left (pre)frontal areas, right cerebellum, and left anterior cingulate and precuneus. This association was mainly driven by environmental factors unique to the individual (i.e. the non-shared environment). In 12-year-old girls, a higher level of circulating estradiol levels was associated with lower grey matter density in frontal and parietal areas. This association was driven by environmental factors shared among the members of a twin pair. These findings show a pattern of physical and brain development going hand in hand.
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42
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Accelerated longitudinal cortical thinning in adolescence. Neuroimage 2015; 104:138-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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Swagerman SC, Brouwer RM, de Geus EJC, Hulshoff Pol HE, Boomsma DI. Development and heritability of subcortical brain volumes at ages 9 and 12. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2014; 13:733-42. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. C. Swagerman
- Department of Biological Psychology; VU University Amsterdam; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - R. M. Brouwer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry; University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - E. J. C. de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology; VU University Amsterdam; Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Emgo Institute for Health and Care Research; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - H. E. Hulshoff Pol
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry; University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - D. I. Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology; VU University Amsterdam; Amsterdam The Netherlands
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Bohlken MM, Mandl RCW, Brouwer RM, van den Heuvel MP, Hedman AM, Kahn RS, Hulshoff Pol HE. Heritability of structural brain network topology: a DTI study of 156 twins. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:5295-305. [PMID: 24845163 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual variation in structural brain network topology has been associated with heritable behavioral phenotypes such as intelligence and schizophrenia, making it a candidate endophenotype. However, little is known about the genetic influences on individual variation in structural brain network topology. Moreover, the extent to which structural brain network topology overlaps with heritability for integrity and volume of white matter remains unknown. In this study, structural network topology was examined using diffusion tensor imaging at 3T. Binary connections between 82 structurally defined brain regions per subject were traced, allowing for estimation of individual topological network properties. Heritability of normalized characteristic path length (λ), normalized clustering coefficient (γ), microstructural integrity (FA), and volume of the white matter were estimated using a twin design, including 156 adult twins from the newly acquired U-TWIN cohort. Both γ and λ were estimated to be under substantial genetic influence. The heritability of γ was estimated to be 68%, the heritability estimate for λ was estimated to be 57%. Genetic influences on network measures were found to be partly overlapping with volumetric and microstructural properties of white matter, but the largest component of genetic variance was unique to both network traits. Normalized clustering coefficient and normalized characteristic path length are substantially heritable, and influenced by independent genetic factors that are largely unique to network measures, but partly also implicated in white matter directionality and volume. Thus, network measures provide information about genetic influence on brain structure, independent of global white matter characteristics such as volume and microstructural directionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc M Bohlken
- University Medical Center Utrecht-Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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45
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Brouwer RM, Hedman AM, van Haren NEM, Schnack HG, Brans RGH, Smit DJA, Kahn RS, Boomsma DI, Hulshoff Pol HE. Heritability of brain volume change and its relation to intelligence. Neuroimage 2014; 100:676-83. [PMID: 24816534 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.04.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human brain volumes change throughout life, are highly heritable, and have been associated with general cognitive functioning. Cross-sectionally, this association between volume and cognition can largely be attributed to the same genes influencing both traits. We address the question whether longitudinal changes in brain volume or in surface area in young adults are under genetic control and whether these changes are also related to general cognitive functioning. We measured change in brain volume and surface area over a 5-year interval in 176 monozygotic and dizygotic twins and their non-twin siblings aged 19 to 56, using magnetic resonance imaging. Results show that changes in volumes of total brain (mean = -6.4 ml; 0.5% loss), cerebellum (1.4 ml, 1.0% increase), cerebral white matter (4.4 ml, 0.9% increase), lateral ventricles (0.6 ml; 4.8% increase) and in surface area (-19.7 cm(2),1.1% contraction) are heritable (h(2) = 43%; 52%; 29%; 31%; and 33%, respectively). An association between IQ (available for 91 participants) and brain volume change was observed, which was attributed to genes involved in both the variation in change in brain volume and in intelligence. Thus, dynamic changes in brain structure are heritable and may have cognitive significance in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Brouwer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Anna M Hedman
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo G Schnack
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel G H Brans
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J A Smit
- Department of Biological Psychology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Neuroscience Campus, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rene S Kahn
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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The dynamic role of genetics on cortical patterning during childhood and adolescence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:6774-9. [PMID: 24753564 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1311630111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal imaging and quantitative genetic studies have both provided important insights into the nature of human brain development. In the present study we combine these modalities to obtain dynamic anatomical maps of the genetic contributions to cortical thickness through childhood and adolescence. A total of 1,748 anatomic MRI scans from 792 healthy twins and siblings were studied with up to eight time points per subject. Using genetically informative latent growth curve modeling of 81,924 measures of cortical thickness, changes in the genetic contributions to cortical development could be visualized across the age range at high resolution. There was highly statistically significant (P < 0.0001) genetic variance throughout the majority of the cerebral cortex, with the regions of highest heritability including the most evolutionarily novel regions of the brain. Dynamic modeling of changes in heritability over time demonstrated that the heritability of cortical thickness increases gradually throughout late childhood and adolescence, with sequential emergence of three large regions of high heritability in the temporal poles, the inferior parietal lobes, and the superior and dorsolateral frontal cortices.
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Treit S, Zhou D, Lebel C, Rasmussen C, Andrew G, Beaulieu C. Longitudinal MRI reveals impaired cortical thinning in children and adolescents prenatally exposed to alcohol. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:4892-903. [PMID: 24700453 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2013] [Revised: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain imaging studies suggest that cortical thickness decreases during childhood and adolescence, in concert with underlying structural and synaptic changes required for cognitive maturation and regional specialization of function. Abnormalities of this protracted developmental process may provide key insights into the cognitive and behavioral deficits that emerge in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Several studies have demonstrated cortical thickness differences in children and adolescents who were prenatally exposed to alcohol, though all have been cross sectional, limiting conclusions about cortical development with age. In this study, we analyze serially collected T1 -weighted MRI from 11 children with FASD and 21 controls, scanned twice each ∼2 to 4 years apart. Mixed-models analysis of cortical thickness measurements revealed age-by-group interactions in cortical thinning, with FASD participants undergoing less developmental thinning than controls across many regions of the cortex, particularly in medial frontal and parietal areas. These results provide further longitudinal evidence in humans that prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with altered patterns of brain development that persist during childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Treit
- Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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48
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Vuoksimaa E, Panizzon MS, Chen CH, Fiecas M, Eyler LT, Fennema-Notestine C, Hagler DJ, Fischl B, Franz CE, Jak A, Lyons MJ, Neale MC, Rinker DA, Thompson WK, Tsuang MT, Dale AM, Kremen WS. The Genetic Association Between Neocortical Volume and General Cognitive Ability Is Driven by Global Surface Area Rather Than Thickness. Cereb Cortex 2014; 25:2127-37. [PMID: 24554725 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Total gray matter volume is associated with general cognitive ability (GCA), an association mediated by genetic factors. It is expectable that total neocortical volume should be similarly associated with GCA. Neocortical volume is the product of thickness and surface area, but global thickness and surface area are unrelated phenotypically and genetically in humans. The nature of the genetic association between GCA and either of these 2 cortical dimensions has not been examined. Humans possess greater cognitive capacity than other species, and surface area increases appear to be the primary driver of the increased size of the human cortex. Thus, we expected neocortical surface area to be more strongly associated with cognition than thickness. Using multivariate genetic analysis in 515 middle-aged twins, we demonstrated that both the phenotypic and genetic associations between neocortical volume and GCA are driven primarily by surface area rather than thickness. Results were generally similar for each of 4 specific cognitive abilities that comprised the GCA measure. Our results suggest that emphasis on neocortical surface area, rather than thickness, could be more fruitful for elucidating neocortical-GCA associations and identifying specific genes underlying those associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eero Vuoksimaa
- Department of Psychiatry Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory
| | - Chi-Hua Chen
- Department of Psychiatry Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory
| | - Mark Fiecas
- Department of Psychiatry Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Bruce Fischl
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Computer Science and AI Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory
| | - Amy Jak
- Department of Psychiatry Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael C Neale
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | | | | | - Ming T Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology and Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry Center for Behavioral Genomics Twin Research Laboratory Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
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49
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Fjell AM, McEvoy L, Holland D, Dale AM, Walhovd KB. What is normal in normal aging? Effects of aging, amyloid and Alzheimer's disease on the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus. Prog Neurobiol 2014; 117:20-40. [PMID: 24548606 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 497] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
What can be expected in normal aging, and where does normal aging stop and pathological neurodegeneration begin? With the slow progression of age-related dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is difficult to distinguish age-related changes from effects of undetected disease. We review recent research on changes of the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus in aging and the borders between normal aging and AD. We argue that prominent cortical reductions are evident in fronto-temporal regions in elderly even with low probability of AD, including regions overlapping the default mode network. Importantly, these regions show high levels of amyloid deposition in AD, and are both structurally and functionally vulnerable early in the disease. This normalcy-pathology homology is critical to understand, since aging itself is the major risk factor for sporadic AD. Thus, rather than necessarily reflecting early signs of disease, these changes may be part of normal aging, and may inform on why the aging brain is so much more susceptible to AD than is the younger brain. We suggest that regions characterized by a high degree of life-long plasticity are vulnerable to detrimental effects of normal aging, and that this age-vulnerability renders them more susceptible to additional, pathological AD-related changes. We conclude that it will be difficult to understand AD without understanding why it preferably affects older brains, and that we need a model that accounts for age-related changes in AD-vulnerable regions independently of AD-pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders M Fjell
- Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway.
| | - Linda McEvoy
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Dominic Holland
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Anders M Dale
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
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Vijayakumar N, Whittle S, Yücel M, Dennison M, Simmons J, Allen NB. Thinning of the lateral prefrontal cortex during adolescence predicts emotion regulation in females. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 9:1845-54. [PMID: 24532701 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a crucial period for the development of adaptive emotion regulation strategies. Despite the fact that structural maturation of the prefrontal cortex during adolescence is often assumed to underlie the maturation of emotion regulation strategies, no longitudinal studies have directly assessed this relationship. This study examined whether use of cognitive reappraisal strategies during late adolescence was predicted by (i) absolute prefrontal cortical thickness during early adolescence and (ii) structural maturation of the prefrontal cortex between early and mid-adolescence. Ninety-two adolescents underwent baseline and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging scans when they were aged approximately 12 and 16 years, respectively. FreeSurfer software was used to obtain cortical thickness estimates for three prefrontal regions [anterior cingulate cortex; dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC); ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC)]. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was completed when adolescents were aged approximately 19 years. Results showed that greater cortical thinning of the left dlPFC and left vlPFC during adolescence was significantly associated with greater use of cognitive reappraisal in females, though no such relationship was evident in males. Furthermore, baseline left dlPFC thickness predicted cognitive reappraisal at trend level. These findings suggest that cortical maturation may play a role in the development of adaptive emotion regulation strategies during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Vijayakumar
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Meg Dennison
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Julian Simmons
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia, and Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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