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Arichi T. Characterizing Large-Scale Human Circuit Development with In Vivo Neuroimaging. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2024; 16:a041496. [PMID: 38438187 PMCID: PMC11146311 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Large-scale coordinated patterns of neural activity are crucial for the integration of information in the human brain and to enable complex and flexible human behavior across the life span. Through recent advances in noninvasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods, it is now possible to study this activity and how it emerges in the living fetal brain across the second half of human gestation. This work has demonstrated that functional activity in the fetal brain has several features in keeping with highly organized networks of activity, which are undergoing a highly programmed and rapid sequence of development before birth, in which long-range connections emerge and core features of the mature functional connectome (such as hub regions and a gradient organization) are established. In this review, the findings of these studies are summarized, their relationship to the known changes in developmental neurobiology is considered, and considerations for future work in the context of limitations to the fMRI approach are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- Children's Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
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2
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Feng Z, Zhou R, Xia W, Wang S, Liu Y, Huang Z, Gan H. PDFF-CNN: An attention-guided dynamic multi-orientation feature fusion method for gestational age prediction on imbalanced fetal brain MRI dataset. Med Phys 2024; 51:3480-3494. [PMID: 38043088 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based gestational age prediction has been widely used to characterize normal fetal brain development and diagnose congenital brain malformations. PURPOSE The uncertainty of fetal position and external interference leads to variable localization and direction of the fetal brain. In addition, pregnant women typically concentrate on receiving MRI scans during the fetal anomaly scanning week, leading to an imbalanced distribution of fetal brain MRI data. The above-mentioned problems pose great challenges for deep learning-based fetal brain MRI gestational age prediction. METHODS In this study, a pyramid squeeze attention (PSA)-guided dynamic feature fusion CNN (PDFF-CNN) is proposed to robustly predict gestational ages from fetal brain MRI images on an imbalanced dataset. PDFF-CNN contains four components: transformation module, feature extraction module, dynamic feature fusion module, and balanced mean square error (MSE) loss. The transformation and feature extraction modules are employed by using the PSA to learn multiscale and multi-orientation feature representations in a parallel weight-sharing Siamese network. The dynamic feature fusion module automatically learns the weights of feature vectors generated in the feature extraction module to dynamically fuse multiscale and multi-orientation brain sulci and gyri features. Considering the fact of the imbalanced dataset, the balanced MSE loss is used to mitigate the negative impact of imbalanced data distribution on gestational age prediction performance. RESULTS Evaluated on an imbalanced fetal brain MRI dataset of 1327 routine clinical T2-weighted MRI images from 157 subjects, PDFF-CNN achieved promising gestational age prediction performance with an overall mean absolute error of 0.848 weeks and anR 2 $R^2$ of 0.904. Furthermore, the attention activation maps of PDFF-CNN were derived, which revealed regional features that contributed to gestational age prediction at each gestational stage. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the proposed PDFF-CNN might have broad clinical applicability in guiding treatment interventions and delivery planning, which has the potential to be helpful with prenatal diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziteng Feng
- School of Computer Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ran Zhou
- School of Computer Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Siru Wang
- School of Computer Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Computer Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongwei Huang
- School of Computer Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haitao Gan
- School of Computer Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
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Di Carlo DT, Filice ME, Fava A, Quilici F, Fuochi B, Cecchi P, Donatelli G, Restani L, Nardini V, Turillazzi E, Cosottini M, Perrini P. Development of associational fiber tracts in fetal human brain: a cadaveric laboratory investigation. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:2007-2015. [PMID: 37658857 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02701-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The advent of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in addition to cadaveric brain dissection allowed a comprehensive description of an adult human brain. Nonetheless, the knowledge of the development of the internal architecture of the brain is mostly incomplete. Our study aimed to provide a description of the anatomical variations of the major associational bundles, among fetal and early post-natal periods. Seventeen formalin-fixed fetal human brains were enrolled for sulci analysis, and 13 specimens were dissected under the operating microscope, using Klingler's technique. Although fronto-temporal connections could be observed in all stages of development, a distinction between the uncinate fascicle, and the inferior fronto-occipital fascicle was clear starting from the early preterm period (25-35 post-conceptional week). Similarly, we were consistently able to isolate the periatrial white matter that forms the sagittal stratum (SS), with no clear distinction among SS layers. Arcuate fascicle and superior longitudinal fascicle were isolated only at the late stage of development without a reliable description of their entire course. The results of our study demonstrated that, although white matter is mostly unmyelinated among fetal human brains, cadaveric dissection can be performed with consistent results. Furthermore, the stepwise development of the associational fiber tracts strengthens the hypothesis that anatomy and function run in parallel, and higher is the cognitive functions subserved by an anatomical structure, later the development of the fascicle. Further histological-anatomical-DWI investigations are required to appraise and explore this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Tiziano Di Carlo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Via Paradisa 2, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Maria Elena Filice
- Department of Pathology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Pisa, Italy
| | - Arianna Fava
- Department of Neurosurgery, IRCSS Neuromed, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Francesca Quilici
- Department of Pathology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Pisa, Italy
| | - Beatrice Fuochi
- Department of Pathology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Cecchi
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Laura Restani
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Nardini
- Department of Pathology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP), Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Mirco Cosottini
- Department of Neuroradiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Perrini
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Charvet CJ. Mapping Human Brain Pathways: Challenges and Opportunities in the Integration of Scales. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2023; 98:194-209. [PMID: 36972574 DOI: 10.1159/000530317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The human brain is composed of a complex web of pathways. Diffusion magnetic resonance (MR) tractography is a neuroimaging technique that relies on the principle of diffusion to reconstruct brain pathways. Its tractography is broadly applicable to a range of problems as it is amenable for study in individuals of any age and from any species. However, it is well known that this technique can generate biologically implausible pathways, especially in regions of the brain where multiple fibers cross. This review highlights potential misconnections in two cortico-cortical association pathways with a focus on the aslant tract and inferior frontal occipital fasciculus. The lack of alternative methods to validate observations from diffusion MR tractography means there is a need to develop new integrative approaches to trace human brain pathways. This review discusses integrative approaches in neuroimaging, anatomical, and transcriptional variation as having much potential to trace the evolution of human brain pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine J Charvet
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
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Calixto C, Machado‐Rivas F, Karimi D, Cortes‐Albornoz MC, Acosta‐Buitrago LM, Gallo‐Bernal S, Afacan O, Warfield SK, Gholipour A, Jaimes C. Detailed anatomic segmentations of a fetal brain diffusion tensor imaging atlas between 23 and 30 weeks of gestation. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:1593-1602. [PMID: 36421003 PMCID: PMC9921217 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26160] [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: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This work presents detailed anatomic labels for a spatiotemporal atlas of fetal brain Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) between 23 and 30 weeks of post-conceptional age. Additionally, we examined developmental trajectories in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) across gestational ages (GA). We performed manual segmentations on a fetal brain DTI atlas. We labeled 14 regions of interest (ROIs): cortical plate (CP), subplate (SP), Intermediate zone-subventricular zone-ventricular zone (IZ/SVZ/VZ), Ganglionic Eminence (GE), anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule (ALIC, PLIC), genu (GCC), body (BCC), and splenium (SCC) of the corpus callosum (CC), hippocampus, lentiform Nucleus, thalamus, brainstem, and cerebellum. A series of linear regressions were used to assess GA as a predictor of FA and MD for each ROI. The combination of MD and FA allowed the identification of all ROIs. Increasing GA was significantly associated with decreasing FA in the CP, SP, IZ/SVZ/IZ, GE, ALIC, hippocampus, and BCC (p < .03, for all), and with increasing FA in the PLIC and SCC (p < .002, for both). Increasing GA was significantly associated with increasing MD in the CP, SP, IZ/SVZ/IZ, GE, ALIC, and CC (p < .03, for all). We developed a set of expert-annotated labels for a DTI spatiotemporal atlas of the fetal brain and presented a pilot analysis of developmental changes in cerebral microstructure between 23 and 30 weeks of GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Calixto
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Fedel Machado‐Rivas
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Davood Karimi
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Maria C. Cortes‐Albornoz
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Sebastian Gallo‐Bernal
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Massachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Onur Afacan
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Simon K. Warfield
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ali Gholipour
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Camilo Jaimes
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of RadiologyBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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Wang J, Han J, Li L, Wang L, Wu Q. Retrospective analysis of 2054 cases from 24 hospitals underwent ultrasonic consultation in a tertiary prenatal diagnosis center in Beijing, China. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND : JCU 2023; 51:66-71. [PMID: 35905030 DOI: 10.1002/jcu.23282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the practices of prenatal ultrasound consultation in a region of the China and to describe the rate of concordance between the suspected anomaly and the final diagnosis of the referral examination. METHODS Retrospective study with all cases referred from 24 hospitals (Beijing, China) to a tertiary prenatal diagnosis center for ultrasonic consultation in 2018. The concordance between the suspected ultrasonic signs of fetal abnormalities of the referrer and the ultrasonic consultation results were evaluated and divided into full concordance, partial concordance, and discordance. RESULTS From 1938 patients with suspected ultrasonic signs, 2054 ultrasound consultation records were obtained. The most frequent anomalies for consultation in the first trimester (348, 91.3%) were cystic hygroma (CH), nuchal translucency (NT), or nuchal fold (NF) thickening, followed by signs of brain abnormalities in the second (173, 22.4%) and the third (182, 34.1%) trimester. The discordant rates of the first single signs were 19.8% for the first trimester, 41.6% for the second trimester, and 37.4% for the third trimester, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that the discordance of the first single signs was relatively low in the first trimester and higher in the second and third trimesters. The number of sonographers could be increased to ensure timeliness, strengthen training for those with poor concordance rates by referring to appropriate guidelines, and reduce ultrasonic consultation for those with high consistency after further research to save medical resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Han
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qingqing Wu
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
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Spatiotemporal Atlas of the Fetal Brain Depicts Cortical Developmental Gradient. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9435-9449. [PMID: 36323525 PMCID: PMC9794379 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1285-22.2022] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The fetal brains experience rapid and complex development in utero during the second and third trimesters. In utero MRI of the fetal brain in this period enables us to quantify normal fetal brain development in the spatiotemporal domain. In this study, we established a high-quality spatiotemporal atlas between 23 and 38 weeks gestational age (GA) from 90 healthy Chinese human fetuses of both sexes using a pairwise and groupwise registration pipeline. We quantified the fetal cortical morphology indices and characterized their spatiotemporal developmental pattern. The cortical thickness exhibited a biphasic pattern that first increased and then decreased; the curvature fitted well into the Gompertz growth model; sulcal depth increased linearly, while surface area expanded exponentially. The cortical thickness and curvature trajectories consistently pointed to a characteristic time point around GA of 31 weeks. The characteristic GA and growth rate obtained from individual cortical regions suggested a central-to-peripheral developmental gradient, with the earliest development in the parietal lobe, and we also observed a superior-to-inferior gradient within the temporal lobe. These findings may be linked to biophysical events, such as dendritic arborization and thalamocortical fibers ingrowth. The proposed atlas was also compared with an existing fetal atlas from a white/mixed population. Finally, we examined the structural asymmetry of the fetal brains and found extensive asymmetry that dynamically changed with development. The current study depicted a comprehensive profile of fetal cortical development, and the established atlas could be used as a normative reference for neurodevelopmental and diagnostic purposes, especially in the Chinese population.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We generated a high-quality 4D spatiotemporal atlas of the normal fetal brain development from 23 to 38 gestational weeks in a Chinese population and characterized the spatiotemporal developmental pattern of cortical morphology. According to the cortical development trajectories, the fetal cerebral cortex development follows a central-to-peripheral developmental gradient that may be related to the underlying cellular events. The majority of cortical regions already exhibit significant asymmetry during the fetal period.
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Tsujimura K, Shiohama T, Takahashi E. microRNA Biology on Brain Development and Neuroimaging Approach. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101366. [PMID: 36291300 PMCID: PMC9599180 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper brain development requires the precise coordination and orchestration of various molecular and cellular processes and dysregulation of these processes can lead to neurological diseases. In the past decades, post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression has been shown to contribute to various aspects of brain development and function in the central nervous system. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), short non-coding RNAs, are emerging as crucial players in post-transcriptional gene regulation in a variety of tissues, such as the nervous system. In recent years, miRNAs have been implicated in multiple aspects of brain development, including neurogenesis, migration, axon and dendrite formation, and synaptogenesis. Moreover, altered expression and dysregulation of miRNAs have been linked to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging technology to obtain high-quality, detailed structural and functional information from the brains of human and animal models in a non-invasive manner. Because the spatial expression patterns of miRNAs in the brain, unlike those of DNA and RNA, remain largely unknown, a whole-brain imaging approach using MRI may be useful in revealing biological and pathological information about the brain affected by miRNAs. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in the research of miRNA-mediated modulation of neuronal processes that are important for brain development and their involvement in disease pathogenesis. Also, we overview each MRI technique, and its technological considerations, and discuss the applications of MRI techniques in miRNA research. This review aims to link miRNA biological study with MRI analytical technology and deepen our understanding of how miRNAs impact brain development and pathology of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Tsujimura
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Group of Brain Function and Development, Nagoya University Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya 4648602, Japan
- Research Unit for Developmental Disorders, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648602, Japan
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (E.T.)
| | - Tadashi Shiohama
- Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba 2608677, Japan
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (E.T.)
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9
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Shiohama T, Stewart N, Nangaku M, van der Kouwe AJ, Takahashi E. Identification of association fibers using ex vivo diffusion tractography in Alexander disease brains. J Neuroimaging 2022; 32:866-874. [PMID: 35983725 PMCID: PMC9474676 DOI: 10.1111/jon.13040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Alexander disease (AxD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by heterozygous Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein mutation. The characteristic structural findings of AxD, such as leukodystrophic features, are well known, while association fibers of AxD remain uninvestigated. The aim of this study was to explore global and subcortical fibers in four brains with AxD using ex vivo diffusion tractography METHODS: High-angular-resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (HARDI) tractography and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) tractography were used to evaluate long and short association fibers and compared to histological findings in brain specimens obtained from four donors with AxD and two donors without neurological disorders RESULTS: AxD brains showed impairment of long association fibers, except for the arcuate fasciculus and cingulum bundle, and abnormal trajectories of the inferior longitudinal and fronto-occipital fasciculi on HARDI tractography and loss of multidirectionality in subcortical fibers on DTI tractography. In histological studies, AxD brains showed diffuse low density on Klüver-Barrera and neurofilament staining and sporadic Rosenthal fibers on hematoxylin and eosin staining CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the spatial distribution of degenerations of short and long association fibers in AxD brains using combined tractography and pathological findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Shiohama
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Natalie Stewart
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Andre J.W. van der Kouwe
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02144, USA
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Casingal CR, Descant KD, Anton ES. Coordinating cerebral cortical construction and connectivity: Unifying influence of radial progenitors. Neuron 2022; 110:1100-1115. [PMID: 35216663 PMCID: PMC8989671 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Radial progenitor development and function lay the foundation for the construction of the cerebral cortex. Radial glial scaffold, through its functions as a source of neurogenic progenitors and neuronal migration guide, is thought to provide a template for the formation of the cerebral cortex. Emerging evidence is challenging this limited view. Intriguingly, radial glial scaffold may also play a role in axonal growth, guidance, and neuronal connectivity. Radial glial cells not only facilitate the generation, placement, and allocation of neurons in the cortex but also regulate how they wire up. The organization and function of radial glial cells may thus be a unifying feature of the developing cortex that helps to precisely coordinate the right patterns of neurogenesis, neuronal placement, and connectivity necessary for the emergence of a functional cerebral cortex. This perspective critically explores this emerging view and its impact in the context of human brain development and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristine R Casingal
- UNC Neuroscience Center, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Katherine D Descant
- UNC Neuroscience Center, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - E S Anton
- UNC Neuroscience Center, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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11
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Shiohama T, Tsujimura K. Quantitative Structural Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analyses: Methodological Overview and Application to Rett Syndrome. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:835964. [PMID: 35450016 PMCID: PMC9016334 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.835964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital genetic disorders often present with neurological manifestations such as neurodevelopmental disorders, motor developmental retardation, epilepsy, and involuntary movement. Through qualitative morphometric evaluation of neuroimaging studies, remarkable structural abnormalities, such as lissencephaly, polymicrogyria, white matter lesions, and cortical tubers, have been identified in these disorders, while no structural abnormalities were identified in clinical settings in a large population. Recent advances in data analysis programs have led to significant progress in the quantitative analysis of anatomical structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted MRI tractography, and these approaches have been used to investigate psychological and congenital genetic disorders. Evaluation of morphometric brain characteristics may contribute to the identification of neuroimaging biomarkers for early diagnosis and response evaluation in patients with congenital genetic diseases. This mini-review focuses on the methodologies and attempts employed to study Rett syndrome using quantitative structural brain MRI analyses, including voxel- and surface-based morphometry and diffusion-weighted MRI tractography. The mini-review aims to deepen our understanding of how neuroimaging studies are used to examine congenital genetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Shiohama
- Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan
- *Correspondence: Tadashi Shiohama,
| | - Keita Tsujimura
- Group of Brain Function and Development, Nagoya University Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya, Japan
- Research Unit for Developmental Disorders, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
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12
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Namiranian R, Rahimi Malakshan S, Abrishami Moghaddam H, Khadem A, Jafari R. Normal development of the brain: a survey of joint structural-functional brain studies. Rev Neurosci 2022; 33:745-765. [PMID: 35304982 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0017] [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: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Joint structural-functional (S-F) developmental studies present a novel approach to address the complex neuroscience questions on how the human brain works and how it matures. Joint S-F biomarkers have the inherent potential to model effectively the brain's maturation, fill the information gap in temporal brain atlases, and demonstrate how the brain's performance matures during the lifespan. This review presents the current state of knowledge on heterochronous and heterogeneous development of S-F links during the maturation period. The S-F relationship has been investigated in early-matured unimodal and prolonged-matured transmodal regions of the brain using a variety of structural and functional biomarkers and data acquisition modalities. Joint S-F unimodal studies have employed auditory and visual stimuli, while the main focus of joint S-F transmodal studies has been resting-state and cognitive experiments. However, nonsignificant associations between some structural and functional biomarkers and their maturation show that designing and developing effective S-F biomarkers is still a challenge in the field. Maturational characteristics of brain asymmetries have been poorly investigated by the joint S-F studies, and the results were partially inconsistent with previous nonjoint ones. The inherent complexity of the brain performance can be modeled using multifactorial and nonlinear techniques as promising methods to simulate the impact of age on S-F relations considering their analysis challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Namiranian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Sahar Rahimi Malakshan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Hamid Abrishami Moghaddam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran.,Inserm UMR 1105, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80054 Amiens, France
| | - Ali Khadem
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Reza Jafari
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Thompson Engineering Building, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
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13
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Machado-Rivas F, Afacan O, Khan S, Marami B, Velasco-Annis C, Lidov H, Warfield SK, Gholipour A, Jaimes C. Spatiotemporal changes in diffusivity and anisotropy in fetal brain tractography. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:5771-5784. [PMID: 34487404 PMCID: PMC8559496 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Population averaged diffusion atlases can be utilized to characterize complex microstructural changes with less bias than data from individual subjects. In this study, a fetal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) atlas was used to investigate tract-based changes in anisotropy and diffusivity in vivo from 23 to 38 weeks of gestational age (GA). Healthy pregnant volunteers with typically developing fetuses were imaged at 3 T. Acquisition included structural images processed with a super-resolution algorithm and DTI images processed with a motion-tracked slice-to-volume registration algorithm. The DTI from individual subjects were used to generate 16 templates, each specific to a week of GA; this was accomplished by means of a tensor-to-tensor diffeomorphic deformable registration method integrated with kernel regression in age. Deterministic tractography was performed to outline the forceps major, forceps minor, bilateral corticospinal tracts (CST), bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and bilateral uncinate fasciculus (UF). The mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) was recorded for all tracts. For a subset of tracts (forceps major, CST, and IFOF) we manually divided the tractograms into anatomy conforming segments to evaluate within-tract changes. We found tract-specific, nonlinear, age related changes in FA and MD. Early in gestation, these trends appear to be dominated by cytoarchitectonic changes in the transient white matter fetal zones while later in gestation, trends conforming to the progression of myelination were observed. We also observed significant (local) heterogeneity in within-tract developmental trajectories for the CST, IFOF, and forceps major.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fedel Machado-Rivas
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Onur Afacan
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shadab Khan
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bahram Marami
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Clemente Velasco-Annis
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hart Lidov
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Simon K Warfield
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ali Gholipour
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Camilo Jaimes
- Computational Radiology Laboratory (CRL), Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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14
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Single-direction diffusion-weighted imaging may be a simple complementary sequence for evaluating fetal corpus callosum. Eur Radiol 2021; 32:1135-1143. [PMID: 34331117 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-021-08176-2] [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: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To explore the feasibility of single-direction diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for assessing the fetal corpus callosum (CC). METHODS This prospective study included 67 fetuses with normal CC and 35 fetuses suspected with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). The MR protocols included HASTE, TrueFISP, and single-direction DWI. Two radiologists independently evaluated the optimal visibility and the contrast ratio (CR) of the normal fetal CC. The Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the proportions of "good" visibility (score ≥ 3, and the CC was almost/entirely visible) between single-direction DWI and HASTE/TrueFISP. The CR difference between single-direction DWI and HASTE/TrueFISP was detected using the paired t-test. The diagnostic accuracies were determined by comparison with postnatal imaging. In fetuses suspected of ACC, we measured and compared the length and area of the mid-sagittal CC in the single-direction DWI images. RESULTS The proportion of "good" visibility in single-direction DWI was higher than that in HASTE/TrueFISP, with p < 0.0001. The mean CR from single-direction DWI was also higher than that of TrueFISP and HASTE (both with p < 0.0001). The diagnostic accuracy of the single-direction DWI combined with HASTE/TrueFisp (97.1%, 34/35) was higher than that of the Haste/TrueFISP (74.3%, 26/35) (p = 0.013). The length and area of the PACC (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively) and HCC (p < 0.001, p = 0.018, respectively) groups were significantly lower than those of the normal group. CONCLUSIONS The single-direction DWI is feasible in displaying fetal CC and can be a complementary sequence in diagnosing ACC. KEY POINTS • We suggest a simple method for the display of the fetal CC. • The optimal visibility and contrast ratio from single-direction DWI were higher than those from HASTE and TrueFISP. • The diagnostic accuracy of the single-direction DWI combined with HASTE/TrueFISP sequences (97.1%, 34/35) was higher than that of the Haste/TrueFISP (74.3%, 26/35).
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15
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Guo Y, Ortug A, Sadberry R, Rezayev A, Levman J, Shiohama T, Takahashi E. Symptom-Related Differential Neuroimaging Biomarkers in Children with Corpus Callosum Abnormalities. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4916-4932. [PMID: 34289021 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to identify symptom-related neuroimaging biomarkers for patients with dysgenesis of the corpus callosum (dCC) by summarizing neurological symptoms reported in clinical evaluations and correlating them with retrospectively collected structural/diffusion brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures from 39 patients/controls (mean age 8.08 ± 3.98). Most symptoms/disorders studied were associated with CC abnormalities. Total brain (TB) volume was related to language, cognition, muscle tone, and metabolic/endocrine abnormalities. Although white matter (WM) volume was not related to symptoms studied, gray matter (GM) volume was related to cognitive, behavioral, and metabolic/endocrine disorders. Right hemisphere (RH) cortical thickness (CT) was linked to language abnormalities, while left hemisphere (LH) CT was linked to epilepsy. While RH gyrification index (GI) was not related to any symptoms studied, LH GI was uniquely related to cognitive disorders. Between patients and controls, GM volume and LH/RH CT were significantly greater in dCC patients, while WM volume and LH/RH GI were significantly greater in controls. TB volume and diffusion indices for tissue microstructures did not show differences between the groups. In summary, our brain MRI-based measures successfully revealed differential links to many symptoms. Specifically, LH GI abnormality can be a predictor for dCC patients, which is uniquely associated with the patients' symptom. In addition, patients with CC abnormalities had normal TB volume and overall tissue microstructures, with potentially deteriorated mechanisms to expand/fold the brain, indicated by GI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurui Guo
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alpen Ortug
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rodney Sadberry
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Arthur Rezayev
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jacob Levman
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5, Canada
| | - Tadashi Shiohama
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba 2608670, Japan
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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16
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Wu J, Sun T, Yu B, Li Z, Wu Q, Wang Y, Qian Z, Zhang Y, Jiang L, Wei H. Age-specific structural fetal brain atlases construction and cortical development quantification for chinese population. Neuroimage 2021; 241:118412. [PMID: 34298085 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of fetal brain development, structural brain atlases usually serve as essential references for the fetal population. Individual images are usually normalized into a common or standard space for analysis. However, the existing fetal brain atlases are mostly based on MR images obtained from Caucasian populations and thus are not ideal for the characterization of the fetal Chinese population due to neuroanatomical differences related to genetic factors. In this paper, we use an unbiased template construction algorithm to create a set of age-specific Chinese fetal atlases between 21-35 weeks of gestation from 115 normal fetal brains. Based on the 4D spatiotemporal atlas, the morphological development patterns, e.g., cortical thickness, cortical surface area, sulcal and gyral patterns, were quantified. The fetal brain abnormalities were detected when referencing the age-specific template. Additionally, a direct comparison of the Chinese fetal atlases and Caucasian fetal atlases reveals dramatic anatomical differences, mainly in the medial frontal and temporal regions. After applying the Chinese and Caucasian fetal atlases separately to an independent Chinese fetal brain dataset, we find that the Chinese fetal atlases result in significantly higher accuracy than the Caucasian fetal atlases in guiding brain tissue segmentation. These results suggest that the Chinese fetal brain atlases are necessary for quantitative analysis of the typical and atypical development of the Chinese fetal population in the future. The atlases with their parcellations are now publicly available at https://github.com/DeepBMI/FBA-Chinese.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangjie Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Taotao Sun
- Department of Radiology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Boliang Yu
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghao Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Wu
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yutong Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoxia Qian
- Department of Radiology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuyao Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Jiang
- Department of Radiology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hongjiang Wei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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17
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Ghio M, Cara C, Tettamanti M. The prenatal brain readiness for speech processing: A review on foetal development of auditory and primordial language networks. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:709-719. [PMID: 34274405 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite consolidated evidence for the prenatal ability to elaborate and respond to sounds and speech stimuli, the ontogenetic functional brain maturation of language responsiveness in the foetus is still poorly understood. Recent advances in in-vivo foetal neuroimaging have contributed to a finely detailed picture of the anatomo-functional hallmarks that define the prenatal neurodevelopment of auditory and language-related networks. Here, we first outline available evidence for the prenatal development of auditory and language-related brain structures and of their anatomical connections. Second, we focus on functional connectivity data showing the emergence of auditory and primordial language networks in the foetal brain. Third, we recapitulate functional neuroimaging studies assessing the prenatal readiness for sound processing, as a crucial prerequisite for the foetus to experientially respond to spoken language. In conclusion, we suggest that the state of the art has reached sufficient maturity to directly assess the neural mechanisms underlying the prenatal readiness for speech processing and to evaluate whether foetal neuromarkers can predict the postnatal development of language acquisition abilities and disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Ghio
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Cristina Cara
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Marco Tettamanti
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.
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18
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Vasung L, Rollins CK, Yun HJ, Velasco-Annis C, Zhang J, Wagstyl K, Evans A, Warfield SK, Feldman HA, Grant PE, Gholipour A. Quantitative In vivo MRI Assessment of Structural Asymmetries and Sexual Dimorphism of Transient Fetal Compartments in the Human Brain. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1752-1767. [PMID: 31602456 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural asymmetries and sexual dimorphism of the human cerebral cortex have been identified in newborns, infants, children, adolescents, and adults. Some of these findings were linked with cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders, which have roots in altered prenatal brain development. However, little is known about structural asymmetries or sexual dimorphism of transient fetal compartments that arise in utero. Thus, we aimed to identify structural asymmetries and sexual dimorphism in the volume of transient fetal compartments (cortical plate [CP] and subplate [SP]) across 22 regions. For this purpose, we used in vivo structural T2-weighted MRIs of 42 healthy fetuses (16.43-36.86 gestational weeks old, 15 females). We found significant leftward asymmetry in the volume of the CP and SP in the inferior frontal gyrus. The orbitofrontal cortex showed significant rightward asymmetry in the volume of CP merged with SP. Males had significantly larger volumes in regions belonging to limbic, occipital, and frontal lobes, which were driven by a significantly larger SP. Lastly, we did not observe sexual dimorphism in the growth trajectories of the CP or SP. In conclusion, these results support the hypothesis that structural asymmetries and sexual dimorphism in relative volumes of cortical regions are present during prenatal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Vasung
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center (FNNDSC), Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caitlin K Rollins
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hyuk Jin Yun
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center (FNNDSC), Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Clemente Velasco-Annis
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jennings Zhang
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center (FNNDSC), Boston, MA 02115, USA.,McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience/Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | | | - Alan Evans
- McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience/Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Simon K Warfield
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Henry A Feldman
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - P Ellen Grant
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center (FNNDSC), Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ali Gholipour
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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19
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Moura LM, Ferreira VLDR, Loureiro RM, de Paiva JPQ, Rosa-Ribeiro R, Amaro E, Soares MBP, Machado BS. The Neurobiology of Zika Virus: New Models, New Challenges. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:654078. [PMID: 33897363 PMCID: PMC8059436 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.654078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV) attracted attention due to one striking characteristic: the ability to cross the placental barrier and infect the fetus, possibly causing severe neurodevelopmental disruptions included in the Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS). Few years after the epidemic, the CZS incidence has begun to decline. However, how ZIKV causes a diversity of outcomes is far from being understood. This is probably driven by a chain of complex events that relies on the interaction between ZIKV and environmental and physiological variables. In this review, we address open questions that might lead to an ill-defined diagnosis of CZS. This inaccuracy underestimates a large spectrum of apparent normocephalic cases that remain underdiagnosed, comprising several subtle brain abnormalities frequently masked by a normal head circumference. Therefore, new models using neuroimaging and artificial intelligence are needed to improve our understanding of the neurobiology of ZIKV and its true impact in neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Edson Amaro
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milena Botelho Pereira Soares
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ), Bahia, Brazil.,University Center SENAI CIMATEC, SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Advanced Health Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), National Service of Industrial Learning - SENAI, Bahia, Brazil
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20
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Scarabello M, Righini A, Severino M, Pinelli L, Parazzini C, Scola E, Palumbo G, Di Maurizio M, D'Errico I, Rossi A, Triulzi F, Griffiths PD. Ganglionic Eminence Anomalies and Coexisting Cerebral Developmental Anomalies on Fetal MR Imaging: Multicenter-Based Review of 60 Cases. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2021; 42:1151-1156. [PMID: 33707279 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The ganglionic eminences are transient fetal brain structures that produce a range of neuron types. Ganglionic eminence anomalies have been recognized on fetal MR imaging and anecdotally found in association with a number of neurodevelopmental anomalies. The aim of this exploratory study was to describe and analyze the associations between ganglionic eminence anomalies and coexisting neurodevelopmental anomalies. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study includes cases of ganglionic eminence anomalies diagnosed on fetal MR imaging during a 20-year period from 7 centers in Italy and England. Inclusion criteria were cavitation or increased volume of ganglionic eminences on fetal MR imaging. The studies were analyzed for associated cerebral developmental anomalies: abnormal head size and ventriculomegaly, reduced opercularization or gyration, and abnormal transient layering of the developing brain mantle. The results were analyzed using χ2 and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS Sixty fetuses met the inclusion criteria (21 females, 24 males, 15 sex unknown). Thirty-four had ganglionic eminence cavitations (29 bilateral and 5 unilateral), and 26 had increased volume of the ganglionic eminences (19 bilateral, 7 unilateral). Bilateral ganglionic eminence cavitations were associated with microcephaly (P = .01), reduced opercularization, (P < .001), reduced gyration (P < .001), and cerebellar anomalies (P = .01). Unilateral ganglionic eminence cavitations were not significantly associated with any particular feature. Bilateral increased volume of the ganglionic eminences showed an association with macrocephaly (P = .03). Unilateral increased volume was associated with macrocephaly (P = .002), abnormal transient layering (P = .001), unilateral polymicrogyria (P = .001), and hemimegalencephaly (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Ganglionic eminence anomalies are associated with specific neurodevelopmental anomalies with ganglionic eminence cavitations and increased ganglionic eminence volume apparently having different associated abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Scarabello
- From the Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology Department (M. Scarabello, A.R., C.P.), Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - A Righini
- From the Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology Department (M. Scarabello, A.R., C.P.), Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - M Severino
- Neuroradiology Department (M. Severino), Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico-Gaslini Children's Research Hospital, Genoa, Italy
| | - L Pinelli
- Neuroradiology Department (L.P.), Azienda Ospedaliera Spedali Civili Di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - C Parazzini
- From the Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology Department (M. Scarabello, A.R., C.P.), Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - E Scola
- Neuroradiology Department (E.S., F.T.), Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico-Fondazione Policlinico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - G Palumbo
- Radiology Department (G.P.), Azienda Ospedaliera Spedali Civili Di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - M Di Maurizio
- Radiology Department (M.D.M.), Children's Hospital Meyer, Florence, Italy
| | - I D'Errico
- Neuroradiology Department (I.D.), University Hospital, Padua, Italy
| | - A Rossi
- Neuroradiology Department (M. Severino), Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico-Gaslini Children's Research Hospital, Genoa, Italy
| | - F Triulzi
- Neuroradiology Department (E.S., F.T.), Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico-Fondazione Policlinico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - P D Griffiths
- Academic Unit of Radiology (P.D.G.), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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21
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Bobić-Rasonja M, Pogledić I, Mitter C, Štajduhar A, Milković-Periša M, Trnski S, Bettelheim D, Hainfellner JA, Judaš M, Prayer D, Jovanov-Milošević N. Developmental Differences Between the Limbic and Neocortical Telencephalic Wall: An Intrasubject Slice-Matched 3 T MRI-Histological Correlative Study in Humans. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3536-3550. [PMID: 33704445 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate the interrelation of the signal intensities and thicknesses of the transient developmental zones in the cingulate and neocortical telencephalic wall, using T2-weighted 3 T-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological scans from the same brain hemisphere. The study encompassed 24 postmortem fetal brains (15-35 postconceptional weeks, PCW). The measurements were performed using Fiji and NDP.view2. We found that T2w MR signal-intensity curves show a specific regional and developmental stage profile already at 15 PCW. The MRI-histological correlation reveals that the subventricular-intermediate zone (SVZ-IZ) contributes the most to the regional differences in the MRI-profile and zone thicknesses, growing by a factor of 2.01 in the cingulate, and 1.78 in the neocortical wall. The interrelations of zone or wall thicknesses, obtained by both methods, disclose a different rate and extent of shrinkage per region (highest in neocortical subplate and SVZ-IZ) and stage (highest in the early second half of fetal development), distorting the zones' proportion in histological sections. This intrasubject, slice-matched, 3 T correlative MRI-histological study provides important information about regional development of the cortical wall, critical for the design of MRI criteria for prenatal brain monitoring and early detection of cortical or other brain pathologies in human fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Bobić-Rasonja
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivana Pogledić
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Mitter
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrija Štajduhar
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marija Milković-Periša
- University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department of Pathology and Cytology, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sara Trnski
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dieter Bettelheim
- Division of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes A Hainfellner
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miloš Judaš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milošević
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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22
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Matsuura H, Ohnishi M, Yoshioka Y, Togami Y, Hosomi S, Umemura Y, Ebihara T, Shimizu K, Ogura H, Shimazu T. Original experimental rat model of blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury: a pilot study. Brain Inj 2021; 35:368-381. [PMID: 33455463 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2020.1861653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Diagnosing blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is difficult due to minimal imaging findings. This study aimed to establish a rat model of behavioral abnormality caused by blast-induced mTBI and detect new findings for therapeutic intervention. METHODS We used a bench-top blast wave generator with the blast wave exiting through a 20-mm I.D. nozzle aimed at the focused target. The blast wave was directed at the head of male Wistar rats under general anesthesia positioned prone 2.5 cm below the nozzle. Peak shock wave pressure was 646.2 ± 70.3 kPa. RESULTS After blast injury, mTBI rats did not show the findings of brain hemorrhage or contusion macroscopically and on hematoxylin-eosin-stained frozen sections but did show anorexia and weight loss in the early post-injury phase. Behavioral experiments revealed short-term memory impairment at 2 weeks and depression-like behavior at 2 and 6 weeks. Diffusion-weighted ex vivo MRI showed high-intensity areas in layers of the bilateral hippocampus. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed accumulation of reactive microglia and GFAP-positive astrocytes in the same region and loss of NeuN-positive neurons in the hippocampal pyramidal cell layer. CONCLUSIONS This model can reflect the pathophysiology of blast-induced mTBI and could potentially be used to develop therapeutic interventions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Matsuura
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Ohnishi
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshichika Yoshioka
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (Cinet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Togami
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Sanae Hosomi
- Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, Osaka General Medical Center, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yutaka Umemura
- Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, Osaka General Medical Center, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ebihara
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kentaro Shimizu
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ogura
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Shimazu
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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Maternal Undernutrition Modulates Neonatal Rat Cerebrovascular Structure, Function, and Vulnerability to Mild Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury via Corticosteroid-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020680. [PMID: 33445547 PMCID: PMC7827870 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study explored the hypothesis that an adverse intrauterine environment caused by maternal undernutrition (MUN) acted through corticosteroid-dependent and -independent mechanisms to program lasting functional changes in the neonatal cerebrovasculature and vulnerability to mild hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury. From day 10 of gestation until term, MUN and MUN-metyrapone (MUN-MET) group rats consumed a diet restricted to 50% of calories consumed by a pair-fed control; and on gestational day 11 through term, MUN-MET groups received drinking water containing MET (0.5 mg/mL), a corticosteroid synthesis inhibitor. P9/P10 pups underwent unilateral carotid ligation followed 24 h later by 1.5 h exposure to 8% oxygen (HI treatment). An ELISA quantified MUN-, MET-, and HI-induced changes in circulating levels of corticosterone. In P11/P12 pups, MUN programming promoted contractile differentiation in cerebrovascular smooth muscle as determined by confocal microscopy, modulated calcium-dependent contractility as revealed by cerebral artery myography, enhanced vasogenic edema formation as indicated by T2 MRI, and worsened neurobehavior MUN unmasked HI-induced improvements in open-field locomotion and in edema resolution, alterations in calcium-dependent contractility and promotion of contractile differentiation. Overall, MUN imposed multiple interdependent effects on cerebrovascular smooth muscle differentiation, contractility, edema formation, flow-metabolism coupling and neurobehavior through pathways that both required, and were independent of, gestational corticosteroids. In light of growing global patterns of food insecurity, the present study emphasizes that infants born from undernourished mothers may experience greater risk for developing neonatal cerebral edema and sensorimotor impairments possibly through programmed changes in neonatal cerebrovascular function.
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Kostović I. The enigmatic fetal subplate compartment forms an early tangential cortical nexus and provides the framework for construction of cortical connectivity. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 194:101883. [PMID: 32659318 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The most prominent transient compartment of the primate fetal cortex is the deep, cell-sparse, synapse-containing subplate compartment (SPC). The developmental role of the SPC and its extraordinary size in humans remain enigmatic. This paper evaluates evidence on the development and connectivity of the SPC and discusses its role in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. A synthesis of data shows that the subplate becomes a prominent compartment by its expansion from the deep cortical plate (CP), appearing well-delineated on MR scans and forming a tangential nexus across the hemisphere, consisting of an extracellular matrix, randomly distributed postmigratory neurons, multiple branches of thalamic and long corticocortical axons. The SPC generates early spontaneous non-synaptic and synaptic activity and mediates cortical response upon thalamic stimulation. The subplate nexus provides large-scale interareal connectivity possibly underlying fMR resting-state activity, before corticocortical pathways are established. In late fetal phase, when synapses appear within the CP, transient the SPC coexists with permanent circuitry. The histogenetic role of the SPC is to provide interactive milieu and capacity for guidance, sorting, "waiting" and target selection of thalamocortical and corticocortical pathways. The new evolutionary role of the SPC and its remnant white matter neurons is linked to the increasing number of associative pathways in the human neocortex. These roles attributed to the SPC are regulated using a spatiotemporal gene expression during critical periods, when pathogenic factors may disturb vulnerable circuitry of the SPC, causing neurodevelopmental cognitive circuitry disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Salata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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Abstract
Developmental pathoconnectomics is an emerging field that aims to unravel the events leading to and outcome from disrupted brain connectivity development. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology enables the portrayal of human brain connectivity before birth and has the potential to offer novel insights into normal and pathological human brain development. This review gives an overview of the currently used MRI techniques for connectomic imaging, with a particular focus on recent studies that have successfully translated these to the in utero or postmortem fetal setting. Possible mechanisms of how pathologies, maternal, or environmental factors may interfere with the emergence of the connectome are considered. The review highlights the importance of advanced image post processing and the need for reproducibility studies for connectomic imaging. Further work and novel data-sharing efforts would be required to validate or disprove recent observations from in utero connectomic studies, which are typically limited by low case numbers and high data drop out. Novel knowledge with regard to the ontogenesis, architecture, and temporal dynamics of the human brain connectome would lead to the more precise understanding of the etiological background of neurodevelopmental and mental disorders. To achieve this goal, this review considers the growing evidence from advanced fetal connectomic imaging for the increased vulnerability of the human brain during late gestation for pathologies that might lead to impaired connectome development and subsequently interfere with the development of neural substrates serving higher cognition.
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