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Li H, Liu M, Zhang J, Liu S, Fang Z, Pan M, Sui X, Rang W, Xiao H, Jiang Y, Zheng Y, Ge X. The effect of preterm birth on thalamic development based on shape and structural covariance analysis. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120708. [PMID: 38950664 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120708] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Acting as a central hub in regulating brain functions, the thalamus plays a pivotal role in controlling high-order brain functions. Considering the impact of preterm birth on infant brain development, traditional studies focused on the overall development of thalamus other than its subregions. In this study, we compared the volumetric growth and shape development of the thalamic hemispheres between the infants born preterm and full-term (Left volume: P = 0.027, Left normalized volume: P < 0.0001; Right volume: P = 0.070, Right normalized volume: P < 0.0001). The ventral nucleus region, dorsomedial nucleus region, and posterior nucleus region of the thalamus exhibit higher vulnerability to alterations induced by preterm birth. The structural covariance (SC) between the thickness of thalamus and insula in preterm infants (Left: corrected P = 0.0091, Right: corrected P = 0.0119) showed significant increase as compared to full-term controls. Current findings suggest that preterm birth affects the development of the thalamus and has differential effects on its subregions. The ventral nucleus region, dorsomedial nucleus region, and posterior nucleus region of the thalamus are more susceptible to the impacts of preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhuang Li
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Mengting Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Shujuan Liu
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Zhicong Fang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Minmin Pan
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaodan Sui
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Rang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Hang Xiao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Yanyun Jiang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China
| | - Yuanjie Zheng
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China.
| | - Xinting Ge
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, China.
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2
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Zhao L, Zhu D, Wang X, Liu X, Li T, Wang B, Yao Z, Zheng W, Hu B. An Attention-Based Hemispheric Relation Inference Network for Perinatal Brain Age Prediction. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform 2024; 28:4483-4493. [PMID: 38857141 DOI: 10.1109/jbhi.2024.3411620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Brain anatomical age is an effective feature to assess the status of the brain, such as atypical development and aging. Although some deep learning models have been developed for estimating infant brain age, the performance of these models was unsatisfactory because few of them considered the developmental characteristics of brain anatomy during the perinatal period-the most rapid and complex developmental stage across the lifespan. The present study proposed an attention-based hemispheric relation inference network (HRINet) that takes advantage of the nature of brain structural lateralization during early development. This model captures the inter-hemispheric relationship using a graph attention mechanism and transmits lateralization information as features to describe the interactive development between bilateral hemispheres. The HRINet was used to estimate the brain age of 531 preterm and full-term neonates from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) database based on two metrics (mean curvature and sulcal depth) characterizing the folding morphology of the cortex. Our results showed that the HRINet outperformed other benchmark models in fitting the perinatal brain age, with mean absolute error of 0.53 and determination coefficient of 0.89. We also verified the generalizability of the HRINet on an extra independent dataset collected from the Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-care Hospital. Furthermore, by applying the best-performing model to an independent dataset consisting of 47 scans of preterm infants at term-equivalent age, we showed that the predicted age was significantly lower than the chronological age, suggesting a delayed development of premature brains. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness and generalizability of the HRINet in estimating infant brain age, providing promising clinical applications for assessing neonatal brain maturity.
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3
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Sheng Y, Wang Y, Wang X, Zhang Z, Zhu D, Zheng W. No sex difference in maturation of brain morphology during the perinatal period. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02828-x. [PMID: 39020216 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02828-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence have documented sex differences in brain anatomy from early childhood to late adulthood. However, whether sex difference of brain structure emerges in the neonatal brain and how sex modulates the development of cortical morphology during the perinatal stage remains unclear. Here, we utilized T2-weighted MRI from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) database, consisting of 41 male and 40 female neonates born between 35 and 43 postmenstrual weeks (PMW). Neonates of each sex were arranged in a continuous ascending order of age to capture the progressive changes in cortical thickness and curvature throughout the developmental continuum. The maturational covariance network (MCN) was defined as the coupled developmental fluctuations of morphology measures between cortical regions. We constructed MCNs based on the two features, respectively, to illustrate their developmental interdependencies, and then compared the network topology between sexes. Our results showed that cortical structural development exhibited a localized pattern in both males and females, with no significant sex differences in the developmental trajectory of cortical morphology, overall organization, nodal importance, and modular structure of the MCN. Furthermore, by merging male and female neonates into a unified cohort, we identified evident dependencies influences in structural development between different brain modules using the Granger causality analysis (GCA), emanating from high-order regions toward primary cortices. Our findings demonstrate that the maturational pattern of cortical morphology may not differ between sexes during the perinatal period, and provide evidence for the developmental causality among cortical structures in perinatal brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucen Sheng
- School of Foreign Languages, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dalin Zhu
- Department of Medical Imaging Center, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-Care Hospital Lanzhou, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Wang Y, Zhu D, Zhao L, Wang X, Zhang Z, Hu B, Wu D, Zheng W. Profiling cortical morphometric similarity in perinatal brains: Insights from development, sex difference, and inter-individual variation. Neuroimage 2024; 295:120660. [PMID: 38815676 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120660] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The topological organization of the macroscopic cortical networks important for the development of complex brain functions. However, how the cortical morphometric organization develops during the third trimester and whether it demonstrates sexual and individual differences at this particular stage remain unclear. Here, we constructed the morphometric similarity network (MSN) based on morphological and microstructural features derived from multimodal MRI of two independent cohorts (cross-sectional and longitudinal) scanned at 30-44 postmenstrual weeks (PMW). Sex difference and inter-individual variations of the MSN were also examined on these cohorts. The cross-sectional analysis revealed that both network integration and segregation changed in a nonlinear biphasic trajectory, which was supported by the results obtained from longitudinal analysis. The community structure showed remarkable consistency between bilateral hemispheres and maintained stability across PMWs. Connectivity within the primary cortex strengthened faster than that within high-order communities. Compared to females, male neonates showed a significant reduction in the participation coefficient within prefrontal and parietal cortices, while their overall network organization and community architecture remained comparable. Furthermore, by using the morphometric similarity as features, we achieved over 65 % accuracy in identifying an individual at term-equivalent age from images acquired after birth, and vice versa. These findings provide comprehensive insights into the development of morphometric similarity throughout the perinatal cortex, enhancing our understanding of the establishment of neuroanatomical organization during early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dalin Zhu
- Department of Medical Imaging Center, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-Care Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Leilei Zhao
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China; School of Physics, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin Hu
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Dan Wu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
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5
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Wang G, Jiang N, Ma Y, Suo D, Liu T, Funahashi S, Yan T. Using a deep generation network reveals neuroanatomical specificity in hemispheres. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 5:100930. [PMID: 38645770 PMCID: PMC11026975 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2024.100930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Asymmetry is an important property of brain organization, but its nature is still poorly understood. Capturing the neuroanatomical components specific to each hemisphere facilitates the understanding of the establishment of brain asymmetry. Since deep generative networks (DGNs) have powerful inference and recovery capabilities, we use one hemisphere to predict the opposite hemisphere by training the DGNs, which automatically fit the built-in dependencies between the left and right hemispheres. After training, the reconstructed images approximate the homologous components in the hemisphere. We use the difference between the actual and reconstructed hemispheres to measure hemisphere-specific components due to asymmetric expression of environmental and genetic factors. The results show that our model is biologically plausible and that our proposed metric of hemispheric specialization is reliable, representing a wide range of individual variation. Together, this work provides promising tools for exploring brain asymmetry and new insights into self-supervised DGNs for representing the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongshu Wang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yunxiao Ma
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Dingjie Suo
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tiantian Liu
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shintaro Funahashi
- Advanced Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tianyi Yan
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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6
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Zheng W, Wang X, Liu T, Hu B, Wu D. Preterm-birth alters the development of nodal clustering and neural connection pattern in brain structural network at term-equivalent age. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5372-5386. [PMID: 37539754 PMCID: PMC10543115 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26442] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Preterm-born neonates are prone to impaired neurodevelopment that may be associated with disrupted whole-brain structural connectivity. The present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal developmental pattern of the structural network from preterm birth to term-equivalent age (TEA), and identify how prematurity influences the network topological organization and properties of local brain regions. Multi-shell diffusion-weighted MRI of 28 preterm-born scanned a short time after birth (PB-AB) and at TEA (PB-TEA), and 28 matched term-born (TB) neonates in the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) were used to construct structural networks through constrained spherical deconvolution tractography. Structural network development from preterm birth to TEA showed reduced shortest path length, clustering coefficient, and modularity, and more "connector" hubs linking disparate communities. Furthermore, compared with TB newborns, premature birth significantly altered the nodal properties (i.e., clustering coefficient, within-module degree, and participation coefficient) in the limbic/paralimbic, default-mode, and subcortical systems but not global topology at TEA, and we were able to distinguish the PB from TB neonates at TEA based on the nodal properties with 96.43% accuracy. Our findings demonstrated a topological reorganization of the structural network occurs during the perinatal period that may prioritize the optimization of global network organization to form a more efficient architecture; and local topology was more vulnerable to premature birth-related factors than global organization of the structural network, which may underlie the impaired cognition and behavior in PB infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Tingting Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument ScienceZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Bin Hu
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
- School of Medical TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- Joint Research Center for Cognitive Neurosensor Technology of Lanzhou University & Institute of SemiconductorsChinese Academy of SciencesLanzhouChina
| | - Dan Wu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument ScienceZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
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7
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Laccetta G, Di Chiara M, De Nardo MC, Tagliabracci M, Travaglia E, De Santis B, Spiriti C, Dito L, Regoli D, Caravale B, Cellitti R, Parisi P, Terrin G. Quantitative ultrasonographic examination of cerebral white matter by pixel brightness intensity as marker of middle-term neurodevelopment: a prospective observational study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16816. [PMID: 37798394 PMCID: PMC10556025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44083-w] [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: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-cystic white matter (WM) injury has become prevalent among preterm newborns and is associated with long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. Magnetic resonance is the gold-standard for diagnosis; however, cranial ultrasound (CUS) is more easily available but limited by subjective interpretation of images. To overcome this problem, we enrolled in a prospective observational study, patients with gestational age at birth < 32 weeks with normal CUS scans or grade 1 WM injury. Patients underwent CUS examinations at 0-7 days of life (T0), 14-35 days of life (T1), 370/7-416/7 weeks' postmenstrual age (T2), and 420/7-520/7 weeks' postmenstrual age (T3). The echogenicity of parieto-occipital periventricular WM relative to that of homolateral choroid plexus (RECP) was calculated on parasagittal scans by means of pixel brightness intensity and its relationship with Bayley-III assessment at 12 months' corrected age was evaluated. We demonstrated that: (1) Left RECP values at T1 negatively correlated with cognitive composite scores; (2) Right RECP values at T2 and T3 negatively correlated with language composite scores; (3) Left RECP values at T1 and T2 negatively correlated with motor composite scores. Thus, this technique may be used as screening method to early identify patients at risk of neurodevelopmental issues and promptly initiate preventive and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Laccetta
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Maria Di Chiara
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara De Nardo
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Tagliabracci
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Travaglia
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta De Santis
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Spiriti
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Dito
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Regoli
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Caravale
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Cellitti
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pasquale Parisi
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sense Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Terrin
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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8
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Schetter M, Romascano D, Gaujard M, Rummel C, Denervaud S. Learning by Heart or with Heart: Brain Asymmetry Reflects Pedagogical Practices. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1270. [PMID: 37759871 PMCID: PMC10526483 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13091270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain hemispheres develop rather symmetrically, except in the case of pathology or intense training. As school experience is a form of training, the current study tested the influence of pedagogy on morphological development through the cortical thickness (CTh) asymmetry index (AI). First, we compared the CTh AI of 111 students aged 4 to 18 with 77 adults aged > 20. Second, we investigated the CTh AI of the students as a function of schooling background (Montessori or traditional). At the whole-brain level, CTh AI was not different between the adult and student groups, even when controlling for age. However, pedagogical experience was found to impact CTh AI in the temporal lobe, within the parahippocampal (PHC) region. The PHC region has a functional lateralization, with the right PHC region having a stronger involvement in spatiotemporal context encoding, while the left PHC region is involved in semantic encoding. We observed CTh asymmetry toward the left PHC region for participants enrolled in Montessori schools and toward the right for participants enrolled in traditional schools. As these participants were matched on age, intelligence, home-life and socioeconomic conditions, we interpret this effect found in memory-related brain regions to reflect differences in learning strategies. Pedagogy modulates how new concepts are encoded, with possible long-term effects on knowledge transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Schetter
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Romascano
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital—Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mathilde Gaujard
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Rummel
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital—Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Solange Denervaud
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
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9
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Williams LZJ, Fitzgibbon SP, Bozek J, Winkler AM, Dimitrova R, Poppe T, Schuh A, Makropoulos A, Cupitt J, O'Muircheartaigh J, Duff EP, Cordero-Grande L, Price AN, Hajnal JV, Rueckert D, Smith SM, Edwards AD, Robinson EC. Structural and functional asymmetry of the neonatal cerebral cortex. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:942-955. [PMID: 36928781 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01542-8] [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] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Features of brain asymmetry have been implicated in a broad range of cognitive processes; however, their origins are still poorly understood. Here we investigated cortical asymmetries in 442 healthy term-born neonates using structural and functional magnetic resonance images from the Developing Human Connectome Project. Our results demonstrate that the neonatal cortex is markedly asymmetric in both structure and function. Cortical asymmetries observed in the term cohort were contextualized in two ways: by comparing them against cortical asymmetries observed in 103 preterm neonates scanned at term-equivalent age, and by comparing structural asymmetries against those observed in 1,110 healthy young adults from the Human Connectome Project. While associations with preterm birth and biological sex were minimal, significant differences exist between birth and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan Z J Williams
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Sean P Fitzgibbon
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Jelena Bozek
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anderson M Winkler
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tanya Poppe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andreas Schuh
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Antonios Makropoulos
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - John Cupitt
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department for Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eugene P Duff
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and CIBER-BBN, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephen M Smith
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Emma C Robinson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, London, UK.
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10
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DiPiero M, Rodrigues PG, Gromala A, Dean DC. Applications of advanced diffusion MRI in early brain development: a comprehensive review. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:367-392. [PMID: 36585970 PMCID: PMC9974794 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02605-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Brain development follows a protracted developmental timeline with foundational processes of neurodevelopment occurring from the third trimester of gestation into the first decade of life. Defining structural maturational patterns of early brain development is a critical step in detecting divergent developmental trajectories associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders that arise later in life. While considerable advancements have already been made in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) for pediatric research over the past three decades, the field of neurodevelopment is still in its infancy with remarkable scientific and clinical potential. This comprehensive review evaluates the application, findings, and limitations of advanced dMRI methods beyond diffusion tensor imaging, including diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD), neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion (CHARMED) to quantify the rapid and dynamic changes supporting the underlying microstructural architectural foundations of the brain in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa DiPiero
- Department of Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | | | - Alyssa Gromala
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Douglas C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
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11
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Spatiotemporal Developmental Gradient of Thalamic Morphology, Microstructure, and Connectivity fromthe Third Trimester to Early Infancy. J Neurosci 2023; 43:559-570. [PMID: 36639904 PMCID: PMC9888512 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0874-22.2022] [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: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalamus is a critical component of the limbic system that is extensively involved in both basic and high-order brain functions. However, how the thalamic structure and function develops at macroscopic and microscopic scales during the perinatal period development is not yet well characterized. Here, we used multishell high-angular resolution diffusion MRI of 144 preterm-born and full-term infants in both sexes scanned at 32-44 postmenstrual weeks (PMWs) from the Developing Human Connectome Project database to investigate the thalamic development in morphology, microstructure, associated connectivity, and subnucleus division. We found evident anatomic expansion and linear increases of fiber integrity in the lateral side of thalamus compared with the medial part. The tractography results indicated that thalamic connection to the frontal cortex developed later than the other thalamocortical connections (parieto-occipital, motor, somatosensory, and temporal). Using a connectivity-based segmentation strategy, we revealed that functional partitions of thalamic subdivisions were formed at 32 PMWs or earlier, and the partition developed toward the adult pattern in a lateral-to-medial pattern. Collectively, these findings revealed faster development of the lateral thalamus than the central part as well as a posterior-to-anterior developmental gradient of thalamocortical connectivity from the third trimester to early infancy.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This is the first study that characterizes the spatiotemporal developmental pattern of thalamus during the third trimester to early infancy. We found that thalamus develops in a lateral-to-medial pattern for both thalamic microstructures and subdivisions; and thalamocortical connectivity develops in a posterior-to-anterior gradient that thalamofrontal connectivity appears later than the other thalamocortical connections. These findings may enrich our understanding of the developmental principles of thalamus and provide references for the atypical brain growth in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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12
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Ren Q, Wan B, Luo X, Liu Q, Gong H, Li H, Luo M, Xu D, Liu P, Wang J, Yin Z, Li X. Glutamate alterations in the premature infant brain during different gestational ages with glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging: a pilot study. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:4214-4222. [PMID: 36600123 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-022-09374-2] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To elucidate the change in glutamate levels in preterm infants at different gestational ages by glutamate chemical exchange saturated transfer (GluCEST) magnetic resonance imaging and to compare the difference in glutamate levels among different brain regions between very early preterm infants and middle and late preterm infants. METHODS Fifty-three preterm infants (59% males; median gestational age = 33.6 weeks) underwent MRI, including conventional MRI and GluCEST. The original data were postprocessed in MATLAB. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the MTRasym and gestational age. The differences in MTRasym signals among different ROIs were statistically analysed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The MTRasym difference of the bilateral hemispherical ROI was compared by a paired T test. RESULTS In all ROIs, glutamate concentration was positively correlated with gestational age. The glutamate concentration in the thalamus was higher than that in the frontal lobe in very early, middle and late preterm infants. A difference in glutamate concentration was not found in the bilateral ROIs. CONCLUSIONS The concentration of glutamate in the brains of preterm infants of different gestational ages increased with gestational age, which may be one of the factors contributing to the higher incidence of neurodevelopmental dysfunction in very early preterm infants compared to that in middle and late preterm infants. Meanwhile, the glutamate concentrations among different brain regions were also diverse. KEY POINTS • The glutamate concentration was positively correlated with gestational age in preterm infants of the brain. • Glutamate concentrations were dissimilar in different brain regions of preterm infants. • Glutamate concentration during the process of brain development in premature infants was not found to be asymmetric.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfa Ren
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, No. 346 Guanhai Road, Laishan District, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Bin Wan
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Bincheng District, Binzhou, 256600, China
| | - Xunrong Luo
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Chongqing University, No. 181 Hanyu Road, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Quanyuan Liu
- Department of Radiology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Bincheng District, Binzhou, 256600, China
| | - He Gong
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, No. 346 Guanhai Road, Laishan District, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Hao Li
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, No. 346 Guanhai Road, Laishan District, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Mingfang Luo
- Department of Radiology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 32, West Second Section, First Ring Road, Qingyang District, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Donghao Xu
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, No. 346 Guanhai Road, Laishan District, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Pan Liu
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, No. 346 Guanhai Road, Laishan District, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Radiology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Bincheng District, Binzhou, 256600, China.
| | - Zhijie Yin
- Department of Radiology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Bincheng District, Binzhou, 256600, China.
| | - Xianglin Li
- School of Medical Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, No. 346 Guanhai Road, Laishan District, Yantai, 264003, China.
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13
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Butera CD, Rhee C, Kelly CE, Dhollander T, Thompson DK, Wisnowski J, Molinini RM, Sargent B, Lepore N, Vorona G, Bessom D, Shall MS, Burnsed J, Stevenson RD, Brown S, Harper A, Hendricks-Muñoz KD, Dusing SC. Effect of a NICU to Home Physical Therapy Intervention on White Matter Trajectories, Motor Skills, and Problem-Solving Skills of Infants Born Very Preterm: A Case Series. J Pers Med 2022; 12:2024. [PMID: 36556244 PMCID: PMC9784100 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12122024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Infants born very preterm (VPT; ≤29 weeks of gestation) are at high risk of developmental disabilities and abnormalities in neural white matter characteristics. Early physical therapy interventions such as Supporting Play Exploration and Early Development Intervention (SPEEDI2) are associated with improvements in developmental outcomes. Six VPT infants were enrolled in a randomised clinical trial of SPEEDI2 during the transition from the neonatal intensive care unit to home over four time points. Magnetic resonance imaging scans and fixel-based analysis were performed, and fibre density (FD), fibre cross-section (FC), and fibre density and cross-section values (FDC) were computed. Changes in white matter microstructure and macrostructure were positively correlated with cognitive, motor, and motor-based problem solving over time on developmental assessments. In all infants, the greatest increase in FD, FC, and FDC occurred between Visit 1 and 2 (mean chronological age: 2.68-6.22 months), suggesting that this is a potential window of time to optimally support adaptive development. Results warrant further studies with larger groups to formally compare the impact of intervention and disparity on neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born VPT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana Dodd Butera
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Claire Rhee
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Claire E. Kelly
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies and Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Thijs Dhollander
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Deanne K. Thompson
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies and Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jessica Wisnowski
- Departments of Radiology and Pediatrics (Neonatology), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Rebecca M. Molinini
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Barbara Sargent
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Natasha Lepore
- CIBORG Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Greg Vorona
- Department of Radiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Dave Bessom
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Mary S. Shall
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Jennifer Burnsed
- Division of Neonatology, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Richard D. Stevenson
- Division of Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Shaaron Brown
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Amy Harper
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Karen D. Hendricks-Muñoz
- Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Stacey C. Dusing
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
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14
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Changes in and asymmetry of the proteome in the human fetal frontal lobe during early development. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1031. [PMID: 36175510 PMCID: PMC9522861 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04003-6] [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: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherent hemispheric asymmetry is important for cognition, language and other functions. Describing normal brain and asymmetry development during early development will improve our understanding of how different hemispheres prioritize specific functions, which is currently unknown. Here, we analysed developmental changes in and asymmetry of the proteome in the bilateral frontal lobes of three foetal specimens in the late first trimester of pregnancy. We found that during this period, the difference in expression between gestational weeks (GWs) increased, and the difference in asymmetric expression decreased. Changes in the patterns of protein expression differed in the bilateral frontal lobes. Our results show that brain asymmetry can be observed in early development. These findings can guide researchers in further investigations of the mechanisms of brain asymmetry. We propose that both sides of the brain should be analysed separately in future multiomics and human brain mapping studies. Proteomic analysis of human early fetal brain tissue is undertaken to investigate bilateral developmental changes of protein expression and left-right asymmetries of protein expression.
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15
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Liu G, Huo E, Liu H, Jia G, Zhi Y, Dong Q, Niu H. Development and emergence of functional network asymmetry in 3- to 9-month-old infants. Cortex 2022; 154:390-404. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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