1
|
Becker Y, Phelipon R, Marie D, Bouziane S, Marchetti R, Sein J, Velly L, Renaud L, Cermolacce A, Anton JL, Nazarian B, Coulon O, Meguerditchian A. Planum temporale asymmetry in newborn monkeys predicts the future development of gestural communication's handedness. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4791. [PMID: 38839754 PMCID: PMC11153489 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47277-6] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The planum temporale (PT), a key language area, is specialized in the left hemisphere in prelinguistic infants and considered as a marker of the pre-wired language-ready brain. However, studies have reported a similar structural PT left-asymmetry not only in various adult non-human primates, but also in newborn baboons. Its shared functional links with language are not fully understood. Here we demonstrate using previously obtained MRI data that early detection of PT left-asymmetry among 27 newborn baboons (Papio anubis, age range of 4 days to 2 months) predicts the future development of right-hand preference for communicative gestures but not for non-communicative actions. Specifically, only newborns with a larger left-than-right PT were more likely to develop a right-handed communication once juvenile, a contralateral brain-gesture link which is maintained in a group of 70 mature baboons. This finding suggests that early PT asymmetry may be a common inherited prewiring of the primate brain for the ontogeny of ancient lateralised properties shared between monkey gesture and human language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Becker
- LPC UMR7290 & CRPN UMR7077 Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Romane Phelipon
- LPC UMR7290 & CRPN UMR7077 Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Damien Marie
- LPC UMR7290 & CRPN UMR7077 Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Siham Bouziane
- LPC UMR7290 & CRPN UMR7077 Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Rebecca Marchetti
- LPC UMR7290 & CRPN UMR7077 Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Julien Sein
- INT, UMR7289, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Lionel Velly
- INT, UMR7289, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Luc Renaud
- INT, UMR7289, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | | | - Jean-Luc Anton
- INT, UMR7289, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Nazarian
- INT, UMR7289, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Coulon
- INT, UMR7289, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Adrien Meguerditchian
- LPC UMR7290 & CRPN UMR7077 Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Marseille, France.
- Station de Primatologie UAR 846, CNRS, CELPHEDIA, Rousset, France.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hopkins WD. Neuroanatomical asymmetries in nonhuman primates in the homologs to Broca's and Wernicke's areas: a mini-review. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:ETLS20210279. [PMID: 36073786 PMCID: PMC9472819 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Population-level lateralization in structure and function is a fundamental measure of the human nervous system. To what extent nonhuman primates exhibit similar patterns of asymmetry remains a topic of considerable scientific interest. In this mini-review, a brief summary of findings on brain asymmetries in nonhuman primates in brain regions considered to the homolog's to Broca's and Wernicke's area are presented. Limitations of existing and directions for future studies are discussed in the context of facilitating comparative investigations in primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William D. Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michale E Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, M D Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Becker Y, Loh KK, Coulon O, Meguerditchian A. The Arcuate Fasciculus and language origins: Disentangling existing conceptions that influence evolutionary accounts. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 134:104490. [PMID: 34914937 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The Arcuate Fasciculus (AF) is of considerable interdisciplinary interest, because of its major implication in language processing. Theories about language brain evolution are based on anatomical differences in the AF across primates. However, changing methodologies and nomenclatures have resulted in conflicting findings regarding interspecies AF differences: Historical knowledge about the AF originated from human blunt dissections and later from monkey tract-tracing studies. Contemporary tractography studies reinvestigate the fasciculus' morphology, but remain heavily bound to unclear anatomical priors and methodological limitations. First, we aim to disentangle the influences of these three epistemological steps on existing AF conceptions, and to propose a contemporary model to guide future work. Second, considering the influence of various AF conceptions, we discuss four key evolutionary changes that propagated current views about language evolution: 1) frontal terminations, 2) temporal terminations, 3) greater Dorsal- versus Ventral Pathway expansion, 4) lateralisation. We conclude that new data point towards a more shared AF anatomy across primates than previously described. Language evolution theories should incorporate this continuous AF evolution across primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Becker
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS UMR 7290, Marseille, France; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS UMR 7289, Marseille, France.
| | - Kep Kee Loh
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS UMR 7290, Marseille, France; Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS UMR 7289, Marseille, France; Institute for Language, Communication, and the Brain, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Coulon
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS UMR 7289, Marseille, France; Institute for Language, Communication, and the Brain, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Adrien Meguerditchian
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS UMR 7290, Marseille, France; Institute for Language, Communication, and the Brain, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France; Station de Primatologie CNRS, Rousset, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gray Matter Variation in the Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus Is Associated with Polymorphisms in the KIAA0319 Gene in Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes). eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0169-21.2021. [PMID: 34815295 PMCID: PMC8672446 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0169-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the impact that the KIAA0319 gene has on primate brain morphology can provide insight into the evolution of human cognition and language systems. Here, we tested whether polymorphisms in KIAA0319 in chimpanzees account for gray matter volumetric variation in brain regions implicated in language and communication (particularly within the posterior superior temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus). First, we identified the nature and frequencies of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in KIAA0319 in a sample of unrelated chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes spp.). Next, we genotyped a subset of SNVs (those important for gene regulation or likely to alter protein structure/function) in a sample of chimpanzees for which in vivo T1-structural magnetic resonance imaging scans had been obtained. We then used source-based morphometry (SBM) to test for whole-brain gray matter covariation differences between chimpanzees with different KIAA0319 alleles. Finally, using histologic sections of 15 postmortem chimpanzee brains, we analyzed microstructural variation related to KIAA0319 polymorphisms in the posterior superior temporal cortex. We found that the SNVs were associated with variation in gray matter within several brain regions, including the posterior superior temporal gyrus (a region associated with language comprehension and production in humans). The microstructure analysis further revealed hemispheric differences in neuropil fraction, indicating that KIAA0319 expression may be involved in regulation of processes related to the formation and maintenance of synapses, dendrites, or axons within regions associated with communication.
Collapse
|
5
|
Becker Y, Phelipon R, Sein J, Velly L, Renaud L, Meguerditchian A. Planum temporale grey matter volume asymmetries in newborn monkeys (Papio anubis). Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:463-468. [PMID: 33937939 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02278-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The Planum temporale (PT) is one of the key hubs of the language network in the human brain. The gross asymmetry of this perisylvian region toward the left brain was considered as the most emblematic marker of hemispheric specialization of language processes in the brain. Interestingly, this neuroanatomical signature was documented also in newborn infants and preterms, suggesting the early brain's readiness for language acquisition. Nevertheless, this latter interpretation was questioned by a recent report in non-human primates of a potential similar signature in newborn baboons Papio anubis based on PT surface measures. Whether this "tip of the iceberg" PT asymmetry is actually reflecting asymmetry of its underlying grey matter volume remains unclear but critical to investigate potential continuities of cortical specialization with human infants. Here we report a population-level leftward asymmetry of the PT grey matter volume in in vivo 34 newborn baboons P. anubis, which showed intra-individual positive correlation with PT surface's asymmetry measures but also a more pronounced degree of leftward asymmetry at the population level. This finding demonstrates that PT leftward structural asymmetry in this Old World monkey species is a robust phenomenon in early primate development, which clearly speaks for a continuity with early human brain specialization. Results also strengthen the hypothesis that early PT asymmetry might be not a human-specific marker for the pre-wired language-ready brain in infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Becker
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR 7290, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, 13331, Marseille, France.,Institut des Neurosciences de La Timone, UMR 7289, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Romane Phelipon
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR 7290, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, 13331, Marseille, France
| | - Julien Sein
- Institut des Neurosciences de La Timone, UMR 7289, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Lionel Velly
- Institut des Neurosciences de La Timone, UMR 7289, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Luc Renaud
- Institut des Neurosciences de La Timone, UMR 7289, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Adrien Meguerditchian
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR 7290, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, 13331, Marseille, France. .,Station de Primatologie, UPS846, CNRS, 13790, Rousset, France.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Early Left-Planum Temporale Asymmetry in newborn monkeys (Papio anubis): A longitudinal structural MRI study at two stages of development. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117575. [PMID: 33285330 PMCID: PMC7896037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Newborn baboons present a leftward Planum Temporale Asymmetry. The proportion is similar to human newborns and adults. As in human infants, the asymmetry strength increases across development. These findings question early Planum Temporale Asymmetry as a human-specific marker for the prewired language-ready brain.
The “language-ready” brain theory suggests that the infant brain is pre-wired for language acquisition prior to language exposure. As a potential brain marker of such a language readiness, a leftward structural brain asymmetry was found in human infants for the Planum Temporale (PT), which overlaps with Wernicke's area. In the present longitudinal in vivo MRI study conducted in 35 newborn monkeys (Papio anubis), we found a similar leftward PT surface asymmetry. Follow-up rescanning sessions on 29 juvenile baboons at 7-10 months showed that such an asymmetry increases across the two ages classes. These original findings in non-linguistic primate infants strongly question the idea that the early PT asymmetry constitutes a human infant-specific marker for language development. Such a shared early perisylvian organization provides additional support that PT asymmetry might be related to a lateralized system inherited from our last common ancestor with Old-World monkeys at least 25–35 million years ago.
Collapse
|
7
|
Vickery S, Hopkins WD, Sherwood CC, Schapiro SJ, Latzman RD, Caspers S, Gaser C, Eickhoff SB, Dahnke R, Hoffstaedter F. Chimpanzee brain morphometry utilizing standardized MRI preprocessing and macroanatomical annotations. eLife 2020; 9:e60136. [PMID: 33226338 PMCID: PMC7723405 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimpanzees are among the closest living relatives to humans and, as such, provide a crucial comparative model for investigating primate brain evolution. In recent years, human brain mapping has strongly benefited from enhanced computational models and image processing pipelines that could also improve data analyses in animals by using species-specific templates. In this study, we use structural MRI data from the National Chimpanzee Brain Resource (NCBR) to develop the chimpanzee brain reference template Juna.Chimp for spatial registration and the macro-anatomical brain parcellation Davi130 for standardized whole-brain analysis. Additionally, we introduce a ready-to-use image processing pipeline built upon the CAT12 toolbox in SPM12, implementing a standard human image preprocessing framework in chimpanzees. Applying this approach to data from 194 subjects, we find strong evidence for human-like age-related gray matter atrophy in multiple regions of the chimpanzee brain, as well as, a general rightward asymmetry in brain regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Vickery
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7) Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - William D Hopkins
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastropUnited States
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastropUnited States
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- JARA-BRAIN, Jülich-Aachen Research AllianceJülichGermany
| | - Christian Gaser
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Neurology, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7) Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| | - Robert Dahnke
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Neurology, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
- Structural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University HospitalJenaGermany
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7) Research Centre JülichJülichGermany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Xiang L, Crow TJ, Hopkins WD, Roberts N. Comparison of Surface Area and Cortical Thickness Asymmetry in the Human and Chimpanzee Brain. Cereb Cortex 2020; 34:bhaa202. [PMID: 33026423 PMCID: PMC10859246 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative study of the structural asymmetry of the human and chimpanzee brain may shed light on the evolution of language and other cognitive abilities in humans. Here we report the results of vertex-wise and ROI-based analyses that compared surface area (SA) and cortical thickness (CT) asymmetries in 3D MR images obtained for 91 humans and 77 chimpanzees. The human brain is substantially more asymmetric than the chimpanzee brain. In particular, the human brain has 1) larger total SA in the right compared with the left cerebral hemisphere, 2) a global torque-like asymmetry pattern of widespread thicker cortex in the left compared with the right frontal and the right compared with the left temporo-parieto-occipital lobe, and 3) local asymmetries, most notably in medial occipital cortex and superior temporal gyrus, where rightward asymmetry is observed for both SA and CT. There is also 4) a prominent asymmetry specific to the chimpanzee brain, namely, rightward CT asymmetry of precentral cortex. These findings provide evidence of there being substantial differences in asymmetry between the human and chimpanzee brain. The unique asymmetries of the human brain are potential neural substrates for cognitive specializations, and the presence of significant CT asymmetry of precentral gyrus in the chimpanzee brain should be further investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Xiang
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Timothy J Crow
- POWIC, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - William D Hopkins
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Neil Roberts
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
The asymmetry of the cerebral sulcal morphology is particularly obvious in higher primates. The sulcal asymmetry in macaque monkeys, a genus of the Old World monkeys, in our previous studies and others is summarized, and its evolutionary significance is speculated. Cynomolgus macaques displayed fetal sulcation and gyration symmetrically, and the sulcal asymmetry appeared after adolescence. Population-level rightward asymmetry was revealed in the length of arcuate sulcus (ars) and the surface area of superior temporal sulcus (sts) in adult macaques. When compared to other nonhuman primates, the superior postcentral sulcus (spcs) was left-lateralized in chimpanzees, opposite of the direction of asymmetry in the ars, anatomically-identical to the spcs, in macaques. This may be associated with handedness: either right-handedness in chimpanzees or left-handedness/ambidexterity in macaques. The rightward asymmetry in the sts surface area was seen in macaques, and it was similar to humans. However, no left/right side differences were identified in the sts morphology among great apes, which suggests the evolutionary discontinuity of the sts asymmetry. The diversity of the cortical lateralization among primate species suggests that the sulcal asymmetry reflects the species-related specialization of the cortical morphology and function, which is facilitated by evolutionary expansion in higher primates.
Collapse
|
10
|
Spocter MA, Sherwood CC, Schapiro SJ, Hopkins WD. Reproducibility of leftward planum temporale asymmetries in two genetically isolated populations of chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes). Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201320. [PMID: 32900313 PMCID: PMC7542794 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Once considered a hallmark of human uniqueness, brain asymmetry has emerged as a feature shared with several other species, including chimpanzees, one of our closest living relatives. Most notable has been the discovery of asymmetries in homologues of cortical language areas in apes, particularly in the planum temporale (PT), considered a central node of the human language network. Several lines of evidence indicate a role for genetic mechanisms in the emergence of PT asymmetry; however, the genetic determinants of cerebral asymmetries have remained elusive. Studies in humans suggest that there is heritability of brain asymmetries of the PT, but this has not been explored to any extent in chimpanzees. Furthermore, the potential influence of non-genetic factors has raised questions about the reproducibility of earlier observations of PT asymmetry reported in chimpanzees. As such, the present study was aimed at examining both the heritability of phenotypic asymmetries in PT morphology, as well as their reproducibility. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we evaluated morphological asymmetries of PT surface area (mm2) and mean depth (mm) in captive chimpanzees (n = 291) derived from two genetically isolated populations. Our results confirm that chimpanzees exhibit a significant population-level leftward asymmetry for PT surface area, as well as significant heritability in the surface area and mean depth of the PT. These results conclusively demonstrate the existence of a leftward bias in PT asymmetry in chimpanzees and suggest that genetic mechanisms play a key role in the emergence of anatomical asymmetry in this region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad A. Spocter
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, 3200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA
- School of Anatomical Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2094, South Africa
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Steven J. Schapiro
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Carrion-Castillo A, Pepe A, Kong XZ, Fisher SE, Mazoyer B, Tzourio-Mazoyer N, Crivello F, Francks C. Genetic effects on planum temporale asymmetry and their limited relevance to neurodevelopmental disorders, intelligence or educational attainment. Cortex 2019; 124:137-153. [PMID: 31887566 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that altered asymmetry of the planum temporale (PT) is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including dyslexia, schizophrenia, and autism. Shared genetic factors have been suggested to link PT asymmetry to these disorders. In a dataset of unrelated subjects from the general population (UK Biobank, N = 18,057), we found that PT volume asymmetry had a significant heritability of roughly 14%. In genome-wide association analysis, two loci were significantly associated with PT asymmetry, including a coding polymorphism within the gene ITIH5 that is predicted to affect the protein's function and to be deleterious (rs41298373, p = 2.01 × 10-15), and a locus that affects the expression of the genes BOK and DTYMK (rs7420166, p = 7.54 × 10-10). DTYMK showed left-right asymmetry of mRNA expression in post mortem PT tissue. Cortex-wide mapping of these SNP effects revealed influences on asymmetry that went somewhat beyond the PT. Using publicly available genome-wide association statistics from large-scale studies, we saw no significant genetic correlations of PT asymmetry with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, educational attainment or intelligence. Of the top two individual loci associated with PT asymmetry, rs41298373 showed a tentative association with intelligence (unadjusted p = .025), while the locus at BOK/DTYMK showed tentative association with educational attainment (unadjusted Ps < .05). These findings provide novel insights into the genetic contributions to human brain asymmetry, but do not support a substantial polygenic association of PT asymmetry with cognitive variation and mental disorders, as far as can be discerned with current sample sizes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amaia Carrion-Castillo
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Antonietta Pepe
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, et Université; de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Xiang-Zhen Kong
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernard Mazoyer
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, et Université; de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nathalie Tzourio-Mazoyer
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, et Université; de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Fabrice Crivello
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, et Université; de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Xia J, Wang F, Wu Z, Wang L, Zhang C, Shen D, Li G. Mapping hemispheric asymmetries of the macaque cerebral cortex during early brain development. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 41:95-106. [PMID: 31532054 PMCID: PMC7267900 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying cortical hemispheric asymmetries during the dynamic early postnatal stages in macaque monkeys (with close phylogenetic relationship to humans) would increase our limited understanding on the possible origins, developmental trajectories, and evolutional mechanisms of brain asymmetries in nonhuman primates, but remains a blind spot to the community. Via cortical surface-based morphometry, we comprehensively analyze hemispheric structural asymmetries in 134 longitudinal MRI scans from birth to 20 months of age from 32 healthy macaque monkeys. We reveal that most clusters of hemispheric asymmetries of cortical properties, such as surface area, cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and vertex positions, expand in the first 4 months of life, and evolve only moderately thereafter. Prominent hemispheric asymmetries are found at the inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, posterior temporal cortex, superior temporal gyrus (STG), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and cingulate cortex. Specifically, the left planum temporale and left STG consistently have larger area and thicker cortices than those on the right hemisphere, while the right STS, right cingulate cortex, and right anterior insula are consistently deeper than the left ones, partially consistent with the findings in human infants and adults. Our results thus provide a valuable reference in studying early brain development and evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xia
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Zhengwang Wu
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Caiming Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Thiebaut de Schotten M, Croxson PL, Mars RB. Large-scale comparative neuroimaging: Where are we and what do we need? Cortex 2019; 118:188-202. [PMID: 30661736 PMCID: PMC6699599 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging has a lot to offer comparative neuroscience. Although invasive "gold standard" techniques have a better spatial resolution, neuroimaging allows fast, whole-brain, repeatable, and multi-modal measurements of structure and function in living animals and post-mortem tissue. In the past years, comparative neuroimaging has increased in popularity. However, we argue that its most significant potential lies in its ability to collect large-scale datasets of many species to investigate principles of variability in brain organisation across whole orders of species-an ambition that is presently unfulfilled but achievable. We briefly review the current state of the field and explore what the current obstacles to such an approach are. We propose some calls to action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Group, Sorbonne Universities, Paris France; Frontlab, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), UPMC UMRS 1127, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Paula L Croxson
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
A cortical circuit for voluntary laryngeal control: Implications for the evolution language. Psychon Bull Rev 2017; 24:56-63. [PMID: 27368637 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-016-1100-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The development of voluntary laryngeal control has been argued to be a key innovation in the evolution of language. Part of the evidence for this hypothesis comes from neuroscience. For example, comparative research has shown that humans have direct cortical innervation of motor neurons controlling the larynx, whereas nonhuman primates do not. Research on cortical motor control circuits has shown that the frontal lobe cortical motor system does not work alone; it is dependent on sensory feedback control circuits. Thus, the human brain must have evolved not only the required efferent motor pathway but also the cortical circuit for controlling those efferent signals. To fill this gap, I propose a link between the evolution of laryngeal control and neuroscience research on the human dorsal auditory-motor speech stream. Specifically, I argue that the dorsal stream Spt (Sylvian parietal-temporal) circuit evolved in step with the direct cortico-laryngeal control pathway and together represented a key advance in the evolution of speech. I suggest that a cortical laryngeal control circuit may play an important role in language by providing a prosodic frame for speech planning.
Collapse
|
15
|
Hecht EE, Mahovetz LM, Preuss TM, Hopkins WD. A neuroanatomical predictor of mirror self-recognition in chimpanzees. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:37-48. [PMID: 27803287 PMCID: PMC5390703 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to recognize one's own reflection is shared by humans and only a few other species, including chimpanzees. However, this ability is highly variable across individual chimpanzees. In humans, self-recognition involves a distributed, right-lateralized network including frontal and parietal regions involved in the production and perception of action. The superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) is a system of white matter tracts linking these frontal and parietal regions. The current study measured mirror self-recognition (MSR) and SLF anatomy in 60 chimpanzees using diffusion tensor imaging. Successful self-recognition was associated with greater rightward asymmetry in the white matter of SLFII and SLFIII, and in SLFIII's gray matter terminations in Broca's area. We observed a visible progression of SLFIII's prefrontal extension in apes that show negative, ambiguous, and compelling evidence of MSR. Notably, SLFIII's terminations in Broca's area are not right-lateralized or particularly pronounced at the population level in chimpanzees, as they are in humans. Thus, chimpanzees with more human-like behavior show more human-like SLFIII connectivity. These results suggest that self-recognition may have co-emerged with adaptations to frontoparietal circuitry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E E Hecht
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience.,Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - L M Mahovetz
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - T M Preuss
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - W D Hopkins
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience.,Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center.,The Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Marie D, Roth M, Lacoste R, Nazarian B, Bertello A, Anton JL, Hopkins WD, Margiotoudi K, Love SA, Meguerditchian A. Left Brain Asymmetry of the Planum Temporale in a Nonhominid Primate: Redefining the Origin of Brain Specialization for Language. Cereb Cortex 2017; 28:1808-1815. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Damien Marie
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR7290, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13331 Marseille, France
- Station de Primatologie CNRS, UPS846, 13790 Rousset, France
| | - Muriel Roth
- Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Romain Lacoste
- Station de Primatologie CNRS, UPS846, 13790 Rousset, France
| | - Bruno Nazarian
- Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Alice Bertello
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR7290, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13331 Marseille, France
- Station de Primatologie CNRS, UPS846, 13790 Rousset, France
| | - Jean-Luc Anton
- Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - William D Hopkins
- The Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Neuroscience Institute and the Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
- IMéRA – Institut d’Etudes Avancées, Université Aix-Marseille, 13004 Marseille, France
- Brain & Language Research Institute, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13604 Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Konstantina Margiotoudi
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR7290, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13331 Marseille, France
- Station de Primatologie CNRS, UPS846, 13790 Rousset, France
| | - Scott A Love
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR7290, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13331 Marseille, France
- Station de Primatologie CNRS, UPS846, 13790 Rousset, France
- Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Adrien Meguerditchian
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR7290, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13331 Marseille, France
- Station de Primatologie CNRS, UPS846, 13790 Rousset, France
- Brain & Language Research Institute, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13604 Aix-en-Provence, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Hopkins WD, Hopkins AM, Misiura M, Latash EM, Mareno MC, Schapiro SJ, Phillips KA. Sex differences in the relationship between planum temporale asymmetry and corpus callosum morphology in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): A combined MRI and DTI analysis. Neuropsychologia 2016; 93:325-334. [PMID: 27055947 PMCID: PMC5050170 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Increases brain size has been hypothesized to be inversely associated with the expression of behavioral and brain asymmetries within and between species. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the relation between asymmetries in the planum temporale (PT) and different measures of the corpus callosum (CC) including surface area, streamline count as measured from diffusion tensor imaging, fractional anisotropy values and the ratio in the number of fibers to surface area in a sample of chimpanzees. We found that chimpanzees with larger PT asymmetries in absolute terms had smaller CC surface areas, fewer streamlines and a smaller ratio of fibers to surface area. These results were largely specific to male but not female chimpanzees. Our results partially support the hypothesis that brain asymmetries are linked to variation in corpus callosum morphology, although these associations may be sex-dependent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Anna M Hopkins
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Maria Misiura
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Elitaveta M Latash
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Mary Catherine Mareno
- Department of Veterinary Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Department of Veterinary Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Atkinson EG, Rogers J, Cheverud JM. Evolutionary and developmental implications of asymmetric brain folding in a large primate pedigree. Evolution 2016; 70:707-15. [PMID: 26813679 PMCID: PMC4801758 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 12/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bilateral symmetry is a fundamental property of the vertebrate central nervous system. Local deviations from symmetry provide various types of information about the development, evolution, and function of elements within the CNS, especially the cerebral hemispheres. Here, we quantify the pattern and extent of asymmetry in cortical folding within the cerebrum of Papio baboons and assess the evolutionary and developmental implications of the findings. Analyses of directional asymmetry show a population-level trend in length measurements indicating that baboons are genetically predisposed to be asymmetrical, with the right side longer than the left in the anterior cerebrum while the left side is longer than the right posteriorly. We also find a corresponding bias to display a right frontal petalia (overgrowth of the anterior pole of the cerebral cortex on the right side). By quantifying fluctuating asymmetry, we assess canalization of brain features and the susceptibility of the baboon brain to developmental perturbations. We find that features are differentially canalized depending on their ontogenetic timing. We further deduce that development of the two hemispheres is to some degree independent. This independence has important implications for the evolution of cerebral hemispheres and their separate specialization. Asymmetry is a major feature of primate brains and is characteristic of both brain structure and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G. Atkinson
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110
| | - Jeffrey Rogers
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Dept. of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - James M. Cheverud
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kavaklioglu T, Ajmal M, Hameed A, Francks C. Whole exome sequencing for handedness in a large and highly consanguineous family. Neuropsychologia 2015; 93:342-349. [PMID: 26581626 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pinpointing genes involved in non-right-handedness has the potential to clarify developmental contributions to human brain lateralization. Major-gene models have been considered for human handedness which allow for phenocopy and reduced penetrance, i.e. an imperfect correspondence between genotype and phenotype. However, a recent genome-wide association scan did not detect any common polymorphisms with substantial genetic effects. Previous linkage studies in families have also not yielded significant findings. Genetic heterogeneity and/or polygenicity are therefore indicated, but it remains possible that relatively rare, or even unique, major-genetic effects may be detectable in certain extended families with many non-right-handed members. Here we applied whole exome sequencing to 17 members from a single, large consanguineous family from Pakistan. Multipoint linkage analysis across all autosomes did not yield clear candidate genomic regions for involvement in the trait and single-point analysis of exomic variation did not yield clear candidate mutations/genes. Any genetic contribution to handedness in this unusual family is therefore likely to have a complex etiology, as at the population level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tulya Kavaklioglu
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Muhammad Ajmal
- Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), 24-Mauve Area, G-9/1, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Hameed
- Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), 24-Mauve Area, G-9/1, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hopkins WD, Misiura M, Pope SM, Latash EM. Behavioral and brain asymmetries in primates: a preliminary evaluation of two evolutionary hypotheses. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2015; 1359:65-83. [PMID: 26426409 PMCID: PMC4715693 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Contrary to many historical views, recent evidence suggests that species-level behavioral and brain asymmetries are evident in nonhuman species. Here, we briefly present evidence of behavioral, perceptual, cognitive, functional, and neuroanatomical asymmetries in nonhuman primates. In addition, we describe two historical accounts of the evolutionary origins of hemispheric specialization and present data from nonhuman primates that address these specific theories. Specifically, we first discuss the evidence that genes play specific roles in determining left-right differences in anatomical and functional asymmetries in primates. We next consider and present data on the hypothesis that hemispheric specialization evolved as a by-product of increasing brain size relative to the surface area of the corpus callosum in different primate species. Last, we discuss some of the challenges in the study of hemispheric specialization in primates and offer some suggestions on how to advance the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Maria Misiura
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sarah M Pope
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Elitaveta M Latash
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
Although the left and right hemispheres of our brains develop with a high degree of symmetry at both the anatomical and functional levels, it has become clear that subtle structural differences exist between the two sides and that each is dominant in processing specific cognitive tasks. As the result of evolutionary conservation or convergence, lateralization of the brain is found in both vertebrates and invertebrates, suggesting that it provides significant fitness for animal life. This widespread feature of hemispheric specialization has allowed the emergence of model systems to study its development and, in some cases, to link anatomical asymmetries to brain function and behavior. Here, we present some of what is known about brain asymmetry in humans and model organisms as well as what is known about the impact of environmental and genetic factors on brain asymmetry development. We specifically highlight the progress made in understanding the development of epithalamic asymmetries in zebrafish and how this model provides an exciting opportunity to address brain asymmetry at different levels of complexity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Duboc
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Pascale Dufourcq
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Patrick Blader
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Myriam Roussigné
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Francks C. Exploring human brain lateralization with molecular genetics and genomics. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2015; 1359:1-13. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clyde Francks
- Language and Genetics Department; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics; Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior; Radboud University Nijmegen; Nijmegen the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Asymmetry within and around the human planum temporale is sexually dimorphic and influenced by genes involved in steroid hormone receptor activity. Cortex 2015; 62:41-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Revised: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
24
|
Savic I. Asymmetry of cerebral gray and white matter and structural volumes in relation to sex hormones and chromosomes. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:329. [PMID: 25505869 PMCID: PMC4245480 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Whilst many studies show sex differences in cerebral asymmetry, their mechanisms are still unknown. This report describes the potential impact of sex hormones and sex chromosomes by comparing MR data from 39 male and 47 female controls and 33 men with an extra X-chromosome (47,XXY). Methods: Regional asymmetry in gray and white matter volumes (GMV and WMV) was calculated using voxel based moprhometry (SPM5), by contrasting the unflipped and flipped individual GMV and WMV images. In addition, structural volumes were calculated for the thalamus, caudate, putamen, amygdala, and hippocampus, using the FreeSurfer software. Effects of plasma testosterone and estrogen on the GMV and WMV, as well on the right/left ratios of the subcortical volumes were tested by multi-regression analysis. Results: All three groups showed a leftward asymmetry in the motor cortex and the planum temporale, and a rightward asymmetry of the middle occipital cortex. Both asymmetries were more pronounced in 46,XY males than 46,XX females and 47,XXY males, and were positively correlated with testosterone levels. There was also a rightward asymmetry of the vermis and leftward GMV asymmetry in the cerebellar hemispheres in all groups. Notably, cerebellar asymmetries were larger in 46,XX females and 47,XXY males, but were not related to sex hormone levels. No asymmetry differences between 46,XX females and 47,XXY males, and no overall effects of brain size were detected. Conclusion: The asymmetry in the planum temporale area and the occipital cortex seem related to processes associated with testosterone, whereas the observed cerebellar asymmetries suggest a link with X-chromosome escapee genes. Sex differences in cerebral asymmetry are moderated by sex hormones and X-chromosome genes, in a regionally differentiated manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivanka Savic
- Stockholm Brain Institute, Department of Women's and Children's Health and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska Institute and Karolinska Hospital Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
A neuronal aging pattern unique to humans and common chimpanzees. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:647-64. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0931-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
26
|
Gillespie-Lynch K, Greenfield PM, Lyn H, Savage-Rumbaugh S. Gestural and symbolic development among apes and humans: support for a multimodal theory of language evolution. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1228. [PMID: 25400607 PMCID: PMC4214247 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
What are the implications of similarities and differences in the gestural and symbolic development of apes and humans?This focused review uses as a starting point our recent study that provided evidence that gesture supported the symbolic development of a chimpanzee, a bonobo, and a human child reared in language-enriched environments at comparable stages of communicative development. These three species constitute a complete clade, species possessing a common immediate ancestor. Communicative behaviors observed among all species in a clade are likely to have been present in the common ancestor. Similarities in the form and function of many gestures produced by the chimpanzee, bonobo, and human child suggest that shared non-verbal skills may underlie shared symbolic capacities. Indeed, an ontogenetic sequence from gesture to symbol was present across the clade but more pronounced in child than ape. Multimodal expressions of communicative intent (e.g., vocalization plus persistence or eye-contact) were normative for the child, but less common for the apes. These findings suggest that increasing multimodal expression of communicative intent may have supported the emergence of language among the ancestors of humans. Therefore, this focused review includes new studies, since our 2013 article, that support a multimodal theory of language evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Gillespie-Lynch
- Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York New York, NY, USA ; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Patricia M Greenfield
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Heidi Lyn
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi Long Beach, MS, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
On the other hand: including left-handers in cognitive neuroscience and neurogenetics. Nat Rev Neurosci 2014; 15:193-201. [DOI: 10.1038/nrn3679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
28
|
Hopkins WD, Misiura M, Reamer LA, Schaeffer JA, Mareno MC, Schapiro SJ. Poor receptive joint attention skills are associated with atypical gray matter asymmetry in the posterior superior temporal gyrus of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Front Psychol 2014; 5:7. [PMID: 24523703 PMCID: PMC3905213 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical and experimental data have implicated the posterior superior temporal gyrus as an important cortical region in the processing of socially relevant stimuli such as gaze following, eye direction, and head orientation. Gaze following and responding to different socio-communicative signals is an important and highly adaptive skill in primates, including humans. Here, we examined whether individual differences in responding to socio-communicative cues was associated with variation in either gray matter (GM) volume and asymmetry in a sample of chimpanzees. Magnetic resonance image scans and behavioral data on receptive joint attention (RJA) was obtained from a sample of 191 chimpanzees. We found that chimpanzees that performed poorly on the RJA task had less GM in the right compared to left hemisphere in the posterior but not anterior superior temporal gyrus. We further found that middle-aged and elderly chimpanzee performed more poorly on the RJA task and had significantly less GM than young-adult and sub-adult chimpanzees. The results are consistent with previous studies implicating the posterior temporal gyrus in the processing of socially relevant information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William D. Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research CenterAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Maria Misiura
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott CollegeDecatur, GA, USA
| | - Lisa A. Reamer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Schaeffer
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research CenterAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mary C. Mareno
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX, USA
| | - Steven J. Schapiro
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX, USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Fjell AM, Westlye LT, Amlien I, Tamnes CK, Grydeland H, Engvig A, Espeseth T, Reinvang I, Lundervold AJ, Lundervold A, Walhovd KB. High-expanding cortical regions in human development and evolution are related to higher intellectual abilities. Cereb Cortex 2013; 25:26-34. [PMID: 23960203 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical surface area has tremendously expanded during human evolution, and similar patterns of cortical expansion have been observed during childhood development. An intriguing hypothesis is that the high-expanding cortical regions also show the strongest correlations with intellectual function in humans. However, we do not know how the regional distribution of correlations between intellectual function and cortical area maps onto expansion in development and evolution. Here, in a sample of 1048 participants, we show that regions in which cortical area correlates with visuospatial reasoning abilities are generally high expanding in both development and evolution. Several regions in the frontal cortex, especially the anterior cingulate, showed high expansion in both development and evolution. The area of these regions was related to intellectual functions in humans. Low-expanding areas were not related to cognitive scores. These findings suggest that cortical regions involved in higher intellectual functions have expanded the most during development and evolution. The radial unit hypothesis provides a common framework for interpretation of the findings in the context of evolution and prenatal development, while additional cellular mechanisms, such as synaptogenesis, gliogenesis, dendritic arborization, and intracortical myelination, likely impact area expansion in later childhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anders M Fjell
- Department of Psychology, Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Inge Amlien
- Department of Psychology, Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- Department of Psychology, Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition
| | - Håkon Grydeland
- Department of Psychology, Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition
| | - Andreas Engvig
- Department of Psychology, Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition
| | | | - Ivar Reinvang
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astri J Lundervold
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology K.G. Jebsen Center for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders
| | - Arvid Lundervold
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway and Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Department of Psychology, Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Hopkins WD. Neuroanatomical asymmetries and handedness in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): a case for continuity in the evolution of hemispheric specialization. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1288:17-35. [PMID: 23647534 PMCID: PMC3676728 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Many historical and contemporary theorists have proposed that population-level behavioral and brain asymmetries are unique to humans and evolved as a consequence of human-specific adaptations such as language, tool manufacture and use, and bipedalism. Recent studies in nonhuman animals, notably primates, have begun to challenge this view. Here, I summarize comparative data on neuroanatomical asymmetries in the planum temporale (PT) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) of humans and chimpanzees, regions considered the morphological equivalents to Broca's and Wernicke's areas. I also review evidence of population-level handedness in captive and wild chimpanzees. When similar methods and landmarks are used to define the PT and IFG, humans and chimpanzees show similar patterns of asymmetry in both cortical regions, though humans show more pronounced directional biases. Similarly, there is good evidence that chimpanzees show population-level handedness, though, again, the expression of handedness is less robust compared to humans. These results stand in contrast to reported claims of significant differences in the distribution of handedness in humans and chimpanzees, and I discuss some possible explanations for the discrepancies in the neuroanatomical and behavioral data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Regional and hemispheric variation in cortical thickness in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Neurosci 2013; 33:5241-8. [PMID: 23516289 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2996-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in structural magnetic resonance imaging technology and analysis now allows for accurate in vivo measurement of cortical thickness, an important aspect of cortical organization that has historically only been conducted on postmortem brains. In this study, for the first time, we examined regional and lateralized cortical thickness in a sample of 71 chimpanzees for comparison with previously reported findings in humans. We also measured gray and white matter volumes for each subject. The results indicated that chimpanzees showed significant regional variation in cortical thickness with lower values in primary motor and sensory cortex compared with association cortex. Furthermore, chimpanzees showed significant rightward asymmetries in cortical thickness for a number of regions of interest throughout the cortex and leftward asymmetries in white but not gray matter volume. We also found that total and region-specific cortical thickness was significantly negatively correlated with white matter volume. Thus, chimpanzees with greater white matter volumes had thinner cortical thickness. The collective findings are discussed within the context of previous findings in humans and theories on the evolution of cortical organization and lateralization in primates.
Collapse
|
32
|
Smaers JB, Steele J, Case CR, Amunts K. Laterality and the evolution of the prefronto-cerebellar system in anthropoids. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1288:59-69. [PMID: 23647442 PMCID: PMC4298027 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is extensive evidence for an early vertebrate origin of lateralized motor behavior and of related asymmetries in underlying brain systems. We investigate human lateralized motor functioning in a broad comparative context of evolutionary neural reorganization. We quantify evolutionary trends in the fronto-cerebellar system (involved in motor learning) across 46 million years of divergent primate evolution by comparing rates of evolution of prefrontal cortex, frontal motor cortex, and posterior cerebellar hemispheres along individual branches of the primate tree of life. We provide a detailed evolutionary model of the neuroanatomical changes leading to modern human lateralized motor functioning, demonstrating an increased role for the fronto-cerebellar system in the apes dating to their evolutionary divergence from the monkeys (∼30 million years ago (Mya)), and a subsequent shift toward an increased role for prefrontal cortex over frontal motor cortex in the fronto-cerebellar system in the Homo-Pan ancestral lineage (∼10 Mya) and in the human ancestral lineage (∼6 Mya). We discuss these results in the context of cortico-cerebellar functions and their likely role in the evolution of human tool use and speech.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen B Smaers
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Hopkins WD, Taglialatela JP. Initiation of joint attention is associated with morphometric variation in the anterior cingulate cortex of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Am J Primatol 2013; 75:441-9. [PMID: 23300067 PMCID: PMC3609881 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Revised: 11/14/2012] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In developing human children, joint attention (JA) is an important preverbal skill fundamental to the development of language. Poor JA skills have been described as a behavioral risk factor for some neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder. It has been hypothesized that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an important role in the development of JA in human children. Here, we tested whether the morphometry and lateralization of the ACC differed between chimpanzees that were classified as either consistently or inconsistently engaging in JA with a human experimenter. Results showed that chimpanzees that performed poorly on the JA task had larger gray matter (GM) volumes in the ACC compared to apes that performed well on the task. In addition, both population-level asymmetries and sex differences in the volume of GM were found within the ACC. Specifically, females had relatively larger GM volumes in two of the three subregions of the ACC compared to males, and significant leftward asymmetries were found for two of the subregions whereas a rightward bias was observed in the third. Based on these findings, we suggest that the ACC plays an important role in mediating JA, not just in humans, but also chimpanzees. We further suggest that the differences found between groups may reflect inherent differences in the amount of white matter within the ACC, thereby suggesting reduced connectivity between the ACC and other cortical regions in chimpanzees with poor JA skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
The degree to which genes and environment determine variations in brain structure and function is fundamentally important to understanding normal and disease-related patterns of neural organization and activity. We studied genetic contributions to the midsagittal area of the corpus callosum (CC) in pedigreed baboons (68 males, 112 females) to replicate findings of high genetic contribution to that area of the CC reported in humans, and to determine if the heritability of the CC midsagittal area in adults was modulated by fetal development rate. Measurements of callosal area were obtained from high-resolution MRI scans. Heritability was estimated from pedigree-based maximum likelihood estimation of genetic and non-genetic variance components as implemented in Sequential Oligogenic Linkage Analysis Routines (SOLAR). Our analyses revealed significant heritability for the total area of the CC and all of its subdivisions, with h2 = .46 for the total CC, and h2 = .54, .37, .62, .56, and .29 for genu, anterior midbody, medial midbody, posterior midbody and splenium, respectively. Genetic correlation analysis demonstrated that the individual subdivisions shared between 41% and 98% of genetic variability. Combined with previous research reporting high heritability of other brain structures in baboons, these results reveal a consistent pattern of high heritability for brain morphometric measures in baboons.
Collapse
|
35
|
Alexander GE, Ryan L, Bowers D, Foster TC, Bizon JL, Geldmacher DS, Glisky EL. Characterizing cognitive aging in humans with links to animal models. Front Aging Neurosci 2012; 4:21. [PMID: 22988439 PMCID: PMC3439638 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2012.00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 07/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
With the population of older adults expected to grow rapidly over the next two decades, it has become increasingly important to advance research efforts to elucidate the mechanisms associated with cognitive aging, with the ultimate goal of developing effective interventions and prevention therapies. Although there has been a vast research literature on the use of cognitive tests to evaluate the effects of aging and age-related neurodegenerative disease, the need for a set of standardized measures to characterize the cognitive profiles specific to healthy aging has been widely recognized. Here we present a review of selected methods and approaches that have been applied in human research studies to evaluate the effects of aging on cognition, including executive function, memory, processing speed, language, and visuospatial function. The effects of healthy aging on each of these cognitive domains are discussed with examples from cognitive/experimental and clinical/neuropsychological approaches. Further, we consider those measures that have clear conceptual and methodological links to tasks currently in use for non-human animal studies of aging, as well as those that have the potential for translation to animal aging research. Having a complementary set of measures to assess the cognitive profiles of healthy aging across species provides a unique opportunity to enhance research efforts for cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies of cognitive aging. Taking a cross-species, translational approach will help to advance cognitive aging research, leading to a greater understanding of associated neurobiological mechanisms with the potential for developing effective interventions and prevention therapies for age-related cognitive decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gene E. Alexander
- Department of Psychology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, USA
| | - Lee Ryan
- Department of Psychology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, USA
| | - Dawn Bowers
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas C. Foster
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Bizon
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - David S. Geldmacher
- Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth L. Glisky
- Department of Psychology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bogart SL, Mangin JF, Schapiro SJ, Reamer L, Bennett AJ, Pierre PJ, Hopkins WD. Cortical sulci asymmetries in chimpanzees and macaques: a new look at an old idea. Neuroimage 2012; 61:533-41. [PMID: 22504765 PMCID: PMC3358493 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.03.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Revised: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 03/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional and neuroanatomical asymmetries are an important characteristic of the human brain. The evolution of such specializations in the human cortex has provoked great interest in primate brain evolution. Most research on cortical sulci has revolved around linear measurements, which represent only one dimension of sulci organization. Here, we used a software program (BrainVISA) to quantify asymmetries in cortical depth and surface area from magnetic resonance images in a sample of 127 chimpanzees and 49 macaques. Population brain asymmetries were determined from 11 sulci in chimpanzees and seven sulci in macaques. Sulci were taken from the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Population-level asymmetries were evident in chimpanzees for several sulci, including the fronto-orbital, superior precentral, and sylvian fissure sulci. The macaque population did not reveal significant population-level asymmetries, except for surface area of the superior temporal sulcus. The overall results are discussed within the context of the evolution of higher order cognition and motor functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L. Bogart
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Neuroscience Institute, , Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302
| | | | - Steven J. Schapiro
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas 78602
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lisa Reamer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas 78602
| | - Allyson J Bennett
- Harlow Center for Biological Psychology, Psychology Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715
| | - Peter J. Pierre
- Department of Behavior Management, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI 53115
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Neuroscience Institute, , Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Fears SC, Scheibel K, Abaryan Z, Lee C, Service SK, Jorgensen MJ, Fairbanks LA, Cantor RM, Freimer NB, Woods RP. Anatomic brain asymmetry in vervet monkeys. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28243. [PMID: 22205941 PMCID: PMC3244392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetry is a prominent feature of human brains with important functional consequences. Many asymmetric traits show population bias, but little is known about the genetic and environmental sources contributing to inter-individual variance. Anatomic asymmetry has been observed in Old World monkeys, but the evidence for the direction and extent of asymmetry is equivocal and only one study has estimated the genetic contributions to inter-individual variance. In this study we characterize a range of qualitative and quantitative asymmetry measures in structural brain MRIs acquired from an extended pedigree of Old World vervet monkeys (n = 357), and implement variance component methods to estimate the proportion of trait variance attributable to genetic and environmental sources. Four of six asymmetry measures show pedigree-level bias and one of the traits has a significant heritability estimate of about 30%. We also found that environmental variables more significantly influence the width of the right compared to the left prefrontal lobe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Fears
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|