1
|
Conte S, Zimmerman D, Richards JE. White matter trajectories over the lifespan. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301520. [PMID: 38758830 PMCID: PMC11101104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301520] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
White matter (WM) changes occur throughout the lifespan at a different rate for each developmental period. We aggregated 10879 structural MRIs and 6186 diffusion-weighted MRIs from participants between 2 weeks to 100 years of age. Age-related changes in gray matter and WM partial volumes and microstructural WM properties, both brain-wide and on 29 reconstructed tracts, were investigated as a function of biological sex and hemisphere, when appropriate. We investigated the curve fit that would best explain age-related differences by fitting linear, cubic, quadratic, and exponential models to macro and microstructural WM properties. Following the first steep increase in WM volume during infancy and childhood, the rate of development slows down in adulthood and decreases with aging. Similarly, microstructural properties of WM, particularly fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), follow independent rates of change across the lifespan. The overall increase in FA and decrease in MD are modulated by demographic factors, such as the participant's age, and show different hemispheric asymmetries in some association tracts reconstructed via probabilistic tractography. All changes in WM macro and microstructure seem to follow nonlinear trajectories, which also differ based on the considered metric. Exponential changes occurred for the WM volume and FA and MD values in the first five years of life. Collectively, these results provide novel insight into how changes in different metrics of WM occur when a lifespan approach is considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Conte
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal, NY, United States of America
| | - Dabriel Zimmerman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - John E. Richards
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gao C, Yang Q, Kim ME, Khairi NM, Cai LY, Newlin NR, Kanakaraj P, Remedios LW, Krishnan AR, Yu X, Yao T, Zhang P, Schilling KG, Moyer D, Archer DB, Resnick SM, Landman BA. Characterizing patterns of DTI variance in aging brains. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.08.22.23294381. [PMID: 37662348 PMCID: PMC10473788 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.22.23294381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Background As large analyses merge data across sites, a deeper understanding of variance in statistical assessment across the sources of data becomes critical for valid analyses. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) exhibits spatially varying and correlated noise, so care must be taken with distributional assumptions. Purpose We characterize the role of physiology, subject compliance, and the interaction of subject with the scanner in the understanding of DTI variability, as modeled in spatial variance of derived metrics in homogeneous regions. Methods We analyze DTI data from 1035 subjects in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), with ages ranging from 22.4 to 103 years old. For each subject, up to 12 longitudinal sessions were conducted. We assess variance of DTI scalars within regions of interest (ROIs) defined by four segmentation methods and investigate the relationships between the variance and covariates, including baseline age, time from the baseline (referred to as "interval"), motion, sex, and whether it is the first scan or the second scan in the session. Results Covariate effects are heterogeneous and bilaterally symmetric across ROIs. Inter-session interval is positively related (p ≪ 0.001) to FA variance in the cuneus and occipital gyrus, but negatively (p ≪ 0.001) in the caudate nucleus. Males show significantly (p ≪ 0.001) higher FA variance in the right putamen, thalamus, body of the corpus callosum, and cingulate gyrus. In 62 out of 176 ROIs defined by the Eve type-1 atlas, an increase in motion is associated (p < 0.05) with a decrease in FA variance. Head motion increases during the rescan of DTI (Δμ = 0.045 millimeters per volume). Conclusions The effects of each covariate on DTI variance, and their relationships across ROIs are complex. Ultimately, we encourage researchers to include estimates of variance when sharing data and consider models of heteroscedasticity in analysis. This work provides a foundation for study planning to account for regional variations in metric variance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Gao
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Qi Yang
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Michael E Kim
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Nazirah Mohd Khairi
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Leon Y Cai
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Nancy R Newlin
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | | | - Lucas W Remedios
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Aravind R Krishnan
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Xin Yu
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Tianyuan Yao
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Biostatistics, Nashville, United States
| | - Kurt G Schilling
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Nashville, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, USA
| | - Daniel Moyer
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Derek B Archer
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Nashville, USA
| | - Susan M Resnick
- National Institute on Aging, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Baltimore, United States
| | - Bennett A Landman
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Nashville, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Elmers J, Colzato LS, Akgün K, Ziemssen T, Beste C. Neurofilaments - Small proteins of physiological significance and predictive power for future neurodegeneration and cognitive decline across the life span. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102037. [PMID: 37619618 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Neurofilaments (NFs) are not only important for axonal integrity and nerve conduction in large myelinated axons but they are also thought to be crucial for receptor and synaptic functioning. Therefore, NFs may play a critical role in cognitive functions, as cognitive processes are known to depend on synaptic integrity and are modulated by dopaminergic signaling. Here, we present a theory-driven interdisciplinary approach that NFs may link inflammation, neurodegeneration, and cognitive functions. We base our hypothesis on a wealth of evidence suggesting a causal link between inflammation and neurodegeneration and between these two and cognitive decline (see Fig. 1), also taking dopaminergic signaling into account. We conclude that NFs may not only serve as biomarkers for inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and cognitive processes but also represent a potential mechanical hinge between them, moreover, they may even have predictive power regarding future cognitive decline. In addition, we advocate the use of both NFs and MRI parameters, as their synthesis offers the opportunity to individualize medical treatment by providing a comprehensive view of underlying disease activity in neurological diseases. Since our society will become significantly older in the upcoming years and decades, maintaining cognitive functions and healthy aging will play an important role. Thanks to technological advances in recent decades, NFs could serve as a rapid, noninvasive, and relatively inexpensive early warning system to identify individuals at increased risk for cognitive decline and could facilitate the management of cognitive dysfunctions across the lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Elmers
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Lorenza S Colzato
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
| | - Katja Akgün
- Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Vértes PE. Computational Models of Typical and Atypical Brain Network Development. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:464-470. [PMID: 36593135 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, the organization of brain networks at both micro- and macroscales has become a key focus of neuroscientific inquiry. This has revealed fundamental features of brain network organization-small-worldness, modularity, heavy-tailed degree distributions-and has highlighted how these structural features support brain function. However, the driving forces that shape brain networks over the course of development have begun to be explored only recently. Here, we review recent efforts to gain insights into the mechanisms of brain development through generative modeling of both macroscale human brain networks and microscale cellular connectomes in Caenorhabditis elegans and other organisms. We show how these mathematical models can begin to shed light on the biological processes that drive and constrain the development of brain networks. Finally, we show how generative network models can translate genetic and environmental differences into variability in developmental trajectories, leading to diverse cognitive and mental health outcomes in children and young people.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petra E Vértes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
de Planque CA, Gaillard L, Vrooman HA, Li B, Bron EE, van Veelen MLC, Mathijssen IMJ, Dremmen MHG. A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Analysis of Frontal Lobe White Matter Microstructure in Trigonocephaly Patients. Pediatr Neurol 2022; 131:42-48. [PMID: 35483131 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with trigonocephaly are at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. The aim of this study is to investigate white matter properties of the frontal lobes in young, unoperated patients with metopic synostosis as compared to healthy controls using diffusion tension imaging (DTI). METHODS Preoperative DTI data sets of 46 patients with trigonocephaly with a median age of 0.49 (interquartile range: 0.38) years were compared with 21 controls with a median age of 1.44 (0.98) years. White matter metrics of the tracts in the frontal lobe were calculated using FMRIB Software Library (FSL). The mean value of tract-specific fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were estimated for each subject and compared to healthy controls. By linear regression, FA and MD values per tract were assessed by trigonocephaly, sex, and age. RESULTS The mean FA and MD values in the frontal lobe tracts of untreated trigonocephaly patients, younger than 3 years, were not significantly different in comparison to controls, where age showed to be a significant associated factor. CONCLUSIONS Microstructural parameters of white matter tracts of the frontal lobe of patients with trigonocephaly are comparable to those of controls aged 0-3 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A de Planque
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Linda Gaillard
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henri A Vrooman
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Esther E Bron
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marie-Lise C van Veelen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irene M J Mathijssen
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Marjolein H G Dremmen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lariosa-Willingham K, Leonoudakis D, Bragge T, Tolppanen L, Nurmi A, Flanagan M, Gibson J, Wilson D, Stratton J, Lehtimäki KK, Miszczuk D. An in vivo accelerated developmental myelination model for testing promyelinating therapeutics. BMC Neurosci 2022; 23:30. [PMID: 35614392 PMCID: PMC9134688 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-022-00714-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Therapeutic agents stimulating the process of myelination could be beneficial for the treatment of demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. The efficient translation of compounds promoting myelination in vitro to efficacy in vivo is inherently time-consuming and expensive. Thyroid hormones accelerate the differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocytes, thereby promoting myelination. Systemic administration of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) accelerates brain maturation, including myelination, during early postnatal development. The objective of this study was to validate an animal model for rapid testing of promyelinating therapeutic candidates for their effects on early postnatal development by using T4 as a reference compound. Methods Daily subcutaneous injections of T4 were given to Sprague Dawley rat pups from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND10. Changes in white matter were determined at PND10 using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI). Temporal changes in myelination from PND3 to PND11 were also assessed by quantifying myelin basic protein (MBP) expression levels in the brain using the resonance Raman spectroscopy/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (RRS-ELISA) and quantitative immunohistochemistry. Results DTI of white matter tracts showed significantly higher fractional anisotropy in the internal capsule of T4-treated rat pups. The distribution of total FA values in the forebrain was significantly shifted towards higher values in the T4-treated group, suggesting increased myelination. In vivo imaging data were supported by in vitro observations, as T4 administration significantly potentiated the developmental increase in MBP levels in brain lysates starting from PND8. MBP levels in the brain of animals that received treatment for 9 days correlated with the FA metric determined in the same pups in vivo a day earlier. Furthermore, accelerated developmental myelination following T4 administration was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining for MBP in coronal brain sections of treated rat pups. Conclusions T4-treated rat pups had increased MBP expression levels and higher MRI fractional anisotropy values, both indications of accelerated myelination. This simple developmental myelination model affords a rapid test of promyelinating activity in vivo within several days, which could facilitate in vivo prescreening of candidate therapeutic compounds for developmental hypomyelinating diseases. Further research will be necessary to assess the utility of this platform for screening promyelination compounds in more complex demyelination disease models, such us multiple sclerosis. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12868-022-00714-y.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Timo Bragge
- Charles River Discovery Services, Neulaniementie 4, 70210, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Laura Tolppanen
- Charles River Discovery Services, Neulaniementie 4, 70210, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Antti Nurmi
- Charles River Discovery Services, Neulaniementie 4, 70210, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | | | - David Wilson
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Redwood City, CA, 94063, USA
| | | | - Kimmo K Lehtimäki
- Charles River Discovery Services, Neulaniementie 4, 70210, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Diana Miszczuk
- Charles River Discovery Services, Neulaniementie 4, 70210, Kuopio, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Namiranian R, Rahimi Malakshan S, Abrishami Moghaddam H, Khadem A, Jafari R. Normal development of the brain: a survey of joint structural-functional brain studies. Rev Neurosci 2022; 33:745-765. [PMID: 35304982 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Joint structural-functional (S-F) developmental studies present a novel approach to address the complex neuroscience questions on how the human brain works and how it matures. Joint S-F biomarkers have the inherent potential to model effectively the brain's maturation, fill the information gap in temporal brain atlases, and demonstrate how the brain's performance matures during the lifespan. This review presents the current state of knowledge on heterochronous and heterogeneous development of S-F links during the maturation period. The S-F relationship has been investigated in early-matured unimodal and prolonged-matured transmodal regions of the brain using a variety of structural and functional biomarkers and data acquisition modalities. Joint S-F unimodal studies have employed auditory and visual stimuli, while the main focus of joint S-F transmodal studies has been resting-state and cognitive experiments. However, nonsignificant associations between some structural and functional biomarkers and their maturation show that designing and developing effective S-F biomarkers is still a challenge in the field. Maturational characteristics of brain asymmetries have been poorly investigated by the joint S-F studies, and the results were partially inconsistent with previous nonjoint ones. The inherent complexity of the brain performance can be modeled using multifactorial and nonlinear techniques as promising methods to simulate the impact of age on S-F relations considering their analysis challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Namiranian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Sahar Rahimi Malakshan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Hamid Abrishami Moghaddam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran.,Inserm UMR 1105, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80054 Amiens, France
| | - Ali Khadem
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Reza Jafari
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Thompson Engineering Building, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Spencer APC, Brooks JCW, Masuda N, Byrne H, Lee-Kelland R, Jary S, Thoresen M, Goodfellow M, Cowan FM, Chakkarapani E. Motor function and white matter connectivity in children cooled for neonatal encephalopathy. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 32:102872. [PMID: 34749285 PMCID: PMC8578038 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic hypothermia reduces the incidence of severe motor disability, such as cerebral palsy, following neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. However, cooled children without cerebral palsy at school-age demonstrate motor deficits and altered white matter connectivity. In this study, we used diffusion-weighted imaging to investigate the relationship between white matter connectivity and motor performance, measured using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, in children aged 6-8 years treated with therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy at birth, who did not develop cerebral palsy (cases), and matched typically developing controls. Correlations between total motor scores and diffusion properties in major white matter tracts were assessed in 33 cases and 36 controls. In cases, significant correlations (FDR-corrected P < 0.05) were found in the anterior thalamic radiation bilaterally (left: r = 0.513; right: r = 0.488), the cingulate gyrus part of the left cingulum (r = 0.588), the hippocampal part of the left cingulum (r = 0.541), and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus bilaterally (left: r = 0.445; right: r = 0.494). No significant correlations were found in controls. We then constructed structural connectivity networks, for 22 cases and 32 controls, in which nodes represent brain regions and edges were determined by probabilistic tractography and weighted by fractional anisotropy. Analysis of whole-brain network metrics revealed correlations (FDR-corrected P < 0.05), in cases, between total motor scores and average node strength (r = 0.571), local efficiency (r = 0.664), global efficiency (r = 0.677), clustering coefficient (r = 0.608), and characteristic path length (r = -0.652). No significant correlations were found in controls. We then investigated edge-level association with motor function using the network-based statistic. This revealed subnetworks which exhibited group differences in the association between motor outcome and edge weights, for total motor scores (P = 0.0109) as well as for balance (P = 0.0245) and manual dexterity (P = 0.0233) domain scores. All three of these subnetworks comprised numerous frontal lobe regions known to be associated with motor function, including the superior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus. The subnetwork associated with total motor scores was highly left-lateralised. These findings demonstrate an association between impaired motor function and brain organisation in school-age children treated with therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur P C Spencer
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jonathan C W Brooks
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Naoki Masuda
- Department of Mathematics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering Program, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Hollie Byrne
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Richard Lee-Kelland
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sally Jary
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marianne Thoresen
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marc Goodfellow
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; Wellcome Trust Centre for Biomedical Modelling and Analysis, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Frances M Cowan
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ela Chakkarapani
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, St Michael's Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Spencer APC, Byrne H, Lee-Kelland R, Jary S, Thoresen M, Cowan FM, Chakkarapani E, Brooks JCW. An Age-Specific Atlas for Delineation of White Matter Pathways in Children Aged 6-8 Years. Brain Connect 2021; 12:402-416. [PMID: 34210166 PMCID: PMC7612846 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2021.0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Diffusion MRI allows non-invasive assessment of white matter connectivity in typical development and of changes due to brain injury or pathology. Probabilistic white matter atlases allow diffusion metrics to be measured in specific white matter pathways, and are a critical component in spatial normalisation for group analysis. However, given the known developmental changes in white matter it may be sub-optimal to use an adult template when assessing data acquired from children. Methods By averaging subject-specific fibre bundles from 28 children aged from 6 to 8 years, we created an age-specific probabilistic white matter atlas for 12 major white matter tracts. Using both the newly developed and Johns Hopkins adult atlases, we compared the atlas to subject-specific fibre bundles in two independent validation cohorts, assessing accuracy in terms of volumetric overlap and measured diffusion metrics. Results Our age-specific atlas gave better overall performance than the adult atlas, achieving higher volumetric overlap with subject-specific fibre tracking and higher correlation of FA measurements with those measured from subject-specific fibre bundles. Specifically, estimates of FA values for cortico-spinal tract, uncinate fasciculus, forceps minor, cingulate gyrus part of the cingulum and anterior thalamic radiation were all significantly more accurate when estimated with an age-specific atlas. Discussion The age-specific atlas allows delineation of white matter tracts in children aged 6-8 years, without the need for tractography, more accurately than when normalising to an adult atlas. To our knowledge, this is the first publicly available probabilistic atlas of white matter tracts for this age group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur P C Spencer
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Hollie Byrne
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Lee-Kelland
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Sally Jary
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Marianne Thoresen
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Frances M Cowan
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ela Chakkarapani
- Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C W Brooks
- Clinical Research and Imaging Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Feng Y, Song J, Yan W, Wang J, Zhao C, Zeng Q. Investigation of Local White Matter Properties in Professional Chess Player: A Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Based on Automatic Annotation Fiber Clustering. IEEE Trans Cogn Dev Syst 2021. [DOI: 10.1109/tcds.2020.2968116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
11
|
López-Vicente M, Lamballais S, Louwen S, Hillegers M, Tiemeier H, Muetzel RL, White T. White matter microstructure correlates of age, sex, handedness and motor ability in a population-based sample of 3031 school-age children. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117643. [PMID: 33338611 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the development of white matter microstructure in the general population is an imperative precursor to identifying its involvement in psychopathology. Previous studies have reported changes in white matter microstructure associated with age and different developmental patterns between boys and girls. Handedness has also been related to white matter in adults. Motor performance, tightly dependent on overall neuronal myelination, has been related to the corpus callosum. However, the association between motor performance and global white matter microstructure has not been reported in the literature. In general, these age, sex, handedness, and motor performance associations have been observed using small and poorly representative samples. We examined the relationships between age, sex, handedness, and motor performance, measured with a finger tapping task, and white matter microstructure in the forceps major and minor and in 5 tracts bilaterally (cingulum, corticospinal, inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi, and uncinate) in a population-based sample of 3031 children between 8 and 12 years of age. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were acquired using a single, study-dedicated 3 Tesla scanner. We extracted and quantified features of white matter microstructure for each tract. We computed global DTI metrics by combining scalar values across multiple tracts into single latent factors using a confirmatory factor analysis. The adjusted linear regression models indicated that age was associated with global fractional anisotropy (FA), global mean diffusivity (MD), and almost all the tracts. Further, girls showed lower global MD than boys, while FA values differed by tract, and no age-sex interactions were found. No differences were observed in white matter microstructure between right- and left-handed children. We observed that FA in forceps major was associated with right-hand finger tapping performance. White matter FA in association tracts was only related to motor function before multiple testing correction. Our findings do not provide evidence for a relationship between finger tapping task performance and global white matter microstructure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica López-Vicente
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sander Lamballais
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne Louwen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Manon Hillegers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Double Dissociation of Auditory Attention Span and Visual Attention in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Cerebellar Tumor: A Deterministic Tractography Study of the Cerebellar-Frontal and the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus Pathways. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2020; 26:939-953. [PMID: 32342828 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617720000417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Right cerebellar-left frontal (RC-LF) white matter integrity (WMI) has been associated with working memory. However, prior studies have employed measures of working memory that include processing speed and attention. We examined the relationships between the RC-LF WMI and processing speed, attention, and working memory to clarify the relationship of RC-LF WMI with a specific cognitive function. Right superior longitudinal fasciculus II (SLF II) WMI and visual attention were included as a negative control tract and task to demonstrate a double dissociation. METHODS Adult survivors of childhood brain tumors [n = 29, age: M = 22 years (SD = 5), 45% female] and demographically matched controls were recruited (n = 29). Tests of auditory attention span, working memory, and visual attention served as cognitive measures. Participants completed a 3-T MRI diffusion-weighted imaging scan. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD) served as WMI measures. Partial correlations between WMI and cognitive scores included controlling for type of treatment. RESULTS A correlational double dissociation was found. RC-LF WMI was associated with auditory attention (FA: r = .42, p = .03; RD: r = -.50, p = .01) and was not associated with visual attention (FA: r = -.11, p = .59; RD: r = -.11, p = .57). SLF II FA WMI was associated with visual attention (FA: r = .44, p = .02; RD: r = -.17, p = .40) and was not associated with auditory attention (FA: r = .24, p = .22; RD: r = -.10, p = .62). CONCLUSIONS The results show that RC-LF WMI is associated with auditory attention span rather than working memory per se and provides evidence for a specificity based on the correlational double dissociation.
Collapse
|
13
|
Dowe KN, Planalp EM, Dean DC, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ, Goldsmith HH. Early microstructure of white matter associated with infant attention. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100815. [PMID: 32658763 PMCID: PMC7358182 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early infancy is characterized by rapid brain development that occurs alongside, and in response to, the development of cognitive and behavioral functions, including attention. Infants' ability to orient and sustain attention to stimuli develops in concert with refinement of the orienting network in frontoparietal regions of the brain. Infants (n = 97) underwent magnetic resonance imaging at one-month of age and data were fit to a diffusion tensor imaging model to calculate fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD), as well as to a neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging model to calculate intracellular volume fraction (νic). Infant attention was assessed at six months of age using a dynamic puppet task (Cuevas and Bell, 2014). Infants with higher FA in the corpus callosum and anterior cingulum showed increased orienting behaviors. Our findings indicate that increased microstructure of the white matter tracts in the orienting network may play a role in the early neurodevelopment of attentional orienting behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin N Dowe
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, 1202 W Johnson St, Madison, WI, 53706 United States.
| | - Elizabeth M Planalp
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, 1202 W Johnson St, Madison, WI, 53706 United States; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705 United States.
| | - Douglas C Dean
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705 United States; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Medical Physics, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705 United States.
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705 United States; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Medical Physics, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705 United States.
| | - Richard J Davidson
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, 1202 W Johnson St, Madison, WI, 53706 United States; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705 United States; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Healthy Minds, 625 W Washington Ave, Madison, WI, 53703 United States.
| | - H Hill Goldsmith
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, 1202 W Johnson St, Madison, WI, 53706 United States; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705 United States.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Zheng T, Du J, Yuan Y, Wu S, Jin Y, Wang Z, Liu D, Shi Q, Wang X, Liu L. Neuroprotective Effect of Low-Intensity Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation in Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury Rats. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:172. [PMID: 32218720 PMCID: PMC7078644 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a kind of severe brain injury characterized with a high incidence rate and a high disability rate. Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (LITUS) is a promising neuroprotective method for improving the functional prognosis of TBI. The fractional anisotropy (FA) value and mean diffusivity (MD) value can be sensitive to abnormal brain structure and function and can thus be used to evaluate the effect of LITUS on TBI. Our purpose was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of LITUS in a moderate TBI rat model with FA and MD values. For our method, we used 45 male Sprague Dawley rats (15 sham normal, 15 TBI, and 15 LITUS treatment rats). We used single-shot spin echo echo-planar imaging sequences at 3.0T to obtain the DTI parameters. Parameters of FA and MD on the treated side of the injury cortex were measured to evaluate the therapeutic effect of LITUS in a TBI rat model. For FA and MD values, groups were compared by using a two-way analysis of variance for repeated measures, and this was followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Differences were considered significant at P < 0.05. The results were that the FA value in the LITUS treatment group at 1 day after TBI was significantly higher than that in the control group (adjusted P = 0.0422) and significantly lower than that in the TBI group at 14, 21, and 35 days after TBI (adjusted P = 0.0015, 0.0064, and 0.0173, respectively). At the end of the scan time point, the differences between the two groups were not significant (adjusted P = 0.3242). The MD values in the LITUS treatment group were significantly higher in the early stage than that in the TBI group (adjusted P = 0.0167) and significantly lower at the following time points than in the TBI group. In conclusion, daily treatment with LITUS for 10 min effectively improved the brain damage in the Controlled Cortical Impact (CCI)-caused TBI model. FA and MD values can serve as evaluation indicators for the neuro-protective effect of LITUS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zheng
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Qinhuangdao Municipal No. 1 Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Juan Du
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Qinhuangdao Municipal No. 1 Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Yi Yuan
- Institute of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Shuo Wu
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Qinhuangdao Municipal No. 1 Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Yinglan Jin
- Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanqiu Wang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Qinhuangdao Municipal No. 1 Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Defeng Liu
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Qinhuangdao Municipal No. 1 Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| | | | - Xiaohan Wang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Qinhuangdao Municipal No. 1 Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Lanxiang Liu
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Qinhuangdao Municipal No. 1 Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Brown-Lum M, Izadi-Najafabadi S, Oberlander TF, Rauscher A, Zwicker JG. Differences in White Matter Microstructure Among Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e201184. [PMID: 32186744 PMCID: PMC7081126 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.1184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a motor impairment that significantly interferes with activities of daily living. Little is known about the cause of DCD and how it develops, making it difficult to understand why children with DCD struggle in learning motor skills and to determine the best intervention to optimize function. OBJECTIVE To characterize white matter differences using diffusion tensor imaging in children with and without DCD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study collected diffusion tensor imaging data at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from September 2014 to January 2017. Using a sample of convenience, children with DCD and children without DCD aged 8 to 12 years underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Data analysis was conducted from January 2017 to January 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The main outcome measures were diffusion parameters, including fractional anisotropy and mean, axial, and radial diffusivity, which are thought to provide an indirect measure of white matter microstructure. Tract-based spatial statistics, a voxelwise statistical analysis of diffusion parameters, were conducted using a 2-group comparison design matrix with age and attention as covariates. RESULTS Thirty children without DCD (mean [SD] age, 9.9 [1.4] years; 21 [70%] boys) and 31 children with DCD (mean [SD] age, 10.1 [1.2] years; 26 [84%] boys) were included in the study. Compared with children without DCD, children with DCD were characterized by significantly lower fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity in regions of white matter pathways associated with motor and sensorimotor processing, including the corticospinal tract (fractional anisotropy: mean [SD], 0.54 [0.03] vs 0.51 [0.03]; P < .001; axial diffusivity: mean [SD], 0.13 [0.98] vs 0.12 [0.46]; P = .01), posterior thalamic radiation at the retrolenticular part of the internal capsule (axial diffusivity: mean [SD], 0.14 [0.57] vs 0.14 [0.44]; P = .01), and cerebellar pathways (eg, superior cerebellar peduncle, fractional anisotropy: mean [SD], 0.49 [0.05] vs 0.46 [0.03]; P = .03; axial diffusivity: mean [SD], 0.14 [0.66] vs 0.14 [0.63]; P = .009). There were no significant differences in mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity between children with and without DCD. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that children with DCD show significant brain differences in motor and sensorimotor white matter pathways compared with children without DCD. The pattern of diffusion parameters in children with DCD suggests that axonal development may be disrupted in this neurodevelopmental disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meisan Brown-Lum
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sara Izadi-Najafabadi
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tim F. Oberlander
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alexander Rauscher
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jill G. Zwicker
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Li Y, Zhou Z, Chang C, Qian L, Li C, Xiao T, Xiao X, Chu K, Fang H, Ke X. Anomalies in uncinate fasciculus development and social defects in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2019; 19:399. [PMID: 31842898 PMCID: PMC6916076 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2391-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social interaction deficits and difficulties in emotional regulation. The neural substrates for these socio-affective deficits are not yet clear, but one potential candidate is maldevelopment of the uncinate fasciculus (UF), a white matter tract thought to be involved in socio-affective processing. However, the developmental trajectory of the UF in young children with social interaction deficits has not been examined. The present study was designed to describe the developmental growth trajectory of the UF and the relationships between UF development and social deficits in ASD. METHODS Eigenvalues of the UF were measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based tractography in 37 children with ASD and 27 matched 2-3-year-old subjects with developmental delay (DD) at baseline (time 1) and at 2-year follow-up (time 2). Growth rates of the UF were compared between groups and associations with social deficit scores according to the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) analyzed by Pearson's correlations. RESULTS At time 1, axial diffusivity (AD) of the left UF was significantly larger in the ASD group than the DD group. At time 2, left UF fractional anisotropy (FA) was significantly higher and radial diffusivity (RD) significantly lower in the ASD group than the DD group. The rate of UF growth during this 2-year interval was faster in children with ASD than DD. Significant negative correlations were found between the rise in ADI-R social deficit measures and both right UF RD and left UF mean diffusivity (MD). CONCLUSIONS Young children with ASD demonstrate UF overgrowth during the 2-year development period between 2 and 3 and 4-5 years of age, and this white matter abnormality is directly associated with the progression of social deficits. TRIAL REGISTRATION World Health Organization class I registered international clinical trial platform, ChiCTR-ROC-17012877.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Li
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Zhengbing Zhou
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Chen Chang
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Lu Qian
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Chunyan Li
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Ting Xiao
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Kangkang Chu
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Hui Fang
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Xiaoyan Ke
- Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chen G, Dong B, Zhang Y, Lin W, Yap PT. Denoising of Diffusion MRI Data via Graph Framelet Matching in x-q Space. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2019; 38:2838-2848. [PMID: 31071025 PMCID: PMC8325050 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2019.2915629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (DMRI) suffers from lower signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) due to MR signal attenuation associated with the motion of water molecules. To improve SNR, the non-local means (NLM) algorithm has demonstrated state-of-the-art performance in noise reduction. However, existing NLM algorithms do not take into account explicitly the fact that DMRI signal can vary significantly with local fiber orientations. Applying NLM naïvely can hence blur subtle structures and aggravate partial volume effects. To overcome this limitation, we improve NLM by performing neighborhood matching in non-flat domains and removing noise with information from both x -space (spatial domain) and q -space (wavevector domain). Specifically, we first encode the q -space sampling domain using a graph. We then perform graph framelet transforms to extract robust rotation-invariant features for each sampling point in x-q space. The resulting features are employed for robust neighborhood matching to locate recurrent information. Finally, we remove noise via an NLM framework. To adapt to the various types of noise in multi-coil MR imaging, we transform the signal before denoising so that it is Gaussian-distributed, allowing noise removal to be carried out in an unbiased manner. Our method is able to more effectively locate recurrent information in white matter structures with different orientations, avoiding the blurring effects caused by naïvely applying NLM. Experiments on synthetic, repetitively-acquired, and infant DMRI data demonstrate that our method is able to preserve subtle structures while effectively removing noise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geng Chen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, U.S.A. D. Shen is also with the Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bin Dong
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Vancouver Research Center, Huawei, Burnaby, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Chen G, Dong B, Zhang Y, Lin W, Shen D, Yap PT. XQ-SR: Joint x-q space super-resolution with application to infant diffusion MRI. Med Image Anal 2019; 57:44-55. [PMID: 31279215 PMCID: PMC6764426 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2019.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (DMRI) is a powerful tool for studying early brain development and disorders. However, the typically low spatio-angular resolution of DMRI diminishes structural details and limits quantitative analysis to simple diffusion models. This problem is aggravated for infant DMRI since (i) the infant brain is significantly smaller than that of an adult, demanding higher spatial resolution to capture subtle structures; and (ii) the typically limited scan time of unsedated infants poses significant challenges to DMRI acquisition with high spatio-angular resolution. Post-acquisition super-resolution (SR) is an important alternative for increasing the resolution of DMRI data without prolonging acquisition times. However, most existing methods focus on the SR of only either the spatial domain (x-space) or the diffusion wavevector domain (q-space). For more effective resolution enhancement, we propose a framework for joint SR in both spatial and wavevector domains. More specifically, we first establish the signal relationships in x-q space using a robust neighborhood matching technique. We then harness the signal relationships to regularize the ill-posed inverse problem associated with the recovery of high-resolution data from their low-resolution counterpart. Extensive experiments on synthetic, adult, and infant DMRI data demonstrate that our method is able to recover high-resolution DMRI data with remarkably improved quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geng Chen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Bin Dong
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Vancouver Research Center, Huawei, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Weili Lin
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Pew-Thian Yap
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Tokariev M, Vuontela V, Lönnberg P, Lano A, Perkola J, Wolford E, Andersson S, Metsäranta M, Carlson S. Altered working memory-related brain responses and white matter microstructure in extremely preterm-born children at school age. Brain Cogn 2019; 136:103615. [PMID: 31563082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.103615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Preterm birth poses a risk for neurocognitive and behavioral development. Preterm children, who have not been diagnosed with neurological or cognitive deficits, enter normal schools and are expected to succeed as their term-born peers. Here we tested the hypotheses that despite an uneventful development after preterm birth, these children might exhibit subtle abnormalities in brain function and white-matter microstructure at school-age. We recruited 7.5-year-old children born extremely prematurely (<28 weeks' gestation), and age- and gender-matched term-born controls (≥37 weeks' gestation). We applied fMRI during working-memory (WM) tasks, and investigated white-matter microstructure with diffusion tensor imaging. Compared with controls, preterm-born children performed WM tasks less accurately, had reduced activation in several right prefrontal areas, and weaker deactivation of right temporal lobe areas. The weaker prefrontal activation correlated with poorer WM performance. Preterm-born children had higher fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower diffusivity than controls in several white-matter areas, and in the posterior cerebellum, the higher FA associated with poorer visuospatial test scores. In controls, higher FA and lower diffusivity correlated with faster WM performance. Together these findings demonstrate weaker WM-related brain activations and altered white matter microstructure in children born extremely preterm, who had normal global cognitive ability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maksym Tokariev
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Virve Vuontela
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Piia Lönnberg
- Department of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aulikki Lano
- Department of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Perkola
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elina Wolford
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sture Andersson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjo Metsäranta
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Synnöve Carlson
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Maternal pomegranate juice intake and brain structure and function in infants with intrauterine growth restriction: A randomized controlled pilot study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219596. [PMID: 31433809 PMCID: PMC6703683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyphenol-rich pomegranate juice has been shown to have benefit as a neuroprotectant in animal models of neonatal hypoxic-ischemia. No published studies have investigated maternal polyphenol administration as a potential neuroprotectant in at-risk newborns, such as those with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study to investigate the impact of maternal pomegranate juice intake in pregnancies with IUGR, on newborn brain structure and function at term-equivalent age (TEA). Mothers with IUGR at 24-34 weeks' gestation were recruited from Barnes-Jewish Hospital obstetrical clinic. Consented mothers were randomized to treatment (8 oz. pomegranate juice) or placebo (8 oz. polyphenol-free juice) and continued to take juice daily from enrollment until delivery (mean 20.1 and 27.1 days, respectively). Infants underwent brain MRI at TEA (36-41 weeks' gestation). Brain measures were compared between groups including: brain injury score, brain metrics, brain volumes, diffusion tensor imaging and resting state functional connectivity. Statistical analyses were undertaken as modified intention-to-treat (including randomized participants who received their allocated intervention and whose infants received brain MRI) and per-protocol (including participants who strictly adhered to the protocol, based on metabolite status). Seventy-seven mothers were randomized to treatment (n = 40) or placebo (n = 37). Of these, 28 and 27 infants, respectively, underwent term-equivalent MRI. There were no group differences in brain injury, metrics or volumes. However, treatment subjects displayed reduced diffusivity within the anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule compared with placebo. Resting state functional connectivity demonstrated increased correlation and covariance within several networks in treatment subjects, with alterations most apparent in the visual network in per-protocol analyses. Direct effects on health were not found. In conclusion, maternal pomegranate juice intake in pregnancies with known IUGR was associated with altered white matter organization and functional connectivity in the infant brain, suggesting differences in brain structure and function following in utero pomegranate juice exposure, warranting continued investigation. Clinical trial registration. NCT00788866, registered November 11, 2008, initial participant enrollment August 21, 2012.
Collapse
|
21
|
Saaybi S, AlArab N, Hannoun S, Saade M, Tutunji R, Zeeni C, Shbarou R, Hourani R, Boustany RM. Pre- and Post-therapy Assessment of Clinical Outcomes and White Matter Integrity in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Pilot Study. Front Neurol 2019; 10:877. [PMID: 31456741 PMCID: PMC6701406 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: This pilot study aims to identify white matter (WM) tract abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) toddlers and pre-schoolers by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), and to correlate imaging findings with clinical improvement after early interventional and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapies by Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Methods: DTI scans were performed on 17 ASD toddlers/pre-schoolers and seven age-matched controls. Nine ASD patients had follow-up MRI 12 months following early intervention and ABA therapy. VB-MAPP was assessed and compared at diagnosis, 6 and 12 months after therapies. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) was used to measure fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial (RD) diffusivity. Results: VB-MAPP scores improved at 6 and 12 months after early intervention and ABA therapy compared to scores at baseline. TBSS analysis showed significant FA decrease and/or RD increase in ASD patients before therapy vs. controls in inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, uncinate fasciculi, left superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, forceps minor, left superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, corona radiate bilaterally, and left external capsule. A significantly FA increase in 21 tracts and ROIs is reported in post- vs. pre-therapy DTI analysis. Conclusion: DTI findings highlighted ASD patient WM abnormalities at diagnosis and confirmed the benefits of 12 months of early intervention and ABA therapy on clinical and neuro imaging outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Saaybi
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine/Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Natally AlArab
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Salem Hannoun
- Faculty of Medicine, Nehme and Therese Tohme Multiple Sclerosis Center, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Faculty of Medicine, Abu-Haidar Neuroscience Institute, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Maritherese Saade
- AUBMC Special Kids Clinic (ASKC), American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rayyan Tutunji
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Carine Zeeni
- Division of Neuro-Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesia, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rolla Shbarou
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine/Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Roula Hourani
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rose-Mary Boustany
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine/Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- AUBMC Special Kids Clinic (ASKC), American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
The superior longitudinal fasciculus and its functional triple-network mechanisms in brooding. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:101935. [PMID: 31352219 PMCID: PMC6664225 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Brooding, which refers to a repetitive focus on one's distress, is associated with functional connectivity within Default-Mode, Salience, and Executive-Control networks (DMN; SN; ECN), comprising the so-called "triple-network" of attention. Individual differences in brain structure that might perseverate dysfunctional connectivity of brain networks associated with brooding are less clear, however. Using diffusion and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we explored multimodal relationships between brooding severity, white-matter microstructure, and resting-state functional connectivity in depressed adults (N = 32-44), and then examined whether findings directly replicated in a demographically-similar, independent sample (N = 36-45). Among the fully-replicated results, three core findings emerged. First, brooding severity is associated with functional integration and segregation of the triple-network, particularly with a Precuneal subnetwork of the DMN. Second, microstructural asymmetry of the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (SLF) provides a robust structural connectivity basis for brooding and may account for over 20% of its severity (Discovery: adj. R2 = 0.18; Replication: adj. R2 = 0.22; MSE = 0.06, Predictive R2 = 0.22). Finally, microstructure of the right SLF and auxiliary white-matter is associated with the functional connectivity correlates of brooding, both within and between components of the triple-network (Discovery: adj. R2 = 0.21; Replication: adj. R2 = 0.18; MSE = 0.03, Predictive R2 = 0.21-0.22). By cross-validating multimodal discovery with replication, the present findings help to reproducibly unify disparate perspectives of brooding etiology. Based on that synthesis, our study reformulates brooding as a microstructural-functional connectivity neurophenotype.
Collapse
|
23
|
The relationship between microstructural alterations of the brain and clinical measurements in children and adolescents with hair pulling disorder. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 12:477-487. [PMID: 28357534 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9716-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have evaluated gray matter abnormalities and white matter integrity in adults with hair pulling disorder (HPD). However, no prior studies have defined the relationship between neuroimaging parameters and clinical measurements in children and adolescents with HPD. The purposes of this study were to determine the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices and clinical measurements in children and adolescents with HPD, and to compare HPD patients with age- and sex- matched healthy controls (HC). Pediatric HPD patients (n = 9) and HC subjects (n = 10), aged 9-17 years, were recruited. Three-dimensional T1-weighted structural MRI (3D T1W) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) scans were obtained for each subject. Gray matter and white matter volumes were calculated from 3D T1W. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and average diffusion coefficients (Dav) were mapped from DTI. Voxel-based and region-of-interest correlations between MRI indices and clinical measurements were analyzed. In addition, two-sample t-tests were used to compare voxel-based tissue volumes, FA, and Dav maps between the two groups. Alterations in both brain tissue volume and white matter integrity were associated with symptom severity, especially in the precuneus, anterior cingulate, temporal cortex, and frontal cortex regions. FA values in HPD patients were significantly higher than those observed in HC subjects, particularly in the cerebellum and cuneus regions. Alterations of brain tissue volumes and microstructural changes are associated with severity of clinical symptoms in children and adolescents with HPD. Fractional anisotropy is the most sensitive method to distinguish pediatric HPD patients from healthy children. The results of this study can facilitate use of MRI indices to follow the transition from pediatric HPD to adult HPD.
Collapse
|
24
|
Rohr CS, Arora A, Cho IYK, Katlariwala P, Dimond D, Dewey D, Bray S. Functional network integration and attention skills in young children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 30:200-211. [PMID: 29587178 PMCID: PMC6969078 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Children acquire attention skills rapidly during early childhood as their brains undergo vast neural development. Attention is well studied in the adult brain, yet due to the challenges associated with scanning young children, investigations in early childhood are sparse. Here, we examined the relationship between age, attention and functional connectivity (FC) during passive viewing in multiple intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) in 60 typically developing girls between 4 and 7 years whose sustained, selective and executive attention skills were assessed. Visual, auditory, sensorimotor, default mode (DMN), dorsal attention (DAN), ventral attention (VAN), salience, and frontoparietal ICNs were identified via Independent Component Analysis and subjected to a dual regression. Individual spatial maps were regressed against age and attention skills, controlling for age. All ICNs except the VAN showed regions of increasing FC with age. Attention skills were associated with FC in distinct networks after controlling for age: selective attention positively related to FC in the DAN; sustained attention positively related to FC in visual and auditory ICNs; and executive attention positively related to FC in the DMN and visual ICN. These findings suggest distributed network integration across this age range and highlight how multiple ICNs contribute to attention skills in early childhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christiane S Rohr
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Anish Arora
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ivy Y K Cho
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Prayash Katlariwala
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dennis Dimond
- Department of Neuroscience, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Tamnes CK, Roalf DR, Goddings AL, Lebel C. Diffusion MRI of white matter microstructure development in childhood and adolescence: Methods, challenges and progress. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 33:161-175. [PMID: 29229299 PMCID: PMC6969268 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) continues to grow in popularity as a useful neuroimaging method to study brain development, and longitudinal studies that track the same individuals over time are emerging. Over the last decade, seminal work using dMRI has provided new insights into the development of brain white matter (WM) microstructure, connections and networks throughout childhood and adolescence. This review provides an introduction to dMRI, both diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and other dMRI models, as well as common acquisition and analysis approaches. We highlight the difficulties associated with ascribing these imaging measurements and their changes over time to specific underlying cellular and molecular events. We also discuss selected methodological challenges that are of particular relevance for studies of development, including critical choices related to image acquisition, image analysis, quality control assessment, and the within-subject and longitudinal reliability of dMRI measurements. Next, we review the exciting progress in the characterization and understanding of brain development that has resulted from dMRI studies in childhood and adolescence, including brief overviews and discussions of studies focusing on sex and individual differences. Finally, we outline future directions that will be beneficial to the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Roalf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
White matter alterations and their associations with motor function in young adults born preterm with very low birth weight. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 17:241-250. [PMID: 29159041 PMCID: PMC5683190 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Very low birth weight (VLBW: ≤ 1500 g) individuals have an increased risk of white matter alterations and neurodevelopmental problems, including fine and gross motor problems. In this hospital-based follow-up study, the main aim was to examine white matter microstructure and its relationship to fine and gross motor function in 31 VLBW young adults without cerebral palsy compared with 31 term-born controls, at mean age 22.6 ± 0.7 years. The participants were examined with tests of fine and gross motor function (Trail Making Test-5: TMT-5, Grooved Pegboard, Triangle from Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2: MABC-2 and High-level Mobility Assessment Tool: HiMAT) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Probabilistic tractography of motor pathways of the corticospinal tract (CST) and corpus callosum (CC) was performed. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated in non-crossing (capsula interna in CST, body of CC) and crossing (centrum semiovale) fibre regions along the tracts and examined for group differences. Associations between motor test scores and FA in the CST and CC were investigated with linear regression. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to examine group differences in DTI metrics in all major white matter tracts. The VLBW group had lower scores on all motor tests compared with controls, however, only statistically significant for TMT-5. Based on tractography, FA in the VLBW group was lower in non-crossing fibre regions and higher in crossing fibre regions of the CST compared with controls. Within the VLBW group, poorer fine motor function was associated with higher FA in crossing fibre regions of the CST, and poorer bimanual coordination was additionally associated with lower FA in crossing fibre regions of the CC. Poorer gross motor function was associated with lower FA in crossing fibre regions of the CST and CC. There were no associations between motor function and FA in non-crossing fibre regions of the CST and CC within the VLBW group. In the TBSS analysis, the VLBW group had lower FA and higher mean diffusivity compared with controls in all major white matter tracts. The findings in this study may indicate that the associations between motor function and FA are caused by other tracts crossing the CST and CC, and/or by alterations in the periventricular white matter in the centrum semiovale. Some of the associations were in the opposite direction than hypothesized, thus higher FA does not always indicate better function. Furthermore, widespread white matter alterations in VLBW individuals persist into young adulthood. Motor function was associated with FA in crossing fibre regions of CST and CC in VLBW young adults In crossing fibre regions of CST, FA was higher in VLBW than in control young adults TBSS showed lower FA and higher MD in white matter tracts in VLBW than in control young adults
Collapse
Key Words
- AD, axial diffusivity
- Brain
- CC, corpus callosum
- CST, corticospinal tract
- DTI, diffusion tensor imaging
- Diffusion tensor imaging
- FA, fractional anisotropy
- HiMAT, high-level mobility assessment tool
- MABC-2, movement assessment battery for children-2
- MD, mean diffusivity
- MNI, Montreal neurological institute
- MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
- Motor function
- NICU, neonatal intensive care unit
- Preterm
- RD, radial diffusivity
- ROI, region-of-interest
- SES, socioeconomic status
- TBSS, tract-based spatial statistics
- TMT-5, Trail Making Test-5
- Tractography
- VLBW, very low birth weight
- VOI, volume-of-interest
- Young adulthood
Collapse
|
27
|
Morie KP, Yip SW, Zhai ZW, Xu J, Hamilton KR, Mayes LC, Potenza MN, Potenza MN. White-matter crossing-fiber microstructure in adolescents prenatally exposed to cocaine. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 174:23-29. [PMID: 28292689 PMCID: PMC5555052 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with risk-taking behaviors, including increased initiation of substance use in adolescence. The neurobiological underpinnings of these behaviors in adolescents with PCE are not well understood. The goal of this study was to compare diffusion-weighted imaging data between adolescents with and without PCE using crossing-fiber models, which may provide more comprehensive estimates of white-matter microstructure within regions of multiple (e.g., primary and secondary) fiber orientations. METHODS Thirty-nine PCE individuals and 17 comparably aged prenatally non-drug-exposed (NDE) youths were recruited from a longitudinal cohort followed since birth. White matter was examined using tensor-derived and crossing-fiber models. Whole-brain investigations were performed, as were analyses on seven white-matter regions, which included the splenium, body and genu of the corpus callosum, bilateral cingulum, and the right and left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). RESULTS Whole-brain analyses revealed no group differences. However, ROI analyses for anisotropy estimates derived from the crossing-fiber model revealed significant group differences for secondary fibers, with reduced anisotropy among PCE adolescents compared to prenatally non-exposed youth in the right cingulum and the left SLF, and increased anisotropy in the genu. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that white-matter differences in PCE adolescents are subtle and localized primarily within secondary fiber orientations, perhaps arising from altered white-matter development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen P. Morie
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA,Corresponding author: Kristen Morie,
| | - Sarah W. Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA,National Center on Addictions and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Zu Wei Zhai
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Jiansong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Kristen R. Hamilton
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742 USA
| | - Linda C. Mayes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA,Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA,National Center on Addictions and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA,Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA,Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; National Center on Addictions and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Naigles LR, Johnson R, Mastergeorge A, Ozonoff S, Rogers SJ, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. Neural correlates of language variability in preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2017; 10:1107-1119. [PMID: 28301102 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 12/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism vary widely in their language abilities, yet the neural correlates of this language variability remain unclear, especially early in development. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine diffusivity measures along the length of 18 major fiber tracts in 104 preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The boys were assigned to subgroups according to their level of language development (Low: no/low language, Middle: small vocabulary, High: large vocabulary and grammar), based on their raw scores on the expressive language (EL) and receptive language (RL) sections of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). Results indicate that the subgroups differed in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and radial diffusivity (RD) along the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) in both hemispheres. Moreover, FA correlated significantly with Mullen EL and RL raw scores, but not ADOS severity score, along the left and right ILF. Subgroups also differed in MD (but not FA) along the left superior longitudinal fasiculus and left corticospinal tract, but these differences were not correlated with language scores. These findings suggest that white matter microstructure in the left and right ILF varies in relation to lexical development in young males with ASD. The findings also support the use of raw scores on language-relevant standardized tests for assessing early language-brain relationships. Autism Res 2017. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1107-1119. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Letitia R Naigles
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Storrs, CT, 06296-1020
| | - Ryan Johnson
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - Ann Mastergeorge
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817.,Texas Tech University: Human Development and Family Studies, P.O. Box 41230, Lubbock, TX, 79409-1230
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - Sally J Rogers
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - David G Amaral
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Brown-Lum M, Zwicker JG. Neuroimaging and Occupational Therapy: Bridging the Gap to Advance Rehabilitation in Developmental Coordination Disorder. J Mot Behav 2017; 49:98-110. [DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2016.1271295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Meisan Brown-Lum
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jill G. Zwicker
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, Canada
- CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, Hamilton, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Yepes-Calderon F, Lao Y, Fillard P, Nelson MD, Panigrahy A, Lepore N. Tractography in the clinics: Implementing a pipeline to characterize early brain development. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2016; 14:629-640. [PMID: 28348954 PMCID: PMC5357703 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In imaging studies of neonates, particularly in the clinical setting, diffusion tensor imaging-based tractography is typically unreliable due to the use of fast acquisition protocols that yield low resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). These image acquisition protocols are implemented with the aim of reducing motion artifacts that may be produced by the movement of the neonate's head during the scanning session. Furthermore, axons are not yet fully myelinated in these subjects. As a result, the water molecules' movements are not as constrained as in older brains, making it even harder to define structure using diffusion profiles. Here, we introduce a post-processing method that overcomes the difficulties described above, allowing the determination of reliable tracts in newborns. We tested our method using neonatal data and successfully extracted some of the limbic, association and commissural fibers, all of which are typically difficult to obtain by direct tractography. Geometrical and diffusion based features of the tracts are then utilized to compare premature babies to term babies. Our results quantify the maturation of white matter fiber tracts in neonates. The proposed method enables consistent tractography in clinical datasets. The tractography is used to structural positioning purposes Geometrical features and diffusion variables in the tracts' paths are analyzed. The gestational age was predicted with regressions in term and preterm babies. The extracted features can be used as indexes of early neurodevelopment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Yepes-Calderon
- Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Neurosurgery, 1300 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Universidad de Barcelona, Facultad de Medicina, Casanova 43, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yi Lao
- Children Hospital Los Angeles, Radiology, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pierre Fillard
- Parietal Research Team, INRIA Saclay le-de-France, Neurospin, France
| | - Marvin D Nelson
- Children Hospital Los Angeles, Radiology, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ashok Panigrahy
- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 4401 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Natasha Lepore
- Children Hospital Los Angeles, Radiology, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Jernigan TL, Stiles J. Construction of the human forebrain. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2016; 8. [PMID: 27906520 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The adult human brain is arguably the most complex of biological systems. It contains 86 billion neurons (the information processing cells of the brain) and many more support cells. The neurons, with the assistance of the support cells, form trillions of connections creating complex, interconnected neural networks that support all human thought, feeling, and action. A challenge for modern neuroscience is to provide a model that accounts for this exquisitely complex and dynamic system. One fundamental part of this model is an account of how the human brain develops. This essay describes two important aspects of this developmental story. The first part of the story focuses on the remarkable and dynamic set of events that unfold during the prenatal period to give rise to cell lineage that form the essential substance of the brain, particularly the structures of the cerebral hemispheres. The second part of the story focuses on the formation of the major brain pathways of the cerebrum, the intricate fiber bundles that connect different populations of neurons to form the information processing systems that support all human thought and action. These two aspects of early brain development provide an essential foundation for understanding how the structure, organization, and functioning of the human brain emerge. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1409. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1409 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Terry L Jernigan
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joan Stiles
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Herskovits EH, Hong LE, Kochunov P, Sampath H, Chen R. Edge-Centered DTI Connectivity Analysis: Application to Schizophrenia. Neuroinformatics 2016; 13:501-9. [PMID: 26078102 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-015-9273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides connectivity information that helps illuminate the processes underlying normal development as well as brain disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Researchers have widely adopted graph representations to model DTI connectivity among brain structures; however, most measures of connectivity have been centered on nodes, rather than edges, in these graphs. We present an edge-based algorithm for assessing anatomic connectivity; this approach provides information about connections among brain structures, rather than information about structures themselves. This perspective allows us to formulate multivariate graph-based models of altered connectivity that distinguish among experimental groups. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by analyzing data from an ongoing study of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward H Herskovits
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hemalatha Sampath
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rong Chen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
The motor and visual networks in preterm infants: An fMRI and DTI study. Brain Res 2016; 1642:603-611. [PMID: 27117868 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge regarding the association between functional connectivity and white-matter (WM) maturation of motor and visual networks in preterm infants at term equivalent age (TEA) and their association with behavioral outcome is currently limited. Thirty-two preterm infants born <34 weeks gestational-age without major brain abnormalities were included in this study, underwent resting-state fMRI at TEA. Thirteen infants also underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Neurobehavioral assessments were performed at one and two years corrected age using the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales. Functional connectivity between homolog motor and visual regions were detected, which may reflect that a level of organization in these domains is present already at TEA. DTI parameters of WM tracts at TEA demonstrated spatial-temporal variability, with the splenium of the corpus-callosum (CC) found to be the most mature fiber bundle. Correlations between DTI parameters, functional connectivity and behavioral outcome were detected, yet did not show the same pattern of diffusivity changes in the different networks. Visual functional connectivity was negatively correlated with radial-diffusivity (RD) in the optic radiation, while motor functional connectivity was positively correlated with RD in the splenium. In addition, axial-diffusivity (AD) and RD in the genu and midbody of the CC were positively correlated with neurobehavioral outcome at one and 2 years of age. This study highlights the importance of understanding the spatial-temporal changes occurring during this sensitive period of development and the potential effect of extrauterine exposure on the microstructural changes as measured by DTI; their correlation with functional connectivity; and their long term relationship with neuro-behavioral development.
Collapse
|
34
|
Anxious/depressed symptoms are related to microstructural maturation of white matter in typically developing youths. Dev Psychopathol 2016; 29:751-758. [PMID: 27297294 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579416000444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
There are multiple recent reports of an association between anxious/depressed (A/D) symptomatology and the rate of cerebral cortical thickness maturation in typically developing youths. We investigated the degree to which anxious/depressed symptoms are tied to age-related microstructural changes in cerebral fiber pathways. The participants were part of the NIH MRI Study of Normal Brain Development. Child Behavior Checklist A/D scores and diffusion imaging were available for 175 youths (84 males, 91 females; 241 magnetic resonance imagings) at up to three visits. The participants ranged from 5.7 to 18.4 years of age at the time of the scan. Alignment of fractional anisotropy data was implemented using FSL/Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, and linear mixed model regression was carried out using SPSS. Child Behavior Checklist A/D was associated with the rate of microstructural development in several white matter pathways, including the bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus, left superior longitudinal fasciculus, and right cingulum. Across these pathways, greater age-related fractional anisotropy increases were observed at lower levels of A/D. The results suggest that subclinical A/D symptoms are associated with the rate of microstructural development within several white matter pathways that have been implicated in affect regulation, as well as mood and anxiety psychopathology.
Collapse
|
35
|
Tran LT, Roos A, Fouche JP, Koen N, Woods RP, Zar HJ, Narr KL, Stein DJ, Donald KA. White Matter Microstructural Integrity and Neurobehavioral Outcome of HIV-Exposed Uninfected Neonates. Medicine (Baltimore) 2016; 95:e2577. [PMID: 26825902 PMCID: PMC5291572 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000002577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The successful implementation of prevention programs for mother-to-child human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission has dramatically reduced the prevalence of infants infected with HIV while increasing that of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children. Neuropsychological assessments indicate that HEU children may exhibit differences in neurodevelopment compared to unexposed children (HUU). Pathological mechanisms leading to such neurodevelopmental delays are not clear. In this observational birth cohort study we explored the integrity of regional white matter microstructure in HEU infants, shortly after birth. Microstructural changes in white matter associated with prenatal HIV exposure were evaluated in HEU infants (n = 15) and matched controls (n = 22) using diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics. Additionally, diffusion values were extracted and compared for white matter tracts of interest, and associations with clinical outcomes from the Dubowitz neonatal neurobehavioral tool were investigated. Higher fractional anisotropy in the middle cerebellar peduncles of HEU compared to HUU neonates was found after correction for age and gender. Scores on the Dubowitz abnormal neurological signs subscale were positively correlated with FA (r = 0.58, P = 0.038) in the left uncinate fasciculus in HEU infants. This is the first study to present data suggesting that prenatal HIV exposure without infection is associated with altered white matter microstructural integrity in the neonatal period. Longitudinal studies of HEU infants as their brains mature are necessary to understand further the significance of prenatal HIV and antiretroviral treatment exposure on white matter integrity and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linh T Tran
- From the Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town (LTT, KAD); SU/UCT MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University (AR); Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town (J-PF); Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University (J-PF); Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa (NK, DJS); Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (RPW, KLN); and Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and MRC Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa (HJZ)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
The human brain rapidly develops during the final weeks of gestation and in the first two years following birth. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a unique in vivo imaging technique that allows three-dimensional visualization of the white matter anatomy in the brain. It has been considered to be a valuable tool for studying brain development in early life. In this review, we first introduce the DTI technique. We then review DTI findings on white matter development at the fetal stage and in infancy as well as DTI applications for understanding neurocognitive development and brain abnormalities in preterm infants. Finally, we discuss limitations of DTI and potential valuable imaging techniques for studying white matter myelination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Imaging Research Center, National University of Singapore, 117576 Singapore;
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Venkatraman VK, Gonzalez CE, Landman B, Goh J, Reiter DA, An Y, Resnick SM. Region of interest correction factors improve reliability of diffusion imaging measures within and across scanners and field strengths. Neuroimage 2015; 119:406-16. [PMID: 26146196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.06.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures are commonly used as imaging markers to investigate individual differences in relation to behavioral and health-related characteristics. However, the ability to detect reliable associations in cross-sectional or longitudinal studies is limited by the reliability of the diffusion measures. Several studies have examined the reliability of diffusion measures within (i.e. intra-site) and across (i.e. inter-site) scanners with mixed results. Our study compares the test-retest reliability of diffusion measures within and across scanners and field strengths in cognitively normal older adults with a follow-up interval less than 2.25 years. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CoV) of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were evaluated in sixteen white matter and twenty-six gray matter bilateral regions. The ICC for intra-site reliability (0.32 to 0.96 for FA and 0.18 to 0.95 for MD in white matter regions; 0.27 to 0.89 for MD and 0.03 to 0.79 for FA in gray matter regions) and inter-site reliability (0.28 to 0.95 for FA in white matter regions, 0.02 to 0.86 for MD in gray matter regions) with longer follow-up intervals were similar to earlier studies using shorter follow-up intervals. The reliability of across field strengths comparisons was lower than intra- and inter-site reliabilities. Within and across scanner comparisons showed that diffusion measures were more stable in larger white matter regions (>1500 mm(3)). For gray matter regions, the MD measure showed stability in specific regions and was not dependent on region size. Linear correction factor estimated from cross-sectional or longitudinal data improved the reliability across field strengths. Our findings indicate that investigations relating diffusion measures to external variables must consider variable reliability across the distinct regions of interest and that correction factors can be used to improve consistency of measurement across field strengths. An important result of this work is that inter-scanner and field strength effects can be partially mitigated with linear correction factors specific to regions of interest. These data-driven linear correction techniques can be applied in cross-sectional or longitudinal studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Venkatraman
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Christopher E Gonzalez
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Bennett Landman
- Institute of Imaging Science and Department of Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Joshua Goh
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - David A Reiter
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yang An
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Susan M Resnick
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Li K, Sun Z, Han Y, Gao L, Yuan L, Zeng D. Fractional anisotropy alterations in individuals born preterm: a diffusion tensor imaging meta-analysis. Dev Med Child Neurol 2015; 57:328-38. [PMID: 25358534 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
AIM This meta-analysis explored cerebral microstructural changes in individuals born preterm using fractional anisotropy from diffusion tensor imaging. METHOD We used the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method for the meta-analysis to locate anatomical regions with white matter abnormalities in a group of individuals born preterm and in term-born comparison participants. A statistical analysis of fractional anisotropy was conducted to quantitatively explore the extent of fractional anisotropy changes in the three subregions of the corpus callosum in the preterm group. RESULTS ALE analysis identified 11 regions of decreased fractional anisotropy and four regions of increased fractional anisotropy. Analysis of the corpus callosum revealed the largest decrease in fractional anisotropy in the splenium (standardized mean difference [SMD]=-0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.93 to -0.57), followed by the body (SMD=-0.73, 95% CI -1.13 to -0.32) and the genu (SMD=-0.65, 95% CI -0.97 to -0.33). INTERPRETATION Significant changes in fractional anisotropy in individuals born preterm reflect white matter abnormalities from childhood to young adulthood, and the mechanism of fractional anisotropy alterations in preterm infants may vary during different stages of white matter development. Furthermore, the variability of fractional anisotropy between studies can primarily be attributed to the age of the individuals at scanning and to the field strength of magnetic resonance scanners.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Vértes PE, Bullmore ET. Annual research review: Growth connectomics--the organization and reorganization of brain networks during normal and abnormal development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2015; 56:299-320. [PMID: 25441756 PMCID: PMC4359009 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We first give a brief introduction to graph theoretical analysis and its application to the study of brain network topology or connectomics. Within this framework, we review the existing empirical data on developmental changes in brain network organization across a range of experimental modalities (including structural and functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography in humans). SYNTHESIS We discuss preliminary evidence and current hypotheses for how the emergence of network properties correlates with concomitant cognitive and behavioural changes associated with development. We highlight some of the technical and conceptual challenges to be addressed by future developments in this rapidly moving field. Given the parallels previously discovered between neural systems across species and over a range of spatial scales, we also review some recent advances in developmental network studies at the cellular scale. We highlight the opportunities presented by such studies and how they may complement neuroimaging in advancing our understanding of brain development. Finally, we note that many brain and mind disorders are thought to be neurodevelopmental in origin and that charting the trajectory of brain network changes associated with healthy development also sets the stage for understanding abnormal network development. CONCLUSIONS We therefore briefly review the clinical relevance of network metrics as potential diagnostic markers and some recent efforts in computational modelling of brain networks which might contribute to a more mechanistic understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders in future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petra E Vértes
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridge, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridge, UK
- ImmunoPsychiatry, Alternative Discovery and Development, GlaxoSmithKlineCambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
What twin studies tell us about the heritability of brain development, morphology, and function: a review. Neuropsychol Rev 2015; 25:27-46. [PMID: 25672928 PMCID: PMC4412550 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-015-9278-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of brain structure and function shows large inter-individual variation. The extent to which this variation is due to genetic or environmental influences has been investigated in twin studies using structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The current review presents an overview of twin studies using MRI in children, adults and elderly, and focuses on cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. The majority of the investigated brain measures are heritable to a large extent (60–80 %), although spatial differences in heritability are observed as well. Cross-sectional studies suggest that heritability estimates slightly increase from childhood to adulthood. Long-term longitudinal studies are better suited to study developmental changes in heritability, but these studies are limited. Results so far suggest that the heritability of change over time is relatively low or absent, but more studies are needed to confirm these findings. Compared to brain structure, twin studies of brain function are scarce, and show much lower heritability estimates (~40 %). The insights from heritability studies aid our understanding of individual differences in brain structure and function. With the recent start of large genetic MRI consortia, the chance of finding genes that explain the heritability of brain morphology increases. Gene identification may provide insight in biological mechanisms involved in brain processes, which in turn will learn us more about healthy and disturbed brain functioning.
Collapse
|
41
|
Wang J, Nie B, Zhu H, Liu H, Wang J, Duan S, Shan B. Factors affecting the voxel-based analysis of diffusion tensor imaging. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-014-0551-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
42
|
Zhang R, Liu K, Yang L, Zhou T, Qian S, Li B, Peng Z, Li M, Sang S, Jiang Q, Sun G. Reduced white matter integrity and cognitive deficits in maintenance hemodialysis ESRD patients: a diffusion-tensor study. Eur Radiol 2014; 25:661-8. [PMID: 25326436 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-014-3466-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this investigation was to examine the association between cognition disorders and microstructural white matter (WM) changes in maintenance hemodialysis end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. METHODS Twenty-six maintenance hemodialysis ESRD patients and 28 healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Trial Marking Test-A&B (TMT-A&B), and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) assessment. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analyses was performed to evaluate WM changes in the patients. Relationships between behavioural performances, clinical data, and the DTI index were tested, respectively, by correlation analysis at the voxel level. RESULTS ESRD patients showed significant decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in 14 WM regions, and increased mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) in widespread regions. Significant positive correlations between FA values and MMSE scores were found in the right anterior corona radiata and the left anterior thalamic radiation; significant negative correlations between the TMT-B time consumption and FA values were identified in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus. Positive linear relationships between MD, RD values, and the duration of hemodialysis were found in several WM regions. CONCLUSION Structural damages to radiation and associative fibre tracts, caused by brain oedema and WM demyelination, may account for the cognitive deficits in ESRD patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruijie Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinan Military General Hospital, No.25, Shifan Road, Jinan, Shandong Province, China, 250031
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Shen KK, Rose S, Fripp J, McMahon KL, de Zubicaray GI, Martin NG, Thompson PM, Wright MJ, Salvado O. Investigating brain connectivity heritability in a twin study using diffusion imaging data. Neuroimage 2014; 100:628-41. [PMID: 24973604 PMCID: PMC4291188 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heritability of brain anatomical connectivity has been studied with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) mainly by modeling each voxel's diffusion pattern as a tensor (e.g., to compute fractional anisotropy), but this method cannot accurately represent the many crossing connections present in the brain. We hypothesized that different brain networks (i.e., their component fibers) might have different heritability and we investigated brain connectivity using High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI) in a cohort of twins comprising 328 subjects that included 70 pairs of monozygotic and 91 pairs of dizygotic twins. Water diffusion was modeled in each voxel with a Fiber Orientation Distribution (FOD) function to study heritability for multiple fiber orientations in each voxel. Precision was estimated in a test-retest experiment on a sub-cohort of 39 subjects. This was taken into account when computing heritability of FOD peaks using an ACE model on the monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Our results confirmed the overall heritability of the major white matter tracts but also identified differences in heritability between connectivity networks. Inter-hemispheric connections tended to be more heritable than intra-hemispheric and cortico-spinal connections. The highly heritable tracts were found to connect particular cortical regions, such as medial frontal cortices, postcentral, paracentral gyri, and the right hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Kai Shen
- CSIRO Computational Informatics, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Stephen Rose
- CSIRO Computational Informatics, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Jurgen Fripp
- CSIRO Computational Informatics, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Katie L McMahon
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, University of South California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | | | - Olivier Salvado
- CSIRO Computational Informatics, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Pryweller JR, Schauder KB, Anderson AW, Heacock JL, Foss-Feig JH, Newsom CR, Loring WA, Cascio CJ. White matter correlates of sensory processing in autism spectrum disorders. Neuroimage Clin 2014; 6:379-87. [PMID: 25379451 PMCID: PMC4218938 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been characterized by atypical socio-communicative behavior, sensorimotor impairment and abnormal neurodevelopmental trajectories. DTI has been used to determine the presence and nature of abnormality in white matter integrity that may contribute to the behavioral phenomena that characterize ASD. Although atypical patterns of sensory responding in ASD are well documented in the behavioral literature, much less is known about the neural networks associated with aberrant sensory processing. To address the roles of basic sensory, sensory association and early attentional processes in sensory responsiveness in ASD, our investigation focused on five white matter fiber tracts known to be involved in these various stages of sensory processing: superior corona radiata, centrum semiovale, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, posterior limb of the internal capsule, and splenium. We acquired high angular resolution diffusion images from 32 children with ASD and 26 typically developing children between the ages of 5 and 8. We also administered sensory assessments to examine brain-behavior relationships between white matter integrity and sensory variables. Our findings suggest a modulatory role of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus and splenium in atypical sensorimotor and early attention processes in ASD. Increased tactile defensiveness was found to be related to reduced fractional anisotropy in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, which may reflect an aberrant connection between limbic structures in the temporal lobe and the inferior parietal cortex. Our findings also corroborate the modulatory role of the splenium in attentional orienting, but suggest the possibility of a more diffuse or separable network for social orienting in ASD. Future investigation should consider the use of whole brain analyses for a more robust assessment of white matter microstructure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R. Pryweller
- Department of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Kimberly B. Schauder
- Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Adam W. Anderson
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Cassandra R. Newsom
- Vanderbilt University Department of Psychiatry, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Department of Pediatrics, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Whitney A. Loring
- Vanderbilt University Department of Psychiatry, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Department of Pediatrics, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carissa J. Cascio
- Vanderbilt University Department of Psychiatry, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Crawley JT, Hasan K, Hannay HJ, Dennis M, Jockell C, Fletcher JM. Structure, integrity, and function of the hypoplastic corpus callosum in spina bifida myelomeningocele. Brain Connect 2014; 4:608-18. [PMID: 25014561 PMCID: PMC4203469 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2014.0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there are many studies of people with complete or partial hypogenesis of the corpus callosum (CC), little is understood about the hypoplastic CC in which all structures are present but thinned. Spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM) is a model organism for such studies because many have either a hypogenetic or hypoplastic CC. We used diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) to evaluate the hypoplastic CC in SBM and its relation to interhemispheric functions and intelligence quotient (IQ). Participants were individuals with SBM and an intact or hypoplastic CC (n=28), who were compared to a typically developing comparison group (n=32). Total and regional DTT volume and integrity measures (fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity) of the CC were related to measures of intelligence (IQ), bimanual motor functioning, and dichotic auditory performance. As predicted, DTT showed variations in volume and integrity that were maximized in the entire CC and the posterior CC. IQ correlated with entire CC volume, anterior and posterior regional CC volumes, and also with measures of integrity. Bimanual motor functioning correlated with the anterior and posterior volumes of the CC but not with any integrity measures. Axial diffusivity in the posterior CC was negatively correlated with right ear dichotic listening performance. The hypoplastic CC is not macrostructurally or microstructurally intact in SBM, even when it appears radiologically intact. Both volume and integrity of the posterior regions were related to reductions in IQ and to interhemispheric processing. These findings may transfer to other disorders characterized by a hypoplastic CC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Khader Hasan
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - H. Julia Hannay
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Maureen Dennis
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Thayer RE, Callahan TJ, Weiland BJ, Hutchison KE, Bryan AD. Associations between fractional anisotropy and problematic alcohol use in juvenile justice-involved adolescents. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2014; 39:365-71. [PMID: 24200206 DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2013.834909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown associations between heavy alcohol use and white matter alterations in adolescence. Youth involved with the juvenile justice system engage in high levels of risk behavior generally and alcohol use in particular as compared to their non-justice-involved peers. OBJECTIVES This study explored white matter integrity among justice-involved adolescents. Analyses examined fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between adolescents with low and high levels of problematic alcohol use as assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). METHODS Participants (N = 125; 80% male; 14-18 years) completed measures assessing psychological status and substance use followed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI data for low (n = 51) and high AUDIT (n = 74) adolescents were subjected to cluster-based group comparisons on skeletonized FA and MD data. RESULTS Whole-brain analyses revealed significantly lower FA in clusters in the right and left posterior corona radiata (PCR) and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) in the high AUDIT group, as well as one cluster in the right anterior corona radiata that showed higher FA in the high AUDIT group. No differences in MD were identified. Exploratory analyses correlated cluster FA with measures of additional risk factors. FA in the right SLF and left PCR was negatively associated with impulsivity. CONCLUSION Justice-involved adolescents with alcohol use problems generally showed poorer FA than their low problematic alcohol use peers. Future research should aim to better understand the nature of the relationship between white matter development and alcohol use specifically as well as risk behavior more generally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Thayer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO , USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Dennis EL, Thompson PM. Typical and atypical brain development: a review of neuroimaging studies. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2014. [PMID: 24174907 PMCID: PMC3811107 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2013.15.3/edennis] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the course of development, the brain undergoes a remarkable process of restructuring as it adapts to the environment and becomes more efficient in processing information. A variety of brain imaging methods can be used to probe how anatomy, connectivity, and function change in the developing brain. Here we review recent discoveries regarding these brain changes in both typically developing individuals and individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. We begin with typical development, summarizing research on changes in regional brain volume and tissue density, cortical thickness, white matter integrity, and functional connectivity. Space limits preclude the coverage of all neurodevelopmental disorders; instead, we cover a representative selection of studies examining neural correlates of autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Fragile X, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Williams syndrome, Down syndrome, and Turner syndrome. Where possible, we focus on studies that identify an age by diagnosis interaction, suggesting an altered developmental trajectory. The studies we review generally cover the developmental period from infancy to early adulthood. Great progress has been made over the last 20 years in mapping how the brain matures with MR technology. With ever-improving technology, we expect this progress to accelerate, offering a deeper understanding of brain development, and more effective interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Dennis
- Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Dept of Neurology & Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Oishi K, Faria AV, Yoshida S, Chang L, Mori S. Reprint of "Quantitative evaluation of brain development using anatomical MRI and diffusion tensor imaging". Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 32:28-40. [PMID: 24295553 PMCID: PMC4696018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2013.11.006] [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: 08/07/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of the brain is structure-specific, and the growth rate of each structure differs depending on the age of the subject. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used to evaluate brain development because of the high spatial resolution and contrast that enable the observation of structure-specific developmental status. Currently, most clinical MRIs are evaluated qualitatively to assist in the clinical decision-making and diagnosis. The clinical MRI report usually does not provide quantitative values that can be used to monitor developmental status. Recently, the importance of image quantification to detect and evaluate mild-to-moderate anatomical abnormalities has been emphasized because these alterations are possibly related to several psychiatric disorders and learning disabilities. In the research arena, structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have been widely applied to quantify brain development of the pediatric population. To interpret the values from these MR modalities, a "growth percentile chart," which describes the mean and standard deviation of the normal developmental curve for each anatomical structure, is required. Although efforts have been made to create such a growth percentile chart based on MRI and DTI, one of the greatest challenges is to standardize the anatomical boundaries of the measured anatomical structures. To avoid inter- and intra-reader variability about the anatomical boundary definition, and hence, to increase the precision of quantitative measurements, an automated structure parcellation method, customized for the neonatal and pediatric population, has been developed. This method enables quantification of multiple MR modalities using a common analytic framework. In this paper, the attempt to create an MRI- and a DTI-based growth percentile chart, followed by an application to investigate developmental abnormalities related to cerebral palsy, Williams syndrome, and Rett syndrome, have been introduced. Future directions include multimodal image analysis and personalization for clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Oishi
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Andreia V Faria
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shoko Yoshida
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Linda Chang
- Neuroscience and Magnetic Resonance Research Program, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Susumu Mori
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
Recently, there has been a wealth of research into structural and functional brain connectivity, and how they change over development. While we are far from a complete understanding, these studies have yielded important insights into human brain development. There is an ever growing variety of methods for assessing connectivity, each with its own advantages. Here we review research on the development of structural and/or functional brain connectivity in both typically developing subjects and subjects with neurodevelopmental disorders. Space limitations preclude an exhaustive review of brain connectivity across all developmental disorders, so we review a representative selection of recent findings on brain connectivity in autism, Fragile X, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Williams syndrome, Turner syndrome, and ADHD. Major strides have been made in understanding the developmental trajectory of the human connectome, offering insight into characteristic features of brain development and biological processes involved in developmental brain disorders. We also discuss some common themes, including hemispheric specialization - or asymmetry - and sex differences. We conclude by discussing some promising future directions in connectomics, including the merger of imaging and genetics, and a deeper investigation of the relationships between structural and functional connectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Dennis
- Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Suite 225, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7334, USA.
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Suite 225, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7334, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Cascio C, Gribbin M, Gouttard S, Smith RG, Jomier M, Field S, Graves M, Hazlett HC, Muller K, Gerig G, Piven J. Fractional anisotropy distributions in 2- to 6-year-old children with autism. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2013; 57:1037-1049. [PMID: 22998325 PMCID: PMC3606640 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01599.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence suggests that autism is a disorder of distributed neural networks that may exhibit abnormal developmental trajectories. Characterisation of white matter early in the developmental course of the disorder is critical to understanding these aberrant trajectories. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 2- to 6-year-old children with autism was conducted using diffusion tensor imaging combined with a novel statistical approach employing fractional anisotropy distributions. Fifty-eight children aged 18-79 months were imaged: 33 were diagnosed with autism, 8 with general developmental delay, and 17 were typically developing. Fractional anisotropy values within global white matter, cortical lobes and the cerebellum were measured and transformed to random F distributions for each subject. Each distribution of values for a region was summarised by estimating δ, the estimated mean and standard deviation of the approximating F for each distribution. RESULTS The estimated δ parameter, , was significantly decreased in individuals with autism compared to the combined control group. This was true in all cortical lobes, as well as in the cerebellum, but differences were most robust in the temporal lobe. Predicted developmental trajectories of across the age range in the sample showed patterns that partially distinguished the groups. Exploratory analyses suggested that the variability, rather than the central tendency, component of was the driving force behind these results. CONCLUSIONS While preliminary, our results suggest white matter in young children with autism may be abnormally homogeneous, which may reflect poorly organised or differentiated pathways, particularly in the temporal lobe, which is important for social and emotional cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Cascio
- Psychiatry and Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA Department of Biostatistics, Human Genome Sciences, Rockville, Maryland, USA Department of Computer Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Psychiatry/Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|