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Hu M, Lou Y, Zhu C, Chen J, Liu S, Liang Y, Liu S, Tang Y. Evaluating the Impact of Intracranial Volume Correction Approaches on the Quantification of Intracranial Structures in MRI: A Systematic Analysis. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:2164-2177. [PMID: 37702125 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In neuroscience, accurately quantifying individual brain regions in large cohorts is a challenge. Differences in intracranial structures can suggest functional differences, but they also reflect the effects of other factors. However, there is currently no standardized method for the correction of intracranial structure measurements. PURPOSE To identify the optimal method to counteract the influence of total intracranial volume (TIV) and gender on the measurement of intracranial structures. STUDY TYPE Prospective. POPULATION/SUBJECTS One hundred forty-one healthy adult volunteers (70 male, mean age 21.8 ± 1.7 years). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE T1-weighted 3D gradient-echo sequence at 3.0 T. ASSESSMENT A radiologist with 5 years of work experience screened the raw images to exclude poor-quality images. Freesurfer then performed automated segmentation to obtain measurements of intracranial structures. Male-only, female-only, and TIV-matched sub-samples were created separately. Comparisons between the original data and these sub-samples were used to assess the effects of gender and TIV. Comparison the consistency between TIV-matched sample and corrected data that corrected by four methods: Proportion method, power-corrected proportion method, covariate regression method, and residual method. STATISTICAL TESTS Cohen's d for examining group distribution disparities, t-tests for probing mean differences, correlation coefficients to assess the relationships between intracranial substructure measurements and TIV. Multiple comparison corrections were applied to the results. RESULTS The correlation coefficients between TIV and the volumes of intracranial structures ranged from 0.033 to 0.883, with an average of 0.467. Thirty significant volume differences were found among 36 structures in the original sample, while no differences were observed in the TIV-matched sample. Among the four correction methods, the residual method had highest consistency (similarity 94.4%) with the TIV-matched group. DATA CONCLUSION The variation in intracranial structure sizes between genders was largely attributable to TIV. The residual method offers a more accurate and effective approach for correcting the effects of TIV on intracranial structures. EVIDENCE LEVEL 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minqi Hu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yunxia Lou
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Ultrasound, Cheeloo Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Caiting Zhu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jiachen Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Shizhou Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yongfeng Liang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Radiology, Cheeloo Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Shuwei Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yuchun Tang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Ruiz ST, Bakklund RV, Håberg AK, Berntsen EM. Normative Data for Brainstem Structures, the Midbrain-to-Pons Ratio, and the Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2022; 43:707-714. [PMID: 35393362 PMCID: PMC9089261 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Imaging biomarkers derived from different brainstem structures are suggested to differentiate among parkinsonian disorders, but clinical implementation requires normative data. The main objective was to establish high-quality, sex-specific data for relevant brainstem structures derived from MR imaging in healthy subjects from the general population in their sixth and seventh decades of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS 3D T1WI acquired on the same 1.5T scanner of 996 individuals (527 women) between 50 and 66 years of age from a prospective population study was used. The area of the midbrain and pons and the widths of the middle cerebellar peduncles and superior cerebellar peduncles were measured, from which the midbrain-to-pons ratio and Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index [MRPI = (Pons Area / Midbrain Area) × (Middle Cerebellar Peduncles / Superior Cerebellar Peduncles)] were calculated. Sex differences in brainstem measures and correlations to age, height, weight, and body mass index were investigated. RESULTS Inter- and intrareliability for measuring the different brainstem structures showed good-to-excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.785-0.988). There were significant sex differences for the pons area, width of the middle cerebellar peduncles and superior cerebellar peduncles, midbrain-to-pons ratio, and MRPI (all, P < .001; Cohen D = 0.44-0.98), but not for the midbrain area (P = .985). There were significant very weak-to-weak correlations between several of the brainstem measures and age, height, weight, and body mass index in both sexes. However, no systematic difference in distribution caused by these variables was found, and because age had the highest and most consistent correlations, age-/sex-specific percentiles for the brainstem measures were created. CONCLUSIONS We present high-quality, sex-specific data and age-/sex-specific percentiles for the mentioned brainstem measures. These normative data can be implemented in the neuroradiologic work-up of patients with suspected brainstem atrophy to avoid the risk of misdiagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T Ruiz
- From the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging (S.T.R., R.V.B., E.M.B.)
| | - R V Bakklund
- From the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging (S.T.R., R.V.B., E.M.B.)
| | - A K Håberg
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Neuromedicine and Movement Sciences (A.K.H.), Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (A.K.H., E.M.B.), St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - E M Berntsen
- From the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging (S.T.R., R.V.B., E.M.B.) .,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (A.K.H., E.M.B.), St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
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Wheater E, Shenkin SD, Muñoz Maniega S, Valdés Hernández M, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ, Bastin ME, Boardman JP, Cox SR. Birth weight is associated with brain tissue volumes seven decades later but not with MRI markers of brain ageing. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 31:102776. [PMID: 34371238 PMCID: PMC8358699 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Larger birth weight is associated with larger brain tissue volumes at age 73. Birth weight is not associated with age-associated brain features. Effect of birth weight on brain volumes is independent of overall body size. Early life growth is likely to confer brain tissue reserve in later life.
Birth weight, an indicator of fetal growth, is associated with cognitive outcomes in early life (which are predictive of cognitive ability in later life) and risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease across the life course. Brain health in older age, indexed by MRI features, is associated with cognitive performance, but little is known about how variation in normal birth weight impacts on brain structure in later life. In a community dwelling cohort of participants in their early seventies we tested the hypothesis that birth weight is associated with the following MRI features: total brain (TB), grey matter (GM) and normal appearing white matter (NAWM) volumes; whiter matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume; a general factor of fractional anisotropy (gFA) and peak width skeletonised mean diffusivity (PSMD) across the white matter skeleton. We also investigated the associations of birth weight with cortical surface area, volume and thickness. Birth weight was positively associated with TB, GM and NAWM volumes in later life (β ≥ 0.194), and with regional cortical surface area but not gFA, PSMD, WMH volume, or cortical volume or thickness. These positive relationships appear to be explained by larger intracranial volume, rather than by age-related tissue atrophy, and are independent of body height and weight in adulthood. This suggests that larger birth weight is linked to more brain tissue reserve in older life, rather than age-related brain structural features, such as tissue atrophy or WMH volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Wheater
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Susan D Shenkin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Geriatric Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Geriatric Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration (SINAPSE), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Valdés Hernández
- Geriatric Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration (SINAPSE), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Geriatric Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration (SINAPSE), Edinburgh, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Department Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Geriatric Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration (SINAPSE), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - James P Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration (SINAPSE), Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Department Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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The relationship between cortical thickness and language comprehension varies with sex in healthy young adults: a large sample analysis. Neuroreport 2021; 31:184-188. [PMID: 31895746 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging studies evaluating sex differences in language processing have been previously reported. However, it remains largely unclear whether there are structural bases for language comprehension and whether these are partially affected by sexual dimorphism in cortical thickness. To this end, we performed correlation analysis between cortical thickness and language comprehension in a large (N = 1017, 549 females, 468 males) young and healthy subjects from Human Connectome Project, with a specific focus on the impact of sex. We identified significant relationship between cortical thickness of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and vocabulary comprehension in females (r = 0.318, r = 10%), while the association was significantly reduced in males (P = 0.017, Cohen's q = 0.154). Furthermore, thickness difference in the PCC was observed to be smaller in females (P < 0.0001, t = -7.12, Cohen's d = 0.45); however, the difference disappeared when controlling for brain size (Cohen's d = 0.002). Our findings indicated that variability in cortical thickness may affect cognitive function much more in females than in males, and highlighted the importance of brain size in explaining sex-specific cortical thickness.
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Melazzini L, Vitali P, Olivieri E, Bolchini M, Zanardo M, Savoldi F, Di Leo G, Griffanti L, Baselli G, Sardanelli F, Codari M. White Matter Hyperintensities Quantification in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Magn Reson Imaging 2020; 53:1732-1743. [PMID: 33345393 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volumetric assessment is now customary in research studies, inconsistent WMH measures among homogenous populations may prevent the clinical usability of this biomarker. PURPOSE To determine whether a point estimate and reference standard for WMH volume in the healthy aging population could be determined. STUDY TYPE Systematic review and meta-analysis. POPULATION In all, 9716 adult subjects from 38 studies reporting WMH volume were retrieved following a systematic search on EMBASE. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 1.0T, 1.5T, or 3.0T/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and/or proton density/T2 -weighted fast spin echo sequences or gradient echo T1 -weighted sequences. ASSESSMENT After a literature search, sample size, demographics, magnetic field strength, MRI sequences, level of automation in WMH assessment, study population, and WMH volume were extracted. STATISTICAL TESTS The pooled WMH volume with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using the random-effect model. The I2 statistic was calculated as a measure of heterogeneity across studies. Meta-regression analysis of WMH volume on age was performed. RESULTS Of the 38 studies analyzed, 17 reported WMH volume as the mean and standard deviation (SD) and were included in the meta-analysis. Mean and SD of age was 66.11 ± 10.92 years (percentage of men 50.45% ± 21.48%). Heterogeneity was very high (I2 = 99%). The pooled WMH volume was 4.70 cm3 (95% CI: 3.88-5.53 cm3 ). At meta-regression analysis, WMH volume was positively associated with subjects' age (β = 0.358 cm3 per year, P < 0.05, R2 = 0.27). DATA CONCLUSION The lack of standardization in the definition of WMH together with the high technical variability in assessment may explain a large component of the observed heterogeneity. Currently, volumes of WMH in healthy subjects are not comparable between studies and an estimate and reference interval could not be determined. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Melazzini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Vitali
- Unit of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Emanuele Olivieri
- Medicine and Surgery Medical School, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Bolchini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Moreno Zanardo
- Unit of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Filippo Savoldi
- Postgraduate School in Radiology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Leo
- Unit of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Ludovica Griffanti
- Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Giuseppe Baselli
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesco Sardanelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Unit of Radiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Marina Codari
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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Jäncke L, Liem F, Merillat S. Are language skills related to structural features in Broca's and Wernicke's area? Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:1124-1135. [PMID: 33179366 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study used structural magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether specific anatomical features of Broca's and Wernicke's areas are related to language functions in typically developing older subjects with no specific language expertize. Data from 231 subjects from the Zurich LHAB-study are used for this study. For these subjects, we obtained several psychometric measures from which we calculated performance measures reflecting specific psychological functions (language comprehension, verbal fluency, perceptual speed, visual memory, recognition of regularities, and logical thinking). From the MRI measurements, we calculated the cortical thickness and cortical surface of Broca's and Wernicke's areas. Applying multiple regression analyses, we identified a moderately strong relationship between language comprehension and the brain metrics from Broca's and Wernicke's areas and showed that approximately 10% of the variance in language comprehension performance is explained by the linear combination of all perisylvian brain metrics. The other psychological functions (verbal fluency, perceptual speed, visual memory, recognition of regularities, and logical thinking) are not related to these brain metrics. Subsequent detailed analyses revealed that the cortical thickness of Wernicke's area, in particular, contributed most to this structure-function relationship. The better performance in the language comprehension tests was related to a thicker cortex in Wernicke's area. Thus, this study demonstrates a structure-function relationship between the anatomical features of the perisylvian language areas and language comprehension, suggesting that particular anatomical features are associated with better language performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutz Jäncke
- Division Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University Research Priority Program "Dynamic of Healthy Aging", University, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franz Liem
- Division Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University Research Priority Program "Dynamic of Healthy Aging", University, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susan Merillat
- Division Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University Research Priority Program "Dynamic of Healthy Aging", University, Zurich, Switzerland
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