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Kelly KJ, Hutton JS, Parikh NA, Barnes-Davis ME. Neuroimaging of brain connectivity related to reading outcomes in children born preterm: A critical narrative review. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1083364. [PMID: 36937974 PMCID: PMC10014573 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1083364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Premature children are at high risk for delays in language and reading, which can lead to poor school achievement. Neuroimaging studies have assessed structural and functional connectivity by diffusion MRI, functional MRI, and magnetoencephalography, in order to better define the "reading network" in children born preterm. Findings point to differences in structural and functional connectivity compared to children born at term. It is not entirely clear whether this discrepancy is due to delayed development or alternative mechanisms for reading, which may have developed to compensate for brain injury in the perinatal period. This narrative review critically appraises the existing literature evaluating the neural basis of reading in preterm children, summarizes the current findings, and suggests future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn J. Kelly
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - John S. Hutton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of General & Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nehal A. Parikh
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Maria E. Barnes-Davis
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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Dooley N, O'Hanlon E, Healy C, Adair A, McCandless C, Coppinger D, Kelleher I, Clarke M, Leemans A, Frodl T, Cannon M. Psychotic experiences in childhood are associated with increased structural integrity of the left arcuate fasciculus - A population-based case-control study. Schizophr Res 2020; 215:378-384. [PMID: 31495700 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Around 1 in 5 children under 13 years old experience sub-clinical psychotic experiences (PEs) like hallucinations and delusions. While PEs in childhood are a significant risk factor for adult psychotic disorders, the majority of those experiencing childhood PEs do not develop a psychotic disorder. Individual differences in regional brain maturation rates may be responsible for this age-related and often transient emergence of PEs. Fronto-temporal association tracts undergo extensive maturation and myelination throughout childhood and adolescence, thus we focus on individual differences in one such tract, the arcuate fasciculus. A normative population-based sample of children (aged 11-13) attended a clinical interview and MRI (n = 100), 25 of whom were identified as reporting strong PEs. This group had reduced mean and radial diffusivity in the arcuate fasciculus compared with a group of matched controls (n = 25) who reported no PEs. The group difference was greater in the left hemisphere than the right. Mediation analyses showed that this group difference was driven predominantly by perceptual disturbances and an along-tract analysis showed that the group difference was greatest approximately halfway between the frontal and temporal termination points of the tract (adjacent to the left lateral ventricle). This study is the first to investigate links between arcuate fasciculus diffusivity and psychotic experiences in a population sample of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Dooley
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Erik O'Hanlon
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Colm Healy
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Amy Adair
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Conor McCandless
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - David Coppinger
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Ian Kelleher
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Mary Clarke
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Alexander Leemans
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Mary Cannon
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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Lean RE, Han RH, Smyser TA, Kenley JK, Shimony JS, Rogers CE, Limbrick DD, Smyser CD. Altered neonatal white and gray matter microstructure is associated with neurodevelopmental impairments in very preterm infants with high-grade brain injury. Pediatr Res 2019; 86:365-374. [PMID: 31212303 PMCID: PMC6702093 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-019-0461-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examines relationships between neonatal white and gray matter microstructure and neurodevelopment in very preterm (VPT) infants (≤30 weeks gestation) with high-grade brain injury (BI). METHODS Term-equivalent diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained in 32 VPT infants with high-grade BI spanning grade III/IV intraventricular hemorrhage, post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH), and cystic periventricular leukomalacia (BI group); 69 VPT infants without high-grade injury (VPT group); and 55 term-born infants. The Bayley-III assessed neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 2 years. RESULTS BI infants had lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC), cingulum, and corpus callosum, and higher mean diffusivity (MD) in the optic radiations and cingulum than VPT infants. PHH was associated with higher MD in the optic radiations and left PLIC, and higher FA in the right caudate. For BI infants, higher MD in the right optic radiation and lower FA in the right cingulum, PLIC, and corpus callosum were related to motor impairments. CONCLUSIONS BI infants demonstrated altered white and gray matter microstructure in regions affected by injury in a manner dependent upon injury type. PHH infants demonstrated the greatest impairments. Aberrant white matter microstructure was related to motor impairment in BI infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Lean
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rowland H Han
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tara A Smyser
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jeanette K Kenley
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua S Shimony
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cynthia E Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David D Limbrick
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Christopher D Smyser
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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Loe IM, Adams JN, Feldman HM. Executive Function in Relation to White Matter in Preterm and Full Term Children. Front Pediatr 2019; 6:418. [PMID: 30697535 PMCID: PMC6341022 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2018.00418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Executive function (EF) refers to cognitive abilities used to guide goal-directed behavior. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) provides quantitative characterization of white matter tracts in the brain. Children with preterm birth often have EF impairments and white matter injury. Aim: To examine the degree of association between EF scores and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) as measured by DTI in children born preterm and term Study design: Cross-sectional study Subjects: Participants, 9-16 years of age, born preterm (n = 25; mean gestational age 28.6 weeks; mean birth weight 1,191 grams), and full term (n = 20) Outcome measures: White matter FA analyzed with Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, a technique that generates a skeleton representing the core of white matter tracts throughout the brain. Behavioral scores from EF tasks examining working memory, spatial memory capacity, and multiple skills from the Stockings of Cambridge. Results: The groups performed comparably on all tasks. In both groups, unfavorable working memory strategy scores were associated with lower FA. Other measures of EF were not associated with whole skeleton FA in either group in either direction. Conclusions: Strategy score on a spatial working memory task was associated with FA in preterm and full term children, suggesting common underlying neurobiology in both groups. Associations were found in frontal-parietal connections and other major tracts. Lack of associations between other EF tasks and FA may be due to variation in how children accomplish these EF tasks. Future research is required to fully understand the neurobiology of EF in children born preterm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene M. Loe
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jenna N. Adams
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Heidi M. Feldman
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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Goodrich-Hunsaker NJ, Abildskov TJ, Black G, Bigler ED, Cohen DM, Mihalov LK, Bangert BA, Taylor HG, Yeates KO. Age- and sex-related effects in children with mild traumatic brain injury on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging properties: A comparison of voxelwise and tractography methods. J Neurosci Res 2018; 96:626-641. [PMID: 28984377 PMCID: PMC5803411 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Although there are several techniques to analyze diffusion-weighted imaging, any technique must be sufficiently sensitive to detect clinical abnormalities. This is especially critical in disorders like mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), where pathology is likely to be subtle. mTBI represents a major public health concern, especially for youth under 15 years of age. However, the developmental period from birth to 18 years is also a time of tremendous brain changes. Therefore, it is important to establish the degree of age- and sex-related differences. Participants were children aged 8-15 years with mTBI or mild orthopedic injuries. Imaging was obtained within 10 days of injury. We performed tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), deterministic tractography using Automated Fiber Quantification (AFQ), and probabilistic tractography using TRACULA (TRActs Constrained by UnderLying Anatomy) to evaluate whether any method provided improved sensitivity at identifying group, developmental, and/or sex-related differences. Although there were no group differences from any of the three analyses, many of the tracts, but not all, revealed increases of fractional anisotropy and decreases of axial, radial, and mean diffusivity with age. TBSS analyses resulted in age-related changes across all white matter tracts. AFQ and TRACULA revealed age-related changes within the corpus callosum, cingulum cingulate, corticospinal tract, inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. The results are in many ways consistent across all three methods. However, results from the tractography methods provided improved sensitivity and better tract-specific results for identifying developmental and sex-related differences within the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Garrett Black
- Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Erin D. Bigler
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Daniel M. Cohen
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - Leslie K. Mihalov
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - Barbara A. Bangert
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - H. Gerry Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
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Parlatini V, Radua J, Dell'Acqua F, Leslie A, Simmons A, Murphy DG, Catani M, Thiebaut de Schotten M. Functional segregation and integration within fronto-parietal networks. Neuroimage 2016; 146:367-375. [PMID: 27639357 PMCID: PMC5312783 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental data on monkeys and functional studies in humans support the existence of a complex fronto-parietal system activating for cognitive and motor tasks, which may be anatomically supported by the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Advanced tractography methods have recently allowed the separation of the three branches of the SLF but are not suitable for their functional investigation. In order to gather comprehensive information about the functional organisation of these fronto-parietal connections, we used an innovative method, which combined tractography of the SLF in the largest dataset so far (129 participants) with 14 meta-analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. We found that frontal and parietal functions can be clustered into a dorsal spatial/motor network associated with the SLF I, and a ventral non-spatial/motor network associated with the SLF III. Further, all the investigated functions activated a middle network mostly associated with the SLF II. Our findings suggest that dorsal and ventral fronto-parietal networks are segregated but also share regions of activation, which may support flexible response properties or conscious processing. In sum, our novel combined approach provided novel findings on the functional organisation of fronto-parietal networks, and may be successfully applied to other brain connections. We used a novel approach to investigate fronto-parietal functions. These are segregated into a dorsal spatial and a ventral non-spatial network. These networks rely on the superior longitudinal fasciculus (1st and 3rd branch). They overlap on areas with flexible response properties that rely on the 2nd branch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Parlatini
- Sackler Institute of Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK.
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat 08035, Spain
| | - Flavio Dell'Acqua
- Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, SE5 8AF London, UK
| | - Anoushka Leslie
- Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, SE5 8AF London, UK
| | - Andy Simmons
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, SE5 8AF London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, King's College London, SE5 9RX London, UK
| | - Declan G Murphy
- Sackler Institute of Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK
| | - Marco Catani
- Sackler Institute of Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Sackler Institute of Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF London, UK; Brain Connectivity Behaviour group, FrontLab, Paris, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du cerveau et la moelle (ICM) - Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Boulevard de l'hôpital, F-75013, Paris, France.
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Travis KE, Leitner Y, Ben-Shachar M, Yeom KW, Feldman HM. Case Series: Fractional Anisotropy Profiles of the Cerebellar Peduncles in Adolescents Born Preterm With Ventricular Dilation. J Child Neurol 2016; 31:321-7. [PMID: 26116381 PMCID: PMC4691425 DOI: 10.1177/0883073815592223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This case series assesses white matter microstructure of the cerebellar peduncles in 4 adolescents born preterm with enlarged ventricles and reduced white matter volume in the cerebrum but no apparent injury to the cerebellum. Subjects (ages 12-17 years, gestational age 26-32 weeks, birth weight 825-2211 g) were compared to a normative sample of 19 full-term controls (9-17 years, mean gestational age 39 weeks, mean birth weight 3154 g). Tract profiles for each of the cerebellar peduncles were generated by calculating fractional anisotropy at 30 points along the central portion of each tract. One or more case subjects exhibited higher fractional anisotropy beyond the 90th percentile in the inferior, middle, and superior cerebellar peduncles. Findings demonstrate that differences in cerebellar white matter microstructure can be detected in the absence of macrostructural cerebellar abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Travis
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Yael Leitner
- Child Development Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Kristen W Yeom
- Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Heidi M Feldman
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Sølsnes AE, Sripada K, Yendiki A, Bjuland KJ, Østgård HF, Aanes S, Grunewaldt KH, Løhaugen GC, Eikenes L, Håberg AK, Rimol LM, Skranes J. Limited microstructural and connectivity deficits despite subcortical volume reductions in school-aged children born preterm with very low birth weight. Neuroimage 2015; 130:24-34. [PMID: 26712340 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth and very low birth weight (VLBW, ≤1500 g) are worldwide problems that burden survivors with lifelong cognitive, psychological, and physical challenges. In this multimodal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion MRI (dMRI) study, we investigated differences in subcortical brain volumes and white matter tract properties in children born preterm with VLBW compared to term-born controls (mean age=8 years). Subcortical brain structure volumes and cortical thickness estimates were obtained, and fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) were generated for 18 white matter tracts. We also assessed structural relationships between white matter tracts and cortical thickness of the tract endpoints. Compared to controls, the VLBW group had reduced volumes of thalamus, globus pallidus, corpus callosum, cerebral white matter, ventral diencephalon, and brain stem, while the ventricular system was larger in VLBW subjects, after controlling for age, sex, IQ, and estimated total intracranial volume. For the dMRI parameters, group differences were not significant at the whole-tract level, though pointwise analysis found shorter segments affected in forceps minor and left superior longitudinal fasciculus - temporal bundle. IQ did not correlate with subcortical volumes or dMRI measures in the VLBW group. While the deviations in subcortical volumes were substantial, there were few differences in dMRI measures between the two groups, which may reflect the influence of advances in perinatal care on white matter development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Elisabeth Sølsnes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kam Sripada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Anastasia Yendiki
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Knut Jørgen Bjuland
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Heidi Furre Østgård
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Synne Aanes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kristine Hermansen Grunewaldt
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Pediatrics, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Gro C Løhaugen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway
| | - Live Eikenes
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Asta K Håberg
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Lars M Rimol
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jon Skranes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway
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9
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Travis KE, Adams JN, Ben-Shachar M, Feldman HM. Decreased and Increased Anisotropy along Major Cerebral White Matter Tracts in Preterm Children and Adolescents. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142860. [PMID: 26560745 PMCID: PMC4641645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Premature birth is highly prevalent and associated with neurodevelopmental delays and disorders. Adverse outcomes, particularly in children born before 32 weeks of gestation, have been attributed in large part to white matter injuries, often found in periventricular regions using conventional imaging. To date, tractography studies of white matter pathways in children and adolescents born preterm have evaluated only a limited number of tracts simultaneously. The current study compares diffusion properties along 18 major cerebral white matter pathways in children and adolescents born preterm (n = 27) and full term (n = 19), using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and tractography. We found that compared to the full term group, the preterm group had significantly decreased FA in segments of the bilateral uncinate fasciculus and anterior segments of the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Additionally, the preterm group had significantly increased FA in segments of the right and left anterior thalamic radiations, posterior segments of the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and the right and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Increased FA in the preterm group was generally associated with decreased radial diffusivity. These findings indicate that prematurity-related white matter differences in later childhood and adolescence do not affect all tracts in the periventricular zone and can involve both decreased and increased FA. Differences in the patterns of radial diffusivity and axial diffusivity suggest that the tissue properties underlying group FA differences may vary within and across white matter tracts. Distinctive diffusion properties may relate to variations in the timing of injury in the neonatal period, extent of white matter dysmaturity and/or compensatory processes in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Travis
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 94303, United States of America
| | - Jenna N. Adams
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 94303, United States of America
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
- Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Heidi M. Feldman
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 94303, United States of America
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10
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Abnormal white matter properties in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015; 9:648-59. [PMID: 26740918 PMCID: PMC4644248 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious eating disorder that typically emerges during adolescence and occurs most frequently in females. To date, very few studies have investigated the possible impact of AN on white matter tissue properties during adolescence, when white matter is still developing. The present study evaluated white matter tissue properties in adolescent girls with AN using diffusion MRI with tractography and T1 relaxometry to measure R1 (1/T1), an index of myelin content. Fifteen adolescent girls with AN (mean age = 16.6 years ± 1.4) were compared to fifteen age-matched girls with normal weight and eating behaviors (mean age = 17.1 years ± 1.3). We identified and segmented 9 bilateral cerebral tracts (18) and 8 callosal fiber tracts in each participant's brain (26 total). Tract profiles were generated by computing measures for fractional anisotropy (FA) and R1 along the trajectory of each tract. Compared to controls, FA in the AN group was significantly decreased in 4 of 26 white matter tracts and significantly increased in 2 of 26 white matter tracts. R1 was significantly decreased in the AN group compared to controls in 11 of 26 white matter tracts. Reduced FA in combination with reduced R1 suggests that the observed white matter differences in AN are likely due to reductions in myelin content. For the majority of tracts, group differences in FA and R1 did not occur within the same tract. The present findings have important implications for understanding the neurobiological factors underlying white matter changes associated with AN and invite further investigations examining associations between white matter properties and specific physiological, cognitive, social, or emotional functions affected in AN. AN girls had both increased and decreased FA in 4 white matter tracts. AN girls had increased R1 in 11 white matter tracts. White matter differences in AN are likely related to changes in myelin content.
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Nosarti C, Nam KW, Walshe M, Murray RM, Cuddy M, Rifkin L, Allin MPG. Preterm birth and structural brain alterations in early adulthood. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 6:180-91. [PMID: 25379430 PMCID: PMC4215396 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in cortical development and impaired neurodevelopmental outcomes have been described following very preterm (VPT) birth in childhood and adolescence, but only a few studies to date have investigated grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) maturation in VPT samples in early adult life. Using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) we studied regional GM and WM volumes in 68 VPT-born individuals (mean gestational age 30 weeks) and 43 term-born controls aged 19–20 years, and their association with cognitive outcomes (Hayling Sentence Completion Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Visual Reproduction test of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised) and gestational age. Structural MRI data were obtained with a 1.5 Tesla system and analysed using the VBM8 toolbox in SPM8 with a customized study-specific template. Similarly to results obtained at adolescent assessment, VPT young adults compared to controls demonstrated reduced GM volume in temporal, frontal, insular and occipital areas, thalamus, caudate nucleus and putamen. Increases in GM volume were noted in medial/anterior frontal gyrus. Smaller subcortical WM volume in the VPT group was observed in temporal, parietal and frontal regions, and in a cluster centred on posterior corpus callosum/thalamus/fornix. Larger subcortical WM volume was found predominantly in posterior brain regions, in areas beneath the parahippocampal and occipital gyri and in cerebellum. Gestational age was associated with GM and WM volumes in areas where VPT individuals demonstrated GM and WM volumetric alterations, especially in temporal, parietal and occipital regions. VPT participants scored lower than controls on measures of IQ, executive function and non-verbal memory. When investigating GM and WM alterations and cognitive outcome scores, subcortical WM volume in an area beneath the left inferior frontal gyrus accounted for 14% of the variance of full-scale IQ (F = 12.9, p < 0.0001). WM volume in posterior corpus callosum/thalamus/fornix and GM volume in temporal gyri bilaterally, accounted for 21% of the variance of executive function (F = 9.9, p < 0.0001) and WM in the posterior corpus callosum/thalamus/fornix alone accounted for 17% of the variance of total non-verbal memory scores (F = 9.9, p < 0.0001). These results reveal that VPT birth continues to be associated with altered structural brain anatomy in early adult life, although it remains to be ascertained whether these changes reflect neurodevelopmental delays or long lasting structural alterations due to prematurity. GM and WM alterations correlate with length of gestation and mediate cognitive outcome. Preterm birth is associated with brain alterations in early adulthood Preterm birth affects maturation of both white and grey matter Volume alterations are observed in temporal, frontal, parietal and occipital areas Regional alterations mediate the effects of preterm birth on cognitive functioning
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Nosarti
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE58AF London, UK
| | - Kie Woo Nam
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE58AF London, UK
| | - Muriel Walshe
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE58AF London, UK
| | - Robin M Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE58AF London, UK
| | - Marion Cuddy
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE58AF London, UK
| | - Larry Rifkin
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE58AF London, UK
| | - Matthew P G Allin
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE58AF London, UK
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging technique that provides quantitative characterization of white matter tracts in the brain. This study used DTI to examine the degree of association between parent-rated scores of attention, internalizing behaviors including anxiety symptoms, and externalizing behaviors and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) in children born preterm. METHODS Participants were aged 9 to 16 years; 25 were born at <36 weeks of gestation (mean = 28.6 wk, birth weight = 1191 g) and 20 were full term. The authors analyzed the results using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, a technique that generates a skeleton representing the core of white matter tracts throughout the brain. The authors examined the correlations between behavior scores and FA of (1) the whole skeleton and (2) the specific regions of interest. RESULTS In preterm children, scores on attention and internalizing behavior scales were each associated with whole skeleton FA and several regions of interest; unfavorable scores were consistently associated with lower FA. Externalizing behaviors were not associated with whole skeleton FA, but significant associations were found within a few regions of interest. The network of significant regions for attention and internalizing symptoms was widely distributed and overlapping. In full-term children, no associations of FA and behavior were significant. CONCLUSIONS Attention and internalizing behaviors in preterm children were associated with FA in a widely distributed overlapping network of white matter tracts, suggesting common underlying neurobiology. DTI contributes to understanding individual differences in attention and behavior characteristics in children born preterm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene M Loe
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA.
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Yeatman JD, Dougherty RF, Myall NJ, Wandell BA, Feldman HM. Tract profiles of white matter properties: automating fiber-tract quantification. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49790. [PMID: 23166771 PMCID: PMC3498174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 563] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 10/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tractography based on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) data is a method for identifying the major white matter fascicles (tracts) in the living human brain. The health of these tracts is an important factor underlying many cognitive and neurological disorders. In vivo, tissue properties may vary systematically along each tract for several reasons: different populations of axons enter and exit the tract, and disease can strike at local positions within the tract. Hence quantifying and understanding diffusion measures along each fiber tract (Tract Profile) may reveal new insights into white matter development, function, and disease that are not obvious from mean measures of that tract. We demonstrate several novel findings related to Tract Profiles in the brains of typically developing children and children at risk for white matter injury secondary to preterm birth. First, fractional anisotropy (FA) values vary substantially within a tract but the Tract FA Profile is consistent across subjects. Thus, Tract Profiles contain far more information than mean diffusion measures. Second, developmental changes in FA occur at specific positions within the Tract Profile, rather than along the entire tract. Third, Tract Profiles can be used to compare white matter properties of individual patients to standardized Tract Profiles of a healthy population to elucidate unique features of that patient's clinical condition. Fourth, Tract Profiles can be used to evaluate the association between white matter properties and behavioral outcomes. Specifically, in the preterm group reading ability is positively correlated with FA measured at specific locations on the left arcuate and left superior longitudinal fasciculus and the magnitude of the correlation varies significantly along the Tract Profiles. We introduce open source software for automated fiber-tract quantification (AFQ) that measures Tract Profiles of MRI parameters for 18 white matter tracts. With further validation, AFQ Tract Profiles have potential for informing clinical management and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Yeatman
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America.
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