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Easson K, Khairy M, Rohlicek CV, Gilbert G, Majnemer A, Nguyen K, Luu TM, Couture É, Nuyt A, Deoni SCL, Descoteaux M, Brossard‐Racine M. White matter microstructure is differently associated with executive functioning in youth born with congenital heart disease and youth born preterm. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3308. [PMID: 37997566 PMCID: PMC10726855 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Executive function deficits and adverse psychological outcomes are common in youth with congenital heart disease (CHD) or born preterm. Association white matter bundles play a critical role in higher order cognitive and emotional functions and alterations to their microstructural organization may result in adverse neuropsychological functioning. This study aimed to examine the relationship of myelination and axon density and orientation alterations within association bundles with executive functioning, psychosocial well-being, and resilience in youth with CHD or born preterm. METHODS Youth aged 16 to 26 years born with complex CHD or preterm at ≤33 weeks of gestational age and healthy controls completed a brain MRI and self-report assessments of executive functioning, psychosocial well-being, and resilience. Multicomponent driven equilibrium single-pulse observation of T1 and T2 and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging were used to calculate average myelin water fraction (MWF), neurite density index (NDI), and orientation dispersion index values for eight bilateral association bundles. The relationships of bundle-average metrics with neuropsychological outcomes were explored with linear regression and mediation analyses. RESULTS In the CHD group, lower MWF in several bundles was associated with poorer working memory and behavioral self-monitoring and mediated self-monitoring deficits relative to controls. In the preterm group, lower NDI in several bundles was associated with poorer emotional control and lower MWF in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus III mediated planning/organizing deficits relative to controls. No significant relationships were observed for psychosocial well-being or resilience. CONCLUSION The findings of this study suggest that microstructural alterations to association bundles, including lower myelination and axon density, have different relationships with executive functioning in youth with CHD and youth born preterm. Future studies should aim to characterize other neurobiological, social, and environmental influences that may interact with white matter microstructure and neuropsychological functioning in these at-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Easson
- Advances in Brain & Child Development (ABCD) Research LaboratoryResearch Institute of the McGill University Health CentreMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine & Health SciencesMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - May Khairy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeonatologyMontreal Children's HospitalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Charles V. Rohlicek
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of CardiologyMontreal Children's HospitalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | | | - Annette Majnemer
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine & Health SciencesMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine & Health SciencesMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeurologyMontreal Children's HospitalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Kim‐Anh Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeonatologyJewish General HospitalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Thuy Mai Luu
- Department of PediatricsCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte‐JustineMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Élise Couture
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeonatologyMontreal Children's HospitalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Anne‐Monique Nuyt
- Department of PediatricsCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte‐JustineMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Sean C. L. Deoni
- Advanced Baby Imaging LabBrown UniversityProvidenceRhode IslandUSA
| | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory (SCIL)Université de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuebecCanada
- Imeka Solutions Inc.SherbrookeQuebecCanada
| | - Marie Brossard‐Racine
- Advances in Brain & Child Development (ABCD) Research LaboratoryResearch Institute of the McGill University Health CentreMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine & Health SciencesMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeonatologyMontreal Children's HospitalMontrealQuebecCanada
- School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine & Health SciencesMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
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Heller-Wight A, Phipps C, Sexton J, Ramirez M, Warren DE. Hippocampal Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated with Physical Activity in Periadolescent Children. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1558. [PMID: 38002518 PMCID: PMC10669534 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13111558] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Periadolescence is a neurodevelopmental period characterized by structural and functional brain changes that are associated with cognitive maturation. The development of the functional connectivity of the hippocampus contributes to cognitive maturation, especially memory processes. Notably, hippocampal development is influenced by lifestyle factors, including physical activity. Physical activity has been associated with individual variability in hippocampal functional connectivity. However, this relationship has not been characterized in a developmental cohort. In this study, we aimed to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between physical activity and the functional connectivity of the hippocampus in a cohort of periadolescents aged 8-13 years (N = 117). The participants completed a physical activity questionnaire, reporting the number of days per week they performed 60 min of physical activity; then, they completed a resting-state functional MRI scan. We observed that greater physical activity was significantly associated with differences in hippocampal functional connectivity in frontal and temporal regions. Greater physical activity was associated with decreased connectivity between the hippocampus and the right superior frontal gyrus and increased connectivity between the hippocampus and the left superior temporal sulcus. Capturing changes in hippocampal functional connectivity during key developmental periods may elucidate how lifestyle factors including physical activity influence brain network connectivity trajectories, cognitive development, and future disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abi Heller-Wight
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (A.H.-W.)
| | - Connor Phipps
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (A.H.-W.)
| | - Jennifer Sexton
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (A.H.-W.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
| | - Meghan Ramirez
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (A.H.-W.)
| | - David E. Warren
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (A.H.-W.)
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Wehrle FM, Furrer M, Feldmann M, Liamlahi R, Naef N, O'Gorman R, Latal B, Huber R. Functional networks of working memory abilities in children with complex congenital heart disease: a sleep EEG study. Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:1109-1127. [PMID: 36324058 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2140796] [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: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Working memory is frequently impaired in children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), but little is known about the functional neuronal correlates. Sleep slow wave activity (SWA; 1-4.5 Hz EEG power) has previously been shown to reliably map neurofunctional networks of cognitive abilities in children with and without neurodevelopmental impairments. This study investigated whether functional networks of working memory abilities are altered in children with complex CHD using EEG recordings during sleep. Twenty-one children with complex CHD (aged 10.9 [SD: 0.3] years) and 17 typically-developing peers (10.5 [0.7] years) completed different working memory tasks and an overnight high-density sleep EEG recording (128 electrodes). The combined working memory score tended to be lower in children with complex CHD (CHD group: -0.44 [1.12], typically-developing group: 0.55 [1.24], d = 0.59, p = .06). The working memory score and sleep SWA of the first hour of deep sleep were correlated over similar brain regions in both groups: Strong positive associations were found over prefrontal and fronto-parietal brain regions - known to be part of the working memory network - and strong negative associations were found over central brain regions. Within these working memory networks, the associations between working memory abilities and sleep SWA (r between -.36 and .58, all p < .03) were not different between the two groups (no interactions, all p > .05). The current findings suggest that sleep SWA reliably maps working memory networks in children with complex CHD and that these functional networks are generally preserved in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia M Wehrle
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neonatology and Intensive Care, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Furrer
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Feldmann
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rabia Liamlahi
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nadja Naef
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ruth O'Gorman
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for MR Research, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Latal
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reto Huber
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Brossard-Racine M, Panigrahy A. Structural Brain Alterations and Their Associations With Function in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With Congenital Heart Disease. Can J Cardiol 2023; 39:123-132. [PMID: 36336305 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2022.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Most neonates who receive surgery for complex congenital heart disease (CHD) will survive well into adulthood, however, many of them will face functional challenges at one point during their life as a consequence of their atypical neurodevelopment. Recent advances in neuroscience and the increasing accessibility of magnetic resonance imaging have allowed numerous studies to identify the nature and extent of the brain alterations that are particular to survivors with CHD. Nevertheless, and considering that the range of outcomes is broad in this population, the functional consequences of these brain differences is not always evident. In this review, we summarize the present state of knowledge regarding the structure-function relationships evaluated in children, adolescents, and young adults with CHD using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Overall smaller total and regional brain volume, as well as lower fractional anisotropy in numerous brain regions, were frequently associated with lower cognitive outcomes including executive functioning and memory in adolescents and young adults with CHD. However, we identify several gaps in knowledge including the limited number of prospective investigations involving neonatal imaging and follow-up during childhood or adolescence, as well as the need for studies that evaluate a broader range of functional outcomes and not only the cognitive abilities. Future interdisciplinary investigations using multimodal imaging techniques could help address these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Brossard-Racine
- Advances in Brain and Child Development Research Laboratory, Research Institute of McGill University Health Center - Child Heald and Human Development, and School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Department of Pediatrics - Division of Neonatology and Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Ashok Panigrahy
- Pediatric Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and Clinical and Translational Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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