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Ji H, Payette K, Speckert A, Tuura R, Grehten P, Kottke R, Ochseinbein-Kölble N, Hagmann C, Mazzone L, Meuli M, Padden B, Hackenberg A, Wille DA, Moehrlen U, Latal B, SPINA BIFIDA STUDY GROUP ZURICH, Jakab A. Thalamic connectivity topography in newborns with spina bifida: association with neurological functional level but not developmental outcome at 2 years. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad438. [PMID: 37991274 PMCID: PMC10793566 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Spina bifida affects spinal cord and cerebral development, leading to motor and cognitive delay. We investigated whether there are associations between thalamocortical connectivity topography, neurological function, and developmental outcomes in open spina bifida. Diffusion tensor MRI was used to assess thalamocortical connectivity in 44 newborns with open spina bifida who underwent prenatal surgical repair. We quantified the volume of clusters formed based on the strongest probabilistic connectivity to the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley III Scales, while the functional level of the lesion was assessed by neurological examination at 2 years of age. Higher functional level was associated with smaller thalamo-parietal, while lower functional level was associated with smaller thalamo-temporal connectivity clusters (Bonferroni-corrected P < 0.05). Lower functional levels were associated with weaker thalamic temporal connectivity, particularly in the ventrolateral and ventral anterior nuclei. No associations were found between thalamocortical connectivity and developmental outcomes. Our findings suggest that altered thalamocortical circuitry development in open spina bifida may contribute to impaired lower extremity function, impacting motor function and independent ambulation. We hypothesize that the neurologic function might not merely be caused by the spinal cord lesion, but further impacted by the disruption of cerebral neuronal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ji
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Kelly Payette
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Anna Speckert
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Ruth Tuura
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Patrice Grehten
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Raimund Kottke
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Ochseinbein-Kölble
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Hagmann
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Luca Mazzone
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Martin Meuli
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Beth Padden
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Annette Hackenberg
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - David-Alexander Wille
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden 5404, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Moehrlen
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Latal
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | | | - Andras Jakab
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
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