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Abstract
The cerebral cortex is fundamental to the functioning of the mind and body. In vivo cortical morphology can be studied through magnetic resonance imaging in several ways, including reconstructing surface-based models of the cortex. However, existing software for surface-based statistical analyses cannot accommodate "big data" or commonly used statistical methods such as the imputation of missing data, extensive bias correction, and non-linear modeling. To address these shortcomings, we developed the QDECR package, a flexible and extensible R package for group-level statistical analysis of cortical morphology. QDECR was written with large population-based epidemiological studies in mind and was designed to fully utilize the extensive modeling options in R. QDECR currently supports vertex-wise linear regression. Design matrix generation can be done through simple, familiar R formula specification, and includes user-friendly extensions for R options such as polynomials, splines, interactions and other terms. QDECR can handle unimputed and imputed datasets with thousands of participants. QDECR has a modular design, and new statistical models can be implemented which utilize several aspects from other generic modules which comprise QDECR. In summary, QDECR provides a framework for vertex-wise surface-based analyses that enables flexible statistical modeling and features commonly used in population-based and clinical studies, which have until now been largely absent from neuroimaging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Lamballais
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ryan L. Muetzel
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Xiang L, Crow TJ, Hopkins WD, Roberts N. Comparison of Surface Area and Cortical Thickness Asymmetry in the Human and Chimpanzee Brain. Cereb Cortex 2020; 34:bhaa202. [PMID: 33026423 PMCID: PMC10859246 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative study of the structural asymmetry of the human and chimpanzee brain may shed light on the evolution of language and other cognitive abilities in humans. Here we report the results of vertex-wise and ROI-based analyses that compared surface area (SA) and cortical thickness (CT) asymmetries in 3D MR images obtained for 91 humans and 77 chimpanzees. The human brain is substantially more asymmetric than the chimpanzee brain. In particular, the human brain has 1) larger total SA in the right compared with the left cerebral hemisphere, 2) a global torque-like asymmetry pattern of widespread thicker cortex in the left compared with the right frontal and the right compared with the left temporo-parieto-occipital lobe, and 3) local asymmetries, most notably in medial occipital cortex and superior temporal gyrus, where rightward asymmetry is observed for both SA and CT. There is also 4) a prominent asymmetry specific to the chimpanzee brain, namely, rightward CT asymmetry of precentral cortex. These findings provide evidence of there being substantial differences in asymmetry between the human and chimpanzee brain. The unique asymmetries of the human brain are potential neural substrates for cognitive specializations, and the presence of significant CT asymmetry of precentral gyrus in the chimpanzee brain should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xiang
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Timothy J Crow
- POWIC, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - William D Hopkins
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Neil Roberts
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
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Muetzel RL, Mulder RH, Lamballais S, Cortes Hidalgo AP, Jansen P, Güroğlu B, Vernooiji MW, Hillegers M, White T, El Marroun H, Tiemeier H. Frequent Bullying Involvement and Brain Morphology in Children. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:696. [PMID: 31607968 PMCID: PMC6771170 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Over the past few decades, bullying has been recognized as a considerable public health concern. Involvement in bullying is associated with poor long-term social and psychiatric outcomes for both perpetrators and targets of bullying. Despite this concerning prognosis, few studies have investigated possible neurobiological correlates of bullying involvement that may explain the long-term impact of bullying. Cortical thickness is ideally suited for examining deviations in typical brain development, as it has been shown to detect subtle differences in children with psychopathology. We tested associations between bullying involvement and cortical thickness using a large, population-based cohort. Methods: The study sample consisted of 2,602 participants from the Generation R Study. When children were 8 years old, parents and teachers reported on common forms of child bullying involvement (physical, verbal, and relational). Questions ascertained whether a child was involved as a perpetrator (n = 82), a target of bullying (n = 92), as a combined perpetrator and target of bullying (n = 47), or uninvolved in frequent bullying (n = 2,381). High-resolution structural MRI was conducted when children were 10 years of age. Cortical thickness estimates across the cortical mantle were compared among groups. Results: Children classified as frequent targets of bullying showed thicker cortex in the fusiform gyrus compared to those uninvolved in bullying (B = 0.108, p corrected < 0.001). Results remained consistent when adjusted for socioeconomic factors, general intelligence, and psychiatric symptoms. Children classified as frequent perpetrators showed thinner cortex in the cuneus region; however, this association did not survive stringent correction for multiple testing. Lastly, no differences in cortical thickness were observed in perpetrator-targets. Discussion: Bullying involvement in young children was associated with differential cortical morphology. Specifically, the fusiform gyrus, often involved in facial processing, showed thicker cortex in targets of frequent bullying. Longitudinal data are necessary to demonstrate the temporality of the underlying neurobiology associated with bullying involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rosa H Mulder
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sander Lamballais
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Andrea P Cortes Hidalgo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pauline Jansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Berna Güroğlu
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Meike W Vernooiji
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Manon Hillegers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,The Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
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Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study is to investigate the morphology of cortical gray matter in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the relationship between cortical thickness and kidney function. PATIENTS AND METHODS Three-dimensional high-resolution brain structural magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 35 patients with ESRD (28 men, 18-61 years old) and 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs, 32 men, 22-58 years old). Vertex-wise analysis was then performed to compare the brains of the patients with ESRD with those of HCs to identify abnormalities in the brains of the former. Multiple biochemical measures of renal metabolin, vascular risk factors, general cognitive ability, and dialysis duration were correlated with brain morphometry alterations for the patients. RESULTS Patients with ESRD showed lesser cortical thickness than the HCs. The most significant cluster with decreased cortical thickness was found in the right prefrontal cortex (P<0.05, random-field theory correction). In addition, the four local peak vertices in the prefrontal cluster were lateral prefrontal cortex (Peaks 1 and 2), medial prefrontal cortex (Peak 3), and ventral prefrontal cortex (Peak 4). Significant negative correlations were observed between the cortical thicknesses of all four peak vertices and blood urea nitrogen; a negative correlation, between the cortical thickness in three of four peaks and serum creatinine; and a positive correlation, between cortical thickness in the medial prefrontal cortex (Peak 3) and hemoglobin. CONCLUSION These results provided compelling evidence for cortical abnormality of ESRD patients and suggested that kidney function may be the key factor for predicting changes of brain tissue structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Dong
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofen Ma
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China,
| | - Wuhong Lin
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengchen Liu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China,
| | - Shishun Fu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China,
| | - Lihua Yang
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Guihua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China,
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