Preterm birth and maternal responsiveness during childhood are associated with brain morphology in adolescence

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 784-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD E. FRYE ◽  
BENJAMIN MALMBERG ◽  
PAUL SWANK ◽  
KAREN SMITH ◽  
SUSAN LANDRY
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Maternal Responsiveness ◽  
Hemispheric Differences ◽  
Mixed Model Analysis ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Supportive Parenting

AbstractAlthough supportive parenting has been shown to have positive effects on development, the neurobiological basis of supportive parenting has not been investigated. Thirty-three adolescents were systemically selected from a longitudinal study on child development based on maternal responsiveness during childhood, a measure of supportive parenting, and whether they were born term or preterm. We analyzed the effect of preterm birth on hemispheric and regional (frontal, temporal, parietal) cortical thickness and surface area using mixed-model analysis while also considering the effect of brain hemisphere (left vs. right). We then determined whether these factors were moderated by maternal responsiveness during childhood. Preterm birth was associated with regional and hemispheric differences in cortical thickness and surface area. Maternal responsiveness during childhood moderated hemispheric cortical thickness. Adolescence with mothers that were inconsistently responsive during childhood demonstrated greater overall cortical thickness and greater asymmetry in cortical thickness during adolescence as compared to adolescence with mothers who were consistently responsive or unresponsive during childhood. Maternal responsiveness and preterm birth did not interact. These data suggest that changes in brain morphology associated with preterm birth continue into adolescence and support the notion that the style of maternal-child interactions during childhood influence brain development into adolescence. (JINS, 2010, 16, 784–794.)

scholarly journals Quantifying the Polygenic Architecture of the Human Cerebral Cortex: Extensive Genetic Overlap between Cortical Thickness and Surface Area

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 5597-5603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis van der Meer ◽  
Oleksandr Frei ◽  
Tobias Kaufmann ◽  
Chi-Hua Chen ◽  
Wesley K Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gaussian Mixture ◽  
Total Surface Area ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Genetic Predictors ◽  
Genetic Overlap ◽  
Causal Variants

Abstract The thickness of the cerebral cortical sheet and its surface area are highly heritable traits thought to have largely distinct polygenic architectures. Despite large-scale efforts, the majority of their genetic determinants remain unknown. Our ability to identify causal genetic variants can be improved by employing brain measures that better map onto the biology we seek to understand. Such measures may have fewer variants but with larger effects, that is, lower polygenicity and higher discoverability. Using Gaussian mixture modeling, we estimated the number of causal variants shared between mean cortical thickness and total surface area, as well as the polygenicity and discoverability of regional measures. We made use of UK Biobank data from 30 880 healthy White European individuals (mean age 64.3, standard deviation 7.5, 52.1% female). We found large genetic overlap between total surface area and mean thickness, sharing 4016 out of 7941 causal variants. Regional surface area was more discoverable (P = 2.6 × 10−6) and less polygenic (P = 0.004) than regional thickness measures. These findings may serve as a roadmap for improved future GWAS studies; knowledge of which measures are most discoverable may be used to boost identification of genetic predictors and thereby gain a better understanding of brain morphology.

The role of defensible space on the likelihood of house impact from wildfires in forested landscapes of south eastern Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra H. Penman ◽  
Owen F. Price ◽  
Trent D. Penman ◽  
Ross A. Bradstock
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Radiant Heat ◽  
Defensible Space ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Mixed Model Analysis ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Principle Components Analysis ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Need To Evaluate

The number of houses at risk from wildfire continues to increase around the world as populations continue to expand into fire-prone areas. Creating defensible space (managing fuels within a 30-m zone around a house) is a key strategy for mitigating risk, but there is a need to evaluate the key components of defensible space. This study examined house impact in 27 independent forest fires from New South Wales, Australia, between 2001 and 2009, comprising 309 houses destroyed or damaged and 618 unburnt houses. A range of spatial measures of vegetation, nearby buildings, waterbodies and topography were measured around each house. Principle Components Analysis and Generalised Additive Mixed Model analysis was used to derive the best and supported alternative models to explain the determinants of housing impact. The best model contained positive effects of vegetation touching the house and estimated Radiant Heat Flux and negative effects of distance to the nearest building and the number of nearby waterbodies on the probability of impact. The results suggest that risk could be effectively reduced by providing waterbodies, maintaining defensible space and ensuring separation between houses.

scholarly journals M166. THE EFFECT OF INTELLIGENCE AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT ON THE BRAIN IN THOSE WITH FAMILIAL HIGH RISK FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA OR BIPOLAR DISORDER: AN ENIGMA–RELATIVES STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S199-S200
Author(s):  
Sonja M C de Zwarte ◽  
Rachel R M Brouwer ◽  
René S Kahn ◽  
Jessica A Turner ◽  
Theo G M van Erp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Multiple Testing ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Iq Test

Abstract Background Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are both associated with generally lower IQ test results and show overlapping structural brain abnormalities, albeit with lower effect sizes in BD. In contrast, our recent ENIGMA-Relatives meta-analysis showed that patients’ first-degree relatives (FDRs) have divergent patterns of global brain measures (De Zwarte et al. Biol. Psychiatry, 2019). FDRs-BD had larger intracranial volumes (ICV) than matched controls, a pattern not found in FDRs-SZ; when we adjusted for ICV, no differences were detected between FDRs-BD and controls. In contrast, FDRs-SZ had significantly smaller brain volumes, mean cortical thickness and larger ventricle volume than controls. Here, we extend this work by adding measures of local cortical thickness and surface area and by investigating the effect of IQ and educational attainment (EA) on global and local brain measures in FDRs. Methods 6,134 participants from 36 cohorts worldwide were included: N(FDRs-SZ)=1,103, N(FDRs-BD)=867, N(controls)=2,529 (and N(SZ-patients)=942, N(BD-patients)=693). Most cohorts provided information on IQ and/or EA (years completed education in those aged >25 yr.). (Sub-)cortical reconstruction and volumetric segmentations were performed with FreeSurfer. Linear mixed model analyses were performed on brain measures, IQ, and EA within each cohort comparing FDRs to controls (taking family relatedness into account). Cohen’s d effect sizes (95%CI) were calculated. Results FDRs-SZ had a thinner cortex across most cortical regions, compared to controls, with a thinner pars orbitalis surviving correction for multiple testing (left d=– 0.17, right =– 0.16, q<0.05 corrected). FDRs-BD had larger regional surface area in many cortical areas than controls, with a significantly larger cortical surface area in the left transverse temporal, left parahippocampal, right superior temporal, right supramarginal and right transverse temporal regions surviving correction for multiple testing (d’s >+ 0.15, q<0.05, corrected). Mean IQ test scores were lower in both FDRs-SZ (d=–0.42, p<0.001) and FDRs-BD (d=–0.23, p=0.045); while relatives did not differ on EA from controls. The IQ-EA correlation was r=0.39 [0.31–0.47]. When adjusting for IQ or EA, the group differences in brain measures changed, albeit modestly. In FDRs-SZ, controlling for IQ explained part of the effect of familial risk for schizophrenia in total brain, gray and white matter volumes (i.e., reduced effect sizes), while in FDRs-BD IQ correction resulted in a larger average ICV compared to controls. Discussion This study showed differential patterns of cortical thickness and surface area abnormalities in FDRs-SZ and FDRs-BD. While present in both relative groups, cognitive deficits (but only IQ not EA) were more pronounced in FDRs-SZ. We found no evidence that larger ICV in FDRs-BD was related to IQ, suggesting that the differential brain developmental trajectories underlying predisposition for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder may be unrelated to IQ. These large-scale studies inform the debate on whether schizophrenia and bipolar disorder represent truly independent diagnostic categories or whether they fall on a continuum of overlapping symptom profiles.

scholarly journals Downstream Effects of Maternal Hypothyroxinemia in Early Pregnancy: Nonverbal IQ and Brain Morphology in School-Age Children

2014 ◽  
Vol 99 (7) ◽  
pp. 2383-2390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akhgar Ghassabian ◽  
Hanan El Marroun ◽  
Robin P. Peeters ◽  
Vincent W. Jaddoe ◽  
Albert Hofman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Global Brain ◽  
Volumetric Measures

Context: Although maternal hypothyroxinemia is suggested to be related to various adverse consequences in a child's neurodevelopment, the underlying neurobiology is largely unknown. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between maternal hypothyroxinemia in early pregnancy and children's nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ). Furthermore, we explored whether global brain volumes, cortical thickness, and brain surface area differed between children exposed prenatally to hypothyroxinemia and healthy controls. Design and Setting: The study included a large population-based prospective birth cohort in The Netherlands. Participants: A total of 3727 mother-child pairs with data on prenatal thyroid function at less than 18 weeks of gestation and nonverbal IQ at 6 years participated in the study. In 652 children, brain imaging was performed at 8 years of age. Main Measures: Maternal hypothyroxinemia was defined as free T4 in the lowest 5% of the sample, whereas TSH was in the normal range. At 6 years, children's IQ was assessed using a Dutch test battery. Global brain volumetric measures, cortical thickness, and surface area were assessed using high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The children of mothers with hypothyroxinemia in early pregnancy scored 4.3 points IQ lower than the children of mothers with normal thyroid status (95% confidence interval −6.68, −1.81; P = .001). After adjustment for multiple testing, we did not find any differences in brain volumetric measures, cortical thickness, and surface area between children exposed prenatally to hypothyroxinemia and controls. Conclusions: Our findings confirm a large adverse effect of maternal hypothyroxinemia on children's nonverbal IQ at school age. However, we found no evidence that maternal hypothyroxinemia is associated with differences in brain morphology in school-age children.

scholarly journals Variations in Brain Morphometry Among Healthy Preschoolers Born Very Preterm

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly M. Hasler ◽  
Timothy T. Brown ◽  
Natacha Akshoomoff
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Brain Maturation ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Very Preterm ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sulcal Depth

AbstractBackgroundPreterm birth is associated with an increased risk of neonatal brain injury, which can lead to alterations in brain maturation. Advances in neonatal care have dramatically reduced the incidence of the most significant medical consequences of preterm birth. Relatively healthy preterm infants remain at increased risk for subtle injuries that impact future neurodevelopmental and functioning.AimsTo investigate the gray matter morphometry measures of cortical thickness, surface area, and sulcal depth in the brain using magnetic resonance imaging at 5 years of age in healthy children born very preterm.Study designCohort studySubjectsParticipants were 52 children born very preterm (VPT; less than 33 weeks gestational age) and 37 children born full term.Outcome measuresCortical segmentation and calculation of morphometry measures were completed using FreeSurfer version 5.3.0 and compared between groups using voxel-wise, surface-based analyses.ResultsThe VPT group had a significantly thinner cortex in temporal and parietal regions as well as thicker gray matter in the occipital and inferior frontal regions. Reduced surface area was found in the fusiform area in the VPT group. Sulcal depth was also lower in the VPT group within the posterior parietal and inferior temporal regions and greater sulcal depth was found in the middle temporal and medial parietal regions. Results in some of these regions were correlated with gestational age at birth in the VPT group.ConclusionsThe most widespread differences between the VPT and FT groups were found in cortical thickness. These findings may represent a combination of delayed maturation and permanent alterations caused by the perinatal processes associated with very preterm birth.

scholarly journals Quantifying the polygenic architecture of the human cerebral cortex: Extensive genetic overlap between cortical thickness and surface area

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis van der Meer ◽  
Oleksandr Frei ◽  
Tobias Kaufmann ◽  
Chi-Hua Chen ◽  
Wesley K. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gaussian Mixture ◽  
Total Surface Area ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Genetic Predictors ◽  
Genetic Overlap ◽  
Causal Variants

ABSTRACTIntroductionThe thickness of the cerebral cortical sheet and its surface area are highly heritable traits thought to have largely distinct polygenic architectures. Despite large-scale efforts, the majority of their genetic determinants remains unknown. Our ability to identify causal genetic variants can be improved by employing better delineated, less noisy brain measures that better map onto the biology we seek to understand. Such measures may have fewer variants but with larger effects, i.e. lower polygenicity and higher discoverability.MethodsUsing Gaussian mixture modeling, we estimated the number of causal variants shared between mean cortical thickness and total surface area. We further determined the polygenicity and discoverability of regional cortical measures from five often-employed parcellation schemes. We made use of UK Biobank data from 31,312 healthy White European individuals (mean age 55.5, standard deviation (SD) 7.4, 52.1% female).ResultsContrary to previous reports, we found large genetic overlap between total surface area and mean thickness, sharing 4427 out of 7150 causal variants. Regional surface area was more discoverable (p=4.1×10−6) and less polygenic (p=.007) than regional thickness measures. We further found that genetically-informed and less granular parcellation schemes had highest discoverability, with no differences in polygenicity.ConclusionsThese findings may serve as a roadmap for improved future GWAS studies; Knowledge of which measures or parcellations are most discoverable, as well as the genetic overlap between these measures, may be used to boost identification of genetic predictors and thereby gain a better understanding of brain morphology.

scholarly journals Bian Zheng Lun Zhias a Complementary and Alternative Treatment for Menstrual Cramps in Women with Dysmenorrhea: A Prospective Clinical Observation

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pin-Yi Lin ◽  
Yueh-Ting Tsai ◽  
Jung-Nien Lai ◽  
Chia-Hao Yeh ◽  
Ruei-Chi Fang
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
World Health ◽  
Syndrome Differentiation ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Primary Dysmenorrhea ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Mixed Model Analysis ◽  
Positive Effects

Background. Limited scientific evidence supports the positive effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating dysmenorrhea. Thus, an observation period of 3 months could verify the ancient indication that TCM treatments effectively alleviate menstrual cramps in women with primary dysmenorrhea or endometriosis.Methods. A prospective, nonrandomized study (primary dysmenorrhea and endometriosis groups) was conducted in women with dysmenorrhea for more than three consecutive menstrual cycles. All patients received TCM prescriptions based onbian zheng lun zhitheory 14 days before menstruation for a period of 12 weeks. Pain intensity was evaluated using a 10-cm visual analogue scale and two validated questionnaires (the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire).Results. Of the initial 70 intent-to-treat participants, the women with dysmenorrhea reported significant alleviation of cramps during menstruation after the 12-week TCM treatment. Mixed model analysis revealed that TCM prescriptions were more effective in alleviating fatigue, hot flashes, dizziness, painful breasts, excitement, and irritability in the primary dysmenorrhea group (N=36) than in the endometriosis group (N=34).Conclusion. TCM prescriptions based on syndrome differentiation theory might be a potentially viable choice for treating painful menstruation and premenstrual symptoms after ruling out endometriosis.

scholarly journals Impact of Housing Condition on Welfare and Behavior of Immunocastrated Fattening Pigs (Sus scrofa domestica)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 618
Author(s):  
Linda Steybe ◽  
Kevin Kress ◽  
Sonja Schmucker ◽  
Volker Stefanski
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Model Analysis ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Mixed Model Analysis ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Signed Rank ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Varying Environments

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the well-known positive effects of immunocastration on the behavior and welfare of pigs persist under varying environments. One hundred forty-four male pigs were studied with regard to their sex category (EM: entire males, IC: immunocastrates, BA: barrows) and housing environment (ENR: enriched, STD: standard, MIX: repeated social mixing). The vaccination of immunocastrates included two injections at the age of 12 and 22 weeks. Regardless of the housing conditions, frequencies of sexual and fighting behavior expressed by immunocastrates shifted from boar-like to barrow-like behavior after the second immunocastration vaccination (Mixed model analysis, p < 0.05). Penis biting decreased in IC after the second vaccination (Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, p = 0.036) and penile injuries were lower in IC animals compared to EM (Mixed model analysis, p < 0.001). Housing-dependent effects on behavior could also be observed in the animals at a relatively young age. Enriched housing showed a beneficial effect on play behavior (Chi-square test, p < 0.001) and the social mixing environment reduced the number of social nosing events (Mixed model analysis, p < 0.05). The positive effects of immunocastration thus are robust to all housing conditions assessed in this study.

scholarly journals Altered brain morphology in boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with and without comorbid conduct disorder/oppositional defiant disorder

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora C. Vetter ◽  
Lea L. Backhausen ◽  
Judith Buse ◽  
Veit Roessner ◽  
Michael N. Smolka
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Disorder ◽  
Oppositional Defiant Disorder ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Double Burden ◽  
Cortical Volume ◽  
Cerebellar Volume ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Patient Groups

AbstractAbout 50% of ADHD patients suffer from comorbidity with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD). Most previous studies on structural morphology did not differentiate between pure ADHD (ADHD-only) and ADHD with comorbid ODD/CD (ADHD+ODD/CD) and only focused on specific measures (e.g. volumetric differences), leading to inconsistent results. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the structural profile of ADHD-only versus ADHD+ODD/CD spanning different indices, i.e. subcortical and cortical volume, cortical thickness, and surface area. We aimed to disentangle disorder-specific etiological contributions regarding structural brain alterations and expected similar and differential alterations between the patient groups.We acquired structural images from an adolescent sample range (11 to 17 years) matched with regard to age, pubertal status, and IQ - including 36 boys with ADHD-only, 26 boys with ADHD+ODD/CD, and 30 typically developing boys (TD). We analyzed subcortical and cortical volume, cortical thickness, and surface area with FreeSurfer.We found reductions in total gray matter and right cerebellar volume as well as total surface area for both patient groups. For the left cerebellar volume ADHD+ODD/CD, but not ADHD only differed from TD. Boys with ADHD+ODD/CD had a thicker cortex than the other groups in a right rostral middle frontal cluster, which was related to stronger ODD/CD symptoms, even when controlling for ADHD symptoms. No group differences in local cortical volume or surface area emerged.Overall, we found similarities but also differences in brain morphology between the two related disorders. Patients with a “double burden” seem to be even more affected than patients with pure ADHD.

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