scholarly journals Genetic Contributions to the Midsagittal Area of the Corpus Callosum

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley A. Phillips ◽  
Jeffrey Rogers ◽  
Elizabeth A. Barrett ◽  
David C. Glahn ◽  
Peter Kochunov
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
High Heritability ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Function ◽  
Genetic Contributions

The degree to which genes and environment determine variations in brain structure and function is fundamentally important to understanding normal and disease-related patterns of neural organization and activity. We studied genetic contributions to the midsagittal area of the corpus callosum (CC) in pedigreed baboons (68 males, 112 females) to replicate findings of high genetic contribution to that area of the CC reported in humans, and to determine if the heritability of the CC midsagittal area in adults was modulated by fetal development rate. Measurements of callosal area were obtained from high-resolution MRI scans. Heritability was estimated from pedigree-based maximum likelihood estimation of genetic and non-genetic variance components as implemented in Sequential Oligogenic Linkage Analysis Routines (SOLAR). Our analyses revealed significant heritability for the total area of the CC and all of its subdivisions, with h2 = .46 for the total CC, and h2 = .54, .37, .62, .56, and .29 for genu, anterior midbody, medial midbody, posterior midbody and splenium, respectively. Genetic correlation analysis demonstrated that the individual subdivisions shared between 41% and 98% of genetic variability. Combined with previous research reporting high heritability of other brain structures in baboons, these results reveal a consistent pattern of high heritability for brain morphometric measures in baboons.

scholarly journals A transfer-learning approach for first-year developmental infant brain segmentation using deep neural networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Wang ◽  
Fateme Sadat Haghpanah ◽  
Natalie Aw ◽  
Andrew Laine ◽  
Jonathan Posner
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Brain Segmentation ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Infant Brain ◽  
And Function ◽  
Hippocampus Segmentation

AbstractThe months between birth and age 2 are increasingly recognized as a period critical for neuro-development, with potentially life-long implications for cognitive functioning. However, little is known about the growth trajectories of brain structure and function across this time period. This is in large part because of insufficient approaches to analyze infant MRI scans at different months, especially brain segmentation. Addressing technical gaps in infant brain segmentation would significantly improve our capacity to efficiently measure and identify relevant infant brain structures and connectivity, and their role in long-term development. In this paper, we propose a transfer-learning approach based on convolutional neural network (CNN)-based image segmentation architecture, QuickNAT, to segment brain structures for newborns and 6-month infants separately. We pre-trained QuickNAT on auxiliary labels from a large-scale dataset, fine-tuned on manual labels, and then cross-validated the model’s performance on two separate datasets. Compared to other commonly used methods, our transfer-learning approach showed superior segmentation performance on both newborns and 6-month infants. Moreover, we demonstrated improved hippocampus segmentation performance via our approach in preterm infants.

Sex Steroids and Human Behavior: Implications for Developmental Psychopathology

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerianne M. Alexander ◽  
Bradley S. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Sex Steroids ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Postnatal Life ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Atypical Development ◽  
And Function

AbstractIn a variety of mammalian species, prenatal androgens organize brain structures and functions that are later activated by steroid hormones in postnatal life. In humans, studies of individuals with typical and atypical development suggest that sex differences in reproductive and nonreproductive behavior derive in part from similar prenatal and postnatal steroid effects on brain development. This paper provides a summary of research investigating hormonal influences on human behavior and describes how sex differences in the prevalences and natural histories of developmental psychopathologies may be consistent with these steroid effects. An association between patterns of sexual differentiation and specific forms of psychopathology suggests novel avenues for assessing the effects of sex steroids on brain structure and function, which may in turn improve our understanding of typical and atypical development in women and men.

Genealogy of the Cerebral Subject

Being Brains ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Vidal ◽  
Francisco Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Cerebral Subject ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Function ◽  
Cerebral Self ◽  
The Brain

The first chapter proposes to trace the distant roots of the cerebral subject to the late seventeenth century, and particularly to debates about the seat of the soul, the corpuscularian theory of matter, and John Locke’s philosophy of personal identity. In the wake of Locke, eighteenth century authors began to assert that the brain is the only part of the body we need to be ourselves. In the nineteenth century, this form of deterministic essentialism contributed to motivate research into brain structure and function, and in turn confirmed the brain-personhood nexus. Since then, from phrenology to functional neuroimaging, neuroscientific knowledge and representations have constituted a powerful support for prescriptive outlooks on the individual and society. “Neuroascesis,” as we call the business that sells programs of cerebral self-discipline, is a case in point, which this chapter also examines. It appeals to the brain and neuroscience as bases for its self-help recipes to enhance memory and reasoning, fight depression, anxiety and compulsions, improve sexual performance, achieve happiness, and even establish a direct contact with God. Yet underneath the neuro surface lie beliefs and even concrete instructions that can be traced to nineteenth-century hygiene manuals.

scholarly journals Can exercise make our children smarter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nenad Stojiljković ◽  
Petar Mitić ◽  
Goran Sporiš
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Purpose. The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of exercise on the brain structure and function in children, and to analyze methodological approach applied in the researches of this topic. Methods. This literature review provides an overview of important findings in this fast growing research domain. Results from cross-sectional, longitudinal, and interventional studies of the influence of exercise on the brain structure and function of healthy children are reviewed and discussed. Results. The majority of researches are done as cross sectional studies based on the exploring correlation between the level of physical activity and characteristics of brain structure and function. Results of the studies indicate that exercise has positive correlation with improved cognition and beneficial changes to brain function in children. Physically active children have greater white matter integrity in several white matter tracts (corpus callosum, corona radiata, and superior longitudinal fasciculus), have greater volume of gray matter in the hippocampus and basal ganglia than their physically inactive counterparts. The longitudinal/interventional studies also showed that exercise (mainly aerobic) improve cognitive performance of children and causes changes observed on functional magnetic resonance imaging scans (fMRI) located in prefrontal and parietal regions. Conclusion. Previous researches undoubtable proved that exercise can make positive changes of the brain structures in children, specifically the volume of the hippocampus which is the center of learning and memory. Finally the researchers agree that the most influential type of exercise on changes of brain structure and functions are the aerobic exercises. 

scholarly journals Handedness and corpus callosal morphology in Williams syndrome

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilee A. Martens ◽  
Sarah J. Wilson ◽  
Jian Chen ◽  
Amanda G. Wood ◽  
David C. Reutens
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Genetic Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Lim Kinase ◽  
Left Handed ◽  
Hemizygous Deletion ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function

AbstractWilliams syndrome is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder caused by a hemizygous deletion on chromosome 7q11.23, resulting in atypical brain structure and function, including abnormal morphology of the corpus callosum. An influence of handedness on the size of the corpus callosum has been observed in studies of typical individuals, but handedness has not been taken into account in studies of callosal morphology in Williams syndrome. We hypothesized that callosal area is smaller and the size of the splenium and isthmus is reduced in individuals with Williams syndrome compared to healthy controls, and examined age, sex, and handedness effects on corpus callosal area. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained on 25 individuals with Williams syndrome (18 right-handed, 7 left-handed) and 25 matched controls. We found that callosal thickness was significantly reduced in the splenium of Williams syndrome individuals compared to controls. We also found novel evidence that the callosal area was smaller in left-handed participants with Williams syndrome than their right-handed counterparts, with opposite findings observed in the control group. This novel finding may be associated with LIM-kinase hemizygosity, a characteristic of Williams syndrome. The findings may have significant clinical implications in future explorations of the Williams syndrome cognitive phenotype.

scholarly journals Genetic influences on brain activation and large-scale functional connectivity during nociceptive processing: a twin study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Granit Kastrati ◽  
Jorgen Rosen ◽  
William Hedley Thompson ◽  
Xu Chen ◽  
Henrik Larsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Midcingulate Cortex ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Nociceptive Processing ◽  
Genetic Contributions

Nociceptive processing in the human brain is a signal that enables harm avoidance, with large interindividual variance. The relative contributions of genes and environment to the neural structures that support nociception have not been studied in twins previously. Here, we employed a classic twin-design to determine brain structures influenced by additive genetics. We found genetic influences on nociceptive processing in the midcingulate cortex, bilateral posterior insulae and thalamus. In addition to brain activations, we found genetic contributions to large-scale functional connectivity during nociceptive processing. We conclude that additive genetics influence specific aspects of nociceptive processing, which improves our understanding of human nociceptive processing.

scholarly journals Desikan-Killiany-Tourville Atlas Compatible Version of M-CRIB Neonatal Parcellated Whole Brain Atlas: The M-CRIB 2.0

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Alexander ◽  
Wai Yen Loh ◽  
Lillian G. Matthews ◽  
Andrea L. Murray ◽  
Chris Adamson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Atlas ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Postmenstrual Age ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
And Function ◽  
Ventral Diencephalon

AbstractOur recently published M-CRIB atlas comprises 100 neonatal brain regions including 68 compatible with the widely-used Desikan-Killiany adult cortical atlas. A successor to the Desikan-Killiany atlas is the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville atlas, in which some regions with unclear boundaries were removed, and many existing boundaries were revised to conform to clearer landmarks in sulcal fundi. Our first aim here was to modify cortical M-CRIB regions to comply with the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville protocol, in order to offer: a) compatibility with this adult cortical atlas, b) greater labelling accuracy due to clearer landmarks, and c) optimisation of cortical regions for integration with surface-based infant parcellation pipelines. Secondly, we aimed to update subcortical regions in order to offer greater compatibility with subcortical segmentations produced in FreeSurfer. Data utilized were the T2-weighted MRI scans in our M-CRIB atlas, for ten healthy neonates (postmenstrual age at MRI 40-43 weeks, 4 female), and corresponding parcellated images. Edits were performed on the parcellated images in volume space using ITK-SNAP. Cortical updates included deletion of frontal and temporal poles and ‘Banks STS’, and modification of boundaries of many other regions. Changes to subcortical regions included the addition of ‘ventral diencephalon’, and deletion of ‘subcortical matter’ labels. A detailed updated parcellation protocol was produced. The resulting whole-brain M-CRIB 2.0 atlas comprises 94 regions altogether. This atlas provides comparability with adult Desikan-Killiany-Tourville-labelled cortical data and FreeSurfer-labelled subcortical data, and is more readily adaptable for incorporation into surface-based neonatal parcellation pipelines. As such, it offers the ability to help facilitate a broad range of investigations into brain structure and function both at the neonatal time point and developmentally across the lifespan.

scholarly journals Beyond Bilingualism: multilingual experience correlates with caudate volume

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Hervais-Adelman ◽  
Natalia Egorova ◽  
Narly Golestani
Keyword(s):  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Language Management ◽  
Caudate Nuclei ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Left Caudate ◽  
Language Control ◽  
And Function

AbstractThe multilingual brain implements mechanisms that serve to select the appropriate language as a function of the communicative environment. Engaging these mechanisms on a regular basis appears to have consequences for brain structure and function. Studies have implicated the caudate nuclei as important nodes in polyglot language control processes, and have also shown structural differences in the caudate nuclei in bilingual compared to monolingual populations. However, the majority of published work has focused on the categorical differences between monolingual and bilingual individuals, and little is known about whether these findings extend to multilingual individuals, who have even greater language control demands. In the present paper, we present an analysis of the volume and morphology of the caudate nuclei, putamen, pallidum and thalami in 75 multilingual individuals who speak three or more languages. Volumetric analyses revealed a significant relationship between multilingual experience and right caudate volume, as well as a marginally-significant relationship with left caudate volume. Vertex-wise analyses revealed a significant enlargement of dorsal and anterior portions of the left caudate nucleus, known to have connectivity with executive brain regions, as a function of multilingual expertise. These results suggest that multilingual expertise might exercise a continuous impact on brain structure, and that as additional languages beyond a second are acquired, the additional demands for linguistic and cognitive control result in modifications to brain structures associated with language management processes.

scholarly journals The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maddalena Boccia ◽  
Laura Piccardi ◽  
Paola Guariglia
Keyword(s):  
Brain Structure ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Meditation Practice ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function

Over the past decade mind and body practices, such as yoga and meditation, have raised interest in different scientific fields; in particular, the physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects observed in meditators have been investigated. Neuroimaging studies have studied the effects of meditation on brain structure and function and findings have helped clarify the biological underpinnings of the positive effects of meditation practice and the possible integration of this technique in standard therapy. The large amount of data collected thus far allows drawing some conclusions about the neural effects of meditation practice. In the present study we used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis to make a coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging data on the effects of meditation on brain structure and function. Results indicate that meditation leads to activation in brain areas involved in processing self-relevant information, self-regulation, focused problem-solving, adaptive behavior, and interoception. Results also show that meditation practice induces functional and structural brain modifications in expert meditators, especially in areas involved in self-referential processes such as self-awareness and self-regulation. These results demonstrate that a biological substrate underlies the positive pervasive effect of meditation practice and suggest that meditation techniques could be adopted in clinical populations and to prevent disease.

scholarly journals Shifting gradients of macroscale cortical organization mark the transition from childhood to adolescence

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (28) ◽  
pp. e2024448118
Author(s):  
Hao-Ming Dong ◽  
Daniel S. Margulies ◽  
Xi-Nian Zuo ◽  
Avram J. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Cortical Organization ◽  
Functional Maturation ◽  
Topographical Organization ◽  
Social Abilities ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Cortical Association Areas ◽  
And Function

The transition from childhood to adolescence is marked by pronounced shifts in brain structure and function that coincide with the development of physical, cognitive, and social abilities. Prior work in adult populations has characterized the topographical organization of the cortex, revealing macroscale functional gradients that extend from unimodal (somatosensory/motor and visual) regions through the cortical association areas that underpin complex cognition in humans. However, the presence of these core functional gradients across development as well as their maturational course have yet to be established. Here, leveraging 378 resting-state functional MRI scans from 190 healthy individuals aged 6 to 17 y old, we demonstrate that the transition from childhood to adolescence is reflected in the gradual maturation of gradient patterns across the cortical sheet. In children, the overarching organizational gradient is anchored within the unimodal cortex, between somatosensory/motor and visual territories. Conversely, in adolescence, the principal gradient of connectivity transitions into an adult-like spatial framework, with the default network at the opposite end of a spectrum from primary sensory and motor regions. The observed gradient transitions are gradually refined with age, reaching a sharp inflection point in 13 and 14 y olds. Functional maturation was nonuniformly distributed across cortical networks. Unimodal networks reached their mature positions early in development, while association regions, in particular the medial prefrontal cortex, reached a later peak during adolescence. These data reveal age-dependent changes in the macroscale organization of the cortex and suggest the scheduled maturation of functional gradient patterns may be critically important for understanding how cognitive and behavioral capabilities are refined across development.

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