scholarly journals Childhood Obesity, Cortical Structure, and Executive Function in Healthy Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 2519-2528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Ronan ◽  
Aaron Alexander-Bloch ◽  
Paul C Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Cortical Structure ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The development of executive function is linked to maturation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in childhood. Childhood obesity has been associated with changes in brain structure, particularly in PFC, as well as deficits in executive functions. We aimed to determine whether differences in cortical structure mediate the relationship between executive function and childhood obesity. We analyzed MR-derived measures of cortical thickness for 2700 children between the ages of 9 and 11 years, recruited as part of the NIH Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. We related our findings to measures of executive function and body mass index (BMI). In our analysis, increased BMI was associated with significantly reduced mean cortical thickness, as well as specific bilateral reduced cortical thickness in prefrontal cortical regions. This relationship remained after accounting for age, sex, race, parental education, household income, birth-weight, and in-scanner motion. Increased BMI was also associated with lower executive function. Reduced thickness in the rostral medial and superior frontal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex partially accounted for reductions in executive function. These results suggest that childhood obesity is associated with compromised executive function. This relationship may be partly explained by BMI-associated reduced cortical thickness in the PFC.

scholarly journals Preliminary comparative study of cortical thickness in HIV-infected patients with and without working memory deficit

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261208
Author(s):  
Rafael Ferracini Cabral ◽  
Diogo Goulart Corrêa ◽  
Nicolle Zimmermann ◽  
Gustavo Tukamoto ◽  
Tadeu Takao Almodovar Kubo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Memory Deficit ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Cluster 2

Purpose Changes in cerebral cortical regions occur in HIV-infected patients, even in those with mild neurocognitive disorders. Working memory / attention is one of the most affected cognitive domain in these patients, worsening their quality of life. Our objective was to assess whether cortical thickness differs between HIV-infected patients with and without working memory deficit. Methods Forty-one adult HIV-infected patients with and without working memory deficit were imaged on a 1.5 T scanner. Working memory deficit was classified by composite Z scores for performance on the Digits and Letter-Number Sequencing subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (third edition; WAIS-III). Cortical thickness was determined using FreeSurfer software. Differences in mean cortical thickness between groups, corrected for multiple comparisons using Monte-Carlo simulation, were examined using the query design estimate contrast tool of the FreeSurfer software. Results Greater cortical thickness in left pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus, and rostral and caudal portions of the left middle frontal gyrus (cluster 1; p = .004), and left superior frontal gyrus (cluster 2; p = .004) was observed in HIV-infected patients with working memory deficit compared with those without such deficit. Negative correlations were found between WAIS-III–based Z scores and cortical thickness in the two clusters (cluster 1: ρ = –0.59; cluster 2: ρ = –0.47). Conclusion HIV-infected patients with working memory deficit have regions of greater thickness in the left frontal cortices compared with those without such deficit, which may reflect increased synaptic contacts and/or an inflammatory response related to the damage caused by HIV infection.

scholarly journals Linking cortical atrophy to white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin

2020 ◽  
pp. 0271678X2097417
Author(s):  
Carola Mayer ◽  
Benedikt M Frey ◽  
Eckhard Schlemm ◽  
Marvin Petersen ◽  
Kristin Engelke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Small Vessel Disease ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Vascular Lesions ◽  
Cortical Atrophy ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
The Relationship

We examined the relationship between white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and cortical neurodegeneration in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) by investigating whether cortical thickness is a remote effect of WMH through structural fiber tract connectivity in a population at increased risk of CSVD. We measured cortical thickness on T1-weighted images and segmented WMH on FLAIR images in 930 participants of a population-based cohort study at baseline. DWI-derived whole-brain probabilistic tractography was used to define WMH connectivity to cortical regions. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to analyze the relationship between cortical thickness and connectivity to WMH. Factors associated with cortical thickness (age, sex, hemisphere, region, individual differences in cortical thickness) were added as covariates. Median age was 64 [IQR 46–76] years. Visual inspection of surface maps revealed distinct connectivity patterns of cortical regions to WMH. WMH connectivity to the cortex was associated with reduced cortical thickness ( p = 0.009) after controlling for covariates. This association was found for periventricular WMH ( p = 0.001) only. Our results indicate an association between WMH and cortical thickness via connecting fiber tracts. The results imply a mechanism of secondary neurodegeneration in cortical regions distant, yet connected to subcortical vascular lesions, which appears to be driven by periventricular WMH.

scholarly journals Cortical Structure and Cognition in Infants and Toddlers

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 786-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica B Girault ◽  
Emil Cornea ◽  
Barbara D Goldman ◽  
Shaili C Jha ◽  
Veronica A Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
General Cognitive Ability ◽  
Infants And Toddlers ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Cortical Structure ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Visual Reception

ABSTRACTCortical structure has been consistently related to cognitive abilities in children and adults, yet we know little about how the cortex develops to support emergent cognition in infancy and toddlerhood when cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) are maturing rapidly. In this report, we assessed how regional and global measures of CT and SA in a sample (N = 487) of healthy neonates, 1-year-olds, and 2-year-olds related to motor, language, visual reception, and general cognitive ability. We report novel findings that thicker cortices at ages 1 and 2 and larger SA at birth, age 1, and age 2 confer a cognitive advantage in infancy and toddlerhood. While several expected brain–cognition relationships were observed, overlapping cortical regions were also implicated across cognitive domains, suggesting that infancy marks a period of plasticity and refinement in cortical structure to support burgeoning motor, language, and cognitive abilities. CT may be a particularly important morphological indicator of ability, but its impact on cognition is relatively weak when compared with gestational age and maternal education. Findings suggest that prenatal and early postnatal cortical developments are important for cognition in infants and toddlers but should be considered in relation to other child and demographic factors.

scholarly journals Structural Relationships among Household Chaos, Maternal Negative Parenting, Child Executive Function, and Child Aggression

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 777-790
Author(s):  
Jeong Min Lee ◽  
Sunhee Kim
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Child Aggression ◽  
Negative Parenting ◽  
Household Chaos ◽  
Structural Relationships ◽  
The Relationship

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the structural relationships among household chaos, maternal negative parenting behavior, child execution function, and child aggression; further, it demonstrates the mediating effects of maternal negative parenting and child execution function on the relationship between household chaos and child aggression.Methods: The participants comprised 206 children, aged between 3 and 5, and their mothers. This study observed Cronbach’ α and the descriptive statistics and performed frequency analysis, one-way random analysis, and partial correlation analysis via SPSS 20.0 program. The bootstrapping method was used to examine the mediating effect while the structural equation model analysis was performed using AMOS 22.0.Results: First, child aggression was positively associated with household chaos, mother’s intrusiveness, coercion, and neglect parenting but negatively associated with child inhibition, transition, working memory, and satisfaction delay tasks. Second, maternal negative parenting and child executive function were shown to mediate sequentially in the relationship between household chaos and child aggression. It was also found that maternal negative parenting and child executive function were partially mediated in the relationship between household chaos and child aggression.Conclusion: The data suggest the importance of mediating the effects of maternal negative parenting and child executive function on the relationship between household chaos and child aggression. These findings could highlight the significance of child executive function for the development of aggression and provide the basic data for the program to help those children who show aggressive behaviors in their early childhood educational institutions along with the evidence of parental education programs.

scholarly journals Anxious/Depressed Symptoms are Linked to Right Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortical Thickness Maturation in Healthy Children and Young Adults

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2941-2950 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ducharme ◽  
M. D. Albaugh ◽  
J. J. Hudziak ◽  
K. N. Botteron ◽  
T.-V. Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Children And Young Adults ◽  
Depressed Symptoms

scholarly journals Severity of Anxiety During COVID-19 Outbreak and Its Relationship with self-related skills of Executive Functions in Children

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
sakineh soltani ◽  
maryam bordbar ◽  
Somayeh Zarenejhad ◽  
Seyedeh Manizheh arabi
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Situational Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background: Some children experience a greater deal of anxiety during the outbreak of COVID-19. Behavioral dimensions of executive function appear to be linked to situational anxiety experience. Therefore, the primary aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between self-related skills of executive functions before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the level of physical and mental anxiety in children during this pandemic. Also, the secondary goal of this study is to predict the level of anxiety based on self-related skills of executive functions. Methods: Information were obtained from Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS), which was collected from 300 healthy children over two months before the COVID-19 outbreak. The children anxiety was measured based on parent’s reposes to an online anxiety scale when the disease outbreak. Results: The results showed that the total score of self-related skills of executive functions was negatively and significantly related to the anxiety level (r =- .53). In general, the results also demonstrated that self-related skills of executive functions can predict 28% of anxiety. The subscales of self-management (p<0.015, t= 5.56), self-regulation (p<0.011, t= 6.37), self-restraint (p<0.035, t = 4.29) and emotional self-organization (p <0.042, p=0.222) predicted coronavirus anxiety, except self-motivation (p<0.05, p = 0.894). Conclusions: Given that most subscales of executive function predict anxiety tied to critical situations such as the prevalence of coronavirus, it seems that greater attentions should be allocated to the fostering and development of children's executive functions by teaching such skills via playing.

Executive function deficit in betel-quid-dependent chewers: Mediating role of prefrontal cortical thickness

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1362-1368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueling Zhu ◽  
Shaohui Liu ◽  
Weihua Liao ◽  
Lingyu Kong ◽  
Canhua Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Betel Quid ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Betel Quid Chewing ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Brain Structure And Function

Background: Betel quid is the fourth most popular psychoactive agent worldwide. Neuroimaging studies have suggested betel-quid dependence is accompanied by abnormality in brain structure and function. However, the neural correlates of executive function deficit and prefrontal cortical thickness associated with betel-quid chewing still remain unclear. Objective: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between executive function deficit and prefrontal cortical thickness in chronic betel-quid chewers. Methods: Twenty-three betel-quid-dependent chewers and 26 healthy controls were recruited to participate in this study. Executive function was tested using three tasks. Cortical thickness analysis was analyzed with the FreeSurfer software package. Results: Behavioral results suggested a profound deficit of executive function in betel-quid-dependent chewers. Cortical thickness analysis revealed thinner cortex in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in betel-quid-dependent chewers. Further analysis suggested that cortical thickness of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex mediated the correlation of betel-quid chewing and executive function. Conclusions: These results suggest the important role of executive function and cortical thickness of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with betel-quid chewing. Our findings provide evidence that executive function deficit may be mediated by the cortical thickness of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results could potentially help us develop novel ways to diagnose and prevent betel-quid dependence.

scholarly journals Combined effects of age and BMI are related to altered cortical thickness in adolescence and adulthood

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Westwater ◽  
Raquel Vilar-López ◽  
Hisham Ziauddeen ◽  
Antonio Verdejo-García ◽  
Paul C. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Adolescents And Adults ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractOverweight and obesity are associated with functional and structural alterations in the brain, but how these associations change across critical developmental periods remains unknown. Here, we examined the relationship between age, body mass index (BMI) and cortical thickness (CT) in healthy adolescents (n=70; 14 – 19 y) and adults (n=75; 25 – 45 y). We also examined the relationship between adiposity, impulsivity, measured by delay discounting (DD), and CT of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), a region key to impulse control. A significant age-by-BMI interaction was observed in both adolescents and adults; however, the direction of this relationship differed between age groups. In adolescents, increased age-adjusted BMI Z-score attenuated age-related thinning globally and in the right superior frontal gyrus. In adults, increased BMI augmented age-related CT reductions, both globally and in bilateral parietal cortex. Although DD was unrelated to adiposity in both groups, increased DD and BMI were both associated with reduced IFG thickness in adults. Our findings suggest that the known age-related changes in CT in adolescence and adulthood are altered by adiposity. The impact of weight on cortical development and its functional implications would suggest that future studies of adolescent and adult brain development take adiposity into account.

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