AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN GREY MATTER VOLUME AND CHANGES IN GAIT VARIABILITY

BackgroundChildren with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties with executive function and impulse control which may improve with age.AimsTo map the brain correlates of executive function in ADHD and determine age-related changes in reaction times and brain volumes.MethodAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and control groups were compared on the change task measures of response inhibition (stop signal reaction time, SSRT) and shifting (change response reaction time, CRRT). Voxel-wise magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlations of reaction times and grey matter volume were determined, along with bivariate correlations of reaction times, brain volumes and age.ResultsIndividuals in the ADHD group had longer SSRTs and CRRTs. Anterior cingulate, striatal and medial temporal volumes highly correlated with SSRT. Striatal and cerebellar volumes strongly correlated with CRRT. Older children had faster reaction times and larger regional brain volumes. In controls, orbitofrontal, medial temporal and cerebellar volumes correlated with CRRT but not SSRT. Neither reaction times nor regional brain volumes were strongly age-dependent.ConclusionsOur evidence supports delayed brain maturation in ADHD and implies that some features of ADHD improve with age.

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Neuroanatomical changes associated with age-related hearing loss and listening effort

10.31219/osf.io/qmv9j ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie Rosemann ◽

Christiane Thiel

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Daily Life ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Listening Effort ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Hearing Loss ◽

Hearing Abilities

Age-related hearing loss is associated with a decrease in hearing abilities for high frequencies and therefore leads to impairments in understanding speech – in particular, under adverse listening situations. Growing evidence suggests that age-related hearing loss is related to various neural changes, for instance, affecting auditory and frontal brain regions. How the decreased auditory input and the increased listening effort in daily life are associated with structural changes is less clear since previous evidence is scarce and mostly involved low sample sizes. Hence, the aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of age-related untreated hearing loss and daily life listening effort on grey matter and white matter changes in a large sample of participants (n=71). For that aim, we conducted anatomical MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in elderly hard of hearing and age-matched normal-hearing participants. Our results showed significantly lower grey matter volume in the middle frontal cortex in hard of hearing compared to normal-hearing participants. Further, higher listening effort was associated with lower grey matter volume and cortical thickness in the orbitofrontal cortex and lower grey matter volume in the inferior frontal cortex. No significant relations between hearing abilities or listening effort were obtained for white matter changes. These findings provide evidence that hearing impairment as well as daily life listening effort seem to be associated with grey matter loss in prefrontal brain regions. We further conclude that alterations in cortical thickness seem to be linked to the increased listening effort rather than the hearing loss itself.

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Neuroanatomical changes associated with age-related hearing loss and listening effort

Brain Structure and Function ◽

10.1007/s00429-020-02148-w ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 225 (9) ◽

pp. 2689-2700

Author(s):

Stephanie Rosemann ◽

Christiane M. Thiel

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Daily Life ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Listening Effort ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Hearing Loss ◽

Hearing Abilities

AbstractAge-related hearing loss is associated with a decrease in hearing abilities for high frequencies and therefore leads to impairments in understanding speech—in particular, under adverse listening conditions. Growing evidence suggests that age-related hearing loss is related to various neural changes, for instance, affecting auditory and frontal brain regions. How the decreased auditory input and the increased listening effort in daily life are associated with structural changes is less clear, since previous evidence is scarce and mostly involved low sample sizes. Hence, the aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of age-related untreated hearing loss and subjectively rated daily life listening effort on grey matter and white matter changes in a large sample of participants (n = 71). For that aim, we conducted anatomical MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in elderly hard-of-hearing and age-matched normal-hearing participants. Our results showed significantly lower grey matter volume in the middle frontal cortex in hard-of-hearing compared to normal-hearing participants. Further, higher listening effort was associated with lower grey matter volume and cortical thickness in the orbitofrontal cortex and lower grey matter volume in the inferior frontal cortex. No significant relations between hearing abilities or listening effort were obtained for white matter integrity in tracts connecting auditory and prefrontal as well as visual areas. These findings provide evidence that hearing impairment as well as daily life listening effort seems to be associated with grey matter loss in prefrontal brain regions. We further conclude that alterations in cortical thickness seem to be linked to the increased listening effort rather than the hearing loss itself.

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The relationship of symptom dimensions and grey matter volume in a transdiagnostic cohort: Results from the DFG FOR2107

10.1055/s-0039-1679161 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

F Stein ◽

G Lemmer ◽

S Schmitt ◽

K Brosch ◽

E Fischer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grey Matter ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Symptom Dimensions ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

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Age-related changes of cerebral white and grey matter structures from childhood to adulthood using voxel-based morphometry

Neuropediatrics ◽

10.1055/s-2005-867982 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 36 (02) ◽

Author(s):

S Groeschel ◽

B Vollmer ◽

A Connelly

Keyword(s):

Grey Matter ◽

Voxel Based Morphometry ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Changes

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Social cognition and brain organization in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus)

10.1093/oso/9780198728511.003.0014 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

William D. Hopkins ◽

Cheryl D. Stimpson ◽

Chet C. Sherwood

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Social Behaviour ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Species Differences ◽

Pan Paniscus ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Evolutionary Models ◽

Brain Organization ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Cognition Sociale

Bonobos and chimpanzees are two closely relates species of the genus Pan, yet they exhibit marked differences in anatomy, behaviour and cognition. For this reason, comparative studies on social behaviour, cognition and brain organization between these two species provide important insights into evolutionary models of human origins. This chapter summarizes studies on socio-communicative competencies and social cognition in chimpanzees and bonobos from the authors’ laboratory in comparison to previous reports. Additionally, recent data on species differences and similarities in brain organization in grey matter volume and distribution is presented. Some preliminary findings on microstructural brain organization such as neuropil space and cellular distribution in key neurotransmitters and neuropeptides involved in social behaviour and cognition is presented. Though these studies are in their infancy, the findings point to potentially important differences in brain organization that may underlie bonobo and chimpanzees’ differences in social behaviour, communication and cognition. Les bonobos et les chimpanzés sont deux espèces du genus Pan prochement liées, néanmoins ils montrent des différences anatomiques, comportementales et cognitives marquées. Pour cette raison, les études comparatives sur le comportement social, la cognition et l’organisation corticale entre ces deux espèces fournissent des idées sur les modèles évolutionnaires des origines humaines. Dans ce chapitre, nous résumons des études sur les compétences socio-communicatives et la cognition sociale chez les chimpanzés et les bonobos de notre laboratoire en comparaison avec des rapports précédents. En plus, nous présentons des données récentes sur les différences et similarités d’organisation corticale du volume et distribution de la matière grise entre espèces. Nous présentons plus de résultats préliminaires sur l’organisation corticale microstructurale comme l’espace neuropile et la division cellulaire dans des neurotransmetteurs clés et les neuropeptides impliqués dans le comportement social et la cognition. Bien que ces études sont dans leur enfance, les résultats montrent des différences d’organisation corticale importantes qui sont à la base des différences de comportement social, la communication et la cognition entre les bonobos et les chimpanzés.

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Modelling the cascade of biomarker changes in GRN-related frontotemporal dementia

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2020-323541 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. jnnp-2020-323541

Author(s):

Jessica L Panman ◽

Vikram Venkatraghavan ◽

Emma L van der Ende ◽

Rebecca M E Steketee ◽

Lize C Jiskoot ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Clinical Stage ◽

Data Driven ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Mutation Carriers ◽

Individual Disease

ObjectiveProgranulin-related frontotemporal dementia (FTD-GRN) is a fast progressive disease. Modelling the cascade of multimodal biomarker changes aids in understanding the aetiology of this disease and enables monitoring of individual mutation carriers. In this cross-sectional study, we estimated the temporal cascade of biomarker changes for FTD-GRN, in a data-driven way.MethodsWe included 56 presymptomatic and 35 symptomatic GRN mutation carriers, and 35 healthy non-carriers. Selected biomarkers were neurofilament light chain (NfL), grey matter volume, white matter microstructure and cognitive domains. We used discriminative event-based modelling to infer the cascade of biomarker changes in FTD-GRN and estimated individual disease severity through cross-validation. We derived the biomarker cascades in non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) and behavioural variant FTD (bvFTD) to understand the differences between these phenotypes.ResultsLanguage functioning and NfL were the earliest abnormal biomarkers in FTD-GRN. White matter tracts were affected before grey matter volume, and the left hemisphere degenerated before the right. Based on individual disease severities, presymptomatic carriers could be delineated from symptomatic carriers with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 96.1%. The estimated disease severity strongly correlated with functional severity in nfvPPA, but not in bvFTD. In addition, the biomarker cascade in bvFTD showed more uncertainty than nfvPPA.ConclusionDegeneration of axons and language deficits are indicated to be the earliest biomarkers in FTD-GRN, with bvFTD being more heterogeneous in disease progression than nfvPPA. Our data-driven model could help identify presymptomatic GRN mutation carriers at risk of conversion to the clinical stage.

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