scholarly journals S159. SUBCORTICAL GRAY MATTER VOLUME IS ASSOCIATED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AND WITH BOTH ITS FAMILIAL AND CLINICAL RISK

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S96-S97
Author(s):  
Roberta Passiatore ◽  
Linda A Antonucci ◽  
Leonardo Fazio ◽  
Barbara Gelao ◽  
Andrea Falsetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Familial Risk ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Clinical Risk

Abstract Background Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) show lower volumetric estimates of gray matter (GM) than healthy controls (HC). Similar results have been reported in healthy siblings of patients (SIB). However, it is unclear whether this phenotype is also present in individuals at clinical high-risk (CHR), characterized by sub-threshold symptoms and loss of functioning. We hypothesized that GM volumetric differences are associated with both familial and clinical risk for schizophrenia Methods We processed the T1-weighted MRI scans acquired at 3 Tesla of 544 HC, 63 SIB, 20 CHR and 120 SCZ using CAT12. We used ANCOVA to assess group differences (HC vs. CHR vs. SIB vs. SCZ), with linear and quadratic age, gender and total intracranial volume as nuisance covariates. We assessed the reproducibility of our case/control findings in an independent sample of 127 HC and 36 SCZ. Group differences were tested post hoc through Fisher’s test. Results We found significant group effects in the bilateral thalamus, bilateral hippocampus and anterior cingulate (FWE<0.05). Specifically, SCZ presented the lowest GM volume in these regions compared to the other three groups, with SIB and CHR’s GM estimates intermediate between HC and SCZ (p<0.05). The associations with schizophrenia were replicated in the independent validation sample. Discussion Individuals with familial or clinical risk for schizophrenia have lower GM estimates in the same brain regions. These findings, suggest that these structural features are not only associated with familial risk for schizophrenia but that they are also associated with its sub-threshold symptoms.

scholarly journals Reduced gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex and thalamus as a function of mild depressive symptoms: a voxel-based morphometric analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (13) ◽  
pp. 2833-2843 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Webb ◽  
M. Weber ◽  
E. A. Mundy ◽  
W. D. S. Killgore
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Dimensional Approach ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Conjunction Analysis

BackgroundStudies investigating structural brain abnormalities in depression have typically employed a categorical rather than dimensional approach to depression [i.e. comparing subjects with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-defined major depressive disorder (MDD)v. healthy controls]. The National Institute of Mental Health, through their Research Domain Criteria initiative, has encouraged a dimensional approach to the study of psychopathology as opposed to an over-reliance on categorical (e.g. DSM-based) diagnostic approaches. Moreover, subthreshold levels of depressive symptoms (i.e. severity levels below DSM criteria) have been found to be associated with a range of negative outcomes, yet have been relatively neglected in neuroimaging research.MethodTo examine the extent to which depressive symptoms – even at subclinical levels – are linearly related to gray matter volume reductions in theoretically important brain regions, we employed whole-brain voxel-based morphometry in a sample of 54 participants.ResultsThe severity of mild depressive symptoms, even in a subclinical population, was associated with reduced gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, thalamus, superior temporal gyrus/temporal pole and superior frontal gyrus. A conjunction analysis revealed concordance across two separate measures of depression.ConclusionsReduced gray matter volume in theoretically important brain regions can be observed even in a sample that does not meet DSM criteria for MDD, but who nevertheless report relatively elevated levels of depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings highlight the need for additional research using dimensional conceptual and analytic approaches, as well as further investigation of subclinical populations.

scholarly journals Cholinergic circuit genes in the healthy brain are differentially expressed in regions that exhibit gray matter loss in Parkinson’s disease

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlin Keo ◽  
Oleh Dzyubachyk ◽  
Jeroen van der Grond ◽  
Anne Hafkemeijer ◽  
Wilma D.J. van de Berg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Clinical Events ◽  
Gray Matter Loss

AbstractStructural covariance networks are able to identify functionally organized brain regions by gray matter volume covariance. In Parkinson’s disease, the posterior cingulate network and anterior cingulate network showed decreased gray matter and therefore we examined the underlying molecular processes of these anatomical networks in the healthy brain. Whole brain transcriptomics from post-mortem samples from healthy adults, revealed upregulation of genes associated with serotonin, GPCR, GABA, glutamate, and RAS signaling pathways in these PD-related regions. Our results also suggest involvement of the cholinergic circuit, in which genes NPPA, SOSTDC1, and TYRP1 may play a protective role. Furthermore, both networks were associated with memory and neuropsychiatric disorders that overlap with Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The identified genes and pathways contribute to healthy functions of the posterior and anterior cingulate networks and disruptions to these functions may in turn contribute to the pathological and clinical events observed in Parkinson’s disease.

scholarly journals Brain structural correlates of upward social mobility in ethnic minority individuals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina I. Schweiger ◽  
Necip Capraz ◽  
Ceren Akdeniz ◽  
Urs Braun ◽  
Tracie Ebalu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Upward Social Mobility

Abstract Purpose Perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC) is a neural convergence site for social stress-related risk factors for mental health, including ethnic minority status. Current social status, a strong predictor of mental and somatic health, has been related to gray matter volume in this region, but the effects of social mobility over the lifespan are unknown and may differ in minorities. Recent studies suggest a diminished health return of upward social mobility for ethnic minority individuals, potentially due to sustained stress-associated experiences and subsequent activation of the neural stress response system. Methods To address this issue, we studied an ethnic minority sample with strong upward social mobility. In a cross-sectional design, we examined 64 young adult native German and 76 ethnic minority individuals with comparable sociodemographic attributes using whole-brain structural magnetic resonance imaging. Results Results showed a significant group-dependent interaction between perceived upward social mobility and pACC gray matter volume, with a significant negative association in the ethnic minority individuals. Post-hoc analysis showed a significant mediation of the relationship between perceived upward social mobility and pACC volume by perceived chronic stress, a variable that was significantly correlated with perceived discrimination in our ethnic minority group. Conclusion Our findings extend prior work by pointing to a biological signature of the “allostatic costs” of socioeconomic attainment in socially disadvantaged upwardly mobile individuals in a key neural node implicated in the regulation of stress and negative affect.

scholarly journals 0305 Grey Matter Volumetric Differences are Predictive of Attentional Lapses During Sleep Deprivation

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A115-A115
Author(s):  
J R Vanuk ◽  
A C Raikes ◽  
N S Dailey ◽  
M A Grandner ◽  
W D Killgore
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Sleep Loss ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Attentional Lapses

Abstract Introduction Inter-individual differences in resistance to cognitive effects of sleep loss are well established and extend from basic vigilance capacities to more nuanced emotional processing. Neurobiological markers related to gray matter volumetric differences associated with resilience to sleep deprivation (SD) have yet to be explored. We collected anatomical magnetic resonance imaging on well-rested healthy adults and correlated gray matter volume (GMV) with the number of lapses on a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) subsequently occurring over 29-hours of SD. Methods 45 individuals (23 males; mean age: 25.36 ± 5.62y) completed a baseline neuroimaging session while well-rested and returned 2-4 days later to complete 29h of SD. The PVT was administered at one-hour intervals across SD. High-resolution T1 structural scans were used for a volume-based morphometric analysis (CAT12). Images were segmented and normalized following automated procedures and smoothed at 8 mm FWHM. Regions of interest were constrained to the anterior cingulate and ventral frontal areas of the cortex. GM volume was correlated with the total number of lapses across all PVT administrations, after controlling for age, sex, and total intracranial volume. Results Total number of lapses positively correlated with GMV in two clusters comprised of areas in the anterior cingulate cortex (FWE corrected, p = 0.046), as well as the opercular and triangular parts of the inferior frontal gyrus (FWE corrected, p = 0.006). Conclusion Susceptibility to attentional lapses was predicted by greater gray matter volume in the ventrolateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. Current findings support that individual differences in attentional resiliency during SD may be, in part, due to differences in gray matter volume within cortical areas previously shown to be functionally affected by sleep loss. Support DARPA (12-12-11-YFA11-FP-029)

scholarly journals Gray matter volume differences in impulse control and addictive disorders

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Draps ◽  
Guillaume Sescousse ◽  
Marc N. Potenza ◽  
Artur ◽  
Agnieszka Duda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gray Matter ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Impulse Control ◽  
Specific Impulse ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Impulse Control Disorders ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Addictive Disorders ◽  
Gray Matter Volumes

BACKGROUNDS: The concepts of addictions and impulse control disorders are changing as reflected in the 11thversion of International Classification of Disorders (ICD-11, WHO, 2018). However, studies focusing on direct comparison of structural brain differences in behavioral and substance addictions are limited.AIM: Here we contrast gray matter volumes (GMVs) across groups of individuals with compulsive sexual behaviordisorder (CSBD), gambling disorder (GD), and alcohol use disorder (AUD) with those with none of these disorders(healthy controls participants; HCs).METHODS: Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was employed to study brain structure and severities of addictions symptoms were assessed with questionnaires. To identify brain regions related to severities of addictions,correlations between questionnaires scores and GMVs were computed.MAIN OUTCOME: We collected MRI (GMVs) data from 26 CSBD patients, 26 GD patients, 21 AUD patients and25 HC participants (all heterosexual males; age: 24-60; M = 34.5, SD = 6.48).RESULTS: Affected individuals (CSBD, GD, AUD) compared to HC participants showed smaller GMVs in the leftfrontal pole, specifically in the orbitofrontal cortex. The most pronounced differences were observed in the GD andAUD groups, and the least in the CSBD group. There was a negative correlation between GMVs and disorderseverity in the CSBD group. Higher severity of CSBD symptoms was correlated with decreased GMV in the rightanterior cingulate gyrus.CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Our findings suggest similarities between specific impulse control disorders andaddictions.STRENGHS AND LIMITIATIONS:This study is the first showing smaller GMVs in 3 clinical groups of CSBD, GD and AUD. But the study was limitedonly to heterosexual men. Longitudinal studies should examine the extent to which ventral prefrontal decrements in volume may represent preexisting vulnerability factors or whether they may develop with disorder progression.CONCLUSIONS: Our research extends prior findings in substance use disorders of lower GMV in prefrontalcortical volumes among 3 clinical groups of patients with specific impulse control and behavioral and substanceaddictive disorders. The negative correlation between GMVs and CSBD symptoms and right anterior cingulate gyrus suggests a link with clinical symptomatology.

scholarly journals Gray-Matter Expansion of Social Brain Networks in Individuals High in Public Self-Consciousness

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 374
Author(s):  
Tomoyo Morita ◽  
Minoru Asada ◽  
Eiichi Naito
Keyword(s):  
Gray Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Japanese Version ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Self ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Public Self Consciousness

Self-consciousness is a personality trait associated with an individual’s concern regarding observable (public) and unobservable (private) aspects of self. Prompted by previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, we examined possible gray-matter expansions in emotion-related and default mode networks in individuals with higher public or private self-consciousness. One hundred healthy young adults answered the Japanese version of the Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS) questionnaire and underwent structural MRI. A voxel-based morphometry analysis revealed that individuals scoring higher on the public SCS showed expansions of gray matter in the emotion-related regions of the cingulate and insular cortices and in the default mode network of the precuneus and medial prefrontal cortex. In addition, these gray-matter expansions were particularly related to the trait of “concern about being evaluated by others”, which was one of the subfactors constituting public self-consciousness. Conversely, no relationship was observed between gray-matter volume in any brain regions and the private SCS scores. This is the first study showing that the personal trait of concern regarding public aspects of the self may cause long-term substantial structural changes in social brain networks.

Sleep Duration, Sleep Apnea, and Gray Matter Volume

2021 ◽  
pp. 089198872098891
Author(s):  
Regina Eun Young Kim ◽  
Robert Douglas Abbott ◽  
Soriul Kim ◽  
Robert Joseph Thomas ◽  
Chang-Ho Yun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Bootstrap Sampling ◽  
Matter Volume

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sleep duration on brain structures in the presence versus absence of sleep apnea in middle-aged and older individuals. The study investigated a population-based sample of 2,560 individuals, aged 49-80 years. The presence of sleep apnea and self-reported sleep duration were examined in relation to gray matter volume (GMV) in total and lobar brain regions. We identified ranges of sleep duration associated with maximal GMV using quadratic regression and bootstrap sampling. A significant quadratic association between sleep duration and GMV was observed in total and lobar brain regions of men with sleep apnea. In the fully adjusted model, optimal sleep durations associated with peak GMV between brain regions ranged from 6.7 to 7.0 hours. Shorter and longer sleep durations were associated with lower GMV in total and 4 sub-regions of the brain in men with sleep apnea.

scholarly journals SLC25A24 gene methylation and gray matter volume in females with and without conduct disorder: an exploratory epigenetic neuroimaging study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Farrow ◽  
Andreas G. Chiocchetti ◽  
Jack C. Rogers ◽  
Ruth Pauli ◽  
Nora M. Raschle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Conduct Disorder ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Chromosome 1 ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

AbstractConduct disorder (CD), a psychiatric disorder characterized by a repetitive pattern of antisocial behaviors, results from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The clinical presentation of CD varies both according to the individual’s sex and level of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, but it remains unclear how genetic and environmental factors interact at the molecular level to produce these differences. Emerging evidence in males implicates methylation of genes associated with socio-affective processes. Here, we combined an epigenome-wide association study with structural neuroimaging in 51 females with CD and 59 typically developing (TD) females to examine DNA methylation in relation to CD, CU traits, and gray matter volume (GMV). We demonstrate an inverse pattern of correlation between CU traits and methylation of a chromosome 1 region in CD females (positive) as compared to TD females (negative). The identified region spans exon 1 of the SLC25A24 gene, central to energy metabolism due to its role in mitochondrial function. Increased SLC25A24 methylation was also related to lower GMV in multiple brain regions in the overall cohort. These included the superior frontal gyrus, prefrontal cortex, and supramarginal gyrus, secondary visual cortex and ventral posterior cingulate cortex, which are regions that have previously been implicated in CD and CU traits. While our findings are preliminary and need to be replicated in larger samples, they provide novel evidence that CU traits in females are associated with methylation levels in a fundamentally different way in CD and TD, which in turn may relate to observable variations in GMV across the brain.

scholarly journals Stress-induced anatomical changes in white and gray matter: a review of literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (06) ◽  
pp. 6400-2020
Author(s):  
IWONA ŁUSZCZEWSKA-SIERAKOWSKA ◽  
KAMIL JONAK
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Total Brain Volume ◽  
Extreme Stress ◽  
Mri Morphometry ◽  
The Right

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric abnormality caused by a drastic traumatic event or extreme stress, that exceeds the capability to adapt. There are many papers reporting anatomical brain changes induced by trauma and extreme stress, not only in white matter but in gray matter as well. Extreme stress and trauma are connected with elevation of cortisol level, which may cause damage to the hippocampus and may interfere with the anatomy of the hippocampus as well as its microstructure and cell number. Stress may inhibit the hippocampal neuroregeneration as well as hippocampal neurogenesis and even induce neuronal death within the hippocampus. Diffusor tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful method enabling the visualization of the microstructure integrity of white matter, to evaluate the changes (rate and directionality) of water diffusion within myelin tracts and provide enhanced images of white matter tracts compared to traditional MRI morphometry images. One can evaluate the differences in white matter using fractional anisotropy (FA), which is a scalar metric of the degree of anisotropy and diffusion direction of water molecules, indicating fiber density, mylination and axon diameter. Many studies report reduced gray matter volume caused by extreme stress or trauma in people both with the diagnosis of PTSD as well as stress-exposed non PTSD in comparison to healthy controls. Studies have revealed reduced volume mostly in the hippocampus but also in regions such as anterior cingulate, corpus callosum, insula, septum pellucidum, subcallosal cortex, amygdala, prefrontal cortex and total brain volume. The right hippocampus may be prone to the effect of stress much more than the left hippocampus. Moreover, comparing trauma-exposed non-PTSD and PTSD participants, they have found volumetric abnormalities only within the right hippocampus among the PTSD group. They suggest an additional pathological process underlying PTSD, connected with the right hippocampus volume.

scholarly journals Attentional bias to threat and gray mater volume morphology in high anxious individuals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Carlson ◽  
Lin Fang
Keyword(s):  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
The Right

AbstractIn a sample of highly anxious individuals, the relationship between gray matter volume brain morphology and attentional bias to threat was assessed. Participants performed a dot-probe task of attentional bias to threat and gray matter volume was acquired from whole brain structural T1-weighted MRI scans. The results replicate previous findings in unselected samples that elevated attentional bias to threat is linked to greater gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, middle frontal gyrus, and striatum. In addition, we provide novel evidence that elevated attentional bias to threat is associated with greater gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex, cerebellum, and other distributed regions. Lastly, exploratory analyses provide initial evidence that distinct sub-regions of the right posterior parietal cortex may contribute to attentional bias in a sex-specific manner. Our results illuminate how differences in gray matter volume morphology relate to attentional bias to threat in anxious individuals. This knowledge could inform neurocognitive models of anxiety-related attentional bias to threat and targets of neuroplasticity in anxiety interventions such as attention bias modification.

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