scholarly journals White Matter Microstructure Correlates of General and Specific Second-Order Factors of Psychopathology

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra E. Hinton ◽  
Benjamin B. Lahey ◽  
Victoria Villalta-Gil ◽  
Francisco A. C. Meyer ◽  
Leah L. Burgess ◽  
...  

AbstractIncreasing data indicate that prevalent forms of psychopathology can be organized into second-order dimensions based on their correlations, including a general factor of psychopathology that explains the common variance among all disorders and specific second-order externalizing and internalizing factors. Despite this organization, and high levels of comorbidity between diagnoses, most existing studies on the neural correlates of psychopathology employ case-control designs that treat diagnoses as independent categories. Thus, for instance, although perturbations in white matter microstructure have been identified across a range of disorders, the majority of such studies have used case-control designs, leaving it unclear whether observed relations reflect disorder specific characteristics, or transdiagnostic patterns. Using a representative community twin sample of 410 young adults, we tested the hypothesis that some relations between white matter microstructure properties in major tracts are related to second-order factors of psychopathology. We examined fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD). White matter correlates of all second-order factors were identified after controlling for multiple tests, including the general factor (FA in the body of the corpus callosum), specific internalizing (AD in the fornix), and specific externalizing (AD in the splenium of the corpus callosum, sagittal stratum, anterior corona radiata, and internal capsule). These findings suggest that features of white matter within specific tracts are associated with broad transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology rather than being restricted to individual diagnostic categories.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175628641984344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Gorges ◽  
Hans-Peter Müller ◽  
Inga Liepelt-Scarfone ◽  
Alexander Storch ◽  
Richard Dodel ◽  
...  

Background: The nonmotor symptom spectrum of Parkinson’s disease (PD) includes progressive cognitive decline mainly in late stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to map the patterns of altered structural connectivity of patients with PD with different cognitive profiles ranging from cognitively unimpaired to PD-associated dementia. Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging and neuropsychological data from the observational multicentre LANDSCAPE study were analyzed. A total of 134 patients with PD with normal cognitive function (56 PD-N), mild cognitive impairment (67 PD-MCI), and dementia (11 PD-D) as well as 72 healthy controls were subjected to whole-brain-based fractional anisotropy mapping and covariance analysis with cognitive performance measures. Results: Structural data indicated subtle changes in the corpus callosum and thalamic radiation in PD-N, whereas severe white matter impairment was observed in both PD-MCI and PD-D patients including anterior and inferior fronto-occipital, uncinate, insular cortices, superior longitudinal fasciculi, corona radiata, and the body of the corpus callosum. These regional alterations were demonstrated for PD-MCI and were more pronounced in PD-D. The pattern of involved regions was significantly correlated with the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) total score. Conclusions: The findings in PD-N suggest impaired cross-hemispherical white matter connectivity that can apparently be compensated for. More pronounced involvement of the corpus callosum as demonstrated for PD-MCI together with affection of fronto-parieto-temporal structural connectivity seems to lead to gradual disruption of cognition-related cortico-cortical networks and to be associated with the onset of overt cognitive deficits. The increase of regional white matter damage appears to be associated with the development of PD-associated dementia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara M. Wendel ◽  
Jeong Bin Lee ◽  
Bethann M. Affeldt ◽  
Mary Hamer ◽  
Indira S. Harahap-Carrillo ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (22) ◽  
pp. 1768-1776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie M. Stamm ◽  
Inga K. Koerte ◽  
Marc Muehlmann ◽  
Ofer Pasternak ◽  
Alexandra P. Bourlas ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Zhang ◽  
Xiaowei Jiang ◽  
Miao Chang ◽  
Shengnan Wei ◽  
Yanqing Tang ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Although many studies have shown that the corpus callosum (CC) may play an important role in bipolar disorder (BD) and suicide, the pathophysiological mechanism of BD underlying suicidal behavior is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the CC, and BD and suicidal ideation using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Method A total of 203 participants (47 BD patients with suicidal ideation, 59 with BD without suicidal ideation, and 97 healthy controls [HC]) underwent DTI scanning at a single site. We examined the white matter integrity of the CC in the three groups. Results A comparison among groups showed that BD patients with suicidal ideation had significant lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values than those of BD without suicidal ideation and HCs in the body and genu of the CC, and FA values of BD without suicidal ideation were significantly lower than those of HCs. However, in the splenium of corpus callosum, no difference was found between BD without suicidal ideation and HCs. Conclusions Our findings add to the evidence suggesting that the CC plays a key role in BD with suicidal ideation, especially with respect to the role of the genu and body of the CC subserving emotion regulation.


SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Bresser ◽  
Jessica C Foster-Dingley ◽  
Rick Wassing ◽  
Jeanne Leerssen ◽  
Jennifer R Ramautar ◽  
...  

Abstract Study Objectives Suggested neural correlates of insomnia disorder have been hard to replicate. Even the most consistent finding, altered white matter microstructure in the anterior limb of the internal capsule, is based on handful studies. The urge for replicable targets to understand the underlying mechanisms of insomnia made us study white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) across three samples of cases and controls. Methods 3-Tesla MRI diffusion tensor imaging data of three independent samples were combined for analysis, resulting in n = 137 participants, of whom 73 were diagnosed with insomnia disorder and 64 were matched controls without sleep complaints. Insomnia severity was measured with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). White matter microstructure was assessed with FA. White matter tracts were skeletonized and analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. We performed a region-of-interest analysis using linear mixed-effect models to evaluate case–control differences in internal capsule FA as well as associations between internal capsule FA and insomnia severity. Results FA in the right limb of the anterior internal capsule was lower in insomnia disorder than in controls (β = −9.76e−3; SE = 4.17e−3, p = .034). In the entire sample, a higher ISI score was associated with a lower FA value of the right internal capsule (β = −8.05e− 4 FA/ISI point, SE = 2.60e− 4, p = .008). Ancillary whole brain voxel-wise analyses showed no significant group difference or association with insomnia severity after correction for multiple comparisons. Conclusions The internal capsule shows small but consistent insomnia-related alterations. The findings support a circuit-based approach to underlying mechanisms since this tract connects many brain areas previously implicated in insomnia.


Author(s):  
Jennifer K Lee ◽  
Polan T Santos ◽  
May W Chen ◽  
Caitlin E O’Brien ◽  
Ewa Kulikowicz ◽  
...  

Abstract Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) causes white matter injury that is not fully prevented by therapeutic hypothermia. Adjuvant treatments are needed. We compared myelination in different piglet white matter regions. We then tested whether oleuropein (OLE) improves neuroprotection in 2- to 4-day-old piglets randomized to undergo HI or sham procedure and OLE or vehicle administration beginning at 15 minutes. All groups received overnight hypothermia and rewarming. Injury in the subcortical white matter, corpus callosum, internal capsule, putamen, and motor cortex gray matter was assessed 1 day later. At baseline, piglets had greater subcortical myelination than in corpus callosum. Hypothermic HI piglets had scant injury in putamen and cerebral cortex. However, hypothermia alone did not prevent the loss of subcortical myelinating oligodendrocytes or the reduction in subcortical myelin density after HI. Combining OLE with hypothermia improved post-HI subcortical white matter protection by preserving myelinating oligodendrocytes, myelin density, and oligodendrocyte markers. Corpus callosum and internal capsule showed little HI injury after hypothermia, and OLE accordingly had minimal effect. OLE did not affect putamen or motor cortex neuron counts. Thus, OLE combined with hypothermia protected subcortical white matter after HI. As an adjuvant to hypothermia, OLE may subacutely improve regional white matter protection after HI.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayle S. Sawyer ◽  
Nasim Maleki ◽  
George Papadimitriou ◽  
Nikos Makris ◽  
Marlene Oscar-Berman ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundExcessive alcohol consumption is associated with widespread brain damage, including abnormalities in frontal and limbic brain regions. In a prior study of neuronal circuitry connecting the frontal lobes and limbic system structures in abstinent alcoholic men, we demonstrated decreases in white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) on diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). In the present study, we examined sex differences in alcoholism-related abnormalities of white matter connectivity.MethodsdMRI scans were acquired from 49 abstinent alcoholic individuals (26 women) and 41 nonalcoholic controls (22 women). Tract-based spatial statistical tools were used to estimate regional FA of white matter tracts and to determine sex differences and their relation to measures of alcoholism history.ResultsSex-related differences in white matter connectivity were observed in association with alcoholism: Compared to nonalcoholic men, alcoholic men had diminished FA in portions of the corpus callosum, the superior longitudinal fasciculi II and III, and the arcuate fasciculus and extreme capsule. In contrast, alcoholic women had higher FA in these regions. Sex differences also were observed for correlations between corpus callosum FA and length of sobriety.ConclusionsSexual dimorphism in white matter microstructure in abstinent alcoholics may implicate underlying differences in the neurobehavioral liabilities for developing alcohol abuse disorders, or for sequelae following abuse.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Ruotsalainen ◽  
Tetiana Gorbach ◽  
Jaana Perkola ◽  
Ville Renvall ◽  
Heidi J. Syväoja ◽  
...  

AbstractPhysical activity and exercise beneficially link to brain properties and cognitive functions in older adults, but it is unclear how these results generalise to other age groups. During adolescence, the brain undergoes significant changes, which are especially pronounced in white matter. Existing studies provide contradictory evidence regarding the influence of physical activity or aerobic-exercise on executive functions in youth. Little is also known about the link between both aerobic fitness and physical activity with white matter during puberty. For this reason, we investigated the connection between both aerobic fitness (20-m shuttle run) and physical activity (moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity) with white matter in 59 adolescents (12.7–16.2 years). We further determined whether white matter interacts with the connection of fitness or physical activity with three core executive functions (sustained attention, spatial working memory and response inhibition). Our results showed that only the level of aerobic fitness, but not of physical activity was related to white matter properties. Furthermore, the white matter of specific tracts also moderated the links of aerobic fitness and physical activity with working memory. Our results suggest that aerobic fitness and physical activity have an unequal contribution to the properties of white matter in adolescent brains. We propose that the differences in white matter properties could underlie the variations in the relationship between either physical activity or aerobic fitness with working memory.HighlightsAerobic fitness level, but not physical activity, is associated with white matter properties in several white matter tracts in the brain.The relationship between aerobic fitness and working memory was moderated by fractional anisotropy of the body of corpus callosum and in the right superior corona radiata.The relationship between physical activity and working memory was moderated by fractional anisotropy of the body and genu of corpus callosum.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Miles ◽  
Allan Kaplan ◽  
Leon French ◽  
Aristotle Voineskos

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a highly heritable psychiatric disorder characterized by starvation and emaciation and associated with changes in brain structure. The precise nature of these changes remains unclear, as does their developmental time course and capacity for reversal with weight restoration. In this exploratory neuroimaging study, we sought to characterize changes in white matter microstructure in women with acute and remitted AN. Diffusion-weighted MRI data was collected from underweight women with a current diagnosis of AN (acAN: n=23), weight-recovered women with a past diagnosis of AN (recAN: n=23), and age-matched healthy control women (HC: n=24). Image processing and analysis were performed with Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, part of FSL, and group differences in voxel-wise, brain-wide fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), indices of white matter microstructure, were tested with nonparametric permutation and threshold free cluster enhancement. No significant main effect of group on FA was identified. A significant main effect of group on MD was observed in a large cluster covering 9.2% of white matter and including substantial portions of the corpus callosum, corona radiata, internal capsule, and superior longitudinal fasciculus, and post hoc analyses revealed similar effects of group on axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). Cluster-wise MD was significantly higher in acAN participants (+3.8%) and recAN participants (+2.9%) than healthy controls, and the same was true for cluster-wise AD and RD. Trait-based increases in diffusivity, consistent with atypical myelination and impaired axon integrity, suggest a link between altered white matter microstructure and vulnerability to AN, and evidence of reduced oligodendrocyte density in AN provides further support for this hypothesis. Potential mechanisms of action include atypical neurodevelopment and systemic inflammation.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra L. Boness ◽  
Ozlem Korucuoglu ◽  
Jarrod M Ellingson ◽  
Anne M. Merrill ◽  
Yoanna E. McDowell ◽  
...  

Twenty-first birthday drinking is characterized by extreme alcohol consumption. Accumulating evidence suggests that high-dose bingeing is related to structural brain changes and cognitive deficits. This is particularly problematic in the transition from adolescence to adulthood when the brain is still maturing, elevating the brain’s sensitivity to the acute effects of alcohol intoxication. Heavy drinking is associated with reduced structural integrity in the hippocampus and corpus callosum and is accompanied by cognitive deficits. However, there is little research examining changes in the human brain related to discrete heavy drinking episodes. The present study investigated whether alcohol exposure during a 21st birthday celebration would result in changes to white matter microstructure by utilizing Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) measures and a quasi-experimental design. By examining structural changes in the brain from pre- to post-celebration within subjects (N = 49) prospectively, we were able to more directly observe brain changes following an extreme drinking episode. Region of interest analyses demonstrated increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the posterior fornix (p < 0.0001) and in the body of the corpus callosum (p = 0.0029) from pre- to post-birthday celebration. These results suggest acute white matter damage to the fornix and corpus callosum following an extreme drinking episode, which is especially problematic during continued neurodevelopment. Twenty-first birthday drinking may, therefore, be considered an important target event for preventing acute brain injury in young adults.


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