scholarly journals Shaping brain structure: Genetic and phylogenetic axes of macroscale organization of cortical thickness

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (39) ◽  
pp. eabb3417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie L. Valk ◽  
Ting Xu ◽  
Daniel S. Margulies ◽  
Shahrzad Kharabian Masouleh ◽  
Casey Paquola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Structural Organization ◽  
Perception And Action ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Structural Covariance ◽  
Cortical Organization ◽  
Functional Topography ◽  
Dual Origin

The topology of the cerebral cortex has been proposed to provide an important source of constraint for the organization of cognition. In a sample of twins (n = 1113), we determined structural covariance of thickness to be organized along both a posterior-to-anterior and an inferior-to-superior axis. Both organizational axes were present when investigating the genetic correlation of cortical thickness, suggesting a strong genetic component in humans, and had a comparable organization in macaques, demonstrating they are phylogenetically conserved in primates. In both species, the inferior-superior dimension of cortical organization aligned with the predictions of dual-origin theory, and in humans, we found that the posterior-to-anterior axis related to a functional topography describing a continuum of functions from basic processes involved in perception and action to more abstract features of human cognition. Together, our study provides important insights into how functional and evolutionary patterns converge at the level of macroscale cortical structural organization.

scholarly journals Shaping Brain Structure: Genetic and Phylogenetic Axes of Macro Scale Organization of Cortical Thickness

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie L. Valk ◽  
Ting Xu ◽  
Daniel S. Margulies ◽  
Shahrzad Kahrabian Masouleh ◽  
Casey Paquola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Cortical Organization ◽  
Macro Scale ◽  
The Impact

AbstractStructural and functional characteristics of the cortex systematically vary along global axes as a function of cytoarchitecture, gene expression, and connectivity. The topology of the cerebral cortex has been proposed to be a prerequisite for the emergence of human cognition and explain both the impact and progression of pathology. However, the neurogenetic origin of these organizational axes in humans remains incompletely understood. To address this gap in the literature our current study assessed macro scale cortical organization through an unsupervised machine learning analysis of cortical thickness covariance patterns and used converging methods to evaluate its genetic basis. In a large-scale sample of twins (n=899) we found structural covariance of thickness to be organized along both an anterior-to-posterior and inferior-to-superior axis. We found that both axes showed a high degree of correspondence in pairs of identical twins, suggesting a strong heritable component in humans. Furthermore, comparing these dimensions in macaques and humans highlighted similar organizational principles in both species demonstrating that these axes of cortical organization are phylogenetically conserved within primate species. Finally, we found that in both humans and macaques the inferior-superior dimension of cortical organization was aligned with the predictions of the dual-origin theory, highlighting the possibility that the macroscale organization of primate brain structure is subject to multiple distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories. Together, our study establishes the genetic basis of natural axes in the cerebral cortex along which structure is organized and so provides important insights into the organization of human cognition that will inform both our understanding of how structure guides function and for the progression of pathology in diseases.

Quantitative Conditions and Convergent Operations That Are Compatible With the Universe as a Persistent Generator of Successive Simulations

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4178-4187
Author(s):  
Michael A Persinger ◽  
Stanley A Koren
Keyword(s):  
Structural Organization ◽  
Total Duration ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Intrinsic Properties ◽  
Basic Assumptions ◽  
Electron Orbit ◽  
Quantitative Analyses ◽  
Massive Information ◽  
The Universe

                The capacity for computer-like simulations to be generated by massive information processing from electron-spin potentials supports Bostrom’s hypothesis that matter and human cognition might reflect simulations. Quantitative analyses of the basic assumptions indicate the universe may display properties of a simulation where photons behave as pixels and gravitons control the structural organization. The Lorentz solution for the square of the light and entanglement velocities converges with the duration of a single electron orbit that ultimately defines properties of matter. The approximately one trillion potential states within the same space with respect to the final epoch of the universe indicate that a different simulation, each with intrinsic properties, has been and will be generated as a type of tractrix defined by ±2 to 3 days (total duration 5 to 6 days). It may define the causal limits within a simulation. Because of the intrinsic role of photons as the pixel unit, phenomena within which flux densities are enhanced, such as human cognition (particularly dreaming) and the cerebral regions associated with those functions, create the conditions for entanglement or excess correlations between contiguous simulations. The consistent quantitative convergence of operations indicates potential validity for this approach. The emergent solutions offer alternative explanations for the limits of predictions for multivariate phenomena that could be coupled to more distal simulations.

scholarly journals GP.01 The relationship between carotid stenosis, cerebral cortex thickness and cognitive function in community dwelling older individuals

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (s2) ◽  
pp. S8-S8
Author(s):  
S Alhusaini ◽  
S Karama ◽  
JM Star ◽  
ME Bastin ◽  
JM Wardlaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Carotid Stenosis ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Carotid atherosclerosis is a significant risk factor for stroke and has been associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Methods: We assessed 554 community-dwelling subjects from the Lothian Birth Cohort of 1936 (LBC1936) who underwent brain MRI and carotid Doppler ultrasound studies at age 73 years. The relationship between carotid stenosis and cerebral cortical thickness was examined cross-sectionally, controlling for gender, extensive vascular risk factors (VRFs), and IQ at age 11 (IQ-11). The association between carotid stenosis and a composite measure of fluid intelligence was also investigated. Results: A widespread negative association was identified between carotid stenosis and cerebral cortical thickness at age 73 years, independent of the side of carotid stenosis, other carotid measures, VRFs, or IQ-11. This association increased in an almost dose-response relationship from mild to severe degrees of carotid stenosis. A negative association was also noted between carotid stenosis and fluid intelligence, which appeared partly mediated by carotid stenosis-related thinning of the cerebral cortex. Conclusions: Carotid stenosis is associated with thinner cerebral cortex and lower fluid cognitive abilities at age 73. The findings suggest that carotid stenosis represents a marker of vascular processes that accelerate cortical aging with a negative impact on cognition, independent of measurable VRFs.

scholarly journals Mapping Cortical Thickness of the Patients with Unilateral End-Stage Open Angle Glaucoma on Planar Cerebral Cortex Maps

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e93682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Bogorodzki ◽  
Ewa Piątkowska-Janko ◽  
Jerzy Szaflik ◽  
Jacek Paweł Szaflik ◽  
Mira Gacek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Open Angle Glaucoma ◽  
Open Angle ◽  
End Stage

scholarly journals Cortical thickness analysis – The methods

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-64
Author(s):  
Ann Mari Gransjøen
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Medical Imaging ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Complex Analysis ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Software Applications

Over the course of the last century, the cerebral cortex has been of interest for neuroscientists, and the work with mapping and measuring the cortex started in the early 1900s (Brodmann 1909).The advances in medical imaging over the recent decades has given the opportunity to measure the cortex in vivo, and several algorithms and types of software applications has been developed for this purpose. These software applications can be used to execute complex analysis to determine both cortex thickness and density.The algorithms and software applications presented in this paper are the ones most utilized to measure cortical thickness today, and include four software applications and two algorithms. The basic principles of these tools will be outlined, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

scholarly journals Cytoarchitectonic similarity is a wiring principle of the human connectome

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Goulas ◽  
René Werner ◽  
Sarah F Beul ◽  
Dennis Säring ◽  
Martijn van den Heuvel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Human Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Wiring Diagram ◽  
Classic Work ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Fundamental Challenge ◽  
Cortical Regions

AbstractUnderstanding the wiring diagram of the human cerebral cortex is a fundamental challenge in neuroscience. Elemental aspects of its organization remain elusive. Here we examine which structural traits of cortical regions, particularly their cytoarchitecture and thickness, relate to the existence and strength of inter-regional connections. We use the architecture data from the classic work of von Economo and Koskinas and state-of-the-art diffusion-based connectivity data from the Human Connectome Project. Our results reveal a prominent role of the cytoarchitectonic similarity of supragranular layers for predicting the existence and strength of connections. In contrast, cortical thickness similarity was not related to the existence or strength of connections. These results are in line with findings for non-human mammalian cerebral cortices, suggesting overarching wiring principles of the mammalian cerebral cortex. The results invite hypotheses about evolutionary conserved neurobiological mechanisms that give rise to the relation of cytoarchitecture and connectivity in the human cerebral cortex.

scholarly journals Data-driven models reveal the organization of diverse cognitive functions in the brain

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoya Nakai ◽  
Shinji Nishimoto
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Task Type ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Cortical Organization ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Complete Representations

AbstractOur daily life is realized by the complex orchestrations of diverse brain functions including perception, decision, and action. One of the central issues in cognitive neuroscience is to reveal the complete representations underlying such diverse functions. Recent studies have revealed representations of natural perceptual experiences using encoding models1–5. However, there has been little attempt to build a quantitative model describing the cortical organization of multiple active, cognitive processes. Here, we measured brain activity using functional MRI while subjects performed over 100 cognitive tasks, and examined cortical representations with two voxel-wise encoding models6. A sparse task-type encoding model revealed a hierarchical organization of cognitive tasks, their representation in cognitive space, and their mapping onto the cortex. A cognitive factor encoding model utilizing continuous intermediate features by using metadata-based inferences7 predicted brain activation patterns for more than 80 % of the cerebral cortex and decoded more than 95 % of tasks, even under novel task conditions. This study demonstrates the usability of quantitative models of natural cognitive processes and provides a framework for the comprehensive cortical organization of human cognition.

scholarly journals BigBrain 3D atlas of cortical layers: cortical and laminar thickness gradients diverge in sensory and motor cortices

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konrad Wagstyl ◽  
Stéphanie Larocque ◽  
Guillem Cucurull ◽  
Claude Lepage ◽  
Joseph Paul Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Functional Neuroanatomy ◽  
Cortical Layers ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Isotropic Resolution ◽  
Brain Microstructure ◽  
Laminar Thickness

AbstractHistological atlases of the cerebral cortex, such as those made famous by Brodmann and von Economo, are invaluable for understanding human brain microstructure and its relationship with functional organization in the brain. However, these existing atlases are limited to small numbers of manually annotated samples from a single cerebral hemisphere, measured from 2D histological sections. We present the first whole-brain quantitative 3D laminar atlas of the human cerebral cortex. This atlas was derived from a 3D histological model of the human brain at 20 micron isotropic resolution (BigBrain), using a convolutional neural network to segment, automatically, the cortical layers in both hemispheres. Our approach overcomes many of the historical challenges with measurement of histological thickness in 2D and the resultant laminar atlas provides an unprecedented level of precision and detail.We utilized this BigBrain cortical atlas to test whether previously reported thickness gradients, as measured by MRI in sensory and motor processing cortices, were present in a histological atlas of cortical thickness, and which cortical layers were contributing to these gradients. Cortical thickness increased across sensory processing hierarchies, primarily driven by layers III, V and VI. In contrast, fronto-motor cortices showed the opposite pattern, with decreases in total and pyramidal layer thickness. These findings illustrate how this laminar atlas will provide a link between single-neuron morphology, mesoscale cortical layering, macroscopic cortical thickness and, ultimately, functional neuroanatomy.

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