Regional brain volumes, microstructure and neurodevelopment in moderate–late preterm children

2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (6) ◽  
pp. 593-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire E Kelly ◽  
Deanne K Thompson ◽  
Alicia J Spittle ◽  
Jian Chen ◽  
Marc L Seal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Late Preterm ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Regional Brain ◽  
White Matter Microstructure ◽  
Cortical Grey Matter

ObjectiveTo explore whether regional brain volume and white matter microstructure at term-equivalent age (TEA) are associated with development at 2 years of age in children born moderate–late preterm (MLPT).Study designA cohort of MLPT infants had brain MRI at approximately TEA (38–44 weeks’ postmenstrual age) and had a developmental assessment (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development and Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment) at 2 years’ corrected age. Relationships between cortical grey matter and white matter volumes and 2-year developmental outcomes were explored using voxel-based morphometry. Relationships between diffusion tensor measures of white matter microstructure (fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial (AD), radial (RD) and mean (MD) diffusivities) and 2-year developmental outcomes were explored using tract-based spatial statistics.Results189 MLPT children had data from at least one MRI modality (volumetric or diffusion) and data for at least one developmental domain. Larger cortical grey and white matter volumes in many brain regions, and higher FA and lower AD, RD and MD in several major white matter regions, were associated with better cognitive and language scores. There was little evidence that cortical grey matter and white matter volumes and white matter microstructure were associated with motor and behavioural outcomes.ConclusionsRegional cortical grey matter and white matter volumes and white matter microstructure are associated with cognitive and language development at 2 years of age in MLPT children. Thus, early alterations to brain volumes and microstructure may contribute to some of the developmental deficits described in MLPT children.

scholarly journals Brain structural correlates of autistic traits across the diagnostic divide: A grey matter and white matter microstructure study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varun Arunachalam Chandran ◽  
Christos Pliatsikas ◽  
Janina Neufeld ◽  
Garret O'Connell ◽  
Anthony Haffey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
White Matter Microstructure ◽  
The Social ◽  
Brain Correlates

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a set of neurodevelopmental conditions characterised by difficulties in social interaction and communication as well as stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest. Autistic traits exist in a continuum across the general population, whilst the extreme end of this distribution is diagnosed as clinical ASD. While many studies have investigated brain structure in autism using a case-control design, few have used a dimensional approach. To add to this growing body of literature, we investigated the structural brain correlates of autistic traits in a mixed sample of adults (N=91) with and without a clinical diagnosis of autism. We examined regional brain volumes (using voxel-based morphometry and surface-based morphometry) and white matter microstructure properties (using Diffusion Tensor Imaging). Our findings show widespread grey matter differences, including in the social brain regions, and some evidence for white matter microstructure differences related to higher autistic traits. These grey matter and white matter microstructure findings from our study are consistent with previous reports and support the brain structural differences in ASD. These findings provide further support for shared aetiology for autistic traits across the diagnostic divide.

The Relationship Between Isolated Hypertension with Brain Volumes in UK Biobank

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Newby ◽  
Laura Winchester ◽  
William Sproviero ◽  
Marco Fernandes ◽  
Upamanyu Ghose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Dementia Risk ◽  
Diastolic Hypertension ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Hypertension is a well-established risk factor for cognitive impairment, brain atrophy, and dementia. However, the relationship of other types of hypertension, such as, isolated hypertension on brain health and its comparison to systolic-diastolic hypertension (where systolic and diastolic measures are high), is still relatively unknown. Due to its increased prevalence, it is important to investigate the impact of isolated hypertension to help understand its potential impact on cognitive decline and future dementia risk. In this study, we compared a variety of global brain measures between participants with isolated hypertension to those with normal blood pressure or systolic-diastolic hypertension using the largest cohort of healthy individuals. Using the UK Biobank cohort, we carried out a cross-sectional study using 29775 participants [mean age 63 years, 53% female] with BP measurements and brain MRI data. We used linear regression models adjusted for multiple confounders to compare a variety of global, sub cortical and white matter brain measures. We compared participants with either isolated systolic or diastolic hypertension with normotensives and then with participants with systolic-diastolic hypertension. The results showed that participants with isolated systolic or diastolic hypertension taking BP medications had smaller grey matter but larger white matter microstructures and macrostructures compared to normotensives. However, isolated hypertensives had larger total grey matter and smaller white matter traits when comparing these regions with participants with systolic-diastolic hypertension.These results provide support to investigate possible preventative strategies that target isolated hypertension as well as systolic-diastolic hypertension to maintain brain health and/or reduce dementia risk earlier in life particularly in white matter regions.

scholarly journals Imaging synaptic microstructure and synaptic loss in vivo in early Alzheimers Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashwin V Venkataraman ◽  
Courtney Bishop ◽  
Ayla Mansur ◽  
Gaia Rizzo ◽  
Yvonne Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grey Matter ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Amyloid Pet ◽  
Alzheimers Disease ◽  
Synaptic Loss ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Total N ◽  
Regional Brain

Background Synaptic loss and neurite dystrophy are early events in Alzheimers Disease (AD). We aimed to characterise early synaptic microstructural changes in vivo. Methods MRI neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were used to image cortical microstructure in both sporadic, late onset, amyloid PET positive AD patients and healthy controls (total n = 28). We derived NODDI measures of grey matter extracellular free water (FISO), neurite density (NDI) and orientation dispersion (ODI), which provides an index of neurite branching and orientation, as well as more conventional DTI measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean/axial/radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD, respectively). We also performed [11C]UCB-J PET, which provides a specific measure of the density of pre-synaptic vesicular protein SV2A. Both sets of measures were compared to regional brain volumes. Results The AD patients showed expected relative decreases in regional brain volumes (range, -6 to -23%) and regional [11C]UCB-J densities (range, -2 to -25%). Differences between AD and controls were greatest in the hippocampus. NODDI microstructural measures showed greater FISO (range, +26 to +44%) in AD, with little difference in NDI (range, -1 to +7%) and mild focal changes in ODI (range, -4 to +3%). Regionally greater FISO and lower [11C]UCB-J binding were correlated across grey matter in patients (most strongly in the caudate, r2 = 0.37, p = 0.001). FISO and DTI RD were strongly positively associated, particularly in the hippocampus (r2 = 0.98, p < 7.4 x 10-9). After 12-18 months we found a 5% increase in FISO in the temporal lobe, but little change across all ROIs in NDI and ODI. An exploratory analysis showed higher parietal lobe FISO was associated with lower language scores in people with AD. Conclusions We interpreted the increased extracellular free water as a possible consequence of glial activation. The dynamic range of disease-associated differences and the feasibility of measuring FISO on commercially available imaging systems makes it a potential surrogate for pathology related to synapse loss that could be used to support early-stage evaluations of novel therapeutics for AD.

Individual differences in white and grey matter structure associated with verbal habits of thought

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin C. Hayes ◽  
Katherine L Alfred ◽  
Rachel Pizzie ◽  
Joshua S. Cetron ◽  
David J. M. Kraemer
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Self Report ◽  
White Matter Tracts

Modality specific encoding habits account for a significant portion of individual differences reflected in functional activation during cognitive processing. Yet, little is known about how these habits of thought influence long-term structural changes in the brain. Traditionally, habits of thought have been assessed using self-report questionnaires such as the visualizer-verbalizer questionnaire. Here, rather than relying on subjective reports, we measured habits of thought using a novel behavioral task assessing attentional biases toward picture and word stimuli. Hypothesizing that verbal habits of thought are reflected in the structural integrity of white matter tracts and cortical regions of interest, we used diffusion tensor imaging and volumetric analyses to assess this prediction. Using a whole-brain approach, we show that word bias is associated with increased volume in several bilateral language regions, in both white and grey matter parcels. Additionally, connectivity within white matter tracts within an a priori speech production network increased as a function of word bias. These results demonstrate long-term structural and morphological differences associated with verbal habits of thought.

Abstract 36: Association of Parental Stroke with Cognitive and Brain MRI Measures in Offspring - The Framingham Heart Study

Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
GALIT WEINSTEIN ◽  
Alexa Beiser ◽  
Rhoda Au ◽  
Charles DeCarli ◽  
Philip A Wolf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Abstract Reasoning ◽  
Parental History ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Regional Brain ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of

Objectives- Parental stroke is related to an increased risk of stroke among the offspring. Vascular related brain changes, however, often occur before clinical stroke and the association of parental history of stroke and structural brain measures and cognition has not been fully explored. We hypothesized that prospectively verified parental stroke will be associated with increased vascular brain injury and poorer cognitive performance. Methods- A total of 1,297 Framingham offspring (mean age: 61 ± 9 years, 54% women) were studied. Of these, 9.9% had prospectively identified stroke in one or both parents before age 65. Volumetric brain MRI measures of total cerebral brain volume (TCBV), regional brain volumes, white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), and covert brain infarcts (CBI) and performance on tests of verbal memory, abstract reasoning, verbal learning and visuospatial memory (VRd) were compared for offspring with and without parental history of stroke. All measures were assessed cross-sectionally and longitudinally (mean duration of follow-up was 6.1±1.2 years). We used models adjusted only for age, sex, education and also additionally adjusted for vascular risk factors and for WMHV as an index of subclinical vascular brain injury. GEE models were used to adjust for sibling relationships among offspring. Results- Higher WMHV (β±SE=0.17±0.08;p=0.027) and lower VRd scores (β±SE=-0.80±0.34; p=0.017) at baseline were found in offspring with parental history of stroke. In addition, participants with parental stroke by age 65 years were more likely to be in the highest quintile of increase in WMHV (OR=1.87;p=0.04) as well as worsening executive function (Trails B-A) (OR:1.81;p=0.03). Parental stroke was not associated with total and regional brain volumes or with memory, abstract reasoning and verbal learning. Conclusions- In our community-based sample of middle-aged asymptomatic subjects, the occurrence of parental stroke by age 65 years is associated with higher baseline WMHV and with a more rapid increase in WMHV. Further, parental stroke is also associated with poorer performance on VRd and a decline in executive function. The effects on baseline WMH and VRd were substantial equivalent to 2.8 and 7 years of brain aging, respectively.

scholarly journals Exploring the laminar connectome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ittai Shamir ◽  
Omri Tomer ◽  
Ronnie Krupnik ◽  
Yaniv Assaf
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Description ◽  
Mri Imaging ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Cortical Grey Matter ◽  
Cortical Laminar ◽  
White Matter Connectivity ◽  
Human Brains

The human connectome is the complete structural description of the network of connections and elements that form the wiring diagram of the brain. Because of the current scarcity of information regarding laminar end points of white matter tracts inside cortical grey matter, tractography remains focused on cortical partitioning into regions, while ignoring radial partitioning into laminar components. To overcome this biased representation of the cortex as a single homogenous unit, we use a recent data-derived model of cortical laminar connectivity, which has been further explored and corroborated in the macaque brain by comparison to published studies. The model integrates multimodal MRI imaging datasets regarding both white matter connectivity and grey matter laminar composition into a laminar-level connectome. In this study we model the laminar connectome of healthy human brains (N=20) and explore them via a set of neurobiologically meaningful complex network measures. Our analysis demonstrates a subdivision of network hubs that appear in the standard connectome into each individual component of the laminar connectome, giving a fresh look into the role of laminar components in cortical connectivity and offering new prospects in the fields of both structural and functional connectivity.

scholarly journals White Matter Changes on Diffusion Tensor Imaging in the FINGER Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-86
Author(s):  
Ruth Stephen ◽  
Alina Solomon ◽  
Tiia Ngandu ◽  
Esko Levälahti ◽  
Juha O. Rinne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pathological Changes ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
White Matter Microstructure ◽  
Multidomain Intervention

Background: Early pathological changes in white matter microstructure can be studied using the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). It is not only important to study these subtle pathological changes leading to cognitive decline, but also to ascertain how an intervention would impact the white matter microstructure and cognition in persons at-risk of dementia. Objectives: To study the impact of a multidomain lifestyle intervention on white matter and cognitive changes during the 2-year Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), a randomized controlled trial in at-risk older individuals (age 60–77 years) from the general population. Methods: This exploratory study consisted of a subsample of 60 FINGER participants. Participants were randomized to either a multidomain intervention (diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk management, n = 34) or control group (general health advice, n = 26). All underwent baseline and 2-year brain DTI. Changes in fractional anisotropy (FA), diffusivity along domain (F1) and non-domain (F2) diffusion orientations, mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AxD), radial diffusivity (RD), and their correlations with cognitive changes during the 2-year multidomain intervention were analyzed. Results: FA decreased, and cognition improved more in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.05), with no significant intergroup differences for changes in F1, F2, MD, AxD, or RD. The cognitive changes were significantly positively related to FA change, and negatively related to RD change in the control group, but not in the intervention group. Conclusion: The 2-year multidomain FINGER intervention may modulate white matter microstructural alterations.

scholarly journals Evaluation of spontaneous regional brain activity in weight-recovered anorexia nervosa

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Seidel ◽  
Daniel Geisler ◽  
Viola Borchardt ◽  
Joseph A. King ◽  
Fabio Bernardoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Regional Homogeneity ◽  
Degree Centrality ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Regional Brain ◽  
Cortical Grey Matter ◽  
Regional Brain Activity

AbstractWhereas research using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) reports sizable grey matter reductions in patients suffering from acute anorexia nervosa (AN) to be largely reversible already after short-term weight gain, many task-based and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) studies suggest persistent brain alterations even after long-term weight rehabilitation. First investigations into spontaneous regional brain activity using voxel-wise resting-state measures found widespread abnormalities in acute AN, but no studies have compared intrinsic brain activity properties in weight-recovered individuals with a history of AN (recAN) with healthy controls (HCs). SMRI and RSFC data were analysed from a sample of 130 female volunteers: 65 recAN and 65 pairwise age-matched HC. Cortical grey matter thickness was assessed using FreeSurfer software. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFFs), mean-square successive difference (MSSD), regional homogeneity (ReHo), voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VHMC), and degree centrality (DC) were calculated. SMRI and RSFC data were analysed from a sample of 130 female volunteers: 65 recAN and 65 pairwise age-matched HCs. Cortical grey matter thickness was assessed using FreeSurfer software. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), mean-square successive difference (MSSD), regional homogeneity (ReHo), voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VHMC), and degree centrality (DC) were calculated. Abnormal regional homogeneity found in acute AN seems to normalize in recAN, supporting assumptions of a state rather than a trait marker. Aberrant fALFF values in the cerebellum and the infertior temporal gyrus could possibly hint towards trait factors or a scar (the latter, e.g., from prolonged periods of undernutrition), warranting further longitudinal research.

scholarly journals Regional neurodegeneration correlates with sleep–wake dysfunction after stroke

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elie Gottlieb ◽  
Natalia Egorova ◽  
Mohamed S Khlif ◽  
Wasim Khan ◽  
Emilio Werden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Sleep Efficiency ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Subcortical Structures ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Regional Brain ◽  
Long Sleep

Abstract Sleep–wake disruption is a key modifiable risk factor and sequela of stroke. The pathogenesis of poststroke sleep dysfunction is unclear. It is not known whether poststroke sleep pathology is due to focal infarction to sleep–wake hubs or to accelerated poststroke neurodegeneration in subcortical structures after stroke. We characterize the first prospective poststroke regional brain volumetric and whole-brain, fiber-specific, white matter markers of objectively measured sleep–wake dysfunction. We hypothesized that excessively long sleep (&gt;8 h) duration and poor sleep efficiency (&lt;80%) measured using the SenseWear Armband 3-months poststroke (n = 112) would be associated with reduced regional brain volumes of a priori-selected sleep–wake regions of interest when compared to healthy controls with optimal sleep characteristics (n = 35). We utilized a novel technique known as a whole-brain fixel-based analysis to investigate the fiber-specific white matter differences in participants with long sleep duration. Stroke participants with long sleep (n = 24) duration exhibited reduced regional volumes of the ipsilesional thalamus and contralesional amygdala when compared with controls. Poor sleep efficiency after stroke (n = 29) was associated with reduced ipsilesional thalamus, contralesional hippocampus, and contralesional amygdala volumes. Whole-brain fixel-based analyses revealed widespread macrostructural degeneration to the corticopontocerebellar tract in stroke participants with long sleep duration, with fiber reductions of up to 40%. Neurodegeneration to subcortical structures, which appear to be vulnerable to accelerated brain volume loss after stroke, may drive sleep–wake deficiencies poststroke, independent of lesion characteristics and confounding comorbidities. We discuss these findings in the context of the clinicopathological implications of sleep-related neurodegeneration and attempt to corroborate previous mechanistic-neuroanatomical findings.

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