Brain Structural Plasticity Associated with Maternal Caregiving in Mothers: A Voxel- and Surface-Based Morphometry Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 192-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaihua Zhang ◽  
Mengxing Wang ◽  
Jilei Zhang ◽  
Xiaoxia Du ◽  
Zhong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Structural Dynamic ◽  
Longitudinal Changes ◽  
Maternal Caregiving ◽  
Surface Based Morphometry

Background: Pregnancy constitutes a significant period in the lives of women, after which they often experience numerous crucial physiological and psychological changes. Functional neuroimaging studies have shown longitudinal changes in functional brain activity in mothers responding to infant-related stimuli. However, the structural changes that occur in the brains of mothers after delivery remain to be explored. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the structural changes in mothers during the postpartum phase. Methods: We recruited 35 primiparous mothers and 26 nonmothers to participate in this voxel- and surface-based morphometry study, and 22 mothers were scanned twice with a follow-up of approximately 2 years. Results: Compared to nonmothers, mothers exhibited reduced gray matter (GM) volumes and increased white matter (WM) volumes in regions associated with empathy and reward networks (supplementary motor area, precuneus, inferior parietal lobe, insula, and striatum), decreased cortical thickness in the precentral gyrus and increased gyrification index in the orbitofrontal cortex. Furthermore, mothers showed longitudinal changes in the GM and WM volumes and cortical thickness of several of these regions (including the superior and medial frontal gyrus, insula, limbic lobe, superior and middle temporal gyrus, and precentral gyrus), which have been associated with maternal networks during the postpartum period. Additionally, the changes in GM and WM volumes were related to changes in empathetic abilities in mothers. Conclusion: These results suggest that the brains of mothers exhibit adaptive structural dynamic plasticity. These findings provide a neuroanatomical basis for understanding how mothers process emotional sensory information during the postpartum period.

scholarly journals Antipsychotic Effects on Cortical Morphology in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruiqi Feng ◽  
Fay Y. Womer ◽  
E. Kale Edmiston ◽  
Yifan Chen ◽  
Yinshan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atypical Antipsychotic ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotics ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Antipsychotic Treatment ◽  
Illness Duration ◽  
Cortical Thinning ◽  
Age Related

Background: Previous studies of atypical antipsychotic effects on cortical structures in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) have findings that vary between the short and long term. In particular, there has not been a study exploring the effects of atypical antipsychotics on age-related cortical structural changes in SZ and BD. This study aimed to determine whether mid- to long-term atypical antipsychotic treatment (mean duration = 20 months) is associated with cortical structural changes and whether age-related cortical structural changes are affected by atypical antipsychotics.Methods: Structural magnetic resonance imaging images were obtained from 445 participants consisting of 88 medicated patients (67 with SZ, 21 with BD), 84 unmedicated patients (50 with SZ, 34 with BD), and 273 healthy controls (HC). Surface-based analyses were employed to detect differences in thickness and area among the three groups. We examined the age-related effects of atypical antipsychotics after excluding the potential effects of illness duration.Results: Significant differences in cortical thickness were observed in the frontal, temporal, parietal, and insular areas and the isthmus of the cingulate gyrus. The medicated group showed greater cortical thinning in these regions than the unmediated group and HC; furthermore, there were age-related differences in the effects of atypical antipsychotics, and these effects did not relate to illness duration. Moreover, cortical thinning was significantly correlated with lower symptom scores and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) deficits in patients. After false discovery rate correction, cortical thinning in the right middle temporal gyrus in patients was significantly positively correlated with lower HAMD scores. The unmedicated group showed only greater frontotemporal thickness than the HC group.Conclusion: Mid- to long-term atypical antipsychotic use may adversely affect cortical thickness over the course of treatment and ageing and may also result in worsening cognitive function.

Abstract 1: Improvement of Sensory Function Following Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke Is Associated With Increased Cortical Thickness

Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Pundik ◽  
Aleca Scoco ◽  
Margaret Skelly ◽  
Jessica McCabe ◽  
Janis J Daly
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Chronic Stroke ◽  
Sensory Function ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Middle Temporal ◽  
Sensory Recovery ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Sensory Acuity

Introduction: Loss of somatosensory function after stroke weakens the ability to adequately relate to our environment, thus significantly reduces quality of life. Neuroplastic processes of sensory recovery are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to identify cortical regions that undergo structural changes (measured by change in cortical thickness (CT)) during sensory recovery. The hypothesis was that for subjects who improve sensory acuity, CT change in regions of the bilateral sensory network correlates with change in sensory acuity. Methods: Chronic stroke survivors were treated with 12-weeks rehabilitation. Outcome measures were sensory acuity (monofilament), Fugl-Meyer upper limb coordination and CT (T1 Magnetic Resonance Imaging). CT change was calculated based on T1 images using Freesurfer longitudinal processing stream. General linear regression modeling identified cortical regions where change in CT was associated with change in sensory acuity after controlling for baseline sensory impairment and change in motor function. Cluster-wise correction for multiple comparisons was conducted using Monte-Carlo simulation at p<0.05. Results: Subjects, who improved in sensory acuity (n=18), were 55.8±13.7 year old; 10% female; 1.8±0.9 years after first ever stroke. Acuity improved from 43.9±14mm to 40.53±13mm (p=0.004). FM improved from 22.4±8 to 34.5±10 (p<0.0001). For the ipsilesional hemisphere, CT increase correlated with sensory improvement in lateral occipital gyrus (size=1543mm2; peak vertex coordinates in MNI space x=-10.9, y=-97, z=10.9, cluster wise p=0.0002) and in middle temporal gyrus (795mm2, x=-57.2, y=-56.5,z=0.9, p=0.002). For the contralesional hemisphere, increased CT was associated with improved monofilament acuity within supramarginal gyrus (930mm2 ; x=47.2, y=-43.0, z=43.2, p=0.0002) and middle temporal gyrus (974mm2; x=53.5, y=-59.6, z=-1.7; p= 0.0001). Conclusion: Rehabilitation produces modality-specific structural brain changes that can be measured by changes in cortical thickness. Improved sensation correlates with increased thickness in bilateral high-order association sensory cortices reflecting a complex nature of sensory rehabilitation.

scholarly journals Effects of Deafness and Sign Language Experience on the Human Brain: Voxel-based and Surface-based Morphometry

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen McCullough ◽  
Karen Emmorey
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Signed Language ◽  
Native Signers ◽  
Surface Based Morphometry

We investigated, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), how deafness and sign language experience affect the anatomical structures of the human brain by comparing gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) structures across congenitally deaf native signers, hearing native signers, and hearing sign-naïve controls (n = 90). We also compared the same groups on cortical thickness, surface area, and local gyrification using surface-based morphometry (SBM). Both VBM and SBM results revealed deafness-related changes in visual cortices and right frontal lobe. The GM in the auditory cortices did not appear to be affected by deafness; however, there was a significant WM reduction in left Heschl's gyrus for deaf signers only. The SBM comparisons revealed changes associated with lifelong signing experience: expansions in the surface area within left anterior temporal and left occipital lobes, and a reduction in cortical thickness in the right occipital lobe for deaf and hearing signers. Structural changes within these brain regions may be related to adaptations in the neural networks involved in processing signed language (i.e., visual perception of face and body movements). Hearing native signers also had unique neuroanatomical changes (e.g., reduced gyrification in premotor areas), perhaps due to lifelong experience with both a spoken and a signed language.

scholarly journals Differences in cortical structure between cognitively normal East Asian and Caucasian older adults: a surface-based morphometry study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Woo Kang ◽  
Sheng-Min Wang ◽  
Hae-Ran Na ◽  
Sonya Youngju Park ◽  
Nak Young Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Surface Based Morphometry

AbstractThere is a growing literature on the impact of ethnicity on brain structure and function. Despite the regional heterogeneity in age-related changes and non-uniformity across brain morphometry measurements in the aging process, paucity of studies investigated the difference in cortical anatomy between the East Asian and Caucasian older adults. The present study aimed to compare cortical anatomy measurements, including cortical thickness, volume and surface area, between cognitively normal East Asian (n = 171) and Caucasian (n = 178) older adults, using surface-based morphometry and vertex-wise group analysis of high-dimensional structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The East Asian group showed greater cortical thickness and larger cortical volume in the right superior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, and inferior parietal cortex. The Caucasian group showed thicker and larger cortex in the left transverse temporal cortex, lingual gyrus, right lateral occipital cortex, and precentral gyrus. Additionally, the difference in surface area was discordant with that in cortical thickness. Differences in brain structure between the East Asian and Caucasian might reflect differences in language and information processing, but further studies using standardized methods for assessing racial characteristics are needed. The research results represent a further step towards developing a comprehensive understanding of differences in brain structure between ethnicities of older adults, and this would enrich clinical research on aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

scholarly journals Differential Effects of a Left Frontal Glioma on the Cortical Thickness and Complexity of Both Hemispheres

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryuta Kinno ◽  
Yoshihiro Muragaki ◽  
Takashi Maruyama ◽  
Manabu Tamura ◽  
Kyohei Tanaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Tumor Volume ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Structural Effects ◽  
3D Mri ◽  
The Right ◽  
Surface Based Morphometry ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Glioma is a type of brain tumor that infiltrates and compresses the brain as it grows. Focal gliomas affect functional connectivity both in the local region of the lesion and the global network of the brain. Any anatomical changes associated with a glioma should thus be clarified. We examined the cortical structures of 15 patients with a glioma in the left lateral frontal cortex and compared them with those of 15 healthy controls by surface-based morphometry. Two regional parameters were measured with 3D-MRI: the cortical thickness (CT) and cortical fractal dimension (FD). The FD serves as an index of the topological complexity of a local cortical surface. Our comparative analyses of these parameters revealed that the left frontal gliomas had global effects on the cortical structures of both hemispheres. The structural changes in the right hemisphere were mainly characterized by a decrease in CT and mild concomitant decrease in FD, whereas those in the peripheral regions of the glioma (left hemisphere) were mainly characterized by a decrease in FD with relative preservation of CT. These differences were found irrespective of tumor volume, location, or grade. These results elucidate the structural effects of gliomas, which extend to the distant contralateral regions.

scholarly journals Failure of activation of striatum during the performance of executive function tasks in adult patients with bipolar disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangfang Tian ◽  
Wei Diao ◽  
Xun Yang ◽  
Xiuli Wang ◽  
Neil Roberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Reliable Marker

AbstractBackgroundAlthough numerous studies have used functional neuroimaging to identify executive dysfunction in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), the findings are not consistent. The aim of this meta-analysis is to identify the most reliable functional anomalies in BD patients during performance of Executive Function (EF) tasks.MethodsA web-based search was performed on publication databases to identify functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of BD patients performing EF tasks and a voxel-based meta-analytic method known as anisotropic Effect Size Signed Differential Mapping (ES-SDM) was used to identify brain regions which showed anomalous activity in BD patients compared with healthy controls (HC).ResultsTwenty datasets consisting of 463 BD patients and 484 HC were included. Compared with HC, BD patients showed significant hypo-activation or failure of activation in the left striatum (p = 0.00007), supplementary motor area (BA 6, p = 0.00037), precentral gyrus (BA 6, p = 0.0014) and cerebellum (BA 37, p = 0.0019), and hyper-activation in the left gyrus rectus (BA 11, p ≈ 0) and right middle temporal gyrus (BA 22, p = 0.00031) during performance of EF tasks. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses showed that the anomaly of left striatum is consistent across studies and present in both euthymic and BD I patients.ConclusionsPatients with BD consistently showed abnormal activation in the cortico-striatal system during performance of EF tasks compared with HC. Failure of activation of the striatum may be a reliable marker for impairment in performance of especially inhibition tasks by patients with BD.

Cortical morphological changes in chronic migraine in a Taiwanese cohort: Surface- and voxel-based analyses

Cephalalgia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 575-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuan-Lin Lai ◽  
David M Niddam ◽  
Jong-Ling Fuh ◽  
Wei-Ta Chen ◽  
Jaw-Ching Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Chronic Migraine ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Medication Overuse ◽  
Medication Overuse Headache ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Voxel Based Morphometry ◽  
Surface Based Morphometry

Background Previous voxel- or surface-based morphometric analysis studies have revealed alterations in cortical structure in patients with chronic migraine, yet with inconsistent results. The discrepancies may be derived partly from the sample heterogeneity. Employing both methods in a clinically homogenous group may provide a clearer view. Methods Structural MRI data from 30 prevention-naïve patients with chronic migraine without medication overuse headache or a history of major depression and 30 healthy controls were analyzed. Vertex-wise (surface-based) or voxel-wise (voxel-based) linear models were applied, after controlling for age and gender, to investigate between-group differences. Averaged cortical thicknesses and volumes from regions showing group differences were correlated with parameters related to clinical profiles. Results Surface-based morphometry showed significantly thinner cortices in the bilateral insular cortex, caudal middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and parietal lobes in patients with chronic migraine relative to healthy controls. Additionally, the number of migraine days in the month preceding MRI examination was correlated negatively with right insular cortical thickness. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) did not show any group differences or clinical correlations. Conclusion Patients with chronic migraine without medication overuse headache, major depression, or prior preventive treatment had reduced cortical thickness in regions within the pain-processing network. Compared to voxel-based morphometry, surface-based morphometry analysis may be more sensitive to subtle structural differences between healthy controls and patients with chronic migraine.

Dynamic cerebral reorganization in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia: a MRI-derived cortical thickness study

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 2201-2214 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Guo ◽  
L. Palaniyappan ◽  
P. F. Liddle ◽  
J. Feng
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Tissue Loss ◽  
Cerebral Reorganization ◽  
Thickness Variations ◽  
Surface Based Morphometry ◽  
Cortical Maturation ◽  
Tissue Reduction

BackgroundA structural neuroanatomical change indicating a reduction in brain tissue is a notable feature of schizophrenia. Several pathophysiological processes such as aberrant cortical maturation, progressive tissue loss and compensatory tissue increase could contribute to the structural changes seen in schizophrenia.MethodWe studied cortical thickness using surface-based morphometry in 98 clinically stable patients with schizophrenia and 83 controls. Using a pattern classification approach, we studied whether the features that discriminate patients from controls vary across the different stages of the illness. Using a covariance analysis, we also investigated if concurrentincreasesaccompanydecreasesin cortical thickness.ResultsVery high levels of accuracy (96.3%), specificity (98.8%) and sensitivity (88%) were noted when classifying patients with <2 years of illness from controls. Within the patient group, reduced thickness was consistently accompanied by increased thickness in distributed brain regions. A pattern of cortical amelioration or normalization (i.e. reduced deviation from controls) was noted with increasing illness duration. While temporo-limbic and fronto-parietal regions showed reduced thickness, the occipital cortex showed increased thickness, especially in those with a long-standing illness.ConclusionA compensatory remodelling process might contribute to the cortical thickness variations in different stages of schizophrenia. Subtle cerebral reorganization reflecting the inherent plasticity of brain may occur concomitantly with processes contributing to tissue reduction in adult patients with schizophrenia.

Distinct clinical manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder are associated with cortical thickness alteration

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110096
Author(s):  
Hai-di Shan ◽  
Ya-fei Liu ◽  
Qing Zhao ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Yong-ming Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Obsessive Beliefs ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder

Background: Although brain structural changes have been reported in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), results from previous studies have been inconsistent. A growing number of studies have focused on obsessive beliefs and impulsivity which could be involved in the occurrence and maintenance of OCD symptoms. The present study aimed to examine whether there are distinct brain structural changes in patients with different OCD subgroups. Methods: Eighty-nine patients with OCD and 42 healthy controls were recruited to undergo structural magnetic resonance imaging brain scan. OCD patients were classified into subgroups according to scores of the Obsessive Belief Questionnaire (OBQ-44) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) using cluster analysis. Group comparisons in cortical thickness and subcortical volumes between all OCD patients and healthy controls, as well as between subgroups of OCD patients and healthy controls, were carried out. Results: OCD patients with more obsessive beliefs and attentional impulsivity (OCD_OB_AT) had reduced cortical thickness at the inferior parietal gyrus, the superior and middle temporal gyrus and the insula compared with OCD patients with higher score on the non-planning impulsivity (OCD_NP, corrected p < 0.05). The whole group of OCD patients and both subgroups showed reduced cortical thickness at the superior parietal gyrus compared with controls (uncorrected p < 0.01, number of vertices > 100). Conclusion: Our results suggest that apart from distinct phenomenology, there are distinct neural correlates of different OCD subgroups based on obsessive beliefs and impulsivity. These neural correlates may have clinical significance and should be considered in future research.

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