Bridging the Gap between Brain Anatomy and Function with Diffusion MRI

Alcoholism is associated with disparate and widespread negative consequences for brain anatomy and function. Consistent with a diffuse neurobiological profile, alcoholism is marked by a heterogeneous mix of cognitive and emotional abnormalities. Alcohol use disorders arise through diverse origins and follow an uncertain clinical course, with severity and consequences depending on many factors. The identification of specific alcoholism-related deficits is constrained both by methodological techniques employed and the distinct populations studied. To understand alcoholism-related alterations in brain structure and function, it is critical to consider the influence of contextual factors on clinical course. The optimal approach for understanding alcohol use disorders leverages a variety of scientific methodologies and clinical settings. The resulting confluence of data can provide evidence linking alterations in neurobiology with behavioral and neuropsychological effects of alcoholism. Critically, these data may help determine the degree to which abstinence and treatment facilitate the reversal of brain atrophy and dysfunction.

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Effective Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain in Humans Reverses Abnormal Brain Anatomy and Function

Journal of Neuroscience ◽

10.1523/jneurosci.5280-10.2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 31 (20) ◽

pp. 7540-7550 ◽

Cited By ~ 329

Author(s):

D. A. Seminowicz ◽

T. H. Wideman ◽

L. Naso ◽

Z. Hatami-Khoroushahi ◽

S. Fallatah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Effective Treatment ◽

Chronic Low Back Pain ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Low Back ◽

And Function ◽

Abnormal Brain

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Brain phenotyping in Moebius syndrome and other congenital facial weakness disorders by diffusion MRI morphometry

Brain Communications ◽

10.1093/braincomms/fcaa014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Neda Sadeghi ◽

Elizabeth Hutchinson ◽

Carol Van Ryzin ◽

Edmond J FitzGibbon ◽

John A Butman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Criteria ◽

Cranial Nerve ◽

Diffusion Mri ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Medial Longitudinal Fasciculus ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Facial Weakness ◽

Moebius Syndrome ◽

Mri Morphometry

Abstract In this study, we used a novel imaging technique, DTI (diffusion tensor imaging)-driven tensor-based morphometry, to investigate brain anatomy in subjects diagnosed with Moebius syndrome (n = 21), other congenital facial weakness disorders (n = 9) and healthy controls (n = 15). First, we selected a subgroup of subjects who satisfied the minimum diagnostic criteria for Moebius syndrome with only mild additional neurological findings. Compared to controls, in this cohort, we found a small region of highly significant volumetric reduction in the paramedian pontine reticular formation and the medial longitudinal fasciculus, important structures for the initiation and coordination of conjugate horizontal gaze. Subsequently, we tested if volume measurements from this region could help differentiate individual subjects of the different cohorts that were included in our study. We found that this region allowed discriminating Moebius syndrome subjects from congenital facial weakness disorders and healthy controls with high sensitivity (94%) and specificity (89%). Interestingly, this region was normal in congenital facial weakness subjects with oculomotor deficits of myopathic origin, who would have been classified as Moebius on the basis of purely clinical diagnostic criteria, indicating a potential role for diffusion MRI morphometry for differential diagnosis in this condition. When the entire Moebius syndrome cohort was compared to healthy controls, in addition to this ‘landmark’ region, other areas of significantly reduced volume in the brainstem emerged, including the location of the nuclei and fibres of cranial nerve VI (abducens nerve), and fibres of cranial nerve VII (facial nerve), and a more rostral portion of the medial longitudinal fasciculus. The high sensitivity and specificity of DTI-driven tensor-based morphometry in reliably detecting very small areas of volumetric abnormality found in this study suggest broader applications of this analysis in personalized medicine to detect hypoplasia or atrophy of small pathways and/or brainstem nuclei in other neurological disorders.

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Effects of a functional COMT polymorphism on brain anatomy and cognitive function in adults with velo-cardio-facial syndrome

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291707000700 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 89-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

T. van Amelsvoort ◽

J. Zinkstok ◽

M. Figee ◽

E. Daly ◽

R. Morris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Brain Development ◽

Matter Density ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Neurocognitive Performance ◽

Comt Genotype ◽

Brain Volumes ◽

Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome ◽

And Function

BackgroundVelo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) is associated with deletions at chromosome 22q11, abnormalities in brain anatomy and function, and schizophrenia-like psychosis. Thus it is assumed that one or more genes within the deleted region are crucial to brain development. However, relatively little is known about how genetic variation at 22q11 affects brain structure and function. One gene on 22q11 is catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT): an enzyme that degrades dopamine and contains a functional polymorphism (Val158Met) affecting enzyme activity. Here, we investigated the effect of COMT Val158Met polymorphism on brain anatomy and cognition in adults with VCFS.MethodThe COMT Val158Met polymorphism was genotyped for 26 adults with VCFS on whom DNA was available. We explored its effects on regional brain volumes using hand tracing approaches; on regional grey- and white-matter density using computerized voxel-based analyses; and measures of attention, IQ, memory, executive and visuospatial function using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery.ResultsAfter corrections for multiple comparisons Val-hemizygous subjects, compared with Met-hemizygotes, had a significantly larger volume of frontal lobes. Also, Val-hemizygotes had significantly increased grey matter density in cerebellum, brainstem, and parahippocampal gyrus, and decreased white matter density in the cerebellum. No significant effects of COMT genotype on neurocognitive performance were found.ConclusionsCOMT genotype effects on brain anatomy in VCFS are not limited to frontal regions but also involve other structures previously implicated in VCFS. This suggests variation in COMT activity is implicated in brain development in VCFS.

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Occipital Intralobar fasciculi and a novel description of three forgotten tracts

10.1101/2020.07.07.191767 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Maeva Bugain ◽

Yana Dimech ◽

Natalia Torzhenskaya ◽

Michel Thiebaut de Schotten ◽

Svenja Caspers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Mri ◽

Occipital Lobe ◽

Original Description ◽

Fiber Bundles ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Fiber Tracts ◽

Virtual Dissection ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽

Association Fibers

ABSTRACTThe continuously developing field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made a considerable contribution to the knowledge of brain architecture. It has given shape to a desire to construct a complete map of functional and structural connections. In particular, diffusion MRI paired with tractography has facilitated a non-invasive exploration of structural brain anatomy, which has helped build evidence for the existence of many association, projection and commissural fiber tracts. However, there is still a scarcity in research studies related to intralobar association fibers. The Dejerines’ (two of the most notable neurologists of 19th century France) gave an in-depth description of the intralobar fibers of the occipital lobe. Unfortunately, their exquisite work has since been sparsely referred to in the modern literature. This work gives the first modern description of many of the occipital intralobar lobe fibers described by the Dejerines. We perform a virtual dissection and reconstruct the tracts using diffusion MRI tractography. The virtual dissection is guided by the Dejerines’ treatise, Anatomie des Centres Nerveux. As an accompaniment to this article, the authors provided a French-to-English translation of the treatise portion concerning intra-occipital fiber bundles. This text provides the original description of five intralober occipital tracts, namely: the stratum calcarinum, the stratum proprium cunei, the vertical occipital fasciculus of Wernicke, the transverse fasciculus of the cuneus (TFC) and the transverse fasciculus of the lingual lobe of Vialet. It was possible to reconstruct all these tracts except for the TFC – possibly because its trajectory intermingles with a large amount of other fiber bundles. For completeness, the recently described sledge runner fasciculus, although not one of the Dejerine tracts, was identified and successfully reconstructed.

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Drug-resistant focal epilepsy in children is associated with increased modal controllability of the whole brain and epileptogenic regions

10.1101/2021.08.05.21261484 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kiran Seunarine ◽

Xiaosong He ◽

Martin Tisdall ◽

Christopher Clark ◽

Danielle S Bassett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Mri ◽

Focal Epilepsy ◽

Brain Network ◽

Structure And Function ◽

Network Control ◽

Drug Resistant ◽

Drug Resistant Epilepsy ◽

And Function ◽

The Brain ◽

Disease Understanding

Network control theory provides a framework by which neurophysiological dynamics of the brain can be modelled as a function of the structural connectome constructed from diffusion MRI. Average controllability describes the ability of a region to drive the brain to easy-to-reach neurophysiological states whilst modal controllability describes the ability of a region to drive the brain to difficult-to-reach states. In this study, we identify increases in mean average and modal controllability in children with drug-resistant epilepsy compared to healthy controls. Using simulations, we purport that these changes may be a result of increased thalamocortical connectivity. At the node level, we demonstrate decreased modal controllability in the thalamus and posterior cingulate regions. In those undergoing resective surgery, we also demonstrate increased modal controllability of the resected parcels, a finding specific to patients who were rendered seizure free following surgery. Changes in controllability are a manifestation of brain network dysfunction in epilepsy and may be a useful construct to understand the pathophysiology of this archetypical network disease. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these controllability changes may also facilitate the design of network-focussed interventions that seek to normalise network structure and function.

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Faculty Opinions recommendation of Effective treatment of chronic low back pain in humans reverses abnormal brain anatomy and function.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.11396956.12568056 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Allan Gottschalk

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Effective Treatment ◽

Chronic Low Back Pain ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Low Back ◽

And Function ◽

Abnormal Brain

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Brevican-Deficient Mice Display Impaired Hippocampal CA1 Long-Term Potentiation but Show No Obvious Deficits in Learning and Memory

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.22.21.7417-7427.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 22 (21) ◽

pp. 7417-7427 ◽

Cited By ~ 170

Author(s):

Cord Brakebusch ◽

Constanze I. Seidenbecher ◽

Fredrik Asztely ◽

Uwe Rauch ◽

Henry Matthies ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Learning And Memory ◽

Long Term Potentiation ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Perineuronal Nets ◽

Functional Roles ◽

Term Potentiation ◽

And Function ◽

Deficient Mice

ABSTRACT Brevican is a brain-specific proteoglycan which is found in specialized extracellular matrix structures called perineuronal nets. Brevican increases the invasiveness of glioma cells in vivo and has been suggested to play a role in central nervous system fiber tract development. To study the role of brevican in the development and function of the brain, we generated mice lacking a functional brevican gene. These mice are viable and fertile and have a normal life span. Brain anatomy was normal, although alterations in the expression of neurocan were detected. Perineuronal nets formed but appeared to be less prominent in mutant than in wild-type mice. Brevican-deficient mice showed significant deficits in the maintenance of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). However, no obvious impairment of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission was found, suggesting a complex cause for the LTP defect. Detailed behavioral analysis revealed no statistically significant deficits in learning and memory. These data indicate that brevican is not crucial for brain development but has restricted structural and functional roles.

Get full-text (via PubEx)

Benefits of Music Training Are Widespread and Lifelong: A Bibliographic Review of Their Non-Musical Effects

Medical Problems of Performing Artists ◽

10.21091/mppa.2014.2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 57-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

William J Dawson

Keyword(s):

Performing Arts ◽

Musical Training ◽

Auditory Memory ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Performing Arts Medicine ◽

Music Training ◽

Motor Functioning ◽

Age Related ◽

Prolonged Duration ◽

And Function

Recent publications indicate that musical training has effects on non-musical activities, some of which are lifelong. This study reviews recent publications collected from the Performing Arts Medicine Association bibliography. Music training, whether instrumental or vocal, produces beneficial and long-lasting changes in brain anatomy and function. Anatomic changes occur in brain areas devoted to hearing, speech, hand movements, and coordination between both sides of the brain. Functional benefits include improved sound processing and motor skills, especially in the upper extremities. Training benefits extend beyond music skills, resulting in higher IQs and school grades, greater specialized sensory and auditory memory/recall, better language memory and processing, heightened bilateral hand motor functioning, and improved integration and synchronization of sensory and motor functions. These changes last long after music training ends and can minimize or prevent age-related loss of brain cells and some mental functions. Early institution of music training and prolonged duration of training both appear to contribute to these positive changes.

Get full-text (via PubEx)

The Lateralizer: a tool for students to explore the divided brain

AJP Advances in Physiology Education ◽

10.1152/advan.00060.2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 220-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Benjamin A. Motz ◽

Karin H. James ◽

Thomas A. Busey

Keyword(s):

Visual Field ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Visual Fields ◽

Cerebral Hemispheres ◽

Brain Anatomy ◽

Skill Sets ◽

Divided Visual Field ◽

Field Technique ◽

Left And Right ◽

And Function

Despite a profusion of popular misinformation about the left brain and right brain, there are functional differences between the left and right cerebral hemispheres in humans. Evidence from split-brain patients, individuals with unilateral brain damage, and neuroimaging studies suggest that each hemisphere may be specialized for certain cognitive processes. One way to easily explore these hemispheric asymmetries is with the divided visual field technique, where visual stimuli are presented on either the left or right side of the visual field and task performance is compared between these two conditions; any behavioral differences between the left and right visual fields may be interpreted as evidence for functional asymmetries between the left and right cerebral hemispheres. We developed a simple software package that implements the divided visual field technique, called the Lateralizer, and introduced this experimental approach as a problem-based learning module in a lower-division research methods course. Second-year undergraduate students used the Lateralizer to experimentally challenge and explore theories of the differences between the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Measured learning outcomes after active exploration with the Lateralizer, including new knowledge of brain anatomy and connectivity, were on par with those observed in an upper-division lecture course. Moreover, the project added to the students' research skill sets and seemed to foster an appreciation of the link between brain anatomy and function.

Get full-text (via PubEx)