scholarly journals Exploring Anemia's Impact on Brain Microstructure, Volume, Functional Connectivity, Iron and Cognitive Performance

Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 3553-3553
Author(s):  
Soyoung Choi ◽  
Sharon H O'Neil ◽  
Anand A Joshi ◽  
Xin Miao ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Hemoglobin Level ◽  
White Matter Volume ◽  
Brain Iron ◽  
Volume Functional ◽  
Fluid Reasoning ◽  
Matrix Reasoning ◽  
The Brain

Introduction: We used MR imaging techniques to investigate the neurological consequences of chronic anemia in human patients with sickle cell disease, non-sickle anemic syndromes (called anemic-controls) and non-anemic controls. We previously demonstrated that hemoglobin level is an independent predictor of white matter volume (WMV) in brain as well as cognitive performance. Importantly, WMV was independent of genotype (sickle vs non-sickle), treatment type, HgB S%, fetal HgB level, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and presence of silent strokes. We also demonstrated that low hemoglobin is associated with abnormal brain functional connectivity and iron levels in select brain regions. In the present study, we examine the effects of anemia on brain integrity using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) calculated from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). ADC measures the magnitude of the motion of water in tissue and can be used to imply tissue damage, making it highly sensitive to neuropathology as altered tissue integrity and loss of cellular structures can change the diffusivity of water. We then explore the associations between ADC, local brain volume, functional connectivity, iron and cognitive performance. Methods: MRI data, CBC and neuropsychological testing results were obtained from 26 sickle cell disease (age = 20.9 ± 11.3, F:M = 13:13, HgB = 9.7 ± 2.1), 20 anemic-control (age = 25.9 ± 11.3, F:M = 10:10, HgB = 10.9 ± 0.5) and 25 control subjects (age = 23.1 ± 8.4, F:M = 16:9, HgB = 13.2 ± 1.2). (Recruited with informed consent or assent; IRB: CHLA CCI#11-00083). DWI (TE = 86ms; TR = 6700ms; resolution=2.5mm3; 30 directions; bvalue=1000m/s2; reverse-gradient b=0) were acquired on a 3T Philips Achieva (v.3.2.1) using an 8-channel head coil. Images were corrected for motion and distortion then voxel-wise calculations of ADC were computed then transferred to a common atlas space. (brainsuite.org, v18). 3D T1 weighted, quantitative susceptibility mapping, and functional MRI (fMRI) images were collected using our previously published protocols. After regressing out age and sex, we determined the effect of hemoglobin level at each voxel of the brain on ADC then corrected for multiple comparison (BH FDR α=0.1). Significant regions were retained, (p<0.05), and a mean ADC was computed for each subject from those regions. Pearson's correlations were used to determine the effects of hemoglobin level on the following measures: (1) mean ADC, (2) WMV, (3) Connectivity Dissimilarity Index (CDI), a measure quantifying the dissimilarity of functional connectivity pattern between each subject and a reference fMRI atlas (4) Iron measured in the substantia nigra of the brain's basal ganglia through R2* and susceptibility images and (5) Matrix Reasoning, a nonverbal measure of novel problems (fluid reasoning). Results: Hemoglobin level significantly correlated with ADC throughout the brain, but most strongly in deep white matter and subcortex, followed by the occipital lobe and cerebellum (Figure 1). The scatterplot between mean ADC and hemoglobin showed no discernable differentiation between anemia subtypes (Figure 2). Mean ADC and our previously developed markers of disease correlated well with each other showing that the severity of anemia correlates with higher ADC, lower white matter volume (WMV), abnormal functional connectivity (CDI), higher brain iron and lower Matrix Reasoning scores (males only; Table 1). Conclusion: Increased ADC, correlating with anemia severity, was observed in subcortical structures of an anemic population at risk for white matter shrinkage and cognitive dysfunction. ADC (but not WMV) correlated with brain iron which is known to accumulate in the presence of cerebral hypoxia. ADC and WMV changes were comparable in males and females but only males showed lower fluid reasoning. This data shows that anemia and brain iron are associated with brain tissue disruption and function. Disclosures Coates: vifor: Consultancy, Honoraria; celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: steering committee of clinical study; agios pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria; apo pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Wood:BiomedInformatics: Consultancy; Imago Biosciences: Consultancy; National Institutes of Health: Research Funding; Apopharma: Consultancy; WorldcareClinical: Consultancy; Philips Healthcare: Research Funding; BluebirdBio: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy.

scholarly journals Premature white matter microstructure in female children with a history of concussion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Nishat ◽  
Sonja Stojanovski ◽  
Shannon E Scratch ◽  
Stephanie H Ameis ◽  
Anne L Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Speed Test ◽  
Persistent Symptoms ◽  
Neurite Density ◽  
History Of ◽  
Brain Microstructure ◽  
The Brain

AbstractAs maturation of the brain continues throughout development, there is a risk of interference from concussions which are common in childhood. A concussion can cause widespread disruption to axons and inflammation in the brain and may influence emerging cognitive abilities. Females are more likely to experience persistent problems after a concussion, yet the sex-specific impact of concussions on brain microstructure in childhood is not well understood.In children from a large population sample, this study (1) investigated differences in white matter and cortical microstructure between children with and without a history of concussion, and (2) examined relationships between altered brain microstructure and cognitive performance.Neurite density measures from diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging were examined in 9-to 10-year-old children in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study with (n = 336) and without (n = 7368) a history of concussion. (1) Multivariate regression models were used to investigate the relationships between concussion history, sex, and age in the deep white matter, superficial white matter, subcortical structures, and cortex. (2) Principal component analysis was performed on neurite density, and components were examined in relation to performance on the Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Task and the Pattern Comparison Processing Speed Task to investigate the relationship between altered neurite density and cognitive performance.Neurite density in all tissue types demonstrated robust positive relationships with age reflecting maturation of brain microstructure. (1) Comparisons between children with and without a history of concussion revealed higher neurite density in deep and superficial white matter in females with concussion. No group differences were observed in subcortical or cortical neurite density. (2) Higher neurite density in superficial white matter beneath the frontal and temporal cortices was associated with lower scores on the processing speed test in females with concussion, and higher scores on the processing speed test in males with concussion.These findings suggest that concussion in childhood leads to premature white matter maturation in females and that this may be associated with slower processing speed. These sex-specific effects on the developing brain may contribute to the enhanced vulnerability to persistent symptoms after concussion in females.

scholarly journals The role of neural flexibility in cognitive aging

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanna Varangis ◽  
Weiwei Qi ◽  
Yaakov Stern ◽  
Seonjoo Lee
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Cognitive Networks ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Matrix Reasoning ◽  
Flexibility Measures ◽  
And Task

AbstractStudies assessing relationships between brain and cognitive changes in healthy aging have shown that a variety of aspects of brain structure and function explain a significant portion of the variability in cognitive outcomes throughout adulthood. Many studies assessing relationships between brain function and cognition have utilized time-averaged, or static functional connectivity methods to explore ways in which brain network organization may contribute to aspects of cognitive aging. However, recent studies in this field have suggested that time-varying, or dynamic measures of functional connectivity, which assess changes in functional connectivity throughout a scan session, may play a stronger role in explaining cognitive outcomes in healthy young adults. Further, both static and dynamic functional connectivity studies suggest that there may be differences in patterns of brain-cognition relationships as a function of whether or not the participant is performing a task during the scan. Thus, the goals of the present study were threefold: (1) assess whether dynamic connectivity (neural flexibility) during both resting as well as task-based scans is related to participant age and cognitive performance in a lifespan aging sample, (2) determine whether neural flexibility moderates relationships between age and cognitive performance, and (3) explore differences in neural flexibility between rest and task. Participants in the study were 423 healthy adults between the ages of 20-80 who provided resting state and/or task-based (Matrix Reasoning) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan data as part of their participation in two ongoing studies of cognitive aging. Neural flexibility measures from both resting and task-based scans reflected the number of times each node changed network assignment, and were averaged both across the whole brain (global neural flexibility) as well as within nine somatosensory/cognitive networks. Results showed that neural flexibility during the task was higher in older adults, and that neural flexibility in Default Mode and Visual networks was negatively related to performance on the Matrix Reasoning task. Resting state neural flexibility was not significantly related to either participant age or cognitive performance. Additionally, no neural flexibility measures that significantly moderated relationships between participant age and cognitive outcomes. Further, neural flexibility differed as a function of scan type, with resting state neural flexibility exhibiting significantly more variability than task-based neural flexibility. Thus, neural flexibility measures computed during a cognitive task may be more strongly related to cognitive performance across the adult lifespan, and are more sensitive to the effects of participant age on brain organization.

Functional connectivity and microstructural changes of the brain in primary Sjögren syndrome: the relationship with depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 1684-1694
Author(s):  
Artemis Andrianopoulou ◽  
Anastasia K Zikou ◽  
Loukas G Astrakas ◽  
Nafsika Gerolymatou ◽  
Vasileios Xydis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Pulse Sequence ◽  
Sjogren Syndrome ◽  
White Matter Tracts ◽  
Microstructural Changes ◽  
Primary Sjögren Syndrome ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Background Fatigue and depression are among the most common manifestations of primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), but information is lacking on the relationship with brain function and microstructural changes. Purpose To investigate microstructural changes and brain connectivity in pSS, and to evaluate their relationship with fatigue and depression. Material and Methods The study included 29 patients with pSS (mean age 61.2 ± 12.1 years; disease duration 10.5 ± 5.9 years) and 28 controls (mean age 58.4 ± 9.2 years). All the patients completed the Beck’s depression and Fatigue Assessment Scale questionnaires. The imaging protocol consisted of: (i) standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequences (FLAIR, 3D T1W); (ii) a diffusion tensor imaging pulse sequence; and (iii) a resting state functional MRI pulse sequence. Resting state brain networks and maps of diffusion metrics were calculated and compared between patients and controls. Results Compared with the controls, the patients with pSS and depression showed increased axial, radial, and mean diffusivity and decreased fractional anisotropy; those without depression showed decreased axial diffusivity in major white matter tracts (superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, corticospinal tract, anterior thalamic radiation, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, cingulum, uncinate fasciculus, and forceps minor-major). Decreased brain activation in the sensorimotor network was observed in the patients with pSS compared with the controls. No correlation was found between fatigue and structural or functional changes of the brain. Conclusion pSS is associated with functional connectivity abnormalities of the somatosensory cortex and microstructural abnormalities in major white matter tracts, which are more pronounced in depression.

White matter volume is decreased in the brain of patients with neuromyelitis optica

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-B. Chanson ◽  
J. Lamy ◽  
F. Rousseau ◽  
F. Blanc ◽  
N. Collongues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Neuromyelitis Optica ◽  
White Matter Volume ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals Anemia predicts lower white matter volume and cognitive performance in sickle and non‐sickle cell anemia syndrome

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (10) ◽  
pp. 1055-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soyoung Choi ◽  
Sharon H. O'Neil ◽  
Anand A. Joshi ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Adam M. Bush ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Sickle Cell Anemia ◽  
White Matter Volume ◽  
Matter Volume

scholarly journals Cognitive performance in type 1 diabetes patients is associated with cerebral white matter volume

Diabetologia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1763-1769 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Wessels ◽  
S. A. R. B. Rombouts ◽  
P. L. Remijnse ◽  
Y. Boom ◽  
P. Scheltens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cerebral White Matter ◽  
White Matter Volume ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Diabetes Patients

scholarly journals Menstrual Cycle Variations in Gray Matter Volume, White Matter Volume and Functional Connectivity: Critical Impact on Parietal Lobe

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Meeker ◽  
Dieuwke S. Veldhuijzen ◽  
Michael L. Keaser ◽  
Rao P. Gullapalli ◽  
Joel D. Greenspan
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
White Matter Volume ◽  
Menstrual Phase ◽  
Hormone Levels ◽  
Matter Volume

The role of gonadal hormones in neural plasticity remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the effects of naturally fluctuating hormone levels over the menstrual cycle in healthy females. Gray matter, functional connectivity (FC) and white matter changes over the cycle were assessed by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), resting state fMRI, and structural MRIs, respectively, and associated with serum gonadal hormone levels. Moreover, electrocutaneous sensitivity was evaluated in 14 women in four phases of their menstrual cycle (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal). Electrocutaneous sensitivity was greater during follicular compared to menstrual phase. Additionally, pain unpleasantness was lower in follicular phase than other phases while pain intensity ratings did not change over the cycle. Significant variations in cycle phase effects on gray matter volume were found in the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) using voxel-based morphometry. Subsequent Freesurfer analysis revealed greater thickness of left IPL during the menstrual phase when compared to other phases. Also, white matter volume fluctuated across phases in left IPL. Blood estradiol was positively correlated with white matter volume both in left parietal cortex and whole cortex. Seed-driven FC between left IPL and right secondary visual cortex was enhanced during ovulatory phase. A seed placed in right IPL revealed enhanced FC between left and right IPL during the ovulatory phase. Additionally, we found that somatosensory cortical gray matter was thinner during follicular compared to menstrual phase. We discuss these results in the context of likely evolutionary pressures selecting for enhanced perceptual sensitivity across modalities specifically during ovulation.

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