Cortical thickness, cortical surface area and subcortical volumes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients with cannabis use

AbstractSubject motion can introduce noise into neuroimaging data and result in biased estimations of brain structure. In-scanner motion can compromise data quality in a number of ways and varies widely across developmental and clinical populations. However, quantification of structural image quality is often limited to proxy or indirect measures gathered from functional scans; this may be missing true differences related to these potential artifacts. In this study, we take advantage of novel informatic tools, the CAT12 toolbox, to more directly measure image quality from T1-weighted images to understand if these measures of image quality: (1) relate to rigorous quality-control checks visually completed by human raters; (2) are associated with sociodemographic variables of interest; (3) influence regional estimates of cortical surface area, cortical thickness, and subcortical volumes from the commonly used Freesurfer tool suite. We leverage public-access data that includes a community-based sample of children and adolescents, spanning a large age-range (N = 388; ages 5–21). Interestingly, even after visually inspecting our data, we find image quality significantly impacts derived cortical surface area, cortical thickness, and subcortical volumes from multiple regions across the brain (~ 23.4% of all areas investigated). We believe these results are important for research groups completing structural MRI studies using Freesurfer or other morphometric tools. As such, future studies should consider using measures of image quality to minimize the influence of this potential confound in group comparisons or studies focused on individual differences.

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Genetic and environmental influences on cortical surface area and cortical thickness in bipolar disorder

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291714001251 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 193-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

F. Bootsman ◽

R. M. Brouwer ◽

H. G. Schnack ◽

G. C. M. van Baal ◽

A. C. van der Schot ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Cortical Surface ◽

Cortical Surface Area ◽

Genes And Environment ◽

Discordant Twin

BackgroundThe risk of developing bipolar disorder (BD) has been linked to structural brain abnormalities. The degree to which genes and environment influence the association of BD with cortical surface area remains to be elucidated. In this twin study, genetic and environmental contributions to the association between liability to develop BD and surface area, thickness and volume of the cortex were examined.MethodThe study cohort included 44 affected monozygotic (nine concordant, 12 discordant) and dizygotic (four concordant, 19 discordant) twin pairs, and seven twins from incomplete discordant monozygotic and dizygotic discordant twin pairs. In addition, 37 monozygotic and 24 dizygotic healthy control twin pairs, and six twins from incomplete monozygotic and dizygotic control pairs were included.ResultsGenetic liability to develop BD was associated with a larger cortical surface in limbic and parietal regions, and a thicker cortex in central and parietal regions. Environmental factors related to BD were associated with larger medial frontal, parietal and limbic, and smaller orbitofrontal surfaces. Furthermore, thinner frontal, limbic and occipital cortex, and larger frontal and parietal, and smaller orbitofrontal volumes were also associated with environmental factors related to BD.ConclusionsOur results suggest that unique environmental factors play a prominent role in driving the associations between liability to develop BD and cortical measures, particularly those involving cortical thickness. Further evaluation of their influence on the surface and thickness of the cortical mantle is recommended. In addition, cortical volume appeared to be primarily dependent on surface and not thickness.

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Cortical surface area and cortical thickness in the precuneus of adult humans

Neuroscience ◽

10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.11.063 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 286 ◽

pp. 345-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

E. Bruner ◽

F.J. Román ◽

J.M. de la Cuétara ◽

M. Martin-Loeches ◽

R. Colom

Keyword(s):

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Cortical Surface ◽

Cortical Surface Area ◽

Adult Humans

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Cortical thickness and surface area relate to specific symptoms in early relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458514543811 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 402-414 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Gro O Nygaard ◽

Kristine B Walhovd ◽

Piotr Sowa ◽

Joy-Loi Chepkoech ◽

Atle Bjørnerud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Cortical Surface ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Neurological Disability ◽

Cortical Surface Area ◽

Relapsing Remitting ◽

Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Cortical atrophy is common in early relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Whether this atrophy is caused by changes in cortical thickness or cortical surface area is not known, nor is their separate contributions to clinical symptoms. Objectives: To investigate the difference in cortical surface area, thickness and volume between early RRMS patients and healthy controls; and the relationship between these measures and neurological disability, cognitive decline, fatigue and depression. Methods: RRMS patients ( n = 61) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neurological and neuropsychological examinations. We estimated cortical surface area, thickness and volume and compared them with matched healthy controls ( n = 61). We estimated the correlations between clinical symptoms and cortical measures within the patient group. Results: We found no differences in cortical surface area, but widespread differences in cortical thickness and volume between the groups. Neurological disability was related to regionally smaller cortical thickness and volume. Better verbal memory was related to regionally larger surface area; and better visuo-spatial memory, to regionally larger cortical volume. Higher depression scores and fatigue were associated with regionally smaller cortical surface area and volume. Conclusions: We found that cortical thickness, but not cortical surface area, is affected in early RRMS. We identified specific structural correlates to the main clinical symptoms in early RRMS.

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Brain structural differences between 73- and 92-year olds matched for childhood intelligence, social background, and intracranial volume

10.1101/135871 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Stuart J. Ritchie ◽

David Alexander Dickie ◽

Simon R. Cox ◽

Maria del C. Valdés Hernández ◽

Alison Pattie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Cognitive Ability ◽

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

White Matter Hyperintensity ◽

Socioeconomic Background ◽

Intracranial Volume ◽

Cortical Surface ◽

Age Cohorts ◽

Cortical Surface Area

AbstractFully characterizing age differences in the brain is a key task for combatting ageing-related cognitive decline. Using propensity score matching on two independent, narrow-age cohorts, we used data on childhood cognitive ability, socioeconomic background, and intracranial volume to match participants at mean age 92 years (n = 42) to very similar participants at mean age 73 (n = 126). Examining a variety of global and regional structural neuroimaging variables, there were large differences in grey and white matter volumes, cortical surface area, cortical thickness, and white matter hyperintensity volume and spatial extent. In a mediation analysis, the total volume of white matter hyperintensities and total cortical surface area jointly mediated 24.9% of the relation between age and general cognitive ability (tissue volumes and cortical thickness were not significant mediators in this analysis). These findings provide an unusual and valuable perspective on neurostructural ageing, in which brains from the eighth and tenth decades of life differ widely despite the same cognitive, socio-economic, and brain-volumetric starting points.

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Quantification of Cortical Thickness and Cortical Surface Area Abnormalities in Patients Affected by Migraine (S16.005)

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.78.1_meetingabstracts.s16.005 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 78 (Meeting Abstracts 1) ◽

pp. S16.005-S16.005

Author(s):

R. Messina ◽

M. Rocca ◽

P. Valsasina ◽

B. Colombo ◽

A. Falini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Cortical Surface ◽

Cortical Surface Area

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Cortical folding scales universally with surface area and thickness, not number of neurons

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aaa9101 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 349 (6243) ◽

pp. 74-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 118

Author(s):

Bruno Mota ◽

Suzana Herculano-Houzel

Keyword(s):

Free Energy ◽

Physical Model ◽

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Cortical Surface ◽

Square Root ◽

Cortical Folding ◽

Axonal Elongation ◽

Cortical Surface Area ◽

Simple Physical Model

Larger brains tend to have more folded cortices, but what makes the cortex fold has remained unknown. We show that the degree of cortical folding scales uniformly across lissencephalic and gyrencephalic species, across individuals, and within individual cortices as a function of the product of cortical surface area and the square root of cortical thickness. This relation is derived from the minimization of the effective free energy associated with cortical shape according to a simple physical model, based on known mechanisms of axonal elongation. This model also explains the scaling of the folding index of crumpled paper balls. We discuss the implications of this finding for the evolutionary and developmental origin of folding, including the newfound continuum between lissencephaly and gyrencephaly, and for pathologies such as human lissencephaly.

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Childhood adversity and cortical thickness and surface area in a population at familial high risk of schizophrenia

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291715002585 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 891-896 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

V. Barker ◽

C. Bois ◽

E. C. Johnstone ◽

D. G. C. Owens ◽

H. C. Whalley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Childhood Adversity ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Cortical Surface ◽

Cortical Surface Area ◽

Structural Abnormalities ◽

Familial High Risk

BackgroundThere is now a well-established link between childhood adversity (CA) and schizophrenia. Similar structural abnormalities to those found in schizophrenia including alterations in grey-matter volume have also been shown in those who experience CA.MethodWe examined whether global estimates of cortical thickness or surface area were altered in those familial high-risk subjects who had been referred to a social worker or the Children's Panel compared to those who had not.ResultsWe found that the cortical surface area of those who were referred to the Children's Panel was significantly smaller than those who had not been referred, but cortical thickness was not significantly altered. There was also an effect of social work referral on cortical surface area but not on thickness.ConclusionsCortical surface area increases post-natally more than cortical thickness. Our findings suggest that CA can influence structural changes in the brain and it is likely to have a greater impact on cortical surface area than on cortical thickness.

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