scholarly journals Bayesian Causal Network Modeling Suggests Adolescent Cannabis Use Promotes Accelerated Prefrontal Cortical Thinning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Michael Owens
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Recent Analysis ◽  
Causal Network ◽  
Cortical Thinning ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Brain Structure And Function

While there is substantial evidence that cannabis use is associated with differences in brain structure and function, most of this evidence is correlational in nature. This is particularly true regarding the association of adolescent cannabis use on human brain development, which cannot be tested in an experimental approach. Bayesian causal network (BCN) modeling attempts to identify probable causal associations in correlational data by using the conditional probabilities among a set of interrelated variables to estimate directional associations between those variables. The current report builds on a recent analysis conducted by Albaugh et al. (2021) that found an association between neurodevelopment and cannabis use in the IMAGEN study of adolescent brain development. Here, we employ BCN modeling on the same sample to provide evidence that the associations found previously are driven by cannabis use affecting neurodevelopment and not, for example, by a pre-existing neurodevelopmental trajectory that also promotes cannabis use. Structural MRI was acquired at ages 14 and 19, from which average cortical thickness was derived for a region of interest in the dorsal prefrontal cortex identified by Albaugh et al. as differing in adolescents who initiated cannabis use between ages 14 and 19. Adolescents were all cannabis naïve at age 14 and 46% had used cannabis at least once by age 19. We tested multiple learning algorithms with a variety of different parameters to build BCNs that would describe the relationship between cortical thickness and cannabis use. All BCN models strongly suggested a directional relationship from cannabis use between the ages of 14 and 19 to accelerated cortical thinning during that same period. Acknowledging that BCN modeling cannot prove a causal relationship between adolescent cannabis use and accelerated cortical thinning, these results are consistent with a body of preclinical and human research suggesting that adolescent cannabis use adversely affects brain development.

scholarly journals Pubertal hormones and brain structure: Exploring the value of hair assays

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandita Vijayakumar ◽  
Elizabeth Shirtcliff ◽  
Michelle L Byrne ◽  
Kathryn L. Mills ◽  
Theresa W Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Pubertal Stage ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Hormonal Exposure

Neuroimaging research has highlighted the role of puberty in structural brain development in humans, but studies investigating the mechanistic role of hormones in this association have produced inconsistent findings. Limitations of current approaches to hormonal assessments have long been recognized, as basal hormone levels are susceptible to momentary influences (in particular, circadian rhythmicity and menstrual cyclicity). However, emerging research suggests that a novel method of assaying pubertal hormone concentrations in hair may overcome some of these issues by capturing hormonal exposure across a longer period of time. This study is the first to compare associations between hormone concentrations measured via hair and saliva with brain structure in a sample of early adolescent females (N = 112, 10-13 years of age). Estradiol, testosterone, and DHEA concentrations were assayed from i) 5cm hair samples collected proximal to the scalp, reflecting approximately 5 months of hormonal exposure, and ii) repeated weekly saliva samples collected over the course of one month. Participants also underwent structural MRI scans, and estimates of cortical thickness and subcortical volume were obtained. Findings revealed that pubertal hormones in saliva samples exhibited strongest associations with parieto-occipital cortices. Comparatively, hair hormone concentrations exhibited stronger negative associations with cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortical thickness, which may reflect unique developmental processes that occur across longer periods of hormonal exposure. However, controlling for pubertal stage removed much of the cortical associations with hormones in saliva, and resulted in minimal change in cortical associations with hormones in hair. Thus hormone concentrations in hair may reflect biological processes not captured by self-reported pubertal stage that influence brain development. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of these potentially unique neurodevelopmental processes captured by saliva and hair hormone concentrations.

scholarly journals Alcohol Use Disrupts Age-Appropriate Cortical Thinning in Adolescence: A Data Driven Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delin Sun ◽  
Viraj R Adduru ◽  
Rachel D Phillips ◽  
Heather C Bouchard ◽  
Aristeidis Sotiras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Age Cohorts ◽  
Cortical Thinning ◽  
Longitudinal Effects ◽  
Data Driven Approach ◽  
Age Appropriate

Objective: Cortical thickness changes dramatically during development and is influenced by adolescent drinking. However, previous findings have been inconsistent and limited by region-of-interest approaches that are underpowered because they do not conform to the underlying heterogeneity from the effects of alcohol. Methods: Adolescents (n=657; 12-22 years at baseline) from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) who endorsed little to no alcohol use at baseline were assessed with structural MRI and followed longitudinally at four yearly intervals. Seven unique spatially covarying patterns of cortical thickness were obtained from the baseline scans by applying a novel data-driven method called non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). The cortical thickness maps of all participants' longitudinal scans were projected onto vertex-level cortical patterns to obtain participant-specific coefficients for each pattern. Linear mixed-effects models were fit to each pattern to investigate longitudinal effects of alcohol consumption on cortical thickness. Results: In most NMF-derived cortical thickness patterns, the longitudinal rate of decline in no/low drinkers was similar for all age cohorts, among moderate drinkers the decline was faster in the younger cohort and slower in the older cohort, among heavy drinkers the decline was fastest in the younger cohort and slowest in the older cohort (FDR corrected p-values < 0.01). Conclusions: The NMF method can delineate spatially coordinated patterns of cortical thickness at the vertex level that are unconstrained by anatomical features. Age-appropriate cortical thinning is more rapid in younger adolescent drinkers and slower in older adolescent drinkers.

scholarly journals 0873 Obstructive Sleep Apnea Impacts Brain Development in Obese Children and Adolescents: An MRI Study

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A333-A333
Author(s):  
F Sarzetto ◽  
T Naik ◽  
I Narang ◽  
A Kassner
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Combined Effect ◽  
Obese Adolescents ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Mri Study

Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a breathing disorder characterized by episodes of nocturnal hypoxia and chronic systemic inflammation, affecting more than 50% of obese youths. Both obesity and OSA independently have a negative impact on brain structure and function, but their combined effect on the developing brain is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess MRI measurements of cortical thickness (CT) in obese youths with various degrees of OSA severity. We hypothesized that CT is abnormal in obese adolescents with OSA. Methods 55 obese subjects (26 females, 29 males, mean 14.3 ± 2.4 years) were included in the analysis. All subjects were assessed with polysomnography (PSG) to evaluate presence and severity of OSA. T1-weighted MPRAGE images were acquired using a 3T MRI scanner following PSG. CT was extracted using the CIVET 2.1.1 pipeline, and statistical analysis was performed on SurfStat to examine global and regional CT in relation to age using a general linear model. Results Based on PSG outcome, subjects were divided into 3 groups, no OSA (OAHI &lt; 1.5 events/hr., n = 15), mild OSA (OAHI &lt; 5, n = 14), and moderate/severe OSA (OAHI &#8805; 5, n = 26). Cortical thickness analysis revealed a negative-trending correlation between global CT and age in no OSA (T = -0.49, P &gt; 0.6), as seen in typical development. This correlation weakened in the presence of mild OSA (T = -0.20, P &gt; 0.8) and became significantly positive in moderate/severe OSA (T = 3.87, P = 0.001), affecting several cortical areas. Conclusion These results indicate that brain development in obese adolescents with moderate/severe OSA significantly deviates from the typical trajectory of cortical thinning. This thickening could be due to exacerbated inflammation from the combined effect of both diseases, or a neurotrophic effect of leptin. More data is needed to validate these findings. Support None

scholarly journals Altered cortical thickness development in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and association with psychotic symptoms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joëlle Bagautdinova ◽  
Daniela Zöller ◽  
Marie Schaer ◽  
Maria Carmela Padula ◽  
Valentina Mancini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
22Q11.2 Deletion Syndrome ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Brain Maturation ◽  
Deletion Syndrome ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
22Q11.2 Deletion ◽  
Cortical Thinning

AbstractSchizophrenia has been extensively associated with reduced cortical thickness (CT), and its neurodevelopmental origin is increasingly acknowledged. However, the exact timing and extent of alterations occurring in preclinical phases remain unclear. With a high prevalence of psychosis, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a neurogenetic disorder that represents a unique opportunity to examine brain maturation in high-risk individuals. In this study, we quantified trajectories of CT maturation in 22q11DS and examined the association of CT development with the emergence of psychotic symptoms. Longitudinal structural MRI data with 1-6 time points were collected from 324 participants aged 5-35 years (N=148 22q11DS, N=176 controls), resulting in a total of 636 scans (N=334 22q11DS, N=302 controls). Mixed model regression analyses were used to compare CT trajectories between participants with 22q11DS and controls. Further, CT trajectories were compared between participants with 22q11DS who developed (N=61, 146 scans), or remained exempt of (N=47; 98 scans) positive psychotic symptoms during development. Compared to controls, participants with 22q11DS showed widespread increased CT, focal reductions in the posterior cingulate gyrus and superior temporal gyrus (STG), and accelerated cortical thinning during adolescence, mainly in fronto-temporal regions. Within 22q11DS, individuals who developed psychotic symptoms showed exacerbated cortical thinning in the right STG. Together, these findings suggest that genetic predisposition for psychosis is associated with increased CT starting from childhood and altered maturational trajectories of CT during adolescence, affecting predominantly fronto-temporal regions. In addition, accelerated thinning in the STG may represent an early biomarker associated with the emergence of psychotic symptoms.

scholarly journals Altered cortical thickness development in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and association with psychotic symptoms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joëlle Bagautdinova ◽  
Daniela Zöller ◽  
Marie Schaer ◽  
Maria Carmela Padula ◽  
Valentina Mancini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
22Q11.2 Deletion Syndrome ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Brain Maturation ◽  
Deletion Syndrome ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
22Q11.2 Deletion ◽  
Cortical Thinning

AbstractSchizophrenia has been extensively associated with reduced cortical thickness (CT), and its neurodevelopmental origin is increasingly acknowledged. However, the exact timing and extent of alterations occurring in preclinical phases remain unclear. With a high prevalence of psychosis, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a neurogenetic disorder that represents a unique opportunity to examine brain maturation in high-risk individuals. In this study, we quantified trajectories of CT maturation in 22q11DS and examined the association of CT development with the emergence of psychotic symptoms. Longitudinal structural MRI data with 1–6 time points were collected from 324 participants aged 5–35 years (N = 148 22q11DS, N = 176 controls), resulting in a total of 636 scans (N = 334 22q11DS, N = 302 controls). Mixed model regression analyses were used to compare CT trajectories between participants with 22q11DS and controls. Further, CT trajectories were compared between participants with 22q11DS who developed (N = 61, 146 scans), or remained exempt of (N = 47; 98 scans) positive psychotic symptoms during development. Compared to controls, participants with 22q11DS showed widespread increased CT, focal reductions in the posterior cingulate gyrus and superior temporal gyrus (STG), and accelerated cortical thinning during adolescence, mainly in frontotemporal regions. Within 22q11DS, individuals who developed psychotic symptoms showed exacerbated cortical thinning in the right STG. Together, these findings suggest that genetic predisposition for psychosis is associated with increased CT starting from childhood and altered maturational trajectories of CT during adolescence, affecting predominantly frontotemporal regions. In addition, accelerated thinning in the STG may represent an early biomarker associated with the emergence of psychotic symptoms.

Executive function deficit in betel-quid-dependent chewers: Mediating role of prefrontal cortical thickness

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1362-1368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueling Zhu ◽  
Shaohui Liu ◽  
Weihua Liao ◽  
Lingyu Kong ◽  
Canhua Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Betel Quid ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Betel Quid Chewing ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Brain Structure And Function

Background: Betel quid is the fourth most popular psychoactive agent worldwide. Neuroimaging studies have suggested betel-quid dependence is accompanied by abnormality in brain structure and function. However, the neural correlates of executive function deficit and prefrontal cortical thickness associated with betel-quid chewing still remain unclear. Objective: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between executive function deficit and prefrontal cortical thickness in chronic betel-quid chewers. Methods: Twenty-three betel-quid-dependent chewers and 26 healthy controls were recruited to participate in this study. Executive function was tested using three tasks. Cortical thickness analysis was analyzed with the FreeSurfer software package. Results: Behavioral results suggested a profound deficit of executive function in betel-quid-dependent chewers. Cortical thickness analysis revealed thinner cortex in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in betel-quid-dependent chewers. Further analysis suggested that cortical thickness of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex mediated the correlation of betel-quid chewing and executive function. Conclusions: These results suggest the important role of executive function and cortical thickness of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with betel-quid chewing. Our findings provide evidence that executive function deficit may be mediated by the cortical thickness of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results could potentially help us develop novel ways to diagnose and prevent betel-quid dependence.

scholarly journals Morphological Profiling of Schizophrenia: Cluster Analysis of MRI-Based Cortical Thickness Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 623-632
Author(s):  
Yunzhi Pan ◽  
Weidan Pu ◽  
Xudong Chen ◽  
Xiaojun Huang ◽  
Yan Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Positive Symptom ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Clinical Patient ◽  
Cortical Thinning ◽  
Mri Scans

Abstract The diagnosis of schizophrenia is thought to embrace several distinct subgroups. The manifold entities in a single clinical patient group increase the variance of biological measures, deflate the group-level estimates of causal factors, and mask the presence of treatment effects. However, reliable neurobiological boundaries to differentiate these subgroups remain elusive. Since cortical thinning is a well-established feature in schizophrenia, we investigated if individuals (patients and healthy controls) with similar patterns of regional cortical thickness form naturally occurring morphological subtypes. K-means algorithm clustering was applied to regional cortical thickness values obtained from 256 structural MRI scans (179 patients with schizophrenia and 77 healthy controls [HCs]). GAP statistics revealed three clusters with distinct regional thickness patterns. The specific patterns of cortical thinning, clinical characteristics, and cognitive function of each clustered subgroup were assessed. The three clusters based on thickness patterns comprised of a morphologically impoverished subgroup (25% patients, 1% HCs), an intermediate subgroup (47% patients, 46% HCs), and an intact subgroup (28% patients, 53% HCs). The differences of clinical features among three clusters pertained to age-of-onset, N-back performance, duration exposure to treatment, total burden of positive symptoms, and severity of delusions. Particularly, the morphologically impoverished group had deficits in N-back performance and less severe positive symptom burden. The data-driven neuroimaging approach illustrates the occurrence of morphologically separable subgroups in schizophrenia, with distinct clinical characteristics. We infer that the anatomical heterogeneity of schizophrenia arises from both pathological deviance and physiological variance. We advocate using MRI-guided stratification for clinical trials as well as case–control investigations in schizophrenia.

Cognition and Cortical Thickness in Heavy Cannabis Users

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Miriam Wittemann ◽  
Jule Brielmaier ◽  
Mathias Rubly ◽  
Jennifer Kennel ◽  
Florian Werler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Domain Specific

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Acute and long-term adverse effects of heavy cannabis use (HCU) on neurocognitive function have been suggested, as much as regional changes of brain volume. However, little is known about the relationship between impaired cognition and brain structure in individuals with HCU. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> Here, we investigated associations between cognition and cortical thickness (CT) in males with HCU and male controls. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Twenty-six individuals with HCU and 20 controls were examined using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and high-resolution structural MRI at 3T. CT was calculated using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Individuals with HCU differed from controls with respect to verbal learning performance and verbal working memory only. Individuals with HCU showed reduced CT in medial temporal, orbitofrontal, and cingulate regions, as well as in areas of the middle temporal and fusiform cortex (peak voxel family-wise error-corrected <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001, followed by empirically determined correction for spatial extent) compared to HC. Verbal learning performance was associated with right entorhinal and left orbitofrontal CT reductions. Entorhinal CT was also significantly associated with amount and frequency of current weekly cannabis use. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The data support the notion of domain-specific cognitive impairment in individuals with HCU and provide a neuromechanistic understanding of such deficits, particularly with respect to abnormal CT in brain areas associated with long-term memory processing.

scholarly journals Cortical Thinning in the Medial Temporal Lobe and Precuneus Is Related to Cognitive Deficits in Patients With Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Chen ◽  
Jiarui Song ◽  
Runtian Cheng ◽  
Kangcheng Wang ◽  
Xiaoshuang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Disease ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobe ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Vascular Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cortical Atrophy

Subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) is a major cause of vascular cognitive impairment (CI) and features extensive atrophy in the cerebral cortex. We aimed to test the hypothesis that cognitive deficits in SIVD are linked to decreased cortical thickness in specific brain regions, which may constitute neuroimaging biomarkers of CI. Sixty-seven SIVD patients without (SIVD-NC, n = 35) and with (SIVD-CI, n = 32) CI and a group of healthy controls (HCs, n = 36) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive functional assessments. FreeSurfer was used to preprocess structural MRI data and to calculate and compare cortical thickness. The correlation between cortical thickness and cognitive scores was examined in SIVD patients. Significantly altered cortical thickness in the bilateral insula, middle and inferior temporal lobes, precuneus, and medial temporal lobe (MTL) was identified among the three groups (p &lt; 0.05, Monte Carlo simulation corrected). Post hoc results showed significantly decreased thickness in the bilateral insula and temporal lobe in SIVD-NC and SIVD-CI patients compared with HCs. However, the areas with reduced cortical thickness were larger in SIVD-CI than SIVD-NC patients. SIVD-CI patients had significantly reduced thickness in the bilateral precuneus and left MTL (Bonferroni corrected) compared with SIVD-NC patients when we extracted the mean thickness for each region of interest. In SIVD patients, the thicknesses of the left MTL and bilateral precuneus were positively correlated with immediate recall in the memory test. SIVD might lead to extensive cerebral cortical atrophy, while atrophy in the MTL and precuneus might be associated with memory deficits.

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