scholarly journals Associations of cigarette smoking with gray and white matter in the UK Biobank

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Gray ◽  
Matthew Thompson ◽  
Chelsie Benca-Bachman ◽  
Max Michael Owens ◽  
Mikela Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Mean Diffusivity ◽  
Medial Lemniscus ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk

Chronic cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk for myriad health consequences including cognitive decline and dementia, but research on the link between smoking and brain structure is nascent. We assessed the relationship of cigarette smoking (ever smoked, cigarettes per day, and duration) with gray and white matter using the UK Biobank cohort (gray matter N = 19,615; white matter N = 17,760), adjusting for numerous demographic and health confounders. Ever smoked and duration were associated with smaller total gray matter volume. Ever smoked was associated with reduced volume of the right VIIIa cerebellum, as well as elevated white matter hyperintensity volumes. Smoking duration was associated with reduced total white matter volume. With regard to specific tracts, ever smoked was associated with reduced fractional anisotropy in the left cingulate gyrus part of the cingulum, left posterior thalamic radiation, and bilateral superior thalamic radiation and increased mean diffusivity in the middle cerebellar peduncle, right medial lemniscus, bilateral posterior thalamic radiation, and bilateral superior thalamic radiation. Overall, we found significant associations of cigarette exposure with global measures of gray and white matter. Furthermore, we found select associations of ever smoked, but not cigarettes per day or duration, with specific gray and white matter regions. These findings inform our understanding of the connections between smoking and variation in brain structure and clarify potential mechanisms of risk for common neurological sequelae.

scholarly journals A Correlational Study between Microstructural White Matter Properties and Macrostructural Gray Matter Volume Across Normal Ageing: Conjoint DTI and VBM Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 1178623X1879992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas Pareek ◽  
VP Subramanyam Rallabandi ◽  
Prasun K Roy
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Fractional Anisotropy ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Mean Diffusivity ◽  
Radial Diffusivity ◽  
Axial Diffusivity ◽  
Matter Volume

We investigate the relationship between Gray matter’s volume vis-a-vis White matter’s integrity indices, such Axial diffusivity, Radial diffusivity, Mean diffusivity, and Fractional anisotropy, in individuals undergoing healthy aging. We investigated MRI scans of 177 adults across 20 to 85 years. We used Voxel-based morphometry, and FDT-FSL analysis for estimation of Gray matter volume and White matter’s diffusion indices respectively. Across the life span, we observed an inter-relationship between the Gray matter and White matter, namely that both Axial diffusivity and Mean Diffusivity show strong correlation with Gray matter volume, along the aging process. Furthermore, across all ages the Fractional anisotropy and Mean diffusivity are found to be significantly reduced in females when compared to males, but there are no significant gender differences in Axial Diffusivity and Radial diffusivity. We conclude that for both genders across all ages, the Gray matter’s Volume is strongly correlated with White matter’s Axial Diffusivity and Mean Diffusivity, while being weakly correlated with Fractional Anisotropy. Our study clarifies the multi-scale relationship in brain tissue, by elucidating how the White matter’s micro-structural parameters influences the Gray matter’s macro-structural characteristics, during healthy aging across the life-span.

scholarly journals Associations of cigarette smoking with gray and white matter in the UK Biobank

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1215-1222
Author(s):  
Joshua C. Gray ◽  
Matthew Thompson ◽  
Chelsie Bachman ◽  
Max M. Owens ◽  
Mikela Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Altered Cortical Brain Structure and Increased Risk for Disease Seen Decades After Perinatal Exposure to Maternal Smoking: A Study of 9000 Adults in the UK Biobank

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 5217-5233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E Salminen ◽  
Rand R Wilcox ◽  
Alyssa H Zhu ◽  
Brandalyn C Riedel ◽  
Christopher R K Ching ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Structure ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Sensory Cortices ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Secondhand smoke exposure is a major public health risk that is especially harmful to the developing brain, but it is unclear if early exposure affects brain structure during middle age and older adulthood. Here we analyzed brain MRI data from the UK Biobank in a population-based sample of individuals (ages 44–80) who were exposed (n = 2510) or unexposed (n = 6079) to smoking around birth. We used robust statistical models, including quantile regressions, to test the effect of perinatal smoke exposure (PSE) on cortical surface area (SA), thickness, and subcortical volumes. We hypothesized that PSE would be associated with cortical disruption in primary sensory areas compared to unexposed (PSE−) adults. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, SA was significantly lower in the pericalcarine (PCAL), inferior parietal (IPL), and regions of the temporal and frontal cortex of PSE+ adults; these abnormalities were associated with increased risk for several diseases, including circulatory and endocrine conditions. Sensitivity analyses conducted in a hold-out group of healthy participants (exposed, n = 109, unexposed, n = 315) replicated the effect of PSE on SA in the PCAL and IPL. Collectively our results show a negative, long term effect of PSE on sensory cortices that may increase risk for disease later in life.

scholarly journals Adapting the UK Biobank brain imaging protocol and analysis pipeline for the C-MORE multi-organ study of COVID-19 survivors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludovica Griffanti ◽  
Betty Raman ◽  
Fidel Alfaro-Almagro ◽  
Nicola Filippini ◽  
Mark Philip Cassar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Mean Diffusivity ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Analysis Pipeline ◽  
Imaging Protocol ◽  
Diffusion Weighted Images ◽  
Radiology Reports ◽  
The Uk

SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to damage multiple organs, including the brain. Multiorgan MRI can provide further insight on the repercussions of COVID-19 on organ health but requires a balance between richness and quality of data acquisition and total scan duration. We adapted the UK Biobank brain MRI protocol to produce high-quality images while being suitable as part of a post-COVID-19 multiorgan MRI exam. The analysis pipeline, also adapted from UK Biobank, includes new imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) designed to assess the effects of COVID-19. A first application of the protocol and pipeline was performed in 51 COVID-19 patients post-hospital discharge and 25 controls participating in the Oxford C-MORE study. The protocol acquires high resolution T1, T2-FLAIR, diffusion weighted images, susceptibility weighted images, and arterial spin labelling data in 17 minutes. The automated imaging pipeline derives 1575 IDPs, assessing brain anatomy (including olfactory bulb volume and intensity) and tissue perfusion, hyperintensities, diffusivity, and susceptibility. In the C-MORE data, these quantitative measures were consistent with clinical radiology reports. Our exploratory analysis tentatively revealed that recovered COVID-19 patients had a decrease in frontal grey matter volumes, an increased burden of white matter hyperintensities, and reduced mean diffusivity in the total and normal appearing white matter in the posterior thalamic radiation and sagittal stratum, relative to controls. These differences were generally more prominent in patients who received organ support. Increased T2* in the thalamus was also observed in recovered COVID-19 patients, with a more prominent increase for non-critical patients. This initial evidence of brain changes in COVID-19 survivors prompts the need for further investigations. Follow-up imaging in the C-MORE study is currently ongoing, and this protocol is now being used in large-scale studies. The pipeline is widely applicable and will contribute to new analyses to hopefully clarify the medium to long-term effects of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Long-term association of pregnancy and maternal brain structure: the Rotterdam Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurate Aleknaviciute ◽  
Tavia E. Evans ◽  
Elif Aribas ◽  
Merel W. de Vries ◽  
Eric A.P. Steegers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Rotterdam Study ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Maternal Brain

ABSTRACTThe peripartum period is the highest risk interval for the onset or exacerbation of psychiatric illness in women’s lives. Notably, pregnancy and childbirth have been associated with short-term structural and functional changes in the maternal human brain. Yet the long-term effects of parity on maternal brain structure remain unknown. Therefore, we utilized a large population-based cohort to examine the association between parity and brain structure. In total, 2,835 women (mean age 65.2 years; all free from dementia, stroke, and cortical brain infarcts) from the Rotterdam Study underwent magnetic resonance imaging (1.5 T) between 2005 and 2015. Associations of parity with global and lobar brain tissue volumes, white matter microstructure, and markers of vascular brain disease were examined using regression models. We found that parity was associated with a larger global gray matter volume (β= 0.14, 95% CI = 0.09-0.19), a finding that persisted following adjustment for sociodemographic factors. A non-significant dose-dependent relationship was observed between a higher number of childbirths and larger gray matter volume. The gray matter volume association with parity was globally proportional across lobes. No associations were found regarding white matter volume or integrity, nor with markers of cerebral small vessel disease. The current findings indicate that pregnancy and childbirth are associated with robust long-term changes in brain structure involving larger global gray matter volume that persists for decades. Taken together, these data provide novel insight into the impact of motherhood on the human brain.

scholarly journals Association between insomnia and cognitive performance, gray matter volume, and white matter microstructure in cognitively unimpaired adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oriol Grau-Rivera ◽  
◽  
Grégory Operto ◽  
Carles Falcón ◽  
Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Diffusion Weighted Imaging ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Structural Imaging ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Diffusion Weighted ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Potential Interactions

Abstract Background Mounting evidence links poor sleep quality with a higher risk of late-life dementia. However, the structural and cognitive correlates of insomnia are still not well understood. The study aims were to characterize the cognitive performance and brain structural pattern of cognitively unimpaired adults at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with insomnia. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1683 cognitively unimpaired middle/late-middle-aged adults from the ALFA (ALzheimer and FAmilies) study who underwent neuropsychological assessment, T1-weighted structural imaging (n = 366), and diffusion-weighted imaging (n = 334). The World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey Initiative version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to define the presence or absence of insomnia. Multivariable regression models were used to evaluate differences in cognitive performance between individuals with and without insomnia, as well as potential interactions between insomnia and the APOE genotype. Voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics were used to assess between-group differences and potential interactions between insomnia and the APOE genotype in gray matter volume and white matter diffusion metrics. Results Insomnia was reported by 615 out of 1683 participants (36.5%), including 137 out of 366 (37.4%) with T1-weighted structural imaging available and 119 out of 334 (35.6%) with diffusion-weighted imaging. Individuals with insomnia (n = 615) performed worse in executive function tests than non-insomniacs and displayed lower gray matter volume in left orbitofrontal and right middle temporal cortex, bilateral precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus, higher gray matter volume in the left caudate nucleus, and widespread reduction of mean and axial diffusivity in right hemisphere white matter tracts. Insomnia interacted with the APOE genotype, with APOE-ε4 carriers displaying lower gray matter volumes when insomnia was present, but higher volumes when insomnia was not present, in several gray matter regions, including the left angular gyrus, the bilateral superior frontal gyri, the thalami, and the right hippocampus. Conclusions Insomnia in cognitively unimpaired adults at increased risk for AD is associated to poorer performance in some executive functions and volume changes in cortical and subcortical gray matter, including key areas involved in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as decreased white matter diffusivity.

scholarly journals Phenotypic and genetic associations between anhedonia and brain structure in UK Biobank

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingxing Zhu ◽  
Joey Ward ◽  
Breda Cullen ◽  
Donald M. Lyall ◽  
Rona J. Strawbridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
White Matter Integrity ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Polygenic Risk ◽  
Matter Volume

AbstractBackgroundAnhedonia is a core symptom of multiple psychiatric disorders and has been associated with changes in brain structure. Genome-wide association studies suggest that anhedonia is heritable with a polygenic architecture but few studies have explored the association between genetic loading for anhedonia - indexed by polygenic risk scores for anhedonia (PRS-anhedonia) - and structural brain imaging phenotypes. We investigated how anhedonia and polygenic risk for anhedonia were associated with brain structure within the UK Biobank cohort.MethodsBrain measures (including total grey/white matter volumes, subcortical volumes, cortical thickness and white matter integrity) were analysed in relation to the self-reported anhedonia phenotype and PRS-anhedonia for 17,492 participants (8,506 males and 8,986 females; mean age = 62.81 years, SD = 7.43), using linear mixed models and including mediation analyses.ResultsState anhedonia was significantly associated with smaller total grey matter volume (GMV), smaller volumes in thalamus and nucleus accumbens; as well as reduced cortical thickness within the paracentral gyrus, the opercular part of inferior frontal gyrus and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex. PRS-anhedonia was associated with reduced total GMV, increased total white matter volume and reduced white matter integrity; in addition to reduced cortical thickness within the parahippocampal cortex, the superior temporal gyrus and the insula cortex.ConclusionsBoth the state anhedonia phenotype and PRS-anhedonia were associated with differences in multiple brain structures/areas, including within reward-related circuits. These differences may represent vulnerability markers for psychopathology across a range of psychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals Subspecialization within default mode nodes characterized in 10,000 UK Biobank participants

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (48) ◽  
pp. 12295-12300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius M. Kernbach ◽  
B. T. Thomas Yeo ◽  
Jonathan Smallwood ◽  
Daniel S. Margulies ◽  
Michel Thiebaut de Schotten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Intrinsic Activity ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Pattern Learning ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
White Matter Microstructure

The human default mode network (DMN) is implicated in several unique mental capacities. In this study, we tested whether brain-wide interregional communication in the DMN can be derived from population variability in intrinsic activity fluctuations, gray-matter morphology, and fiber tract anatomy. In a sample of 10,000 UK Biobank participants, pattern-learning algorithms revealed functional coupling states in the DMN that are linked to connectivity profiles between other macroscopical brain networks. In addition, DMN gray matter volume was covaried with white matter microstructure of the fornix. Collectively, functional and structural patterns unmasked a possible division of labor within major DMN nodes: Subregions most critical for cortical network interplay were adjacent to subregions most predictive of fornix fibers from the hippocampus that processes memories and places.

scholarly journals Phenotypic and genetic associations between anhedonia and brain structure in UK Biobank

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingxing Zhu ◽  
Joey Ward ◽  
Breda Cullen ◽  
Donald M. Lyall ◽  
Rona J. Strawbridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
White Matter Integrity ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Matter Volume

AbstractAnhedonia is a core symptom of multiple psychiatric disorders and has been associated with alterations in brain structure. Genome-wide association studies suggest that anhedonia is heritable, with a polygenic architecture, but few studies have explored the association between genetic loading for anhedonia—indexed by polygenic risk scores for anhedonia (PRS-anhedonia)—and structural brain imaging phenotypes. Here, we investigated how anhedonia and PRS-anhedonia were associated with brain structure within the UK Biobank cohort. Brain measures (including total grey/white matter volumes, subcortical volumes, cortical thickness (CT) and white matter integrity) were analysed using linear mixed models in relation to anhedonia and PRS-anhedonia in 19,592 participants (9225 males; mean age = 62.6 years, SD = 7.44). We found that state anhedonia was significantly associated with reduced total grey matter volume (GMV); increased total white matter volume (WMV); smaller volumes in thalamus and nucleus accumbens; reduced CT within the paracentral cortex, the opercular part of inferior frontal gyrus, precentral cortex, insula and rostral anterior cingulate cortex; and poorer integrity of many white matter tracts. PRS-anhedonia was associated with reduced total GMV; increased total WMV; reduced white matter integrity; and reduced CT within the parahippocampal cortex, superior temporal gyrus and insula. Overall, both state anhedonia and PRS-anhedonia were associated with individual differences in multiple brain structures, including within reward-related circuits. These associations may represent vulnerability markers for psychopathology relevant to a range of psychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals Nucleus accumbens volume is related to obesity measures in an age-dependent fashion

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel García-García ◽  
Filip Morys ◽  
Alain Dagher
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Pathological Eating ◽  
The Brain

AbstractMotivation theories of obesity suggest that one of the brain mechanisms underlying pathological eating and weight gain is the dysregulation of dopaminergic circuits. While these dysregulations occur likely at the microscopic level, studies on gray matter volume reported macroscopic differences associated with obesity. One region suggested to play a key role in the pathophysiology of obesity is the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). We performed a meta-analysis of findings regarding NAcc volume and overweight/obesity. We additionally examined whether gray matter volume in the NAcc and other mesolimbic areas depends on the longitudinal trajectory of obesity, using the UK Biobank dataset. To this end, we analysed the data using a latent growth model, which identifies whether certain variables of interest (e.g. NAcc volume) is related to another variable’s (BMI) initial values or longitudinal trajectories. Our meta-analysis showed that, overall, NAcc volume is positively related to BMI. However, further analyses revealed that the relationship between NAcc volume and BMI is dependent on age. For younger individuals such relationship is positive, while for older adults it is negative. This was corroborated by our analysis in the UK Biobank dataset, which includes older adults, where we found that higher BMI was associated with lower NAcc and thalamus volume. Overall, our study suggests that increased NAcc volume in young age might be a vulnerability factor for obesity, while in the older age decreased NAcc volume with increased BMI might be an effect of prolonged influences of neuroinflammation on the brain.

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