scholarly journals The Impact of Common Epidemiological Factors on Gray and White Matter Volumes in Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Is Prevention of Brain Degeneration Possible?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagoda Jacków-Nowicka ◽  
Przemysław Podgórski ◽  
Joanna Bladowska ◽  
Dorota Szcześniak ◽  
Joanna Rymaszewska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Gray Matter Loss ◽  
Age Range ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of multiple risk factors (age, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, BMI, smoking, alcohol) on the gray and white matter volumes as well as on the burden of white matter hyperintensities (WMH).Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 554 subjects (age range: 50–69 yrs, F/M: 367/187) recruited from the larger cohort of the Polish fraction of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study. The participants answered questionnaires about their lifestyle, underwent physical and psychological examination (MoCA test), laboratory blood tests followed by brain MRI. Volumetric measurements of the total gray matter (GMvol), total white matter (WMvol) and WHM (WMHvol) normalized to the total intracranial volume were performed using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox 12 (CAT12) and Statistical Parametric Maps 12 (SPM12) based on 3D T1-weighted sequence. The influence of risk factors was assessed using multiple regression analysis before and after correction for multiple comparisons.Results: Older age was associated with lower GMvol and WMvol, and higher WMHvol (p < 0.001). Smaller GMvol volume was associated with higher WMHvol (p < 0.001). Higher WMHvol was associated with hypertension (p = 0.01) and less significantly with hyperlipidemia (only before correction p = 0.03). Diabetes, abnormal BMI, smoking and alcohol intake did not have any significant impact on GMvol, WMvol or WMHvol (p > 0.05). MoCA score was not influenced by any of the factors.Conclusions: Gray matter loss is strongly associated with the accumulation of WMH which seems to be potentially preventable by maintaining normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

scholarly journals PM2.5 associated with gray matter atrophy reflecting increased Alzheimers risk in older women

Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011149
Author(s):  
Diana Younan ◽  
Xinhui Wang ◽  
Ramon Casanova ◽  
Ryan Barnard ◽  
Sarah A. Gaussoin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Gray Matter Atrophy ◽  
Pattern Similarity

Objective:To examine whether late-life exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters <2.5-µm) contributes to progressive brain atrophy predictive of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using a community-dwelling cohort of women (aged 70-89) with up to two brain MRI scans (MRI-1: 2005-6; MRI-2: 2010-11).Methods:AD pattern similarity (AD-PS) scores, developed by supervised machine learning and validated with MRI data from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative, was used to capture high-dimensional gray matter atrophy in brain areas vulnerable to AD (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, thalamus, inferior temporal lobe areas and midbrain). Based on participants’ addresses and air monitoring data, we implemented a spatiotemporal model to estimate 3-year average exposure to PM2.5 preceding MRI-1. General linear models were used to examine the association between PM2.5 and AD-PS scores (baseline and 5-year standardized change), accounting for potential confounders and white matter lesion volumes.Results:For 1365 women aged 77.9±3.7 years in 2005-6, there was no association between PM2.5 and baseline AD-PS score in cross-sectional analyses (β=-0.004; 95% CI: -0.019, 0.011). Longitudinally, each interquartile range increase of PM2.5 (2.82-µg/m3) was associated with increased AD-PS scores during the follow-up, equivalent to a 24% (hazard ratio=1.24; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.34) increase in AD risk over 5-years (n=712; aged 77.4±3.5 years). This association remained after adjustment for socio-demographics, intracranial volume, lifestyle, clinical characteristics, and white matter lesions, and was present with levels below US regulatory standards (<12-µg/m3).Conclusions:Late-life exposure to PM2.5 is associated with increased neuroanatomical risk of AD, which may not be explained by available indicators of cerebrovascular damage.

scholarly journals Genome-wide scan in Hispanics highlights candidate loci for brain white matter hyperintensities

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. e185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Beecham ◽  
Chuanhui Dong ◽  
Clinton B. Wright ◽  
Nicole Dueker ◽  
Adam M. Brickman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Snp Analysis ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Brain White Matter ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome

Objective:To investigate genetic variants influencing white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in the understudied Hispanic population.Methods:Using 6.8 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify SNPs associated with WMH volume (WMHV) in 922 Hispanics who underwent brain MRI as a cross-section of 2 community-based cohorts in the Northern Manhattan Study and the Washington Heights–Inwood Columbia Aging Project. Multiple linear modeling with PLINK was performed to examine the additive genetic effects on ln(WMHV) after controlling for age, sex, total intracranial volume, and principal components of ancestry. Gene-based tests of association were performed using VEGAS. Replication was performed in independent samples of Europeans, African Americans, and Asians.Results:From the SNP analysis, a total of 17 independent SNPs in 7 genes had suggestive evidence of association with WMHV in Hispanics (p < 1 × 10−5) and 5 genes from the gene-based analysis with p < 1 × 10−3. One SNP (rs9957475 in GATA6) and 1 gene (UBE2C) demonstrated evidence of association (p < 0.05) in the African American sample. Four SNPs with p < 1 × 10−5 were shown to affect binding of SPI1 using RegulomeDB.Conclusions:This GWAS of 2 community-based Hispanic cohorts revealed several novel WMH-associated genetic variants. Further replication is needed in independent Hispanic samples to validate these suggestive associations, and fine mapping is needed to pinpoint causal variants.

scholarly journals Long-term cerebral white and gray matter changes after preeclampsia

Neurology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 88 (13) ◽  
pp. 1256-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timo Siepmann ◽  
Henry Boardman ◽  
Amy Bilderbeck ◽  
Ludovica Griffanti ◽  
Yvonne Kenworthy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Risk Profile ◽  
Lesion Volume ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Profile ◽  
Microstructural Integrity

Objective:To determine whether changes in cerebral structure are present after preeclampsia that may explain increased cerebrovascular risk in these women.Methods:We conducted a case control study in women between 5 and 15 years after either a preeclamptic or normotensive pregnancy. Brain MRI was performed. Analysis of white matter structure was undertaken using voxel-based segmentation of fluid-attenuation inversion recovery sequences to assess white matter lesion volume and diffusion tensor imaging to measure microstructural integrity. Voxel-based analysis of gray matter volumes was performed with adjustment for skull size.Results:Thirty-four previously preeclamptic women (aged 42.8 ± 5.1 years) and 49 controls were included. Previously preeclamptic women had reduced cortical gray matter volume (523.2 ± 30.1 vs 544.4 ± 44.7 mL, p < 0.05) and, although both groups displayed white matter lesions, changes were more extensive in previously preeclamptic women. They displayed increased temporal lobe white matter disease (lesion volume: 23.2 ± 24.9 vs 10.9 ± 15.0 μL, p < 0.05) and altered microstructural integrity (radial diffusivity: 538 ± 19 vs 526 ± 18 × 10−6 mm2/s, p < 0.01), which also extended to occipital and parietal lobes. The degree of temporal lobe white matter change in previously preeclamptic women was independent of their current cardiovascular risk profile (p < 0.05) and increased with time from index pregnancy (p < 0.05).Conclusion:A history of preeclampsia is associated with temporal lobe white matter changes and reduced cortical volume in young women, which is out of proportion to their classic cardiovascular risk profile. The severity of changes is proportional to time since pregnancy, which would be consistent with continued accumulation of damage after pregnancy.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Intracranial Hemorrhages in Neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (07) ◽  
pp. 676-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rani Bashir ◽  
Sakeer Vayalthrikkovil ◽  
Liza Espinoza ◽  
Leigh Irvine ◽  
James Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy ◽  
Severe Thrombocytopenia ◽  
Intracranial Hemorrhages ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ischemic Encephalopathy

Introduction The risk factors of intracranial hemorrhages (ICH) in the context of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and related interventions are unclear. Objective This article examines the prevalence and risk factors associated with ICH in neonates with HIE. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of neonates with HIE in Southern Alberta. ICH (subdural [SDH], subarachnoid [SAH], intraventricular [IVH], intraparenchymal [IPH]) were diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Perinatal and neonatal characteristics were examined. Relation of hemorrhages with hypoxic changes on MRI and HIE stages were assessed. Results Number of HIE patients, n = 157; brain MRI was done in 138 infants; median gestation, 40 weeks; and cooled = 103 (66%). Prevalence of SDH, IPH, IVH, and SAH were 47, 22, 11, and 10 (34.1%, 15.9%, 7.8%, 7.2%), respectively. There was no significant increase in hemorrhage with mode of delivery, seizures, hypo/hypercarbia, severe thrombocytopenia, or deranged coagulation. All hemorrhages increased with higher HIE stage, regardless of the HIE severity in MRI. Adjusting for HIE staging, cooling, and gestation, IPH was observed more in infants who received inotropes (odds ratio [OR], 3.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20, 9.20). Conclusion SDH followed by IPH were the most common ICH. Thrombocytopenia and deranged coagulation did not increase risk of hemorrhages in HIE. Our study was not powered to determine the impact of inotrope use on the risk of IPH.

scholarly journals Genetic risk of dementia modifies the impact of obesity on limbic white matter and spatial navigation behavior in cognitively healthy adults

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jilu P. Mole ◽  
Fabrizio Fasano ◽  
John Evans ◽  
Rebecca Sims ◽  
Derek A. Hamilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Magnetization Transfer ◽  
Spatial Navigation ◽  
Diffusion Imaging ◽  
Axon Density ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

AbstractA family history (FH) of dementia, APOE-ε4 genotype, and obesity are major risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease but their combined effects on the brain and cognition remain elusive. We tested the hypothesis that these risk factors affect apparent white matter (WM) myelin and cognition including spatial navigation and processing speed in 166 asymptomatic individuals (38-71 years). Microstructure in temporal [fornix, parahippocampal cingulum, uncinate fasciculus], motor and whole-brain WM was assessed with myelin-sensitive indices from quantitative magnetization transfer [macromolecular proton fraction (MPF)] and axon density from diffusion imaging. Individuals with the highest genetic risk (FH+ and APOE-ε4) compared to those with FH+ alone showed obesity-related reductions in MPF and axon density in the right parahippocampal cingulum. No effects were present for those without FH. Furthermore, FH modulated obesity-related effects on spatial navigation behaviour. In summary, an individual’s genetic dementia risk influenced the impact of obesity on WM myelin and cognition.

scholarly journals The implications of religious event and holidays on the transmission of SARS-CoV2 : the impact of behavioral changes on transmission

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulkarim Abdulrahman ◽  
Muath AlMajthoob ◽  
Abdulla I AlAwadhi ◽  
Manaf M AlQahtani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Public Health Plan ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroductionThe risk factors for transmission of SARS-CoV2 have been widely studied and it was evident that a population’s behavior has a direct effect on the risk of transmission. Public health measures and regulation are largely kept to control and direct these behaviors. In this study, we describe the change in transmission in SARS-CoV2 in relation to demographics before and after two major religious events: “Eid Alfitr” and “Ashura”MethodsThis is a national observational study conducted in Bahrain in September 2020 to compare the number and demographics of all newly diagnosed cases before and after Eid Alfitr (religious holiday) and Ashura religious event. A 10 day period before the event was compared to a 10 day period after the event by ten days. Data on the number of tests, number of new cases, their demographics (age, gender, nationality) and presence of symptoms were collected and analyzed.ResultsThere was significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases after both Eid Alfitr (1997 more cases, with a 67% increase) and Ashura (4232 more cases with 2.19 times more cases). The majority of new cases after the religious events were found in local Bahrainis, from 472 cases to 2169 cases after Eid, and from 2201 to 6639 cases after Ashura. The rise was most notable in females (increased by 4.89 times after Eid and by 2.69 times after Ashura), children (increased by 4.69 times after Eid and by 5 times after Ashura) and elderly above the age of 60 years (increased by 5.7 times after Eid and by 3.23 times after Ashura).ConclusionIt is evident that religious events and holidays have important implications on the transmission of SARS-CoV2. This increased in transmission is related mainly to the behavior of the population in those days. Children, female, and elderly were the most affected categories due to these events. A thorough public health plan to limit the spread of the infection at these events should be planned and implemented ahead of time.

scholarly journals Structural neuroimaging signatures of anorexia nervosa features in a mixed sample enriched for disease vulnerability

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E. Miles ◽  
Allan S. Kaplan ◽  
Yuliya S. Nikolova ◽  
Aristotle N. Voineskos
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Cortical Morphology ◽  
Brain Behavior

ABSTRACTBrain-behavior relationships that could provide insight into risk-associated pathophysiology have not been thoroughly assessed in anorexia nervosa (AN). Therefore, we sought to identify grey and white matter signatures of AN symptoms and risk factors (trait anxiety, set-shifting impairment) in a sample enriched for AN vulnerability, including acute and remitted AN patients and their unaffected sisters (n = 72, aged 18 – 48 years). MRI/DTI data were acquired on a 3T scanner and processed with Freesurfer and FSL TBSS. Relationships between clinical variables of interest and regional subcortical volume, vertex-wise cortical surface architecture (thickness, surface area, local gyrification), and voxel-wise white matter microstructure (FA, MD) were tested with separate linear regressions, including age, BMI, lifetime AN diagnosis, and intracranial volume as covariates, where appropriate. Significance was determined using a Bonferroni-corrected threshold, p(t) ≤ 0.001. We detected distinct associations linking AN symptoms to lateral occipital cortical thickness and insular/cingulate gyrification and trait anxiety to lingual cortical thickness and superior parietal gyrification, and we detected overlapping associations linking AN symptoms and set-shifting impairment to frontoparietal gyrification. No other brain-behavior relationships emerged. Our findings suggest that variations in site-specific cortical morphology could give rise to core features of AN and shared temperamental and cognitive-behavioral risk factors for AN.

scholarly journals Cardiovascular risks impact human brain N-acetylaspartate in regionally specific patterns

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (50) ◽  
pp. 25243-25249
Author(s):  
Joshua Chiappelli ◽  
Laura M. Rowland ◽  
S. Andrea Wijtenburg ◽  
Hongji Chen ◽  
Andrew A. Maudsley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Lipid Synthesis ◽  
Cardiovascular Risks ◽  
Myelin Lipid ◽  
Cortical Gray Matter ◽  
The Brain

Cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia and hypertension increase the risk for white matter pathology and cognitive decline. We hypothesize that white matter levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a chemical involved in the metabolic pathway for myelin lipid synthesis, could serve as a biomarker that tracks the influence of cardiovascular risk factors on white matter prior to emergence of clinical changes. To test this, we measured levels of NAA across white matter and gray matter in the brain using echo planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) in 163 individuals and examined the relationship of regional NAA levels and cardiovascular risk factors as indexed by the Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Score (FCVRS). NAA was strongly and negatively correlated with FCVRS across the brain, but, after accounting for age and sex, the association was found primarily in white matter regions, with additional effects found in the thalamus, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus. FCVRS was also negatively correlated with creatine levels, again primarily in white matter. The results suggest that cardiovascular risks are related to neurochemistry with a predominantly white matter pattern and some subcortical and cortical gray matter involvement. NAA mapping of the brain may provide early surveillance for the potential subclinical impact of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors on the brain.

scholarly journals Twin-Singleton Differences in Neonatal Brain Structure

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca C. Knickmeyer ◽  
Chaeryon Kang ◽  
Sandra Woolson ◽  
J. Keith Smith ◽  
Robert M. Hamer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Postnatal Period ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Mz Twins ◽  
The Relationship

Twin studies suggest that global and regional brain volumes are highly heritable. However, estimates of heritability vary across development. Given that all twin studies are open to the potential criticism of non-generalizability due to differences in intrauterine environment between twins and singletons, these age effects may reflect the influence of perinatal environmental factors, which are unique to twins and which may be especially evident early in life. To address this question, we compared brain volumes and the relationship of brain volumes to gestational age in 136 singletons (67 male, 69 female) and 154 twins (75 male, 79 female; 82 DZ, 72 MZ) who had received high resolution MRI scans of the brain in the first month of life. Intracranial volume, total white matter, and ventricle volumes did not differ between twins and singletons. However, cerebrospinal fluid and frontal white matter volume was greater in twins compared to singletons. While gray matter volumes at MRI did not differ between groups, the slope of the relationship between total and cortical gray matter and gestational age at the MRI scan was steeper in MZ twins compared to DZ twins. Post-hoc analyses suggested that gray matter development is delayed in MZ twins in utero and that they experience ‘catch-up’ growth in the first month of life. These differences should be taken into account when interpreting and designing studies in the early postnatal period.

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