Leukoaraiosis and Gray Matter Volume Alteration in Older Adults: The PROOF Study

Background and Purpose: Leukoaraiosis, also called white matter hyperintensities (WMH), is frequently encountered in the brain of older adults. During aging, gray matter structure is also highly affected. WMH or gray matter defects are commonly associated with a higher prevalence of mild cognitive impairment. However, little is known about the relationship between WMH and gray matter. Our aim was thus to explore the relationship between leukoaraiosis severity and gray matter volume in a cohort of healthy older adults.Methods: Leukoaraiosis was rated in participants from the PROOF cohort using the Fazekas scale. Voxel-based morphometry was performed on brain scans to examine the potential link between WMH and changes of local brain volume. A neuropsychological evaluation including attentional, executive, and memory tests was also performed to explore cognition.Results: Out of 315 75-year-old subjects, 228 had punctuate foci of leukoaraiosis and 62 had begun the confluence of foci. Leukoaraiosis was associated with a decrease of gray matter in the middle temporal gyrus, in the right medial frontal gyrus, and in the left parahippocampal gyrus. It was also associated with decreased performances in memory recall, executive functioning, and depression.Conclusion: In a population of healthy older adults, leukoaraiosis was associated with gray matter defects and reduced cognitive performance. Controlling vascular risk factors and detecting early cerebrovascular disease may prevent, at least in part, dementia onset and progression.

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The gray matter volume of the right insula mediates the relationship between symptoms of depression/anxiety and sleep quality among college students

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105319869977 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 135910531986997 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Huazhan Yin ◽

Li Zhang ◽

Dan Li ◽

Lu Xiao ◽

Mei Cheng

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Emotional Processing ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Critical Role ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Right ◽

The Relationship

This study investigated the neuroanatomical basis of the association between depression/anxiety and sleep quality among 370 college students. The results showed that there was a significant correlation between sleep quality and depression/anxiety. Moreover, mediation results showed that the gray matter volume of the right insula mediated the relationship between depression/anxiety and sleep quality, which suggested that depression/anxiety may affect sleep quality through the right insula volume. These findings confirmed a strong link between sleep quality and depression/anxiety, while highlighting the volumetric variation in the right insula associated with emotional processing, which may play a critical role in improving sleep quality.

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Sex-specific association of poor sleep quality with gray matter volume

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa035 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nicola Neumann ◽

Martin Lotze ◽

Martin Domin

Keyword(s):

Sleep Quality ◽

Analysis Of Variance ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Poor Sleep Quality ◽

Whole Brain ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Right

Abstract Study Objectives Previous studies were inconsistent with regard to the association of sleep dysfunction on the brain’s gray matter volume (GMV). The current study set out to investigate if there is a moderating effect of sex on the relationship between sleep quality in healthy individuals and GMV. Methods We applied voxel-based morphometry in 1,074 young adults of the “Human Connectome Project.” An analysis of variance with the factors “sleep quality” (good/poor according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, cutoff >5) and “sex” (male, female) on GMV was conducted. Additionally, linear relationships between sleep quality and GMV were tested. Results The analysis of variance yielded no main effect for sleep quality, but an interaction between sex and sleep quality for the right superior frontal gyrus. Post hoc t-tests showed that female good sleepers in comparison to female poor sleepers had larger GMV in the right parahippocampal gyrus extending to the right hippocampus (whole-brain family-wise error [FWE]-corrected), as well as smaller GMV in the right inferior parietal lobule (whole-brain FWE-corrected) and the right inferior temporal gyrus (whole brain FWE-corrected). There were no significant effects when comparing male good sleepers to male poor sleepers. Linear regression analyses corroborated smaller GMV in the right parahippocampal gyrus in women with poor sleep quality. Conclusions Poor sleep quality was associated with altered GMV in females, but not in males. Future studies are needed to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the sex differences in the association of sleep quality and brain differences found in this study.

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NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND GRAY MATTER VOLUME IN OLDER ADULTS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1542 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S414-S414

Author(s):

Sara L Godina ◽

Caterina Rosano ◽

Peter J Gianaros ◽

Howard J Aizenstein ◽

Michelle C Carlson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status ◽

Matter Volume

Abstract Lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) is associated with poorer cognitive function; underlying neural correlates are unknown. Cross-sectional associations of nSES (six census-derived measures of income, education, and occupation) and gray matter volume (GMV) of eight memory-related regions (hippocampus, middle frontal gyrus, amygdala, insula, parahippocampal gyrus, anterior, middle, and posterior cingulum) were examined in 264 community-dwelling older adults (mean age=83, 56.82% female, 39.02% black). In linear mixed effects models adjusted for total brain atrophy and accounting for geographic clustering, higher nSES was associated with greater GMV of the left hippocampus, left posterior cingulum, and bilateral insula, middle frontal, and parahippocampal gyri. nSES remained associated with GMV of the right insula (β= -32.26, p=0.026, 95%CI: -60.66, -3.86) after adjusting for individual level age, gender, race, income, and education. The nSES and cognitive function association may not be due to gray matter volume differences; other behavioral and biological mediators should be explored.

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Differential age-dependent associations of gray matter volume and white matter integrity with processing speed in healthy older adults

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.034 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 123 ◽

pp. 42-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Zhaoping Hong ◽

Kwun Kei Ng ◽

Sam K.Y. Sim ◽

Mei Yi Ngeow ◽

Hui Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

White Matter ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

White Matter Integrity ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Age Dependent

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0080 Daytime Sleepiness Correlates with Increased Gray Matter Volume in the Right Middle Temporal Gyrus in Healthy Young Individuals

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.078 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. A32-A32

Author(s):

A I Burns ◽

A Bullock ◽

A C Raikes ◽

N S Dailey ◽

M A Grandner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sleep Disorders ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Daytime Sleepiness ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Intracranial Volume ◽

Middle Temporal ◽

Matter Volume ◽

History Of ◽

The Right

Abstract Introduction Daytime sleepiness has been associated with some neuroimaging metrics, including altered functional connectivity within the default mode network and decreased gray matter volume (GMV) of the medial prefrontal cortex. Most prior studies, however, have focused on patients with sleep disorders or other pathologies. Here we examined the association between GMV and self-reported daytime sleepiness among a healthy group of young adults who reported no sleep-related problems. Methods Forty-five healthy adults (22 female; Mean Age=25.4, SD=5.6), who self-reported no history of sleep-related disorders or major medical conditions, completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and underwent high-resolution structural neuroimaging at 3T. Gray matter volumes were processed using standard procedures in SPM12. After controlling for age, sex, and intracranial volume, GMV was regressed against ESS scores. Results Greater ESS was associated with larger GMV within a cluster of voxels in the right middle temporal gyrus (MNI coordinates: 57, -9, -22; k=1344 voxels, p=.003, FWE cluster corrected). After controlling for ESS scores, larger GMV in this region was associated with poorer delayed memory performance (r=-.345, p=.022) and total neurocognitive performance on the RBANS (r=-.303, p=.046). Conclusion Greater daytime sleepiness in healthy normal sleepers was associated with greater GMV within a region of the right middle temporal gyrus. Greater volume of this region was also associated with poorer neuropsychological performance. Decreased GMV of this same region has previously been reported in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia, suggesting that it may be particularly sensitive to sleep disruption or may play a role in the etiology of sleep disorders, even among young individuals who deny any history of sleep-related dysfunction. Longitudinal work should focus on the potential of this region as a biomarker of vulnerability to sleep problems. Support

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Higher Gait Variability is Associated with Decreased Parietal Gray Matter Volume Among Healthy Older Adults

Brain Topography ◽

10.1007/s10548-013-0293-y ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 293-295 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Olivier Beauchet ◽

Cédric Annweiler ◽

Sébastien Celle ◽

Robert Bartha ◽

Jean-Claude Barthélémy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Gait Variability ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Matter Volume

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Neuroanatomical Moderators of the Impact of Mild Behavioral Impairment on Cognition

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2626 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 707-707

Author(s):

Hillary Rouse ◽

Brent Small

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Behavioral Impairment ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Cortical Gray Matter ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Older adults with mild behavioral impairment (MBI), or the presence of late-life neuropsychiatric symptoms, have a unique cognitive phenotype. However, the neural correlates associated with MBI-related cognitive changes is not well understood. The goal of this study is to examine if specific regions of the brain moderate the relationship between the presence of MBI and performance on tasks of cognition. Data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center was utilized for this study. Participants (N=1,451) were included in our analyses if they were cognitively healthy or had mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Multiple domains of cognitive performance were evaluated. The neuroanatomical regions included hippocampus, caudal anterior cingulate (ACC), rostral ACC, entorhinal, and parahippocampal gray matter volume; and caudal ACC, rostral ACC, entorhinal, and parahippocampal mean cortical thickness. Hippocampal, entorhinal, and parahippocampal cortical gray matter volume moderated the relationship between MBI and performance on tasks of episodic memory. Left rostral ACC cortical gray matter volume and entorhinal and parahippocampal mean cortical thickness moderated the relationship between MBI and performance on language tasks. Hippocampi cortical gray matter volume also moderated the relationship between MBI and performance on processing speed tasks. Persons with smaller brain sizes in these areas were more negatively affected in these cognitive domains if they had MBI. These results suggest that the association between smaller brain volumes and cognition was stronger among persons with MBI. These findings suggest that older adults with MBI may perform worse on these tasks due to neurodegeneration that is present.

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Gray matter volume alterations in patients with strabismus and amblyopia: voxel-based morphometry study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-04184-w ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ting Su ◽

Pei-Wen Zhu ◽

Biao Li ◽

Wen-Qing Shi ◽

Qi Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽

Curve Analysis ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Voxel Based Morphometry ◽

Roc Curve Analysis ◽

Matter Volume ◽

The Mean ◽

The Right

AbstractThis study proposes the use of the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technique to investigate structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with strabismus and amblyopia (SA). Sixteen patients with SA and sixteen healthy controls (HCs) underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Original whole brain images were analyzed using the VBM method. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between mean gray matter volume (GMV) and clinical manifestations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to classify the mean GMV values of the SA group and HCs. Compared with the HCs, GMV values in the SA group showed a significant difference in the right superior temporal gyrus, posterior and anterior lobes of the cerebellum, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and left anterior cingulate cortex. The mean GMV value in the right superior temporal gyrus, posterior and anterior lobes of the cerebellum, and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus were negatively correlated with the angle of strabismus. The ROC curve analysis of each cerebral region confirmed the accuracy of the area under the curve. Patients with SA have reduced GMV values in some brain regions. These findings might help to reveal the potential pathogenesis of SA and its relationship with the atrophy of specific regions of the brain.

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Enhanced Gray Matter Volume Compensates for Decreased Brain Activity in the Ocular Motor Area in Children with Anisometropic Amblyopia

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2020/8060869 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Weizhao Lu ◽

Xueliang Yu ◽

Lisheng Zhao ◽

Yanli Zhang ◽

Feng Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Spontaneous Brain Activity ◽

Anisometropic Amblyopia ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Visual Spatial ◽

The Right ◽

The Relationship

Purpose.Anisometropic amblyopia usually occurs during early childhood and results in monocular visual deficit. Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated structural and functional alterations in pediatric anisometropic amblyopia (PAA) patients. However, the relationship between structural and functional alterations remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between structural and functional alterations in PAA patients. Materials and Methods. Eighteen PAA patients and 14 healthy children underwent a multimodal MRI scanning including T1WI and functional MRI (fMRI). Voxel-based morphometry was used to assess structural alterations between PAA patients and healthy children. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) was used to investigate changes in local spontaneous brain activity in the enrolled subjects. Correlations between structural, functional alterations, and clinical information were analyzed in the PAA group. Results. Compared with healthy children, PAA patients exhibited significantly reduced ReHo of spontaneous brain activity in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and increased gray matter volume in the right lobules 4 and 5 of the cerebellum. The gray matter volume of the right lobules 4 and 5 of the cerebellum was negatively correlated with the ReHo values of the right MFG. Conclusions. Our findings may suggest that PAA patients experience structural and functional abnormalities in brain regions related to oculomotor and visual-spatial information. In addition, the increased gray matter volume may compensate the decreased brain activity in the oculomotor regions, which reflects compensatory or neural plasticity in PAA patients.

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