Brain Microstructural Alterations in Children Post-COVID-19 Infection Through VBM, SBM, and Structural Covariance Network Analysis.

Objective: To analyze the relationship of gray matter volume and cortical thickness of auditory verbal hallucination in first-episode childhood-onset schizophrenia(COS). Methods: Sixty cases of first-episode childhood-onset schizophrenia who were treated in the inpatient department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from October 2020 to February 2024 were collected(case group).Thirty-two healthy students from a primary and secondary school in Xinxiang city were the control group. According to the score of "auditory hallucination" on the positive symptoms scale (SAPS), the patients were divided into the non-auditory hallucination group(nAVH) (n=16, score 0-1) and the auditory hallucination group (AVH)(n=38, score 2-5). The severity of psychiatric symptoms of patients was evaluated using Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Resting-state MRI data was scanned for all subjects. REST software and FreeSurfer software was used for covariance analysis of gray matter volume and cortical thickness.Age and gender as covariates. Results: Finally, 54 case groups were included, including 16 cases in the non-auditory hallucination group, there were 8 males and 8 females, with an age of (12.9±1.7) years; in the auditory hallucination group, there were 16 males and 22 females, with an age of (13.1±1.5) years.There were Control group of 27 cases, 12 males, 15 females, with an age of (12.2±1.5) years. In the covariance analysis of gray matter volume showed that the brain regions with differences were mainly located in the left parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, occipital lobe, precentral gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus; Right superior frontal gyrus, lingual gyrus, fusiform gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus(P<0.05, FDR correction).Post hoc tests found that compared with the control group, the cerebral areas with decreased gray matter volume in the AVH group were mainly located in the left superior temporal gyrus, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, insula, inferior frontal gyrus;right superior temporal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, supramargal gyrus and transverse temporal gyrus(P<0.05, FDR correction). In the covariance analysis of Cortical Thickness showed that the brain regions with differences were mainly located in the left inferior parietal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, anterior central gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, Lateral orbitofrontal cortex, insular lobe, anterior cingutate, precuneus, right superior temporal gyrus, cuneiform gyrus, middle frontal gyrus(P<0.05, FDR correction).Post hoc tests found that compared with the control group, the cerebral areas with decreased cortical thickness in the the left postcentral gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insular lobe; right cuneiform gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus.The increased cortical thickness was found in the right anterior cingulate(P<0.05,FDR corrected). the nAVH group showed decreased cortical thickness areas mainly located in the left inferior temporal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, postcentral gyrus; right cuneiform gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus. The rest showed no obvious abnormality, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05, FDR corrected). Conclusions: The decreased gray matter volume and cortical thickness is found in multiple brain regions in with or without auditory verbal hallucination in first-episode childhood-onset schizophrenia. Consequently, abnormal gray matter structure may be associated with the pathogenesis of childhood schizophrenia.The abnormal structure of the left and right superior temporal grrus, right supramarginal gyrus, right anterior cingulate cortex may be related to the mechanism of auditory hallucination.

BackgroundLoss of cortical volume in frontotemporal regions has been reported in patients with schizophrenia and their relatives. Cortical area and thickness are determined by different genetic processes, and measuring these parameters separately may clarify disturbances in corticogenesis relevant to schizophrenia. Our study also explored clinical and cognitive correlates of these parameters.MethodsThirty-seven patients with first-episode psychosis (34 schizophrenia, 3 schizoaffective disorder) and 38 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex took part in the study. Imaging was performed on an magnetic resonance imaging 1.5-T scanner. Area and thickness of the frontotemporal cortex were measured using a surface-based morphometry method (Freesurfer). All subjects underwent neuropsychologic testing that included measures of premorbid and current IQ, working and verbal memory, and executive function.ResultsReductions in cortical area, more marked in the temporal cortex, were present in patients. Overall frontotemporal cortical thickness did not differ between groups, although regional thinning of the right superior temporal region was observed in patients. There was a significant association of both premorbid IQ and IQ at disease onset with area, but not thickness, of the frontotemporal cortex, and working memory span was associated with area of the frontal cortex. These associations remained significant when only patients with schizophrenia were considered.ConclusionsOur results suggest an early disruption of corticogenesis in schizophrenia, although the effect of subsequent environmental factors cannot be excluded. In addition, cortical abnormalities are subject to regional variations and differ from those present in neurodegenerative diseases.

PurposeTo investigate the correlation between cortical thickness (CT), sulcal depth (SD), local gyrification index (LGI), and cognitive scores in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).MethodsA total of 200 patients with AD from 2014 to 2021 were included, confirmed by 18F-florbetaben-positron emission tomography, and having a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0.5 or 1. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and cognitive function was assessed through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB)-II, with specific z-scores used for multiple divisional cognitive functions. CT, SD, and LGI were extracted from the 3D T1-weighted images acquired with 3-T MRI scanners. General linear models were used to examine associations between cortical features and cognitive scores, controlling for age, sex, and years of education. Cluster-level significance was determined using a family-wise error (FWE)–corrected threshold of p < 0.05, with a cluster-forming height threshold of uncorrected p < 0.01.ResultsThe analysis included patients with a mean age of 73.7 years and an average MMSE score of 23.8. The cortical shape features of multiple brain regions showed significant correlations with the MMSE score after adjusting for age, sex, and years of education. Among those, SD and LGI in the parahippocampal and fusiform gyri had positive correlations with MMSE. For executive function, SD showed correlations in the left inferior frontal and orbitofrontal gyrus. Regarding language function, CT was associated with regions such as the superior temporal gyrus, while SD demonstrated correlations with the left supramarginal gyrus.ConclusionThe results indicate that certain changes in cortical shape features are associated with particular cognitive function scores. Surface-based morphometric features of SD and LGI provided complementary results to CT analyses. Region-specific changes in SD and LGI could be useful imaging markers to predict cognitive decline in AD patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that progresses not only with demyelination but also with neurodegeneration. One of the goals of drug treatment in MS is to prevent neurodegeneration. Cortical thickness (CT), sulcal depth (SD), and local gyrification index (LGI) are indicators related to neurodegeneration. The aim of this study is to investigate changes in CT, SD, and LGI in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). T1 images of 74 RRMS patients and 65 healthy controls were used. T1 hypointense areas in RRMS patients were corrected using fully automated methods. CT, SD, and LGI were calculated for each patient. RRMS patients showed widespread cortical thinning, especially in bilateral temporoparietal areas, decreased SD in bilateral supramarginal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and transverse temporal gyrus, and decreased LGI, especially in the left posterior cingulate gyrus and insula. The decrease in cortical thickness was associated with the number of attacks and lesion volume. EDSS was related to CT in the right lingual, inferior temporal, and fusiform gyrus. The LGI was correlated with T2 lesion volume in bilateral insula, with EDSS in the right insula and transverse and superior temporal gyri, and with the number of attacks in the right paracentral gyrus and pre-cuneus. However, SD did not show any correlation with EDSS, T2 lesion volume, or the number of attacks. Our results demonstrate widespread cortical thinning, decreased sulcal depth in local areas, and decreased gyrification in folds in RRMS patients, which are related to clinical parameters.

BackgroundBy calculating cortical thickness (CT) and cortical structural covariance (SC), we aimed to investigate cortical morphology and cortical inter-regional correlation alterations in adolescent bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) and type II (BD-II) patients.MethodsT1-weighted images from 36 BD-I and 22 BD-II patients and 19 healthy controls (HCs) were processed to estimate CT. CT values of the whole brain were compared among three groups. Cortical regions showing CT differences in groups were regarded as seeds for analyzing cortical SC differences between groups. The relationship between CT and clinical indices was further assessed.ResultsBoth BD groups showed cortical thinning in several frontal and temporal areas vs. HCs, and CT showed no significant difference between two BD subtypes. Compared to HCs, both BD groups exhibited reduced SC connections between left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and right postcentral gyrus (PCG), left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right pars opercularis, and left STG and right PCG. Compared with HCs, decreased SC connections between left STG and right inferior parietal gyrus (IPG) and right pars opercularis and right STG were only observed in the BD-I group, and left PCG and left SFG only in the BD-II group. CT of right middle temporal gyrus was negatively correlated with number of episodes in BD-II patients.ConclusionsAdolescent BD-I and BD-II showed commonly decreased CT while presenting commonly and distinctly declined SC connections. This study provides a better understanding of cortical morphology and cortical inter-regional correlation alterations in BD and crucial insights into neuroanatomical mechanisms and pathophysiology of different BD subtypes.

Aim: To investigate the cortical thickness in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and its potential association with patients' genetic triplet expansion and social cognition deficits.Methods: Thirty patients with DM1 underwent the Social Cognition Battery Test and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning at 3 T. Twenty-five healthy subjects (HSs) were enrolled in the study to serve as a control group for structural MRI data. To assess changes in cortical thickness in DM1 patients, they were compared to HSs using a t-test model. Correlations were used to assess potential associations between genetic and clinical characteristics and social cognition performances in the patient group. Additionally, multiple regression models were used to explore associations between cortical thickness, CTG triplet expansion size, and scores obtained by DM1 patients on the Social Cognition Battery.Results: DM1 patients showed low performances in several subtests of the Social Cognition Battery. Specifically, they obtained pathological scores at Emotion Attribution Test (i.e., Sadness, Embarrassment, Happiness, and Anger) and at the Social Situations Test (i.e., recognition of normal situation, recognition of aberrant behavior). Significant negative correlations were found between CTG triplet expansion size and Embarrassment, and Severity of Aberrant Behavior. Similarly, a negative correlation was found between patients' MIRS scores and Sadness. DM1 patients compared to HSs showed reduced thickness in the right premotor cortex, angular gyrus, precuneus, and inferior parietal lobule. Significant associations were found between patients' CTG triplet expansion size and thickness in left postcentral gyrus and in the left primary somatosensory cortex, in the posterior cingulate cortex bilaterally, and in the right lingual gyrus. Finally, significant associations were found between cortical thickness and sadness in the superior temporal gyrus, the right precentral gyrus, the right angular gyrus, and the left medial frontal gyrus bilaterally. DM1 patients showed a negative correlation between cortical thickness in the bilateral precuneus and in the left lateral occipital cortex and performance at the Social Situations Test. Finally, DM1 patients showed a negative correlation between cortical thickness in the left precuneus and in the superior frontal gyrus and scores at the Moral Distinction Test.Discussion: The present study shows both cortical thickness changes in DM1 patients compared to controls and significant associations between cortical thickness and patients' social cognition performances. These data confirm the presence of widespread brain damages associated with cognitive impairment in DM1 patients.

Studying cortical hemispheric asymmetries during the dynamic early postnatal stages in macaque monkeys (with close phylogenetic relationship to humans) would increase our limited understanding on the possible origins, developmental trajectories, and evolutional mechanisms of brain asymmetries in nonhuman primates, but remains a blind spot to the community. Via cortical surface‐based morphometry, we comprehensively analyze hemispheric structural asymmetries in 134 longitudinal MRI scans from birth to 20 months of age from 32 healthy macaque monkeys. We reveal that most clusters of hemispheric asymmetries of cortical properties, such as surface area, cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and vertex positions, expand in the first 4 months of life, and evolve only moderately thereafter. Prominent hemispheric asymmetries are found at the inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, posterior temporal cortex, superior temporal gyrus (STG), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and cingulate cortex. Specifically, the left planum temporale and left STG consistently have larger area and thicker cortices than those on the right hemisphere, while the right STS, right cingulate cortex, and right anterior insula are consistently deeper than the left ones, partially consistent with the findings in human infants and adults. Our results thus provide a valuable reference in studying early brain development and evolution.

The effects of heart failure (HF) on cortical brain structure remain unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the causal effects of heart failure on cortical structures in the brain using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. We conducted a two-sample MR analysis utilizing genetically-predicted HF trait, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels to examine their effects on the cortical surface area (SA) and thickness (TH) across 34 cortical brain regions. Genome-wide association study summary data were extracted from studies by Rasooly (1,266,315 participants) for HF trait, Schmidt (36,548 participants) for LVEF, the SCALLOP consortium (21,758 participants) for NT-proBNP, and the ENIGMA Consortium (51,665 participants) for cortical SA and TH. A series of MR analyses were employed to exclude heterogeneity and pleiotropy, ensuring the stability of the results. Given the exploratory nature of the study, p-values between 1.22E-04 and 0.05 were considered suggestive of association, and p-values below 1.22E-04 were defined as statistically significant. In this study, we found no significant association between HF and cortical TH or SA (all p > 1.22E-04). We found that the HF trait and elevated NT-proBNP levels were not associated with cortical SA, but were suggested to decrease cortical TH in the pars orbitalis, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, temporal pole, lingual gyrus, precuneus, and supramarginal gyrus. Reduced LVEF was primarily suggested to decrease cortical SA in the isthmus cingulate gyrus, frontal pole, postcentral gyrus, cuneus, and rostral middle frontal gyrus, as well as TH in the postcentral gyrus. However, it was suggested to causally increase in the SA of the posterior cingulate gyrus and medial orbitofrontal cortex and the TH of the entorhinal cortex and superior temporal gyrus. We found 15 brain regions potentially affected by HF, which may lead to impairments in cognition, emotion, perception, memory, language, sensory processing, vision, and executive control in HF patients.

Introduction: Hyperthyroidism, characterized by excessive thyroid hormone production, is a common endocrine disorder that affects various physiological processes, including brain function. Recent advancements in neuroimaging techniques have enabled researchers to investigate structural alterations in the brain associated with hyperthyroidism. This study aimed to examine regional cortical thickness and cortical volume differences across the brain between hyperthyroid patients and control subjects. Methods: We examined localized cortical thicknesses and volumes in 34 hyperthyroid patients and 35 control subjects with high-resolution T1-weighted images using FreeSurfer software and assessed group differences with analysis of covariance (covariates: age, sex, education, and total intracranial volume). Spearman and partial correlations were performed between clinical variables and cortical thicknesses/volumes and between neuropsychological scores and cortical thicknesses/volumes, respectively. Results: Hyperthyroid patients exhibited significantly increased cortical thickness in bilateral superior temporal and superior frontal gyri, along with higher cortical volumes in various regions, including the right superior temporal gyrus, right superior parietal gyrus, right rostral and caudal middle frontal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus. Notably, thyroid hormones (fT3, fT4) correlated positively with cortical thicknesses and volumes in the superior temporal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus. Additionally, recognition memory scores negatively correlated with the right superior temporal gyrus and right superior frontal gyrus cortical thickness. Conclusion: The observed cortical thickening and increased cortical volume in specific brain areas provide new insights into the pathophysiological mechanism associated with brain impairment in hyperthyroidism.

Previous voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and cortical thickness (CT) studies on Parkinson's disease (PD) have mainly reported the gray matter size reduction, whereas the shape of cortical surface can also change in PD patients. For the first time, we analyzed sulcal depth (SD) patterns in PD patients by using whole brain region of interest (ROI)-based approach. In a cross-sectional study, high-resolution brain structural MRI images were collected from 60 PD patients without dementia and 56 age-and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). SD and CT were estimated using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12) and statistically compared between groups on whole brain ROI-based level using statistical parametric mapping 12 (SPM12). Additionally, correlations between regional brain changes and clinical variables were also examined. Compared to HC, PD patients showed lower SD in widespread regions, including temporal (the bilateral transverse temporal, the left inferior temporal, the right middle temporal and the right superior temporal), insular (the left insula), frontal (the left pars triangularis, the left pars opercularis and the left precentral), parietal (the bilateral superior parietal) and occipital (the right cuneus) regions. For CT, only the left pars opercularis showed lower CT in PD patients compared to HC. No regions showed higher SD or CT in PD patients compared to HC. In PD patients, a significant positive correlation was found between SD of the left pars opercularis and MMSE scores, such that lower MMSE scores were related to lower SD of the left pars opercularis. Our results of widespread lower SD, but relatively localized lower CT, indicate that SD seems to be more sensitive to brain changes than CT and may be mainly affected by white matter damage. Hence, SD may be a more promising indicator to investigate the surface shape changes in PD patients. The significant positive correlation between SD of the left pars opercularis and MMSE scores suggests that SD may be prognostic of future cognitive decline.

Is Gaucher Disease Type 1 a Neuronopathic Disorder? Neuroradiological and Clinical Findings from Senopro_Gaucher Study

Neuroimaging studies have documented brain structural alterations induced by chronic pain, particularly in gray matter volume. However, the effects of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), a severe paroxysmal pain disorder, on cortical morphology are not yet known. In this study, we recruited 30 TN patients and 30 age-, and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs). Using Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12), we calculated and compared group differences in cortical thickness, gyrification, and sulcal depth with two-sample t tests (p < 0.05, multiple comparison corrected). Relationships between altered cortical characteristics and pain intensity were investigated with correlation analysis. Compared to HCs, TN patients exhibited significantly decreased cortical thickness in the left inferior frontal, and left medial orbitofrontal cortex; decreased gyrification in the left superior frontal cortex; and decreased sulcal depth in the bilateral superior frontal (extending to anterior cingulate) cortex. In addition, we found significantly negative correlations between the mean cortical thickness in left medial orbitofrontal cortex and pain intensity, and between the mean gyrification in left superior frontal cortex and pain intensity. Chronic pain may be associated with abnormal cortical thickness, gyrification and sulcal depth in trigeminal neuralgia. These morphological changes might contribute to understand the underlying neurobiological mechanism of trigeminal neuralgia.

BackgroundPoststroke aphasia (PSA) is a leading cause of poststroke disability. The neurobiological mechanisms mediating early recovery, however, remain incompletely characterized—particularly how serum levels of key synaptic proteins correlate with neuroimaging measures of cortical integrity and collectively contribute to language outcomes. This study was therefore designed to examine the relationships between these circulating synaptic markers and structural alterations in the brain of PSA patients to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying functional recovery.MethodsA total of 12 PSA patients and 12 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this prospective study. Serum levels of synaptic-associated proteins were measured, and high-resolution 3T structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. Group differences in brain structure were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM). Correlation analysis was conducted among factors with significant group differences.ResultsCompared with HCs, PSA patients had significantly altered serum levels of α-SYN, BDNF, TrkB, CREB, and GAP-43. Voxel-wise VBM revealed decreased gray matter volume (GMV) in various regions in PSA patients, including the left postcentral gyrus (PoCG), precuneus (PCUN), superior temporal gyrus (STG), lingual gyrus (LING), inferior parietal gyrus (IPG), middle occipital gyrus (MOG), right superior parietal gyrus (SPG), and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) (uncorrected p < 0.001). According to the SBM analysis, comparisons of cortical thickness (CT) revealed significant differences between the groups in the left PCUN, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC), etc. Furthermore, patients with PSA presented decreases in sulcal depth (SULC) in the left SFG, right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and MOG. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between the repetition score and the CT of the left Precentral Gyrus (PreCG), as well as the SPG.ConclusionIn summary, patients with PSA exhibit distinct alterations in synaptic protein expression accompanied by widespread gray matter atrophy, marked by reduced GMV, CT, and SULC, particularly in language-related regions. These structural and molecular interrelationships suggest that early recovery involves neuroplastic mechanisms, potentially mediated via synaptic plasticity as well as structural adaptation. Our findings provide novel multidimensional insights into the neurobiological substrate of PSA and highlight promising pathways for future mechanistic and therapeutic research.

Cingulate gyrus is a part of the limbic lobe. Anatomically and functionally, the cingulate gyrus is subdivided into four areas: the anterior cingulate cortex, midcingulate cortex, posterior cingulate gyrus, and the retrosplenial part. The variety of autonomic functions, such as regulating heart rate and blood pressure and having a major role in cognitive function, also has a function in emotional cognition. The present study aims to measure cortical thickness and cortical volume in apparently healthy young adult Sudanese. In this cross-sectional study, randomly selected individuals (30 males, 30 females) among the Sudanese population, aged between 20-40 years, and who had normal brain magnetic resonance images were included in the study. All study participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging, and measurements of the cingulate gyrus were assessed using BrainSuite software. Analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 28, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. For the right cingulate gyrus, the mean cortical thickness and cortical volume were 4.0 mm and 20.9 cm3, respectively. The mean cortical thickness and volume in the left cingulate gyrus were 4.0 mm and 22.3 cm3, respectively. The cortical volume of the left cingulate gyrus was statistically significantly larger than the right (p=0.04). The right and left cingulate gyrus cortical volumes of males were significantly larger than that of females (p=0.001), while the cortical thickness showed an insignificant difference (p=0.3). The cortical volume of the cingulate gyrus was not statistically related to age or body mass index. The left cingulate gyrus’s total volume is larger than that of the right cingulate gyrus, and there is no significant difference in cortical thickness. Age and body mass index do not affect cortical volume and thickness.

Cingulate gyrus is a part of the limbic lobe. Anatomically and functionally, the cingulate gyrus is subdivided into four areas: the anterior cingulate cortex, midcingulate cortex, posterior cingulate gyrus, and the retrosplenial part. The variety of autonomic functions, such as regulating heart rate and blood pressure and having a major role in cognitive function, also has a function in emotional cognition. The present study aims to measure cortical thickness and cortical volume in apparently healthy young adult Sudanese. In this cross-sectional study, randomly selected individuals (30 males, 30 females) among the Sudanese population, aged between 20-40 years, and who had normal brain magnetic resonance images were included in the study. All study participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging, and measurements of the cingulate gyrus were assessed using BrainSuite software. Analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 28, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. For the right cingulate gyrus, the mean cortical thickness and cortical volume were 4.0 mm and 20.9 cm3, respectively. The mean cortical thickness and volume in the left cingulate gyrus were 4.0 mm and 22.3 cm3, respectively. The cortical volume of the left cingulate gyrus was statistically significantly larger than the right (p=0.04). The right and left cingulate gyrus cortical volumes of males were significantly larger than that of females (p=0.001), while the cortical thickness showed an insignificant difference (p=0.3). The cortical volume of the cingulate gyrus was not statistically related to age or body mass index. The left cingulate gyrus’s total volume is larger than that of the right cingulate gyrus, and there is no significant difference in cortical thickness. Age and body mass index do not affect cortical volume and thickness.