Abstract

High-altitude environmental factors and genetic variants together could have exerted their effects on the human brain. The present study was designed to investigate the cerebral morphology in high-altitude native Tibetans. T1-weighted brain images were obtained from 77 Tibetan adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (altitude, 2300-5300 m) and 80 matched Han controls living at sea level. Cortical thickness, curvature, and sulcus were analyzed by using FreeSurfer. Cortical thickness was significantly decreased in the left posterior cingulate cortex, lingual gyrus, superior parietal cortex, precuneus, and rostral middle frontal cortex and the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, lateral occipital cortex, precuneus, and paracentral lobule. Curvature was significantly decreased in the left superior parietal cortex and right superior marginal gyrus; the depth of the sulcus was significantly increased in the left inferior temporal gyrus and significantly decreased in the right superior marginal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and insular cortex. Moreover, cortical thickness was negatively correlated with altitude in the left superior and middle temporal gyri, rostral middle frontal cortex, insular cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, lingual gyrus, and the right superior temporal gyrus. Curvature was positively correlated with altitude in the left rostral middle frontal cortex, insular cortex, and middle temporal gyrus. The depth of the sulcus was negatively correlated with altitude in the left lingual gyrus and right medial orbitofrontal cortex. Differences in cortical morphometry in native Tibetans may reflect adaptations related to high altitude.

Highlights

  • BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEHigh-altitude environmental factors and genetic variants together could have exerted their effects on the human brain

  • Differences in cortical morphometry in native Tibetans may reflect adaptations related to high altitude

  • Cold weather at a HA may result in hypothermia, which has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect against hypoxic damage.[11,12]

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Summary

Methods

T1-weighted brain images were obtained from 77 Tibetan adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (altitude, 2300 –5300 m) and 80 matched Han controls living at sea level. Subjects Seventy-seven healthy native Tibetans (34 males and 43 females, 14 –18 years of age) living in the southeast Tibet Autonomous Region (southeast Nagqu, Xigaze, Lasa, Nyingchi, and Chamdo) (altitude, 2300 –5300 m) were recruited. Their ancestors were all native Tibetans living on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The control subjects were 80 (34 males and 46 females, 14 –18 years of age) adolescents living at sea level (altitude, Ͻ50 m), matched with the native Tibetans by sex, age, and education. Procedures were fully explained, and all subjects provided written informed consent before participating in the study

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