Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate structural modulation of brain by high level of oxygen during its peak period of development. Voxel-based morphometry analysis of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics analysis of WM fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusion (MD) based on MRI images were carried out on 21 Tibetan adolencents (15–18 years), who were born and raised in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (2900–4700 m) and have lived at sea level (SL) in the last 4 years. The control group consisted of matched Tibetan adolescents born and raised at high altitude all the time. SL immigrants had increased GM volume in the left insula, left inferior parietal gyrus, and right superior parietal gyrus and decreased GM in the left precentral cortex and multiple sites in cerebellar cortex (left lobule 8, bilateral lobule 6 and crus 1/2). Decreased WM volume was found in the right superior frontal gyrus in SL immigrants. SL immigrants had higher FA and lower MD at multiple sites of WM tracts. Moreover, we detected changes in ventilation and circulation. GM volume in cerebellum lobule 8 positively correlated with diastolic pressure, while GM volume in insula positively correlated vital capacity and hypoxic ventilatory response. Our finding indicate that the structural modulations of GM by high level of oxygen during its peak period of development are related to respiratory and circulatory regulations, while the modulation in WM mainly exhibits an enhancement in myelin maturation.
Highlights
The human brain structures have distinct developmental trajectories [1]
high altitude (HA) adolescents immigrated to sea level (SL) were at age of 11–14, which are during their brains developmental trajectory peaks [1,2,3]
Gray matter (GM) volume changed in several brain regions, but little did white matter (WM) volume
Summary
The human brain structures have distinct developmental trajectories [1]. Total cerebral volume follows an inverted U shaped trajectory peaking at age 10.5 in girls and 14.5 in boys [2]. Total cerebellum volume follows an inverted U shaped developmental trajectory peaking at 11.3 in girls and 15.6 in boys [3]. Gray matter (GM) volumes in various brain regions follow an inverted U developmental trajectory with a peak at age 12–17, while white matter (WM) volumes steadily increase throughout childhood and the increase continues during the twenties in several association tracts [1]. Throughout the lifespan, the human brain is continuously shaped by environmental factors [5]. If environmental stresses occur during these critical developmental periods they might have a great impact on brain maturation
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