Brain Structures Research Articles

Diffusion-tensor-imaging 1-year-old and 2-year-old infant brain atlases with comprehensive gray and white matter labels.

Human infancy is marked by fastest postnatal brain structural changes. It also coincides with the onset of many neurodevelopmental disorders. Atlas-based automated structure labeling has been widely used for analyzing various neuroimaging data. However, the relatively large and nonlinear neuroanatomical differences between infant and adult brains can lead to significant offsets of the labeled structures in infant brains when adult brain atlas is used. Age-specific 1- and 2-year-old brain atlases covering all major gray and white matter (GM and WM) structures with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and structural MRI are critical for precision medicine for infant population yet have not been established. In this study, high-quality DTI and structural MRI data were obtained from 50 healthy children to build up three-dimensional age-specific 1- and 2-year-old brain templates and atlases. Age-specific templates include a single-subject template as well as two population-averaged templates from linear and nonlinear transformation, respectively. Each age-specific atlas consists of 124 comprehensively labeled major GM and WM structures, including 52 cerebral cortical, 10 deep GM, 40 WM, and 22 brainstem and cerebellar structures. When combined with appropriate registration methods, the established atlases can be used for highly accurate automatic labeling of any given infant brain MRI. We demonstrated that one can automatically and effectively delineate deep WM microstructural development from 3 to 38 months by using these age-specific atlases. These established 1- and 2-year-old infant brain DTI atlases can advance our understanding of typical brain development and serve as clinical anatomical references for brain disorders during infancy.

Longitudinal change in brain function and structure related to plasma neurofilament light protein in early-stage Parkinson’s disease

Longitudinal change in brain function and structure related to plasma neurofilament light protein in early-stage Parkinson’s disease

Qatar's National Mental Health Study-The World Mental Health Qatar.

We provide an overview of Qatar's first epidemiological study on prevalence, predictors, and treatment contact for mood and anxiety disorders. We highlight the importance of the three-pronged study, its aims, and its key components. The first component comprised a probability-based representative survey of Qatari and non-Qatari (Arab) adult males and females recruited from the general population and interviewed using the International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI version 3.3). The second component, a clinical reappraisal study, assessed concordance between diagnoses based on the CIDI and independent clinical assessments conducted by trained clinical interviewers. The third component comprised a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study of healthy survey respondents who were matched to patients with psychosis. 5000 survey interviews provided data on prevalence and treatment of common mental disorders. Clinical re-interviews (N=485) provided important diagnostic validity data. Finally, state-of-the art structural and functional brain markers for psychosis were also collected (N=100). Descriptive epidemiological data were collected to inform future mental health priorities in Qatar and situates these within a global context. The study fills important gaps in regional and global estimates and establish necessary baseline to develop comprehensive risk estimates for mental health in Qatar's young population.

Advanced neuroimaging techniques to explore the effects of motor and cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis.

Progress in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology and analyses is improving our comprehension of multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology. These advancements, which enable the evaluation of atrophy, microstructural tissue abnormalities, and functional plasticity, are broadening our insights into the effectiveness and working mechanisms of motor and cognitive rehabilitative treatments. This narrative review with selected studies discusses findings derived from the application of advanced MRI techniques to evaluate structural and functional neuroplasticity modifications underlying the effects of motor and cognitive rehabilitative treatments in people with MS (PwMS). Current applications as outcome measure in longitudinal trials and observational studies, their interpretation and possible pitfalls and limitations in their use are covered. Finally, we examine how the use of these techniques could evolve in the future to improve monitoring of motor and cognitive rehabilitative treatments. Despite substantial variability in study design and participant characteristics in rehabilitative studies for PwMS, improvements in motor and cognitive functions accompanied by structural and functional brain modifications induced by rehabilitation can be observed. However, significant enhancements to refine rehabilitation strategies are needed. Future studies in this field should strive to implement standardized methodologies regarding MRI acquisition and processing, possibly integrating multimodal measures. This will help identifying relevant markers of treatment response in PwMS, thus improving the use of rehabilitative interventions at individual level. The combination of motor and cognitive strategies, longer periods of treatment, as well as adequate follow-up assessments will contribute to enhance the quality of evidence in support of their routine use.

Examining longitudinal associations between prenatal exposure to infections and child brain morphology

BackgroundMaternal infection during pregnancy has been identified as a prenatal risk factor for the later development of psychopathology in exposed offspring. Neuroimaging data collected during childhood has suggested a link between prenatal exposure to maternal infection and child brain structure and function, potentially offering a neurobiological explanation for the emergence of psychopathology. Preclinical studies utilizing repeated measures of neuroimaging data furthermore suggest that effects of prenatal maternal infection on the offspring’s brain may normalize over time (i.e., catch-up growth). However, it remains unclear whether exposure to prenatal maternal infection in humans is related to long-term differential neurodevelopmental trajectories. This study aimed to investigate the association between prenatal exposure to infections on child brain development over time using repeated measures MRI data. MethodsWe leveraged data from a population-based cohort, Generation R, in which we examined prospectively assessed self-reported infections at each trimester of pregnancy (N = 2,155). We further used three neuroimaging assessments (at mean age 6, 10 and 14) to obtain cortical and subcortical measures of the offspring’s brain morphology with MRI. Hereafter, we applied linear mixed-effects models, adjusting for several confounding factors, to estimate the association of maternal infection with child brain development over time. ResultsWe found that prenatal exposure to infection in the third trimester was associated with a slower decrease in volumes of the pars orbitalis, rostral anterior cingulate and superior frontal gyrus, and a faster increase in the middle temporal gyrus. In the temporal pole we observed a divergent pattern, specifically showing an increase in volume in offspring exposed to more infections compared to a decrease in volume in offspring exposed to fewer infections. We further observed associations in other frontal and temporal lobe structures after exposure to infections in any trimester, though these did not survive multiple testing correction. ConclusionsOur results suggest that prenatal exposure to infections in the third trimester may be associated with slower age-related growth in the regions: pars orbitalis, rostral anterior cingulate and superior frontal gyrus, and faster growth in the middle temporal gyrus across childhood, suggesting a potential sensitive period. Our results might be interpreted as an extension of longitudinal findings from preclinical studies, indicating that children exposed to prenatal infections could exhibit catch-up growth. However, given the lack of differences in brain volume between various infection groups at baseline, there may instead be either a longitudinal deviation or a subtle temporal deviation. Subsequent well-powered studies that extend into the period of full brain development (∼25 years) are needed to confirm whether the observed phenomenon is indeed catch-up growth, a longitudinal deviation, or a subtle temporal deviation.

10. Shared and Distinct Alterations in Brain Structure of Children and Adolescents with Internalising or Externalising Disorders: Findings From the ENIGMA Antisocial Behavior, ADHD, MDD and Anxiety Working Groups

10. Shared and Distinct Alterations in Brain Structure of Children and Adolescents with Internalising or Externalising Disorders: Findings From the ENIGMA Antisocial Behavior, ADHD, MDD and Anxiety Working Groups

Creative Tendency with Brain Network Efficiency: A Graph Theory Analysis

Creativity is divided into two levels: cognition and affect. Existing brain neuroimaging research has analyzed the cognitive processes involved in creative products. Thus, the connection between creative tendency and brain structure remains limited. This study explored the connection between white matter network structure and creative tendency. The diffusion tensor images of brain white matter and the Creative Tendency Scale scores of 60 healthy adults were evaluated. Graph theory was used to analyze the topological properties of the brain white matter network. After excluding the influences of gender and age, the relationship between the connectivity efficiency (CE) of the brain white matter network and creative tendencies (risk-taking, curiosity, imagination, and preference for complexity) was calculated. Curiosity, imagination, and the total score of creative tendencies were positively correlated with standardized clustering efficiency and small-worldness. In terms of node efficiency, risk-taking was significantly negatively correlated with the left middle temporal gyrus, posterior central gyrus, and right inferior parietal lobe; curiosity was negatively correlated with the right inferior parietal lobe; imagination was negatively correlated with the left middle frontal gyrus; and preference for complexity was negatively correlated with the left cuneus. These findings show that the brain white matter networks affect creative tendencies differently.

Buprenorphine Decreases Fetal Breathing Movements in Fetal Biophysical Profile Assessment [ID 2683456

INTRODUCTION: Ten percent of pregnant patients in our community receive medication-assisted therapy with buprenorphine during their prenatal course. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends antenatal testing for conditions when risk of stillbirth is greater than 0.8/1,000. Opioid use in pregnancy is associated with modest increased odds of stillbirth (odds ratio 1.3). Our hypothesis was that biophysical profile (BPP) in buprenorphine patients might be different than a control group of high-risk patients due to the effects of buprenorphine. METHODS: This retrospective chart review analyzed the BPP assessments of patients receiving buprenorphine compared to patients followed for chronic hypertension. Patients seen between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2020, were evaluated. 131 patients were in the buprenorphine group and 46 patients were in the chronic hypertension control group. RESULTS: Patients receiving buprenorphine were more likely to have a fetal breathing score of zero than patients undergoing BPP for hypertension. There is a significant relationship between buprenorphine dosage and breathing motion assessment. Chi-squared test yielded a value of P=.04269. Patients on high-dose buprenorphine are more likely to have values of 0 on fetal breathing motion assessment than low-dose patients. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show a dose-related effect of buprenorphine on fetal breathing movements. Previous research has shown buprenorphine effects on fetal brain structure. Current guidelines minimize the effects of maternal buprenorphine administration on fetal development. This study adds to prior research; further study on the dose-related long-term and short-term effects of buprenorphine on fetal development is encouraged.

Functional analysis of a novel intronic variant of MCPH1 with autosomal recessive primary microcephaly

Autosomal Recurrent Primary Microscopic (MCPH, OMIM: 251200) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by a noticeable decrease in brain size, particularly in the cerebral cortex, but with a normal brain structure and a non-progressive intellectual disability. MCPH1 has been identified as the gene that triggers primary microcephaly (MCPH1，OMIM: 607117). Here we report a case of autosomal recessive primary microcephaly as caused by a novel variant in the MCPH1 gene. Head circumference was measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), while the Wechsler Intelligence Scale was used to evaluate the intelligence of the individual being tested. B-ultrasound was used to assess gonadal development, and semen routine was used to assess sperm status. The whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the proband. Sanger sequencing was conducted on the parents of the proband to determine if the novel variant in the MCPH1 gene was present. The effect of the mutation on the splicing of MCPH1 was verified by minigene approach. It was observed that the proband had autosomal recessive primary microcephaly and azoospermatism. A novel splice-site homozygous mutation (c.233+2T > G) of the MCPH1 gene was identified, which inherited from his parents. Minigene approach confirmed that c.233+2T > G could affect the splicing of MCPH1. Therefore, our findings contributed to the mutation spectrum of the MCPH1 gene and may be useful in the diagnosis and gene therapy of MCPH.

119. Obesity and Brain Structure Alterations are Independent Contributors to Cognitive Performance in First Episode Psychosis

119. Obesity and Brain Structure Alterations are Independent Contributors to Cognitive Performance in First Episode Psychosis

Infralimbic activity during REM sleep facilitates fear extinction memory

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is known to facilitate fear extinction and play a protective role against fearful memories.1,2 Consequently, disruption of REM sleep after a traumatic event may increase the risk for developing PTSD.3,4 However, the underlying mechanisms by which REM sleep promotes extinction of aversive memories remain largely unknown. The infralimbic cortex (IL) is a key brain structure for the consolidation of extinction memory.5 Using calcium imaging, we found in mice that most IL pyramidal neurons are intensively activated during REM sleep. Optogenetically suppressing the IL specifically during REM sleep within a 4-h window after auditory-cued fear conditioning impaired extinction memory consolidation. In contrast, REM-specific IL inhibition after extinction learning did not affect the extinction memory. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings demonstrated that inactivating IL neurons during REM sleep depresses their excitability. Together, our findings suggest that REM sleep after fear conditioning facilitates fear extinction by enhancing IL excitability and highlight the importance of REM sleep in the aftermath of traumatic events for protecting against traumatic memories.

Diagnosis-Guided Deep Subspace Clustering Association Study for Pathogenetic Markers Identification of Alzheimer's Disease Based on Comparative Atlases.

The roles of brain region activities and genotypic functions in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain unclear. Meanwhile, current imaging genetics methods are difficult to identify potential pathogenetic markers by correlation analysis between brain network and genetic variation. To discover disease-related brain connectome from the specific brain structure and the fine-grained level, based on the Automated Anatomical Labeling (AAL) and human Brainnetome atlases, the functional brain network is first constructed for each subject. Specifically, the upper triangle elements of the functional connectivity matrix are extracted as connectivity features. The clustering coefficient and the average weighted node degree are developed to assess the significance of every brain area. Since the constructed brain network and genetic data are characterized by non-linearity, high-dimensionality, and few subjects, the deep subspace clustering algorithm is proposed to reconstruct the original data. Our multilayer neural network helps capture the non-linear manifolds, and subspace clustering learns pairwise affinities between samples. Moreover, most approaches in neuroimaging genetics are unsupervised learning, neglecting the diagnostic information related to diseases. We presented a label constraint with diagnostic status to instruct the imaging genetics correlation analysis. To this end, a diagnosis-guided deep subspace clustering association (DDSCA) method is developed to discover brain connectome and risk genetic factors by integrating genotypes with functional network phenotypes. Extensive experiments prove that DDSCA achieves superior performance to most association methods and effectively selects disease-relevant genetic markers and brain connectome at the coarse-grained and fine-grained levels.

Understanding Structural Brain Alterations in Anorexia Nervosa: A Multimodal Investigation of Morphometry, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Blood-Based Biomarkers

Understanding Structural Brain Alterations in Anorexia Nervosa: A Multimodal Investigation of Morphometry, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Blood-Based Biomarkers

Epilepsia partialis continua: A review.

Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) is a rare type of focal motor seizure characterized by continuous, involuntary muscle contractions in a specific part of the body. These contractions usually involve rhythmic, twitching movements and can last for several hours to days. The seizures are usually limited to one part of the body and can be clonic or dystonic. EPC can affect people of all ages but is more common in children and adolescents. The pathophysiology of EPC is complex and depends on the cause. There are several possible causes of EPC including structural brain abnormalities, infections, metabolic and genetic disorders, inflammatory conditions, traumatic brain injury, and vascular causes. The work-up of EPC includes electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, position emission tomography (PET) scan of the brain, autoimmune antibodies, infection work-up, and metabolic and genetic work-up. The management of EPC can be challenging. Antiseizure medications (ASDs) including benzodiazepines are an integral part of the management of EPC. Immunotherapy trials are recommended in resistant cases. Epilepsy surgery is one of the effective modalities in some surgically amenable cases. This article reviews the topic of EPC and summarizes diagnostic and .treatment recommendations.

Neuroanatomical markers of social cognition in neglected adolescents

Growing up in neglectful households can impact multiple aspects of social cognition. However, research on neglect's effects on social cognition processes and their neuroanatomical correlates during adolescence is scarce. Here, we aimed to comprehensively assess social cognition processes (recognition of basic and contextual emotions, theory of mind, the experience of envy and Schadenfreude) and empathy for pain, and their structural brain correlates in adolescents with legal neglect records within family-based care. First, we compared neglected adolescents (n = 27) with control participants (n = 25) on context-sensitive social cognition tasks while controlling for physical and emotional abuse and executive and intellectual functioning. Additionally, we explored the grey matter correlates of these domains through voxel-based morphometry. Compared to controls, neglected adolescents exhibited lower performance in contextual emotional recognition and theory of mind, higher levels of envy and Schadenfreude and diminished empathy. Physical and emotional abuse and executive or intellectual functioning did not explain these effects. Moreover, social cognition scores correlated with brain volumes in regions subserving social cognition and emotional processing. Our results underscore the potential impact of neglect on different aspects of social cognition during adolescence, emphasizing the necessity for preventive and intervention strategies to address these deficits in this population.

Relationship Between Basal Cortisol Level and Structural Brain Development in Infancy

Relationship Between Basal Cortisol Level and Structural Brain Development in Infancy

The effects of computerized cognitive training in older adults' cognitive performance and biomarkers of structural brain aging.

Cognitive Training (CT) has been investigated as a means of delaying age-related cognitive decline in older adults. However, its impact on biomarkers of age-related structural brain atrophy has rarely been investigated, leading to a gap in our understanding of the linkage between improvements in cognition and brain plasticity. This study aimed to explore the impact of CT on cognitive performance and brain structure in older adults. 124 cognitively normal older adults recruited from two study sites were randomly assigned to either an adaptive CT (n=60) or a casual game training (Active Control, AC, n= 64). After 10 weeks of training, CT participants showed greater improvements in the overall cognitive composite score (Cohen's d=.66, p<.01) with non-significant benefits after 6 months from the completion of training (Cohen's d=.36, p=.094). The CT group showed significant maintenance of the caudate volume as well as significant maintained fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left Internal Capsule (IC) and in left Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (SLF) compared to the AC group. The AC group displayed an age-related decrease in these metrics of brain structure. Results from this multi-site clinical trial demonstrate that the CT intervention improves cognitive performance and helps maintain caudate volume and integrity of white matter regions that are associated with cognitive control, adding to our understanding of the changes in brain structure contributing to changes in cognitive performance from adaptive CT.

The impact of disaster on cognition in geriatric population

Aging has become one of the predominant demographic issues of the 21st century both in Türkiye and globally. All countries face major challenges to ensure that the health and social systems are ready for the present development. Disasters are natural, technological, or human-induced events that cause physical, economic and social losses. Türkiye is one of the countries frequently face to the catastrophic natural disasters. During the disasters, geriatric population should be considered as being a particular vulnerable group of society. Geriatric individuals are usually more severely injured, have prolonged hospital stay, lower quality of life and have higher mortality during disaster and in post-disaster periods. However, studies on the cognitive effects of disasters are limited. It is clear that the data to be obtained from studies to be conducted in this field will be of even greater importance, if the increasing geriatric population is considered. Age, living alone, being less educated, having chronic diseases, and not working are known as being the the most related factors with cognitive decline due to the disasters. Stressful events such as disasters have short and long-term effects on different brain structures. In the literature, it can clearly be seen that the popular area for researches is the affected locations in brain due to disasters The impotance of better preparedness and community empowerenment that can improve the vulnerable populations, particularly the geriatric people with dementia, is known and more researches are needed.

Bridging Genetic Insights with Neuroimaging in Autism Spectrum Disorder-A Systematic Review.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an early onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and repetitive patterns of behavior. Family studies show that ASD is highly heritable, and hundreds of genes have previously been implicated in the disorder; however, the etiology is still not fully clear. Brain imaging and electroencephalography (EEG) are key techniques that study alterations in brain structure and function. Combined with genetic analysis, these techniques have the potential to help in the clarification of the neurobiological mechanisms contributing to ASD and help in defining novel therapeutic targets. To further understand what is known today regarding the impact of genetic variants in the brain alterations observed in individuals with ASD, a systematic review was carried out using Pubmed and EBSCO databases and following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This review shows that specific genetic variants and altered patterns of gene expression in individuals with ASD may have an effect on brain circuits associated with face processing and social cognition, and contribute to excitation-inhibition imbalances and to anomalies in brain volumes.

Comparative anatomy of the dentate mossy cells in non-human primates: their spatial distributions and axonal projections compared with mouse mossy cells.

Glutamatergic mossy cells (MCs) mediate associational and commissural connectivity, exhibiting significant heterogeneity along the septotemporal axis of the mouse dentate gyrus (DG). However, it remains unclear whether the neuronal features of MCs are conserved across mammals. This study compares the neuroanatomy of MCs in the DG of mice and monkeys. The MC marker, calretinin, distinguishes two subpopulations: septal and temporal. Dual-colored fluorescence labeling is utilized to compare the axonal projection patterns of these subpopulations. In both mice and monkeys, septal and temporal MCs project axons across the longitudinal axis of the ipsilateral DG, indicating conserved associational projections. However, unlike in mice, no MC subpopulations in monkeys make commissural projections to the contralateral DG. In monkeys, temporal MCs send associational fibers exclusively to the inner molecular layer, while septal MCs give rise to wide axonal projections spanning multiple molecular layers, akin to equivalent MC subpopulations in mice. Despite conserved septotemporal heterogeneity, interspecies differences are observed in the topological organization of septal MCs, particularly in the relative axonal density in each molecular layer along the septotemporal axis of the DG. In summary, this comparative analysis sheds light on both conserved and divergent features of MCs in the DG of mice and monkeys. These findings have implications for understanding functional differentiation along the septotemporal axis of the DG and contribute to our knowledge of the anatomical evolution of the DG circuit in mammals.Significance Statement This study investigates glutamatergic mossy cells (MCs) in the dentate gyrus (DG) of mice and monkeys, revealing both conserved and species-specific features. While associational projections are consistent across species, monkeys lack the commissural projections of MCs seen in mice. Additionally, the topological organization of septal MC axons differs, particularly in relative axonal density along the septotemporal axis. These findings provide insights into the anatomical evolution of the DG circuit in mammals, shedding light on potential functional distinctions. The study enhances our understanding of neural circuitry, offering a platform for further exploration into the intricate relationship between structure and function in the mammalian brain.