Corpus Callosum Thickness Research Articles

Fast, fully automated MRI-based measurement of the human corpus callosum

Event Abstract Back to Event Fast, fully automated MRI-based measurement of the human corpus callosum Timothy J Herron1*, Xiaojian Kang2, And U Turken3 and David L Woods4 1 US Veterans Affairs, Neurology, United States 2 UC Davis, Neurology & Neuroscience, United States 3 US Veterans Affairs Research, United States 4 US Veterans Affairs, United States We present a stand-alone open-source MatLab software package, C8, which measures midsagittal cross-sectional thickness and area of the human corpus callosum from high-resolution T1 in vivo MR images. C8 quickly extracts and measures the callosum using segmented, affine normalized brains as input. Areas are computed for geometrically defined callosal compartments according to several different extant compartment schemes. Thickness is sampled along a median line within the callosum according to three methods of spacing the samples: equal angle, equal-distance, and equal-area. Coregistered accessory input images have values sampled along the median line and near the edges of the callosum. The algorithm’s performance was tested using the high-quality OASIS image database [www.oasis-brains.org] and showed C8 producing consistent, reliable callosal measurement estimates over repeated scans and with values comparable to manually-segmented callosa. We used 1000+ medium quality T1 images from the 1000 Functional Connectomes Project [fcon_1000.projects.nitrc.org] to evaluate between group differences in measured callosum values and regional effects of age and gender on thickness measures. We also sampled normalized T1 values along the callosum to capture regional variation. A second analysis used the OASIS database young normals plus our own high-quality set of T1 images from young normals (~290 subjects total) in order to correlate callosal thickness/area with regional cortical gray matter thickness and area in 34 cortical ROIs defined using FreeSurfer [surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu]. We found that regional callosal area (and callosal thickness to a lesser extent), correlate positively with regional cortical area but not with regional cortical thickness. Figure 1 Keywords: computational neuroscience, Neuroimaging Conference: 4th INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics, Boston, United States, 4 Sep - 6 Sep, 2011. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Computational neuroscience Citation: Herron T, Kang X, Turken A and Woods D (2011). Fast, fully automated MRI-based measurement of the human corpus callosum. Front. Neuroinform. Conference Abstract: 4th INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics. doi: 10.3389/conf.fninf.2011.08.00108 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 17 Oct 2011; Published Online: 19 Oct 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. Timothy J Herron, US Veterans Affairs, Neurology, Martinez, United States, tjherron@ebire.org Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Timothy J Herron Xiaojian Kang And U Turken David L Woods Google Timothy J Herron Xiaojian Kang And U Turken David L Woods Google Scholar Timothy J Herron Xiaojian Kang And U Turken David L Woods PubMed Timothy J Herron Xiaojian Kang And U Turken David L Woods Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Corpus callosum morphology and relationship to orbitofrontal and lateral ventricular volume in teenagers with first-presentation borderline personality disorder

Previous studies have demonstrated alterations to fronto-limbic circuitry and callosal structure in borderline personality disorder (BPD). We predicted that a first-presentation BPD cohort who demonstrated orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) reductions would show regional reductions in the anterior corpus callosum. Method Twenty teenage first-presentation BPD patients and twenty matched healthy controls underwent Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 20 teenaged first-presentation BPD patients and 20 matched healthy controls. Corpus callosum size and shape and ventricular volume were estimated using established methods and compared between the two groups. The relationship between illness variables and callosal morphology was also examined. OFC volume was correlated with callosal and ventricular variables. Results BPD participants and controls did not differ on measures of callosal size or shape, or ventricular size. BPD participants showed an alteration to the pattern of age-related expansions seen in the callosum. BPD participants with a history of trauma did not demonstrate significant neuroanatomical differences from those without. OFC volumes did not correlate with the thickness of the anterior corpus callosum. Conclusion Gross neuroanatomical changes are not present at the level of the callosum in teenagers with first-presentation BPD. Changes seen in other studies might reflect factors associated with the duration of BPD, such as recurrent comorbidity with axis I disorders, or treatment.

Cerebral and Cerebellar Volume Loss in Children and Adolescents with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Review of Clinically Acquired Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Cerebral atrophy is a prominent feature in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We assessed cerebral and cerebellar volume loss on clinically acquired brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of children and adolescents with SLE. We abstracted information on disease course for patients who underwent clinical brain MRI during the period 2002-2008. We completed qualitative assessments of volume loss and measured corpus callosum thickness and ventricular enlargement for patients with lupus and controls. Forty-nine children underwent brain MRI during the review period due to clinical indications. The lupus cohort was predominantly female and ethnically diverse. Mean age at imaging was 15.3 +/- 2.6 years and mean disease duration was 30.6 +/- 33.3 months. Findings suggestive of cerebral and cerebellar volume loss were seen respectively in 89.8% and 91.8% of lupus patients. Cerebral volume loss was moderate or severe in 26.5% of children. Cerebellar volume loss was moderate in 20.4% of these patients. Linear measurement means reflected corpus callosum thinning and ventricular enlargement in lupus patients. Volume loss was observed in newly diagnosed patients prior to corticosteroid use. Disease duration and corticosteroid use did not predict the severity of volume loss. There were statistically significant differences in linear imaging measurements comparing lupus patients to 14 similar-age controls. Regional volume loss was observed in most adolescents with lupus undergoing clinical brain MRI scans. As in other pediatric conditions with inflammatory or vascular etiologies, these findings may be reflecting disease-associated neuronal loss and not solely the effects of corticosteroid.

Four patients with speech delay, seizures and variable corpus callosum thickness sharing a 0.440 Mb deletion in region 1q44 containing the HNRPU gene

Structural genome aberrations are frequently associated with highly variable congenital phenotypes involving mental retardation and developmental delay. Although some of these aberrations may result in recognizable phenotypes, a high degree of phenotypic variability often complicates a comprehensive clinical and genetic diagnosis. We describe four patients with overlapping deletions in chromosomal region 1q44, who show developmental delay, in particular of expressive speech, seizures, hypotonia, CNS anomalies, including variable thickness of the abnormal corpus callosum in three of them. High resolution oligonucleotide and SNP array-based segmental aneuploidy profiling showed that these three patients share a 0.440 Mb interstitial deletion, which does not overlap with previously published consensus regions of 1q44 deletions. Two copies of AKT3 and ZNF238, two previously proposed dosage sensitive candidate genes for microcephaly and agenesis of the corpus callosum, were retained in two of our patients. The deletion shared by our patients encompassed the FAM36A, HNRPU, EFCAB2 and KIF26B genes. Since HNRPU is involved in the regulation of embryonic brain development, this represents a novel plausible candidate gene for the combination of developmental delay, speech delay, hypotonia, hypo- or agenesis of the corpus callosum, and seizures in patients with 1q44 deletions. Since only one of the two patients with deletions including the ZNF124 gene showed a vermis hypoplasia, mere hemizygosity for this gene is not sufficient to cause this anomaly. Moreover, to reconcile the variability in the corpus callosum thickness, additional mechanisms, such as unmasking of hemizygous mutations, position effects and possible interactions with other loci need consideration.

Morphologic Features and Flow Void Phenomenon in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus and Other Dementias: Are They Really Significant?

The aim of this study was to determine the distinctive features of normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and other dementias on routine T1-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images. Also, the contribution of these parameters to the diagnosis and treatment of NPH was investigated. Routine MR images were used to investigate the morphologic features (dilatation of Sylvian cisterns, narrowness of convexity sulci, thickness of corpus callosum (TCC), and dilatation of perihippocampal fissures) and the flow void phenomenon (FVP) in patients with idiopathic NPH (INPH) and other dementias. Routine MR images of 18 patients with INPH, 11 with dementias other than INPH, and 20 controls were retrospectively examined. Morphologic features and the FVP were graded subjectively. The TCC was measured quantitatively. Morphologic parameters, the FVP, and the shunt response were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The mean FVP score was significantly higher in patients with INPH (2.89 +/- 0.75) than in controls and patients with other dementias (1.1 +/- 0.85 and 1.09 +/- 0.83, respectively) (P < .001). There was significant difference in terms of TCC between patients with INPH (3 +/- 0.7 mm), those with other dementias (1.9 +/- 0.7 mm), and controls (5.2 +/- 0.8 mm) (P < .001). Significant differences in terms of other morphologic features were found between patients with INPH and those with other dementias (P < .05). No significant difference was found between morphologic parameters and the FVP and the outcome of cerebrospinal fluid diversion (P > .05). Intense FVP is a signature of but is not pathognomonic for INPH. The morphologic analysis of MR images can be distinctive for the diagnosis of INPH or dementias other than INPH. Detailed evaluation of morphologic features and the FVP in routine MR workup of dementia will be useful for accurate diagnosis.

Corpus callosum thickness and interhemispheric DTI tract symmetry as markers for peripheral white matter disease

Corpus callosum thickness and interhemispheric DTI tract symmetry as markers for peripheral white matter disease

Characterization of juvenile and young adult mice following induction of hydrocephalus with kaolin

Hydrocephalus is a common neurological problem in humans, usually caused by an impairment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow or absorption. A reliable induced model of chronic hydrocephalus in mice would be useful to test hypotheses using genetic mutants. Our goal was to characterize behavioral and histological changes in juvenile and young adult mice with kaolin (aluminum silicate)-induced hydrocephalus. Seven-day old and 7–8 week old mice received injection of kaolin into the cisterna magna. Behavior was assessed repeatedly. Seven or 14 days following kaolin, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used to assess ventricle size. In hydrocephalic mice, body weight was significantly lower than in age-matched saline-injected sham controls and the gait and posture score were impaired. Juvenile mice developed severe ventriculomegaly and had reduced corpus callosum thickness with gross white matter destruction by 14 days. Reactive astroglial change in white matter and cortex and reduced cellular proliferation in the subependymal zone were also apparent. Young adult mice developed only moderate ventricular enlargement without overt white matter destruction, although there was corpus callosum atrophy and mild astroglial reaction in white matter. Glial fibrillary acidic protein content was significantly higher in juvenile and young adult hydrocephalic mice at 7 and 14 days, but myelin basic protein content was not significantly altered. In conclusion, hydrocephalus induced by percutaneous injection of kaolin in juvenile and young adult mice is feasible. The associated periventricular alterations are essentially the same as those reported in rats of comparable ages.

Relationship between the depth of cingulate sulcus on neonatal high resolution cranial ultrasound and gestational age

Purpose:It is critical that the exact gestational age of a newborn baby, especially premature baby, be determined to evaluate the status of a disease and its management and to estimate the prognosis of a patient. This study aimed to investigate an easy and accurate method to estimate gestational age on cranial ultrasound, requiring minimal additional time and equipment. Methods:A high-resolution coronal sonographic image was obtained via the anterior fontanel with a 5-12 Mhz linear probe after the usual cranial sonographic examination. We measured the depth of cerebral hemisphere, thickness of corpus callosum, and depth of cingulate sulcus and obtained the correlations between these factors and gestational age. Results:Depth of cingulate sulcus had the highest correlation coefficiency with gestational age (r=0.878, P=0.000). All the cases, except for 2 cases, had a gestational age of more than 37 weeks, when the depths of cingulate sulcus were more than 0.55 cm, and had a gestational age less than 34 weeks, when the depths of cingulate sulcus were less than 0.35 cm. Conclusion:Measurement of the depth of cingulate sulcus was a simple and accurate method to estimate the gestational age on cranial ultrasound. The gestational age is more than 37 weeks, when the depth of cingulate sulcus is more than 0.55 cm, and is less than 34 weeks, when the depth of cingulate sulcus is less than 0.35 cm.

P02-227 Corpus callosum size and shape in individuals with bipolar disorder and their relatives

Objective:To examine genetic influences the anatomy of the Corpus Callosum (CC) in Bipolar Disorder (BD) by examining first-degree relatives in addition to BD patients.Methods:We compared CCl size and shape in 180 individuals: 70 with BD, 45 of their unaffected first-degree relatives, and 75 healthy controls. The CC was extracted from a mid-sagittal slice from T1-weighted magnetic resonance images; its total area, length and curvature were compared across groups. A non-parametric permutation method was used to examine for alterations in width of the callosum along 39 points.Results:Validating our previous findings, a significant global reduction in CC thickness was seen in BD patients, with a disproportionate thinning in the anterior body. First-degree relatives did not differ in CC size or shape from controls. Duration of illness was associated with thinning in the anterior body, whereas Lithium treatment associated with thicker anterior CC midbody.Conclusions:Global and regional CC thinning is a disease related feature of BD and may not represent a marker of familial disposition.

Positive correlations between corpus callosum thickness and intelligence

Callosal morphology is thought to reflect the capacity for inter-hemispheric communication and thus, in addition to other cerebral characteristics, may serve as a neuroanatomical substrate of general intellectual capacity. We applied novel computational mesh-based methods to establish the presence and direction of correlations between intelligence and callosal thickness at high spatial resolution while removing the variance associated with overall brain size. Within healthy subjects ( n = 62), and within males ( n = 28) and females ( n = 34) separately, we observed significant positive correlations between callosal morphology and intelligence measures (full-scale, performance, and verbal). These relationships were pronounced in posterior callosal sections and were confirmed by permutation testing. Significant negative correlations were absent. Positive associations between intelligence and posterior callosal thickness may reflect a more efficient inter-hemispheric information transfer, positively affecting information processing and integration, and thus intellectual performance. At the same time, regional variations in callosal size might also partly reflect the underlying architecture of topographically connected cortical regions relevant for processing higher-order cognitive information. Our findings emphasize the importance of incorporating posterior (callosal) regions into the theories and models proposed to explain the anatomical substrates of intelligence.

Brain damage in neonatal rats following kaolin induction of hydrocephalus

Neonatal and congenital hydrocephalus are common problems in humans. Hydrocephalus was induced in 1-day-old rats by injection of kaolin into the cisterna magna. At 7 and 21 days, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used to assess ventricle size, then brains were subjected to histopathological and biochemical analyses. Hydrocephalic pups did not exhibit delays in righting or negative geotaxis reflexes during the first week. At 7 days, there was variable ventricular enlargement with periventricular white matter edema, axon damage, reactive astrogliosis, and accumulation of macrophages in severe but not mild hydrocephalus. Cellular proliferation in the subependymal zone was significantly reduced. The cortical subplate neuron layer was disrupted. In rats allowed to survive to 21 days, weight was significantly lower in severely hydrocephalic rats. They also exhibited impaired memory in the Morris water maze test. Despite abnormal posture, there was minimal quantitative impairment of walking ability on a rotating cylinder. At 21 days, histological studies showed reduced corpus callosum thickness, fewer mature oligodendrocytes, damaged axons, and astroglial/microglial reaction. Reduced myelin basic protein, increased glial fibrillary acidic protein, and stable synaptophysin content were demonstrated by immunochemical methods. In conclusion, impairment in cognition and motor skills corresponds to ventricular enlargement and white matter destruction. Quantitative measures of weight, memory, ventricle size, and myelin, and glial proteins in this neonatal model of hydrocephalus will be useful tools for assessment of experimental therapeutic interventions.

Intrinsic sensory deprivation induced by neonatal capsaicin treatment induces changes in rat brain and behaviour of possible relevance to schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is considered to be a neurodevelopmental disorder with origins in the prenatal or neonatal period. Brains from subjects with schizophrenia have enlarged ventricles, reduced cortical thickness (CT) and increased neuronal density in the prefrontal cortex compared with those from normal subjects. Subjects with schizophrenia have reduced pain sensitivity and niacin skin flare responses, suggesting that capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent neurons might be abnormal in schizophrenia. This study tested the hypothesis that intrinsic somatosensory deprivation, induced by neonatal capsaicin treatment, causes changes in the brains of rats similar to those found in schizophrenia. Wistar rats were treated with capsaicin, 50 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously, or vehicle (control) at 24-36 h of life. At 5-7 weeks behavioural observations were made, and brains removed, fixed and sectioned. The mean body weight of capsaicin-treated rats was not significantly different from control, but the mean brain weight of male, but not female, rats, was significantly lower than control. Capsaicin-treated rats were hyperactive compared with controls. The hyperactivity was abolished by haloperidol. Coronal brain sections of capsaicin-treated rats had smaller cross-sectional areas, reduced CT, larger ventricles and aqueduct, smaller hippocampal area and reduced corpus callosum thickness, than brain sections from control rats. Neuronal density was increased in several cortical areas and the caudate putamen, but not in the visual cortex. It is concluded that neonatal capsaicin treatment of rats produces brain changes that are similar to those found in brains of subjects with schizophrenia.

Corpus callosum atrophy is associated with gait disorders in patients with leukoaraiosis

Cognitive impairment and gait disturbances are the most frequent clinical findings in patients with leukoaraiosis (LA). Corpus callosum (CC) atrophy has been associated with dementia in patients with LA, as well as with gait disturbances in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus. We investigated, in patients with LA, the possible association between gait impairment and CC atrophy, taking into account cognitive deficits and the other brain lesions commonly present in these patients. Thirty patients (M:F=21:9; mean age 72.5+/-6.3 years) with gait disturbances and brain CT images consistent with LA underwent an assessment of gait and a cognitive assessment of global and selective functions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure thickness and area of the CC, total LA volume, lacunar infarcts and size of lateral ventricles. We examined the effect of every MRI change on each performance measure. Reduction of CC thickness, particularly that of the anterior segment, had a significant effect on severity of gait impairment, as measured using the gait scale's score. It was independent of any other brain changes revealed by MRI, including LA. An independent, significant association was also found between CC area and the Left Hand Praxis test results. In patients with LA, CC atrophy is associated with gait impairment independently of LA and other brain abnormalities usually present in these patients.

Dysfunction of transcallosally mediated motor inhibition and callosal morphology in patients with schizophrenia.

In order to assess the functional integrity of motor pathways through the corpus callosum (CC) in patients with schizophrenia transcallosally mediated inhibition (TI) of voluntary tonic EMG activity of first dorsal interosseus muscle following ipsilateral focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (fTMS) was investigated. In addition thickness and length of CC were calculated. Twelve patients suffering from schizophrenia and 12 healthy controls were investigated. CC morphology was measured in mid-sagittal MRI-slices. Latency and duration of TI were calculated. In schizophrenics the duration of TI was significantly prolonged, whereas latencies were not. In addition, a lack of TI was found unilaterally in three patients. Measurements of CC revealed a significantly reduction of the length and thickness in the anterior part of CC in patients. These findings indicate that measurement of TI could be used to detect clinical silent affection of transcallosal motor pathways in schizophrenics. The effect of neuroleptic drugs has to be explored.

Sex-related differences in the development of the human fetal corpus callosum:in utero ultrasonographic study

A cross-sectional study of pregnant women presenting for routine fetal ultrasonographic examination was conducted at the Obstetric Ultrasonographic Unit of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center to investigate in utero development of the fetal corpus callosum (CC) in relation to fetal gender. A total of 255 consecutive healthy fetuses of low-risk pregnancies between 16 and 36 weeks' gestation were examined. Thickness and width of the anterior mid-body of the CC were measured in the mid-coronal plane, and length was measured in the mid-sagittal plane. Fetal gender was determined by an independent observer. Female fetuses had statistically significantly thicker CC than males for each gestational age. The mean +/- standard deviation (SD) CC thickness in females was 2.13 +/- 0.8 mm [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.98-2.28] while the mean +/- SD CC thickness in males was 1.8 +/- 0.5 mm (95% CI 1.70-1.89; p < 0.01). The length and width of the CC during gestation did not differ significantly between the sexes. Corpus callosum size as a function of gestational age (GA) in both sexes was expressed by linear regression equations. The correlation coefficients r = 0.93, r = 0.61 and r = 0.62 for length, width and thickness, respectively, in males and r = 0.92, r = 0.71 and r = 0.72 in females were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.01). The present data suggest that female fetuses have a thicker CC than males. These findings support previous studies suggesting sex dimorphism of human CC and raise the possibility that prenatal sex hormones may play a role in determining callosal development.

Evidence for Atrophy of the Corpus callosum in Alzheimer’s Disease

Patients with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) have more white matter changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) than controls. To test the hypothesis that AD patients might have also atrophy of the corpus callosum (CC), we compared the CC thickness on MRI from 20 AD patients and 21 controls. We found a significant reduction in the CC thickness in AD compared with age-matched controls (p < 0.01). We demonstrated that atrophy of the CC depends mainly on the diagnosis of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type and at a lower degree on the diagnosis of presenile AD but neither on age nor on ventricle enlargement. This result suggests that beside the greater severity of white matter involvement in late-onset AD, atrophy of the CC may also be present.

A controlled magnetic resonance imaging study of corpus callosum thickness in schizophrenia

Two previous postmortem studies reported an increased thickness of the corpus callosum in schizophrenic patients compared to psychiatric controls. We report an in vivo study of the corpus callosum in schizophrenic patients ( n = 38) and healthy controls ( n = 41) using magnetic resonance (MR) brain imaging. A significant increase in mean callosal thickness was found in the middle and anterior, but not the posterior, parts of the callosal body. However, when the patients and controls were compared by gender and handedness schizophrenic men were found not to differ from control men in callosal thickness, regardless of handedness, whereas schizophrenic women were found to have a highly significant increase in callosal middle and anterior thickness compared to control women The data suggest that increased callosal thickness in schizophrenia is gender related, a factor that is not considered by postmortem studies. The implications of increased callosal dimensions in female schizophrenics are discussed.

Morphological differences in cerebral cortex and corpus callosum are genetically determined in two different strains of mice.

A morphological analysis of the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum was performed in two inbred strins of mice (SEC/1ReJ and C57BL/6J) different for a number of inborn and acquired behavioral patterns and for their ontogenic behavioral development. The data obtained indicate that in these two strains there are clear differences in the total thickness in the medial-anterior cortical region and temporal region, in the thickness and cell grey coefficient of the layers II-III, IV and V of some areas of parietal and frontal regions, and in the thickness of corpus callosum. These findings are discussed in terms of possible correlations between brain structure and behavior.