Differences In Cortical Thickness Research Articles

Surface-based brain morphometry in schizophrenia vs. cannabis-induced psychosis: A controlled comparison

Background & aimWe examined group differences in cortical thickness and surface-parameters among age and handedness--matched persons with cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP), schizophrenia with heavy cannabis use (SZC), and healthy controls (HC). MethodsWe recruited 31 men with SZC, 28 with CIP, and 30 with HC. We used the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders to differentiate between CIP and SZC. We processed and analyzed T1 MR images using the Surface-based Brain Morphometry (SBM) pipeline of the CAT-12 toolbox within the statistical parametric mapping. After pre-processing, volumes were segmented using surface and thickness estimation for the analysis of the region of interest. We used the projection-based thickness method to assess the cortical thickness and Desikan-Killiany atlas for cortical parcellation. ResultsWe observed the lowest cortical thickness, depth, and gyrification in the SZC, followed by CIP and the control groups. The differences were predominantly seen in frontal cortices, with limited parietal and temporal regions involvement. After False Discovery Rate (FDR) corrections and post-hoc analysis, SZC had reduced cortical thickness than HC in the middle and inferior frontal, right entorhinal, and left postcentral regions. Cortical thickness of SZC was also significantly lower than CIP in bilateral postcentral and right middle frontal regions. We found negative correlations (after FDR corrections) between the duration of cannabis use and cortical thickness in loci of parietal and occipital cortices. ConclusionOur study suggested cortical structural abnormalities in schizophrenia, in reference to healthy controls and cannabis-induced psychosis, indicating different pathophysiology of SZC and CIP.

The alterations of cerebral cortex thickness based on surface morphology and its correlation with smoking-related characteristics in severe nicotine addicts

Objective: To explore the alterations of cerebral cortical thickness in severe nicotine addicts by using surface-based morphology (SBM) method and further analyzing the association of these changes with smoking-related characteristics. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from August 2014 to August 2019 from severe nicotine addicts [aged 25 to 52(38±8)years] and 56 non-smokers healthy volunteers [aged 22 to 51(36±8)years]. All subjects underwent 3.0 T magnetic resonance scans, and FreeSurfer software was used to analyze the difference in cortical thickness between the two groups, and Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the nicotine dependence group and smoking-related characteristics. Results: Compared to control group, the severe nicotine dependence group had a significant reduction in the cortical thickness in 9 areas of the brain, the left cerebral cortex, including: middletemporal, precentral, superiorfrontal, insula [(2.78±0.10) mm vs (2.92±0.17) mm, (2.57±0.15) mm vs (2.70±0.14) mm, (2.63±0.18) mm vs (2.76±0.15) mm, (3.01±0.10) mm vs (3.13±0.13) mm, all P<0.01, respectively], and the right cerebral cortex including: temporalpole, rostralmiddlefrontal, superiorfrontal, postcentral, parsopercularis [(3.12±0.14) mm vs (3.26±0.19) mm, (2.71±0.16) mm vs (2.87±0.18) mm, (2.96±0.15) mm vs (3.10±0.20) mm, (2.57±0.15) mm vs (2.71±0.15) mm, (2.54±0.11) mm vs (2.65±0.15) mm, all P<0.05, respectively]. The cortical thickness of left insular was positively correlated with the initial smoking age (r=0.403,P=0.009), while the cortical thickness of the other brain regions had no significant correlation with smoking-related characteristics (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Significant alterations were observed in cortical thickness in severe nicotine addicts, and there is a correlation between the thickness of the left insular cortex and the age of initial smoking.

Evaluation of trabecular bone and mandibular cortical thickness in adults with different vertical facial types

This study investigated differences in trabecular structure and mandibular cortical thickness in adults related to vertical facial type (VFT), sex, and their interactions. Lateral cephalometric radiographs (LCRs) and panoramic radiographs (PRs) of 256 patients were reviewed. The VFT classification into low-angle, normal, and high-angle groups was determined using angular and linear measurements on LCRs. Fractal dimension (FD) values and mandibular radiomorphometric indices (RMIs) were calculated on PRs. Two-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in FD overall among VFT groups in all sites (P < .001), with pairwise comparisons indicating the greatest values in the high-angle group in the condyle (P < .05) but in the low-angle group elsewhere (P < .001). RMIs were significantly different overall regarding VFT only in the posterior mandible (P=.004), with pairwise comparisons revealing low-angle and normal group values greater than high-angle group values (P < .05). Patient sex and the interaction of facial type and sex had no significant effect on any bone measurements. VFT had significant effects on trabecular structure at all measured sites, but cortical thickness was affected only in 1 location.

Sex differences in early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Sex is believed to drive heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease (AD), although evidence in early-onset AD (EOAD; &lt;65 years) is scarce. We included 62 EOAD patients and 44 healthy controls (HCs) with core AD cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, neurofilament light chain levels, neuropsychological assessment, and 3-T magnetic resonance imaging. We measured cortical thickness (CTh) and hippocampal subfield volumes (HpS) using FreeSurfer. Adjusted linear models were used to analyze sex-differences and the relationship between atrophy and cognition. Compared to same-sex HCs, female EOAD subjects showed greater cognitive impairment and broader atrophy burden than male EOAD subjects. In a direct female-EOAD versus male-EOAD comparison, there were slight differences in temporal CTh, with no differences in cognition or HpS. CSF tau levels were higher in female EOAD than in male EOAD subjects. Greater atrophy was associated with worse cognition in female EOAD subjects. At diagnosis, there are sex differences in the pattern of cognitive impairment, atrophy burden, and CSF tau in EOAD, suggesting there is an influence of sex on pathology spreading and susceptibility to the disease in EOAD.

Increased cortical thickness in nodes of the cognitive control and default mode networks in psychosis of epilepsy

ObjectiveTo explore the cortical morphological associations of the psychoses of epilepsy. MethodsPsychosis of epilepsy (POE) has two main subtypes - postictal psychosis and interictal psychosis. We used automated surface-based analysis of magnetic resonance images to compare cortical thickness, area, and volume across the whole brain between: (i) all patients with POE (n = 23) relative to epilepsy-without psychosis controls (EC; n = 23), (ii) patients with interictal psychosis (n = 10) or postictal psychosis (n = 13) relative to EC, and (iii) patients with postictal psychosis (n = 13) relative to patients with interictal psychosis (n = 10). ResultsPOE is characterised by cortical thickening relative to EC, occurring primarily in nodes of the cognitive control network; (rostral anterior cingulate, caudal anterior cingulate, middle frontal gyrus), and the default mode network (posterior cingulate, medial paracentral gyrus, and precuneus). Patients with interictal psychosis displayed cortical thickening in the left hemisphere in occipital and temporal regions relative to EC (lateral occipital cortex, lingual, fusiform, and inferior temporal gyri), which was evident to a lesser extent in postictal psychosis patients. There were no significant differences in cortical thickness, area, or volume between the postictal psychosis and EC groups, or between the postictal psychosis and interictal psychosis groups. However, prior to correction for multiple comparisons, both the interictal psychosis and postictal psychosis groups displayed cortical thickening relative to EC in highly similar regions to those identified in the POE group overall. SignificanceThe results show cortical thickening in POE overall, primarily in nodes of the cognitive control and default mode networks, compared to patients with epilepsy without psychosis. Additional thickening in temporal and occipital neocortex implicated in the dorsal and ventral visual pathways may differentiate interictal psychosis from postictal psychosis. A novel mechanism for cortical thickening in POE is proposed whereby normal synaptic pruning processes are interrupted by seizure onset.

Anomalous cerebral morphology of pregnant women with cleft fetuses.

ObjectivePregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in brain structure for healthy women; however, little is known regarding alterations in the cortical features of pregnant women with malformed fetuses. Isolated clefts of the lip and/or palate (ICL/P) are the most common congenital anomaly in the craniofacial region, which is highly gene-associated. We speculated that pregnant women carrying fetuses with ICL/P may have associated risk genes and specific brain changes during pregnancy.MethodsIn this study, we investigated T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 48 pregnant women: 24 women carrying fetuses with ICL/P (ICL/P group) and 24 women carrying normal fetuses (normal controls), then explored intergroup differences in gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT) and cortical complexity (gyrification).ResultsCompared with controls, the ICL/P group had decreased total intracranial volume (TIV) than normal controls; besides, they exhibited increased GMV in the left cuneus, decreased GMV in the right superior temporal gyrus; increased CT in the left precuneus and left superior parietal gyrus, decreased CT involving parsopercularis, fusiform, middle temporal in the left hemisphere and supramarginal, precentral gyrus (PreCG) in the right hemisphere; increased gyrification in the left insula and PreCG, the left middle temporal, and the right supratemporal gyrus.ConclusionPregnant women with ICL/P fetuses had brain morphology changes involving language, auditory, vision, and sensory cortex, which may be their special brain changes compared to normal pregnant women. This study may provide clues for the early detection of fetuses with ICL/P, and be vital for preconception and prenatal counseling with non-invasive methods.

Cortical gray matter microstructural alterations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background and purposeNeurodegenerative processes are widespread in the brains of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients; gaps remain to exist in the current knowledge of the associated gray matter (GM) microstructural alterations.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted to investigate alterations in GM microarchitecture in T2DM patients by diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI). Seventy‐eight T2DM patients and seventy‐four age‐, sex‐, and education level‐matched healthy controls (HCs) without cognitive impairment were recruited. Cortical macrostructure and GM microstructure were assessed by surface‐based analysis and GM‐based spatial statistics (GBSS), respectively. Machine learning models were trained to evaluate the diagnostic values of cortical intracellular volume fraction (ICVF) for the classification of T2DM versus HCs.ResultsThere were no differences in cortical thickness or area between the groups. GBSS analysis revealed similar GM microstructural patterns of significantly decreased fractional anisotropy, increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity in T2DM patients involving the frontal and parietal lobes, and significantly lower ICVF values were observed in nearly all brain regions of T2DM patients. A support vector machine model with a linear kernel was trained to realize the T2DM versus HC classification and exhibited the highest performance among the trained models, achieving an accuracy of 74% and an area under the curve of 83%.ConclusionsNODDI may help to probe the widespread GM neuritic density loss in T2DM patients occurs before measurable macrostructural alterations. The cortical ICVF values may provide valuable diagnostic information regarding the early GM microstructural alterations in T2DM.

Abnormal cortical atrophy and functional connectivity are associated with depression in Parkinson’s disease

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association of altered cortical thickness and functional connectivity (FC) with depression in Parkinson’s disease (PD).Materials and methodsA total of 26 non-depressed PD patients (PD-ND), 30 PD patients with minor depression (PD-MnD), 32 PD patients with major depression (PD-MDD), and 30 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Differences in cortical thickness among the four groups were assessed, and the results were used to analyze FC differences in regions of cortical atrophy. Binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were also performed to identify clinical features and neuroimaging biomarkers that might help in the prediction of PD-MDD.ResultsPatients with PD-MDD showed decreased cortical thickness compared to patients with PD-ND in the left superior temporal and right rostral middle frontal gyri (RMFG), as well as weak FC between the left superior temporal gyrus and right cerebellum posterior lobe and between right RMFG and right inferior frontal gyrus and insula. The combination of cortical thickness, FC, and basic clinical features showed strong potential for predicting PD-MDD based on the area under the ROC curve (0.927, 95% CI 0.854–0.999, p < 0.001).ConclusionPatients with PD-MDD show extensive cortical atrophy and FC alterations, suggesting that cortical thickness and FC may be neuroimaging-based diagnostic biomarkers for PD-MDD.

The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Presents Structural Variations Associated with Empathy and Emotion Regulation in Psychotherapists.

Empathic abilities have been shown to be linked with brain structural variations. Since psychotherapists constitute a population that tends to display greater empathic abilities, as shown in psychometric differences in cognitive empathy and emotional regulation, we aimed to identify cortical thickness (CT) differences between a group of professional psychotherapists and a control group. In line with the recently emphasized urge to employ more than a single workflow in cortical analyses, we utilized two cortical surface extraction and thickness estimation pipelines-CIVET and FreeSurfer. Eighteen psychotherapists and eighteen controls underwent MRI scanning and completed empathy-related psychometric assessments. We evaluated how CT measures differed between groups and if there was an association with individual empathy-related scores in a series of regions of interest (ROIs). Our analysis with CIVET shows that psychotherapists display a significantly greater CT at a ROI in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC; p < 0.05, FDR corrected). With FreeSurfer, a whole-brain vertex-wise analysis identified a statistically significant cluster in the left PFC that partially overlaps with the previous ROI. These results were reinforced by a structural covariance analysis revealing that, in psychotherapists, the left dlPFC ROI seemed to vary independently from the rest of the cortex. These findings are relevant because the dlPFC region importantly participates in the cognitive components of the empathic response, such as emotion regulation and perspective taking. Thus, our findings support the idea that empathic capacity is reflected by brain structural variations while also studying for the first time a sample of subjects for whom empathic responding is crucial in their profession.

Developmental trajectories of cortical thickness by functional brain network: The roles of pubertal timing and socioeconomic status

The human cerebral cortex undergoes considerable changes during development, with cortical maturation patterns reflecting regional heterogeneity that generally progresses in a posterior-to-anterior fashion. However, the organizing principles that govern cortical development remain unclear. In the current study, we characterized age-related differences in cortical thickness (CT) as a function of sex, pubertal timing, and two dissociable indices of socioeconomic status (i.e., income-to-needs and maternal education) in the context of functional brain network organization, using a cross-sectional sample (n = 789) diverse in race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status from the Lifespan Human Connectome Project in Development (HCP-D). We found that CT generally followed a linear decline from 5 to 21 years of age, except for three functional networks that displayed nonlinear trajectories. We found no main effect of sex or age by sex interaction for any network. Earlier pubertal timing was associated with reduced mean CT and CT in seven networks. We also found a significant age by maternal education interaction for mean CT across cortex and CT in the dorsal attention network, where higher levels of maternal education were associated with steeper age-related decreases in CT. Taken together, our results suggest that these biological and environmental variations may impact the emerging functional connectome.

Brain morphological alterations and their correlation to tumor differentiation and duration in patients with lung cancer after platinum chemotherapy.

ObjectiveChemotherapy-related brain impairments and changes can occur in patients with lung cancer after platinum chemotherapy and have a substantial impact on survivors’ quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the brain neuropathological alterations and response mechanisms to provide a theoretical basis for rehabilitation strategies. This study aimed to investigate the related brain morphological changes and clarified their correlation with clinical and pathological indicators in patients with lung cancer after platinum chemotherapy.MethodsOverall, 28 patients with chemotherapy, 56 patients without chemotherapy, and 41 healthy controls were categorized in three groups, matched for age, sex, and years of education, and included in the cross-sectional comparison of brain volume and cortical thickness. 14 matched patients before and after chemotherapy were subjected to paired comparison for longitudinal observation of brain morphological changes. Three-dimensional T1-weighted images were acquired from all participants, and quantitative parameters were calculated using the formula of the change from baseline. Correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between abnormal morphological indices and clinical information of patients.ResultsBrain regions with volume differences among the three groups were mainly distributed in frontal lobe and limbic cortex. Additionally, significant differences in cerebrospinal fluid were observed in most ventricles, and the main brain regions with cortical thickness differences were the gyrus rectus and medial frontal cortex of the frontal lobe, transverse temporal gyrus of the temporal lobe, insular cortex, anterior insula, and posterior insula of the insular cortex. According to the paired comparison, decreased brain volumes in the patients after chemotherapy appeared in some regions of the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes; limbic cortex; insular cortex; and lobules VI-X and decreased cortical thickness in the patients after chemotherapy was found in the frontal, temporal, limbic, and insular cortexes. In the correlation analysis, only the differentiation degree of the tumor and duration after chemotherapy were significantly correlated with imaging indices in the abnormal brain regions.ConclusionsOur findings illustrate the platinum-related brain reactivity morphological alterations which provide more insights into the neuropathological mechanisms of patients with lung cancer after platinum chemotherapy and empirical support for the details of brain injury related to cancer and chemotherapy.

Remote cortical atrophy and language outcomes after chronic left subcortical stroke with aphasia.

ObjectiveSubcortical stroke can cause a variety of language deficits. However, the neural mechanisms underlying subcortical aphasia after stroke remain incompletely elucidated. We aimed to determine the effects of distant cortical structures on aphasia outcomes and examine the correlation of cortical thickness measures with connecting tracts integrity after chronic left subcortical stroke.MethodsThirty-two patients and 30 healthy control subjects underwent MRI scanning and language assessment with the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) subtests. Among patients, the cortical thickness in brain regions that related to language performance were assessed by the FreeSurfer software. Fiber tracts connecting the identified cortical regions to stroke lesions were reconstructed to determine its correlations with the cortical thickness measures across individual patient.ResultsCortical thickness in different parts of the left fronto-temporo-parietal (FTP) regions were positively related to auditory-verbal comprehension, spontaneous speech and naming/word finding abilities when controlling for key demographic variables and lesion size. Cortical thickness decline in the identified cortical regions was positively correlated with integrity loss of fiber tracts connected to stroke lesions. Additionally, no significant difference in cortical thickness was found across the left hemisphere between the subgroup of patients with hypoperfusion (HP) and those without HP at stroke onset.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that remote cortical atrophy independently predicts language outcomes in patients with chronic left subcortical stroke and aphasia and that cortical thinning in these regions might relate to integrity loss of fiber tracts connected to stroke lesions.

Effect of exposure to maternal diabetes during pregnancy on offspring’s brain cortical thickness and neurocognitive functioning

ABSTRACT Little is known about the long-term effects of maternal diabetes during pregnancy (DP), either gestational diabetes or preexisting diabetes (type 1 or type 2), on offspring’s brain morphometry and neurocognitive functioning (NCF). This study examined the effect of prenatal exposure to maternal DP on the brain structure and NCF in children between 9 and 10 years of age. This study used cross-sectional neuroimaging and NCF data from the baseline wave of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development® study. Exposure to maternal DP was assigned from the developmental history questionnaire. Differences in the brain cortical thickness (CTh) and five cognitive abilities (executive function, working and episodic memory, processing speed, and language abilities) were examined in diabetes-exposed and diabetes-unexposed children. Linear mixed effect models and generalized linear models were used to adjust for the effect of confounding variables. A total of 9,967 children (718 diabetes-exposed and 9249 unexposed) were included in the analysis. Diabetes-exposed children had lower whole-brain CTh [mean: exposed vs unexposed = 2.725 mm vs 2.732 mm; difference (95%CI): −0.007 mm (−0.013, −0.001)] compared to unexposed children after adjusting for confounding variables. Diabetes-exposed children had lower CTh in most part of the occipital lobe of both hemispheres, right postcentral gyrus, and left superior parietal cortex. Diabetes-exposed children also had lower scores in processing speed task [mean difference (95%CI): −1.7 (−2.8, −0.6)] and total cognition [mean difference (95%CI): −0.6 (−1.2, −0.02)]. Diabetes-exposed children have reduced CTh and NCF during preadolescence, which might have implications for psychomotor development during later life. Prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Cortical thickness and surface area in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder and their unaffected siblings.

Little is known about the underlying neurobiological mechanisms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We aimed to examine cortical thickness and surface area in individuals with OCD and their unaffected siblings, comparing them to healthy controls. 30 patients with OCD, 21 unaffected siblings (SIB) and 30 controls underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Structural images were analyzed using the FreeSurfer software package (version 6.0). Compared to healthy controls, both OCD and SIB groups showed significantly lower cortical thickness in the right anterior insula. Surface areas of the superior frontal gyrus, paracentral gyrus and precuneus of the right hemisphere were also reduced in OCD patients compared to controls. There were no significant differences in cortical thickness and surface area between the OCD and SIB groups. We did not detect any significant differences in subcortical volumes between groups. Lower cortical thickness in the right anterior insula in both OCD patients and unaffected siblings may represent a potential structural endophenotype for OCD.

Structural changes to the brain in drug-resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

The aim of this research is to determine the changes in brain structures, both cortical and subcortical, in patients with drug-resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), in order to contribute to the understanding of the characteristics of the drug-resistant syndrome and to offer possible answers and hypotheses for further studies and more adequate treatments. Observational case-control study. A convenience sample size of four cases and 16 healthy controls was defined to ensure the feasibility of the project (ratio of 4:1). The data collected for patients with drug-resistant JME came from 1.5T MRI equipment. FreeSurfer software was used to determine cortical and subcortical areas in both drug-resistant JME patients and healthy controls. A total of 20 participants were included in the study, of whom four (20%) were drug-resistant JME patients and 16% (80%) were healthy controls. The clusters with statistically significant differences in cortical thickness are located in the precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, medial temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus, predominantly in the left hemisphere. Structural brain changes are observed in patients with drug-resistant JME that may go undetected by the conventional processing techniques used in magnetic resonance imaging.

Association of DNA Methylation of the NLRP3 Gene with Changes in Cortical Thickness in Major Depressive Disorder.

The Nod-like receptor pyrin containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been reported to be a convergent point linking the peripheral immune response induced by psychological stress and neuroinflammatory processes in the brain. We aimed to identify differences in the methylation profiles of the NLRP3 gene between major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and healthy controls (HCs). We also investigated the correlation of the methylation score of loci in NLRP3 with cortical thickness in the MDD group using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. A total of 220 patients with MDD and 82 HCs were included in the study, and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of the NLRP3 gene was performed. Among the total sample, 88 patients with MDD and 74 HCs underwent T1-weighted structural MRI and were included in the neuroimaging–methylation analysis. We identified five significant differentially methylated positions (DMPs) in NLRP3. In the MDD group, the methylation scores of cg18793688 and cg09418290 showed significant positive or negative correlations with cortical thickness in the occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal regions, which showed significant differences in cortical thickness between the MDD and HC groups. Our findings suggest that NLRP3 DNA methylation may predispose to depression-related brain structural changes by increasing NLRP3 inflammasome-related neuroinflammatory processes in MDD.

Altered Neuroanatomical Signatures of Patients With Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Compared to Patients With Early-Stage Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls.

BackgroundThe relationship between brain structural changes and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia is strong. However, few studies have investigated both neuroanatomical abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). We examined neuroanatomical markers and cognitive function between patients with TRS or early-stage schizophrenia (ES-S) and healthy controls (HCs). Relationships between neuroanatomical markers and cognitive function in the patient groups were also investigated.MethodsA total of 46 and 45 patients with TRS and ES-S and 61 HCs underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scanning and comprehensive cognitive tests. MRI scans were analyzed using the FreeSurfer to investigate differences in cortical surface area (CSA), cortical thickness (CT), cortical volume (CV), and subcortical volume (SCV) among the groups. Four cognitive domains (attention, verbal memory, executive function, and language) were assessed. Comparisons of neuroanatomical and cognitive function results among the three groups were performed.ResultsA widespread reduction in CT was observed in patients with TRS compared to HCs, but differences in cortical thinning between TRS and ES-S patients were mainly limited to the inferior frontal gyrus and insula. Several subcortical structures (accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, putamen, thalamus and ventricles) were significantly altered in TRS patients compared to both ES-S patients and HCs. Performance in the verbal memory domain was significantly worse in TRS patients compared to ES-S patients. A positive relationship between the thickness of the left middle temporal gyrus and the composite score for language was identified in patients with ES-S.ConclusionsOur findings suggest significant cognitive impairment and reductions in CT and SCV in individuals with TRS compared to those with ES-S and HCs. These abnormalities could act as biomarkers for earlier identification of TRS.

Differences in Cortical Thickness in Schizophrenia Patients With and Without Auditory Verbal Hallucinations.

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are one of the most common and severe symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZ), but the neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying AVHs remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether persistent AVHs (pAVH) are associated with cortical thinning of certain brain regions in patients with SCZ. With the use of the 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, we acquired and analyzed data from 79 SCZ patients with pAVH (pAVH group), 60 SCZ patients without AVHs (non-AVH group), and 83 healthy controls (HC group). The severity of pAVH was assessed by the P3 hallucination items in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale (AHRS). Cortical thickness analysis was used to compare the region of interest (ROI) cortical thickness between the groups. The relationship between the severity of pAVH and cortical thickness was also explored. Compared with the non-AVH and HC groups, the pAVH group exhibited significantly reduced cortical thickness in the bilateral lateral orbitofrontal region (p < 0.0007, after Bonferroni correction); no significant difference was found between the non-AVH group and the HC group. The cortical thickness of the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (P3: r = −0.44, p < 0.001; AHRS: r = −0.45, p < 0.001) and the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (P3: r = −0.36, p = 0.002; AHRS: r = −0.33, p = 0.004) were negatively correlated with the severity of pAVH (after Bonferroni correction, p < 0.0125). Therefore, abnormal thickness of the bilateral lateral orbitofrontal cortices might be associated with pAVHs in SCZ patients.

Medial patellofemoral ligament is a part of the vastus medialis obliquus and vastus intermedius aponeuroses attaching to the medial epicondyle

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the bony surface characteristic of the femoral attachment of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) and the correlation between the relevant layered structures, including muscular aponeurosis and the joint capsule, which contribute to patellofemoral joint (PFJ) stability.MethodsThe morphology of the medial aspect of the medial condyle using micro-computed tomography and analysed cortical bone thickening in 24 knees was observed. For the macroscopic and histological analyses, 21 and 3 knees were allocated, respectively. The Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance test with Dunn post hoc testing was performed for statistical analysis.ResultsAt the level of the adductor tubercle, there were no significant differences in cortical bone thickness. At the level of the medial epicondyle (MEC), cortical bone thickness was considerably greater than that in other areas of the medial condyle (mean ± standard deviation, 0.60 ± 0.20 mm; p < 0.0001). Macroscopic analysis revealed that the deep aponeurosis of the vastus medialis obliquus and the tendinous arch of the vastus intermedius distally formed the composite membrane and adjoined to the joint capsule to firmly attach to MEC, which was located at 41.3 ± 5.7 mm posterior and 14.2 ± 3.1 mm superior to the joint cartilage. Histological analysis showed a composite membrane and adjoining capsule attached to MEC via fibrocartilage.ConclusionMPFL could be interpreted as part of the deep aponeurosis of the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) and the tendinous arch of the vastus intermedius, which combined with the joint capsule to attach to MEC. The cortical bone thickening indicated that the tensile stresses were loaded on MEC in aged cadavers. Involvement of VMO and vastus intermedius aponeuroses in restored graft of MPFL could utilise the dynamic stability of surrounding muscles to mimic a native structure.

PQCT Analysis of Cortical Bone in Rats Exposed to High Levels of Cortisol in‐utero

Unperturbed fetal development is essential for future health of an individual. Previous studies have linked diseases of aging to harmful alterations that happen during fetal development. Given the significant long‐term impact that intrauterine environment has on an individual's life, it was hypothesized that maternal stress during pregnancy will have negative effects on the offspring's bone density and cross‐sectional area. To test this, twenty‐eight female and seven male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were purchased and bred to produce 176 offspring. During pregnancy, dams were randomly divided into four groups (n=7, per group) and immobilization stress induced as follows; Group 1 (GW1): immobilization stress on days 1–7 of pregnancy, Group 2 (GW2): on days 8–14, Group 3 (GW3): on days 15–21, Group 4 (Controls): left undisturbed. Maternal cortisol hormone, food intake, and weight gain were monitored during pregnancy. Pups were raised under normal laboratory conditions and sacrificed at ages: 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks to determine the effect of prenatal stress. At necropsy, the femur was removed and preserved for image analysis.Differences among groups were determined by T‐test or analysis of variance (ANOVA). P values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. Cortisol hormone levels in controls were lower than those of stressed animals. Stressed dams consumed 12.5% less food per day compared to controls. Animals in GW1 and GW2 gained less weight during pregnancy but had larger litters than did GW3 or the control group. Offspring born to GW3 were heavier compared to all other groups. The femurs were scanned using the XCT Research SA+ peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT). Preliminary analysis of cortical bone shows the GW1 males as having a significantly lower cortical thickness compared to the controls at the age of 8, 12 and 16 weeks. The GW1 males also had a significantly lower periosteal perimeter and endosteal perimeter compared to controls at the age of 8 weeks. There was no significant difference in cortical thickness, periosteal perimeter and endosteal perimeter of females. This preliminary analysis shows that bone development in males was significantly impacted when fetuses in this study were exposed to high levels of cortisol in‐utero during the first week of gestation. Analysis of the remaining data is ongoing.