Left Rostral Middle Frontal Gyrus Research Articles

Cortical thickness and childhood eating behaviors: differences according to sex and age, and relevance for eating disorders

PurposeThis study investigated the association between childhood eating behaviors and cortical morphology, in relation to sex and age, in a community sample.MethodsNeuroimaging data of 71 children (mean age = 9.9 ± 1.4 years; 39 boys/32 girls) were obtained from the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample. Emotional overeating, food fussiness, and emotional undereating were assessed using the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Cortical thickness was obtained at 81,924 vertices covering the entire cortex. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used for statistical analysis.ResultsThere was a significant effect of sex in the association between cortical thickness and emotional overeating (localized at the right postcentral and bilateral superior parietal gyri). Boys with more emotional overeating presented cortical thickening, whereas the opposite was observed in girls (p < 0.05). Different patterns of association were identified between food fussiness and cortical thickness (p < 0.05). The left rostral middle frontal gyrus displayed a positive correlation with food fussiness from 6 to 8 years, but a negative correlation from 12 to 14 years. Emotional undereating was associated with cortical thickening at the left precuneus, left middle temporal gyrus, and left insula (p < 0.05) with no effect of sex or age.ConclusionsLeveraging on a community sample, findings support distinct patterns of associations between eating behaviors and cortical thickness, depending on sex and age.

The Effect of Computerized Cognitive Training, with and without Exercise, on Cortical Volume and Thickness and Its Association with Gait Speed in Older Adults: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Slower walking is associated with changes in cortical volume and thickness. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) and exercise improve cortical volume and thickness and thus, may promote gait speed. Slowing of gait is predictive of Alzheimer's disease. To examine: 1) the effect of CCT, with or without physical exercise, on cortical volume and thickness and; 2) the association of changes in cortical volume and thickness with changes in gait speed. A subset of 124 adults (n = 53), aged 65-85 years, enrolled in an 8-week randomized controlled trial and completed T1-weighted MRI and 4-meter walk at baseline and 8 weeks. Participants were randomized to: 1) active control (BAT; n = 19); 2) CCT (n = 17); or 3) CCT preceded by exercise (Ex-CCT; n = 17). Change in cortical volume and thickness were assessed and compared across all groups using Freesurfer. BAT versus CCT increased left rostral middle frontal gyrus volume (p = 0.027) and superior temporal gyrus thickness (p = 0.039). Ex-CCT versus CCT increased left cuneus thickness (p < 0.001) and right post central gyrus thickness (p = 0.005), and volume (p < 0.001). Ex-CCT versus BAT increased left (p = 0.001) and right (p = 0.020) superior parietal gyri thickness. There were no significant between-group differences in gait speed (p > 0.175). Increased left superior parietal volume (p = 0.036, r = 0.340) and thickness (p = 0.002, r = 0.348), right post central volume (p = .017, r = 0.341) and thickness (p = 0.001, r = 0.348), left banks of superior temporal sulcus thickness (p = 0.002, r = 0.356), and left precuneus thickness (p < 0.001, r = 0.346) were associated with increased gait speed. CCT with physical exercise, but not CCT alone, improves cortical volume and thickness in older adults. These changes may contribute to the maintenance of gait speed in aging.

Regional decreases of cortical thickness in major depressive disorder and their correlation with illness duration: a case-control study.

Alterations in brain structure and function in major depressive disorder (MDD) have been identified in a number of studies, but findings regarding cortical thickness were various and inconsistent. Our current study aims to explore the differences in cortical thickness between individuals with MDD and healthy controls (HC) in a Chinese population. We investigated T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 61 participants (31 MDD and 30 HC). The cortical thickness between the two groups and analyzed correlations between cortical thickness and demographic variables in the MDD group for regions with significant between-group differences were conducted. Compared with the HC group, patients with MDD had significantly decreased cortical thickness, in left pars triangularis, left pars orbitalis, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, left supramarginal gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, right fusiform and right inferior parietal gyrus. The cortical thickness of left rostral middle frontal gyrus was negatively correlated (r = -0.47, p = 0.028) with the illness duration in patients with MDD. Our study distinguished that cortical thickness decreases in numerous brain regions both in the left and right hemisphere in individuals with MDD, and the negative correlation between the cortical thickness of left rostral middle frontal gyrus illness duration. Our current findings are valuable in providing neural markers to identify MDD and understanding the potential pathophysiology of mood disorders.

Impact of hs‐CRP concentration on brain structure alterations and cognitive trajectory in Alzheimer’s disease

AbstractBackgroundThis study investigated hs‐CRP concentration, brain structural alterations, and cognitive function in the context of AD (subjective cognitive decline [SCD], mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and AD).MethodWe retrospectively included 313 patients (mean age = 76.40 years; 59 with SCD, 101 with MCI, and 153 with AD) for a cross‐sectional analysis and 91 patients (mean age = 75.83 years; 12 with SCD, 43 with MCI, 36 with AD) in the longitudinal analysis. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between hs‐CRP concentration, brain structural alterations, and cognitive function.ResultIn patients with SCD, hs‐CRP was inversely associated with gray matter volumes (GMVs) in the left supramarginal gyrus (pFDR = 0.044, 𝛽 = ‐0.22), and positively associated with GMVs in left lateral occipital gyrus (pFDR = 0.009, 𝛽 = 0.34) and left rostral middle frontal gyrus (pFDR = 0.038, 𝛽 = 0.29). In patients with AD, hs‐CRP was positively associated with GMVs in the left fusiform gyrus (pFDR = 0.017, 𝛽 = 0.22) and left inferior temporal gyrus (pFDR = 0.043, 𝛽 = 0.17). According to the longitudinal analysis, the interaction of diagnosis and hs‐CRP was associated with annual cognitive changes. Among these patients with AD, lower baseline hs‐CRP was correlated with greater future cognitive decline (r = ‐0.41, p = 0.0127).ConclusionOur study suggest that hs‐CRP may differentially affect the neuropathology of different stages of AD. For patients diagnosed with AD, elevated CRP level may be protective on brain structure alterations and future cognitive changes.

An 8‐week program of computerized cognitive training with exercise impacts cortical grey matter in older adults: Secondary findings of a randomized controlled trial

AbstractBackgroundThe world’s population is aging and thus, it is important that we find strategies to reduce the rate of age‐related cognitive decline. Lifestyle interventions can play an important role in delaying the onset of cognitive decline. Evidence shows both computerized cognitive training (CCT) or exercise can improve cognitive function. However, the effect of CCT on cortical structure is not well understood. This study examines the effect of 8‐weeks of CCT, with or without a preceding exercise bout, on cortical structure in community‐dwelling older adults.MethodStructural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquired from an 8‐week, 3‐arm, proof of concept randomized controlled trial was used. Participants (N = 125) aged 65 – 85 were randomized (1:1:1) to either 8 weeks of 3x/week: 1) Balance and Toned (BAT; active control); 2) CCT; or 3) Exercise + CCT (Ex‐CCT). Measurement occurred at baseline and trial completion (i.e., 8‐weeks). Fifty‐three participants with baseline and trial completion MRI data were included in this analysis. Freesurfer was used to assess BAT vs. CCT, BAT vs. Ex‐CCT, and CCT vs. Ex‐CCT differences in cortical thickness and volume at trial completion, adjusting for age, sex, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score.ResultAt trial completion, CCT vs. BAT decreased left rostral middle frontal gyrus volume (cluster size = 553.51 mm2, cluster‐wise p = .027) and left superior temporal gyrus thickness (cluster size = 525.58 mm2, cluster‐wise p = .039). Ex‐CCT vs. BAT increased cortical thickness in the left (cluster size = 900.23 mm2, cluster‐wise p = .001) and right (cluster size = 681.95 mm2, cluster‐wise p = .020) superior parietal gyri. Finally, Ex‐CCT vs. CCT increased left cuneus thickness (cluster size = 1062.12 mm2, cluster‐wise p &lt; .001) as well as right post central gyrus thickness (cluster size = 714.85 mm2, cluster‐wise p = .005) and volume (cluster size = 1030.08 mm2, cluster‐wise p &lt; .001).ConclusionEight weeks of CCT with exercise is of sufficient duration to induce structural change in the brain. Moreover, exercise may enhance the effect of CCT on cortical grey matter structure vs. CCT alone.

Metabolic and functional substrates of impulsive decision-making in individuals with heroin addiction after prolonged methadone maintenance treatment

Elevated impulsivity has been frequently reported in individuals with opioid addiction receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT), but the underlying neural mechanisms and cognitive subprocesses are not fully understood. We acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 37 subjects with heroin addiction receiving long-term MMT and 33 healthy controls who performed a probabilistic reversal learning task, and measured their resting-state brain glucose using fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET). Subjects receiving MMT exhibited significantly elevated self-reported impulsivity, and computational modeling revealed a marked impulsive decision bias manifested as switching more frequently without available evidence. Moreover, this impulsive decision bias was associated with the dose and duration of methadone use, irrelevant to the duration of heroin use. During the task, the switch-related hypoactivation in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus was correlated with the impulsive decision bias while the function of reward sensitivity was intact in subjects receiving MMT. Using prior brain-wide receptor density data, we found that the highest variance of regional metabolic abnormalities was explained by the spatial distribution of μ-opioid receptors among 10 types of neurotransmitter receptors. Heightened impulsivity in individuals receiving prolonged MMT is manifested as atypical choice bias and noise in decision-making processes, which is further driven by deficits in top-down cognitive control, other than reward sensitivity. Our findings uncover multifaceted mechanisms underlying elevated impulsivity in subjects receiving MMT, which might provide insights for developing complementary therapies to improve retention during MMT.

Elevated Intraocular Pressure Moderated Brain Morphometry in High-tension Glaucoma: aStructural MRI Study.

High-tension glaucoma (HTG) is one of the most common forms of primary open angle glaucoma. The purpose of this study was to assess in HTG brain, whether the elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) had an effect on the brain morphological alterations via structural MRI. We acquired T1WI structural MRI images from 56 subjects including 36 HTG patients and 20 healthy controls. We tested whether the brain morphometry was associated with the mean IOP in HTG patients. Moreover, we conducted moderation analysis to assess the interactions between subject type (HTG - healthy controls) and IOP. In HTG group, cortical thickness was negatively correlated with the mean IOP in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus, left pars triangularis, right precentral gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Four of the five regions negatively correlated with mean IOP showed reduced cortical thickness in HTG group compared with healthy controls, which were the left rostral middle frontal gyrus, left pars triangularis, left postcentral gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). IOP moderated the interaction between subject type and cortical thickness of the left rostral middle frontal gyrus (p = 0.0017), left pars triangularis (p = 0.0011), left postcentral gyrus (p = 0.0040) and left superior temporal gyrus (p = 0.0066). Elevated IOP may result brain morphometry alterations such as cortical thinning. The relationship between IOP and brain morphometry underlines the importance of the IOP regulation for HTG patients.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Cortical Thinning in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder.

A growing body of evidence reports on the effect of different types of childhood abuse on the structural and functional architecture of the brain. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the differences in cortical thickness according to specific types of childhood abuse between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HCs). A total of 61 patients with MDD and 98 HCs were included in this study. All participants underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and the occurrence of childhood abuse was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. We investigated the association between whole-brain cortical thickness and exposure to any type of childhood abuse and specific type of childhood abuse in the total sample using the FreeSurfer software. No significant difference was reported in the cortical thickness between the MDD and HC groups nor between the "any abuse" and "no abuse" groups. Compared to no exposure to childhood sexual abuse (CSA), exposure to CSA was significantly associated with cortical thinning in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus (p=0.00020), left (p=0.00240), right fusiform gyri (p=0.00599), and right supramarginal gyrus (p=0.00679). Exposure to CSA may lead to cortical thinning of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is deeply involved in emotion regulation, to a greater extent than other types of childhood abuse.

Adverse childhood experiences and fronto-subcortical structures in the developing brain.

The impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) differs between individuals and depends on the type and timing of the ACE. The aim of this study was to assess the relation between various recently occurred ACEs and morphology in the developing brain of children between 8 and 11 years of age. We measured subcortical volumes, cortical thickness, cortical surface area and fractional anisotropy in regions of interest in brain scans acquired in 1,184 children from the YOUth cohort. ACEs were based on parent-reports of recent experiences and included: financial problems; parental mental health problems; physical health problems in the family; substance abuse in the family; trouble with police, justice or child protective services; change in household composition; change in housing; bereavement; divorce or conflict in the family; exposure to violence in the family and bullying victimization. We ran separate linear models for each ACE and each brain measure. Results were adjusted for the false discovery rate across regions of interest. ACEs were reported for 83% of children in the past year. Children were on average exposed to two ACEs. Substance abuse in the household was associated with larger cortical surface area in the left superior frontal gyrus, t(781) = 3.724, pFDR = 0.0077, right superior frontal gyrus, t(781) = 3.409, pFDR = 0.0110, left pars triangularis, t(781) = 3.614, pFDR = 0.0077, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, t(781) = 3.163, pFDR = 0.0195 and right caudal anterior cingulate gyrus, t(781) = 2.918, pFDR = 0.0348. Household exposure to violence (was associated with lower fractional anisotropy in the left and right cingulum bundle hippocampus region t(697) = −3.154, pFDR = 0.0101 and t(697) = −3.401, pFDR = 0.0085, respectively. Lower household incomes were more prevalent when parents reported exposure to violence and the mean parental education in years was lower when parents reported substance abuse in the family. No other significant associations with brain structures were found. Longer intervals between adversity and brain measurements and longitudinal measurements may reveal whether more evidence for the impact of ACEs on brain development will emerge later in life.

Association of reduced cortical thickness and psychopathological symptoms in patients with first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia

Objective There is growing evidence that reduced cortical thickness has been considered to be a central abnormality in schizophrenia. Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that the cerebral cortex becomes thinner in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine whether cortical thickness is altered in drug-naïve schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population and the relationship between cortical thickness and clinical symptoms. Methods We compared cortical thickness in 41 schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy controls. Psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results The cortical thickness of left banks of superior temporal sulcus, left lateral occipital gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule and right lateral occipital gyrus in schizophrenia patients was generally thinner compared with healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between cortical thickness of the left banks of superior temporal sulcus and general psychopathology of PANSS. Conclusions Our results suggest that cortical thickness abnormalities are already present early in the onset of schizophrenia and are associated with psychopathological symptoms, suggesting that it plays an important role in the pathogenesis and symptomatology of schizophrenia. Key points (1) The first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia had reduced cortical thickness than the controls. (2) Cortical thickness was associated with psychopathological symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Subjective cognitive decline is associated with a higher risk of objective cognitive decline: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

BackgroundSubjective cognitive decline (SCD) is considered as an independent risk factor for objective cognitive impairment, such as dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but the mechanism is unclear.MethodsThe current study consisted of two parts, the first of which included 1,010 older adults with SCD and 535 normal controls and was followed for 1 year. The second cross-sectional study included 94 older adults with SCD and 64 healthy controls. Unlike the first cohort, subjects in the second study underwent magnetic resonance imaging and had more detailed neuropsychological tests, such as Mini- mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Digit Span, Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Associative Learning Test (ALT), Verbal Fluency (VF), Wechsler's filling and Wechsler's building blocks.ResultsIn cohort 1, we found that SCD had a higher risk of objective cognitive impairment compared to normal controls (X2 = 20.354, p = 0.002), and the results of Cox Regression analysis also suggest that SCD was a risk factor for objective cognitive decline (p < 0.001, HR = 2.608, 95%CI: 2.213–3.075). In study 2, we found that the scores of MoCA, digit span, verbal fluency, and Wechsler's filling of SCD elderly were significantly lower than those of normal controls, but the cortical thickness of the rostral middle frontal gyrus (RMFG) was significantly higher than that of normal controls (p < 0.05).ConclusionsSCD is a cognition-related disease with multi-cognitive domain impairment, which is associated with a higher risk of objective cognitive impairment. Moreover, the increased cortical thickness of the left rostral middle frontal gyrus (RMFG) might be an important mechanism of cognitive decline in SCD.

Impact of being physically active on the brain electrocortical activity, brain volumetry and performance in the Stroop color and word test in women with fibromyalgia

Physical exercise is one of the treatment approaches with the most robust evidence against fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the impact of being physically active on the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) performance as well as to investigate and compare the brain electrocortical activity during SCWT. A total of 31 women completed the SCWT while EEG was recorded. People with FM were divided into two groups (physically and non-physically active) according to the WHO guidelines. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging was acquired and health-related quality of life, the impact of the disease, and the six-minute walking test were administered. Physically active group showed better performance in the SCWT, exhibiting less error in name different color patches condition (C), more correct responses in named color-word condition (CW) and higher interference score than non-physically active group. Moreover, a significantly higher theta power spectrum in the Fp1 during the condition C in the SCWT and a higher volume in the right rostral middle frontal gyrus have been found in the physically active group. Furthermore, physically active women with FM showed positively correlations between correct responses in names of colors printed in black condition (W) in the SCWT and theta power in the F3, Fz, Fp2 and F4 scalp positions. Regarding non-physically active women with FM, errors in condition CW negatively correlated with the volume of left superior frontal gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right rostral middle frontal gyrus, left caudal middle frontal gyrus and right caudal middle frontal gyrus. Furthermore, physically active group showed increased performance in the 6 min walking test and lower disease impact. Fulfil the physical activity recommendation seems to protect brain health since better SCWT performance, greater frontal theta power and higher volume in the right rostral middle frontal gyrus have been found in physically active women with FM.

Fibromyalgia impact in the prefrontal cortex subfields: An assessment with MRI

IntroductionPrevious studies have associated brain abnormalities in people with fibromyalgia with accelerated brain ageing. The prefrontal cortex is located in the anterior pole of the mammalian brain. It is defined as the part of the cerebral cortex that receives projections from the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus. AimThis study aimed to evaluate the volumetric differences in the prefrontal cortex subfields between healthy women and women with fibromyalgia using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and controlling for age, estimated intracranial volume, depression, and cognitive impairment. Material and methodsA total of 47 women with fibromyalgia (recruited from a fibromyalgia local association) and 43 healthy women (retrieved from the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies database) participated in this cross-sectional study. Multiple linear regressions were used to predict the value of the prefrontal cortex subfields as well as to determine if there were volumetric differences between the groups. ResultsVolume of all prefrontal cortex regions decreased with each year of age. Healthy women showed higher volume in all the prefrontal cortex subfields than women with fibromyalgia. Regarding partial correlations performed, no significant relation were found between the fibromyalgia impact and the brain volumes analyzed, controlling for depression. ConclusionsWomen with fibromyalgia showed reduced volume in the right caudal middle frontal gyrus, rostral middle frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis, inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis, inferior frontal gyrus pars orbitalis, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right rostral anterior cingulate gyrus subfields of the prefrontal cortex and total gray matter compared to healthy women. Furthermore, through an analysis of multiple linear regressions, the left rostral middle frontal gyrus and left lateral orbitofrontal cortex showed significantly volumetric decreases related to depression levels. The total gray matter also shows a significant decrease related to age observed through the analysis of multiple linear regressions. No significant relation were found between the impact of the disease and the brain volumes analyzed, controlling for depression in women with fibromyalgia.

Subthalamic Beta Activity in Parkinson's Disease May Be Linked to Dorsal Striatum Gray Matter Volume and Prefrontal Cortical Thickness: A Pilot Study.

BackgroundExcessive oscillations at beta frequencies (13–35 Hz) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) represent a pathophysiological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), which correlates well with parkinsonian symptoms and is reduced in response to standard disease treatments. However, the association of disease-specific regional gray matter (GM) atrophy or cortical thickness (CT) with the presence of STN beta oscillatory activity has been poorly investigated but is of relevance given the potential of these variables for extracting information about PD pathophysiology. This exploratory study investigated the involvement of regional GM volume and CT in the basal ganglia-cortical network and its potential association with the presence of STN beta oscillatory activity in PD.MethodsWe acquired preoperative GM densities on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans and we carried out regional estimation of GM volume and CT. LFP activities from the STN were recorded post-operatively in 7 cognitively preserved PD patients off dopaminergic medication undergoing deep-brain stimulation surgery. Oscillatory beta power was determined by power spectral density of 4-min resting state STN LFP activity. Spearman partial correlations and regression analysis were used to screen the presence of STN beta power for their relationship with GM volume and CT measurements.ResultsAfter controlling for the effects of age, educational level, and disease duration, and after correcting for multiple testing, enhanced STN beta power showed significant and negative correlations between, first, volume of the right putamen and left caudate nucleus, and second, smaller CT in frontal regions involving the left rostral middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and left medial orbitofrontal gyrus. A lower volume in the right putamen and a lower CT in the left MFG demonstrated the strongest associations with increased STN beta power.ConclusionsThese tentative results seem to suggest that STN LFP beta frequencies may be mainly linked to different but ongoing parallel neurodegenerative processes, on the one hand, to GM volume reduction in dorsal striatum, and on the other hand, to CT reduction of prefrontal-“associative” regions. These findings could further delineate the brain structural interactions underpinning the exaggerated STN beta activity commonly observed in PD patients.

Whole-brain morphometry in Canadian soldiers with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) display several structural brain differences when compared with healthy individuals. However, findings are particularly inconsistent for soldiers with PTSD. Here, we characterized the brain morphometry of 37 soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces with adulthood war-related PTSD using structural magnetic resonance imaging. We assessed time since trauma, as well as PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms with the Modified PTSD Symptoms Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory, respectively. Whole-brain morphometry was extracted with FreeSurfer and compared with a validated normative database of more than 2700 healthy individuals. Volume and thickness from several regions differed from the norms. Frontal regions were smaller and thinner, particularly the superior and rostral middle frontal gyri. Furthermore, smaller left rostral middle frontal gyrus, left pericalcarine cortex, and right fusiform gyrus were associated with more recent trauma. All subcortical structures were bigger, except the hippocampus. These findings suggest a particular brain morphometric signature of PTSD in soldiers. Smaller and thinner frontal and larger subcortical regions support impaired top-down and/or downregulation of emotional response in PTSD. Finally, the correlation of smaller frontal, temporal, and occipital regions with more recent trauma might inform future therapeutic approaches.

Maternal Obesity during Pregnancy is Associated with Lower Cortical Thickness in the Neonate Brain.

Recent studies have suggested that maternal obesity during pregnancy is associated with differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationships between maternal obesity during pregnancy and neonatal brain cortical development. Forty-four healthy women (28 normal-weight, 16 obese) were prospectively recruited at <10 weeks' gestation, and their healthy full-term neonates (23 boys, 21 girls) underwent brain MR imaging. All pregnant women had their body composition (fat mass percentage) measured at ∼12 weeks of pregnancy. All neonates were scanned at ∼2 weeks of age during natural sleep without sedation, and their 3D T1-weighted images were postprocessed by the new iBEAT2.0 software. Brain MR imaging segmentation and cortical surface reconstruction and parcellation were completed using age-appropriate templates. Mean cortical thickness for 34 regions in each brain hemisphere defined by the UNC Neonatal Cortical Surface Atlas was measured, compared between groups, and correlated with maternal body fat mass percentage, controlled for neonate sex and race, postmenstrual age at MR imaging, maternal age at pregnancy, and the maternal intelligence quotient and education. Neonates born to obese mothers showed significantly lower (P ≤ .05, false discovery rate-corrected) cortical thickness in the left pars opercularis gyrus, left pars triangularis gyrus, and left rostral middle frontal gyrus. Mean cortical thickness in these frontal lobe regions negatively correlated (R = -0.34, P = .04; R = -0.50, P = .001; and R = -0.42, P = .01; respectively) with the maternal body fat mass percentage measured at early pregnancy. Maternal obesity during pregnancy is associated with lower neonate brain cortical thickness in several frontal lobe regions important for language and executive functions.

Early cortical signals in visual stimulus detection

During visual conscious perception, the earliest responses linked to signal detection are little known. The current study aims to reveal the cortical neural activity changes in the earliest stages of conscious perception using recordings from intracranial electrodes. Epilepsy patients (N=158) were recruited from a multi-center collaboration and completed a visual word recall task. Broadband gamma activity (40–115Hz) was extracted with a band-pass filter and gamma power was calculated across subjects on a common brain surface. Our results show early gamma power increases within 0-50ms after stimulus onset in bilateral visual processing cortex, right frontal cortex (frontal eye fields, ventral medial/frontopolar, orbital frontal) and bilateral medial temporal cortex regardless of whether the word was later recalled. At the same early times, decreases were seen in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus. At later times after stimulus onset, gamma power changes developed in multiple cortical regions. These included sustained changes in visual and other association cortical networks, and transient decreases in the default mode network most prominently at 300–650ms. In agreement with prior work in this verbal memory task, we also saw greater increases in visual and medial temporal regions as well as prominent later (> 300ms) increases in left hemisphere language areas for recalled versus not recalled stimuli. These results suggest an early signal detection network in the frontal, medial temporal, and visual cortex is engaged at the earliest stages of conscious visual perception.

Neurostructural correlates of retinal microvascular caliber in adolescent bipolar disorder.

Vascular-brain associations are well established in adults but neglected in youth and psychiatric populations, who are at greater cardiovascular risk. We therefore examined the association of retinal vascular caliber with regional brain structure in adolescents with and without bipolar disorder (BD). One hundred and three adolescents (n=51 BD, n=52 healthy control [HC]) completed retinal fundus imaging, yielding arteriolar and venular diameters, followed by T1-weighted 3-Tesla MRI. Region of interest (ROI) analyses examined ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala, and hippocampus, complemented by vertex-wise analyses. Linear regression assessed the association between retinal measures and brain structure, adjusting for covariates including age, sex, BMI, and intracranial volume (ICV). In the overall sample, arteriolar caliber was negatively associated with ACC volume (β=-0.20, p uncorrected =.046) and surface area (β=-0.19, p uncorrected =.049). There were no other significant ROI findings. Vertex-wise analyses detected several significant positive bilateral associations of arteriovenous ratio (AVR) with volume and surface area in regions including rostral middle frontal gyrus (left p=.001; right p=.006), isthmus cingulate cortex (left and right p<.001), and left precuneus (p<.001). Significant negative associations were also observed for AVR (p=.03) and arteriolar caliber (p=.01), including a cluster encompassing the left rostral middle frontal gyrus and orbitofrontal cortical thickness. In the sole retinal-by-diagnosis interaction, greater AVR was more strongly associated with lower volume in the left middle temporal and fusiform gyri in BD versus HC (p=.004). This study provides evidence that vascular-brain associations are already evident in adolescence, suggesting that optimizing cardiovascular health may benefit the brain. This may be particularly relevant in BD and other brain disorders. Future research focusing on subpopulations where vascular-brain associations may be especially strong, for whom vascular-related interventions may be most indicated, is warranted.

Divergent effects of irradiation on brain cortical morphology in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: one-year follow-up study using structural magnetic resonance imaging.

Increasing evidence indicates that radiotherapy (RT)-induced brain cortical deficits may play a critical role in developing radiation encephalopathy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the evolutional processes of RT-induced cortical injury have not been sufficiently investigated. This study investigates RT-induced effects on cortical morphology using longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in NPC patients. Using MRI-based morphometry with surface-based measures, we evaluated the longitudinal alterations of cortical volume (CV), cortical thickness (CT), and cortical surface area (CSA) in 104 NPC patients at pre-RT (n=104), within 3 months post-RT (n=92), 6 months post-RT (n=71), and 9-12 months post-RT (n=52). Twenty healthy controls were also evaluated in parallel. Linear mixed models were used to investigate the trajectories of RT-related changes in cortical brain morphology and its association with irradiation dose, with healthy controls data being used to construct a normal age-related benchmark. The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons. The results showed that RT-related longitudinal alterations in cortical morphology underwent two diverse patterns during the first year of follow up in NPC patients. The temporal cortices (including the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, temporal pole, parahippocampal and fusiform gyrus, and the right inferior temporal and right transverse temporal gyrus), the basal occipital cortices (the right lingual gyrus and lateral occipital gyrus), and the basal frontal cortices (the right lateral orbitofrontal gyrus) showed time-dependent attenuation in cortical morphology indices. Furthermore, these effects on multiple cortices were dose-dependent, suggesting they were RT-associated. In contrast, in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus, there was a time-dependent increase in CT. Our preliminary findings revealed divergent effects of irradiation on cortical brain morphology. These results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms of irradiation-related neurotoxic effects on cortical brain morphology and will help guide the investigation of critically neuroprotective strategies.

Association between cortical thickness and distinct vascular cognitive impairment and dementia in patients with white matter lesions.

What is the central question of this study? White matter lesions (WMLs) are a brain disease characterized by altered brain structural and functional connectivity, but findings have shown an inconsistent pattern: are there distinct cortical thickness changes in patients with WMLs subtypes? What is the main finding and its importance? Patients with WMLs with non-dementia vascular cognitive impairment and WMLs with vascular dementia showed distinct pathophysiology in cortical thickness. These neural correlates of WMLs should be considered in future treatment. The effect of cortical thickness on white matter lesions (WMLs) in patients with distinct vascular cognitive impairments is relatively unknown. This study investigated the correlation between cortical thickness and vascular cognitive manifestations. WML patients and healthy controls from Beijing Tiantan Hospital between 2014 and 2018 were included. The patients were further divided into two subgroups, namely WMLs with non-dementia vascular cognitive impairment (WML-VCIND) and WMLs with vascular dementia (WML-VaD) according to the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale and the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Changes in cortical thickness were calculated using FreeSurfer. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationship between cognitive manifestations and cortical thickness in WML patients. Forty-five WML patients and 23 healthy controls were recruited. The WML group exhibited significant difference in cortical thickness compared to the control group. Significantly decreased cortical thickness in the middle and superior frontal gyri, middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus and insula was found in the WML-VaD versus WML-VCIND subgroup. Cortical thickness deficits of the left caudal middle frontal gyrus (r=0.451, P=0.002), left rostral middle frontal gyrus (r=0.514, P<0.001), left superior frontal gyrus (r=0.410, P=0.006), right middle temporal gyrus (r=0.440, P=0.003), right pars triangularis (r=0.462, P=0.002), right superior frontal gyrus (r=0.434, P=0.004) and right insula (r=0.499, P=0.001) were positively correlated with the MoCA score in WML patients. The specific pattern of cortical thickness deficits in the WML-VaD subgroup revealed the pathophysiology of WMLs, which should be considered in future treatment of WMLs.