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Garvey MH, Nash T, Kippenhan JS, Kohn P, Mervis CB, Eisenberg DP, Ye J, Gregory MD, Berman KF. Contrasting neurofunctional correlates of face- and visuospatial-processing in children and adolescents with Williams syndrome: convergent results from four fMRI paradigms. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10304. [PMID: 38705917 PMCID: PMC11070425 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60460-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding neurogenetic mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism is complicated by their inherent clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Williams syndrome (WS), a rare neurodevelopmental condition in which both the genetic alteration (hemideletion of ~ twenty-six 7q11.23 genes) and the cognitive/behavioral profile are well-defined, offers an invaluable opportunity to delineate gene-brain-behavior relationships. People with WS are characterized by increased social drive, including particular interest in faces, together with hallmark difficulty in visuospatial processing. Prior work, primarily in adults with WS, has searched for neural correlates of these characteristics, with reports of altered fusiform gyrus function while viewing socioemotional stimuli such as faces, along with hypoactivation of the intraparietal sulcus during visuospatial processing. Here, we investigated neural function in children and adolescents with WS by using four separate fMRI paradigms, two that probe each of these two cognitive/behavioral domains. During the two visuospatial tasks, but not during the two face processing tasks, we found bilateral intraparietal sulcus hypoactivation in WS. In contrast, during both face processing tasks, but not during the visuospatial tasks, we found fusiform hyperactivation. These data not only demonstrate that previous findings in adults with WS are also present in childhood and adolescence, but also provide a clear example that genetic mechanisms can bias neural circuit function, thereby affecting behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline H Garvey
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, 20007, USA
| | - Tiffany Nash
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - J Shane Kippenhan
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Philip Kohn
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Carolyn B Mervis
- Neurodevelopmental Sciences Laboratory, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Daniel P Eisenberg
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jean Ye
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Michael D Gregory
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Karen F Berman
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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2
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Davidson JM, Zhang L, Yue GH, Di Ieva A. Fractal Dimension Studies of the Brain Shape in Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 36:329-363. [PMID: 38468041 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-47606-8_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The fractal dimension is a morphometric measure that has been used to investigate the changes of brain shape complexity in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. This chapter reviews fractal dimension studies in aging and neurodegenerative disorders in the literature. Research has shown that the fractal dimension of the left cerebral hemisphere increases until adolescence and then decreases with aging, while the fractal dimension of the right hemisphere continues to increase until adulthood. Studies in neurodegenerative diseases demonstrated a decline in the fractal dimension of the gray matter and white matter in Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and spinocerebellar ataxia. In multiple sclerosis, the white matter fractal dimension decreases, but conversely, the fractal dimension of the gray matter increases at specific stages of disease. There is also a decline in the gray matter fractal dimension in frontotemporal dementia and multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type and in the white matter fractal dimension in epilepsy and stroke. Region-specific changes in fractal dimension have also been found in Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease. Associations were found between the fractal dimension and clinical scores, showing the potential of the fractal dimension as a marker to monitor brain shape changes in normal or pathological processes and predict cognitive or motor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennilee M Davidson
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Guang H Yue
- Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Antonio Di Ieva
- Computational Neurosurgery (CNS) Lab, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
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3
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Thom RP, Canales C, Tresvalles M, McDougle CJ, Hooker JM, Chen Y, Zürcher NR. Neuroimaging research in Williams syndrome: Beginning to bridge the gap with clinical care. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105364. [PMID: 37598875 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic disorder affecting multiple organ systems. Cardinal features include cardiovascular disease, distinct facies, and a unique cognitive profile characterized by intellectual disability, hypersociability, and visuospatial weaknesses. Here, we synthesize neuroimaging research in WS with a focus on how the current literature and future work may be leveraged to improve health and quality of life in WS. More than 80 neuroimaging studies in WS have been conducted, the vast majority of which have focused on identifying morphometric brain differences. Aside from decreased volume of the parieto-occipital region and increased cerebellar volume, morphometric findings have been variable across studies. fMRI studies investigating the visuospatial deficit have identified dorsal stream dysfunction and abnormal activation of the hippocampal formation. Minimal work has been done using PET or MRS. Future approaches that conduct neuroimaging in tandem with clinical phenotyping, utilize novel imaging techniques to visualize brain vasculature or provide biochemical and molecular information, and include more homogenous age groups across the lifespan, have significant potential to advance clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn P Thom
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA 02421, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Camila Canales
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA 02421, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Mary Tresvalles
- Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Christopher J McDougle
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA 02421, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jacob M Hooker
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA 02421, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Yachin Chen
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA 02421, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Nicole R Zürcher
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA 02421, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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4
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Chen Y, Zuo Y, Kang S, Pan L, Jiang S, Yan A, Li L. Using fractal dimension analysis to assess the effects of normal aging and sex on subregional cortex alterations across the lifespan from a Chinese dataset. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5289-5296. [PMID: 36300622 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Fractal dimension (FD) is used to quantify brain structural complexity and is more sensitive to morphological variability than other cortical measures. However, the effects of normal aging and sex on FD are not fully understood. In this study, age- and sex-related differences in FD were investigated in a sample of 448 adults age of 19–80 years from a Chinese dataset. The FD was estimated with the surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach, sex differences were analyzed on a vertex level, and correlations between FD and age were examined. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to characterize the trajectories of age-related changes in 68 regions based on the Desikan–Killiany atlas. The SBM results showed sex differences in the entire sample and 3 subgroups defined by age. GAM results demonstrated that the FD values of 51 regions were significantly correlated with age. The trajectories of changes can be classified into 4 main patterns. Our results indicate that sex differences in FD are evident across developmental stages. Age-related trajectories in FD are not homogeneous across the cerebral cortex. Our results extend previous findings and provide a foundation for future investigation of the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyong Chen
- Ningbo University School of Medicine, , Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Yizhi Zuo
- Nanjing Medical University Human Anatomy Department, , Nanjing, 211166, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Shaofang Kang
- Ningbo University College of Teacher Education, , Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Liliang Pan
- Ningbo University School of Medicine, , Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Siyu Jiang
- Ningbo University School of Medicine, , Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Aohui Yan
- Ningbo University School of Medicine, , Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Lin Li
- Nanjing Medical University Human Anatomy Department, , Nanjing, 211166, Jiangsu, PR China
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5
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Meregalli V, Alberti F, Madan CR, Meneguzzo P, Miola A, Trevisan N, Sambataro F, Favaro A, Collantoni E. Cortical Complexity Estimation Using Fractal Dimension: A Systematic Review of the Literature on Clinical and Nonclinical Samples. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1547-1583. [PMID: 35229388 PMCID: PMC9313853 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Fractal geometry has recently been proposed as a useful tool for characterizing the complexity of the brain cortex, which is likely to derive from the recurrence of sulci–gyri convolution patterns. The index used to describe the cortical complexity is called fractal dimensional (FD) and was employed by different research exploring the neurobiological correlates of distinct pathological and nonpathological conditions. This review aims to describe the literature on the application of this index, summarize the heterogeneities between studies and inform future research on this topic. Sixty‐two studies were included in the systematic review. The main research lines concern neurodevelopment, aging and the neurobiology of specific psychiatric and neurological disorders. Overall, the included papers indicate that cortical complexity is likely to reduce during aging and in various pathological processes affecting the brain. Nevertheless, the high heterogeneity between studies strongly prevents the possibility of drawing conclusions. Further research considering this index besides other morphological values is needed to better clarify the role of FD in characterizing the cortical structure. Fractal dimension (FD) is a useful tool for the assessment of cortical complexity. In healthy controls, FD is associated with development, aging and cognition. Alterations in FD have been observed in different neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Miola
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicolò Trevisan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
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6
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Grad M, Nir A, Levy G, Trangle SS, Shapira G, Shomron N, Assaf Y, Barak B. Altered White Matter and microRNA Expression in a Murine Model Related to Williams Syndrome Suggests That miR-34b/c Affects Brain Development via Ptpru and Dcx Modulation. Cells 2022; 11:cells11010158. [PMID: 35011720 PMCID: PMC8750756 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a multisystem neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a de novo hemizygous deletion of ~26 genes from chromosome 7q11.23, among them the general transcription factor II-I (GTF2I). By studying a novel murine model for the hypersociability phenotype associated with WS, we previously revealed surprising aberrations in myelination and cell differentiation properties in the cortices of mutant mice compared to controls. These mutant mice had selective deletion of Gtf2i in the excitatory neurons of the forebrain. Here, we applied diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and fiber tracking, which showed a reduction in the number of streamlines in limbic outputs such as the fimbria/fornix fibers and the stria terminalis, as well as the corpus callosum of these mutant mice compared to controls. Furthermore, we utilized next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of cortical small RNAs' expression (RNA-Seq) levels to identify altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), including two from the miR-34 cluster, known to be involved in prominent processes in the developing nervous system. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed the direct binding of miR-34c-5p to the 3'UTR of PTPRU-a gene involved in neural development that was elevated in the cortices of mutant mice relative to controls. Moreover, we found an age-dependent variation in the expression levels of doublecortin (Dcx)-a verified miR-34 target. Thus, we demonstrate the substantial effect a single gene deletion can exert on miRNA regulation and brain structure, and advance our understanding and, hopefully, treatment of WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meitar Grad
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (M.G.); (A.N.); (G.L.); (N.S.); (Y.A.)
| | - Ariel Nir
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (M.G.); (A.N.); (G.L.); (N.S.); (Y.A.)
| | - Gilad Levy
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (M.G.); (A.N.); (G.L.); (N.S.); (Y.A.)
| | - Sari Schokoroy Trangle
- Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
| | - Guy Shapira
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
- Edmond J. Safra Center for Bioinformatics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Noam Shomron
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (M.G.); (A.N.); (G.L.); (N.S.); (Y.A.)
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
- Edmond J. Safra Center for Bioinformatics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Yaniv Assaf
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (M.G.); (A.N.); (G.L.); (N.S.); (Y.A.)
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Boaz Barak
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (M.G.); (A.N.); (G.L.); (N.S.); (Y.A.)
- Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
- Correspondence:
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7
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Xenophontos A, Seidlitz J, Liu S, Clasen LS, Blumenthal JD, Giedd JN, Alexander-Bloch A, Raznahan A. Altered Sex Chromosome Dosage Induces Coordinated Shifts in Cortical Anatomy and Anatomical Covariance. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:2215-2228. [PMID: 31828307 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosome dosage (SCD) variation increases risk for neuropsychiatric impairment, which may reflect direct SCD effects on brain organization. Here, we 1) map cumulative X- and Y-chromosome dosage effects on regional cortical thickness (CT) and investigate potential functional implications of these effects using Neurosynth, 2) test if this map is organized by patterns of CT covariance that are evident in health, and 3) characterize SCD effects on CT covariance itself. We modeled SCD effects on CT and CT covariance for 308 equally sized regions of the cortical sheet using structural neuroimaging data from 301 individuals with varying numbers of sex chromosomes (169 euploid, 132 aneuploid). Mounting SCD increased CT in the rostral frontal cortex and decreased CT in the lateral temporal cortex, bilaterally. Regions targeted by SCD were associated with social functioning, language processing, and comprehension. Cortical regions with a similar degree of SCD-sensitivity showed heightened CT covariance in health. Finally, greater SCD also increased covariance among regions similarly affected by SCD. Our study both 1) develops novel methods for comparing typical and disease-related structural covariance networks in the brain and 2) uses these techniques to resolve and identify organizing principles for SCD effects on regional cortical anatomy and anatomical covariance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Xenophontos
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Liv S Clasen
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jonathan D Blumenthal
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jay N Giedd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Aaron Alexander-Bloch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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8
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LIM-Kinases in Synaptic Plasticity, Memory, and Brain Diseases. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082079. [PMID: 34440848 PMCID: PMC8391678 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning and memory require structural and functional modifications of synaptic connections, and synaptic deficits are believed to underlie many brain disorders. The LIM-domain-containing protein kinases (LIMK1 and LIMK2) are key regulators of the actin cytoskeleton by affecting the actin-binding protein, cofilin. In addition, LIMK1 is implicated in the regulation of gene expression by interacting with the cAMP-response element-binding protein. Accumulating evidence indicates that LIMKs are critically involved in brain function and dysfunction. In this paper, we will review studies on the roles and underlying mechanisms of LIMKs in the regulation of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), the most extensively studied forms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity widely regarded as cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. We will also discuss the involvement of LIMKs in the regulation of the dendritic spine, the structural basis of synaptic plasticity, and memory formation. Finally, we will discuss recent progress on investigations of LIMKs in neurological and mental disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Williams–Beuren syndrome, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders.
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Besson P, Parrish T, Katsaggelos AK, Bandt SK. Geometric deep learning on brain shape predicts sex and age. Comput Med Imaging Graph 2021; 91:101939. [PMID: 34082280 DOI: 10.1016/j.compmedimag.2021.101939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The complex relationship between the shape and function of the human brain remains elusive despite extensive studies of cortical folding over many decades. The analysis of cortical gyrification presents an opportunity to advance our knowledge about this relationship, and better understand the etiology of a variety of pathologies involving diverse degrees of cortical folding abnormalities. Hypothesis-driven surface-based approaches have been shown to be particularly efficient in their ability to accurately describe unique features of the folded sheet topology of the cortical ribbon. However, the utility of these approaches has been blunted by their reliance on manually defined features aiming to capture the relevant geometric properties of cortical folding. In this paper, we propose an entirely novel, data-driven deep-learning based method to analyze the brain's shape that eliminates this reliance on manual feature definition. This method builds on the emerging field of geometric deep-learning and uses traditional convolutional neural network architecture uniquely adapted to the surface representation of the cortical ribbon. This method is a complete departure from prior brain MRI CNN investigations, all of which have relied on three dimensional MRI data and interpreted features of the MRI signal for prediction. MRI data from 6410 healthy subjects obtained from 11 publicly available data repositories were used for analysis. Ages ranged from 6 to 89 years. Both inner and outer cortical surfaces were extracted using Freesurfer and then registered into MNI space. For purposes of method development, both a classification and regression challenge were introduced for network learning including sex and age prediction, respectively. Two independent graph convolutional neural networks (gCNNs) were trained, the first of which to predict subject's self-identified sex, the second of which to predict subject's age. Class Activation Maps (CAM) and Regression Activation Maps (RAM) were constructed respectively to map the topographic distribution of the most influential brain regions involved in the decision process for each gCNN. Using this approach, the gCNN was able to predict a subject's sex with an average accuracy of 87.99 % and achieved a Person's coefficient of correlation of 0.93 with an average absolute error 4.58 years when predicting a subject's age. We believe this shape-based convolutional classifier offers a novel, data-driven approach to define biomedically relevant features from the brain at both the population and single subject levels and therefore lays a critical foundation for future precision medicine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Besson
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, United States
| | - Todd Parrish
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Aggelos K Katsaggelos
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Northwestern University, McCormick School of Engineering, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - S Kathleen Bandt
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, United States.
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10
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Heide M, Huttner WB. Human-Specific Genes, Cortical Progenitor Cells, and Microcephaly. Cells 2021; 10:1209. [PMID: 34063381 PMCID: PMC8156310 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few years, human-specific genes have received increasing attention as potential major contributors responsible for the 3-fold difference in brain size between human and chimpanzee. Accordingly, mutations affecting these genes may lead to a reduction in human brain size and therefore, may cause or contribute to microcephaly. In this review, we will concentrate, within the brain, on the cerebral cortex, the seat of our higher cognitive abilities, and focus on the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B and on the gene family comprising the three human-specific genes NOTCH2NLA, -B, and -C. These genes are thought to have significantly contributed to the expansion of the cerebral cortex during human evolution. We will summarize the evolution of these genes, as well as their expression and functional role during human cortical development, and discuss their potential relevance for microcephaly. Furthermore, we will give an overview of other human-specific genes that are expressed during fetal human cortical development. We will discuss the potential involvement of these genes in microcephaly and how these genes could be studied functionally to identify a possible role in microcephaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Heide
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Pfotenhauerstr. 108, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Wieland B. Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Pfotenhauerstr. 108, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
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11
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Schmitt S, Meller T, Stein F, Brosch K, Ringwald K, Pfarr JK, Bordin C, Peusch N, Steinsträter O, Grotegerd D, Dohm K, Meinert S, Förster K, Redlich R, Opel N, Hahn T, Jansen A, Forstner AJ, Streit F, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Müller-Myhsok B, Nöthen MM, Dannlowski U, Krug A, Kircher T, Nenadić I. Effects of polygenic risk for major mental disorders and cross-disorder on cortical complexity. Psychol Med 2021; 52:1-12. [PMID: 33827729 PMCID: PMC9811276 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721001082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MRI-derived cortical folding measures are an indicator of largely genetically driven early developmental processes. However, the effects of genetic risk for major mental disorders on early brain development are not well understood. METHODS We extracted cortical complexity values from structural MRI data of 580 healthy participants using the CAT12 toolbox. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and cross-disorder (incorporating cumulative genetic risk for depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) were computed and used in separate general linear models with cortical complexity as the regressand. In brain regions that showed a significant association between polygenic risk for mental disorders and cortical complexity, volume of interest (VOI)/region of interest (ROI) analyses were conducted to investigate additional changes in their volume and cortical thickness. RESULTS The PRS for depression was associated with cortical complexity in the right orbitofrontal cortex (right hemisphere: p = 0.006). A subsequent VOI/ROI analysis showed no association between polygenic risk for depression and either grey matter volume or cortical thickness. We found no associations between cortical complexity and polygenic risk for either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or psychiatric cross-disorder when correcting for multiple testing. CONCLUSIONS Changes in cortical complexity associated with polygenic risk for depression might facilitate well-established volume changes in orbitofrontal cortices in depression. Despite the absence of psychopathology, changed cortical complexity that parallels polygenic risk for depression might also change reward systems, which are also structurally affected in patients with depressive syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Marburg University Hospital – UKGM, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Tina Meller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Marburg University Hospital – UKGM, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Kai Ringwald
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia-Katharina Pfarr
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Bordin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nina Peusch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Olaf Steinsträter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Förster
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ronny Redlich
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Halle, Halle, Germany
| | - Nils Opel
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Core-Facility BrainImaging, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039, Germany
| | - Andreas J. Forstner
- Centre for Human Genetics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Baldingerstr., 35033 Marburg, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Bertram Müller-Myhsok
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
- Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Markus M. Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine & University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Axel Krug
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Marburg University Hospital – UKGM, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Marburg University Hospital – UKGM, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
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Niego A, Benítez-Burraco A. Autism and Williams syndrome: Dissimilar socio-cognitive profiles with similar patterns of abnormal gene expression in the blood. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 25:464-489. [PMID: 33143449 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320965074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome are complex cognitive conditions exhibiting quite opposite features in the social domain: whereas people with autism spectrum disorders are mostly hyposocial, subjects with Williams syndrome are usually reported as hypersocial. At the same time, autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this article, we adopted a comparative molecular approach and looked for genes that might be differentially (or similarly) regulated in the blood of people with these conditions. We found a significant overlap between genes dysregulated in the blood of patients compared to neurotypical controls, with most of them being upregulated or, in some cases, downregulated. Still, genes with similar expression trends can exhibit quantitative differences between conditions, with most of them being more dysregulated in Williams syndrome than in autism spectrum disorders. Differentially expressed genes are involved in aspects of brain development and function (particularly dendritogenesis) and are expressed in brain areas (particularly the cerebellum, the thalamus, and the striatum) of relevance for the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome etiopathogenesis. Overall, these genes emerge as promising candidates for the similarities and differences between the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome socio-cognitive profiles.
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13
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Pizzagalli F, Auzias G, Yang Q, Mathias SR, Faskowitz J, Boyd JD, Amini A, Rivière D, McMahon KL, de Zubicaray GI, Martin NG, Mangin JF, Glahn DC, Blangero J, Wright MJ, Thompson PM, Kochunov P, Jahanshad N. The reliability and heritability of cortical folds and their genetic correlations across hemispheres. Commun Biol 2020; 3:510. [PMID: 32934300 PMCID: PMC7493906 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01163-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical folds help drive the parcellation of the human cortex into functionally specific regions. Variations in the length, depth, width, and surface area of these sulcal landmarks have been associated with disease, and may be genetically mediated. Before estimating the heritability of sulcal variation, the extent to which these metrics can be reliably extracted from in-vivo MRI must be established. Using four independent test-retest datasets, we found high reliability across the brain (intraclass correlation interquartile range: 0.65-0.85). Heritability estimates were derived for three family-based cohorts using variance components analysis and pooled (total N > 3000); the overall sulcal heritability pattern was correlated to that derived for a large population cohort (N > 9000) calculated using genomic complex trait analysis. Overall, sulcal width was the most heritable metric, and earlier forming sulci showed higher heritability. The inter-hemispheric genetic correlations were high, yet select sulci showed incomplete pleiotropy, suggesting hemisphere-specific genetic influences.
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Grants
- P41 EB015922 NIBIB NIH HHS
- R01 EB015611 NIBIB NIH HHS
- P01 AG026276 NIA NIH HHS
- R21 NS064534 NINDS NIH HHS
- R01 MH078111 NIMH NIH HHS
- R01 HD050735 NICHD NIH HHS
- R01 NS056307 NINDS NIH HHS
- R01 MH121246 NIMH NIH HHS
- P50 MH071616 NIMH NIH HHS
- R03 EB012461 NIBIB NIH HHS
- R01 AG059874 NIA NIH HHS
- U24 RR021382 NCRR NIH HHS
- P30 AG066444 NIA NIH HHS
- P01 AG003991 NIA NIH HHS
- P50 AG005681 NIA NIH HHS
- U54 EB020403 NIBIB NIH HHS
- R01 MH117601 NIMH NIH HHS
- U54 MH091657 NIMH NIH HHS
- R01 AG021910 NIA NIH HHS
- R01 MH078143 NIMH NIH HHS
- P41 RR015241 NCRR NIH HHS
- S10 OD023696 NIH HHS
- R01 MH083824 NIMH NIH HHS
- This research was funded in part by NIH ENIGMA Center grant U54 EB020403, supported by the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Centers of Excellence program funded by a cross-NIH initiative. Additional grant support was provided by: R01 AG059874, R01 MH117601, R01 MH121246, and P41 EB015922. QTIM was supported by NIH R01 HD050735, and the NHMRC 486682, Australia; GOBS: Financial support for this study was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health grants MH078143 (PI: DC Glahn), MH078111 (PI: J Blangero), and MH083824 (PI: DC Glahn & J Blangero); HCP data were provided [in part] by the Human Connectome Project, WU-Minn Consortium (Principal Investigators: David Van Essen and Kamil Ugurbil; 1U54MH091657) funded by the 16 NIH Institutes and Centers that support the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research; and by the McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience at Washington University; UK Biobank: This research was conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under Application Number ‘11559’; BrainVISA’s Morphologist software development received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under Grant Agreement No 720270 & 785907 (Human Brain ProjectSGA1 & SGA2), and by the FRM DIC20161236445. OASIS: Cross-Sectional: Principal Investigators: D. Marcus, R. Buckner, J. Csernansky J. Morris; P50 AG05681, P01 AG03991, P01 AG026276, R01 AG021910, P20 MH071616, U24 RR021382. KKI was supported by NIH grants NCRR P41 RR015241 (Peter C.M. van Zijl), 1R01NS056307 (Jerry Prince), 1R21NS064534-01A109 (Bennett A. Landman/Jerry L. Prince), 1R03EB012461-01 (Bennett A. Landman). Neda Jahanshad and Paul Thompson are MPIs of a research project grant from Biogen, Inc. (PO 969323).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Pizzagalli
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA.
| | - Guillaume Auzias
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289, Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Qifan Yang
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Samuel R Mathias
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joshua Faskowitz
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Joshua D Boyd
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Armand Amini
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Denis Rivière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Neurospin, Baobab, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- CATI, Multicenter Neuroimaging Platform, Paris, France
| | - Katie L McMahon
- School of Clinical Sciences and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Greig I de Zubicaray
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | | | - Jean-François Mangin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Neurospin, Baobab, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- CATI, Multicenter Neuroimaging Platform, Paris, France
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - John Blangero
- South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX, USA
| | - Margaret J Wright
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA.
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14
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Reduced Cortical Complexity in Cirrhotic Patients with Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:7364649. [PMID: 32256557 PMCID: PMC7104259 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7364649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Gray matter volume loss, regional cortical thinning, and local gyrification index alteration have been documented in minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). Fractal dimension (FD), another morphological parameter, has been widely used to describe structural complexity alterations in neurological or psychiatric disease. Here, we conducted the first study to investigate FD alterations in MHE. Methods and Materials We performed high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging on cirrhotic patients with MHE (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 21). We evaluated their cognitive performance using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES). The regional FD value was calculated by Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12) and compared between groups. We further estimated the association between patients' cognitive performance and FD values. Results MHE patients presented significantly decreased FD values in the left precuneus, left supramarginal gyrus, right caudal anterior cingulate cortex, right isthmus cingulate cortex, right insula, bilateral pericalcarine cortex, and bilateral paracentral cortex compared to normal controls. In addition, the FD values in the right isthmus cingulate cortex and right insula were shown to be positively correlated with patients' cognitive performance. Conclusion Aberrant cortical complexity is an additional characteristic of MHE, and FD analysis may provide novel insight into the neurobiological basis of cognitive dysfunction in MHE.
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15
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Hedderich DM, Bäuml JG, Menegaux A, Avram M, Daamen M, Zimmer C, Bartmann P, Scheef L, Boecker H, Wolke D, Gaser C, Sorg C. An analysis of MRI derived cortical complexity in premature-born adults: Regional patterns, risk factors, and potential significance. Neuroimage 2020; 208:116438. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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16
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Dasilva M, Navarro-Guzman A, Ortiz-Romero P, Camassa A, Muñoz-Cespedes A, Campuzano V, Sanchez-Vives MV. Altered Neocortical Dynamics in a Mouse Model of Williams-Beuren Syndrome. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57:765-777. [PMID: 31471877 PMCID: PMC7031212 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01732-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by moderate intellectual disability and learning difficulties alongside behavioral abnormalities such as hypersociability. Several structural and functional brain alterations are characteristic of this syndrome, as well as disturbed sleep and sleeping patterns. However, the detailed physiological mechanisms underlying WBS are mostly unknown. Here, we characterized the cortical dynamics in a mouse model of WBS previously reported to replicate most of the behavioral alterations described in humans. We recorded the laminar local field potential generated in the frontal cortex during deep anesthesia and characterized the properties of the emergent slow oscillation activity. Moreover, we performed micro-electrocorticogram recordings using multielectrode arrays covering the cortical surface of one hemisphere. We found significant differences between the cortical emergent activity and functional connectivity between wild-type mice and WBS model mice. Slow oscillations displayed Up states with diminished firing rate and lower high-frequency content in the gamma range. Lower firing rates were also recorded in the awake WBS animals while performing a marble burying task and could be associated with the decreased spine density and thus synaptic connectivity in this cortical area. We also found an overall increase in functional connectivity between brain areas, reflected in lower clustering and abnormally high integration, especially in the gamma range. These results expand previous findings in humans, suggesting that the cognitive deficits characterizing WBS might be associated with reduced excitability, plus an imbalance in the capacity to functionally integrate and segregate information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Dasilva
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alvaro Navarro-Guzman
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Ortiz-Romero
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alessandra Camassa
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Muñoz-Cespedes
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Depatamento de Biología Celular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria Campuzano
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria V Sanchez-Vives
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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17
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Heissenberger C, Liendl L, Nagelreiter F, Gonskikh Y, Yang G, Stelzer EM, Krammer TL, Micutkova L, Vogt S, Kreil DP, Sekot G, Siena E, Poser I, Harreither E, Linder A, Ehret V, Helbich TH, Grillari-Voglauer R, Jansen-Dürr P, Koš M, Polacek N, Grillari J, Schosserer M. Loss of the ribosomal RNA methyltransferase NSUN5 impairs global protein synthesis and normal growth. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:11807-11825. [PMID: 31722427 PMCID: PMC7145617 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Modifications of ribosomal RNA expand the nucleotide repertoire and thereby contribute to ribosome heterogeneity and translational regulation of gene expression. One particular m5C modification of 25S ribosomal RNA, which is introduced by Rcm1p, was previously shown to modulate stress responses and lifespan in yeast and other small organisms. Here, we report that NSUN5 is the functional orthologue of Rcm1p, introducing m5C3782 into human and m5C3438 into mouse 28S ribosomal RNA. Haploinsufficiency of the NSUN5 gene in fibroblasts from William Beuren syndrome patients causes partial loss of this modification. The N-terminal domain of NSUN5 is required for targeting to nucleoli, while two evolutionary highly conserved cysteines mediate catalysis. Phenotypic consequences of NSUN5 deficiency in mammalian cells include decreased proliferation and size, which can be attributed to a reduction in total protein synthesis by altered ribosomes. Strikingly, Nsun5 knockout in mice causes decreased body weight and lean mass without alterations in food intake, as well as a trend towards reduced protein synthesis in several tissues. Together, our findings emphasize the importance of single RNA modifications for ribosome function and normal cellular and organismal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Heissenberger
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Liendl
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Nagelreiter
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yulia Gonskikh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Guohuan Yang
- Biochemistry Center, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena M Stelzer
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Teresa L Krammer
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucia Micutkova
- Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan Vogt
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - David P Kreil
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard Sekot
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Emilio Siena
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ina Poser
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Eva Harreither
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Angela Linder
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Viktoria Ehret
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas H Helbich
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Regina Grillari-Voglauer
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Pidder Jansen-Dürr
- Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Koš
- Biochemistry Center, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Norbert Polacek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Grillari
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory on Biotechnology of Skin Aging, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Schosserer
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
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18
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Polspoel B, Vandermosten M, De Smedt B. The association of grey matter volume and cortical complexity with individual differences in children's arithmetic fluency. Neuropsychologia 2019; 137:107293. [PMID: 31809780 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Only a small amount of studies have looked at the structural neural correlates of children's arithmetic. Furthermore, these studies mainly implemented voxel-based morphometry, which only takes the volume of regions into account, without looking at other structural properties. The current study aimed to contribute knowledge on which brain regions are important for children's arithmetic on a structural level, by not only implementing voxel-based morphometry, but also cortical complexity analyses, based on the fractal dimension index. This complexity measure describes a characteristic of surface shape. Data of 43 typically developing 9-10 year-olds were analyzed. All children were asked to take part in two test sessions: behavioral data collection and MRI data acquisition. For data analysis, mean values for volume and cortical complexity were estimated within regions of interest (ROIs) and extracted for further analysis. The selected ROIs were based on regions found to be related to children's mathematical abilities in previous research. Results point towards associations between arithmetic fluency and the volume of the right fusiform gyrus, as well as the cortical complexity of the left postcentral gyrus, right insular sulcus, and left lateral orbital sulcus. Remarkably, no significant associations were observed between the children's arithmetic fluency and the volume or cortical complexity of typically arithmetic-associated parietal regions, such as the superior parietal lobe, intraparietal sulcus, or angular gyrus. Accordingly, the current study highlights the importance of structural characteristics of brain regions other than these typically arithmetic-associated parietal regions for children's arithmetic fluency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brecht Polspoel
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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19
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Selçuk ML, Tıpırdamaz S. A morphological and stereological study on brain, cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum of New Zealand rabbits. Anat Histol Embryol 2019; 49:90-96. [DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammet Lütfi Selçuk
- Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Faculty of Health Sciences Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University Karaman Turkey
| | - Saadettin Tıpırdamaz
- Department of Anatomy Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Selcuk University Konya Turkey
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20
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Chen P, Zhang T, Yuan Z, Shen B, Chen L. Expression of the RNA methyltransferase Nsun5 is essential for developing cerebral cortex. Mol Brain 2019; 12:74. [PMID: 31462248 PMCID: PMC6714381 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0496-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Nsun5 gene, encoding a cytosine-5 RNA methyltransferase, is deleted in about 95% patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS). WBS is a neurodevelopmental disorder and characterized by cognitive disorder. We generated single-gene Nsun5 knockout (Nsun5-KO) mice and reported that the Nsun5 deletion leads to deficit in spatial cognition. This study focused on investigating the influence of Nsun5 deficiency in the development of cerebral cortex. In comparison with wild-type littermates, the cortical thickness in postnatal day 10 Nsun5-KO mice was obviously reduced with an abnormal laminar organization, and the processes of pyramidal cells were shorter and finer. Nsun5 was selectively expressed in radial glial cells (RGCs) of cerebral cortex from embryonic day (E) 12.5 to E16.5, but not in intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) or neocortical neurons. The Nsun5 deletion did not alter proliferation of RGCs or differentiation of RGCs into IPCs. Notably, the ablation of Nsun5 disrupted the growth of radial glial scaffolds, thus numerous basal processes of RGCs failed to reach pial basement membrane. Level of cell polarity regulator Cdc42 protein in radial glial scaffolds of E14.5 Nsun5-KO mice was reduced, but the level of Cdc42 mRNA was unchanged. The dysfunction of glial scaffolds impeded the radial migration of upper-layer and deeper-layer neurons to cause their subcortical accumulation and apoptosis, resulting in an obvious thinness of the cortical plate in E18.5 Nsun5-KO mice. These findings establish a critical role of Nsun5 in development of cerebral cortex through regulating radial glial scaffolds of RGCs to control migration of neocortical neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China.,Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China.,Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China
| | - Zihao Yuan
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China.
| | - Ling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China. .,Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Tianyuan East Road 818, Nanjing, China.
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21
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES With an increasing aging population, it is important to understand biological markers of aging. Subcortical volume is known to differ with age; additionally considering shape-related characteristics may provide a better index of age-related differences. Fractal dimensionality is more sensitive to age-related differences, but is borne out of mathematical principles, rather than neurobiological relevance. We considered four distinct measures of shape and how they relate to aging and fractal dimensionality: surface-to-volume ratio, sphericity, long-axis curvature, and surface texture. METHODS Structural MRIs from a combined sample of over 600 healthy adults were used to measure age-related differences in the structure of the thalamus, putamen, caudate, and hippocampus. For each, volume and fractal dimensionality were calculated, as well as four distinct shape measures. These measures were examined for their utility in explaining age-related variability in brain structure. RESULTS The four shape measures were able to account for 80%-90% of the variance in fractal dimensionality. Of the distinct shape measures, surface-to-volume ratio was the most sensitive biomarker. CONCLUSION Though volume is often used to characterize inter-individual differences in subcortical structures, our results demonstrate that additional measures can be useful complements. Our results indicate that shape characteristics are useful biological markers of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Madan
- a School of Psychology , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.,b Department of Psychology , Boston College , Chestnut Hill , MA , USA
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22
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Nickel K, Joos A, Tebartz van Elst L, Holovics L, Endres D, Zeeck A, Maier S. Altered cortical folding and reduced sulcal depth in adults with anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2019; 27:655-670. [DOI: 10.1002/erv.2685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Nickel
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyMedical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Andreas Joos
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center – University of FreiburgFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Psychotherapeutic NeurologyKliniken Schmieder Gailingen Germany
| | - Ludger Tebartz van Elst
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyMedical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Lukas Holovics
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center – University of FreiburgFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Dominique Endres
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyMedical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Almut Zeeck
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center – University of FreiburgFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Simon Maier
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyMedical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center – University of FreiburgFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
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23
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Barak B, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Nir A, Trangle SS, Ennis M, Levandowski KM, Wang D, Quast K, Boulting GL, Li Y, Bayarsaihan D, He Z, Feng G. Neuronal deletion of Gtf2i, associated with Williams syndrome, causes behavioral and myelin alterations rescuable by a remyelinating drug. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:700-708. [PMID: 31011227 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0380-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS), caused by a heterozygous microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hypersociability and neurocognitive abnormalities. Of the deleted genes, general transcription factor IIi (Gtf2i) has been linked to hypersociability in WS, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We show that selective deletion of Gtf2i in the excitatory neurons of the forebrain caused neuroanatomical defects, fine motor deficits, increased sociability and anxiety. Unexpectedly, 70% of the genes with significantly decreased messenger RNA levels in the mutant mouse cortex are involved in myelination, and mutant mice had reduced mature oligodendrocyte cell numbers, reduced myelin thickness and impaired axonal conductivity. Restoring myelination properties with clemastine or increasing axonal conductivity rescued the behavioral deficits. The frontal cortex from patients with WS similarly showed reduced myelin thickness, mature oligodendrocyte cell numbers and mRNA levels of myelination-related genes. Our study provides molecular and cellular evidence for myelination deficits in WS linked to neuronal deletion of Gtf2i.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boaz Barak
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Zicong Zhang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ariel Nir
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sari S Trangle
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michaela Ennis
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kirsten M Levandowski
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dongqing Wang
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathleen Quast
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Yi Li
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dashzeveg Bayarsaihan
- Department of Reconstructive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Zhigang He
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Guoping Feng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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24
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Benítez-Burraco A, Kimura R. Robust Candidates for Language Development and Evolution Are Significantly Dysregulated in the Blood of People With Williams Syndrome. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:258. [PMID: 30971880 PMCID: PMC6444191 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a clinical condition, involving cognitive deficits and an uneven language profile, which has been the object of intense inquiry over the last decades. Although WS results from the hemideletion of around two dozen genes in chromosome 7, no gene has yet been probed to account for, or contribute significantly to, the language problems exhibited by the affected people. In this paper we have relied on gene expression profiles in the peripheral blood of WS patients obtained by microarray analysis and show that several robust candidates for language disorders and/or for language evolution in the species, all of them located outside the hemideleted region, are up- or downregulated in the blood of subjects with WS. Most of these genes play a role in the development and function of brain areas involved in language processing, which exhibit structural and functional anomalies in people with this condition. Overall, these genes emerge as robust candidates for language dysfunction in WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Ryo Kimura
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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25
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Zhou Y, Zhao L, Zhou N, Zhao Y, Marino S, Wang T, Sun H, Toga AW, Dinov ID. Predictive Big Data Analytics using the UK Biobank Data. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6012. [PMID: 30979917 PMCID: PMC6461626 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41634-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The UK Biobank is a rich national health resource that provides enormous opportunities for international researchers to examine, model, and analyze census-like multisource healthcare data. The archive presents several challenges related to aggregation and harmonization of complex data elements, feature heterogeneity and salience, and health analytics. Using 7,614 imaging, clinical, and phenotypic features of 9,914 subjects we performed deep computed phenotyping using unsupervised clustering and derived two distinct sub-cohorts. Using parametric and nonparametric tests, we determined the top 20 most salient features contributing to the cluster separation. Our approach generated decision rules to predict the presence and progression of depression or other mental illnesses by jointly representing and modeling the significant clinical and demographic variables along with the derived salient neuroimaging features. We reported consistency and reliability measures of the derived computed phenotypes and the top salient imaging biomarkers that contributed to the unsupervised clustering. This clinical decision support system identified and utilized holistically the most critical biomarkers for predicting mental health, e.g., depression. External validation of this technique on different populations may lead to reducing healthcare expenses and improving the processes of diagnosis, forecasting, and tracking of normal and pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwang Zhou
- Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lu Zhao
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nina Zhou
- Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yi Zhao
- Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Simeone Marino
- Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tuo Wang
- Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hanbo Sun
- Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Arthur W Toga
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ivo D Dinov
- Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Michigan Institute for Data Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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26
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Niego A, Benítez-Burraco A. Williams Syndrome, Human Self-Domestication, and Language Evolution. Front Psychol 2019; 10:521. [PMID: 30936846 PMCID: PMC6431629 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Language evolution resulted from changes in our biology, behavior, and culture. One source of these changes might be human self-domestication. Williams syndrome (WS) is a clinical condition with a clearly defined genetic basis which results in a distinctive behavioral and cognitive profile, including enhanced sociability. In this paper we show evidence that the WS phenotype can be satisfactorily construed as a hyper-domesticated human phenotype, plausibly resulting from the effect of the WS hemideletion on selected candidates for domestication and neural crest (NC) function. Specifically, we show that genes involved in animal domestication and NC development and function are significantly dysregulated in the blood of subjects with WS. We also discuss the consequences of this link between domestication and WS for our current understanding of language evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Niego
- Ph.D. Program, Faculty of Humanities, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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27
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Wu YT, Huang SR, Jao CW, Soong BW, Lirng JF, Wu HM, Wang PS. Impaired Efficiency and Resilience of Structural Network in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3. Front Neurosci 2019; 12:935. [PMID: 30618564 PMCID: PMC6304428 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Recent studies have shown that the patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) may not only have disease involvement in the cerebellum and brainstem but also in the cerebral regions. However, the relations between the widespread degenerated brain regions remains incompletely explored. Methods: In the present study, we investigate the topological properties of the brain networks of SCA3 patients (n = 40) constructed based on the correlation of three-dimensional fractal dimension values. Random and targeted attacks were applied to measure the network resilience of normal and SCA3 groups. Results: The SCA3 networks had significantly smaller clustering coefficients (P < 0.05) and global efficiency (P < 0.05) but larger characteristic path length (P < 0.05) than the normal controls networks, implying loss of small-world features. Furthermore, the SCA3 patients were associated with reduced nodal betweenness (P < 0.001) in the left supplementary motor area, bilateral paracentral lobules, and right thalamus, indicating that the motor control circuit might be compromised. Conclusions: The SCA3 networks were more vulnerable to targeted attacks than the normal controls networks because of the effects of pathological topological organization. The SCA3 revealed a more sparsity and disrupted structural network with decreased values in the largest component size, mean degree, mean density, clustering coefficient, and global efficiency and increased value in characteristic path length. The cortico-cerebral circuits in SCA3 were disrupted and segregated into occipital-parietal (visual-spatial cognition) and frontal-pre-frontal (motor control) clusters. The cerebellum of SCA3 were segregated from cerebellum-temporal-frontal circuits and clustered into a frontal-temporal cluster (cognitive control). Therefore, the disrupted structural network presented in this study might reflect the clinical characteristics of SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Te Wu
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biophotonics and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Ran Huang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Jao
- Institute of Biophotonics and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Wen Soong
- Department of Neurology, Shuang Ho Hospital and Taipei Neuroscience Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiing-Feng Lirng
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Mei Wu
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Shan Wang
- Institute of Biophotonics and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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28
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Zhang T, Chen P, Li W, Sha S, Wang Y, Yuan Z, Shen B, Chen L. Cognitive deficits in mice lacking Nsun5, a cytosine-5 RNA methyltransferase, with impairment of oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Glia 2018; 67:688-702. [PMID: 30485550 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a microdeletion disorder with cognitive phenotype. NSUN5 gene, which encodes a cytosine-5 RNA methyltransferase, is located in WBS deletion locus. To investigate the influence of NSUN5 deletion on cognitive behaviors, we produced single-gene Nsun5 knockout (Nsun5-KO) mice. Here, we report that adult Nsun5-KO mice showed spatial cognitive deficits. Size of the brain and hippocampal structures and the number of CA1 or CA3 pyramidal cells in Nsun5-KO mice did not differ from WT mice. Basal properties of Schaffer collateral-CA1 synaptic transmission in Nsun5-KO mice were unchanged, but NMDA receptor (NMDAr)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) was not induced. The NMDA-evoked current in CA1 pyramidal cells was reduced in Nsun5-KO mice without the changes in expression and phosphorylation of NMDAr subunits NR2A and NR2B. Although the protein level of AMPA receptor subunit GluR2 was attenuated in Nsun5-KO mice, the AMPA-evoked current was not altered. Hippocampal immuno-staining showed the selective expression of Nsun5 in NG2 or PDGFRα labeled oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), but not in pyramidal cells or astrocytes. Analysis of RT-PCR determined the Nsun5 expression in purified populations of OPCs rather than neurons or astrocytes. The Nsun5 deficiency led to decreases in the number and neurite outgrowth of OPCs in the hippocampal CA1 and DG, with the decline in NG2 expression and OPCs proliferation. These findings indicate that the Nsun5 deletion suppresses NMDAr activity in neuronal cells probably through the disrupted development and function of OPCs, leading to deficits in NMDAr-dependent LTP and spatial cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zhang
- State Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peipei Chen
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sha Sha
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zihao Yuan
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Shen
- State Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Chen
- State Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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29
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Abnormalities in early visual processes are linked to hypersociability and atypical evaluation of facial trustworthiness: An ERP study with Williams syndrome. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 17:1002-1017. [PMID: 28685402 PMCID: PMC5608800 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0528-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Accurate assessment of trustworthiness is fundamental to successful and adaptive social behavior. Initially, people assess trustworthiness from facial appearance alone. These assessments then inform critical approach or avoid decisions. Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) exhibit a heightened social drive, especially toward strangers. This study investigated the temporal dynamics of facial trustworthiness evaluation in neurotypic adults (TD) and individuals with WS. We examined whether differences in neural activity during trustworthiness evaluation may explain increased approach motivation in WS compared to TD individuals. Event-related potentials were recorded while participants appraised faces previously rated as trustworthy or untrustworthy. TD participants showed increased sensitivity to untrustworthy faces within the first 65-90 ms, indexed by the negative-going rise of the P1 onset (oP1). The amplitude of the oP1 difference to untrustworthy minus trustworthy faces was correlated with lower approachability scores. In contrast, participants with WS showed increased N170 amplitudes to trustworthy faces. The N170 difference to low-high-trust faces was correlated with low approachability in TD and high approachability in WS. The findings suggest that hypersociability associated with WS may arise from abnormalities in the timing and organization of early visual brain activity during trustworthiness evaluation. More generally, the study provides support for the hypothesis that impairments in low-level perceptual processes can have a cascading effect on social cognition.
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30
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Madan CR, Kensinger EA. Predicting age from cortical structure across the lifespan. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 47:399-416. [PMID: 29359873 PMCID: PMC5835209 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Despite interindividual differences in cortical structure, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated a large degree of population-level consistency in age-related differences in brain morphology. This study assessed how accurately an individual's age could be predicted by estimates of cortical morphology, comparing a variety of structural measures, including thickness, gyrification and fractal dimensionality. Structural measures were calculated across up to seven different parcellation approaches, ranging from one region to 1000 regions. The age prediction framework was trained using morphological measures obtained from T1-weighted MRI volumes collected from multiple sites, yielding a training dataset of 1056 healthy adults, aged 18-97. Age predictions were calculated using a machine-learning approach that incorporated nonlinear differences over the lifespan. In two independent, held-out test samples, age predictions had a median error of 6-7 years. Age predictions were best when using a combination of cortical metrics, both thickness and fractal dimensionality. Overall, the results reveal that age-related differences in brain structure are systematic enough to enable reliable age prediction based on metrics of cortical morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R. Madan
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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Meng Y, Li G, Rekik I, Zhang H, Gao Y, Lin W, Shen D. Can we predict subject-specific dynamic cortical thickness maps during infancy from birth? Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:2865-2874. [PMID: 28295833 PMCID: PMC5426957 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the early dynamic development of the human cerebral cortex remains a challenging problem. Cortical thickness, as one of the most important morphological attributes of the cerebral cortex, is a sensitive indicator for both normal neurodevelopment and neuropsychiatric disorders, but its early postnatal development remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigate a key question in neurodevelopmental science: can we predict the future dynamic development of cortical thickness map in an individual infant based on its available MRI data at birth? If this is possible, we might be able to better model and understand the early brain development and also early detect abnormal brain development during infancy. To this end, we develop a novel learning-based method, called Dynamically-Assembled Regression Forest (DARF), to predict the development of the cortical thickness map during the first postnatal year, based on neonatal MRI features. We applied our method to 15 healthy infants and predicted their cortical thickness maps at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age, with respectively mean absolute errors of 0.209 mm, 0.332 mm, 0.340 mm, and 0.321 mm. Moreover, we found that the prediction precision is region-specific, with high precision in the unimodal cortex and relatively low precision in the high-order association cortex, which may be associated with their differential developmental patterns. Additional experiments also suggest that using more early time points for prediction can further significantly improve the prediction accuracy. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2865-2874, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Meng
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
- Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Islem Rekik
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Yaozong Gao
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
- Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Weili Lin
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
- Department of Brain and Cognitive EngineeringKorea UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
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Hendrickson TJ, Mueller BA, Sowell ER, Mattson SN, Coles CD, Kable JA, Jones KL, Boys CJ, Lim KO, Riley EP, Wozniak JR. Cortical gyrification is abnormal in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuroimage Clin 2017; 15:391-400. [PMID: 28580296 PMCID: PMC5447653 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) adversely affects early brain development. Previous studies have shown a wide range of structural and functional abnormalities in children and adolescents with PAE. The current study adds to the existing literature specifically on cortical development by examining cortical gyrification in a large sample of children with PAE compared to controls. Relationships between cortical development and intellectual functioning are also examined. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Included were 92 children with PAE and 83 controls ages 9-16 from four sites in the Collaborative Initiative on FASD (CIFASD). All PAE participants had documented heavy PAE. All underwent a formal evaluation of physical anomalies and dysmorphic facial features. MRI data were collected using modified matched protocols on three platforms (Siemens, GE, and Philips). Cortical gyrification was examined using a semi-automated procedure. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS Whole brain group comparisons using Monte Carlo z-simulation for multiple comparisons showed significantly lower cortical gyrification across a large proportion of the cerebral cortex amongst PAE compared to controls. Whole brain comparisons and ROI based analyses showed strong positive correlations between cortical gyrification and IQ (i.e. less developed cortex was associated with lower IQ). CONCLUSIONS Abnormalities in cortical development were seen across the brain in children with PAE compared to controls. Cortical gyrification and IQ were strongly correlated, suggesting that examining mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts cortical formation may yield clinically relevant insights and potential directions for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, University of Southern California, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kelvin O Lim
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, United States
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33
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Fan CC, Brown TT, Bartsch H, Kuperman JM, Hagler DJ, Schork A, Searcy Y, Bellugi U, Halgren E, Dale AM. Williams syndrome-specific neuroanatomical profile and its associations with behavioral features. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 15:343-347. [PMID: 28560159 PMCID: PMC5443907 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Williams Syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder with unique behavioral features. Yet the rareness of WS has limited the number and type of studies that can be conducted in which inferences are made about how neuroanatomical abnormalities mediate behaviors. In this study, we extracted a WS-specific neuroanatomical profile from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements and tested its association with behavioral features of WS. Using a WS adult cohort (22 WS, 16 healthy controls), we modeled a sparse representation of a WS-specific neuroanatomical profile. The predictive performances are robust within the training cohort (10-fold cross-validation, AUC = 1.0) and accurately identify all WS individuals in an independent child WS cohort (seven WS, 59 children with diverse developmental status, AUC = 1.0). The WS-specific neuroanatomical profile includes measurements in the orbitofrontal cortex, superior parietal cortex, Sylvian fissures, and basal ganglia, and variability within these areas related to the underlying size of hemizygous deletion in patients with partial deletions. The profile intensity mediated the overall cognitive impairment as well as personality features related to hypersociability. Our results imply that the unique behaviors in WS were mediated through the constellation of abnormalities in cortical-subcortical circuitry consistent in child WS and adult WS. The robustness of the derived WS-specific neuroanatomical profile also demonstrates the potential utility of our approach in both clinical and research applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Chieh Fan
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9452 Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Timothy T Brown
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9452 Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Human Development, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hauke Bartsch
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9452 Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joshua M Kuperman
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9452 Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9452 Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Andrew Schork
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9452 Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yvonne Searcy
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ursula Bellugi
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eric Halgren
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Human Brain Activity Mapping, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 3510 Dunhill Street, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9452 Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Huang SR, Wu YT, Jao CW, Soong BW, Lirng JF, Wu HM, Wang PS. CAG repeat length does not associate with the rate of cerebellar degeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Neuroimage Clin 2016; 13:97-105. [PMID: 27942452 PMCID: PMC5133648 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This cross-sectional study investigated the correlation between the CAG repeat length and the degeneration of cerebellum in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) patients based on neuroimaging approaches. Forty SCA3 patients were recruited and classified into two subgroups according to their CAG repeat lengths (≥ 74 and < 74). We measured each patient's Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score, N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) ratios based on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and 3-dimensional fractal dimension (3D-FD) values derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results. Furthermore, the 3D-FD values were used to construct structural covariance networks based on graph theoretical analysis. The results revealed that SCA3 patients with a longer CAG repeat length demonstrated earlier disease onset. However, the CAG repeat length did not significantly correlate with their SARA scores, cerebellar NAA/Cr ratios or cerebellar 3D-FD values. Network dissociation between cerebellar regions and parietal-occipital regions was found in SCA3 patients with CAG ≥ 74, but not in those with CAG < 74. In conclusion, the CAG repeat length is uncorrelated with the change of SARA score, cerebellar function and cerebellar structure in SCA3. Nevertheless, a longer CAG repeat length may indicate early structural covariance network dissociation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Ran Huang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Te Wu
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chii-Wen Jao
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Wen Soong
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No.201, Sec. 2, Shipai Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiing-Feng Lirng
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No.201, Sec. 2, Shipai Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Mei Wu
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No.201, Sec. 2, Shipai Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Shan Wang
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No.201, Sec. 2, Shipai Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, No.12, Ln. 225, Zhixing Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
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Segmenting and validating brain tissue definitions in the presence of varying tissue contrast. Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 35:98-116. [PMID: 27569366 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 08/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We propose a method for segmenting brain tissue as either gray matter or white matter in the presence of varying tissue contrast, which can derive from either differential changes in tissue water content or increasing myelin content of white matter. Our method models the spatial distribution of intensities as a Markov Random Field (MRF) and estimates the parameters for the MRF model using a maximum likelihood approach. Although previously described methods have used similar models to segment brain tissue, accurate model of the conditional probabilities of tissue intensities and adaptive estimates of tissue properties to local intensities generates tissue definitions that are accurate and robust to variations in tissue contrast with age and across illnesses. Robustness to variations in tissue contrast is important to understand normal brain development and to identify the brain bases of neurological and psychiatric illnesses. We used simulated brains of varying tissue contrast to compare both visually and quantitatively the performance of our method with the performance of prior methods. We assessed validity of the cortical definitions by associating cortical thickness with various demographic features, clinical measures, and medication use in our three large cohorts of participants who were either healthy or who had Bipolar Disorder (BD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or familial risk for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We assessed validity of the tissue definitions using synthetic brains and data for three large cohort of individuals with various neuropsychiatric disorders. Visual inspection and quantitative analyses showed that our method accurately and robustly defined the cortical mantle in brain images with varying contrast. Furthermore, associating the thickness with various demographic and clinical measures generated findings that were novel and supported by histological analyses or were supported by previous MRI studies, thereby validating the cortical definitions generated by the proposed method: (1) Although cortical thickness decreased with age in adolescents, in adults cortical thickness did not correlate significantly with age. Our synthetic data showed that the previously reported thinning of cortex in adults is likely due to decease in tissue contrast, thereby suggesting that the method generated cortical definitions in adults that were invariant to tissue contrast. In adolescents, cortical thinning with age was preserved likely due to widespread dendritic and synaptic pruning, even though the effects of decreasing tissue contrast were minimized. (3) The method generated novel finding of both localized increases and decreases in thickness of males compared to females after controlling for the differing brain sizes, which are supported by the histological analyses of brain tissue in males and females. (4) The proposed method, unlike prior methods, defined thicker cortex in BD individuals using lithium. The novel finding is supported by the studies that showed lithium treatment increased dendritic arborization and neurogenesis, thereby leading to thickening of cortex. (5) In both BD and ASD participants, associations of more severe symptoms with thinner cortex showed that correcting for the effects of tissue contrast preserved the biological consequences of illnesses. Therefore, consistency of the findings across the three large cohorts of participants, in images acquired on either 1.5T or 3T MRI scanners, and with findings from prior histological analyses provides strong evidence that the proposed method generated valid and accurate definitions of the cortex while controlling for the effects of tissue contrast.
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36
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Hirai M, Muramatsu Y, Mizuno S, Kurahashi N, Kurahashi H, Nakamura M. Typical visual search performance and atypical gaze behaviors in response to faces in Williams syndrome. J Neurodev Disord 2016; 8:38. [PMID: 27795743 PMCID: PMC5075985 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-016-9172-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence indicates that individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) exhibit atypical attentional characteristics when viewing faces. However, the dynamics of visual attention captured by faces remain unclear, especially when explicit attentional forces are present. To clarify this, we introduced a visual search paradigm and assessed how the relative strength of visual attention captured by a face and explicit attentional control changes as search progresses. METHODS Participants (WS and controls) searched for a target (butterfly) within an array of distractors, which sometimes contained an upright face. We analyzed reaction time and location of the first fixation-which reflect the attentional profile at the initial stage-and fixation durations. These features represent aspects of attention at later stages of visual search. The strength of visual attention captured by faces and explicit attentional control (toward the butterfly) was characterized by the frequency of first fixations on a face or butterfly and on the duration of face or butterfly fixations. RESULTS Although reaction time was longer in all groups when faces were present, and visual attention was not dominated by faces in any group during the initial stages of the search, when faces were present, attention to faces dominated in the WS group during the later search stages. Furthermore, for the WS group, reaction time correlated with eye-movement measures at different stages of searching such that longer reaction times were associated with longer face-fixations, specifically at the initial stage of searching. Moreover, longer reaction times were associated with longer face-fixations at the later stages of searching, while shorter reaction times were associated with longer butterfly fixations. CONCLUSIONS The relative strength of attention captured by faces in people with WS is not observed at the initial stage of searching but becomes dominant as the search progresses. Furthermore, although behavioral responses are associated with some aspects of eye movements, they are not as sensitive as eye-movement measurements themselves at detecting atypical attentional characteristics in people with WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Hirai
- Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 480-0392 Japan ; Present address: Center for Development of Advanced Medical Technology, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 392-0498 Japan
| | - Yukako Muramatsu
- Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 480-0392 Japan
| | - Seiji Mizuno
- Department of Pediatrics, Central Hospital, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 480-0392 Japan
| | - Naoko Kurahashi
- Department of Pediatrics, Central Hospital, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 480-0392 Japan
| | - Hirokazu Kurahashi
- Department of Pediatrics, Central Hospital, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 480-0392 Japan
| | - Miho Nakamura
- Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 480-0392 Japan
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37
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Madan CR, Kensinger EA. Cortical complexity as a measure of age-related brain atrophy. Neuroimage 2016; 134:617-629. [PMID: 27103141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure of the human brain changes in a variety of ways as we age. While a sizeable literature has examined age-related differences in cortical thickness, and to a lesser degree, gyrification, here we examined differences in cortical complexity, as indexed by fractal dimensionality in a sample of over 400 individuals across the adult lifespan. While prior studies have shown differences in fractal dimensionality between patient populations and age-matched, healthy controls, it is unclear how well this measure would relate to age-related cortical atrophy. Initially computing a single measure for the entire cortical ribbon, i.e., unparcellated gray matter, we found fractal dimensionality to be more sensitive to age-related differences than either cortical thickness or gyrification index. We additionally observed regional differences in age-related atrophy between the three measures, suggesting that they may index distinct differences in cortical structure. We also provide a freely available MATLAB toolbox for calculating fractal dimensionality.
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Green T, Fierro KC, Raman MM, Saggar M, Sheau KE, Reiss AL. Surface-based morphometry reveals distinct cortical thickness and surface area profiles in Williams syndrome. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171B:402-13. [PMID: 26852730 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Morphometric investigations of brain volumes in Williams syndrome (WS) consistently show significant reductions in gray matter volume compared to controls. Cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) are two constituent parts of cortical gray matter volume that are considered genetically distinguishable features of brain morphology. Yet, little is known about the independent contribution of cortical CT and SA to these volumetric differences in WS. Thus, our objectives were: (i) to evaluate whether the microdeletion in chromosome 7 associated with WS has a distinct effect on CT and SA, and (ii) to evaluate age-related variations in CT and SA within WS. We compared CT and SA values in 44 individuals with WS to 49 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls. Between-group differences in CT and SA were evaluated across two age groups: young (age range 6.6-18.9 years), and adults (age range 20.2-51.5 years). Overall, we found contrasting effects of WS on cortical thickness (increases) and surface area (decreases). With respect to brain topography, the between-group pattern of CT differences showed a scattered pattern while the between-group surface area pattern was widely distributed throughout the brain. In the adult subgroup, we observed a cluster of increases in cortical thickness in WS across the brain that was not observed in the young subgroup. Our findings suggest that extensive early reductions in surface area are the driving force for the overall reduction in brain volume in WS. The age-related cortical thickness findings might reflect delayed or even arrested development of specific brain regions in WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Green
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Kyle C Fierro
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Mira M Raman
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Manish Saggar
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Kristen E Sheau
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.,Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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Lischinsky JE, Skocic J, Clairman H, Rovet J. Preliminary Findings Show Maternal Hypothyroidism May Contribute to Abnormal Cortical Morphology in Offspring. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2016; 7:16. [PMID: 26941710 PMCID: PMC4766309 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2016.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In rodents, insufficient thyroid hormone (TH) gestationally has adverse effects on cerebral cortex development. Comparable studies of humans examining how TH insufficiency affects cortical morphology are limited to children with congenital hypothyroidism or offspring of hypothyroxinemic women; effects on cortex of children born to women with clinically diagnosed hypothyroidism are not known. We studied archived MRI scans from 22 children aged 10-12 years born to women treated for preexisting or de novo hypothyroidism in pregnancy (HYPO) and 24 similar age and sex controls from euthyroid women. FreeSurfer Image Analysis Suite software was used to measure cortical thickness (CT) and a vertex-based approach served to compare HYPO versus control groups and Severe versus Mild HYPO subgroups as well as to perform regression analyses examining effects of trimester-specific maternal TSH on CT. Results showed that relative to controls, HYPO had multiple regions of both cortical thinning and thickening, which differed for left and right hemispheres. In HYPO, thinning was confined to medial and mid-lateral regions of each hemisphere and thickening to superior regions (primarily frontal) of the left hemisphere and inferior regions (particularly occipital and temporal) of the right. The Severe HYPO subgroup showed more thinning than Mild in frontal and temporal regions and more thickening in bilateral posterior and frontal regions. Maternal TSH values predicted degree of thinning and thickening within multiple brain regions, with the pattern and direction of correlations differing by trimester. Notably, some correlations remained when cases born to women with severe hypothyroidism were removed from the analyses, suggesting that mild variations of maternal TH may permanently affect offspring cortex. We conclude that maternal hypothyroidism during pregnancy has long-lasting manifestations on the cortical morphology of their offspring with specific effects reflecting both severity and timing of maternal TH insufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta E. Lischinsky
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jovanka Skocic
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hayyah Clairman
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joanne Rovet
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Lalli MA, Jang J, Park JHC, Wang Y, Guzman E, Zhou H, Audouard M, Bridges D, Tovar KR, Papuc SM, Tutulan-Cunita AC, Huang Y, Budisteanu M, Arghir A, Kosik KS. Haploinsufficiency of BAZ1B contributes to Williams syndrome through transcriptional dysregulation of neurodevelopmental pathways. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:1294-306. [PMID: 26755828 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a genomic deletion of ∼28 genes that results in a cognitive and behavioral profile marked by overall intellectual impairment with relative strength in expressive language and hypersocial behavior. Advancements in protocols for neuron differentiation from induced pluripotent stem cells allowed us to elucidate the molecular circuitry underpinning the ontogeny of WS. In patient-derived stem cells and neurons, we determined the expression profile of the Williams-Beuren syndrome critical region-deleted genes and the genome-wide transcriptional consequences of the hemizygous genomic microdeletion at chromosome 7q11.23. Derived neurons displayed disease-relevant hallmarks and indicated novel aberrant pathways in WS neurons including over-activated Wnt signaling accompanying an incomplete neurogenic commitment. We show that haploinsufficiency of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler, BAZ1B, which is deleted in WS, significantly contributes to this differentiation defect. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq) revealed BAZ1B target gene functions are enriched for neurogenesis, neuron differentiation and disease-relevant phenotypes. BAZ1B haploinsufficiency caused widespread gene expression changes in neural progenitor cells, and together with BAZ1B ChIP-seq target genes, explained 42% of the transcriptional dysregulation in WS neurons. BAZ1B contributes to regulating the balance between neural precursor self-renewal and differentiation and the differentiation defect caused by BAZ1B haploinsufficiency can be rescued by mitigating over-active Wnt signaling in neural stem cells. Altogether, these results reveal a pivotal role for BAZ1B in neurodevelopment and implicate its haploinsufficiency as a likely contributor to the neurological phenotypes in WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Lalli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program
| | - Jiwon Jang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute
| | - Joo-Hye C Park
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute
| | - Yidi Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute
| | - Elmer Guzman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute
| | - Hongjun Zhou
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute
| | - Morgane Audouard
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute
| | - Daniel Bridges
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth R Tovar
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute
| | - Sorina M Papuc
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Clinical Cytogenetics, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Yadong Huang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA and
| | - Magdalena Budisteanu
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Clinical Cytogenetics, Bucharest, Romania, Alexandru Obregia Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, Neuropediatric Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aurora Arghir
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Clinical Cytogenetics, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program,
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41
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Bissonette GB, Roesch MR. Development and function of the midbrain dopamine system: what we know and what we need to. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 15:62-73. [PMID: 26548362 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The past two decades have seen an explosion in our understanding of the origin and development of the midbrain dopamine system. Much of this work has been focused on the aspects of dopamine neuron development related to the onset of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, with the intent of hopefully delaying, preventing or fixing symptoms. While midbrain dopamine degeneration is a major focus for treatment and research, many other human disorders are impacted by abnormal dopamine, including drug addiction, autism and schizophrenia. Understanding dopamine neuron ontogeny and how dopamine connections and circuitry develops may provide us with key insights into potentially important avenues of research for other dopamine-related disorders. This review will provide a brief overview of the major molecular and genetic players throughout the development of midbrain dopamine neurons and what we know about the behavioral- and disease-related implications associated with perturbations to midbrain dopamine neuron development. We intend to combine the knowledge of two broad fields of neuroscience, both developmental and behavioral, with the intent on fostering greater discussion between branches of neuroscience in the service of addressing complex cognitive questions from a developmental perspective and identifying important gaps in our knowledge for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- G B Bissonette
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - M R Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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Nicita F, Garone G, Spalice A, Savasta S, Striano P, Pantaleoni C, Spartà MV, Kluger G, Capovilla G, Pruna D, Freri E, D'Arrigo S, Verrotti A. Epilepsy is a possible feature in Williams-Beuren syndrome patients harboring typical deletions of the 7q11.23 critical region. Am J Med Genet A 2015; 170A:148-55. [PMID: 26437767 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.37410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Seizures are rarely reported in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS)--a contiguous-gene-deletion disorder caused by a 7q11.23 heterozygous deletion of 1.5-1.8 Mb--and no previous study evaluated electro-clinical features of epilepsy in this syndrome. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that atypical deletion (e.g., larger than 1.8 Mb) may be responsible for a more pronounced neurological phenotypes, especially including seizures. Our objectives are to describe the electro-clinical features in WBS and to correlate the epileptic phenotype with deletion of the 7q11.23 critical region. We evaluate the electro-clinical features in one case of distal 7q11.23 deletion syndrome and in eight epileptic WBS (eWBS) patients. Additionally, we compare the deletion size-and deleted genes-of four epileptic WBS (eWBS) with that of four non-epileptic WBS (neWBS) patients. Infantile spasms, focal (e.g., motor and dyscognitive with autonomic features) and generalized (e.g., tonic-clonic, tonic, clonic, myoclonic) seizures were encountered. Drug-resistance was observed in one patient. Neuroimaging discovered one case of focal cortical dysplasia, one case of fronto-temporal cortical atrophy and one case of periventricular nodular heterotopia. Comparison of deletion size between eWBS and neWBS patients did not reveal candidate genes potentially underlying epilepsy. This is the largest series describing electro-clinical features of epilepsy in WBS. In WBS, epilepsy should be considered both in case of typical and atypical deletions, which do not involve HIP1, YWHAG or MAGI2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Nicita
- Child Neurology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy
| | - Giacomo Garone
- Child Neurology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy
| | - Alberto Spalice
- Child Neurology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy
| | - Salvatore Savasta
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 'G. Gaslini' Institute, Italy
| | - Chiara Pantaleoni
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Foundation I.R.C.C.S. Neurological Institute "C. Besta", Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Valentina Spartà
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gerhard Kluger
- Sch, ö, n Klinik Vogtareuth, Hospital for Neuropediatrics and Neurological Rehabilitation, Epilepsy Center for Children and Adolescents, Vogtareuth, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Capovilla
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, C Poma Hospital, Mantova, Italy
| | - Dario Pruna
- Epilepsy Unit, Child Neuropsychiatry Department, University Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elena Freri
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Foundation I.R.C.C.S. Neurological Institute "C. Besta", Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano D'Arrigo
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Foundation I.R.C.C.S. Neurological Institute "C. Besta", Milan, Italy
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Spatial Patterns, Longitudinal Development, and Hemispheric Asymmetries of Cortical Thickness in Infants from Birth to 2 Years of Age. J Neurosci 2015; 35:9150-62. [PMID: 26085637 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4107-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical thickness (CT) is related to normal development and neurodevelopmental disorders. It remains largely unclear how the characteristic patterns of CT evolve in the first 2 years. In this paper, we systematically characterized for the first time the detailed vertex-wise patterns of spatial distribution, longitudinal development, and hemispheric asymmetries of CT at 0, 1, and 2 years of age, via surface-based analysis of 219 longitudinal magnetic resonance images from 73 infants. Despite the dynamic increase of CT in the first year and the little change of CT in the second year, we found that the overall spatial distribution of thin and thick cortices was largely present at birth, and evolved only modestly during the first 2 years. Specifically, the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, occipital cortex, and superior parietal region had thin cortices, whereas the prefrontal, lateral temporal, insula, and inferior parietal regions had thick cortices. We revealed that in the first year thin cortices exhibited low growth rates of CT, whereas thick cortices exhibited high growth rates. We also found that gyri were thicker than sulci, and that the anterior bank of the central sulcus was thicker than the posterior bank. Moreover, we showed rightward hemispheric asymmetries of CT in the lateral temporal and posterior insula regions at birth, which shrank gradually in the first 2 years, and also leftward asymmetries in the medial prefrontal, paracentral, and anterior cingulate cortices, which expanded substantially during this period. This study provides the first comprehensive picture of early patterns and evolution of CT during infancy.
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Borralleras C, Sahun I, Pérez-Jurado LA, Campuzano V. Intracisternal Gtf2i Gene Therapy Ameliorates Deficits in Cognition and Synaptic Plasticity of a Mouse Model of Williams-Beuren Syndrome. Mol Ther 2015. [PMID: 26216516 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2015.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a heterozygous deletion of 26-28 genes at chromosome band 7q11.23. Haploinsufficiency at GTF2I has been shown to play a major role in the neurobehavioral phenotype. By characterizing the neuronal architecture in four animal models with intragenic, partial, and complete deletions of the WBS critical interval (ΔGtf2i(+/-), ΔGtf2i( -/-), PD, and CD), we clarify the involvement of Gtf2i in neurocognitive features. All mutant mice showed hypersociability, impaired motor learning and coordination, and altered anxiety-like behavior. Dendritic length was decreased in the CA1 of ΔGtf2i(+/-), ΔGtf2i ( -/-), and CD mice. Spine density was reduced, and spines were shorter in ΔGtf2i ( -/-), PD, and CD mice. Overexpression of Pik3r1 and downregulation of Bdnf were observed in ΔGtf2i(+/-), PD, and CD mice. Intracisternal Gtf2i-gene therapy in CD mice using adeno-associated virus resulted in increased mGtf2i expression and normalization of Bdnf levels, along with beneficial effects in motor coordination, sociability, and anxiety, despite no significant changes in neuronal architecture. Our findings further indicate that Gtf2i haploinsufficiency plays an important role in the neurodevelopmental and cognitive abnormalities of WBS and that it is possible to rescue part of this neurocognitive phenotype by restoring Gtf2i expression levels in specific brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Borralleras
- Neurosciences Program, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat de Genètica, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Spain
| | - Ignasi Sahun
- PCB-PRBB Animal Facility Alliance, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis A Pérez-Jurado
- Neurosciences Program, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat de Genètica, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Spain
| | - Victoria Campuzano
- Neurosciences Program, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat de Genètica, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Spain.
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45
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Schmitt JE, Vandekar S, Yi J, Calkins ME, Ruparel K, Roalf DR, Whinna D, Souders MC, Satterwaite TD, Prabhakaran K, McDonald-McGinn DM, Zackai EH, Gur RC, Emanuel BS, Gur RE. Aberrant Cortical Morphometry in the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:135-43. [PMID: 25555483 PMCID: PMC4446247 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increased risk of developing psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Although this condition is associated with morphologic brain abnormalities, simultaneous examination of multiple high-resolution measures of cortical structure has not been performed. METHODS Fifty-three patients with 22q11DS, 30 with psychotic symptoms, were compared with demographically matched nondeleted youths: 53 typically developing and 53 with psychotic symptoms. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging measures of cerebral volume, cortical thickness, surface area, and an index of local gyrification were obtained and compared between groups. RESULTS Patients with 22q11DS demonstrated global increases in cortical thickness associated with reductions in surface area, reduced index of local gyrification, and lower cerebral volumes relative to typically developing controls. Findings were principally in the frontal lobe, superior parietal lobes, and in the paramedian cerebral cortex. Focally decreased thickness was seen in the superior temporal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex in 22q11DS relative to nondeleted groups. Patterns between nondeleted participants with psychotic symptoms and 22q11DS were similar but with important differences in several regions implicated in schizophrenia. Post hoc analysis suggested that like the 22q11DS group, cortical thickness in nondeleted individuals with psychotic symptoms differed from typically developing controls in the superior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus, regions previously linked to schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Simultaneous examination of multiple measures of cerebral architecture demonstrates that differences in 22q11DS localize to regions of the frontal, superior parietal, superior temporal, and paramidline cerebral cortex. The overlapping patterns between nondeleted participants with psychotic symptoms and 22q11DS suggest partially shared neuroanatomic substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Eric Schmitt
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Simon Vandekar
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - James Yi
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Monica E. Calkins
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kosha Ruparel
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David R. Roalf
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daneen Whinna
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Margaret C. Souders
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Theodore D. Satterwaite
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karthik Prabhakaran
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Elaine H. Zackai
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Beverly S. Emanuel
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Corresponding Author: Brain Behavior Laboratory, 10th Floor, Gates Building, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. (R.E. Gur). Phone: (215) 662-2915, Fax: (215) 662-7903
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46
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Musso M, Weiller C, Horn A, Glauche V, Umarova R, Hennig J, Schneider A, Rijntjes M. A single dual-stream framework for syntactic computations in music and language. Neuroimage 2015; 117:267-83. [PMID: 25998957 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study is the first to compare in the same subjects the specific spatial distribution and the functional and anatomical connectivity of the neuronal resources that activate and integrate syntactic representations during music and language processing. Combining functional magnetic resonance imaging with functional connectivity and diffusion tensor imaging-based probabilistic tractography, we examined the brain network involved in the recognition and integration of words and chords that were not hierarchically related to the preceding syntax; that is, those deviating from the universal principles of grammar and tonal relatedness. This kind of syntactic processing in both domains was found to rely on a shared network in the left hemisphere centered on the inferior part of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), including pars opercularis and pars triangularis, and on dorsal and ventral long association tracts connecting this brain area with temporo-parietal regions. Language processing utilized some adjacent left hemispheric IFG and middle temporal regions more than music processing, and music processing also involved right hemisphere regions not activated in language processing. Our data indicate that a dual-stream system with dorsal and ventral long association tracts centered on a functionally and structurally highly differentiated left IFG is pivotal for domain-general syntactic competence over a broad range of elements including words and chords.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariacristina Musso
- Freiburg Brain Imaging, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Cornelius Weiller
- Freiburg Brain Imaging, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Horn
- Freiburg Brain Imaging, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany
| | - Volkmer Glauche
- Freiburg Brain Imaging, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany
| | - Roza Umarova
- Freiburg Brain Imaging, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hennig
- Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Michel Rijntjes
- Freiburg Brain Imaging, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany
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47
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Landmark constrained genus-one surface Teichmüller map applied to surface registration in medical imaging. Med Image Anal 2015; 25:45-55. [PMID: 25977154 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We address the registration problem of genus-one surfaces (such as vertebrae bones) with prescribed landmark constraints. The high-genus topology of the surfaces makes it challenging to obtain a unique and bijective surface mapping that matches landmarks consistently. This work proposes to tackle this registration problem using a special class of quasi-conformal maps called Teichmüller maps (T-Maps). A landmark constrained T-Map is the unique mapping between genus-1 surfaces that minimizes the maximal conformality distortion while matching the prescribed feature landmarks. Existence and uniqueness of the landmark constrained T-Map are theoretically guaranteed. This work presents an iterative algorithm to compute the T-Map. The main idea is to represent the set of diffeomorphism using the Beltrami coefficients (BC). The BC is iteratively adjusted to an optimal one, which corresponds to our desired T-Map that matches the prescribed landmarks and satisfies the periodic boundary condition on the universal covering space. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm. The method has also been applied to register vertebrae bones with prescribed landmark points and curves, which gives accurate surface registrations.
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48
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Avants BB, Duda JT, Kilroy E, Krasileva K, Jann K, Kandel BT, Tustison NJ, Yan L, Jog M, Smith R, Wang Y, Dapretto M, Wang DJJ. The pediatric template of brain perfusion. Sci Data 2015; 2:150003. [PMID: 25977810 PMCID: PMC4413243 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2015.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) captures the dynamics of brain development with multiple modalities that quantify both structure and function. These measurements may yield valuable insights into the neural patterns that mark healthy maturation or that identify early risk for psychiatric disorder. The Pediatric Template of Brain Perfusion (PTBP) is a free and public neuroimaging resource that will help accelerate the understanding of childhood brain development as seen through the lens of multiple modality neuroimaging and in relation to cognitive and environmental factors. The PTBP uses cross-sectional and longitudinal MRI to quantify cortex, white matter, resting state functional connectivity and brain perfusion, as measured by Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), in 120 children 7-18 years of age. We describe the PTBP and show, as a demonstration of validity, that global summary measurements capture the trajectories that demarcate critical turning points in brain maturation. This novel resource will allow a more detailed understanding of the network-level, structural and functional landmarks that are obtained during normal adolescent brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian B Avants
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Duda
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Emily Kilroy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Kate Krasileva
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Kay Jann
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Benjamin T Kandel
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Nicholas J Tustison
- Department of Radiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA
| | - Lirong Yan
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Mayank Jog
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Robert Smith
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Danny J J Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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49
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Xie S, Shi J, Wang J, Li N, Yang S, Zhang J. Head circumference growth reference charts of children younger than 7 years in Chinese rural areas. Pediatr Neurol 2014; 51:814-9. [PMID: 25456302 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Revised: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The head circumference growth reference charts for children in China are presently based on urban children. However, the references may not apply to rural children because of the differences between urban and rural areas, such as economy, culture, and dietary habits. Our objective was to provide a reliable continuous set of head circumference growth reference charts for male and female children less than 7 years of age in Chinese rural areas. METHODS Children in our study were identified by multistage stratified cluster sampling from rural areas of 10 provinces in China. Questionnaire survey and anthropometric measurements were conducted in data collection. Head circumference was measured with a nonelastic tape on a line passing over the glabella and posterior occipital protrusion in children. We compared the fiftieth percentile of our cross-sectional data with the data of Chinese cities, World Health Organization, and the United States. RESULTS A total of 95,904 children (48,722 boys and 47,182 girls) were included in the study. We present age- and sex-appropriate head circumference growth charts younger than 7 years for Chinese rural areas. The head circumference percentiles of the children in rural China are much smaller than the children in Chinese urban areas, World Health Organization, and the US percentiles after 2 years old. CONCLUSIONS Head circumference percentiles can be applied in growth monitoring, but current head circumference growth references promulgated in urban China may not be suitable for rural areas in China. Providing head circumference growth reference charts for rural Chinese children who are younger than 7 years old is very important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Xie
- Department of Woman and Child's Care and Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junxin Shi
- Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jianmin Wang
- Department of Woman and Child's Care and Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Neng Li
- Department of Woman and Child's Care and Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Senbei Yang
- Department of Woman and Child's Care and Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Woman and Child's Care and Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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50
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Lense MD, Dankner N, Pryweller JR, Thornton-Wells TA, Dykens EM. Neural correlates of amusia in williams syndrome. Brain Sci 2014; 4:594-612. [PMID: 25422929 PMCID: PMC4279144 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci4040594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital amusia is defined by marked deficits in pitch perception and production. Though historically examined only in otherwise typically developing (TD) populations, amusia has recently been documented in Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder with a unique auditory phenotype including auditory sensitivities and increased emotional responsiveness to music but variable musical skill. The current study used structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging to examine neural correlates of amusia in 17 individuals with WS (4 of whom met criteria for amusia). Consistent with findings from TD amusics, amusia in WS was associated with decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). The relationship between amusia and FA in the inferior component of the SLF was particularly robust, withstanding corrections for cognitive functioning, auditory sensitivities, or musical training. Though the number of individuals with amusia in the study is small, results add to evidence for the role of fronto-temporal disconnectivity in congenital amusia and suggest that novel populations with developmental differences can provide a window into understanding gene-brain-behavior relationships that underlie musical behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam D. Lense
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA; E-Mails: (N.D.); (T.A.T.-W.); (E.M.D.)
- Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Nathan Dankner
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA; E-Mails: (N.D.); (T.A.T.-W.); (E.M.D.)
- Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Pryweller
- Department of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; E-Mail:
| | - Tricia A. Thornton-Wells
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA; E-Mails: (N.D.); (T.A.T.-W.); (E.M.D.)
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Elisabeth M. Dykens
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA; E-Mails: (N.D.); (T.A.T.-W.); (E.M.D.)
- Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
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