QDECR: A Flexible, Extensible Vertex-Wise Analysis Framework in R

Sex-specific associations between maternal prenatal inflammation and offspring cortical morphology in youth: A harmonised study across four birth cohorts

Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy is implicated in offspring psychiatric disorders. However, it is unknown to what extent MIA affects neurodevelopment, particularly cerebrocortical anatomy, in the general population, and whether effects differ by sex. The current study used vertex-wise statistics to examine the association between maternal prenatal CRP, an archetypal systemic inflammatory marker, and offspring cortical thickness, surface area, and volume, in 2635 mother-child dyads (5.4-26.5 years) from three population-based cohorts, and one clinical cohort enriched for presence of inflammation markers. Maternal CRP within a normal physiological range (<10 mg/L) exhibited sex-specific quadratic associations with cortical morphological measures in 2 regions in males and 1 region in females at childhood. Elevated (>10 mg/L) CRP was associated with regional cortical morphology in females and in a pooled sample of sexes. Overall, MIA is associated with cortical development in a regional and sex-specific manner in studies spanning childhood to adulthood.

Brain maps of general cognitive function and spatial correlations with neurobiological cortical profiles

In this paper, we attempt to answer two questions: 1) which regions of the human brain, in terms of morphometry, are most strongly related to individual differences in domain-general cognitive functioning (g)? and 2) what are the underlying neurobiological properties of those regions? We meta-analyse vertex-wise g-cortical morphometry (volume, surface area, thickness, curvature and sulcal depth) associations using data from 3 cohorts: the UK Biobank (UKB), Generation Scotland (GenScot), and the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936), with the meta-analytic N = 38,379 (age range = 44 to 84 years old). These g-morphometry associations vary in magnitude and direction across the cortex (|β| range = -0.12 to 0.17 across morphometry measures) and show good cross-cohort agreement (mean spatial correlation r = 0.57, SD = 0.18). Then, to address (2), we bring together existing - and derive new - cortical maps of 33 neurobiological characteristics from multiple modalities (including neurotransmitter receptor densities, gene expression, functional connectivity, metabolism, and cytoarchitectural similarity). We discover that these 33 profiles spatially covary along four major dimensions of cortical organisation (accounting for 65.9% of the variance) and denote aspects of neurobiological scaffolding that underpin the spatial patterning of MRI-cognitive associations we observe (significant |r| range = 0.21 to 0.56). Alongside the cortical maps from these analyses, which we make openly accessible, we provide a compendium of cortex-wide and within-region spatial correlations among general and specific facets of brain cortical organisation and higher order cognitive functioning, which we hope will serve as a framework for analysing other aspects of behaviour-brain MRI associations.

Examining associations between brain morphology in late childhood and early alcohol or tobacco use initiation in adolescence: Findings from a large prospective cohort

A prominent challenge in understanding neural consequences of substance use involves disentangling predispositional risk factors from resulting consequences of substance use. Existing literature has identified pre-existing brain variations as vulnerability markers for substance use throughout adolescence. As early initiation of use is an important predictor for later substance use problems, we examined whether pre-existing brain variations are associated with early initiation of use. In the Generation R Study, a prospective population-based cohort, brain morphology (gray matter volume, cortical thickness and surface area) was assessed at ages 10 and 14 using neuroimaging. In the second wave, participants reported on alcohol and tobacco use initiation. From a base study population (N = 3019), we examined the longitudinal (N = 2218) and cross-sectional (N = 1817) association between brain morphology of frontolimbic regions of interest known to be associated with substance use risk, and very early (age < 13) alcohol/tobacco use initiation. Additionally, longitudinal and cross-sectional associations were examined with a brain surface-based approach. Models were adjusted for age at neuroimaging, sex and relevant sociodemographic factors. No associations were found between brain morphology (ages 10 and 14) and early alcohol/tobacco use initiation (<13 years). Sex-specific analyses suggested a cross-sectional association between smaller brain volume and early initiated tobacco use in girls. Our findings are important for interpreting studies examining neural consequences of substance use in the general population. Future longitudinal studies are needed to specify whether these findings can be extended to initiation and continuation of alcohol/tobacco use in later stages of adolescence.

Brain structure underlying the empathizing-systemizing difference in children with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

Behavioral research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a higher empathizing-systemizing difference (D score) than normal children. However, there is no research about the neuroanatomical mechanisms of the empathizing-systemizing difference in children with ASD.

METHODS

Participants comprised 41 children with ASD and 39 typically developing (TD) children aged 6‒12 years. Empathizing-systemizing difference was estimated using the D score from the Chinese version of Children's Empathy Quotient and Systemizing Quotient. We quantified brain morphometry, including global and regional brain volumes and surface-based cortical measures (cortical thickness, surface area, and gyrification) via structural magnetic resonance imaging.

RESULTS

We found that the D score was significantly negatively associated with amygdala gray matter volume [β =  -0.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.30,  -0.02; P value = 0.030] in children with ASD. There was a significantly negative association between D score and gyrification in the left lateral occipital cortex (LOC) in children with ASD (B =  -0.10; SE = 0.03; cluster-wise P value = 0.006) and a significantly positive association between D score and gyrification in the right fusiform in TD children (B = 0.10; SE = 0.03; cluster-wise P value = 0.022). Moderation analyses demonstrated significant interactions between D score and diagnosed group in amygdala gray matter volume (β = 0.19; 95% CI 0.04, 0.35; P value = 0.013) and left LOC gyrification (β = 0.11; 95% CI 0.05, 0.17; P value = 0.001) but not in right fusiform gyrification (β = 0.08; 95% CI -0.02, 0.17; P value = 0.105).

CONCLUSIONS

Neuroanatomical variation in amygdala volume and gyrification of LOC could be potential biomarkers for the empathizing-systemizing difference in children with ASD but not in TD children. Large-scale neuroimaging studies are necessary to test the replicability of our findings.

Physical symptoms and brain morphology: a population neuroimaging study in 12,286 pre-adolescents

Physical symptoms, also known as somatic symptoms, are those for which medical examinations do not reveal a sufficient underlying root cause (e.g., pain and fatigue). The extant literature of the neurobiological underpinnings of physical symptoms is largely inconsistent and primarily comprises of (clinical) case-control studies with small sample sizes. In this cross-sectional study, we studied the association between dimensionally measured physical symptoms and brain morphology in pre-adolescents from two population-based cohorts; the Generation R Study (n = 2649, 10.1 ± 0.6 years old) and ABCD Study (n = 9637, 9.9 ± 0.6 years old). Physical symptoms were evaluated using continuous scores from the somatic complaints syndrome scale from the parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was collected using 3-Tesla MRI systems. Linear regression models were fitted for global brain metrics (cortical and subcortical grey matter and total white matter volume) and surface-based vertex-wise measures (surface area and cortical thickness). Results were meta-analysed. Symptoms of anxiety/depression were studied as a contrasting comorbidity. In the meta-analyses across cohorts, we found negative associations between physical symptoms and surface area in the (i) left hemisphere; in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and pars triangularis and (ii) right hemisphere; in the pars triangularis, the pars orbitalis, insula, middle temporal gyrus and caudal anterior cingulate cortex. However, only a subset of regions (left lateral orbitofrontal cortex and right pars triangularis) were specifically associated with physical symptoms, while others were also related to symptoms of anxiety/depression. No significant associations were observed for cortical thickness. This study in preadolescents, the most representative and well-powered to date, showed that more physical symptoms are modestly related to less surface area of the prefrontal cortex mostly. While these effects are subtle, future prospective research is warranted to understand the longitudinal relationship of physical symptoms and brain changes over time. Particularly, to elucidate whether physical symptoms are a potential cause or consequence of distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories.

Dietary patterns, brain morphology and cognitive performance in children: Results from a prospective population-based study

Dietary patterns in childhood have been associated with child neurodevelopment and cognitive performance, while the underlying neurobiological pathway is unclear. We aimed to examine associations of dietary patterns in infancy and mid-childhood with pre-adolescent brain morphology, and whether diet-related differences in brain morphology mediate the relation with cognition. We included 1888 and 2326 children with dietary data at age one or eight years, respectively, and structural neuroimaging at age 10 years in the Generation R Study. Measures of brain morphology were obtained using magnetic resonance imaging. Dietary intake was assessed using food-frequency questionnaires, from which we derived diet quality scores based on dietary guidelines and dietary patterns using principal component analyses. Full scale IQ was estimated using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition at age 13 years. Children with higher adherence to a dietary pattern labeled as 'Snack, processed foods and sugar' at age one year had smaller cerebral white matter volume at age 10 (B = -4.3, 95%CI -6.9, -1.7). At age eight years, higher adherence to a 'Whole grains, soft fats and dairy' pattern was associated with a larger total brain (B = 8.9, 95%CI 4.5, 13.3), and larger cerebral gray matter volumes at age 10 (B = 5.2, 95%CI 2.9, 7.5). Children with higher diet quality and better adherence to a 'Whole grains, soft fats and dairy' dietary pattern at age eight showed greater brain gyrification and larger surface area, clustered primarily in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These observed differences in brain morphology mediated associations between dietary patterns and IQ. In conclusion, dietary patterns in early- and mid-childhood are associated with differences in brain morphology which may explain the relation between dietary patterns and neurodevelopment in children.

10-Year trajectories of depressive symptoms and subsequent brain health in middle-aged adults

Depressive symptoms differ in severity and stability over time. Trajectories depicting these changes, particularly those with high late-life depressive symptoms, have been associated with poor brain health at old age. To better understand these associations across the lifespan, we examined depressive symptoms trajectories in relation to brain health in middle age. We included 1676 participants from the ORACLE Study, all were expecting a child at baseline (mean age 32.8, 66.6% women). Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, 3 years and 10 years after baseline. Brain health (global brain volume, subcortical structures volume, white matter lesions, cerebral microbleeds, cortical thickness, cortical surface area) was assessed 15 years after baseline. Using k-means clustering, four depressive symptoms trajectories were identified: low, low increasing, decreasing, and high increasing symptoms. The high increasing trajectory was associated with smaller brain volume compared to low symptoms, not surviving multiple testing correction. The low increasing trajectory was associated with more cortical thickness in a small region encompassing the right lateral occipital cortex compared to low symptoms. These findings show that longitudinal depressive symptoms trajectories are only minimally associated with brain health in middle age, suggesting that associations may only emerge later in life.

Differences in cortical morphology and child internalizing or externalizing problems: Accounting for the co-occurrence

Background

Childhood internalizing and externalizing problems frequently co-occur. Many studies report neural correlates of either internalizing or externalizing problems, but few account for their co-occurrence. We aimed to assess specific cortical substrates of these psychiatric problems.

Methods

We used data from 9635 children aged 9-11 years in the baseline Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Internalizing and externalizing problem composite scales scores were derived from the Child Behavior Checklist. We standardized FreeSurfer-derived volumes of 68 cortical regions. We examined internalizing and externalizing problems separately and jointly (covariate-adjustment) in relation to cortical volumes, with and without adjusting for total brain volume (TBV) in multivariate linear regressions adjusted for demographics and multiple comparisons. We fit bifactor models to confirm the consistency of patterns exploring specific internalizing and specific externalizing problems. Sensitivity analyses included a vertex-wide analysis and a replication in another large population-based study.

Results

In separate TBV-unadjusted analyses, externalizing and internalizing problems were associated with smaller cortical volumes. If adjusted for externalizing behavior, however, larger cortical volumes were associated with internalizing problems, while smaller cortical volumes remained associated with externalizing problems after adjustment for internalizing problems. The bifactor model produced similar results, which were consistently replicated in another pre-adolescent neuroimaging sample. These associations likely represent global effects: adjusting for TBV rendered most associations non-significant. Vertex-wise analyses confirmed global patterns.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that internalizing and externalizing problems have globally opposing, and non-specific associations with cortical morphology in childhood, which are only apparent if analyses account for their co-occurrence.

Poverty, Cortical Structure, and Psychopathologic Characteristics in Adolescence

IMPORTANCE

Childhood poverty has been associated with increased internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence, a period of peak onset for psychiatric problems. The underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear because longitudinal studies of poverty, brain structure, and changes in psychiatric symptoms are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether structural differences in cortical regions mediate the association between household poverty and change in psychiatric symptoms in early adolescence.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This longitudinal cohort study used baseline and 1-year follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Children aged 9 to 10 years in the US were enrolled between September 1, 2016, and October 15, 2018. Data analysis was performed from August 13, 2021, to September 30, 2022.

EXPOSURES

Household poverty as measured by income-to-needs ratio, which incorporates family income and adjusts for family size as a percentage of the federal poverty level.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Mediators were children's cortical surface area, thickness, and volume, obtained using magnetic resonance imaging. Internalizing and externalizing problems at 1-year follow-up were outcomes measured by maternal report using the Child Behavior Checklist. Analyses were adjusted for baseline psychiatric problems and sociodemographic variables, including sex, race and ethnicity, parental educational level, and study site.

RESULTS

Of the 7569 children (mean [SD] age, 9.91 [0.62] years; 3970 boys [52.5%]) included in the analysis, 1042 children (13.8%) lived below the poverty threshold between 2016 and 2018. Poverty was associated with increased externalizing symptoms score at 1-year follow-up (b = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14-1.99), even after adjustment for baseline externalizing symptoms (b = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.06-0.64). The longitudinal associations of poverty with increases in externalizing problems over time were mediated by reductions in surface area in multiple cortical regions that support executive functioning (middle frontal gyrus), decision-making (lateral orbitofrontal cortex), visual processing (fusiform gyrus), auditory processing (transverse temporal gyrus), and emotion and language processing (superior temporal gyrus).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings of this study suggest that childhood poverty is associated with increases in externalizing problems, but not internalizing problems, over time in early adolescence. This association is mediated by reductions in cortical surface area across numerous brain regions. These findings highlight potential neurobiological mechanisms underlying the link between poverty and the emergence of externalizing problems during early adolescence.

Association of Maternal Tobacco Use During Pregnancy With Preadolescent Brain Morphology Among Offspring

IMPORTANCE

Maternal tobacco use during pregnancy has been associated with various health consequences, including suboptimal neurodevelopment in offspring. However, the effect of prenatal exposure to maternal smoking on child brain development has yet to be elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring brain development in preadolescence as well as the mediating pathways.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This prospective, population-based cohort study was embedded in the Generation R Study, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Generation R Study was launched in 2002, with follow-up ongoing. Child brain morphology was assessed at 9 to 11 years of age (ie, 10-12 years between exposure and outcome assessment). Data analysis was performed from March 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022, and at the time of manuscript revision. Participants included the singleton children of pregnant women residing in the study area with an expected date of delivery between April 1, 2002, and January 31, 2006; 2704 children with information on maternal smoking during pregnancy and structural neuroimaging at 9 to 11 years of age were included. A subsample of 784 children with data on DNA methylation at birth was examined in the mediation analysis.

EXPOSURES

Information on maternal smoking during pregnancy was collected via a questionnaire in each trimester. As a contrast, paternal smoking was assessed at recruitment.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Brain morphology, including brain volumes and surface-based cortical measures (thickness, surface area, and gyrification), was assessed with magnetic resonance imaging. For mediation analysis, DNA methylation at birth was quantified by a weighted methylation risk score.

RESULTS

The 2704 participating children (1370 [50.7%] girls and 1334 [49.3%] boys) underwent brain imaging assessment at a mean (SD) age of 10.1 (0.6) years. Compared with nonexposed children (n = 2102), exposure to continued maternal smoking during pregnancy (n = 364) was associated with smaller total brain volume (volumetric difference [b] = -14.5 [95% CI, -25.1 to -4.0] cm3), cerebral gray matter volume (b = -7.8 [95% CI, -13.4 to -2.3] cm3), cerebral white matter volume (b = -5.9 [95% CI, -10.7 to -1.0] cm3), and surface area and less gyrification. These associations were not explained by paternal smoking nor mediated by smoking-associated DNA methylation patterns at birth. Children exposed to maternal smoking only in the first trimester (n = 238) showed no differences in brain morphology compared with nonexposed children.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings of this cohort study suggest that continued maternal tobacco use during pregnancy was associated with lower brain volumes and suboptimal cortical traits of offspring in preadolescence, which seemed to be independent of shared family factors. Tobacco cessation before pregnancy, or as soon as pregnancy is known, should be recommended to women for optimal brain development of their offspring.

The longitudinal bidirectional relationship between autistic traits and brain morphology from childhood to adolescence: a population-based cohort study

Objective

Autistic traits are associated with alterations in brain morphology. However, the anatomic location of these differences and their developmental trajectories are unclear. The primary objective of this longitudinal study was to explore the bidirectional relationship between autistic traits and brain morphology from childhood to adolescence.

Method

Participants were drawn from a population-based cohort. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses included 1950 (mean age 13.5) and 304 participants (mean ages 6.2 and 13.5), respectively. Autistic traits were measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale. Global brain measures and surface-based measures of gyrification, cortical thickness and surface area were obtained from T₁-weighted MRI scans. Cross-sectional associations were assessed using linear regression analyses. Cross-lagged panel models were used to determine the longitudinal bidirectional relationship between autistic traits and brain morphology.

Results

Cross-sectionally, higher levels of autistic traits in adolescents are associated with lower gyrification in the pars opercularis, insula and superior temporal cortex; smaller surface area in the middle temporal and postcentral cortex; larger cortical thickness in the superior frontal cortex; and smaller cerebellum cortex volume. Longitudinally, both autistic traits and brain measures were quite stable, with neither brain measures predicting changes in autistic traits, nor vice-versa.

Limitations

Autistic traits were assessed at only two time points, and thus we could not distinguish within- versus between-person effects. Furthermore, two different MRI scanners were used between baseline and follow-up for imaging data acquisition.

Conclusions

Our findings point to early changes in brain morphology in children with autistic symptoms that remain quite stable over time. The observed relationship did not change substantially after excluding children with high levels of autistic traits, bolstering the evidence for the extension of the neurobiology of autistic traits to the general population.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00504-7.