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Steinbauer P, Lisy T, Monje FJ, Chwala E, Wildner B, Schned H, Deindl P, Berger A, Giordano V, Olischar M. Impact of neonatal pain and opiate administration in animal models: A meta-analysis concerning pain threshold. Early Hum Dev 2024; 193:106014. [PMID: 38701669 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2024.106014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Neonatal intensive care treatment, including frequently performed painful procedures and administration of analgesic drugs, can have different effects on the neurodevelopment. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the influence of pain, opiate administration, and pre-emptive opiate administration on pain threshold in animal studies in rodents, which had a brain development corresponding to preterm and term infants. METHODS A systematic literature search of electronic data bases including CENTRAL (OVID), CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase.com, Medline (OVID), Web of Science, and PsycInfo (OVID) was conducted. A total of 42 studies examining the effect of pain (n = 38), opiate administration (n = 9), and opiate administration prior to a painful event (n = 5) in rodents were included in this analysis. RESULTS The results revealed that pain (g = 0.42, 95%CI 0.16-0.67, p = 0.001) increased pain threshold leading to hypoalgesia. Pre-emptive opiate administration had the opposite effect, lowering pain threshold, when compared to pain without prior treatment (g = -1.79, 95%CI -2.71-0.86, p = 0.0001). Differences were found in the meta regression for type of stimulus (thermal: g = 0.66, 95%CI 0.26-1.07, p = 0.001; vs. mechanical: g = 0.13, 95%CI -0.98-1.25, p = 0.81) and gestational age (b = -1.85, SE = 0.82, p = 0.027). In addition, meta regression indicated an association between higher pain thresholds and the amount of cumulative pain events (b = 0.06, SE = 0.03, p = 0.05) as well as severity of pain events (b = 0.94, SE = 0.28, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION Neonatal exposure to pain results in higher pain thresholds. However, caution is warranted in extrapolating these findings directly to premature infants. Further research is warranted to validate similar effects in clinical contexts and inform evidence-based practices in neonatal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Steinbauer
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Tamara Lisy
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Francisco J Monje
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Chwala
- Information Retrieval Office, University Library of the Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte Wildner
- Information Retrieval Office, University Library of the Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah Schned
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Deindl
- Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine, University Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Angelika Berger
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vito Giordano
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Olischar
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Miglioli C, Canini M, Vignotto E, Pecco N, Pozzoni M, Victoria-Feser MP, Guerrier S, Candiani M, Falini A, Baldoli C, Cavoretto PI, Della Rosa PA. The maternal-fetal neurodevelopmental groundings of preterm birth risk. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28825. [PMID: 38596101 PMCID: PMC11002256 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Altered neurodevelopment is a major clinical sequela of Preterm Birth (PTB) being currently unexplored in-utero. Aims To study the link between fetal brain functional (FbF) connectivity and preterm birth, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Study design Prospective single-centre cohort study. Subjects A sample of 31 singleton pregnancies at 28-34 weeks assigned to a low PTB risk (LR) (n = 19) or high PTB risk (HR) (n = 12) group based on a) the Maternal Frailty Inventory (MaFra) for PTB risk; b) a case-specific PTB risk gradient. Methods Fetal brain rs-fMRI was performed on 1.5T MRI scanner. First, directed causal relations representing fetal brain functional connectivity measurements were estimated using the Greedy Equivalence Search (GES) algorithm. HR vs. LR group differences were then tested with a novel ad-hoc developed Monte Carlo permutation test. Second, a MaFra-only random forest (RF) was compared against a MaFra-Neuro RF, trained by including also the most important fetal brain functional connections. Third, correlation and regression analyses were performed between MaFra-Neuro class probabilities and i) the GA at birth; ii) PTB risk gradient, iii) perinatal clinical conditions and iv) PTB below 37 weeks. Results First, fewer fetal brain functional connections were evident in the HR group. Second, the MaFra-Neuro RF improved PTB risk prediction. Third, MaFra-Neuro class probabilities showed a significant association with: i) GA at birth; ii) PTB risk gradient, iii) perinatal clinical conditions and iv) PTB below 37 weeks. Conclusion Fetal brain functional connectivity is a novel promising predictor of PTB, linked to maternal risk profiles, ahead of birth, and clinical markers of neurodevelopmental risk, at birth, thus potentially "connecting" different PTB phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesare Miglioli
- Research Center for Statistics, University of Geneva, Boulevard Du Pont-d’Arve 40, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Canini
- Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Edoardo Vignotto
- Research Center for Statistics, University of Geneva, Boulevard Du Pont-d’Arve 40, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolò Pecco
- Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Mirko Pozzoni
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60 Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Maria-Pia Victoria-Feser
- Research Center for Statistics, University of Geneva, Boulevard Du Pont-d’Arve 40, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Guerrier
- Research Center for Statistics, University of Geneva, Boulevard Du Pont-d’Arve 40, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Massimo Candiani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60 Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Andrea Falini
- Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Cristina Baldoli
- Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Paolo I. Cavoretto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60 Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Pasquale A. Della Rosa
- Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy
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Tarui T, Gimovsky AC, Madan N. Fetal neuroimaging applications for diagnosis and counseling of brain anomalies: Current practice and future diagnostic strategies. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2024:101525. [PMID: 38632010 DOI: 10.1016/j.siny.2024.101525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Advances in fetal brain neuroimaging, especially fetal neurosonography and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allow safe and accurate anatomical assessments of fetal brain structures that serve as a foundation for prenatal diagnosis and counseling regarding fetal brain anomalies. Fetal neurosonography strategically assesses fetal brain anomalies suspected by screening ultrasound. Fetal brain MRI has unique technological features that overcome the anatomical limits of smaller fetal brain size and the unpredictable variable of intrauterine motion artifact. Recent studies of fetal brain MRI provide evidence of improved diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, beginning with prenatal diagnosis. Despite technological advances over the last several decades, the combined use of different qualitative structural biomarkers has limitations in providing an accurate prognosis. Quantitative analyses of fetal brain MRIs offer measurable imaging biomarkers that will more accurately associate with clinical outcomes. First-trimester ultrasound opens new opportunities for risk assessment and fetal brain anomaly diagnosis at the earliest time in pregnancy. This review includes a case vignette to illustrate how fetal brain MRI results interpreted by the fetal neurologist can improve diagnostic perspectives. The strength and limitations of conventional ultrasound and fetal brain MRI will be compared with recent research advances in quantitative methods to better correlate fetal neuroimaging biomarkers of neuropathology to predict functional childhood deficits. Discussion of these fetal sonogram and brain MRI advances will highlight the need for further interdisciplinary collaboration using complementary skills to continue improving clinical decision-making following precision medicine principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomo Tarui
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatrics, Hasbro Children's Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Alexis C Gimovsky
- Maternal Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Neel Madan
- Neuroradiology, Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Verma R, Jayakumar J, Folkerth R, Manger PR, Bota M, Majumder M, Pandurangan K, Savoia S, Karthik S, Kumarasami R, Joseph J, Rohini G, Vasudevan S, Srinivasan C, Lata S, Kumar EH, Rangasami R, Kumutha J, Suresh S, Šimić G, Mitra PP, Sivaprakasam M. Histological characterization and development of mesial surface sulci in the human brain at 13-15 gestational weeks through high-resolution histology. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25612. [PMID: 38591638 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Cellular-level anatomical data from early fetal brain are sparse yet critical to the understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. We characterize the organization of the human cerebral cortex between 13 and 15 gestational weeks using high-resolution whole-brain histological data sets complimented with multimodal imaging. We observed the heretofore underrecognized, reproducible presence of infolds on the mesial surface of the cerebral hemispheres. Of note at this stage, when most of the cerebrum is occupied by lateral ventricles and the corpus callosum is incompletely developed, we postulate that these mesial infolds represent the primordial stage of cingulate, callosal, and calcarine sulci, features of mesial cortical development. Our observations are based on the multimodal approach and further include histological three-dimensional reconstruction that highlights the importance of the plane of sectioning. We describe the laminar organization of the developing cortical mantle, including these infolds from the marginal to ventricular zone, with Nissl, hematoxylin and eosin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry. Despite the absence of major sulci on the dorsal surface, the boundaries among the orbital, frontal, parietal, and occipital cortex were very well demarcated, primarily by the cytoarchitecture differences in the organization of the subplate (SP) and intermediate zone (IZ) in these locations. The parietal region has the thickest cortical plate (CP), SP, and IZ, whereas the orbital region shows the thinnest CP and reveals an extra cell-sparse layer above the bilaminar SP. The subcortical structures show intensely GFAP-immunolabeled soma, absent in the cerebral mantle. Our findings establish a normative neurodevelopment baseline at the early stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Verma
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jaikishan Jayakumar
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Center for Computational Brain Research, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Rebecca Folkerth
- Department of Forensic Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mihail Bota
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Moitrayee Majumder
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Karthika Pandurangan
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Srinivasa Karthik
- Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ramdayalan Kumarasami
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jayaraj Joseph
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - G Rohini
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sudha Vasudevan
- Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Chitra Srinivasan
- Department of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S Lata
- Mediscan Systems, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Rajeswaran Rangasami
- Department of Radiology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jayaraman Kumutha
- Department of Neonatology, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S Suresh
- Mediscan Systems, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Hrvatska, Croatia
| | - Partha P Mitra
- Center for Computational Brain Research, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam
- Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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5
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Ren J, Cai L, Jia G, Niu H. Cortical specialization associated with native speech category acquisition in early infancy. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae124. [PMID: 38566511 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates neural processes in infant speech processing, with a focus on left frontal brain regions and hemispheric lateralization in Mandarin-speaking infants' acquisition of native tonal categories. We tested 2- to 6-month-old Mandarin learners to explore age-related improvements in tone discrimination, the role of inferior frontal regions in abstract speech category representation, and left hemisphere lateralization during tone processing. Using a block design, we presented four Mandarin tones via [ta] and measured oxygenated hemoglobin concentration with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results showed age-related improvements in tone discrimination, greater involvement of frontal regions in older infants indicating abstract tonal representation development and increased bilateral activation mirroring native adult Mandarin speakers. These findings contribute to our broader understanding of the relationship between native speech acquisition and infant brain development during the critical period of early language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ren
- Longy School of Music of Bard College, 27 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Lin Cai
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Gaoding Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Haijing Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
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Kvanta H, Bolk J, Broström L, Nosko D, Fernández de Gamarra-Oca L, Padilla N, Ådén U. Language performance and brain volumes, asymmetry, and cortical thickness in children born extremely preterm. Pediatr Res 2024; 95:1070-1079. [PMID: 37923870 PMCID: PMC10920199 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02871-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children born preterm are more prone to have language difficulties. Few studies focus on children born extremely preterm (EPT) and the structural differences in language-related regions between these children and children born at term. METHODS Our study used T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to calculate the brain volumetry, brain asymmetry, and cortical thickness of language-related regions in 50 children born EPT and 37 term-born controls at 10 years of age. The language abilities of 41 of the children born EPT and 29 term-born controls were then assessed at 12 years of age, using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition and the Clinical Evaluations of Language Fundamentals, Fourth Edition. The differences between MRI parameters and their associations with language outcomes were compared in the two groups. RESULTS Brain volume and cortical thickness of language-related regions were reduced in children born EPT, but volumetric asymmetry was not different between children born EPT and at term. In children born EPT the brain volume was related to language outcomes, prior to adjustments for full-scale IQ. CONCLUSIONS These findings expand our understanding of the structural correlates underlying impaired language performance in children born with EPT. IMPACT The article expands understanding of the structure-function relationship between magnetic resonance imaging measurements of language-related regions and language outcomes for children born extremely preterm beyond infancy. Most literature to date has focused on very preterm children, but the focus in this paper is on extreme prematurity and language outcomes. While the brain volume and cortical thickness of language-related regions were reduced in children born EPT only the volume, prior to adjustment for full-scale IQ, was associated with language outcomes. We found no differences in volumetric asymmetry between children born EPT and at term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedvig Kvanta
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jenny Bolk
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lina Broström
- Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniela Nosko
- Department of Paediatrics, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | - Nelly Padilla
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Ådén
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Ji H, Payette K, Speckert A, Tuura R, Grehten P, Kottke R, Ochseinbein-Kölble N, Hagmann C, Mazzone L, Meuli M, Padden B, Hackenberg A, Wille DA, Moehrlen U, Latal B, SPINA BIFIDA STUDY GROUP ZURICH, Jakab A. Thalamic connectivity topography in newborns with spina bifida: association with neurological functional level but not developmental outcome at 2 years. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad438. [PMID: 37991274 PMCID: PMC10793566 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Spina bifida affects spinal cord and cerebral development, leading to motor and cognitive delay. We investigated whether there are associations between thalamocortical connectivity topography, neurological function, and developmental outcomes in open spina bifida. Diffusion tensor MRI was used to assess thalamocortical connectivity in 44 newborns with open spina bifida who underwent prenatal surgical repair. We quantified the volume of clusters formed based on the strongest probabilistic connectivity to the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley III Scales, while the functional level of the lesion was assessed by neurological examination at 2 years of age. Higher functional level was associated with smaller thalamo-parietal, while lower functional level was associated with smaller thalamo-temporal connectivity clusters (Bonferroni-corrected P < 0.05). Lower functional levels were associated with weaker thalamic temporal connectivity, particularly in the ventrolateral and ventral anterior nuclei. No associations were found between thalamocortical connectivity and developmental outcomes. Our findings suggest that altered thalamocortical circuitry development in open spina bifida may contribute to impaired lower extremity function, impacting motor function and independent ambulation. We hypothesize that the neurologic function might not merely be caused by the spinal cord lesion, but further impacted by the disruption of cerebral neuronal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ji
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Kelly Payette
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Anna Speckert
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Ruth Tuura
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Patrice Grehten
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Raimund Kottke
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Ochseinbein-Kölble
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Hagmann
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Luca Mazzone
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Martin Meuli
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Beth Padden
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Annette Hackenberg
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - David-Alexander Wille
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden 5404, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Moehrlen
- Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Spina Bifida, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Latal
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | | | - Andras Jakab
- Center for MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
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Zandvoort CS, van der Vaart M, Robinson S, Usman F, Schmidt Mellado G, Evans Fry R, Worley A, Adams E, Slater R, Baxter L, de Vos M, Hartley C. Sensory event-related potential morphology predicts age in premature infants. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 157:61-72. [PMID: 38064929 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated whether sensory-evoked cortical potentials could be used to estimate the age of an infant. Such a model could be used to identify infants who deviate from normal neurodevelopment. METHODS Infants aged between 28- and 40-weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) (166 recording sessions in 96 infants) received trains of visual and tactile stimuli. Neurodynamic response functions for each stimulus were derived using principal component analysis and a machine learning model trained and validated to predict infant age. RESULTS PMA could be predicted accurately from the magnitude of the evoked responses (training set mean absolute error and 95% confidence intervals: 1.41 [1.14; 1.74] weeks,p = 0.0001; test set mean absolute error: 1.55 [1.21; 1.95] weeks,p = 0.0002). Moreover, we show that their predicted age (their brain age) is correlated with a measure known to relate to maturity of the nervous system and is linked to long-term neurodevelopment. CONCLUSIONS Sensory-evoked potentials are predictive of age in premature infants and brain age deviations are related to biologically and clinically meaningful individual differences in nervous system maturation. SIGNIFICANCE This model could be used to detect abnormal development of infants' response to sensory stimuli in their environment and may be predictive of neurodevelopmental outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coen S Zandvoort
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Shellie Robinson
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Fatima Usman
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ria Evans Fry
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Worley
- Newborn Care Unit, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eleri Adams
- Newborn Care Unit, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rebeccah Slater
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Baxter
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Maarten de Vos
- Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), STADIUS Center for Dynamical Systems, Signal Processing and Data Analytics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Development and Regeneration, University Hospitals Leuven, Child Neurology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Caroline Hartley
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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9
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Zhou L, Liu X, Yan X, Liu Y, Xie Y, Sun C. Long-term effects of prenatal magnesium sulfate exposure on nervous system development in preterm-born children. Food Sci Nutr 2023; 11:7061-7069. [PMID: 37970388 PMCID: PMC10630835 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This study used structural magnetic resonance imaging to analyze changes in the gray matter volume (GMV) of preterm-born (PTB) and term-born (TB) children to help elucidate the influence of magnesium sulfate treatment on the nervous system development. A total of 51 subjects were recruited, including 28 PTB and 23 TB children. The intelligence scale and MRI scan were completed at the corrected age of 10 to 16 years. A whole-brain voxel-wise analysis tested the main effect of the status (PTB without magnesium, PTB with magnesium, and TB) using a factorial design in SPM8. The mean volumes of the regions that showed significant group effects on the GMV after the FDR correction were extracted in the common space for each subject. Verbal and full-scale intelligence quotient scores were significantly lower for PTB children without magnesium than for TB children; however, the scores of PTB children with magnesium and TB children were almost identical. Compared with TB children, PTB children had significantly reduced left straight gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus GMVs; however, the volumes of PTB children with magnesium were closer to those of TB children. Changes in the GMV of the left inferior frontal gyrus were significantly correlated with full-scale and verbal intelligence quotient scores, whereas the lower gestational age at the time of mgsou4 treatment led to a larger GMV of the left inferior frontal gyrus. Brain structural abnormalities could exist in PTB children. The GMVs of the left straight gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus were significantly reduced in these children. The influence of magnesium sulfate treatment was not significant, but the cognitive levels of these children were significantly increased and almost identical to those of TB children. Initiation of magnesium sulfate treatment during gestation is negatively correlated with the left inferior frontal gyrus GMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Zhou
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, West China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xinghui Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, West China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiaoli Yan
- Obstetrics and Gynecology DepartmentThe Southwest Hospital of the Army Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yingwei Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology DepartmentThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yao Xie
- Obstetrics and Gynecology DepartmentSichuan Academy of Medical Sciences – Sichuan Provincial People's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Chuntang Sun
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, West China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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10
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Ahmad E, Brumfield O, Masse O, Velasco-Annis C, Zhang J, Rollins CK, Connolly S, Barnewolt C, Shamshirsaz AA, Qaderi S, Javinani A, Warfield SK, Yang E, Gholipour A, Feldman HA, Estroff J, Grant PE, Vasung L. Atypical fetal brain development in fetuses with non-syndromic isolated musculoskeletal birth defects (niMSBDs). Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10793-10801. [PMID: 37697904 PMCID: PMC10629896 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-syndromic, isolated musculoskeletal birth defects (niMSBDs) are among the leading causes of pediatric hospitalization. However, little is known about brain development in niMSBDs. Our study aimed to characterize prenatal brain development in fetuses with niMSBDs and identify altered brain regions compared to controls. We retrospectively analyzed in vivo structural T2-weighted MRIs of 99 fetuses (48 controls and 51 niMSBDs cases). For each group (19-31 and >31 gestational weeks (GW)), we conducted repeated-measures regression analysis with relative regional volume (% brain hemisphere) as a dependent variable (adjusted for age, side, and interactions). Between 19 and 31GW, fetuses with niMSBDs had a significantly (P < 0.001) smaller relative volume of the intermediate zone (-22.9 ± 3.2%) and cerebellum (-16.1 ± 3.5%,) and a larger relative volume of proliferative zones (38.3 ± 7.2%), the ganglionic eminence (34.8 ± 7.3%), and the ventricles (35.8 ± 8.0%). Between 32 and 37 GW, compared to the controls, niMSBDs showed significantly smaller volumes of central regions (-9.1 ± 2.1%) and larger volumes of the cortical plate. Our results suggest there is altered brain development in fetuses with niMSBDs compared to controls (13.1 ± 4.2%). Further basic and translational neuroscience research is needed to better visualize these differences and to characterize the altered development in fetuses with specific niMSBDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esha Ahmad
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Olivia Brumfield
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Olivia Masse
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Clemente Velasco-Annis
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Jennings Zhang
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Caitlin K Rollins
- Department of Neurology Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Susan Connolly
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Maternal Fetal Care Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Carol Barnewolt
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Maternal Fetal Care Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Alireza A Shamshirsaz
- Maternal Fetal Care Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Shohra Qaderi
- Maternal Fetal Care Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Ali Javinani
- Maternal Fetal Care Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Simon K Warfield
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Edward Yang
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Ali Gholipour
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Henry A Feldman
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Judy Estroff
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Maternal Fetal Care Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Patricia E Grant
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Lana Vasung
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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11
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van 't Westende C, Twilhaar ES, Stam CJ, de Kieviet JF, van Elburg RM, Oosterlaan J, van de Pol LA. The influence of very preterm birth on adolescent EEG connectivity, network organization and long-term outcome. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 154:49-59. [PMID: 37549613 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore differences in functional connectivity and network organization between very preterm born adolescents and term born controls and to investigate if these differences might explain the relation between preterm birth and adverse long-term outcome. METHODS Forty-seven very preterm born adolescents (53% males) and 54 controls (54% males) with matching age, sex and parental educational levels underwent high-density electroencephalography (EEG) at 13 years of age. Long-term outcome was assessed by Intelligence Quotient (IQ), motor, attentional functioning and academic performance. Two minutes of EEG data were analysed within delta, theta, lower alpha, upper alpha and beta frequency bands. Within each frequency band, connectivity was assessed using the Phase Lag Index (PLI) and Amplitude Envelope Correlation, corrected for volume conduction (AEC-c). Brain networks were constructed using the minimum spanning tree method. RESULTS Very preterm born adolescents had stronger beta PLI connectivity and less differentiated network organization. Beta AEC-c and differentiation of AEC-c based networks were negatively associated with long-term outcomes. EEG measures did not mediate the relation between preterm birth and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that very preterm born adolescents may have altered functional connectivity and brain network organization in the beta frequency band. Alterations in measures of functional connectivity and network topologies, especially its differentiating characteristics, were associated with neurodevelopmental functioning. SIGNIFICANCE The findings indicate that EEG connectivity and network analysis is a promising tool for investigating underlying mechanisms of impaired functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- C van 't Westende
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Child Neurology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - E S Twilhaar
- Université de Paris, CRESS, Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, EPOPé, INSERM, INRAE, F-75004 Paris, France
| | - C J Stam
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J F de Kieviet
- Amsterdam Rehabilitation Research Center, Reade, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R M van Elburg
- Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Pediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital Amsterdam UMC Follow-Me Program & Emma Neuroscience Group, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, Department of Amsterdam Gastroenterology & Metabolism, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J Oosterlaan
- Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Pediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital Amsterdam UMC Follow-Me Program & Emma Neuroscience Group, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Rehabilitation Research Center, Reade, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - L A van de Pol
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Child Neurology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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12
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Salamon I, Park Y, Miškić T, Kopić J, Matteson P, Page NF, Roque A, McAuliffe GW, Favate J, Garcia-Forn M, Shah P, Judaš M, Millonig JH, Kostović I, De Rubeis S, Hart RP, Krsnik Ž, Rasin MR. Celf4 controls mRNA translation underlying synaptic development in the prenatal mammalian neocortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6025. [PMID: 37758766 PMCID: PMC10533865 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41730-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities in neocortical and synaptic development are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing initial synapse formation in the prenatal neocortex remain poorly understood. Using polysome profiling coupled with snRNAseq on human cortical samples at various fetal phases, we identify human mRNAs, including those encoding synaptic proteins, with finely controlled translation in distinct cell populations of developing frontal neocortices. Examination of murine and human neocortex reveals that the RNA binding protein and translational regulator, CELF4, is expressed in compartments enriched in initial synaptogenesis: the marginal zone and the subplate. We also find that Celf4/CELF4-target mRNAs are encoded by risk genes for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes translating into synaptic proteins. Surprisingly, deleting Celf4 in the forebrain disrupts the balance of subplate synapses in a sex-specific fashion. This highlights the significance of RNA binding proteins and mRNA translation in evolutionarily advanced synaptic development, potentially contributing to sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Salamon
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
- Rutgers University, School of Graduate Studies, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Yongkyu Park
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Terezija Miškić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Center of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Janja Kopić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Center of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Paul Matteson
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Nicholas F Page
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Alfonso Roque
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Geoffrey W McAuliffe
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - John Favate
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Marta Garcia-Forn
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- The Alper Center for Neural Development and Regeneration, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Premal Shah
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Miloš Judaš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Center of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - James H Millonig
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Center of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- The Alper Center for Neural Development and Regeneration, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ronald P Hart
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Center of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia.
| | - Mladen-Roko Rasin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
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13
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Pichler K, Kuehne B, Dekker J, Stummer S, Giordano V, Berger A, Kribs A, Klebermass-Schrehof K. Assessment of Comfort during Less Invasive Surfactant Administration in Very Preterm Infants: A Multicenter Study. Neonatology 2023; 120:473-481. [PMID: 37311430 PMCID: PMC10614453 DOI: 10.1159/000530333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study was set up to investigate if and to what extent non-pharmacological analgesia is able to provide comfort to very preterm infants (VPI) during less invasive surfactant administration (LISA). METHODS This was a prospective non-randomized multicenter observational study performed in level IV NICUs. Inborn VPI with a gestational age between 220/7 and 316/7 weeks, signs of respiratory distress syndrome, and the need for surfactant replacement were included. Non-pharmacological analgesia was performed in all infants during LISA. In case of failure of the first LISA attempt, additional analgosedation could be administered. COMFORTneo scores during LISA were assessed. RESULTS 113 VPI with a mean gestational age of 27 weeks (+/- 2.3 weeks) and mean birth weight of 946 g (+/- 33 g) were included. LISA was successful at the first laryngoscopy attempt in 81%. COMFORTneo scores were highest during laryngoscopy. At this time point, non-pharmacological analgesia provided adequate comfort in 61% of the infants. 74.4% of lower gestational aged infants (i.e., 220-266 weeks) were within the comfort zone during laryngoscopy compared to 51.6% of higher gestational aged infants (i.e., 270-320 weeks) (p = 0.016). The time point of surfactant administration did not influence the COMFORTneo scores during the LISA procedure. CONCLUSION Non-pharmacological analgesia provided comfort in as much as 61% of the included VPI during LISA. Further research is needed to both develop strategies to identify infants who, despite receiving non-pharmacological analgesia, are at high risk for experiencing discomfort during LISA and define patient-tailored dosage and choice of analgosedative drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Pichler
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,
| | - Benjamin Kuehne
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Janneke Dekker
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie Stummer
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vito Giordano
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Berger
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angela Kribs
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Katrin Klebermass-Schrehof
- Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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14
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Sa de Almeida J, Baud O, Fau S, Barcos-Munoz F, Courvoisier S, Lordier L, Lazeyras F, Hüppi PS. Music impacts brain cortical microstructural maturation in very preterm infants: A longitudinal diffusion MR imaging study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101254. [PMID: 37182337 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth disrupts important neurodevelopmental processes occurring from mid-fetal to term-age. Musicotherapy, by enriching infants' sensory input, might enhance brain maturation during this critical period of activity-dependent plasticity. To study the impact of music on preterm infants' brain structural changes, we recruited 54 very preterm infants randomized to receive or not a daily music intervention, that have undergone a longitudinal multi-shell diffusion MRI acquisition, before the intervention (at 33 weeks' gestational age) and after it (at term-equivalent-age). Using whole-brain fixel-based (FBA) and NODDI analysis (n = 40), we showed a longitudinal increase of fiber cross-section (FC) and fiber density (FD) in all major cerebral white matter fibers. Regarding cortical grey matter, FD decreased while FC and orientation dispersion index (ODI) increased, reflecting intracortical multidirectional complexification and intracortical myelination. The music intervention resulted in a significantly higher longitudinal increase of FC and ODI in cortical paralimbic regions, namely the insulo-orbito-temporopolar complex, precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus, as well as the auditory association cortex. Our results support a longitudinal early brain macro and microstructural maturation of white and cortical grey matter in preterm infants. The music intervention led to an increased intracortical complexity in regions important for socio-emotional development, known to be impaired in preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Sa de Almeida
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Olivier Baud
- Division of Neonatal and Intensive Care, Department of Paediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sebastien Fau
- Division of Neonatal and Intensive Care, Department of Paediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francisca Barcos-Munoz
- Division of Neonatal and Intensive Care, Department of Paediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sebastien Courvoisier
- Center of BioMedical Imaging (CIBM), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lara Lordier
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - François Lazeyras
- Center of BioMedical Imaging (CIBM), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Petra S Hüppi
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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15
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Taymourtash A, Schwartz E, Nenning KH, Sobotka D, Licandro R, Glatter S, Diogo MC, Golland P, Grant E, Prayer D, Kasprian G, Langs G. Fetal development of functional thalamocortical and cortico-cortical connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5613-5624. [PMID: 36520481 PMCID: PMC10152101 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring and understanding functional fetal brain development in utero is critical for the study of the developmental foundations of our cognitive abilities, possible early detection of disorders, and their prevention. Thalamocortical connections are an intricate component of shaping the cortical layout, but so far, only ex-vivo studies provide evidence of how axons enter the sub-plate and cortex during this highly dynamic phase. Evidence for normal in-utero development of the functional thalamocortical connectome in humans is missing. Here, we modeled fetal functional thalamocortical connectome development using in-utero functional magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses observed from 19th to 40th weeks of gestation (GW). We observed a peak increase of thalamocortical functional connectivity strength between 29th and 31st GW, right before axons establish synapses in the cortex. The cortico-cortical connectivity increases in a similar time window, and exhibits significant functional laterality in temporal-superior, -medial, and -inferior areas. Homologous regions exhibit overall similar mirrored connectivity profiles, but this similarity decreases during gestation giving way to a more diverse cortical interconnectedness. Our results complement the understanding of structural development of the human connectome and may serve as the basis for the investigation of disease and deviations from a normal developmental trajectory of connectivity development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena Taymourtash
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Schwartz
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl-Heinz Nenning
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, 140, Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, United States
| | - Daniel Sobotka
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roxane Licandro
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging, A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Bldg. 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, United States
| | - Sarah Glatter
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mariana Cardoso Diogo
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Radiology Department, Hospital CUF Tejo, Av. 24 de Julho 171A, 1350-352 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Polina Golland
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Ellen Grant
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300, Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Langs
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
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16
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Wilson S, Pietsch M, Cordero-Grande L, Christiaens D, Uus A, Karolis VR, Kyriakopoulou V, Colford K, Price AN, Hutter J, Rutherford MA, Hughes EJ, Counsell SJ, Tournier JD, Hajnal JV, Edwards AD, O’Muircheartaigh J, Arichi T. Spatiotemporal tissue maturation of thalamocortical pathways in the human fetal brain. eLife 2023; 12:e83727. [PMID: 37010273 PMCID: PMC10125021 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of connectivity between the thalamus and maturing cortex is a fundamental process in the second half of human gestation, establishing the neural circuits that are the basis for several important brain functions. In this study, we acquired high-resolution in utero diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from 140 fetuses as part of the Developing Human Connectome Project, to examine the emergence of thalamocortical white matter over the second to third trimester. We delineate developing thalamocortical pathways and parcellate the fetal thalamus according to its cortical connectivity using diffusion tractography. We then quantify microstructural tissue components along the tracts in fetal compartments that are critical substrates for white matter maturation, such as the subplate and intermediate zone. We identify patterns of change in the diffusion metrics that reflect critical neurobiological transitions occurring in the second to third trimester, such as the disassembly of radial glial scaffolding and the lamination of the cortical plate. These maturational trajectories of MR signal in transient fetal compartments provide a normative reference to complement histological knowledge, facilitating future studies to establish how developmental disruptions in these regions contribute to pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân Wilson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Maximilian Pietsch
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN)MadridSpain
| | - Daan Christiaens
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT/PSI), Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Alena Uus
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, St. Thomas' HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Vyacheslav R Karolis
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Kathleen Colford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Mary A Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Emer J Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jacques-Donald Tournier
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jonathan O’Muircheartaigh
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Children’s Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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17
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Jaramillo V, Schoch SF, Markovic A, Kohler M, Huber R, Lustenberger C, Kurth S. An infant sleep electroencephalographic marker of thalamocortical connectivity predicts behavioral outcome in late infancy. Neuroimage 2023; 269:119924. [PMID: 36739104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Infancy represents a critical period during which thalamocortical brain connections develop and mature. Deviations in the maturation of thalamocortical connectivity are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. There is a lack of early biomarkers to detect and localize neuromaturational deviations, which can be overcome with mapping through high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) assessed in sleep. Specifically, slow waves and spindles in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep are generated by the thalamocortical system, and their characteristics, slow wave slope and spindle density, are closely related to neuroplasticity and learning. Spindles are often subdivided into slow (11.0-13.0 Hz) and fast (13.5-16.0 Hz) frequencies, for which not only different functions have been proposed, but for which also distinctive developmental trajectories have been reported across the first years of life. Recent studies further suggest that information processing during sleep underlying sleep-dependent learning is promoted by the temporal coupling of slow waves and spindles, yet slow wave-spindle coupling remains unexplored in infancy. Thus, we evaluated three potential biomarkers: 1) slow wave slope, 2) spindle density, and 3) the temporal coupling of slow waves with spindles. We use hdEEG to first examine the occurrence and spatial distribution of these three EEG features in healthy infants and second to evaluate a predictive relationship with later behavioral outcomes. We report four key findings: First, infants' EEG features appear locally: slow wave slope is maximal in occipital and frontal areas, whereas slow and fast spindle density is most pronounced frontocentrally. Second, slow waves and spindles are temporally coupled in infancy, with maximal coupling strength in the occipital areas of the brain. Third, slow wave slope, fast spindle density, and slow wave-spindle coupling are not associated with concurrent behavioral status (6 months). Fourth, fast spindle density in central and frontocentral regions at age 6 months predicts overall developmental status at age 12 months, and motor skills at age 12 and 24 months. Neither slow wave slope nor slow wave-spindle coupling predict later behavioral development. We further identified spindle frequency as a determinant of slow and fast spindle density, which accordingly, also predicts motor skills at 24 months. Our results propose fast spindle density, or alternatively spindle frequency, as early EEG biomarker for identifying thalamocortical maturation, which can potentially be used for early diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders in infants. These findings are in support of a role of sleep spindles in sensorimotor microcircuitry development. A crucial next step will be to evaluate whether early therapeutic interventions may be effective to reverse deviations in identified individuals at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Jaramillo
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, CH; Surrey Sleep Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom; Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah F Schoch
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, CH; Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, NL
| | - Andjela Markovic
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, CH; Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, CH
| | - Malcolm Kohler
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, CH; Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH
| | - Reto Huber
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, CH; Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich (UZH), Zürich, Switzerland; Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, CH
| | - Caroline Lustenberger
- Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH; Neural Control of Movement Lab, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Salome Kurth
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, CH; Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH; Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, CH.
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18
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Frohlich J, Bayne T, Crone JS, DallaVecchia A, Kirkeby-Hinrup A, Mediano PA, Moser J, Talar K, Gharabaghi A, Preissl H. Not with a “zap” but with a “beep”: measuring the origins of perinatal experience. Neuroimage 2023; 273:120057. [PMID: 37001834 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
When does the mind begin? Infant psychology is mysterious in part because we cannot remember our first months of life, nor can we directly communicate with infants. Even more speculative is the possibility of mental life prior to birth. The question of when consciousness, or subjective experience, begins in human development thus remains incompletely answered, though boundaries can be set using current knowledge from developmental neurobiology and recent investigations of the perinatal brain. Here, we offer our perspective on how the development of a sensory perturbational complexity index (sPCI) based on auditory ("beep-and-zip"), visual ("flash-and-zip"), or even olfactory ("sniff-and-zip") cortical perturbations in place of electromagnetic perturbations ("zap-and-zip") might be used to address this question. First, we discuss recent studies of perinatal cognition and consciousness using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and, in particular, magnetoencephalography (MEG). While newborn infants are the archetypal subjects for studying early human development, researchers may also benefit from fetal studies, as the womb is, in many respects, a more controlled environment than the cradle. The earliest possible timepoint when subjective experience might begin is likely the establishment of thalamocortical connectivity at 26 weeks gestation, as the thalamocortical system is necessary for consciousness according to most theoretical frameworks. To infer at what age and in which behavioral states consciousness might emerge following the initiation of thalamocortical pathways, we advocate for the development of the sPCI and similar techniques, based on EEG, MEG, and fMRI, to estimate the perinatal brain's state of consciousness.
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19
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Dafni-Merom A, Arzy S. Consciousness, Memory, and the Human Self: Commentary on "Consciousness as a Memory System" by Budson et al (2022). Cogn Behav Neurol 2023; 36:48-53. [PMID: 36622641 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Philosophical theories have attempted to shed light on the intricate relationships between consciousness and memory since long before this became a major theme in psychology and neuroscience. In the December 2022 issue of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology , Budson, Richman, and Kensinger (2022) introduced a comprehensive theoretical framework pertaining to the origins of consciousness in relation to the memory system, its implications on our real-time perception of the world, and the neuroanatomical correlates underlying these phenomena. Throughout their paper, Budson et al (2022) focus on their theory's explanatory value regarding several clinical syndromes and experimental findings. In this commentary, we first summarize the theory presented by Budson and colleagues (2022). Then, we suggest a complementary approach of studying the relationships between consciousness and memory through the concept of the human self and its protracted representation through time (so-called mental time travel). Finally, we elaborate on Budson and colleagues' (2022) neuroanatomical explanation to their theory and suggest that adding the concepts of brain networks and cortical gradients may contribute to their theory's interpretability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amnon Dafni-Merom
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Medical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shahar Arzy
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Medical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Neurology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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20
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Rimol LM, Rise HH, Evensen KAI, Yendiki A, Løhaugen GC, Indredavik MS, Brubakk AM, Bjuland KJ, Eikenes L, Weider S, Håberg A, Skranes J. Atypical brain structure mediates reduced IQ in young adults born preterm with very low birth weight. Neuroimage 2023; 266:119816. [PMID: 36528311 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth with very low birth weight (VLBW) confers heightened risk for perinatal brain injury and long-term cognitive deficits, including a reduction in IQ of up to one standard deviation. Persisting gray and white matter aberrations have been documented well into adolescence and adulthood in preterm born individuals. What has not been documented so far is a plausible causal link between reductions in cortical surface area or subcortical brain structure volumes, and the observed reduction in IQ. The NTNU Low Birth Weight in a Lifetime Perspective study is a prospective longitudinal cohort study, including a preterm born VLBW group (birthweight ≤1500 g) and a term born control group. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 38 participants aged 19, born preterm with VLBW, and 59 term-born peers. The FreeSurfer software suite was used to obtain measures of cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical brain structure volumes. Cognitive ability was estimated using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3rd Edition, including four IQ-indices: Verbal comprehension, Working memory, Perceptual organization, and Processing speed. Statistical mediation analyses were employed to test for indirect effects of preterm birth with VLBW on IQ, mediated by atypical brain structure. The mediation analyses revealed negative effects of preterm birth with VLBW on IQ that were partially mediated by reduced surface area in multiple regions of frontal, temporal, parietal and insular cortex, and by reductions in several subcortical brain structure volumes. The analyses did not yield sufficient evidence of mediation effects of cortical thickness on IQ. This is, to our knowledge, the first time a plausible causal relationship has been established between regional cortical area reductions, as well as reductions in specific subcortical and cerebellar structures, and general cognitive ability in preterm born survivors with VLBW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars M Rimol
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Henning Hoel Rise
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kari Anne I Evensen
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anastasia Yendiki
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, United States
| | - Gro C Løhaugen
- Department of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway
| | | | - Ann-Mari Brubakk
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Live Eikenes
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Siri Weider
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Asta Håberg
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jon Skranes
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway
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21
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Zheng W, Zhao L, Zhao Z, Liu T, Hu B, Wu D. Spatiotemporal Developmental Gradient of Thalamic Morphology, Microstructure, and Connectivity fromthe Third Trimester to Early Infancy. J Neurosci 2023; 43:559-70. [PMID: 36639904 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0874-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalamus is a critical component of the limbic system that is extensively involved in both basic and high-order brain functions. However, how the thalamic structure and function develops at macroscopic and microscopic scales during the perinatal period development is not yet well characterized. Here, we used multishell high-angular resolution diffusion MRI of 144 preterm-born and full-term infants in both sexes scanned at 32-44 postmenstrual weeks (PMWs) from the Developing Human Connectome Project database to investigate the thalamic development in morphology, microstructure, associated connectivity, and subnucleus division. We found evident anatomic expansion and linear increases of fiber integrity in the lateral side of thalamus compared with the medial part. The tractography results indicated that thalamic connection to the frontal cortex developed later than the other thalamocortical connections (parieto-occipital, motor, somatosensory, and temporal). Using a connectivity-based segmentation strategy, we revealed that functional partitions of thalamic subdivisions were formed at 32 PMWs or earlier, and the partition developed toward the adult pattern in a lateral-to-medial pattern. Collectively, these findings revealed faster development of the lateral thalamus than the central part as well as a posterior-to-anterior developmental gradient of thalamocortical connectivity from the third trimester to early infancy.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This is the first study that characterizes the spatiotemporal developmental pattern of thalamus during the third trimester to early infancy. We found that thalamus develops in a lateral-to-medial pattern for both thalamic microstructures and subdivisions; and thalamocortical connectivity develops in a posterior-to-anterior gradient that thalamofrontal connectivity appears later than the other thalamocortical connections. These findings may enrich our understanding of the developmental principles of thalamus and provide references for the atypical brain growth in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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22
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Mukherjee D, Kanold PO. Changing subplate circuits: Early activity dependent circuit plasticity. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 16:1067365. [PMID: 36713777 PMCID: PMC9874351 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1067365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Early neural activity in the developing sensory system comprises spontaneous bursts of patterned activity, which is fundamental for sculpting and refinement of immature cortical connections. The crude early connections that are initially refined by spontaneous activity, are further elaborated by sensory-driven activity from the periphery such that orderly and mature connections are established for the proper functioning of the cortices. Subplate neurons (SPNs) are one of the first-born mature neurons that are transiently present during early development, the period of heightened activity-dependent plasticity. SPNs are well integrated within the developing sensory cortices. Their structural and functional properties such as relative mature intrinsic membrane properties, heightened connectivity via chemical and electrical synapses, robust activation by neuromodulatory inputs-place them in an ideal position to serve as crucial elements in monitoring and regulating spontaneous endogenous network activity. Moreover, SPNs are the earliest substrates to receive early sensory-driven activity from the periphery and are involved in its modulation, amplification, and transmission before the maturation of the direct adult-like thalamocortical connectivity. Consequently, SPNs are vulnerable to sensory manipulations in the periphery. A broad range of early sensory deprivations alters SPN circuit organization and functions that might be associated with long term neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of SPN function in activity-dependent development during early life and integrate recent findings on the impact of early sensory deprivation on SPNs that could eventually lead to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didhiti Mukherjee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Patrick O. Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States,Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Patrick O. Kanold ✉
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23
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Ferber SG, Geva R, Weller A. When the Mind Comes to Live Inside the Body: The Ontogeny of the Perceptual Control Clock. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:13-21. [PMID: 35410607 PMCID: PMC10193756 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220411095508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In this editorial, we discuss the neurobiological processes underlying the early emergence of awareness that we term the "when" and "how" the mind comes to live inside the body. We describe an accumulative developmental process starting during embryonic life and continuing to fetal and postnatal development, of coupling of heart rate, body movements, and sleep states on the behavioral level with underlying mechanisms on the structural, functional, cellular, and molecular levels. A developmental perspective is proposed based on Perceptual Control Theory (PCT). This includes a developing sequence of modules starting from early sensing of neural intensities to early manifestation of human mindful capacities. We also address pharmacological treatments administered to preterm infants, which may interfere with this development, and highlight the need to consider this potential "side effect" of current pharmaceuticals when developing novel pharmacogenomic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Goldstein Ferber
- Department of Psychology and the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ronny Geva
- Department of Psychology and the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Aron Weller
- Department of Psychology and the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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24
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Linke AC, Chen B, Olson L, Ibarra C, Fong C, Reynolds S, Apostol M, Kinnear M, Müller RA, Fishman I. Sleep Problems in Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Associated With Sensory Sensitivities and Thalamocortical Overconnectivity. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2023; 8:21-31. [PMID: 34343726 PMCID: PMC9826645 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Projections between the thalamus and sensory cortices are established early in development and play an important role in regulating sleep as well as in relaying sensory information to the cortex. Atypical thalamocortical functional connectivity frequently observed in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might therefore be linked to sensory and sleep problems common in ASD. METHODS Here, we investigated the relationship between auditory-thalamic functional connectivity measured during natural sleep functional magnetic resonance imaging, sleep problems, and sound sensitivities in 70 toddlers and preschoolers (1.5-5 years old) with ASD compared with a matched group of 46 typically developing children. RESULTS In children with ASD, sleep problems and sensory sensitivities were positively correlated, and increased sleep latency was associated with overconnectivity between the thalamus and auditory cortex in a subsample with high-quality magnetic resonance imaging data (n = 29). In addition, auditory cortex blood oxygen level-dependent signal amplitude was elevated in children with ASD, potentially reflecting reduced sensory gating or a lack of auditory habituation during natural sleep. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that atypical thalamocortical functional connectivity can be detected early in development and may play a crucial role in sleep problems and sensory sensitivities in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Carola Linke
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
| | - Bosi Chen
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California
| | - Lindsay Olson
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California
| | - Cynthia Ibarra
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Chris Fong
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California
| | - Sarah Reynolds
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Michael Apostol
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Mikaela Kinnear
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California; SDSU Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders, San Diego, California
| | - Inna Fishman
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California; SDSU Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders, San Diego, California
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Petanjek Z, Banovac I, Sedmak D, Hladnik A. Dendritic Spines: Synaptogenesis and Synaptic Pruning for the Developmental Organization of Brain Circuits. Adv Neurobiol 2023; 34:143-221. [PMID: 37962796 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic overproduction and elimination is a regular developmental event in the mammalian brain. In the cerebral cortex, synaptic overproduction is almost exclusively correlated with glutamatergic synapses located on dendritic spines. Therefore, analysis of changes in spine density on different parts of the dendritic tree in identified classes of principal neurons could provide insight into developmental reorganization of specific microcircuits.The activity-dependent stabilization and selective elimination of the initially overproduced synapses is a major mechanism for generating diversity of neural connections beyond their genetic determination. The largest number of overproduced synapses was found in the monkey and human cerebral cortex. The highest (exceeding adult values by two- to threefold) and most protracted overproduction (up to third decade of life) was described for associative layer IIIC pyramidal neurons in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.Therefore, the highest proportion and extraordinarily extended phase of synaptic spine overproduction is a hallmark of neural circuitry in human higher-order associative areas. This indicates that microcircuits processing the most complex human cognitive functions have the highest level of developmental plasticity. This finding is the backbone for understanding the effect of environmental impact on the development of the most complex, human-specific cognitive and emotional capacities, and on the late onset of human-specific neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Hladnik
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Saadatmehr B, Edalati M, Routier L, Mahmoudzadeh M, Safaie J, Kongolo G, Ghostine G, Wallois F, Moghimi S. Evolution of cross-frequency coupling between endogenous oscillations over the temporal cortex in very premature neonates. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:278-289. [PMID: 35235654 PMCID: PMC10103643 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal theta activity in coalescence with slow-wave (TTA-SW) is one of the first neurobiomarkers of the neurodevelopment of perisylvian networks in the electroencephalography (EEG). Dynamic changes in the microstructure and activity within neural networks are reflected in the EEG. Slow oscillation slope can reflect synaptic strength, and cross-frequency coupling (CFC), associated with several putative functions in adults, can reflect neural communication. Here, we investigated the evolution of CFC, in terms of SW theta phase-amplitude coupling (PAC), during the course of very early development between 25 and 32 weeks of gestational age in 23 premature neonates. We used high-resolution EEG and dipole models as spatial filters to extract the source waveforms corresponding to TTA-SW. We also carried out nonlinear phase-dependent correlation measurements to examine whether the characteristics of the SW slopes are associated with TTA-SW coupling. We show that neurodevelopment leads to temporal accumulation of the SW theta PAC toward the trough of SW. Steepness of the negative going slope of SW determined the degree of this coupling. Systematic modulation of SW-TTA CFC during development is a signature of the complex development of local cortico-cortical perisylvian networks and distant thalamo-cortical neural circuits driving this nested activity over the perisylvian networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Saadatmehr
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France
| | - Mohammadreza Edalati
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France
| | - Laura Routier
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France.,Inserm UMR1105, EFSN Pédiatriques, CHU Amiens sud, Avenue Laennec, 80054 Amiens Cedex, France
| | - Mahdi Mahmoudzadeh
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France.,Inserm UMR1105, EFSN Pédiatriques, CHU Amiens sud, Avenue Laennec, 80054 Amiens Cedex, France
| | - Javad Safaie
- Electrical Engineering Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 9177948974 Mashhad, Iran
| | - Guy Kongolo
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France.,Inserm UMR1105, NICU, CHU Amiens sud, Avenue Laennec, 80054 Amiens Cedex, France
| | - Ghida Ghostine
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France.,Inserm UMR1105, NICU, CHU Amiens sud, Avenue Laennec, 80054 Amiens Cedex, France
| | - Fabrice Wallois
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France.,Inserm UMR1105, EFSN Pédiatriques, CHU Amiens sud, Avenue Laennec, 80054 Amiens Cedex, France
| | - Sahar Moghimi
- Inserm UMR1105, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale, CURS, Avenue Laennec, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France.,Inserm UMR1105, EFSN Pédiatriques, CHU Amiens sud, Avenue Laennec, 80054 Amiens Cedex, France
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27
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Nazeri A, Krsnik Ž, Kostović I, Ha SM, Kopić J, Alexopoulos D, Kaplan S, Meyer D, Luby JL, Warner BB, Rogers CE, Barch DM, Shimony JS, McKinstry RC, Neil JJ, Smyser CD, Sotiras A. Neurodevelopmental patterns of early postnatal white matter maturation represent distinct underlying microstructure and histology. Neuron 2022; 110:4015-4030.e4. [PMID: 36243003 PMCID: PMC9742299 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral white matter undergoes a rapid and complex maturation during the early postnatal period. Prior magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of early postnatal development have often been limited by small sample size, single-modality imaging, and univariate analytics. Here, we applied nonnegative matrix factorization, an unsupervised multivariate pattern analysis technique, to T2w/T1w signal ratio maps from the Developing Human Connectome Project (n = 342 newborns) revealing patterns of coordinated white matter maturation. These patterns showed divergent age-related maturational trajectories, which were replicated in another independent cohort (n = 239). Furthermore, we showed that T2w/T1w signal variations in these maturational patterns are explained by differential contributions of white matter microstructural indices derived from diffusion-weighted MRI. Finally, we demonstrated how white matter maturation patterns relate to distinct histological features by comparing our findings with postmortem late fetal/early postnatal brain tissue staining. Together, these results delineate concise and effective representation of early postnatal white matter reorganization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Nazeri
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Sung Min Ha
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Janja Kopić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Dimitrios Alexopoulos
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sydney Kaplan
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Dominique Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Joan L Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Barbara B Warner
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Cynthia E Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University School in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Joshua S Shimony
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Robert C McKinstry
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Neil
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Christopher D Smyser
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Aristeidis Sotiras
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Institute for Informatics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA.
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28
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Jang YH, Kim H, Lee JY, Ahn JH, Chung AW, Lee HJ. Altered development of structural MRI connectome hubs at near-term age in very and moderately preterm infants. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5507-5523. [PMID: 36408630 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Preterm infants may exhibit altered developmental patterns of the brain structural network by endogenous and exogenous stimuli, which are quantifiable through hub and modular network topologies that develop in the third trimester. Although preterm brain networks can compensate for white matter microstructural abnormalities of core connections, less is known about how the network developmental characteristics of preterm infants differ from those of full-term infants. We identified 13 hubs and 4 modules and revealed subtle differences in edgewise connectivity and local network properties between 134 preterm and 76 full-term infants, identifying specific developmental patterns of the brain structural network in preterm infants. The modules of preterm infants showed an imbalanced composition. The edgewise connectivity in preterm infants showed significantly decreased long- and short-range connections and local network properties in the dorsal superior frontal gyrus. In contrast, the fusiform gyrus and several nonhub regions showed significantly increased wiring of short-range connections and local network properties. Our results suggested that decreased local network in the frontal lobe and excessive development in the occipital lobe may contribute to the understanding of brain developmental deviances in preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Hun Jang
- Hanyang University Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering Department of Translational Medicine, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Hyuna Kim
- Hanyang University Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering Department of Translational Medicine, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Young Lee
- Hanyang University Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering Department of Translational Medicine, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Ja-Hye Ahn
- Hanyang University College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Ai Wern Chung
- Harvard Medical School Fetal Neonatal-Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, , Boston, MA 02115 , USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, , Boston, MA 02115 , USA
| | - Hyun Ju Lee
- Hanyang University College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
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29
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Herring CA, Simmons RK, Freytag S, Poppe D, Moffet JJD, Pflueger J, Buckberry S, Vargas-Landin DB, Clément O, Echeverría EG, Sutton GJ, Alvarez-Franco A, Hou R, Pflueger C, McDonald K, Polo JM, Forrest ARR, Nowak AK, Voineagu I, Martelotto L, Lister R. Human prefrontal cortex gene regulatory dynamics from gestation to adulthood at single-cell resolution. Cell 2022; 185:4428-4447.e28. [PMID: 36318921 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Human brain development is underpinned by cellular and molecular reconfigurations continuing into the third decade of life. To reveal cell dynamics orchestrating neural maturation, we profiled human prefrontal cortex gene expression and chromatin accessibility at single-cell resolution from gestation to adulthood. Integrative analyses define the dynamic trajectories of each cell type, revealing major gene expression reconfiguration at the prenatal-to-postnatal transition in all cell types followed by continuous reconfiguration into adulthood and identifying regulatory networks guiding cellular developmental programs, states, and functions. We uncover links between expression dynamics and developmental milestones, characterize the diverse timing of when cells acquire adult-like states, and identify molecular convergence from distinct developmental origins. We further reveal cellular dynamics and their regulators implicated in neurological disorders. Finally, using this reference, we benchmark cell identities and maturation states in organoid models. Together, this captures the dynamic regulatory landscape of human cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A Herring
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Rebecca K Simmons
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Saskia Freytag
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Daniel Poppe
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Joel J D Moffet
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jahnvi Pflueger
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Sam Buckberry
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Dulce B Vargas-Landin
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Olivier Clément
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Enrique Goñi Echeverría
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Gavin J Sutton
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, and the RNA Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Alba Alvarez-Franco
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Rui Hou
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Christian Pflueger
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Kerrie McDonald
- Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jose M Polo
- Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics and the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Alistair R R Forrest
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Anna K Nowak
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Irina Voineagu
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, and the RNA Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Luciano Martelotto
- Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics and the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Victoria Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Ryan Lister
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
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Edalati M, Mahmoudzadeh M, Ghostine G, Kongolo G, Safaie J, Wallois F, Moghimi S. Preterm neonates distinguish rhythm violation through a hierarchy of cortical processing. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101168. [PMID: 36335806 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhythm is a fundamental component of the auditory world, present even during the prenatal life. While there is evidence that some auditory capacities are already present before birth, whether and how the premature neural networks process auditory rhythm is yet not known. We investigated the neural response of premature neonates at 30-34 weeks gestational age to violations from rhythmic regularities in an auditory sequence using high-resolution electroencephalography and event-related potentials. Unpredicted rhythm violations elicited a fronto-central mismatch response, indicating that the premature neonates detected the rhythmic regularities. Next, we examined the cortical effective connectivity underlying the elicited mismatch response using dynamic causal modeling. We examined the connectivity between cortical sources using a set of 16 generative models that embedded alternate hypotheses about the role of the frontal cortex as well as backward fronto-temporal connection. Our results demonstrated that the processing of rhythm violations was not limited to the primary auditory areas, and as in the case of adults, encompassed a hierarchy of temporo-frontal cortical structures. The result also emphasized the importance of top-down (backward) projections from the frontal cortex in explaining the mismatch response. Our findings demonstrate a sophisticated cortical structure underlying predictive rhythm processing at the onset of the thalamocortical and cortico-cortical circuits, two months before term.
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Coviello C, Perrone S, Buonocore G, Negro S, Longini M, Groenendaal F, Vijlbrief DC, Dani C, Benders MJNL, Tataranno ML. Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Early Brain Activity in Extremely Preterm Infants: A Prospective Cohort Study. Children 2022; 9:1376. [PMID: 36138685 PMCID: PMC9497792 DOI: 10.3390/children9091376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Early brain activity, measured using amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG), is correlated with neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm newborns. F2-isoprostanes (IPs) are early biomarkers predictive for brain damage. We aimed to investigate the relationship between perinatal IPs concentrations and quantitative aEEG measures in preterm newborns. Thirty-nine infants (gestational age (GA) 24–27 ± 6 weeks) who underwent neuromonitoring using aEEG during the first two days after birth were enrolled. The rate of spontaneous activity transients per minute (SAT rate) and inter-SAT interval (ISI) in seconds were computed. Two postnatal time-points were examined: within 12 h (day 1) and between 24 and 48 h (day 2). IPs were measured in plasma from cord blood (cb-IPs) and between 24 and 48 h (pl-IPs). Multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess the correlation between IPs and brain activity. Cb-IPs were not associated with SAT rate and ISI at day 1. Higher pl-IPs were followed by longer ISI (R = 0.68; p = 0.034) and decreased SAT rate (R = 0.58; p = 0.007) at day 2 after adjusting for GA, FiO2 and IVH. Higher pl-IPs levels are associated with decreased functional brain activity. Thus, pl-IPs may represent a useful biomarker of brain vulnerability in high-risk infants.
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Polese D, Riccio ML, Fagioli M, Mazzetta A, Fagioli F, Parisi P, Fagioli M. The Newborn's Reaction to Light as the Determinant of the Brain's Activation at Human Birth. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:933426. [PMID: 36118115 PMCID: PMC9478760 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.933426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental neuroscience research has not yet fully unveiled the dynamics involved in human birth. The trigger of the first breath, often assumed to be the marker of human life, has not been characterized nor has the process entailing brain modification and activation at birth been clarified yet. To date, few researchers only have investigated the impact of the extrauterine environment, with its strong stimuli, on birth. This ‘hypothesis and theory' article assumes the role of a specific stimulus activating the central nervous system (CNS) at human birth. This stimulus must have specific features though, such as novelty, efficacy, ubiquity, and immediacy. We propose light as a robust candidate for the CNS activation via the retina. Available data on fetal and neonatal neurodevelopment, in particular with reference to retinal light-responsive pathways, will be examined together with the GABA functional switch, and the subplate disappearance, which, at an experimental level, differentiate the neonatal brain from the fetal brain. In this study, we assume how a very rapid activation of retinal photoreceptors at birth initiates a sudden brain shift from the prenatal pattern of functions to the neonatal setup. Our assumption implies the presence of a photoreceptor capable of capturing and transducing light/photon stimulus, transforming it into an effective signal for the activation of new brain functions at birth. Opsin photoreception or, more specifically, melanopsin-dependent photoreception, which is provided by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), is considered as a valid candidate. Although what is assumed herein cannot be verified in humans based on knowledge available so far, proposing an important and novel function can trigger a broad range of diversified research in different domains, from neurophysiology to neurology and psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Polese
- PhD Program on Sensorineural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs NESMOS, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Daniela Polese
| | | | - Marcella Fagioli
- Department of Mental Health, National Health System ASL Rome 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mazzetta
- PhD Program on Neuroscience, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Fagioli
- Department of Mental Health, National Health System ASL Rome 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Pasquale Parisi
- Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs NESMOS, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Vanes LD, Murray RM, Nosarti C. Adult outcome of preterm birth: Implications for neurodevelopmental theories of psychosis. Schizophr Res 2022; 247:41-54. [PMID: 34006427 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Preterm birth is associated with an elevated risk of developmental and adult psychiatric disorders, including psychosis. In this review, we evaluate the implications of neurodevelopmental, cognitive, motor, and social sequelae of preterm birth for developing psychosis, with an emphasis on outcomes observed in adulthood. Abnormal brain development precipitated by early exposure to the extra-uterine environment, and exacerbated by neuroinflammation, neonatal brain injury, and genetic vulnerability, can result in alterations of brain structure and function persisting into adulthood. These alterations, including abnormal regional brain volumes and white matter macro- and micro-structure, can critically impair functional (e.g. frontoparietal and thalamocortical) network connectivity in a manner characteristic of psychotic illness. The resulting executive, social, and motor dysfunctions may constitute the basis for behavioural vulnerability ultimately giving rise to psychotic symptomatology. There are many pathways to psychosis, but elucidating more precisely the mechanisms whereby preterm birth increases risk may shed light on that route consequent upon early neurodevelopmental insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy D Vanes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, King's College London, UK; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Robin M Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, King's College London, UK; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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Martínez-cué C, Bartesaghi R. Fatty Acids: A Safe Tool for Improving Neurodevelopmental Alterations in Down Syndrome? Nutrients 2022; 14:2880. [PMID: 35889838 PMCID: PMC9323400 DOI: 10.3390/nu14142880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The triplication of chromosome 21 causes Down syndrome (DS), a genetic disorder that is characterized by intellectual disability (ID). The causes of ID start in utero, leading to impairments in neurogenesis, and continue into infancy, leading to impairments in dendritogenesis, spinogenesis, and connectivity. These defects are associated with alterations in mitochondrial and metabolic functions and precocious aging, leading to the early development of Alzheimer’s disease. Intense efforts are currently underway, taking advantage of DS mouse models to discover pharmacotherapies for the neurodevelopmental and cognitive deficits of DS. Many treatments that proved effective in mouse models may raise safety concerns over human use, especially at early life stages. Accumulating evidence shows that fatty acids, which are nutrients present in normal diets, exert numerous positive effects on the brain. Here, we review (i) the knowledge obtained from animal models regarding the effects of fatty acids on the brain, by focusing on alterations that are particularly prominent in DS, and (ii) the progress recently made in a DS mouse model, suggesting that fatty acids may indeed represent a useful treatment for DS. This scenario should prompt the scientific community to further explore the potential benefit of fatty acids for people with DS.
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Gofer S, Haik O, Bardin R, Gilboa Y, Perlman S. Machine Learning Algorithms for Classification of First-Trimester Fetal Brain Ultrasound Images. J Ultrasound Med 2022; 41:1773-1779. [PMID: 34710247 DOI: 10.1002/jum.15860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility of machine learning (ML) tools for segmenting and classifying first-trimester fetal brain ultrasound images. METHODS Two image segmentation methods processed high-resolution fetal brain images obtained during the nuchal translucency scan: "Statistical Region Merging" (SRM) and "Trainable Weka Segmentation" (TWS), with training and testing sets in the latter. Measurement of the fetal cerebral cortex in original and processed images served to evaluate the performance of the algorithms. Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was used as an accuracy index of the segmentation processing. RESULTS The SRM plugin revealed a total MAPE of 1.71% ± 1.62 SD (standard deviation) and a MAPE of 1.4% ± 1.32 SD and 2.72% ± 2.21 SD for the normal and increased NT groups, respectively. The TWS plugin displayed a MAPE of 1.71% ± 0.59 SD (testing set). There were no significant differences between the training and testing sets after 5-fold cross-validation. The images obtained from normal NT fetuses and increased NT fetuses revealed a MAPE of 1.52% ± 1.02 SD and 2.63% ± 1.98 SD. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using ML algorithms to classify first-trimester fetal brain ultrasound images and lay the foundation for earlier diagnosis of fetal brain abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stav Gofer
- Ultrasound Unit, The Helen Schneider Women's Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Ron Bardin
- Ultrasound Unit, The Helen Schneider Women's Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yinon Gilboa
- Ultrasound Unit, The Helen Schneider Women's Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sharon Perlman
- Ultrasound Unit, The Helen Schneider Women's Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Xavier N, Mubina J, Marie-Ange D, Nicolas VD, Dorothée DS, Catherine FB. Impact of Congenital Heart Defects on the Developing Brain. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2022; 25:419-434. [PMID: 35285332 DOI: 10.1177/10935266211045365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Congenital heart defects (CHD) are responsible for neurodevelopmental delays that were initially attributed to brain injury resulting from cardiac surgery. However, prenatal imaging have shown that brain anomalies are present at birth. The aim of this study was to assess in utero brain injuries before birth in fetuses/neonates with congenital cardiopathies. METHODS A complete autopsy evaluation with detailed study of the cardiopathy and neuropathological study was performed in 40 fetuses/neonates. Syndromic congenital cardiopathies were excluded because of the potential other causes of brain injury. The patients were classified into two groups according to their term at death. RESULTS Statistical analyses indicated the mean brain weight was not significantly different between subjects with different morphological types of congenital cardiopathies. However, the brain weight was at or below the fifth percentile in most third-trimester subjects compared to normal brain weight in second-trimester subjects. Low brain weight in third-trimester subjects was also associated with frequent lesions similar to those described in preterm infants, with a particular involvement of white matter and its components. CONCLUSIONS These observations allowed us to establish the timing and impact of prenatal neuropathological lesions on brain development, and to correlate them with imaging data reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navarri Xavier
- Research Center, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jovanovic Mubina
- Department of Pathology, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Delrue Marie-Ange
- Department of Genetics, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Jang YH, Kim J, Kim S, Lee K, Na JY, Ahn JH, Kim H, Kim BN, Lee HJ. Abnormal thalamocortical connectivity of preterm infants with elevated thyroid stimulating hormone identified with diffusion tensor imaging. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9257. [PMID: 35661740 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12864-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
While thyroid disturbances during perinatal and postnatal periods in preterm infants with congenital hypothyroidism reportedly disrupt neuronal development, no study has considered the effect of thyroid disturbances in premature infants with subclinical hypothyroidism with elevations of thyroid stimulating hormone. We aimed to identify altered fiber integrity from the thalamus to cortices in preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism. All preterm infants born were categorized according to thyroid stimulating hormone levels through serial thyroid function tests (36 preterm controls and 29 preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism). Diffusion tensor images were acquired to determine differences in thalamocortical fiber lengths between the groups, and cerebral asymmetries were investigated to observe neurodevelopmental changes. Thalamocortical fiber lengths in the subclinical hypothyroidism group were significantly reduced in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, heschl’s gyrus, lingual gyrus, and calcarine cortex (all p < 0.05). According to the asymmetric value in the orbitofrontal regions, there is a left dominance in the subclinical hypothyroidism group contrary to the controls (p = 0.012), and that of the cuneus areas showed significant decreases in the subclinical hypothyroidism group (p = 0.035). These findings could reflect altered neurodevelopment, which could help treatment plans using biomarkers for subclinical hypothyroidism.
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Stagni F, Bartesaghi R. The Challenging Pathway of Treatment for Neurogenesis Impairment in Down Syndrome: Achievements and Perspectives. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:903729. [PMID: 35634470 PMCID: PMC9130961 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.903729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by triplication of Chromosome 21. Gene triplication may compromise different body functions but invariably impairs intellectual abilities starting from infancy. Moreover, after the fourth decade of life people with DS are likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Neurogenesis impairment during fetal life stages and dendritic pathology emerging in early infancy are thought to be key determinants of alterations in brain functioning in DS. Although the progressive improvement in medical care has led to a notable increase in life expectancy for people with DS, there are currently no treatments for intellectual disability. Increasing evidence in mouse models of DS reveals that pharmacological interventions in the embryonic and neonatal periods may greatly benefit brain development and cognitive performance. The most striking results have been obtained with pharmacotherapies during embryonic life stages, indicating that it is possible to pharmacologically rescue the severe neurodevelopmental defects linked to the trisomic condition. These findings provide hope that similar benefits may be possible for people with DS. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding (i) the scope and timeline of neurogenesis (and dendritic) alterations in DS, in order to delineate suitable windows for treatment; (ii) the role of triplicated genes that are most likely to be the key determinants of these alterations, in order to highlight possible therapeutic targets; and (iii) prenatal and neonatal treatments that have proved to be effective in mouse models, in order to rationalize the choice of treatment for human application. Based on this body of evidence we will discuss prospects and challenges for fetal therapy in individuals with DS as a potential means of drastically counteracting the deleterious effects of gene triplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorenza Stagni
- Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, Rimini, Italy
| | - Renata Bartesaghi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Renata Bartesaghi,
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Namiranian R, Rahimi Malakshan S, Abrishami Moghaddam H, Khadem A, Jafari R. Normal development of the brain: a survey of joint structural-functional brain studies. Rev Neurosci 2022; 33:745-765. [PMID: 35304982 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Joint structural-functional (S-F) developmental studies present a novel approach to address the complex neuroscience questions on how the human brain works and how it matures. Joint S-F biomarkers have the inherent potential to model effectively the brain's maturation, fill the information gap in temporal brain atlases, and demonstrate how the brain's performance matures during the lifespan. This review presents the current state of knowledge on heterochronous and heterogeneous development of S-F links during the maturation period. The S-F relationship has been investigated in early-matured unimodal and prolonged-matured transmodal regions of the brain using a variety of structural and functional biomarkers and data acquisition modalities. Joint S-F unimodal studies have employed auditory and visual stimuli, while the main focus of joint S-F transmodal studies has been resting-state and cognitive experiments. However, nonsignificant associations between some structural and functional biomarkers and their maturation show that designing and developing effective S-F biomarkers is still a challenge in the field. Maturational characteristics of brain asymmetries have been poorly investigated by the joint S-F studies, and the results were partially inconsistent with previous nonjoint ones. The inherent complexity of the brain performance can be modeled using multifactorial and nonlinear techniques as promising methods to simulate the impact of age on S-F relations considering their analysis challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Namiranian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Sahar Rahimi Malakshan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Hamid Abrishami Moghaddam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran.,Inserm UMR 1105, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80054 Amiens, France
| | - Ali Khadem
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran 16317-14191, Iran
| | - Reza Jafari
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Thompson Engineering Building, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
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Uchitel J, Vanhatalo S, Austin T. Early development of sleep and brain functional connectivity in term-born and preterm infants. Pediatr Res 2022; 91:771-86. [PMID: 33859364 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01497-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The proper development of sleep and sleep-wake rhythms during early neonatal life is crucial to lifelong neurological well-being. Recent data suggests that infants who have poor quality sleep demonstrate a risk for impaired neurocognitive outcomes. Sleep ontogenesis is a complex process, whereby alternations between rudimentary brain states-active vs. wake and active sleep vs. quiet sleep-mature during the last trimester of pregnancy. If the infant is born preterm, much of this process occurs in the neonatal intensive care unit, where environmental conditions might interfere with sleep. Functional brain connectivity (FC), which reflects the brain's ability to process and integrate information, may become impaired, with ensuing risks of compromised neurodevelopment. However, the specific mechanisms linking sleep ontogenesis to the emergence of FC are poorly understood and have received little investigation, mainly due to the challenges of studying causal links between developmental phenomena and assessing FC in newborn infants. Recent advancements in infant neuromonitoring and neuroimaging strategies will allow for the design of interventions to improve infant sleep quality and quantity. This review discusses how sleep and FC develop in early life, the dynamic relationship between sleep, preterm birth, and FC, and the challenges associated with understanding these processes. IMPACT: Sleep in early life is essential for proper functional brain development, which is essential for the brain to integrate and process information. This process may be impaired in infants born preterm. The connection between preterm birth, early development of brain functional connectivity, and sleep is poorly understood. This review discusses how sleep and brain functional connectivity develop in early life, how these processes might become impaired, and the challenges associated with understanding these processes. Potential solutions to these challenges are presented to provide direction for future research.
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Goldstein Ferber S, Weller A, Ben-Shachar M, Klinger G, Geva R. Development of the Ontogenetic Self-Regulation Clock. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:993. [PMID: 35055184 PMCID: PMC8778416 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, there is no overarching proposition for the ontogenetic-neurobiological basis of self-regulation. This paper suggests that the balanced self-regulatory reaction of the fetus, newborn and infant is based on a complex mechanism starting from early brainstem development and continuing to progressive control of the cortex over the brainstem. It is suggested that this balance occurs through the synchronous reactivity between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, both which originate from the brainstem. The paper presents an evidence-based approach in which molecular excitation-inhibition balance, interchanges between excitatory and inhibitory roles of neurotransmitters as well as cardiovascular and white matter development across gestational ages, are shown to create sympathetic-parasympathetic synchrony, including the postnatal development of electroencephalogram waves and vagal tone. These occur in developmental milestones detectable in the same time windows (sensitive periods of development) within a convergent systematic progress. This ontogenetic stepwise process is termed "the self-regulation clock" and suggest that this clock is located in the largest connection between the brainstem and the cortex, the corticospinal tract. This novel evidence-based new theory paves the way towards more accurate hypotheses and complex studies of self-regulation and its biological basis, as well as pointing to time windows for interventions in preterm infants. The paper also describes the developing indirect signaling between the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the corticospinal tract. Finally, the paper proposes novel hypotheses for molecular, structural and functional investigation of the "clock" circuitry, including its associations with other biological clocks. This complex circuitry is suggested to be responsible for the developing self-regulatory functions and their neurobehavioral correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Goldstein Ferber
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (A.W.); (R.G.)
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
| | - Aron Weller
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (A.W.); (R.G.)
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
| | - Gil Klinger
- Department of Neonatology, Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, Petach Tikvah 4920235, Israel;
| | - Ronny Geva
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (A.W.); (R.G.)
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
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van der Vaart M, Hartley C, Baxter L, Mellado GS, Andritsou F, Cobo MM, Fry RE, Adams E, Fitzgibbon S, Slater R. Premature Infants Display Discriminable Behavioral, Physiological, and Brain Responses to Noxious and Nonnoxious Stimuli. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:3799-3815. [PMID: 34958675 PMCID: PMC9433423 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain assessment in preterm infants is challenging as behavioral, autonomic, and neurophysiological measures of pain are reported to be less sensitive and specific than in term infants. Understanding the pattern of preterm infants’ noxious-evoked responses is vital to improve pain assessment in this group. This study investigated the discriminability and development of multimodal noxious-evoked responses in infants aged 28–40 weeks postmenstrual age. A classifier was trained to discriminate responses to a noxious heel lance from a nonnoxious control in 47 infants, using measures of facial expression, brain activity, heart rate, and limb withdrawal, and tested in two independent cohorts with a total of 97 infants. The model discriminates responses to the noxious from the nonnoxious procedure with an overall accuracy of 0.76–0.84 and an accuracy of 0.78–0.79 in the 28–31-week group. Noxious-evoked responses have distinct developmental patterns. Heart rate responses increase in magnitude with age, while noxious-evoked brain activity undergoes three distinct developmental stages, including a previously unreported transitory stage consisting of a negative event-related potential between 30 and 33 weeks postmenstrual age. These findings demonstrate that while noxious-evoked responses change across early development, infant responses to noxious and nonnoxious stimuli are discriminable in prematurity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caroline Hartley
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Luke Baxter
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | | | | | - Maria M Cobo
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.,Colegio de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito EC170901, Ecuador
| | - Ria Evans Fry
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Eleri Adams
- Newborn Care Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Sean Fitzgibbon
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Rebeccah Slater
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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Lennartsson F, Öhnell H, Jacobson L, Nilsson M. Pre- and Postnatal Damage to the Retro-Geniculate Visual Pathways Cause Retinal Degeneration Predictive for Visual Function. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:734193. [PMID: 34764861 PMCID: PMC8577566 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.734193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To increase the understanding of the relationship between structure and function in individuals with damage to the brain from different stages of maturation of the visual system, we examined 16 teenagers and young adults. We used diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fiber tractography of the optic radiation (OR) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and the ganglion cell layer + inner plexiform layer (GC+IPL) in the macula. Visual field (VF) function was assessed with the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA). Injuries to the immature OR were associated with thinning of the pRNFL and GC+IPL, and corresponding VF defects irrespectively of timing of the lesion. However, in cases with bilateral white-matter damage of immaturity (WMDI) we noticed a well preserved central VF despite a very thin GC+IPL. We speculate that this is due to plasticity in the immature visual system. Similar results were not noticed among cases with unilateral damage, acquired pre- or postnatally, in which the central VF was affected in most cases. OCT has proved to be a valuable targeted tool in children with damage to the retro-geniculate visual pathways, and that focal thinning of the GC+IPL predicts VF defects. This brief research report includes a review of four previously published papers. In addition, we present one new case and apply a recently developed classification system for CVI. The classification was applied on cases with bilateral WMDI to investigate its relation to retinal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Finn Lennartsson
- Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Center for Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - HannaMaria Öhnell
- Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lena Jacobson
- Section for Eye and Vision, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Nilsson
- Unit of Optometry, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Pascoali Rodovanski G, Bêz Reus BA, Cechinel Damiani AV, Franco Mattos K, Moreira RS, Neves Dos Santos A. Home-based early stimulation program targeting visual and motor functions for preterm infants with delayed tracking: Feasibility of a Randomized Clinical Trial. Res Dev Disabil 2021; 116:104037. [PMID: 34293634 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To verify the feasibility of a home-based early stimulation program targeting visual and motor functions in preterm infants with delayed visual tracking. METHOD We applied a randomized controlled trial. We included thirty low-risk preterm infants, from both genders, with delayed visual tracking, gestational between 28-37 weeks, and age at entrance between 1-2 months of corrected age, and absence of visual impairments. Infants were divided into two groups as follows: a) standard care group (SC) that received general orientation about sensory and motor development (16 infants); b) experimental group, that received a four-week home-based early stimulation program targeting visual and motor functions (ESPVM) applied by the caregivers (14 infants). The feasibility outcomes were retention and loss rates, adherence, adverse events, and stress signals. We obtained preliminary data by comparing visual tracking, motor development, and sensory behavior between groups at the end of the intervention. RESULTS Retention rate was high, 90 % of the caregivers provided ESPVM at least 22 days, and 70 % provided SC at least 17 days. No adverse events were reported. At the end of intervention, the ESPVM group presented higher frequencies of complete visual tracking for cards 7 (ESPVM = 57.3 %, SC = 6.3 %, p = 0.006) and 8 (ESPVM = 64.3 %, SC = 12.2 %, p = 0.013), and lower scores for total sensory profile (ESPVM: median = 58, range = 46-69; SC: median = 71, range = 54-90; p = 0.016). The groups were similar for motor development. CONCLUSIONS The protocol was feasible, and the results encourage a larger randomized controlled trial.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Karina Franco Mattos
- Department of Health Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, SC, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Silva Moreira
- Department of Health Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, SC, Brazil
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Argyropoulou MI, Xydis VG, Drougia A, Giantsouli AS, Giapros V, Astrakas LG. Structural and functional brain connectivity in moderate-late preterm infants with low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage. Neuroradiology 2021; 64:197-204. [PMID: 34342681 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-021-02770-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Brain functional connectivity (FC) changes and microstructural abnormalities are reported in infants born moderate and late preterm (MLPT). We evaluated the effect of low-grade (grades I, II) intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in MLPT babies on brain structural connectivity (SC) and FC. METHODS Babies born MLPT between January 2014 and May 2017 underwent brain ultrasound (US) at 72 h and 7 days after birth, and MRI at around term equivalent. The MRI protocol comprised T1- and T2-weighted sequences, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). SC and FC were assessed using graph analysis. RESULTS Of 350 MLPT neonates, 15 showed low-grade IVH on US at 72 h, for which brain MRI was available in 10. These 10 infants, with mean gestational age (GA) 34.0 ± 0.8 weeks, comprised the study group, and 10 MLPT infants of mean GA 33.9 ± 1.1 weeks, with no abnormalities on brain US and MRI, were control subjects. All study subjects presented modularity, small world topology, and rich club organization for both SC and FC. The patients with low-grade IVH had lower FC rich club coefficient and lower SC betweenness centrality in the left frontoparietal operculum, and lower SC rich club coefficient in the right superior orbitofrontal cortex than the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS Topological and functional properties of mature brain connectivity are present in MLPT infants. IVH in these infants was associated with structural and functional abnormalities in the left frontoparietal operculum and right orbitofrontal cortex, regions related to language and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria I Argyropoulou
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Vasileios G Xydis
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Drougia
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Child Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Anastasia S Giantsouli
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Vasileios Giapros
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Child Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Loukas G Astrakas
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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Doyle DZ, Lam MM, Qalieh A, Qalieh Y, Sorel A, Funk OH, Kwan KY. Chromatin remodeler Arid1a regulates subplate neuron identity and wiring of cortical connectivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118. [PMID: 34011608 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100686118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in chromatin remodeler gene ARID1A are a cause of Coffin-Siris syndrome, a developmental disorder characterized by dysgenesis of corpus callosum. Here, we characterize Arid1a function during cortical development and find unexpectedly selective roles for Arid1a in subplate neurons (SPNs). SPNs, strategically positioned at the interface of cortical gray and white matter, orchestrate multiple developmental processes indispensable for neural circuit wiring. We find that pancortical deletion of Arid1a leads to extensive mistargeting of intracortical axons and agenesis of corpus callosum. Sparse Arid1a deletion, however, does not autonomously misroute callosal axons, implicating noncell-autonomous Arid1a functions in axon guidance. Supporting this possibility, the ascending axons of thalamocortical neurons, which are not autonomously affected by cortical Arid1a deletion, are also disrupted in their pathfinding into cortex and innervation of whisker barrels. Coincident with these miswiring phenotypes, which are reminiscent of subplate ablation, we unbiasedly find a selective loss of SPN gene expression following Arid1a deletion. In addition, multiple characteristics of SPNs crucial to their wiring functions, including subplate organization, subplate axon-thalamocortical axon cofasciculation ("handshake"), and extracellular matrix, are severely disrupted. To empirically test Arid1a sufficiency in subplate, we generate a cortical plate deletion of Arid1a that spares SPNs. In this model, subplate Arid1a expression is sufficient for subplate organization, subplate axon-thalamocortical axon cofasciculation, and subplate extracellular matrix. Consistent with these wiring functions, subplate Arid1a sufficiently enables normal callosum formation, thalamocortical axon targeting, and whisker barrel development. Thus, Arid1a is a multifunctional regulator of subplate-dependent guidance mechanisms essential to cortical circuit wiring.
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Fouladivanda M, Kazemi K, Makki M, Khalilian M, Danyali H, Gervain J, Aarabi A. Multi-scale structural rich-club organization of the brain in full-term newborns: a combined DWI and fMRI study. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 33930878 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abfd46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Our understanding of early brain development is limited due to rapid changes in white matter pathways after birth. In this study, we introduced a multi-scale cross-modal approach to investigate the rich club (RC) organization and topology of the structural brain networks in 40 healthy neonates using diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state fMRI data.Approach.A group independent component analysis was first performed to identify eight resting state networks (RSNs) used as functional modules. A groupwise whole-brain functional parcellation was also performed at five scales comprising 100-900 parcels. The distribution of RC nodes was then investigated within and between the RSNs. We further assessed the distribution of short and long-range RC, feeder and local connections across different parcellation scales.Main results.Sharing the scale-free characteristic of small-worldness, the neonatal structural brain networks exhibited an RC organization at different nodal scales (NSs). The subcortical, sensory-motor and default mode networks were found to be strongly involved in the RC organization of the structural brain networks, especially in the zones where the RSNs overlapped, with an average cross-scale proportion of 45.9%, 28.5% and 10.5%, respectively. A large proportion of the connector hubs were found to be RC members for the coarsest (73%) to finest (92%) NSs. Our results revealed a prominent involvement of cortico-subcortical and cortico-cerebellar white matter pathways in the RC organization of the neonatal brain. Regardless of the NS, the majority (more than 65.2%) of the inter-RSN connections were long distance RC or feeder with an average physical connection of 105.5 and 97.4 mm, respectively. Several key RC regions were identified, including the insula and cingulate gyri, middle and superior temporal gyri, hippocampus and parahippocampus, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, superior frontal and precentral gyri, calcarine fissure and lingual gyrus.Significance.Our results emphasize the importance of the multi-scale connectivity analysis in assessing the cross-scale reproducibility of the connectivity results concerning the global and local topological properties of the brain networks. Our findings may improve our understanding of the early brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahshid Fouladivanda
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Kamran Kazemi
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Malek Makki
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (LNFP), University Research Center (CURS), University Hospital, Amiens, France
| | - Maedeh Khalilian
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (LNFP), University Research Center (CURS), University Hospital, Amiens, France
| | - Habibollah Danyali
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Judit Gervain
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, CNRS & Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ardalan Aarabi
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies (LNFP), University Research Center (CURS), University Hospital, Amiens, France.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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Moser J, Schleger F, Weiss M, Sippel K, Semeia L, Preissl H. Magnetoencephalographic signatures of conscious processing before birth. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 49:100964. [PMID: 34023644 PMCID: PMC8163957 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of fetal consciousness is a widely discussed topic. In this study, we applied a hierarchical rule learning paradigm to investigate the possibility of fetal conscious processing during the last trimester of pregnancy. We used fetal magnetoencephalography, to assess fetal brain activity in 56 healthy fetuses between gestational week 25 and 40, during an auditory oddball paradigm containing first- and second-order regularities. The comparison of fetal brain responses towards standard and deviant tones revealed that the investigated fetuses show signs of hierarchical rule learning, and thus the formation of a memory trace for the second-order regularity. This ability develops over the course of the last trimester of gestation, in accordance with processes in physiological brain development and was only reliably present in fetuses older than week 35 of gestation. Analysis of fetal autonomic nervous system activity replicates findings in newborns, showing importance of activity state for cognitive processes. On the whole, our results support the assumption that fetuses in the last weeks of gestation are capable of consciously processing stimuli that reach them from outside the womb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Moser
- IDM/fMEG Center of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, University of Tübingen, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Franziska Schleger
- IDM/fMEG Center of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, University of Tübingen, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Magdalene Weiss
- IDM/fMEG Center of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, University of Tübingen, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Tübingen, Germany; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Sippel
- IDM/fMEG Center of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, University of Tübingen, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Tübingen, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Semeia
- IDM/fMEG Center of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, University of Tübingen, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hubert Preissl
- IDM/fMEG Center of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, University of Tübingen, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Tübingen, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Interfaculty Centre for Pharmacogenomics and Pharma Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Menegaux A, Meng C, Bäuml JG, Berndt MT, Hedderich DM, Schmitz-Koep B, Schneider S, Nuttall R, Zimmermann J, Daamen M, Zimmer C, Boecker H, Bartmann P, Wolke D, Sorg C. Aberrant cortico-thalamic structural connectivity in premature-born adults. Cortex 2021; 141:347-362. [PMID: 34126289 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Premature birth is associated with alterations in brain structure, particularly in white matter. Among white matter, alterations in cortico-thalamic connections are present in premature-born infants, and they have been suggested both to last until adulthood and to contribute to impaired cognitive functions. To test these hypotheses, 70 very premature-born adults and 67 full-term controls underwent cognitive testing and diffusion-weighted imaging. Each cortical hemisphere was parcellated into six lobes, from which probabilistic tractography was performed to the thalamus. Connection probability was chosen as metric of structural connectivity. We found increased cortico-thalamic connection probability between left prefrontal cortices and left medio-dorsal thalamus and reduced connection probability between bilateral temporal cortices and bilateral anterior thalami in very premature-born adults. Aberrant prefronto- and temporo-thalamic connection probabilities were correlated with birth weight and days on ventilation, respectively, supporting the suggestion that these connectivity changes relate with the degree of prematurity. Moreover, an increase in left prefronto-thalamic connection probability also correlated with lower verbal comprehension index indicating its relevance for verbal cognition. Together, our results demonstrate that cortico-thalamic structural connectivity is aberrant in premature-born adults, with these changes being linked with impairments in verbal cognitive abilities. Due to corresponding findings in infants, data suggest aberrant development of cortico-thalamic connectivity after premature birth with lasting effects into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Menegaux
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Chun Meng
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Josef G Bäuml
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria T Berndt
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dennis M Hedderich
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Benita Schmitz-Koep
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schneider
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rachel Nuttall
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Juliana Zimmermann
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel Daamen
- Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Claus Zimmer
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Henning Boecker
- Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Peter Bartmann
- Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dieter Wolke
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Bellieni CV. Analgesia for fetal pain during prenatal surgery: 10 years of progress. Pediatr Res 2021; 89:1612-8. [PMID: 32971529 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-020-01170-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Some doubts on the necessity and safety of providing analgesia to the fetus during prenatal surgery were raised 10 years ago. They were related to four matters: fetal sleep due to neuroinhibitors in fetal blood, the immaturity of the cerebral cortex, safety, and the need for fetal direct analgesia. These objections now seem obsolete. This review shows that neuroinhibitors give fetuses at most some transient sedation, but not a complete analgesia, that the cerebral cortex is not indispensable to feel pain, when subcortical structures for pain perception are present, and that maternal anesthesia seems not sufficient to anesthetize the fetus. Current drugs used for maternal analgesia pass through the placenta only partially so that they cannot guarantee a sufficient analgesia to the fetus. Extraction indices, that is, how much each analgesic drug crosses the placenta, are provided here. We here report safety guidelines for fetal direct analgesia. In conclusion, the human fetus can feel pain when it undergoes surgical interventions and direct analgesia must be provided to it. IMPACT: Fetal pain is evident in the second half of pregnancy. Progress in the physiology of fetal pain, which is reviewed in this report, supports the notion that the fetus reacts to painful interventions during fetal surgery. Evidence here reported shows that it is an error to believe that the fetus is in a continuous and unchanging state of sedation and analgesia. Data are given that disclose that drugs used for maternal analgesia cross the placenta only partially, so that they cannot guarantee a sufficient analgesia to the fetus. Safety guidelines are given for fetal direct analgesia.
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