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1.
Pediatr Res ; 84(6): 829-836, 2018 12.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30188500

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Early brain development is closely dictated by distinct neurobiological principles. Here, we aimed to map early trajectories of structural brain wiring in the neonatal brain. METHODS: We investigated structural connectome development in 44 newborns, including 23 preterm infants and 21 full-term neonates scanned between 29 and 45 postmenstrual weeks. Diffusion-weighted imaging data were combined with cortical segmentations derived from T2 data to construct neonatal connectome maps. RESULTS: Projection fibers interconnecting primary cortices and deep gray matter structures were noted to mature faster than connections between higher-order association cortices (fractional anisotropy (FA) F = 58.9, p < 0.001, radial diffusivity (RD) F = 28.8, p < 0.001). Neonatal FA-values resembled adult FA-values more than RD, while RD approximated the adult brain faster (F = 358.4, p < 0.001). Maturational trajectories of RD in neonatal white matter pathways revealed substantial overlap with what is known about the sequence of subcortical white matter myelination from histopathological mappings as recorded by early neuroanatomists (mean RD 68 regions r = 0.45, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Employing postnatal neuroimaging we reveal that early maturational trajectories of white matter pathways display discriminative developmental features of the neonatal brain network. These findings provide valuable insight into the early stages of structural connectome development.


Asunto(s)
Conectoma , Imagen de Difusión Tensora , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Sustancia Blanca/crecimiento & desarrollo , Adulto , Anisotropía , Preescolar , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , Femenino , Sustancia Gris/diagnóstico por imagen , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Recien Nacido Prematuro , Masculino , Vaina de Mielina/metabolismo , Neuroanatomía , Neuroimagen , Adulto Joven
2.
Cereb Cortex ; 28(7): 2655-2664, 2018 07 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29722805

RESUMEN

Converging evidence from activation, connectivity, and stimulation studies suggests that auditory brain networks are lateralized. Here we show that these findings can be at least partly explained by the asymmetric network embedding of the primary auditory cortices. Using diffusion-weighted imaging in 3 independent datasets, we investigate the propensity for left and right auditory cortex to communicate with other brain areas by quantifying the centrality of the auditory network across a spectrum of communication mechanisms, from shortest path communication to diffusive spreading. Across all datasets, we find that the right auditory cortex is better integrated in the connectome, facilitating more efficient communication with other areas, with much of the asymmetry driven by differences in communication pathways to the opposite hemisphere. Critically, the primacy of the right auditory cortex emerges only when communication is conceptualized as a diffusive process, taking advantage of more than just the topologically shortest paths in the network. Altogether, these results highlight how the network configuration and embedding of a particular region may contribute to its functional lateralization.


Asunto(s)
Corteza Auditiva/fisiología , Vías Auditivas/fisiología , Lateralidad Funcional , Estimulación Acústica , Adulto , Anciano , Corteza Auditiva/diagnóstico por imagen , Vías Auditivas/diagnóstico por imagen , Estudios de Cohortes , Comunicación , Conectoma , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , Femenino , Humanos , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto Joven
3.
Neuroimage ; 170: 249-256, 2018 04 15.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28040542

RESUMEN

The cerebral cortex displays substantial variation in cellular architecture, a regional patterning that has been of great interest to anatomists for centuries. In 1925, Constantin von Economo and George Koskinas published a detailed atlas of the human cerebral cortex, describing a cytoarchitectonic division of the cortical mantle into over 40 distinct areas. Von Economo and Koskinas accompanied their seminal work with large photomicrographic plates of their histological slides, together with tables containing for each described region detailed morphological layer-specific information on neuronal count, neuron size and thickness of the cortical mantle. Here, we aimed to make this legacy data accessible and relatable to in vivo neuroimaging data by constructing a digital Von Economo - Koskinas atlas compatible with the widely used FreeSurfer software suite. In this technical note we describe the procedures used for manual segmentation of the Von Economo - Koskinas atlas onto individual T1 scans and the subsequent construction of the digital atlas. We provide the files needed to run the atlas on new FreeSurfer data, together with some simple code of how to apply the atlas to T1 scans within the FreeSurfer software suite. The digital Von Economo - Koskinas atlas is easily applicable to modern day anatomical MRI data and is made publicly available online.


Asunto(s)
Atlas como Asunto , Corteza Cerebral/anatomía & histología , Corteza Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Neuroimagen/métodos , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino
4.
Neuroimage ; 180(Pt B): 406-416, 2018 10 15.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28823827

RESUMEN

Modularity is an important topological attribute for functional brain networks. Recent human fMRI studies have reported that modularity of functional networks varies not only across individuals being related to demographics and cognitive performance, but also within individuals co-occurring with fluctuations in network properties of functional connectivity, estimated over short time intervals. However, characteristics of these time-resolved functional networks during periods of high and low modularity have remained largely unexplored. In this study we investigate basic spatiotemporal properties of time-resolved networks in the high and low modularity periods during rest, with a particular focus on their spatial connectivity patterns, temporal homogeneity and test-retest reliability. We show that spatial connectivity patterns of time-resolved networks in the high and low modularity periods are represented by increased and decreased dissociation of the default mode network module from task-positive network modules, respectively. We also find that the instances of time-resolved functional connectivity sampled from within the high (respectively, low) modularity period are relatively homogeneous (respectively, heterogeneous) over time, indicating that during the low modularity period the default mode network interacts with other networks in a variable manner. We confirmed that the occurrence of the high and low modularity periods varies across individuals with moderate inter-session test-retest reliability and that it is correlated with previously-reported individual differences in the modularity of functional connectivity estimated over longer timescales. Our findings illustrate how time-resolved functional networks are spatiotemporally organized during periods of high and low modularity, allowing one to trace individual differences in long-timescale modularity to the variable occurrence of network configurations at shorter timescales.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/fisiología , Conectoma/métodos , Modelos Neurológicos , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Algoritmos , Conjuntos de Datos como Asunto , Humanos , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador/métodos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Tiempo
5.
Hum Brain Mapp ; 38(9): 4594-4612, 2017 09.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28608616

RESUMEN

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (CP) has long been associated with basal ganglia and thalamus lesions. Recent evidence further points at white matter (WM) damage. This study aims to identify altered WM pathways in dyskinetic CP from a standardized, connectome-based approach, and to assess structure-function relationship in WM pathways for clinical outcomes. Individual connectome maps of 25 subjects with dyskinetic CP and 24 healthy controls were obtained combining a structural parcellation scheme with whole-brain deterministic tractography. Graph theoretical metrics and the network-based statistic were applied to compare groups and to correlate WM state with motor and cognitive performance. Results showed a widespread reduction of WM volume in CP subjects compared to controls and a more localized decrease in degree (number of links per node) and fractional anisotropy (FA), comprising parieto-occipital regions and the hippocampus. However, supramarginal gyrus showed a significantly higher degree. At the network level, CP subjects showed a bilateral pathway with reduced FA, comprising sensorimotor, intraparietal and fronto-parietal connections. Gross and fine motor functions correlated with FA in a pathway comprising the sensorimotor system, but gross motor also correlated with prefrontal, temporal and occipital connections. Intelligence correlated with FA in a network with fronto-striatal and parieto-frontal connections, and visuoperception was related to right occipital connections. These findings demonstrate a disruption in structural brain connectivity in dyskinetic CP, revealing general involvement of posterior brain regions with relative preservation of prefrontal areas. We identified pathways in which WM integrity is related to clinical features, including but not limited to the sensorimotor system. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4594-4612, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Encéfalo/fisiopatología , Parálisis Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Parálisis Cerebral/fisiopatología , Cognición , Actividad Motora , Adolescente , Adulto , Parálisis Cerebral/psicología , Niño , Cognición/fisiología , Conectoma/métodos , Evaluación de la Discapacidad , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Actividad Motora/fisiología , Vías Nerviosas/diagnóstico por imagen , Vías Nerviosas/fisiopatología , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas , Tamaño de los Órganos , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Sustancia Blanca/fisiopatología , Adulto Joven
6.
Neuroimage ; 155: 473-479, 2017 07 15.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28392487

RESUMEN

Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the mesocortical system is crucial for higher order cognition. Common variation on the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene has been linked to individual differences in dopaminergic signaling and was also repeatedly associated to cognitive markers. The relationship between dopaminergic genetic variants and neurostructural properties of the mesocortical system, however, has received little attention so far. Recently, the direction of a dopaminergic manipulation was predicted from the integrity of fiber tracts between subcortical areas and the frontal lobes. Fiber tract integrity was therefore proposed as an indicator of baseline dopamine activity. This raises the question whether DRD2 variants that relate to dopamine turnaround are also linked to fiber tract integrity. In the present study we assessed associations between the DRD2 rs6277 polymorphism and subcortical connections from connectome maps derived from diffusion weighted imaging in n=105 healthy volunteers (43 males and 62 females). Carriers of the CC genotype who are characterized by elevated striatal dopamine turnaround showed higher integrity in terms of fractional anisotropy on fiber tracts between the basal ganglia and frontal regions compared to carriers of the CT and TT variant. Our results indicate that structural connectivity could serve as a conceptual link between genetically determined individual differences in dopaminergic activity and effects of dopamine challenges on executive functioning.


Asunto(s)
Ganglios Basales/anatomía & histología , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Lóbulo Frontal/anatomía & histología , Red Nerviosa/anatomía & histología , Receptores de Dopamina D2/genética , Sustancia Blanca/anatomía & histología , Adulto , Femenino , Lóbulo Frontal/diagnóstico por imagen , Humanos , Individualidad , Masculino , Red Nerviosa/diagnóstico por imagen , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Adulto Joven
7.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry ; 58(7): 810-818, 2017 Jul.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28295280

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has frequently been associated with changes in resting-state functional connectivity, and decreased white matter (WM) integrity. In the current study, we investigated functional connectivity within Default Mode and frontal control resting-state networks (RSNs) in children with and without ADHD. We hypothesized the RSNs of interest would show a pattern of impaired functional integration and segregation and corresponding changes in WM structure. METHODS: Resting-state fMRI and diffusion-weighted imaging data were acquired from 35 participants with ADHD and 36 matched typically developing peers, aged 6 through 18 years. Functional connectivity was assessed using independent component analysis. Network topology and WM connectivity were further investigated using graph theoretical measures and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). RESULTS: Resting-state fMRI analyses showed increased functional connectivity in right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and bilateral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) within the Default Mode and frontal control networks. Furthermore, a more diffuse spatial pattern of functional connectivity was found in children with ADHD. We found no group differences in structural connectivity as assessed with TBSS or graph theoretical measures. CONCLUSIONS: Resting-state networks show a more diffuse pattern of connectivity in children with ADHD. The increases in functional connectivity in right IFG and bilateral mPFC in children with ADHD may reflect reduced or delayed functional segregation of prefrontal brain regions. As these functional changes were not accompanied by changes in WM, they may precede the development of the frequently reported changes in WM structure.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/fisiopatología , Conectoma/métodos , Corteza Prefrontal/fisiopatología , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Adolescente , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/diagnóstico por imagen , Niño , Imagen de Difusión Tensora , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Corteza Prefrontal/diagnóstico por imagen
8.
Neuroimage Clin ; 13: 361-369, 2017.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28070484

RESUMEN

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromuscular disease, with large variation in survival between patients. Currently, it remains rather difficult to predict survival based on clinical parameters alone. Here, we set out to use clinical characteristics in combination with MRI data to predict survival of ALS patients using deep learning, a machine learning technique highly effective in a broad range of big-data analyses. A group of 135 ALS patients was included from whom high-resolution diffusion-weighted and T1-weighted images were acquired at the first visit to the outpatient clinic. Next, each of the patients was monitored carefully and survival time to death was recorded. Patients were labeled as short, medium or long survivors, based on their recorded time to death as measured from the time of disease onset. In the deep learning procedure, the total group of 135 patients was split into a training set for deep learning (n = 83 patients), a validation set (n = 20) and an independent evaluation set (n = 32) to evaluate the performance of the obtained deep learning networks. Deep learning based on clinical characteristics predicted survival category correctly in 68.8% of the cases. Deep learning based on MRI predicted 62.5% correctly using structural connectivity and 62.5% using brain morphology data. Notably, when we combined the three sources of information, deep learning prediction accuracy increased to 84.4%. Taken together, our findings show the added value of MRI with respect to predicting survival in ALS, demonstrating the advantage of deep learning in disease prognostication.


Asunto(s)
Esclerosis Amiotrófica Lateral/diagnóstico por imagen , Aprendizaje Automático , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Redes Neurales de la Computación , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Esclerosis Amiotrófica Lateral/clasificación , Esclerosis Amiotrófica Lateral/mortalidad , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pronóstico
9.
Cereb Cortex ; 27(3): 2166-2174, 2017 03 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26975194

RESUMEN

The rich club comprises a densely mutually connected set of hub regions in the brain, thought to serve as a processing and integration core. We assessed the impact of normal variation of the tryptophane hydroxylase 2 gene's promotor region (TPH2 rs4570625) on structural connectivity of the rich club pathways by means of a candidate gene association design. Tryptophane hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin and is known to inhibit, in addition to its role as a trans-synaptic messenger, axonal and dendritic growth. The TPH2 T-variant has been associated with reduced mRNA expression and reduced serotonin levels, which may particularly influence the development of macroscale anatomical connectivity. Here, we show larger mean connectivity in the rich club in carriers of the T-variant, suggesting potential effects of upregulation of neural connectivity growth in this central core system. In addition, by edge-removal statistics, we show that the TPH2-associated higher levels of rich club connectivity are of importance for the functioning of the total structural network. The observed association is speculated to result from an effect of serotonin levels on brain development, potentially leading to stronger structural connectivity in heavily interconnected hubs.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/fisiología , Variación Genética , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , Triptófano Hidroxilasa/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Conectoma , Femenino , Estudios de Asociación Genética , Técnicas de Genotipaje , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Vías Nerviosas/diagnóstico por imagen , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Población Blanca/genética , Adulto Joven
10.
Biol Psychiatry ; 81(6): 495-502, 2017 03 15.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27720199

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have identified several common risk loci for schizophrenia (SCZ). In parallel, neuroimaging studies have shown consistent findings of widespread white matter disconnectivity in patients with SCZ. METHODS: We examined the role of genes in brain connectivity in patients with SCZ by combining transcriptional profiles of 43 SCZ risk genes identified by the recent genome-wide association study of the Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium with data on macroscale connectivity reductions in patients with SCZ. Expression profiles of 43 Psychiatric Genomics Consortium SCZ risk genes were extracted from the Allen Human Brain Atlas, and their average profile across the cortex was correlated to the pattern of cortical disconnectivity as derived from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data of patients with SCZ (n = 48) and matched healthy controls (n = 43). RESULTS: The expression profile of SCZ risk genes across cortical regions was significantly correlated with the regional macroscale disconnectivity (r = .588; p = .017). In addition, effects were found to be potentially specific to SCZ, with transcriptional profiles not related to cortical disconnectivity in patients with bipolar I disorder (diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data; 216 patients, 144 controls). Further examination of correlations across all 20,737 genes present in the Allen Human Brain Atlas showed the set of top 100 strongest correlating genes to display significant enrichment for the disorder, potentially identifying new genes involved in the pathophysiology of SCZ. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that under disease conditions, cortical areas with pronounced expression of risk genes implicated in SCZ form central areas for white matter disconnectivity.


Asunto(s)
Corteza Cerebral/metabolismo , Corteza Cerebral/patología , Conectoma , Expresión Génica , Esquizofrenia/genética , Esquizofrenia/patología , Adulto , Corteza Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , Femenino , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Vías Nerviosas/metabolismo , Vías Nerviosas/patología , Factores de Riesgo , Esquizofrenia/metabolismo , Sustancia Blanca/metabolismo , Sustancia Blanca/patología , Adulto Joven
11.
Neuroimage ; 145(Pt B): 389-408, 2017 01 15.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26658930

RESUMEN

In this review, we discuss recent work by the ENIGMA Consortium (http://enigma.ini.usc.edu) - a global alliance of over 500 scientists spread across 200 institutions in 35 countries collectively analyzing brain imaging, clinical, and genetic data. Initially formed to detect genetic influences on brain measures, ENIGMA has grown to over 30 working groups studying 12 major brain diseases by pooling and comparing brain data. In some of the largest neuroimaging studies to date - of schizophrenia and major depression - ENIGMA has found replicable disease effects on the brain that are consistent worldwide, as well as factors that modulate disease effects. In partnership with other consortia including ADNI, CHARGE, IMAGEN and others1, ENIGMA's genomic screens - now numbering over 30,000 MRI scans - have revealed at least 8 genetic loci that affect brain volumes. Downstream of gene findings, ENIGMA has revealed how these individual variants - and genetic variants in general - may affect both the brain and risk for a range of diseases. The ENIGMA consortium is discovering factors that consistently affect brain structure and function that will serve as future predictors linking individual brain scans and genomic data. It is generating vast pools of normative data on brain measures - from tens of thousands of people - that may help detect deviations from normal development or aging in specific groups of subjects. We discuss challenges and opportunities in applying these predictors to individual subjects and new cohorts, as well as lessons we have learned in ENIGMA's efforts so far.


Asunto(s)
Encefalopatías , Estudio de Asociación del Genoma Completo , Trastornos Mentales , Estudios Multicéntricos como Asunto , Encefalopatías/diagnóstico por imagen , Encefalopatías/genética , Encefalopatías/patología , Encefalopatías/fisiopatología , Humanos , Trastornos Mentales/diagnóstico por imagen , Trastornos Mentales/genética , Trastornos Mentales/patología , Trastornos Mentales/fisiopatología
12.
Brain Imaging Behav ; 11(1): 62-75, 2017 02.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26801675

RESUMEN

The hippocampus is a key modulator of stress responses underlying depressive behavior. While FKBP5 has been found associated with a large number of stress-related outcomes and hippocampal features, its potential role in modifying the hippocampal communication transfer mechanisms with other brain regions remains largely unexplored. The putative genetic or environmental roots of the association between depression and structural connectivity alterations of the hippocampus were evaluated combining diffusion weighted imaging with both a quantitative genetics approach and molecular information on the rs1360780 single nucleotide polymorphism, in a sample of 54 informative monozygotic twins (27 pairs). Three main results were derived from the present analyses. First, graph-theoretical measures of hippocampal connectivity were altered in depression. Specifically, decreased connectivity strength and increased network centrality of the right hippocampus were found in depressed individuals. Second, these hippocampal alterations are potentially driven by familial factors (genes plus shared environment). Third, there is an additive interaction effect between FKBP5's rs1360780 variant and the graph-theoretical metrics of hippocampal connectivity to influence depression risk. Our data reveals alterations of the communication patterns between the hippocampus and the rest of the brain in depression, effects potentially driven by overall familial factors (genes plus shared twin environment) and modified by the FKBP5 gene.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno Depresivo/diagnóstico por imagen , Trastorno Depresivo/genética , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Hipocampo/diagnóstico por imagen , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple , Proteínas de Unión a Tacrolimus/genética , Adulto , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , Femenino , Interacción Gen-Ambiente , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Vías Nerviosas/diagnóstico por imagen , Gemelos Monocigóticos , Adulto Joven
13.
Neuroimage ; 141: 357-365, 2016 Nov 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27475289

RESUMEN

Human and animal nervous systems constitute complexly wired networks that form the infrastructure for neural processing and integration of information. The organization of these neural networks can be analyzed using the so-called Laplacian spectrum, providing a mathematical tool to produce systems-level network fingerprints. In this article, we examine a characteristic central peak in the spectrum of neural networks, including anatomical brain network maps of the mouse, cat and macaque, as well as anatomical and functional network maps of human brain connectivity. We link the occurrence of this central peak to the level of symmetry in neural networks, an intriguing aspect of network organization resulting from network elements that exhibit similar wiring patterns. Specifically, we propose a measure to capture the global level of symmetry of a network and show that, for both empirical networks and network models, the height of the main peak in the Laplacian spectrum is strongly related to node symmetry in the underlying network. Moreover, examination of spectra of duplication-based model networks shows that neural spectra are best approximated using a trade-off between duplication and diversification. Taken together, our results facilitate a better understanding of neural network spectra and the importance of symmetry in neural networks.


Asunto(s)
Algoritmos , Encéfalo/fisiología , Conectoma/métodos , Modelos Neurológicos , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Animales , Encéfalo/anatomía & histología , Gatos , Simulación por Computador , Humanos , Macaca , Ratones , Red Nerviosa/anatomía & histología , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Especificidad de la Especie
14.
Hum Brain Mapp ; 37(11): 4006-4016, 2016 11.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27329671

RESUMEN

While there are minimal sex differences in overall intelligence, males, on average, have larger total brain volume and corresponding regional brain volumes compared to females, measures that are consistently related to intelligence. Limited research has examined which other brain characteristics may differentially contribute to intelligence in females to facilitate equal performance on intelligence measures. Recent reports of sex differences in the neural characteristics of the brain further highlight the need to differentiate how the structural neural characteristics relate to intellectual ability in males and females. The current study utilized a graph network approach in conjunction with structural equation modeling to examine potential sex differences in the relationship between white matter efficiency, fronto-parietal gray matter volume, and general cognitive ability (GCA). Participants were healthy adults (n = 244) who completed a battery of cognitive testing and underwent structural neuroimaging. Results indicated that in males, a latent factor of fronto-parietal gray matter was significantly related to GCA when controlling for total gray matter volume. In females, white matter efficiency and total gray matter volume were significantly related to GCA, with no specificity of the fronto-parietal gray matter factor over and above total gray matter volume. This work highlights that different neural characteristics across males and females may contribute to performance on intelligence measures. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4006-4016, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Asunto(s)
Lóbulo Frontal/diagnóstico por imagen , Sustancia Gris/diagnóstico por imagen , Inteligencia , Lóbulo Parietal/diagnóstico por imagen , Caracteres Sexuales , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Conectoma , Análisis Factorial , Femenino , Humanos , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador/métodos , Masculino , Vías Nerviosas/diagnóstico por imagen , Tamaño de los Órganos , Escalas de Wechsler , Adulto Joven
15.
Cereb Cortex ; 26(7): 3285-96, 2016 07.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27102654

RESUMEN

The dynamics of spontaneous fluctuations in neural activity are shaped by underlying patterns of anatomical connectivity. While numerous studies have demonstrated edge-wise correspondence between structural and functional connections, much less is known about how large-scale coherent functional network patterns emerge from the topology of structural networks. In the present study, we deploy a multivariate statistical technique, partial least squares, to investigate the association between spatially extended structural networks and functional networks. We find multiple statistically robust patterns, reflecting reliable combinations of structural and functional subnetworks that are optimally associated with one another. Importantly, these patterns generally do not show a one-to-one correspondence between structural and functional edges, but are instead distributed and heterogeneous, with many functional relationships arising from nonoverlapping sets of anatomical connections. We also find that structural connections between high-degree hubs are disproportionately represented, suggesting that these connections are particularly important in establishing coherent functional networks. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the network organization of the cerebral cortex supports the emergence of diverse functional network configurations that often diverge from the underlying anatomical substrate.


Asunto(s)
Neocórtex/diagnóstico por imagen , Neocórtex/fisiología , Conectoma/métodos , Humanos , Análisis de los Mínimos Cuadrados , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Análisis Multivariante , Vías Nerviosas/diagnóstico por imagen , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Descanso
16.
J Int Neuropsychol Soc ; 22(2): 240-9, 2016 Feb.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26888620

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: One of the most prominent features of schizophrenia is relatively lower general cognitive ability (GCA). An emerging approach to understanding the roots of variation in GCA relies on network properties of the brain. In this multi-center study, we determined global characteristics of brain networks using graph theory and related these to GCA in healthy controls and individuals with schizophrenia. METHODS: Participants (N=116 controls, 80 patients with schizophrenia) were recruited from four sites. GCA was represented by the first principal component of a large battery of neurocognitive tests. Graph metrics were derived from diffusion-weighted imaging. RESULTS: The global metrics of longer characteristic path length and reduced overall connectivity predicted lower GCA across groups, and group differences were noted for both variables. Measures of clustering, efficiency, and modularity did not differ across groups or predict GCA. Follow-up analyses investigated three topological types of connectivity--connections among high degree "rich club" nodes, "feeder" connections to these rich club nodes, and "local" connections not involving the rich club. Rich club and local connectivity predicted performance across groups. In a subsample (N=101 controls, 56 patients), a genetic measure reflecting mutation load, based on rare copy number deletions, was associated with longer characteristic path length. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the importance of characteristic path lengths and rich club connectivity for GCA and provide no evidence for group differences in the relationships between graph metrics and GCA.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/patología , Trastornos del Conocimiento/etiología , Inteligencia/fisiología , Vías Nerviosas/fisiopatología , Esquizofrenia , Adulto , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Pruebas Genéticas , Variación Genética/genética , Humanos , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Modelos Lineales , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Vías Nerviosas/diagnóstico por imagen , Vías Nerviosas/patología , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas , Escalas de Valoración Psiquiátrica , Esquizofrenia/complicaciones , Esquizofrenia/genética , Esquizofrenia/patología , Adulto Joven
17.
Hum Brain Mapp ; 37(1): 122-34, 2016 Jan.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26454006

RESUMEN

The notion that healthy brain function emerges from coordinated neural activity constrained by the brain's network of anatomical connections--i.e., the connectome--suggests that alterations in the connectome's wiring pattern may underlie brain disorders. Corroborating this hypothesis, studies in schizophrenia are indicative of altered connectome architecture including reduced communication efficiency, disruptions of central brain hubs, and affected "rich club" organization. Whether similar deficits are present in bipolar disorder is currently unknown. This study examines structural connectome topology in 216 bipolar I disorder patients as compared to 144 healthy controls, focusing in particular on central regions (i.e., brain hubs) and connections (i.e., rich club connections, interhemispheric connections) of the brain's network. We find that bipolar I disorder patients exhibit reduced global efficiency (-4.4%, P =0.002) and that this deficit relates (r = 0.56, P < 0.001) to reduced connectivity strength of interhemispheric connections (-13.0%, P = 0.001). Bipolar disorder patients were found not to show predominant alterations in the strength of brain hub connections in general, or of connections spanning brain hubs (i.e., "rich club" connections) in particular (all P > 0.1). These findings highlight a role for aberrant brain network architecture in bipolar I disorder with reduced global efficiency in association with disruptions in interhemispheric connectivity, while the central "rich club" system appears not to be particularly affected.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno Bipolar/patología , Encéfalo/patología , Conectoma , Vías Nerviosas/patología , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Trastorno Bipolar/fisiopatología , Mapeo Encefálico , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Escalas de Valoración Psiquiátrica , Adulto Joven
18.
Neuroimage ; 124(Pt A): 1054-1064, 2016 Jan 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26427642

RESUMEN

The human connectome represents a network map of the brain's wiring diagram and the pattern into which its connections are organized is thought to play an important role in cognitive function. The generative rules that shape the topology of the human connectome remain incompletely understood. Earlier work in model organisms has suggested that wiring rules based on geometric relationships (distance) can account for many but likely not all topological features. Here we systematically explore a family of generative models of the human connectome that yield synthetic networks designed according to different wiring rules combining geometric and a broad range of topological factors. We find that a combination of geometric constraints with a homophilic attachment mechanism can create synthetic networks that closely match many topological characteristics of individual human connectomes, including features that were not included in the optimization of the generative model itself. We use these models to investigate a lifespan dataset and show that, with age, the model parameters undergo progressive changes, suggesting a rebalancing of the generative factors underlying the connectome across the lifespan.


Asunto(s)
Conectoma/métodos , Modelos Neurológicos , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Envejecimiento/psicología , Algoritmos , Encéfalo/fisiología , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Redes Neurales de la Computación , Adulto Joven
19.
Hum Brain Mapp ; 37(2): 717-29, 2016 Feb.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26595445

RESUMEN

Brain connectivity shows protracted development throughout childhood and adolescence, and, as such, the topology of brain networks changes during this period. The complexity of these changes with development is reflected by regional differences in maturation. This study explored age-related changes in network topology and regional developmental patterns during childhood and adolescence. We acquired two sets of Diffusion Weighted Imaging-scans and anatomical T1-weighted scans. The first dataset included 85 typically developing individuals (53 males; 32 females), aged between 7 and 23 years and was acquired on a Philips Achieva 1.5 Tesla scanner. A second dataset (N = 38) was acquired on a different (but identical) 1.5 T scanner and was used for independent replication of our results. We reconstructed whole brain networks using tractography. We operationalized fiber tract development as changes in mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity with age. Most fibers showed maturational changes in mean and radial diffusivity values throughout childhood and adolescence, likely reflecting increasing white matter integrity. The largest age-related changes were observed in association fibers within and between the frontal and parietal lobes. Furthermore, there was a simultaneous age-related decrease in average path length (P < 0.0001), increase in node strength (P < 0.0001) as well as network clustering (P = 0.001), which may reflect fine-tuning of topological organization. These results suggest a sequential maturational model where connections between unimodal regions strengthen in childhood, followed by connections from these unimodal regions to association regions, while adolescence is characterized by the strengthening of connections between association regions within the frontal and parietal cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 37:717-729, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/crecimiento & desarrollo , Adolescente , Niño , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Vías Nerviosas/crecimiento & desarrollo , Adulto Joven
20.
Brain Struct Funct ; 221(3): 1719-36, 2016 Apr.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25697666

RESUMEN

The mammalian brain is a complex network of anatomically interconnected regions. Animal studies allow for an invasive measurement of the connections of these networks at the macroscale level by means of neuronal tracing of axonal projections, providing a unique opportunity for the formation of detailed 'connectome maps'. Here we analyzed the macroscale connectome of the rat brain, including detailed information on the macroscale interregional pathways between 67 cortical and subcortical regions as provided by the high-quality, open-access BAMS-II database on rat brain anatomical projections, focusing in particular on the non-uniform distribution of projection strength across pathways. First, network analysis confirmed a small-world, modular and rich club organization of the rat connectome; findings in clear support of previous studies on connectome organization in other mammalian species. More importantly, analyzing network properties of different connection weight classes, we extend previous observations by showing that pathways with different topological roles have significantly different levels of connectivity strength. Among other findings, intramodular connections are shown to display a higher connectivity strength than intermodular connections and hub-to-hub rich club connections are shown to include significantly stronger pathways than connections spanning between peripheral nodes. Furthermore, we show evidence indicating that edges of different weight classes display different topological structures, potentially suggesting varying roles and origins of pathways in the mammalian brain network.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/anatomía & histología , Conectoma , Modelos Neurológicos , Animales , Conectoma/métodos , Bases de Datos Factuales , Vías Nerviosas/anatomía & histología , Ratas
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