Dataset Information

Generalizing Longitudinal Age Effects on Brain Structure - A Two-Study Comparison Approach.

ABSTRACT: Cross-sectional studies indicate that normal aging is accompanied by decreases in brain structure. Longitudinal studies, however, are relatively rare and inconsistent regarding their outcomes. Particularly the heterogeneity of methods, sample characteristics and the high inter-individual variability in older adults prevent the deduction of general trends. Therefore, the current study aimed to compare longitudinal age-related changes in brain structure (measured through cortical thickness) in two large independent samples of healthy older adults (n = 161 each); the Longitudinal Healthy Aging Brain (LHAB) database project at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and 1000BRAINS at the Research Center Juelich, Germany. Annual percentage changes in the two samples revealed stable to slight decreases in cortical thickness over time. After correction for major covariates, i.e., baseline age, sex, education, and image quality, sample differences were only marginally present. Results suggest that general trends across time might be generalizable over independent samples, assuming the same methodology is used, and similar sample characteristics are present.

SUBMITTER: Jockwitz C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8085300 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Generalizing Longitudinal Age Effects on Brain Structure - A Two-Study Comparison Approach.

Jockwitz Christiane C Mérillat Susan S Liem Franziskus F Oschwald Jessica J Amunts Katrin K Jäncke Lutz L Caspers Svenja S

Frontiers in human neuroscience 20210416

Cross-sectional studies indicate that normal aging is accompanied by decreases in brain structure. Longitudinal studies, however, are relatively rare and inconsistent regarding their outcomes. Particularly the heterogeneity of methods, sample characteristics and the high inter-individual variability in older adults prevent the deduction of general trends. Therefore, the current study aimed to compare longitudinal age-related changes in brain structure (measured through cortical thickness) in two ...[more]

PMID: 33935669

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Project description:Extensive research has demonstrated the critical role of selenium (Se) and selenoproteins in brain function and cognition. However, the impact of Se on brain cortical structure remains enigmatic. Therefore, this study used Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal effect between Se levels and brain cortical structure.MethodsThis study utilizes 11 genetic variants associated with Se level variations, extracted from a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) encompassed circulating Se levels (n = 5477) and toenail Se levels (n = 4162) in the European population. Outcome data were sourced from the summary statistics of the ENIGMA Consortium, comprising GWAS data from 51,666 individuals. The variables include cortical surface area (SA), thickness (TH) at the global level, and 34 functional cortical regions evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. The inverse-variance-weighted method was used as the primary estimate. Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted to detect potential violations of assumptions underlying MR.ResultsAt the global level, Se levels were not correlated with SA but showed a significant negative correlation with TH (β = -0.00485 mm, SE = 0.00192, p = .0115). Heterogeneity was observed across different brain regions, with positive correlations found between Se levels and the TH of the parahippocampal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and frontal pole, whereas negative correlations were found with the TH of the inferior parietal lobe and middle temporal lobe. Regarding SA, Se levels exhibit positive correlations with the pars triangularis, caudal anterior cingulate, inferior parietal lobe, and banks of the superior temporal sulcus. Conversely, negative correlations were observed with the medial orbitofrontal cortex, posterior cingulate gyrus, insula, and the middle, superior, and transverse gyrus of the temporal lobe. No pleiotropy was detected.ResultsThis MR study indicated that Se levels causally influence the brain cortical structure.

Project description:Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a learning disability affecting the acquisition of numerical-arithmetical skills. Affected people show persistent deficits in number processing, which are associated with aberrant brain activation and structure. Reduced gray matter has been reported in DD for the parietal cortex including the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), but also the frontal and occipito-temporal cortex. Furthermore, dyscalculics show white matter differences for instance in the inferior (ILF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). However, the longitudinal development of these structural differences is unknown. Therefore, our goal was to investigate the developmental trajectory of gray and white matter in children with and without DD. In this longitudinal study, neuropsychological measures and T1-weighted structural images were collected twice with an interval of 4 years from 13 children with DD (8.2-10.4 years) and 10 typically developing (TD) children (8.0-10.4 years). Voxel-wise estimation of gray and white matter volumes was assessed using voxel-based morphometry for longitudinal data. The present findings reveal for the first time that DD children show persistently reduced gray and white matter volumes over development. Reduced gray matter was found in the bilateral inferior parietal lobes including the IPS, supramarginal gyri, left precuneus, cuneus, right superior occipital gyrus, bilateral inferior and middle temporal gyri, and insula. White matter volumes were reduced in the bilateral ILF and SLF, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), corticospinal tracts, and right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR). Behaviorally, children with DD performed significantly worse in various numerical tasks at baseline and follow-up, corroborating persistent deficits in number processing. The present results are in line with the literature showing that children with DD have reduced gray and white matter volumes in the numerical network. Our study further sheds light on the trajectory of brain development, revealing that these known structural differences in the long association fibers and the adjacent regions of the temporal- and frontoparietal cortex persist in dyscalculic children from childhood into adolescence. In conclusion, our results underscore that DD is a persistent learning disorder accompanied by deficits in number processing and reduced gray and white matter volumes in number related brain areas.

Dataset Information

Generalizing Longitudinal Age Effects on Brain Structure - A Two-Study Comparison Approach.

Publications

Generalizing Longitudinal Age Effects on Brain Structure - A Two-Study Comparison Approach.

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