Gray Matter/diagnostic imaging* ; Cerebral Cortex ; Brain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVES: Prediabetes is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the exact mechanism of prediabetes-related brain diseases has not been fully elucidated. The brain structure of patients with prediabetes has been damaged to varying degrees, and these changes may affect the topological characteristics of large-scale brain networks. The structural covariance of connected gray matter has been demonstrated valuable in inferring large-scale structural brain networks. The alterations of gray matter structural covariance networks in prediabetes remain unclear. This study aims to examine the topological features and robustness of gray matter structural covariance networks in prediabetes. METHODS: A total of 48 subjects were enrolled in this study, including 23 patients with prediabetes (the PD group) and 25 age-and sex-matched healthy controls (the Ctr group). All subjects' high-resolution 3D T₁ images of the brain were collected by a 3.0 Tesla MR machine. Mini-mental state examination was used to evaluate the cognitive status of each subject. We calculated the gray matter volume of 116 brain regions with automated anatomical labeling (AAL) template, and constructed gray matter structural covariance networks by thresholding interregional structural correlation matrices as well as graph theoretical analysis. The area under the curve (AUC) in conjunction with permutation testing was employed for testing the differences in network measures, which included small world parameter (Sigma), normalized clustering coefficient (Gamma), normalized path length (Lambda), global efficiency, characteristic path length, local efficiency, mean clustering coefficient, and network robustness parameters. RESULTS: The network in both groups followed small-world characteristics, showing that Sigma was greater than 1, the Lambda was much higher than 1, and Gamma was close to 1. Compared with the Ctr group, the network of the PD group showed increased Sigma, Lambda, and Gamma across a range of network sparsity. The Gamma of the PD group was significantly higher than that in the Ctr group in the network sparsity range of 0.12-0.16, but there was no difference between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). The grey matter network showed an increased characteristic path length and a decreased global efficiency in the PD group, but AUC analysis showed that there was no significant difference between groups (all P>0.05). For the network separation measures, the local efficiency and mean clustering coefficient of the gray matter network in the PD group were significantly increased and AUC analysis also confirmed it (P=0.001 and P=0.004, respectively). In addition, network robustness analysis showed that the grey matter network of the PD group was more vulnerable to random damage (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS The prediabetic gray matter network shows an increased average clustering coefficient and local efficiency, and is more vulnerable to random damage than the healthy control, suggesting that the topological characteristics of the prediabetes grey matter covariant network have changed (network separation enhanced and network robustness reduced), which may provide new insights into the brain damage relevant to the disease.
Humans ; Gray Matter/diagnostic imaging* ; Prediabetic State ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Cerebral Cortex ; Brain

Objective: To analyze the morphological changes of gray matter in clefts lip and palate (CLP) children using voxel-based morphometric (VBM) and surface-based morphometric (SBM) methods. So as to provide a reference for the neural mechanism of cleft palate speech disorder (CPSD) in CLP population. Methods: A total of 29 CLP children with CPSD who were admitted to Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Plastic & Tramuma Surgery, Capital Medical University School of Stomatology from January 2017 to January 2022 were selected (CLP group), including 9 males and 20 females, aged (9.6±3.2) years (5-17 years old). During the same period, 33 healthy children (healthy control group) were recruited in Beijing Children's Hospital, including 9 males and 24 females, aged (9.6±2.4) years (5-16 years). Results: There were no significant differences in age and gender between the healthy control group and the CLP group (t=-0.07, P=0.944; χ²=0.11, P=0.745). Compared with the healthy control group, the left inferior temporal gyrus, right inferior parietal angular gyrus, and left upper cerebellar gray matter volume in the CLP group were significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the volume of the right medial superior frontal gyrus was significantly increased (P<0.05). The left inferior frontal gyrus insula and the right insula cortical thickness of the subjects in the CLP group were significantly thinner [family-wise error rate (FWER) correction, P=0.035]. The right hemisphere cingulate gyrus isthmus sulcus index increased in the CLP group (FWER correction, P=0.040). Conclusions: CLP children with speech disorder have multiple language-related brain regions with reduced gray matter (GM) volume, decreased cortical thickness, and increased gyrificaition index. The abnormal changes in GM morphology in these brain regions may be related to the characteristics of cleft palate speech disorder in the CLP population.
Adolescent ; Brain ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cleft Palate ; Female ; Gray Matter/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Speech

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a main type of mood disorder, characterized by significant and lasting depressed mood. Until now, the pathogenesis of MDD is not clear, but it is certain that biological, psychological, and social factors are involved. Childhood trauma is considered to be an important factor in the development of this disease. Previous studies have found that nearly half of the patients with MDD have experienced childhood trauma, and different types of childhood trauma, gender, and age show different effects on this disease. In addition, the clinical characteristics of MDD patients with childhood trauma are also different, which often have more severe depressive symptoms, higher risk of suicide, and more severe cognitive impairment. The response to antidepressants is also worse. In terms of biological mechanisms and marker characteristics, the serotonin transporter gene and the FKBP prolyl isomerase 5 have been shown to play an important role in MDD and childhood trauma. Moreover, some brain imaging and biomarkers showed specific features, such as changes in gray matter in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, and abnormal changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function.
Child ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; Pituitary-Adrenal System ; Suicide

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the intra- and inter-scanner reproducibility of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) of cerebral subcortical nuclei in healthy adults. METHODS: QSM was performed in 21 healthy adults on two different 3.0T MR scanners, and the region of interest (ROI) method was used to measure the magnetic susceptibility value of the left subcortical nuclei (the head of the caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra and red nucleus). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman method were used to evaluate the inter-scanner and intra-scanner reliability. RESULTS: The ICCs of the susceptibility value ranged from 0.90 to 0.99 for all the subcortical gray nuclei except for the head of the caudate nucleus measured on the same MR scanner by the same observer. Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the points with susceptibility differences for all the subcortical gray nuclei except for substantia nigra located in the 95% CI of limits of agreement for the same MR scanner. The ICCs of the susceptibility value for the inter-scanner was 0.49 (0.08-0.75) for the head of the caudate nuleus, 0.80 (0.57-0.91) for the putamen, 0.77 (0.51-0.90) for the globus pallidus, 0.78 (0.54-0.91) for the thalamus, 0.80 (0.56-0.91) for the substantia nigra and 0.93 (0.83-0.97) for the red nucleus. The points with susceptibility difference (95.2%, 20/21) located in the 95% CI of limits of agreement for the putamen and the thalamus measured on two different MR scanners. CONCLUSIONS The intra-scanner reproducibility of QSM of the subcortical gray nuclei is superior to the inter-scanner reproducibility in healthy adults.
Adult ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Iron ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Reproducibility of Results ; Substantia Nigra/diagnostic imaging*

OBJECTIVE: Alternate ascending/descending directional navigation (ALADDIN) is a novel arterial spin labeling technique that does not require a separate spin preparation pulse. We sought to compare the normalized cerebral blood flow (nCBF) values obtained by ALADDIN and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with primary brain tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with primary brain tumors underwent MRI scans including contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging, DSC perfusion MRI, and ALADDIN. The nCBF values of normal gray matter (GM) and tumor areas were measured by both DSC perfusion MRI and ALADDIN, which were compared by the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Subgroup analyses according to pathology were performed with the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Higher mean nCBF values of GM regions in the bilateral frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and caudate were detected by ALADDIN than by DSC perfusion MRI (p <0.05). In terms of the mean or median nCBF values and the mean of the top 10% nCBF values from tumors, DSC perfusion MRI and ALADDIN did not statistically significantly differ either overall or in each tumor group. CONCLUSION: ALADDIN tended to detect higher nCBF values in normal GM, as well as higher perfusion portions of primary brain tumors, than did DSC perfusion MRI. We believe that the high perfusion signal on ALADDIN can be beneficial in lesion detection and characterization.
Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Frontal Lobe ; Glioma ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pathology ; Perfusion ; Temporal Lobe

OBJECTIVE: To compare apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of brain segments by using two diffusion-weighted imaging acquisition modes, single-shot echo-planar imaging (ss-EPI) and read-out-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI), and to assess their correlation and agreement in healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T2-weighted (T2W) images, rs-EPI, and ss-EPI of 30 healthy subjects were acquired using a 3T magnetic resonance scanner. The T2W images were co-registered to the rs-EPI and ss-EPI, which were then segmented into the gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to generate masking templates. ADC maps of rs-EPI and ss-EPI were also segmented into the GM, WM, and CSF by using the generated templates. ADCs of rs-EPI and ss-EPI were compared using Student's t tests and correlated using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the agreement between acquisitions.
Brain ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Diffusion ; Echo-Planar Imaging ; Gray Matter ; Healthy Volunteers ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Masks ; White Matter

OBJECTIVE: Working memory impairments serve as prognostic factors for patients with schizophrenia. Working memory deficits are mainly associated with gray matter (GM) thickness and volume. We investigated the association between GM diffusivity and working memory in controls and individuals with schizophrenia. METHODS: T1 and diffusion tensor images of the brain, working memory task (letter number sequencing) scores, and the demographic data of 90 individuals with schizophrenia and 97 controls were collected from the SchizConnect database. T1 images were parcellated into the 68 GM Regions of Interest (ROI). Axial Diffusivity (AD), Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Radial Diffusivity (RD), and Trace (TR) were calculated for each of the ROIs. RESULTS: Compared to the controls, schizophrenia group showed significantly increased AD, RD, and TR in specific regions on the frontal, temporal, and anterior cingulate area. Moreover, working memory was negatively correlated with AD, RD, and TR in the lateral orbitofrontal, superior temporal, inferior temporal, and rostral anterior cingulate area on left hemisphere in the individuals with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated GM microstructural abnormalities in the frontal, temporal, and anterior cingulate regions of individuals with schizophrenia. Furthermore, these regional GM microstructural abnormalities suggest a neuropathological basis for the working memory deficits observed clinically in individuals with schizophrenia.
Anisotropy ; Brain ; Diffusion ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Gray Matter ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Memory, Short-Term ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: To determine possible progressive changes of the grey matter at the first stages of the schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and to determine what regions are involved in these changes. METHODS: We searched the literature concerning studies on longitudinal changes in grey matter in first-episode psychosis using magnetic resonance imaging, especially studies with an interval between scans of more than a year. Only articles published before 2018 were searched. We selected 19 magnetic resonance imaging longitudinal studies that used different neuroimaging analysis techniques to study changes in cerebral grey matter in a group of patients with a first episode of psychosis. RESULTS: Patients with first episode of psychosis showed a decrease over time in cortical grey matter compared with a group of control subjects in frontal, temporal (specifically in superior regions), parietal, and subcortical regions. In addition to the above, studies indicate that patients showed a grey matter decrease in cerebellum and lateral ventricles volume. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a decrease in grey matter in the years after the first episode of psychosis. Furthermore, the results of the studies showed consistency, regardless of the methods used in their analyses, as well as the time intervals between image collections.
Cerebellum ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Longitudinal Studies ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuroimaging ; Psychotic Disorders ; Rabeprazole ; Schizophrenia

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a distinct neurodegenerative disease that associated with repetitive head trauma. CTE is neuropathologically defined by the perivascular accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein in the depths of the sulci in the cerebral cortices. In advanced CTE, hyperphosphorylated tau protein deposits are found in widespread regions of brain, however the mechanisms of the progressive neurodegeneration in CTE are not fully understood. In order to identify which proteomic signatures are associated with CTE, we prepared RIPA-soluble fractions and performed quantitative proteomic analysis of postmortem brain tissue from individuals neuropathologically diagnosed with CTE. We found that axonal guidance signaling pathwayrelated proteins were most significantly decreased in CTE. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed that axonal signaling pathway-related proteins were down regulated in neurons and oligodendrocytes and neuron-specific cytoskeletal proteins such as TUBB3 and CFL1 were reduced in the neuropils and cell body in CTE. Moreover, oligodendrocyte-specific proteins such as MAG and TUBB4 were decreased in the neuropils in both gray matter and white matter in CTE, which correlated with the degree of axonal injury and degeneration. Our findings indicate that deregulation of axonal guidance proteins in neurons and oligodendrocytes is associated with the neuropathology in CTE. Together, altered axonal guidance proteins may be potential pathological markers for CTE.
Axons ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Injury, Chronic ; Brain ; Cell Body ; Cerebral Cortex ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons ; Neuropathology ; Neuropil ; Oligodendroglia ; tau Proteins ; White Matter