The structural correlates of functional dysconnectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been seldom explored, despite the fact that altered functional connectivity is one of the most frequent neuropathological observations in the disorder. We analyzed cerebral morphometry and structural connectivity using multi-modal imaging for 11 children/adolescents with ASD and 11 matched controls. We estimated regional cortical and white matter volumes, as well as vertex-wise measures of cortical thickness and local Gyrification Index (lGI). Diffusion Tensor Images (DTI) were used to measure Fractional Anisotropy (FA) and tractography estimates of short- and long-range connectivity. We observed four clusters of lGI reduction in patients with ASD, three were located in the right inferior frontal region extending to the inferior parietal lobe, and one was in the right medial parieto-occipital region. Reduced volume was found in the anterior corpus callosum, along with fewer inter-hemispheric frontal streamlines. Despite the spatial correspondence of decreased gyrification and reduced long connectivity, we did not observe any significant relationship between the two. However, a positive correlation between lGI and local connectivity was present in all four clusters in patients with ASD. Reduced gyrification in the inferior fronto-parietal and posterior medial cortical regions lends support for early-disrupted cortical growth in both the mirror neuron system and midline structures responsible for social cognition. Early impaired neurodevelopment in these regions may represent an initial substrate for altered maturation in the cerebral networks that support complex social skills. We also demonstrate that gyrification changes are related to connectivity. This supports the idea that an imbalance between short- and long-range white matter tracts not only impairs the integration of information from multiple neural systems, but also alters the shape of the brain early on in autism.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00750 | DOI Listing |
J Am Heart Assoc
January 2025
Department of Neurosurgery, Center of Pituitary Tumor, Ruijin Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China.
Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is widely used to treat carotid artery stenosis (CAS). However, the effects of CEA on unilateral CAS-induced cognitive impairment and the underlying mechanism remain poorly understood.
Methods And Results: Thirteen patients diagnosed with unilateral severe CAS underwent pre- and post-CEA assessments, including fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, cognitive assessments, and routine blood tests before and after CEA.
Curr Med Imaging
January 2025
Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95, Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing 100050, China.
Background: The neuroanatomical basis of white matter fiber tracts in gait impairments in individuals suffering from Parkinson's Disease (PD) is unclear.
Methods: Twenty-four individuals living with PD and 29 Healthy Controls (HCs) were included. For each participant, two-shell High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI) and high-resolution 3D structural images were acquired using the 3T MRI.
Biomed Opt Express
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Multiphoton fluorescence microscopy (MFM), renowned for its noninvasiveness and high spatiotemporal resolution, is extensively applied in brain structure imaging in vivo. Three-photon fluorescence (3PF) imaging, excited at the NIR-III window, can penetrate the deepest mouse cerebrovascular. Evans blue, a substance known for its low toxicity, high water solubility, and resistance to metabolism, is frequently employed to assess blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Zhejiang Univ Sci B
December 2024
Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders / Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China.
White-matter tracts play a pivotal role in transmitting sensory and motor information, facilitating interhemispheric communication and integrating different brain regions. Meanwhile, sensorimotor disturbance is a common symptom in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the role of aberrant sensorimotor white-matter system in MDD remains largely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrop Med Health
January 2025
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Background: Neurobrucellosis, a serious central nervous system infection caused by Brucella species, presents significant challenges due to its diverse clinical manifestations and the risk of long-term complications and poor outcomes. Identifying predictors of adverse outcomes is critical for improving patient management and overall prognosis.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term morbidity and mortality associated with neurobrucellosis and to identify key predictors of adverse outcomes.
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