One of the most widely investigated functions of the brain is vision. Whereas special attention is often paid to motion detection and its modulation by attention, comparatively still little is known about the structural background of this function. We therefore, examined the white matter microstructural background of coherent motion detection. A random-dot kinematogram paradigm was used to measure the sensitivity of healthy individuals׳ to movement coherence. The potential correlation was investigated between the motion detection threshold and the white matter microstructure as measured by high angular resolution diffusion MRI. The Track Based Spatial Statistics method was used to address this correlation and probabilistic tractography to reveal the connection between identified regions. A significant positive correlation was found between the behavioural data and the local fractional anisotropy in the posterior part of the right superior frontal gyrus, the right juxta-cortical superior parietal lobule, the left parietal white matter, the left superior temporal gyrus and the left optic radiation. Probabilistic tractography identified pathways that are highly similar to the segregated attention networks, which have a crucial role in the paradigm. This study draws attention to the structural determinant of a behavioural function.

• MeSH
• anizotropie MeSH
• bílá hmota anatomie a histologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• diferenční práh fyziologie   MeSH
• difuzní magnetická rezonance MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mozek anatomie a histologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• nervové dráhy anatomie a histologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• psychofyzika MeSH
• světelná stimulace MeSH
• teorie detekce signálu fyziologie   MeSH
• vnímání pohybu fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The corpus callosum is the brain's largest commissural fiber tract and is crucial for interhemispheric integration of neural information. Despite the high relevance of the corpus callosum for several cognitive systems, the molecular determinants of callosal microstructure are largely unknown. Recently, it was shown that genetic variations in the myelin-related proteolipid 1 gene PLP1 and the axon guidance related contactin 1 gene CNTN1 were associated with differences in interhemispheric integration at the behavioral level. Here, we used an innovative new diffusion neuroimaging technique called neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to quantify axonal morphology in subsections of the corpus callosum and link them to genetic variation in PLP1 and CNTN1. In a cohort of 263 healthy human adults, we found that polymorphisms in both PLP1 and CNTN1 were significantly associated with callosal microstructure. Importantly, we found a double dissociation between gene function and neuroimaging variables. Our results suggest that genetic variation in the myelin-related gene PLP1 impacts white matter microstructure in the corpus callosum, possibly by affecting myelin structure. In contrast, genetic variation in the axon guidance related gene CNTN1 impacts axon density in the corpus callosum. These findings suggest that PLP1 and CNTN1 gene variations modulate specific aspects of callosal microstructure that are in line with their gene function.

• MeSH
• bílá hmota anatomie a histologie   MeSH
• corpus callosum anatomie a histologie   MeSH
• difuzní magnetická rezonance metody   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• jednonukleotidový polymorfismus MeSH
• kontaktin 1 genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• myelinová pochva genetika   MeSH
• myelinový proteolipidový protein genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• neurity * MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Although specific risk factors for brain alterations in bipolar disorders (BD) are currently unknown, obesity impacts the brain and is highly prevalent in BD. Gray matter correlates of obesity in BD have been well documented, but we know much less about brain white matter abnormalities in people who have both obesity and BD. We obtained body mass index (BMI) and diffusion tensor imaging derived fractional anisotropy (FA) from 22 white matter tracts in 899 individuals with BD, and 1287 control individuals from 20 cohorts in the ENIGMA-BD working group. In a mega-analysis, we investigated the associations between BMI, diagnosis or medication and FA. Lower FA was associated with both BD and BMI in six white matter tracts, including the corpus callosum and thalamic radiation. Higher BMI or BD were uniquely associated with lower FA in three and six white matter tracts, respectively. People not receiving lithium treatment had a greater negative association between FA and BMI than people treated with lithium in the posterior thalamic radiation and sagittal stratum. In three tracts BMI accounted for 10.5 to 17% of the negative association between the number of medication classes other than lithium and FA. Both overweight/obesity and BD demonstrated lower FA in some of the same regions. People prescribed lithium had a weaker association between BMI and FA than people not on lithium. In contrast, greater weight contributed to the negative associations between medications and FA. Obesity may add to brain alterations in BD and may play a role in effects of medications on the brain.

• MeSH
• anizotropie MeSH
• bílá hmota * patologie   diagnostické zobrazování   metabolismus   MeSH
• bipolární porucha * patologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• index tělesné hmotnosti MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozek patologie   MeSH
• obezita * patologie   metabolismus   komplikace   MeSH
• šedá hmota MeSH
• zobrazování difuzních tenzorů metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) are both associated with cognitive decline and ventriculomegaly. While promising approach in differentiating between the two diseases, only a few diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies compared directly NPH and AD patients. The current study compares global whitematter (WM) alterations in AD and NPH addressing some of the methodological issues of previous studies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Diffusion tensor images were obtained from 17 patients with NPH, 14 with AD, and 17 healthy controls. White matter integrity was quantified by fractional anisotropy (FA), mean (MD), axial (λ1) and radial diffusivity (RD). The diffusion parameters were compared between the groups in 'skeletonised' tracts representing the core of the fibre bundles. RESULTS: Reduced FA was found in NPH patients throughout the corpus callosum, particularly in the splenium, along with increased RD. On the other hand, FA, MD and RD were higher in NPH in the cortico-fugal fibres arising from the frontal and parietal cortex. While no FA changes were detected in AD patients compared to controls, widespread increased RD was observed. When comparing NPH and AD patients, higher FA, MD and RD was observed in the corona radiata in the periventricular fibres arising from the frontal and parietal cortex in NPH patients. The ventricular volumes were correlated with diffusivity parameters in the tracts next to the ventricles in AD and NPH patients. CONCLUSION: Our analysis identified a pattern of WM diffusion alterations that can differentiate NPH patients from controls and AD patients.

• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc diagnóza   patologie   MeSH
• anizotropie MeSH
• bílá hmota patologie   MeSH
• diferenciální diagnóza * MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• normotenzní hydrocefalus diagnóza   patologie   MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• zobrazování difuzních tenzorů metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Cíl: Ověřit, zda je u pacientů v časném stadiu onemocnění schizofrenií přítomno poškození mikrostruktury bílé hmoty mozkové. Metodika: V prospektivní studii byla pomocí magnetické rezonance zkoumána frakční anizotropie (FA) bílé hmoty mozkové u souboru nemocných po první epizodě schizofrenie (n = 23) a kontrolního souboru zdravých jedinců (n = 23). Hodnoty frakční anizotropie získané z multidirekcionálně difuzně vážené sekvence byly analyzovány prostřednictvím Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Výsledky: U nemocných po první epizodě schizofrenie byly nalezeny rozsáhlé oblasti poklesu FA bílé hmoty mozkové lokalizované disperzně v celém vyšetřeném objemu mozku, postihující většinu diferencovatelných traktů. Nebyly prokázány statisticky významné oblasti vzestupu FA oproti kontrolní skupině. Závěr: Již při první epizodě schizofrenie jsou přítomny mikrostrukturální změny v rozsáhlých oblastech bílé hmoty mozkové.

Purpose: To assess microstructural changes of the cerebral white matter in the earliest stage of schizophrenia. Methods: Magnetic resonance was used to prospectively compare fractional anisotropy of the white matter between subjects after the first episode of schizophrenia (n = 23) and healthy controls (n = 23). Diffusion tensor data obtained from multidirectional diffusion weighted sequence were analysed by using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Results: Extensive areas of decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) were found in the white matter after the first episode of schizophrenia, affecting most of the white matter tracts. No areas of significantly increased FA were found when compared to the healthy control group. Conclusion: Extensive areas of micro-structural alteration of the white matter are already present during the first episode of schizophrenia.

• MeSH
• anizotropie * MeSH
• bílá hmota patofyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• schizofrenie diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• statistika jako téma MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

OBJECTIVE: Several evidences demonstrated the role of white matter (WM) lesions in the pathogenesis of Vascular Parkinsonism (VP), a clinical entity characterized by parkinsonism, postural instability, marked gait difficulty and poor response to levodopa. However, the involvement of normal appearing white matter (NAWM) in VP still remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the microstructural integrity of NAWM in VP compared to Parkinson's disease (PD) and controls using neuroimaging approach. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 50 participants (15 VP, 20 PD and 15 controls). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were performed to assess microstructural NAWM changes. In order to evaluate the relationship between specific fiber tract involvement and clinical picture, diffusion alterations were correlated with clinical features. RESULTS: Compared to PD patients and controls, significantly reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) in NAWM of corpus callosum, internal and external capsule, and corona radiata were present in VP. By contrast, DTI metrics were normal in NAWM-PD and controls. A significant correlation was found between FA and MD of anterior third of corpus callosum and clinical variables (postural instability, freezing-of-gait and symmetry of parkinsonism). CONCLUSIONS: This study improves the knowledge on WM pathology in VP, as our results demonstrate that NAWM damage occurs in VP, but not in PD nor in controls. NAWM damage might relate to clinical picture and suggest that non-clearly-visible WM alterations may contribute to the physiopathology of this vascular disease.

• MeSH
• bílá hmota diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• cerebrovaskulární poruchy diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• parkinsonské poruchy diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• zobrazování difuzních tenzorů metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Previous studies have shown that the cholinergic nucleus basalis of Meynert and its white matter projections are affected in Alzheimer's disease dementia and mild cognitive impairment. However, it is still unknown whether these alterations can be found in individuals with subjective cognitive decline, and whether they are more pronounced than changes found in conventional brain volumetric measurements. To address these questions, we investigated microstructural alterations of two major cholinergic pathways in individuals along the Alzheimer's disease continuum using an in vivo model of the human cholinergic system based on neuroimaging. We included 402 participants (52 Alzheimer's disease, 66 mild cognitive impairment, 172 subjective cognitive decline and 112 healthy controls) from the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study. We modelled the cholinergic white matter pathways with an enhanced diffusion neuroimaging pipeline that included probabilistic fibre-tracking methods and prior anatomical knowledge. The integrity of the cholinergic white matter pathways was compared between stages of the Alzheimer's disease continuum, in the whole cohort and in a CSF amyloid-beta stratified subsample. The discriminative power of the integrity of the pathways was compared to the conventional volumetric measures of hippocampus and nucleus basalis of Meynert, using a receiver operating characteristics analysis. A multivariate model was used to investigate the role of these pathways in relation to cognitive performance. We found that the integrity of the cholinergic white matter pathways was significantly reduced in all stages of the Alzheimer's disease continuum, including individuals with subjective cognitive decline. The differences involved posterior cholinergic white matter in the subjective cognitive decline stage and extended to anterior frontal white matter in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease dementia stages. Both cholinergic pathways and conventional volumetric measures showed higher predictive power in the more advanced stages of the disease, i.e. mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease dementia. In contrast, the integrity of cholinergic pathways was more informative in distinguishing subjective cognitive decline from healthy controls, as compared with the volumetric measures. The multivariate model revealed a moderate contribution of the cholinergic white matter pathways but not of volumetric measures towards memory tests in the subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment stages. In conclusion, we demonstrated that cholinergic white matter pathways are altered already in subjective cognitive decline individuals, preceding the more widespread alterations found in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. The integrity of the cholinergic pathways identified the early stages of Alzheimer's disease better than conventional volumetric measures such as hippocampal volume or volume of cholinergic nucleus basalis of Meynert.

• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc * psychologie   MeSH
• bílá hmota * MeSH
• cholinergní látky MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce * psychologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozek MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive (ADHD-PI) and combined (ADHD-C) presentations are likely distinct disorders that differ neuroanatomically, neurochemically, and neuropsychologically. However, to date, little is known about specific white matter (WM) regions differentiating ADHD presentations. This study examined differences in WM microstructure using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 20 ADHD-PI, 18 ADHD-C, and 27 typically developed children. Voxel-wise analysis of DTI measurements in major fiber bundles was carried out using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Clusters showing diffusivity abnormalities were used as regions of interest for regression analysis between fractional anisotropy (FA) and neuropsychological outcomes. Compared to neurotypicals, ADHD-PI children showed higher FA in the anterior thalamic radiations (ATR), bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and in the left corticospinal tract (CST). In contrast, the ADHD-C group exhibited higher FA in the bilateral cingulum bundle (CB). In the ADHD-PI group, differences in FA in the left ILF and ATR were accompanied by axial diffusivity (AD) abnormalities. In addition, the ADHD-PI group exhibited atypical mean diffusivity in the forceps minor (FMi) and left ATR and AD differences in right CB compared to healthy subjects. Direct comparison between ADHD presentations demonstrated radial diffusivity differences in FMi. WM clusters with FA irregularities in ADHD were associated with neurobehavioral performance across groups. In conclusion, differences in WM microstructure in ADHD presentations strengthen the theory that ADHD-PI and ADHD-C are two distinct disorders. Regions with WM irregularity seen in both ADHD presentations might serve as predictors of executive and behavioral functioning across groups. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3323-3336, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

• MeSH
• bílá hmota patologie   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• hyperkinetická porucha patologie   MeSH
• interpretace obrazu počítačem MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mapování mozku MeSH
• mozek patologie   MeSH
• nervové dráhy patologie   MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• zobrazování difuzních tenzorů MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

INTRODUCTION: While progressive MRI brain changes characterize advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), little has been discovered about structural alterations in the earliest phase of the disease, i.e. in patients with motor symptoms and with normal cognition. Our study aimed to detect grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) changes in PD patients without cognitive impairment. METHODS: Twenty PD patients and twenty-one healthy controls (HC) were tested for attention, executive function, working memory, and visuospatial and language domains. High-resolution T1-weighted and 60 directional diffusion-weighted 3T MRI images were acquired. The cortical, deep GM and WM volumes and density, as well as the diffusion properties of WM, were calculated. Analyses were repeated on data flipped to the side of the disease origin. RESULTS: PD patients did not show any significant differences from HC in cognitive functioning or in brain volumes. Decreased GM intensity was found in the left superior parietal lobe in the right (p<0.02) and left (p<0.01) flipped data. The analysis of original, un-flipped data demonstrated elevated axial diffusivity (p<0.01) in the superior and anterior corona radiata, internal capsule, and external capsule in the left hemisphere of PD relative to HC, while higher mean and radial diffusivity were discovered in the right (p<0.02 and p<0.03, respectively) and left (p<0.02 and p<0.02, respectively) in the fronto-temporal WM utilizing flipped data. CONCLUSIONS: PD patients without cognitive impairment and GM atrophy demonstrated widespread alterations of WM microstructure. Thus, WM impairment in PD might be a sensitive sign preceding the neuronal loss in associated GM regions.

• MeSH
• atrofie MeSH
• bílá hmota diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• kognice MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
• neuropsychologické testy MeSH
• neurozobrazování MeSH
• Parkinsonova nemoc diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   psychologie   MeSH
• progrese nemoci MeSH
• šedá hmota diagnostické zobrazování   patologie   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

White matter (WM) development has been studied extensively, but most studies used cross-sectional data, and to the best of our knowledge, none of them considered the possible effects of biological (vs. chronological) age. Therefore, we conducted a longitudinal multimodal study of WM development and studied changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the different WM tracts and their relationship with cortical thickness-based measures of brain aging in young adulthood. A total of 105 participants from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) prenatal birth cohort underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the age of 23-24, and the age of 28-30 years. At both time points, FA in the different WM tracts was extracted using the JHU atlas, and brain age gap estimate (BrainAGE) was calculated using the Neuroanatomical Age Prediction using R (NAPR) model based on cortical thickness maps. Changes in FA and the speed of cortical brain aging were calculated as the difference between the respective variables in the late vs. early 20s. We demonstrated tract-specific increases as well as decreases in FA, which indicate that the WM microstructure continues to develop in the third decade of life. Moreover, the significant interaction between the speed of cortical brain aging, tract, and sex on mean FA revealed that a greater speed of cortical brain aging in young adulthood predicted greater decreases in FA in the bilateral cingulum and left superior longitudinal fasciculus in young adult men. Overall, these changes in FA in the WM tracts in young adulthood point out the protracted development of WM microstructure, particularly in men.

• MeSH
• anizotropie MeSH
• bílá hmota * diagnostické zobrazování   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• longitudinální studie MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mozek * růst a vývoj   diagnostické zobrazování   anatomie a histologie   MeSH
• stárnutí * fyziologie   MeSH
• zobrazování difuzních tenzorů metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH