scholarly journals Associations of adverse lifetime experiences with brain structure in 7003 UK Biobank participants

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delia A. Gheorghe ◽  
Chenlu Li ◽  
John Gallacher ◽  
Sarah Bauermeister
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Sensitive Periods ◽  
The Brain

AbstractBackgroundExperiences of chronic stress and trauma are major risk factors for psychiatric illness. Evidence suggests that adversity-related changes in brain structure and function accelerate this vulnerability. It is yet to be determined whether neuroendocrine effects on the brain are a result of the interference with neural development during sensitive periods or a consequence of cumulative lifetime adversity. To address this question, the present study investigated the associations between brain structure and self-reported data of childhood and adult adversity using machine learning techniques and structural equation models (SEM).MethodsThe UK Biobank resource was used to access Imaging Derived Phenotypes (IDPs) of grey matter and white matter tract integrity of 7003 participants, together with selected childhood and adult adversity data. Latent measures of adversity and imaging phenotypes were estimated to evaluate their associations using SEM.ResultsWe demonstrated that increased incidence of childhood adversity events may be associated with smaller grey matter in frontal, insular, subcallosal and cerebellar regions of the brain. There were no significant associations between brain phenotypes and negative experiences during adulthood.ConclusionsUsing a large population cohort dataset, this study contributes to the suggestion that childhood adversity may determine grey matter reductions in brain regions, which are putatively sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of chronic stress. Furthermore, it provides novel evidence to support the “sensitive periods” model though which adversity affects the brain.

A Microscopic Demonstration of the Normal and Pathological Histology of Mesoglia Cells

1900 ◽  
Vol 46 (195) ◽  
pp. 724-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ford Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Cell Body ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Brain Cells ◽  
Nerve Fibres ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Exact Function ◽  
Microscopic Demonstration ◽  
A Cell ◽  
The Brain

Dr. Clouston in the unavoidable absence of Dr. Ford Robertson made the following remarks:—The first fact that I have to direct the attention of the meeting to is that Dr. Ford Robertson has devised a new method of examining nerve-tissues by depositing platinum in them. By the use of this platinum method he has demonstrated, amongst other things, that what is called the neuroglia is composed of two sets of elements instead of one, as is generally considered. The neuroglia, as exhibited by this and other methods, is attached to the arteries, to the fibres, and to the brain-cells, forming a generally supporting medium. Dr. Robertson has discovered that in addition to this there is another set of cells, which he has called the mesoglia cells, consisting in a typical form of a cell-body, a nucleus and a number of processes. These processes are in no way connected either with the vascular substance or with the nerve-cells or the nerve-fibres. The mesoglia cells are entirely different from neuroglia cells in appearance, and are found in both the white and grey matter, and in such abundance that Dr. Robertson thinks that there are as many mesoglia cells as there are neuroglia cells existing all through the brain. Sometimes they have no processes, sometimes two processes, but the illustrations show a typical mesoglia cell from the dog and from man. The exact function of these mesoglia cells we certainly do not know, but they certainly do not act in any way as a support to the general brain structure. The mesoglia cells seem to have a phagocyte action in certain pathological conditions. They supply, if not all, at least the greater part of the amyloid bodies which are found in some of the chronic brain degenerations. I think you will agree that it is very important that Dr. Ford Robertson should have discovered a new element in the brain, the particular use of which will doubtless be demonstrated by some of the large number of enthusiastic workers on this subject.

scholarly journals Brain imaging before and after COVID-19 in UK Biobank

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwenaëlle Douaud ◽  
Soojin Lee ◽  
Fidel Alfaro-Almagro ◽  
Christoph Arthofer ◽  
Chaoyue Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Imaging ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Imaging Results ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

There is strong evidence for brain-related pathologies in COVID-19, some of which could be a consequence of viral neurotropism. The vast majority of brain imaging studies so far have focused on qualitative, gross pathology of moderate to severe cases, often carried out on hospitalised patients. It remains unknown however whether the impact of COVID-19 can be detected in milder cases, in a quantitative and automated manner, and whether this can reveal a possible mechanism for the spread of the disease. UK Biobank scanned over 40,000 participants before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it possible to invite back in 2021 hundreds of previously-imaged participants for a second imaging visit. Here, we studied the effects of the disease in the brain using multimodal data from 782 participants from the UK Biobank COVID-19 re-imaging study, with 394 participants having tested positive for SARS- CoV-2 infection between their two scans. We used structural and functional brain scans from before and after infection, to compare longitudinal brain changes between these 394 COVID- 19 patients and 388 controls who were matched for age, sex, ethnicity and interval between scans. We identified significant effects of COVID-19 in the brain with a loss of grey matter in the left parahippocampal gyrus, the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the left insula. When looking over the entire cortical surface, these results extended to the anterior cingulate cortex, supramarginal gyrus and temporal pole. We further compared COVID-19 patients who had been hospitalised (n=15) with those who had not (n=379), and while results were not significant, we found comparatively similar findings to the COVID-19 vs control group comparison, with, in addition, a greater loss of grey matter in the cingulate cortex, central nucleus of the amygdala and hippocampal cornu ammonis (all |Z|>3). Our findings thus consistently relate to loss of grey matter in limbic cortical areas directly linked to the primary olfactory and gustatory system. Unlike in post hoc disease studies, the availability of pre- infection imaging data helps avoid the danger of pre-existing risk factors or clinical conditions being mis-interpreted as disease effects. Since a possible entry point of the virus to the central nervous system might be via the olfactory mucosa and the olfactory bulb, these brain imaging results might be the in vivo hallmark of the spread of the disease (or the virus itself) via olfactory and gustatory pathways.

scholarly journals Sugary beverage intake and genetic risk of dementia in relation to incident dementia and brain structure: evidence from the UK Biobank

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Chen ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Yaying Cao ◽  
Yuhao Sun ◽  
Liyan Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Polygenic Risk Score ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Incident Dementia ◽  
Common Genetic Variants

Abstract Importance: Sugary beverage intake was associated with higher risk of dementia, but the specific amounts and types related to it and its interactions with genetic predisposition to dementia remained poorly understood.Objective: To investigate the relation of sugary beverage intake and genetic preposition to the long-term risk of dementia and brain structure.Design, Setting, and Participants: We leveraged data of 187,994 UK Biobank participants without dementia at baseline and followed them until March 2021.Exposures: Intake of sugary beverages (SBs, one unit=250 ml), including sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), artificially-sweetened beverages (ASB), and natural sweet juices (NSJ), was assessed using repeated web-based 24-h dietary recall from 2009 to 2012. A polygenic risk score (PRS) was calculated to capture each participant’s load of common genetic variants related to the risk of dementia.Main Outcomes and Measures: Incident dementia was identified through hospital admissions and death registries. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was conducted in a subgroup of 12,566 participants in 2014.Results: During a total of 1,790,996 person-years of follow up, 1,351 incident dementia cases were identified. Higher intake of SSB and ASB (>2 units/d v. none) was independently associated with a substantially increased risk of dementia (p-trend=0.013 for SSB, and <0.001 for ASB). The corresponding multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI] were 1.47 (1.13~1.92), and 1.41 (1.00~1.99), respectively. The significant association of ASB was observed among ASB consumptions regardless of the intake level. In contrast, moderate intake of NSJ (0~1 unit/d v. none) was related to a decreased risk of dementia (HR=0.80, 0.71~0.90) and a larger volume of brain grey matter (beta=0.03, 0.01~0.06) and a lower volume of white matter hyperintensities (beta=-0.08, -0.13~-0.02). Moreover, the genetic risks were significantly magnified by higher intake of SSB and ASB, and was instead attenuated by moderate intake of NSJ (P-interaction<0.002).Conclusions and Relevance: Higher intake of SSB and ASB was associated with higher risk of dementia, especially among individuals at high genetic risk for dementia. Inversely, moderate NSJ intake was associated with a reduced risk of dementia, possibly through the beneficial role maintaining brain grey matter volume and reducing white matter hyperintensities.

Associations of Diet Quality with Midlife Brain Volume: Findings from the UK Biobank Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Helen Macpherson ◽  
Sarah A. McNaughton ◽  
Karen E. Lamb ◽  
Catherine M. Milte
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Diet ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Brain Volume ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Diet Score

Background: Higher quality diets may be related to lower dementia rates. Midlife is emerging as a critical life stage for a number of dementia risk factors. Objective: This study examines whether diet quality is related to brain structure during midlife, and if this differs by sex. Methods: This study used data from 19184 UK Biobank participants aged 40–65 years. Diet quality was assessed using three dietary indices including the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), Healthy Diet Score (HDS), and Recommended Food Score (RFS). MRI brain measures included total, grey, white and hippocampal volume. Linear regression examined associations between diet quality and brain volume, controlling for potential confounders. Results: Better quality diet across all indices was significantly related to larger grey matter volume: MDS β= 429.7 (95%CI: 65.2, 794.2); HDS β= 700.1 (348.0, 1052.1); and RFS β= 317.1 (106.8, 527.3). Higher diet scores were associated with greater total volume: HDS β= 879.32 (286.13, 1472.50); RFS β= 563.37 (209.10, 917.65); and white matter volume: RFS β= 246.31 (20.56, 472.05), with the exception of Mediterranean diet adherence. Healthy eating guidelines and dietary variety associations with total and grey matter volume were more prominent in men. Conclusion: Findings suggest that diet quality is associated with brain structure during midlife, potentially decades prior to the onset of dementia.

A Review of Various Machine Learning Techniques for Brain Tumor Detection from MRI Images

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 937-945
Author(s):  
Aaishwarya Sanjay Bajaj ◽  
Usha Chouhan
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Ct Scan ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Tumor Detection ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Detection Techniques ◽  
The Brain

Background: This paper endeavors to identify an expedient approach for the detection of the brain tumor in MRI images. The detection of tumor is based on i) review of the machine learning approach for the identification of brain tumor and ii) review of a suitable approach for brain tumor detection. Discussion: This review focuses on different imaging techniques such as X-rays, PET, CT- Scan, and MRI. This survey identifies a different approach with better accuracy for tumor detection. This further includes the image processing method. In most applications, machine learning shows better performance than manual segmentation of the brain tumors from MRI images as it is a difficult and time-consuming task. For fast and better computational results, radiology used a different approach with MRI, CT-scan, X-ray, and PET. Furthermore, summarizing the literature, this paper also provides a critical evaluation of the surveyed literature which reveals new facets of research. Conclusion: The problem faced by the researchers during brain tumor detection techniques and machine learning applications for clinical settings have also been discussed.

scholarly journals Sex differences in neural correlates of common psychopathological symptoms in early adolescence

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Francesca Biondo ◽  
Charlotte Nymberg Thunell ◽  
Bing Xu ◽  
Congying Chu ◽  
Tianye Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Psychopathological Symptom ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background Sex-related differences in psychopathology are known phenomena, with externalizing and internalizing symptoms typically more common in boys and girls, respectively. However, the neural correlates of these sex-by-psychopathology interactions are underinvestigated, particularly in adolescence. Methods Participants were 14 years of age and part of the IMAGEN study, a large (N = 1526) community-based sample. To test for sex-by-psychopathology interactions in structural grey matter volume (GMV), we used whole-brain, voxel-wise neuroimaging analyses based on robust non-parametric methods. Psychopathological symptom data were derived from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results We found a sex-by-hyperactivity/inattention interaction in four brain clusters: right temporoparietal-opercular region (p < 0.01, Cohen's d = −0.24), bilateral anterior and mid-cingulum (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = −0.18), right cerebellum and fusiform (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = −0.20) and left frontal superior and middle gyri (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = −0.26). Higher symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention were associated with lower GMV in all four brain clusters in boys, and with higher GMV in the temporoparietal-opercular and cerebellar-fusiform clusters in girls. Conclusions Using a large, sex-balanced and community-based sample, our study lends support to the idea that externalizing symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention may be associated with different neural structures in male and female adolescents. The brain regions we report have been associated with a myriad of important cognitive functions, in particular, attention, cognitive and motor control, and timing, that are potentially relevant to understand the behavioural manifestations of hyperactive and inattentive symptoms. This study highlights the importance of considering sex in our efforts to uncover mechanisms underlying psychopathology during adolescence.

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