scholarly journals Association of Social Engagement with Brain Volumes Assessed by Structural MRI

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan D. James ◽  
Thomas A. Glass ◽  
Brian Caffo ◽  
Jennifer F. Bobb ◽  
Christos Davatzikos ◽  
...  

We tested the hypothesis that social engagement is associated with larger brain volumes in a cohort study of 348 older male former lead manufacturing workers () and population-based controls (), age 48 to 82. Social engagement was measured using a summary scale derived from confirmatory factor analysis. The volumes of 20 regions of interest (ROIs), including total brain, total gray matter (GM), total white matter (WM), each of the four lobar GM and WM, and 9 smaller structures were derived from T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images. Linear regression models adjusted for age, education, race/ethnicity, intracranial volume, hypertension, diabetes, and control (versus lead worker) status. Higher social engagement was associated with larger total brain and GM volumes, specifically temporal and occipital GM, but was not associated with WM volumes except for corpus callosum. A voxel-wise analysis supported an association in temporal lobe GM. Using longitudinal data to discern temporal relations, change in ROI volumes over five years showed null associations with current social engagement. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that social engagement preserves brain tissue, and not consistent with the alternate hypothesis that persons with smaller or shrinking volumes become less socially engaged, though this scenario cannot be ruled out.

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan D. James ◽  
Brian Caffo ◽  
Walter F. Stewart ◽  
David Yousem ◽  
Christos Davatzikos ◽  
...  

This study examined associations between polymorphisms in three genes, apolipoprotein E (APOE), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and vitamin D receptor (VDR), and longitudinal change in brain volumes and white matter lesions (WML) as well as effect modification by cardiovascular factors and tibia lead concentrations. Two MRIs, an average of 5 years apart, were obtained for 317 former organolead workers and 45 population-based controls. Both regions-of-interest and voxel-wise analyses were conducted.APOEε3/ε4andε4/ε4genotypes were associated with less decline in white matter volumes. There was some evidence of interaction between genetic polymorphisms and cardiovascular risk factors (ACEand high-density lipoprotein;VDRand diabetes) on brain volume decline. TheVDR FokIff genotype was associated with an increase in WML (no association forAPOEorACE). This study expands our understanding of how genetic precursors of dementia and cardiovascular diseases are related to changes in brain structure.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Emer R. McGrath ◽  
Jayandra J. Himali ◽  
Daniel Levy ◽  
Qiong Yang ◽  
Charles S. DeCarli ◽  
...  

Background: Epidermal growth factor containing fibulin extracellular matrix protein-1 (EFEMP1) has been associated with increased white matter hyperintensities (WMH) burden and disorders of premature aging and may have a shared pathophysiological role in the development of WMH and dementia. Objective: To determine the association between plasma EFEMP1 levels and MRI markers of vascular brain injury and incident all-cause and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia. Methods: We measured plasma EFEMP1 levels in 1597 [53% women, mean age 68.7 (SD 5.7) years] dementia-free Framingham Offspring cohort participants between 1998–2001 and subsequently followed them for incident dementia. Secondary outcomes included stroke, structural MRI brain measures and neurocognitive test performance. Results: During a median 11.8 [Q1, Q3 : 7.1, 13.3] year follow-up, 131 participants developed dementia. The highest quintile of plasma EFEMP1, compared to the bottom four quintiles, was associated with an increased risk of time to incident all-cause dementia (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.18–2.64) and AD dementia (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.11–2.81) but not with markers of vascular brain injury (WMH, covert brain infarcts or stroke). Higher circulating EFEMP1 concentrations were also cross-sectionally associated with lower total brain (β±SE, –0.28±0.11, p = 0.01) and hippocampal volumes (–0.006±0.003, p = 0.04) and impaired abstract reasoning (Similarities test, –0.18±0.08, p = 0.018 per standard deviation increment in EFEMP1). Conclusion: Elevated circulating EFEMP1 is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and AD dementia, smaller hippocampal and total brain volumes, and poorer cognitive performance. EFEMP1 may play an important biological role in the development of AD dementia. Further studies to validate these findings are warranted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 371-371
Author(s):  
Shanna Burke ◽  
Tan Li ◽  
Adrienne Grudzien ◽  
Christopher Barnes ◽  
Kevin Hanson ◽  
...  

Abstract Depression has been associated with greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and existing research has identified structural differences in brain regions in depressed subjects compared to healthy samples, but results have been heterogeneous. We sought to determine the effect of depression on regional brain volumes by cognitive and APOE e4 status. Secondary analysis of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) Uniform Data Set was conducted using complete MRI data from 1,371 participants (mean age: 70.5; SD: 11.7). Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the adjusted effect of depression (via the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire) on regional brain volumes through measurement of 30 structural MRIs. Depression in the prior two years was associated with lower total brain, cerebrum,, and gray matter volumes and greater total brain white matter hyperintensities (p<.05). Greater volumes were also observed in all ventricular volume measures. Lower mean volumes were observed in six additional frontal lobe and parietal lobe cortical regions. Alternately, depression antecedent to the past 2 years correlated only with occipital lobe gray matter volumes (right, left, total). Our findings suggest that depression in the prior two years is associated with atrophy across multiple brain regions and related ventricular enlargement, even after controlling for intracranial volume and demographic covariates. The duration of depression influences results, however, as depression prior to 2 years before assessment was correlated with significantly fewer and different regional brain volume changes.


Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard T Lucarelli ◽  
Amit Khera ◽  
Ronald M Peshock ◽  
Roderick McColl ◽  
Colby Ayers ◽  
...  

Purpose: Multiple biomarkers have been associated with total brain atrophy. However, little is known about their relationship to segmental atrophy in a large, multi-ethnic, population-based sample. Materials and Methods: 3D-MPRAGE brain images obtained at 3T from 2082 participants of the Dallas Heart Study (DHS) 2 were analyzed with Freesurfer and outlier analysis was performed. Divisive eigenvalue clustering of 89 brain segments yielded 24 groups with linked atrophy patterns. Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-18, homocsysteine and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) obtained 7 years prior during DHS 1 were available for 1343, 840, 1333 and 1331 participants, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis with adjustments for age, ethnicity, and gender were used to demonstrate associations between biomarkers and atrophy clusters. Results: Nine atrophy clusters were associated with CRP, three atrophy clusters were associated with IL-18, and six atrophy clusters were associated with BNP (Table 1). Homocysteine did not have any significant correlations. Conclusions: The markers studied had associations with distinct patterns of segmental atrophy indicating they may have unique interactions in different brain regions. This suggests that distinct inflammatory and other pathways may be at work in specific regions of the brain and that their localized effects may be obscured by approaches evaluating solely total brain volumes. Table 1:


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea P. Cortes Hidalgo ◽  
Scott W. Delaney ◽  
Stavroula A. Kourtalidi ◽  
Alexander Neumann ◽  
Runyu Zou ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundPrenatal and childhood adverse events have been shown to be related to children’s cognitive and psychological development. However, the influence of early-life adversities on child brain morphology is not well understood and most studies are based on small samples and often examine only one adversity. Thus, the goal of our study is to examine the relationship between cumulative exposures to prenatal and childhood adversities and brain morphology in a large population-based study.MethodsParticipants included 2,993 children in whom prenatal adversities were reported by mothers at 20-25 weeks of pregnancy and the child’s lifetime exposure to adversities was reported by mothers when the children were 10 years-of-age. The total brain, grey and white matter volumes and the volume of the cerebellum, amygdala and hippocampus were assessed with magnetic resonance imaging when children were 10 years old.ResultsIn total, 36% of children had mothers who were exposed to at least one adversity during pregnancy and 35% of children were exposed to adversities in childhood. In our study sample, the cumulative number of prenatal adversities was not related to any brain outcome. In contrast, per each additional childhood adverse event, the total brain volume was 0.07 standard deviations smaller (SE = 0.02, p = 0.001), with differences in both grey and white matter volumes. Childhood adversities were not related to the amygdala or hippocampal volumes. Additionally, the link between childhood events and the preadolescent brain was not modified by prenatal events and was not explained by maternal psychopathology.ConclusionsOur results suggest that childhood adversities, but not prenatal adverse events, are associated with smaller global brain volumes in preadolescence. Notably, this is the first large population-based study to prospectively assess the association between the cumulative number of prenatal adversities and the preadolescent brain morphology. The study findings extend the evidence from high-risk samples, providing support for a link between cumulative childhood adverse events and brain morphology in children from the general population.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ithamar Ganmore ◽  
Abigail Livny ◽  
Ramit Ravona-Springer ◽  
Itzik Cooper ◽  
Anna Alkelai ◽  
...  

Abstract The association between several Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) within the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) as well as additional T2D-related traits is well established. Since alteration in total and regional brain volumes are consistent findings among T2D individuals, we studied the association of four T2D susceptibility SNPS within TCF7L2 (rs7901695, rs7903146, rs11196205, and rs12255372) with volumes of white matter hyperintensities (WMH), gray matter, and regional volumes of amygdala and hippocampus obtained from structural MRI among 191 T2D elderly Jewish individuals. Under recessive genetic model (controlling for age, sex and intracranial volume), we found that for all four SNPs, carriers of two copies of the T2D risk allele (homozygous genotype) had significantly smaller amygdalar volume: rs7901695- CC genotype vs. CT + TT genotypes, p = 0.002; rs7903146-TT vs. TC + CC, p = 0.003; rs11196205- CC vs. CG + GG, p = 0.0003; and rs12255372- TT vs. TG + GG, p = 0.003. Adjusting also for T2D-related covariates, body mass index (BMI), and ancestry did not change the results substantively (rs7901695, p = 0.003; rs7903146, p = 0.005; rs11196205, p = 0.001; and rs12255372, p = 0.005). Conditional analysis demonstrated that only rs11196205 was independently associated with amygdalar volume at a significant level. Separate analysis of left and right amygdala revealed stronger results for left amygdalar volume. Taken together, we report association of TCF7L2 SNPs with amygdalar volume among T2D elderly Jewish patients. Further studies in other populations are required to support these findings and reach more definitive conclusions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S403-S403
Author(s):  
Amal A Wanigatunga ◽  
Yang An ◽  
Christos Davatzikos ◽  
Jacek K Urbanek ◽  
Adam P Spira ◽  
...  

Abstract With aging, brain structural integrity may influence patterns of physical activity (PA) performed in community-dwelling settings. In 281 cognitively-intact adults aged ≥65 years, linear regression models were fitted to examine whether MRI brain volumes (cc), assessed using an automated multi-atlas approach, were cross-sectionally associated with accelerometer-derived: 1) daily PA minutes and 2) activity fragmentation defined as the ratio of # of contiguous PA minutes over total PA minutes x 100. Higher white matter in the parietal and temporal lobes were associated with more daily active minutes (2.8 (SE=1.0) and 3.1 (0.9) min/day, respectively; p<0.005 for both) after adjusting for demographics, behavioral factors, medical conditions, and intracranial volume. Higher white matter in the temporal region was associated with lower fragmentation (-0.15 (0.05) %, p=0.004). Our results suggest sensorimotor-related brain morphometry is connected with both the amount and manner in which PA is performed throughout the day in well-functioning older adults.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 884-884
Author(s):  
Xuan Zhang ◽  
Denise Gaughan ◽  
Chengxuan Qiu ◽  
Osorio Meirelles ◽  
Lenore Launer

Abstract Long sedentary time (ST) is associated with poor brain health but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Studies suggest exercise increases BDNF levels, and that low BDNF levels are associated with cognitive impairment. Limited population-based studies have examined associations among sedentary behavior (SB), BDNF, and brain structures. Here we explore the mediation and interaction effect of BDNF in the association of SB to brain measures. We included 612 participants from the MRI sub-study of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults who had plasma BDNF and SB data at the Year 25 examination. SB was estimated by self-reported average ST hours/day spent sitting while watching television, using computers, and riding transportation. Outcome measures were total and selected brain volumes in cubic centimeters (cc). ST was categorized into quartiles. We used general linear regression to examine the following associations, adjusting for age, sex, race, and intracranial volume: Interactions between BDNF and ST on MRI; ST and MRI; ST and BDNF; BDNF and MRI; and ST, BDNF, and MRI. People in the upper 25%ile ST (>8.4 hours/day) had a decreased TB volume of 12.2 cc (p=0.01) compared to the lower 25%ile (<4.3 hours/day). Neither ST nor brain measures were associated with BDNF (p>0.05). Instead, BDNF interacted with ST for TB and WM (p < 0.03): The difference of brain volumes between the upper and lower 25%ile decreased with increasing BDNF levels. Accordingly, higher BDNF levels may protect brain function in the middle-aged and potentially older populations with a sedentary lifestyle.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Mooney ◽  
Priya Bhatt ◽  
Robert J. M. Hermosillo ◽  
Peter Ryabinin ◽  
Molly Nikolas ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Mechanistic endophenotypes can inform process models of psychopathology and aid interpretation of genetic risk factors. Smaller total brain and subcortical volumes are associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and provide clues to its development. This study evaluates whether common genetic risk for ADHD is associated with total brain volume (TBV) and hypothesized subcortical structures in children. Methods Children 7–15 years old were recruited for a case–control study (N = 312, N = 199 ADHD). Children were assessed with a multi-informant, best-estimate diagnostic procedure and motion-corrected MRI measured brain volumes. Polygenic scores were computed based on discovery data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (N = 19 099 ADHD, N = 34 194 controls) and the ENIGMA + CHARGE consortium (N = 26 577). Results ADHD was associated with smaller TBV, and altered volumes of caudate, cerebellum, putamen, and thalamus after adjustment for TBV; however, effects were larger and statistically reliable only in boys. TBV was associated with an ADHD polygenic score [β = −0.147 (−0.27 to −0.03)], and mediated a small proportion of the effect of polygenic risk on ADHD diagnosis (average ACME = 0.0087, p = 0.012). This finding was stronger in boys (average ACME = 0.019, p = 0.008). In addition, we confirm genetic variation associated with whole brain volume, via an intracranial volume polygenic score. Conclusion Common genetic risk for ADHD is not expressed primarily as developmental alterations in subcortical brain volumes, but appears to alter brain development in other ways, as evidenced by TBV differences. This is among the first demonstrations of this effect using molecular genetic data. Potential sex differences in these effects warrant further examination.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 343-343
Author(s):  
Abbey Hamlin ◽  
A Zarina Kraal ◽  
Laura Zahodne

Abstract Social engagement may confer cognitive benefits in older adulthood, but studies have typically been restricted to largely non-Hispanic White (NHW) samples. Levels of social engagement vary across race such that NHW report larger social networks, more frequent participation in social activities, and greater social support than non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB). Associations between social engagement and cognition may also vary by race, but research is sparse. The current cross-sectional study examined associations between different aspects of social engagement and episodic memory performance, as well as interactions between social engagement and race among NHB and NHW participants in the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project (N = 247; 48.4% NHB; age = 64.19 ± 2.92). Social engagement (network size, activities, support) was self-reported. Episodic memory was a z-score composite of immediate, delayed, and recognition trials of a list-learning task. Separate hierarchical linear regression models quantified interactions between race and each of the three social engagement variables on episodic memory, controlling for sociodemographics, depressive symptoms, and health conditions. Results showed a main effect of more frequent social activity on better episodic memory, as well as an interaction between race and social support indicating a significant positive association in NHB but not NHW. These preliminary findings suggest that participating in social activities may be equally beneficial for episodic memory across NHB and NHW older adults and that social support may be particularly beneficial for NHB. Future research is needed to determine the potential applications of these results in reducing cognitive inequalities through the development of culturally-relevant interventions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document