Khundrakpam Budhachandra S, Lewis John D, Reid Andrew, Karama Sherif, Zhao Lu, Chouinard-Decorte Francois, Evans Alan C
McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Neuroimage. 2017 Jan 1;144(Pt A):227-240. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.08.041. Epub 2016 Aug 21.
Verbal and non-verbal intelligence in children is highly correlated, and thus, it has been difficult to differentiate their neural substrates. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that verbal and non-verbal intelligence can be dissociated and focal cortical regions corresponding to each have been demonstrated. However, the pattern of structural covariance corresponding to verbal and non-verbal intelligence remains unexplored. In this study, we used 586 longitudinal anatomical MRI scans of subjects aged 6-18 years, who had concurrent intelligence quotient (IQ) testing on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. Structural covariance networks (SCNs) were constructed using interregional correlations in cortical thickness for low-IQ (Performance IQ=100±8, Verbal IQ=100±7) and high-IQ (PIQ=121±8, VIQ=120±9) groups. From low- to high-VIQ group, we observed constrained patterns of anatomical coupling among cortical regions, complemented by observations of higher global efficiency and modularity, and lower local efficiency in high-VIQ group, suggesting a shift towards a more optimal topological organization. Analysis of nodal topological properties (regional efficiency and participation coefficient) revealed greater involvement of left-hemispheric language related regions including inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri for high-VIQ group. From low- to high-PIQ group, we did not observe significant differences in anatomical coupling patterns, global and nodal topological properties. Our findings indicate that people with higher verbal intelligence have structural brain differences from people with lower verbal intelligence - not only in localized cortical regions, but also in the patterns of anatomical coupling among widely distributed cortical regions, possibly resulting to a system-level reorganization that might lead to a more efficient organization in high-VIQ group.
儿童的言语智力和非言语智力高度相关，因此，很难区分它们的神经基质。然而，最近的研究表明，言语智力和非言语智力可以分离，并且已经证明了与之相对应的局灶性皮质区域。然而，与言语智力和非言语智力相对应的结构协方差模式仍未得到探索。在本研究中，我们使用了586例6至18岁受试者的纵向解剖磁共振成像扫描数据，这些受试者同时接受了韦氏儿童智力量表简式版的智商测试。利用低智商组（操作智商=100±8，言语智商=100±7）和高智商组（操作智商=121±8，言语智商=120±9）皮质厚度的区域间相关性构建了结构协方差网络（SCNs）。从低智商组到高智商组，我们观察到皮质区域之间解剖耦合的受限模式，同时高智商组具有更高的全局效率和模块化以及更低的局部效率，这表明向更优化的拓扑组织转变。对节点拓扑特性（区域效率和参与系数）的分析显示，高智商组中包括额下回和颞上回在内的左半球语言相关区域参与度更高。从低操作智商组到高操作智商组，我们未观察到解剖耦合模式、全局和节点拓扑特性的显著差异。我们的研究结果表明，言语智力较高的人与言语智力较低的人在大脑结构上存在差异——不仅在局部皮质区域，而且在广泛分布的皮质区域之间的解剖耦合模式上，这可能导致系统层面的重组，从而使高智商组的组织效率更高。
