Genc Sila, Schiavi Simona, Chamberland Maxime, Tax Chantal M W, Raven Erika P, Daducci Alessandro, Jones Derek K
Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
Neuroscience Advanced Clinical Imaging Service (NACIS), Department of Neurosurgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Netw Neurosci. 2024 Oct 1;8(3):946-964. doi: 10.1162/netn_a_00378. eCollection 2024.
In response to a growing interest in refining brain connectivity assessments, this study focuses on integrating white matter fiber-specific microstructural properties into structural connectomes. Spanning ages 8-19 years in a developmental sample, it explores age-related patterns of microstructure-informed network properties at both local and global scales. First, the diffusion-weighted signal fraction associated with each tractography-reconstructed streamline was constructed. Subsequently, the convex optimization modeling for microstructure-informed tractography (COMMIT) approach was employed to generate microstructure-informed connectomes from diffusion MRI data. To complete the investigation, network characteristics within eight functionally defined networks (visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, ventral attention, limbic, fronto-parietal, default mode, and subcortical networks) were evaluated. The findings underscore a consistent increase in global efficiency across child and adolescent development within the visual, somatomotor, and default mode networks ( < 0.005). Additionally, mean strength exhibits an upward trend in the somatomotor and visual networks ( < 0.001). Notably, nodes within the dorsal and ventral visual pathways manifest substantial age-dependent changes in local efficiency, aligning with existing evidence of extended maturation in these pathways. The outcomes strongly support the notion of a prolonged developmental trajectory for visual association cortices. This study contributes valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics of microstructure-informed brain connectivity throughout different developmental stages.
为了回应人们对优化脑连接性评估日益增长的兴趣，本研究聚焦于将白质纤维特异性微观结构特性整合到结构连接组中。在一个涵盖8至19岁的发育样本中，它在局部和全局尺度上探索了微观结构信息网络特性的年龄相关模式。首先，构建了与每个纤维束成像重建流线相关的扩散加权信号分数。随后，采用微观结构信息纤维束成像的凸优化建模（COMMIT）方法，从扩散磁共振成像数据中生成微观结构信息连接组。为了完成这项研究，评估了八个功能定义网络（视觉、躯体运动、背侧注意、腹侧注意、边缘系统、额顶叶、默认模式和皮层下网络）内的网络特征。研究结果强调，在视觉、躯体运动和默认模式网络中，儿童和青少年发育过程中全局效率持续增加（<0.005）。此外，平均强度在躯体运动和视觉网络中呈上升趋势（<0.001）。值得注意的是，背侧和腹侧视觉通路中的节点在局部效率上表现出显著的年龄依赖性变化，这与这些通路中延长成熟的现有证据一致。这些结果有力地支持了视觉联合皮层发育轨迹延长的观点。本研究为不同发育阶段微观结构信息脑连接的细微动态提供了有价值的见解。
