Abstract

Quantitative tractography using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data is widely used in characterizing white matter microstructure throughout childhood, but more studies are still needed to investigate comprehensive brain-behavior relationships between tract-specific white matter measures and multiple cognitive functions in children.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed diffusion-weighted MRI data of 71 healthy 8-year-old children utilizing white matter tract-specific quantitative measures derived from diffusion-weighted MRI tractography based on a novel track-weighted imaging approach. Track density imaging, average path length map and 4 track-weighted diffusion tensor imaging measures including: mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity were computed for 63 white matter tracts. The track-weighted imaging measures were then correlated with a comprehensive set of neuropsychological test scores in different cognitive domains including intelligence, language, memory, academic skills, and executive functions to identify tract-specific brain-behavior relationships.

Results

Significant correlations (P < .05, false discovery rate corrected; r = 0.27-0.57) were found in multiple white matter tracts, with a total of 40 correlations identified between various track-weighted imaging measures including average path length map, track-weighted imaging–fractional anisotropy, and neuropsychological test scores and subscales. Specifically, track-weighted imaging measures indicative of better white matter connectivity and/or microstructural development significantly correlated with higher IQ and better language abilities.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate the ability of track-weighted imaging measures in establishing associations between white matter and cognitive functioning in healthy children and can serve as a reference for normal brain/cognition relationships in young school-age children and further aid in identifying imaging biomarkers predictive of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

中文翻译：

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8 岁儿童白质微结构与认知功能之间的关联：轨道加权成像研究

摘要

使用弥散加权磁共振成像数据的定量纤维束成像广泛用于表征整个儿童期的白质微观结构，但仍需要更多的研究来调查特定于束的白质测量与儿童多种认知功能之间的全面脑行为关系。

方法

在这项研究中，我们分析了 71 名 8 岁健康儿童的弥散加权 MRI 数据，这些数据利用基于一种新的轨迹加权成像方法的弥散加权 MRI 纤维束成像得到的白质束特异性定量测量。计算了 63 个白质束的轨迹密度成像、平均路径长度图和 4 个轨迹加权扩散张量成像测量值，包括：平均扩散率、分数各向异性、轴向扩散率和径向扩散率。然后将轨迹加权成像测量与不同认知领域的一组综合神经心理学测试分数相关联，包括智力、语言、记忆、学术技能和执行功能，以识别特定区域的大脑行为关系。

结果

在多个白质束中发现了显着的相关性（P  < .05，纠正了错误发现率；r = 0.27-0.57），在各种轨迹加权成像测量之间确定了总共 40 个相关性，包括平均路径长度图、轨迹加权成像分数各向异性和神经心理学测试分数和分量表。具体而言，表明更好的白质连接和/或微结构发育的轨迹加权成像测量与更高的智商和更好的语言能力显着相关。

结论

我们的研究结果证明了轨迹加权成像测量在建立健康儿童白质和认知功能之间关联的能力，可以作为学龄儿童正常大脑/认知关系的参考，并进一步帮助识别预测不良的神经发育结果。