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Abnormal fronto-striatal connectivity in children with histories of early deprivation: A diffusion tensor imaging
Michael E Behen1, Otto Muzik, Anita S D Saporta
1Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
Insights
Children raised in orphanages may exhibit inattentive/overactive behaviors linked to brain structure differences. Early deprivation impacts neural development, potentially affecting cognitive functions and behavior in adopted children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- A significant percentage of children raised in orphanages exhibit an inattentive/overactive (I/O) behavioral phenotype.
- Previous research identified functional and structural brain abnormalities in children raised in orphanages, but neural correlates of the I/O phenotype remain unevaluated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of the inattentive/overactive behavioral phenotype in children with early deprivation.
- To compare brain structural connectivity in children raised in orphanages versus age-matched controls.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to analyze brain structure in 15 pre-teen children with early deprivation (ED) and 12 age-matched controls.
- Probabilistic fiber tracking constructed fiber tracts, and cortical fiber distribution from the caudate nucleus was compared between groups.
Main Results:
- The early deprivation group exhibited a more diffuse brain connectivity pattern compared to controls, particularly in the right hemisphere.
- These findings suggest potential abnormalities in neuronal pruning during development in children with early deprivation.
Conclusions:
- Structural brain abnormalities, specifically diffuse connectivity, may be associated with inattention and overactivity in children with early deprivation.
- This study provides initial evidence linking early institutional upbringing to specific neural alterations underlying behavioral phenotypes.
Abstract:
An Inattentive/Overactive (I/O) behavioral phenotype has been reported in a significant percentage of children raised from birth in orphanages. While a number of studies have identified both functional and structural brain abnormalities in children raised from birth in orphanages, no published studies have evaluated potential neural correlates of the I/O phenotype. We applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to 15 pre-teen children raised in orphanages in Eastern Europe or Asia and later adopted to the US. Fiber tracts were constructed from DTI data using probabilistic fiber tracking and the cortical fiber distribution of fibers originating from the head of the caudate was compared between the early deprivation (ED) group and 12 age-matched controls. The ED group showed a more diffuse connectivity pattern, especially in the right hemisphere, potentially related to incomplete neuronal pruning during development. These structural abnormalities may be associated with inattention and overactivity encountered in children with ED.
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