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Changes of cortical gray matter volume during development: a Human Connectome Project study
Peka Christova1,2, Apostolos P Georgopoulos1,2
1Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, The Neuroimaging Research Group, Brain Sciences Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.
Journal of Neurophysiology
|June 14, 2023
Summary
Brain gray matter volume changes during development show mixed results. Most cortical areas decrease in volume with age, but the temporal pole increases, while hippocampal and pericalcarine cortex volumes remain stable. These developmental brain changes are largely consistent between sexes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Understanding age-related changes in brain structure is crucial for developmental neuroscience.
- Previous studies have indicated varying patterns of gray matter volume changes during development.
- The Human Connectome Project-Development provides a valuable dataset for studying brain maturation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess age-related changes in gray matter volume across 35 cerebrocortical regions in a large developmental sample.
- To investigate potential sex differences in these age-related volume changes.
- To explore the implications of these findings for understanding brain development and potential underlying mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 649 participants (6-21 years old) in the Human Connectome Project-Development.
- Analyzed gray matter volume of 35 cerebrocortical regions, adjusting for total intracranial volume.
- Performed linear regression against age to identify significant volume changes, with comparisons between sexes.
Main Results:
- Overall cortical volume and the volume of 30 out of 35 cortical areas significantly decreased with age.
- The hippocampal cortex (hippocampus, parahippocampal, entorhinal) and pericalcarine cortex showed no significant age-related volume changes.
- The temporal pole showed a significant increase in volume with age; sex differences were minimal, except for greater volume reduction in the parietal lobe in males.
Conclusions:
- Cortical gray matter volume exhibits distinct age-related trajectories across different brain regions during development.
- These findings provide region-specific insights into brain maturation and confirm previous observations in a large, uniformly processed dataset.
- The study highlights the complexity of developmental brain changes and suggests potential influences of factors like neuroinflammation.
