Brain Charts for the Rhesus Macaque Lifespan

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Comparative Anatomy

Background:

• Human brain development has reference standards, but nonhuman primate (NHP) models lack similar growth charts.
• Rhesus macaques are valuable NHP models due to similarities with humans in brain anatomy, behavior, and genetics.
• Understanding NHP brain development is crucial for translational neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative growth charts for brain structure across the rhesus macaque lifespan.
• To map developmental trajectories of brain volume, cortical thickness, and surface area.
• To facilitate cross-species translational research by providing a comparative resource.

Main Methods:

• Aggregated 1,522 MRI scans from 1,024 rhesus macaques from PRIME-DE and other sources.
• Mapped non-linear developmental trajectories for global and regional brain structural changes.
• Developed normative charts with centile scores for macaque brain structures.

Main Results:

• Provided normative growth charts for rhesus macaque brain structures across the lifespan.
• Identified key developmental milestones from prenatal stages through aging.
• Revealed both species-specific and human-comparable brain maturation patterns.

Conclusions:

• The developed charts are a valuable resource for NHP studies, especially those with limited sample sizes.
• The findings enhance understanding of neurodevelopment and aging in macaques.
• An interactive open resource supports cross-species comparisons to advance translational neuroscience.