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Regional patterns of human cortex development correlate with underlying neurobiology
Leon D Lotter1,2,3, Amin Saberi4,5,6, Justine Y Hansen7
1Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany. l.lotter@fz-juelich.de.
Nature Communications
|September 16, 2024
Summary
Human brain development and aging follow molecular and cellular patterns. Specific neurotransmitters and cell types explain significant variations in cortical thickness across the lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Human brain morphology changes significantly throughout life.
- Normative models track brain development, but biological mechanisms remain poorly understood.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for comprehending brain development and aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular and cellular underpinnings of human cortical thickness development and aging.
- To link population-level brain organization patterns to individual developmental trajectories.
- To integrate neurobiological atlases with normative modeling for a deeper understanding of brain changes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized normative modeling and population neuroimaging data.
- Analyzed cortex-wide spatial distributions of molecular and cellular features (e.g., receptors, neurons, glia, metabolites).
- Validated findings using longitudinal data from over 8000 adolescents.
Main Results:
- Cortical thickness trajectories in childhood/adolescence correlate with dopaminergic receptors, inhibitory neurons, glial cells, and metabolic features (explaining up to 50% variance).
- Adult cortical thickness changes are linked to cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems.
- Developmental gene expression trajectories support these relationships.
- Models explain up to 59% of cohort-level and 18% of single-subject developmental change.
Conclusions:
- Human brain development and aging trajectories are organized along molecular and cellular patterns.
- Neurotransmitter systems and cellular populations play critical roles in shaping cortical thickness across the lifespan.
- Integrating neurobiological atlases with normative modeling offers a powerful approach to study human brain development and aging.
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