Dynamic Inter-Modality Source Coupling Reveals Sex Differences in Brain Connectivity in Children: A Multimodal MRI...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Previous Inter-Modality Source Coupling (IMSC) linked structural MRI (sMRI) with static functional network connectivity (sFNC).
• A temporal dimension was missing in prior analyses of brain structure-function relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce Dynamic Inter-Modality Source Coupling (dIMSC) to analyze time-varying brain structure-function coupling.
• Investigate sex differences in brain connectivity in children aged 9-11 using the ABCD study dataset.
• Advance understanding of neurodevelopmental trajectories and their impact on cognition and behavior.

Main Methods:

• Applied dIMSC to link source-based morphometry (SBM) from sMRI with dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) from resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI).
• Analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study for children aged 9-11.
• Quantified positive, neutral, and negative coupling between structural and functional brain features.

Main Results:

• Identified significant sex-specific coupling patterns: males showed stronger positive coupling in the putamen and hippocampus; females in the superior parietal lobule and anterior cingulate cortex.
• Observed sex differences in neutral and negative coupling, with males showing stronger coupling in the caudate and middle cingulate gyrus, and females in the cerebellum and inferior parietal lobule.
• Found an average distribution of 27.12% positive, 46.63% neutral, and 26.25% negative coupling across timecourses.

Conclusions:

• dIMSC enables time-sensitive analysis of brain structure-function coupling, offering a novel framework for neurodevelopmental research.
• Distinct developmental trajectories in brain network organization exist between sexes, potentially reflecting sex-specific adaptations.
• Findings provide insights into sex-specific patterns of brain connectivity crucial for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders and informing tailored interventions.