Journal article
Whole-Brain Connectivity in a Large Study of Huntington's Disease Gene Mutation Carriers and Healthy Controls
Brain connectivity, Vol.8(3), pp.166-178
04/01/2018
DOI: 10.1089/brain.2017.0538
PMCID: PMC5899293
PMID: 29291624
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited brain disorder characterized by progressive motor, cognitive, and behavioral dysfunctions. It is caused by abnormally large trinucleotide cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) repeat expansions on exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene. CAG repeat length (CAG-RL) inversely correlates with an earlier age of onset. Region-based studies have shown that HD gene mutation carrier (HDgmc) individuals (CAG-RL ≥36) present functional connectivity alterations in subcortical (SC) and default mode networks. In this analysis, we expand on previous HD studies by investigating associations between CAG-RL and connectivity in the whole brain, as well as between CAG-dependent connectivity and motor and cognitive performances. We used group-independent component analysis on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans of 261 individuals (183 HDgmc and 78 healthy controls) from the PREDICT-HD study, to obtain whole-brain resting state networks (RSNs). Regression analysis was applied within and between RSNs connectivity (functional network connectivity [FNC]) to identify CAG-RL associations. Connectivity within the putamen RSN is negatively correlated with CAG-RL. The FNC between putamen and insula decreases with increasing CAG-RL, and also shows significant associations with motor and cognitive measures. The FNC between calcarine and middle frontal gyri increased with CAG-RL. In contrast, FNC in other visual (VIS) networks declined with increasing CAG-RL. In addition to observed effects in SC areas known to be related to HD, our study identifies a strong presence of alterations in VIS regions less commonly observed in previous reports and provides a step forward in understanding FNC dysfunction in HDgmc.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Whole-Brain Connectivity in a Large Study of Huntington's Disease Gene Mutation Carriers and Healthy Controls
- Creators
- Flor A Espinoza - 1Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New MexicoJessica A Turner - 2Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GeorgiaVictor M Vergara - 1Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New MexicoRobyn L Miller - 1Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New MexicoEva Mennigen - 1Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New MexicoJingyu Liu - 1Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New MexicoMaria B Misiura - 2Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GeorgiaJennifer Ciarochi - 2Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GeorgiaHans J Johnson - 3Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaJeffrey D Long - 4Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaHenry J Bockholt - 3Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaVincent A Magnotta - 5Department of Radiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaJane S Paulsen - 3Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaVince D Calhoun - 6Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Brain connectivity, Vol.8(3), pp.166-178
- DOI
- 10.1089/brain.2017.0538
- PMID
- 29291624
- PMCID
- PMC5899293
- NLM abbreviation
- Brain Connect
- ISSN
- 2158-0014
- eISSN
- 2158-0022
- Publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/01/2018
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Radiology; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Psychiatry; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biostatistics
- Record Identifier
- 9984003963702771
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