A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function
BackgroundBrain structure changes after long-term adaptation to the high-altitude environment; however, related studies are few, results are in consistent, and long-term effects on cognitive function and pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1487953/full |
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| author | Ning Liu Li Feng Shuangwei Chai Hailong Li Yuanyuan He Yongyue Guo Xin Hu Hengyan Li Xiangwei Li Zan Zhou Xiaomei Li Yonghong Huang Wanlin He Xiaoqi Huang Xiaoqi Huang Yunhong Wu Jinli Meng |
| author_facet | Ning Liu Li Feng Shuangwei Chai Hailong Li Yuanyuan He Yongyue Guo Xin Hu Hengyan Li Xiangwei Li Zan Zhou Xiaomei Li Yonghong Huang Wanlin He Xiaoqi Huang Xiaoqi Huang Yunhong Wu Jinli Meng |
| author_sort | Ning Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundBrain structure changes after long-term adaptation to the high-altitude environment; however, related studies are few, results are in consistent, and long-term effects on cognitive function and pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to investigate the damage to white matter fiber tracts and correlations between brain structural abnormalities and cognitive function.MethodsForty healthy Han people living on the high-altitude and 40 healthy Han people living on the plains were enrolled in this study and underwent magnetic resonance imaging, emotional state assessment, and cognitive function tests. The sex, age, education level, and social status of the two groups were not different. The tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) method was used to analyze the DTI parameters of the white matter fiber tracts of the two groups. Moreover, the partial correlation method (age and sex as covariates) was used to analyze the correlations between the intergroup differences in the DTI parameters and a series of clinical indicators of emotional state and cognitive function. Two-sample t tests, Mann-Whitney U test, generalized linear model, or chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis.ResultsCompared with those individuals in the plain group, the scores on the PSQI, SDS, SAS, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 of individuals in the high-altitude group were higher, while the scores on the DST-Backwards, MoCA, and MMSE in the high-altitude group were lower. The fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the body of the corpus callosum in the high-altitude group was lower than that in the plain group. The FA value of the body of the corpus callosum in the plain group was negatively correlated with the Logical Memory, while no significant correlation was found in the high-altitude group.ConclusionThis study revealed that long-term exposure to a high-altitude environment could lead to a series of changes in sleep, emotion, and cognitive function and irreversible damage to the white matter microstructure of the body of the corpus callosum, which is the related brain region responsible for logical memory. The absence of logical memory impairment in the healthy Han Chinese population living on the high-altitude in this study may be due to the existence of adaptive compensation after long-term high-altitude exposure. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-72aac3f1f7264c76ba4e6337a1df9a35 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-72aac3f1f7264c76ba4e6337a1df9a352024-11-13T06:21:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2024-11-011510.3389/fphys.2024.14879531487953A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive functionNing Liu0Li Feng1Shuangwei Chai2Hailong Li3Yuanyuan He4Yongyue Guo5Xin Hu6Hengyan Li7Xiangwei Li8Zan Zhou9Xiaomei Li10Yonghong Huang11Wanlin He12Xiaoqi Huang13Xiaoqi Huang14Yunhong Wu15Jinli Meng16Department of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaResearch Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People’s Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region (Hospital. C.T.), Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaBackgroundBrain structure changes after long-term adaptation to the high-altitude environment; however, related studies are few, results are in consistent, and long-term effects on cognitive function and pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to investigate the damage to white matter fiber tracts and correlations between brain structural abnormalities and cognitive function.MethodsForty healthy Han people living on the high-altitude and 40 healthy Han people living on the plains were enrolled in this study and underwent magnetic resonance imaging, emotional state assessment, and cognitive function tests. The sex, age, education level, and social status of the two groups were not different. The tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) method was used to analyze the DTI parameters of the white matter fiber tracts of the two groups. Moreover, the partial correlation method (age and sex as covariates) was used to analyze the correlations between the intergroup differences in the DTI parameters and a series of clinical indicators of emotional state and cognitive function. Two-sample t tests, Mann-Whitney U test, generalized linear model, or chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis.ResultsCompared with those individuals in the plain group, the scores on the PSQI, SDS, SAS, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 of individuals in the high-altitude group were higher, while the scores on the DST-Backwards, MoCA, and MMSE in the high-altitude group were lower. The fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the body of the corpus callosum in the high-altitude group was lower than that in the plain group. The FA value of the body of the corpus callosum in the plain group was negatively correlated with the Logical Memory, while no significant correlation was found in the high-altitude group.ConclusionThis study revealed that long-term exposure to a high-altitude environment could lead to a series of changes in sleep, emotion, and cognitive function and irreversible damage to the white matter microstructure of the body of the corpus callosum, which is the related brain region responsible for logical memory. The absence of logical memory impairment in the healthy Han Chinese population living on the high-altitude in this study may be due to the existence of adaptive compensation after long-term high-altitude exposure.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1487953/fullDTITBSSlong-term adaptationhigh-altitudecognitive function |
| spellingShingle | Ning Liu Li Feng Shuangwei Chai Hailong Li Yuanyuan He Yongyue Guo Xin Hu Hengyan Li Xiangwei Li Zan Zhou Xiaomei Li Yonghong Huang Wanlin He Xiaoqi Huang Xiaoqi Huang Yunhong Wu Jinli Meng A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function Frontiers in Physiology DTI TBSS long-term adaptation high-altitude cognitive function |
| title | A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function |
| title_full | A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function |
| title_fullStr | A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function |
| title_full_unstemmed | A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function |
| title_short | A diffusion tensor imaging-based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long-term high-altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function |
| title_sort | diffusion tensor imaging based multidimensional study of brain structural changes after long term high altitude exposure and their relationships with cognitive function |
| topic | DTI TBSS long-term adaptation high-altitude cognitive function |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1487953/full |
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