Body size interacts with the structure of the central nervous system: A multi-center in vivo neuroimaging study
Author:
Labounek RenéORCID, Bondy Monica T., Paulson Amy L.ORCID, Bédard SandrineORCID, Abramovic Mihael, Alonso-Ortiz EvaORCID, Atcheson Nicole TORCID, Barlow Laura R., Barry Robert L.ORCID, Barth MarkusORCID, Battiston MarcoORCID, Büchel Christian, Budde Matthew D., Callot VirginieORCID, Combes AnnaORCID, Leener Benjamin DeORCID, Descoteaux MaximeORCID, Loureiro de Sousa PauloORCID, Dostál MarekORCID, Doyon JulienORCID, Dvorak Adam V.ORCID, Eippert FalkORCID, Epperson Karla R., Epperson Kevin S., Freund PatrickORCID, Finsterbusch Jürgen, Foias AlexandruORCID, Fratini MichelaORCID, Fukunaga Issei, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott Claudia A. M.ORCID, Germani GianCarlo, Gilbert Guillaume, Giove FedericoORCID, Grussu FrancescoORCID, Hagiwara AkifumiORCID, Henry Pierre-Gilles, Horák TomášORCID, Hori MasaakiORCID, Joers James M.ORCID, Kamiya Kouhei, Karbasforoushan HalehORCID, Keřkovský MilošORCID, Khatibi AliORCID, Kim Joo-wonORCID, Kinany Nawal, Kitzler HagenORCID, Kolind Shannon, Kong YazhuoORCID, Kudlička PetrORCID, Kuntke PaulORCID, Kurniawan Nyoman D.ORCID, Kusmia SlawomirORCID, Laganà Maria MarcellaORCID, Laule CorneliaORCID, Law Christine S. W.ORCID, Leutritz TobiasORCID, Liu Yaou, Llufriu SaraORCID, Mackey SeanORCID, Martin Allan R.ORCID, Martinez-Heras EloyORCID, Mattera Loan, O’Grady Kristin P.ORCID, Papinutto Nico, Papp DanielORCID, Pareto DeborahORCID, Parrish Todd B., Pichiecchio AnnaORCID, Prados FerranORCID, Rovira ÀlexORCID, Ruitenberg Marc J.ORCID, Samson Rebecca S.ORCID, Savini GiovanniORCID, Seif MaryamORCID, Seifert Alan C.ORCID, Smith Alex K., Smith Seth A., Smith Zachary A.ORCID, Solana ElisabethORCID, Suzuki YuichiORCID, Tackley George WORCID, Tinnermann AlexandraORCID, Valošek JanORCID, Van De Ville DimitriORCID, Yiannakas Marios C.ORCID, Weber Kenneth A.ORCID, Weiskopf Nikolaus, Wise Richard G.ORCID, Wyss Patrik O.ORCID, Xu JunqianORCID, Cohen-Adad JulienORCID, Lenglet ChristopheORCID, Nestrašil IgorORCID
Abstract
AbstractClinical research emphasizes the implementation of rigorous and reproducible study designs that rely on between-group matching or controlling for sources of biological variation such as subject’s sex and age. However, corrections for body size (i.e. height and weight) are mostly lacking in clinical neuroimaging designs. This study investigates the importance of body size parameters in their relationship with spinal cord (SC) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics. Data were derived from a cosmopolitan population of 267 healthy human adults (age 30.1±6.6 years old, 125 females). We show that body height correlated strongly or moderately with brain gray matter (GM) volume, cortical GM volume, total cerebellar volume, brainstem volume, and cross-sectional area (CSA) of cervical SC white matter (CSA-WM; 0.44≤r≤0.62). In comparison, age correlated weakly with cortical GM volume, precentral GM volume, and cortical thickness (-0.21≥r≥-0.27). Body weight correlated weakly with magnetization transfer ratio in the SC WM, dorsal columns, and lateral corticospinal tracts (-0.20≥r≥-0.23). Body weight further correlated weakly with the mean diffusivity derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in SC WM (r=-0.20) and dorsal columns (-0.21), but only in males. CSA-WM correlated strongly or moderately with brain volumes (0.39≤r≤0.64), and weakly with precentral gyrus thickness and DTI-based fractional anisotropy in SC dorsal columns and SC lateral corticospinal tracts (-0.22≥r≥-0.25). Linear mixture of sex and age explained 26±10% of data variance in brain volumetry and SC CSA. The amount of explained variance increased at 33±11% when body height was added into the mixture model. Age itself explained only 2±2% of such variance. In conclusion, body size is a significant biological variable. Along with sex and age, body size should therefore be included as a mandatory variable in the design of clinical neuroimaging studies examining SC and brain structure.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
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