A volumetric study of parietal lobe subregions in Turner syndrome

Abstract

Turner syndrome, a genetic disorder that results from the complete or partial absence of an X chromosome in females, has been associated with specific impairment in visuospatial cognition. Previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between parietal lobe abnormalities and visuospatial deficits in Turner syndrome. We used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging to measure parietal lobe subdivisions in 14 participants with Turner syndrome (mean age 13 years 5 months, SD 5 years) and 14 age-matched controls (mean age 13 years 5 months, SD 4 years 7 months) to localize neuroanatomical variations more closely. Scans were acquired and analyzed for 14 females with Turner syndrome. Analyses of variance were used to investigate differences in regional parietal lobes. Females with Turner syndrome showed a bilateral parietal lobe reduction, specifically in the superior parietal and postcentral gyri. Full-scale IQ scores were significantly positively correlated with postcentral tissue volume in the Turner syndrome group. Structural differences in the parietal lobe are localized specifically to the anterior and superior parietal lobe and might be related to the visuospatial and visuomotor deficits associated with Turner syndrome.