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. 2011 Apr;1(2):187-97.
doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2010.10.001.

Local brain connectivity and associations with gender and age

Melissa P Lopez-Larson  1 , Jeffrey S Anderson, Michael A Ferguson, Deborah Yurgelun-Todd
Affiliations

Local brain connectivity and associations with gender and age

Melissa P Lopez-Larson et al. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2011 Apr.

Abstract

Regional homogeneity measures synchrony of resting-state brain activity in neighboring voxels, or local connectivity. The effects of age and gender on local connectivity in healthy subjects are unknown. We performed regional homogeneity analyses on resting state BOLD time series data acquired from 58 normal, healthy participants, ranging in age from 11 to 35 (mean 18.1 ± 5.0 years, 32 males). Regional homogeneity was found to be highest for gray matter, with brain regions within the default mode network having the highest local connectivity values. There was a general decrease in regional homogeneity with age with the greatest reduction seen in the anterior cingulate and temporal lobe. Greater female local connectivity in the right hippocampus and amygdala was also noted, regardless of age. These findings suggest that local connectivity at the millimeter scale decreases during development as longer connections are formed, and underscores the importance of examining gender differences in imaging studies of healthy and clinical populations.

Keywords: Brain Development; Local Connectivity; Regional Homogeneity; Resting-state fMRI.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Axial slices of mean regional homogeneity map, averaged over 58 subjects.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Three-dimensional view of mean regional homogeneity, averaged over 58 subjects.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Correlation coefficient between regional homogeneity (ReHo) and age, with positive values indicating increase in ReHo with age and negative values indicating decrease in ReHo with age. Slices show 5 mm increment in MNI z-coordinates from −25 to 65.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Correlation coefficient for the 116 brain regions between regional homogeneity (ReHo) and age.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Regional homogeneity in 9 lobar regions, showing gender differences in the medial temporal region.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Mean regional homogeneity, age, and gender for the right amygdala and right hippocampus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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