Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 May;30(4):492-501.
doi: 10.1037/neu0000266. Epub 2016 Jan 11.

Gray matter integrity within regions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortical-subcortical network predicts executive function and fine motor dexterity in spina bifida

Ashley L Ware  1 , Paulina A Kulesz  1 , Victoria J Williams  1 , Jenifer Juranek  2 , Paul T Cirino  1 , Jack M Fletcher  1
Affiliations

Gray matter integrity within regions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortical-subcortical network predicts executive function and fine motor dexterity in spina bifida

Ashley L Ware et al. Neuropsychology. 2016 May.

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined microstructural properties of cortical and subcortical gray matter components of the dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC) cortical-subcortical circuit in relation to parent-rated executive function and fine motor dexterity performance in youth with spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM). Aberrant gray matter integrity of the DLPFC, basal ganglia nuclei, and thalamus were hypothesized to differentially relate to neurobehavioral outcomes.

Methods: Forty-nine youth between 8 and 18 years (M = 12.34) old with SBM underwent a 3T MRI including diffusion tensor imaging. Neurobehavioral measures of parent-rated executive function and fine motor dexterity were obtained from a standardized neuropsychological evaluation. Relations among indices of gray matter microstructural integrity (mean diffusivity [MD], fractional anisotropy [FA], cortical thickness) and neurobehavior were examined using 3 correlational methods to enhance reliability of brain-behavior relations.

Results: In SBM, higher FA values in the caudate were associated with poorer behavioral regulation. Higher FA values in the putamen and greater DLPFC thickness were both associated with poorer fine motor dexterity.

Conclusion: Behavioral regulation and FA in the caudate related to behavioral inhibition in SBM. Similarly, associations between fine motor dexterity and indices of gray matter integrity in the putamen and DLPFC support fronto-striatal involvement in motor control in SBM. Examination of these neurobehavioral correlates revealed a pattern of attenuated behavioral impairments when gray matter structure was more similar to that of typically developing youth. (PsycINFO Database Record

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interests: None to report.

References

    1. Abe O, Yamasue H, Aoki S, Suga M, Yamada H, Kasai K, … Ohtomo K. Aging in the CNS: comparison of gray/white matter volume and diffusion tensor data. Neurobiol Aging. 2008;29(1):102–116. - PubMed
    1. Alexander GE, DeLong MR, Strick PL. Parallel organization of functionally segregated circuits linking basal ganglia and cortex. Annu Rev Neurosci. 1986;9:357–381. - PubMed
    1. Arrington CN, Ware AL, Ahmed Y, Kulesz PA, Fletcher JM. The effect of shunt revision on intelligence in congenital hydrocephalus: A meta analysis. Journal of neurosugery, neurology, and psychiatry submitted.
    1. Arsalidou M, Duerden EG, Taylor MJ. The Centre of the Brain: Topographical Model of Motor, Cognitive, Affective, and Somatosensory Functions of the Basal Ganglia. Hum Brain Mapp. 2013;34(11):3031–3054. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Au KS, Ashley-Koch A, Northrup H. Epidemiologic and genetic aspects of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2010;16(1):6–15. - PMC - PubMed