Alterations in brain structure and function associated with pediatric growth hormone deficiency: A multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging study

Zhibo Zhou; Yunyun Luo; Xiaoxing Gao; Yanlin Zhu; Xi Bai; Hongbo Yang; Qiuhui Bi; Shi Chen; Lian Duan; Linjie Wang; Fengying Gong; Feng Feng; Gaolang Gong; Huijuan Zhu; Hui Pan

doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.1043857

Alterations in brain structure and function associated with pediatric growth hormone deficiency: A multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging study

Front Neurosci. 2023 Jan 6:16:1043857. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1043857. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zhibo Zhou¹, Yunyun Luo¹, Xiaoxing Gao², Yanlin Zhu³, Xi Bai¹, Hongbo Yang¹, Qiuhui Bi⁴, Shi Chen¹, Lian Duan¹, Linjie Wang¹, Fengying Gong¹, Feng Feng⁵, Gaolang Gong⁴, Huijuan Zhu¹, Hui Pan¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Endocrinology of National Health Commission, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Endocrinology, Chinese Research Center for Behavior Medicine in Growth and Development, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
² Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
³ Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
⁵ Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a disease resulting from impaired growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis but the effects of GHD on children's cognitive function, brain structure and brain function were not yet fully illustrated.

Methods: Full Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, structural imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were assessed in 11 children with GHD and 10 matched healthy controls.

Results: (1) The GHD group showed moderate cognitive impairment, and a positive correlation existed between IGF-1 levels and cognitive indices. (2) Mean diffusivity was significantly increased in both corticospinal tracts in GHD group. (3) There were significant positive correlations between IGF-1 levels and volume metrics of left thalamus, left pallidum and right putamen but a negative correlation between IGF-1 levels and cortical thickness of the occipital lobe. And IGF-1 levels negatively correlated with fractional anisotropy in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and right corticospinal tract. (4) Regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the left hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus was negatively correlated with IGF-1 levels; the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and ReHo in the paracentral lobe, postcentral gyrus and precentral gyrus were also negatively correlated with IGF-1 levels, in which region ALFF fully mediates the effect of IGF-1 on working memory index.

Conclusion: Multiple subcortical, cortical structures, and regional neural activities might be influenced by serum IGF-1 levels. Thereinto, ALFF in the paracentral lobe, postcentral gyrus and precentral gyrus fully mediates the effect of IGF-1 on the working memory index.

Keywords: diffusion tensor imaging; growth hormone deficiency; insulin-like growth factor-1; intelligent quotient; resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging; structural magnetic resonance imaging.