Brain anatomical networks in world class gymnasts: A DTI tractography study
Brain anatomical networks in world class gymnasts: A DTI tractography study
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世界级体操运动员的大脑解剖网络：DTI 纤维束成像研究
DOI：
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.10.007
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发表时间：
2013-01-15
期刊：
影响因子：
5.7
通讯作者：
Huang, Ruiwang
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Wang, Bin;Fan, Yuanyuan;Huang, Ruiwang
世界级体操运动员出色的运动技能使每个人都感到惊奇。人们惊叹于他们精确控制自己动作的方式，并想知道这些精英运动员的大脑结构和功能与非运动员有何不同。在这项研究中，我们采集了13名世界级体操运动员和14名匹配的对照组的弥散图像，构建了他们的解剖网络，并基于图论计算了每个网络的拓扑特性。从基于连接性的分析中，我们发现冠军中连接密度增加的大多数边缘都与位于感觉运动、注意力和默认模式系统中的大脑区域有关。从基于图形的指标，我们发现显着更大的全球和本地的效率，但较短的特征路径长度的解剖网络的冠军相比，控制。此外，在冠军中，我们发现与运动和注意力功能相对应的几个大脑区域的节点程度和区域效率明显更高。包括左侧中央前回、左侧中央后回、右侧扣带回前部和颞叶。此外，我们发现冠军的皮质脊髓束的平均各向异性分数增加，可能是长期体操训练的反应。我们的研究表明，神经解剖学的适应和塑性变化发生在体操运动员的大脑解剖网络，无论是响应长期密集的体操训练或作为一个先天的倾向或两者兼而有之。我们的研究结果可能有助于解释最高水平的体操技能，并有助于理解区分专家体操运动员和新手的神经机制。(C)2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The excellent motor skills of world class gymnasts amaze everyone. People marvel at the way they precisely control their movements and wonder how the brain structure and function of these elite athletes differ from those of non-athletes. In this study, we acquired diffusion images from thirteen world class gymnasts and fourteen matched controls, constructed their anatomical networks, and calculated the topological properties of each network based on graph theory. From a connectivity-based analysis, we found that most of the edges with increased connection density in the champions were linked to brain regions that are located in the sensorimotor, attentional, and default-mode systems. From graph-based metrics, we detected significantly greater global and local efficiency but shorter characteristic path length in the anatomical networks of the champions compared with the controls. Moreover, in the champions we found a significantly higher nodal degree and greater regional efficiency in several brain regions that correspond to motor and attention functions. These included the left precentral gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, right anterior cingulate gyrus and temporal lobes. In addition, we revealed an increase in the mean fractional anisotropy of the corticospinal tract in the champions, possibly in response to long-term gymnastic training. Our study indicates that neuroanatomical adaptations and plastic changes occur in gymnasts' brain anatomical networks either in response to long-term intensive gymnastic training or as an innate predisposition or both. Our findings may help to explain gymnastic skills at the highest levels of performance and aid in understanding the neural mechanisms that distinguish expert gymnasts from novices. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.