Poster No:
1768
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Alexander Weuthen1, Meng Li1, Bianca Besteher1, Martin Walter1
Institutions:
1Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
First Author:
Alexander Weuthen
Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
Jena, Germany
Co-Author(s):
Meng Li
Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
Jena, Germany
Bianca Besteher
Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
Jena, Germany
Martin Walter
Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
Jena, Germany
Introduction:
The basal forebrain contains cholinergic projections which are crucial for attention, memory and neuroplasticity. It is not well understood how brain-wide gray matter density is influenced by nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic synapses.
Methods:
The current study used T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data from three cohorts containing healthy participants and neuropsychiatric patients, i.e., Information eXtraction from Images (n = 587), Post-Covid-Brain (n = 118), Transdiagnostic Connectome Project (n = 245) datasets. Data were preprocessed using the computational anatomy toolbox (CAT12.9), deriving 1.5 mm3 segmented gray matter density maps. Cytoarchitectonic masks for the basal nucleus auf Meynert and medial septum/diagonal band of Broca were thresholded at 50% probability and used to extract basal forebrain gray matter density. Structural covariance between the basal forebrain seed and brain-wide gray matter density patterns was analysed in a general linear model, while controlling for age, sex and total intracranial volume. Based on publicly available density maps, similarity to nicotinic (α4β2) and muscarinic (M1) receptors, as well as vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) binding was assessed.
Results:
Basal forebrain structural covariance was strongest in regions among the basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdala and thalamus. More than 10% of variance in brain-wide gray matter density patterns was explained by VAChT binding. The associations of basal forebrain gray matter density represented key regions of cholinergic binding such as muscarinic receptor density in the basal ganglia and nicotinic receptor density in the thalamus. Resulting topographical associations were replicated across the three independent cohorts.
Conclusions:
The results validate basal forebrain structural covariance as marker for cortical cholinergic projections, resembling a combination of muscarinic and nicotinic synapses. Future studies may reveal a cholinergic involvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms based on cohort effects or longitudinal changes in basal forebrain gray matter density associations.
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Connectivity (eg. functional, effective, structural)
PET Modeling and Analysis 2
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Transmitter Receptors
Transmitter Systems 1
Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Pharmacology and Neurotransmission
Keywords:
Acetylcholine
Morphometrics
Neurotransmitter
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Other - Gray Matter Density
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
By submitting your proposal, you grant permission for the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) to distribute your work in any format, including video, audio print and electronic text through OHBM OnDemand, social media channels, the OHBM website, or other electronic publications and media.
I accept
The Open Science Special Interest Group (OSSIG) is introducing a reproducibility challenge for OHBM 2025. This new initiative aims to enhance the reproducibility of scientific results and foster collaborations between labs. Teams will consist of a “source” party and a “reproducing” party, and will be evaluated on the success of their replication, the openness of the source work, and additional deliverables. Click here for more information.
Propose your OHBM abstract(s) as source work for future OHBM meetings by selecting one of the following options:
I do not want to participate in the reproducibility challenge.
Please indicate below if your study was a "resting state" or "task-activation” study.
Other
Healthy subjects only or patients (note that patient studies may also involve healthy subjects):
Patients
Was this research conducted in the United States?
No
Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel?
NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.
Yes
Were any animal research approved by the relevant IACUC or other animal research panel?
NOTE: Any animal studies without IACUC approval will be automatically rejected.
Not applicable
Please indicate which methods were used in your research:
PET
Structural MRI
For human MRI, what field strength scanner do you use?
3.0T
Provide references using APA citation style.
not applicable
No