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Graded Variation In Cortical T1w/T2w Myelination During Adolescence

Graham L. Baum, John C. Flournoy, Matthew F. Glasser, Michael P. Harms, Patrick Mair, Ashley Sanders, Deanna M. Barch, Randy L. Buckner, Susan Bookheimer, Mirella Dapretto, Stephen Smith, Kathleen M. Thomas, Essa Yacoub, David C. Van Essen, Leah H. Somerville
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.06.471432
Graham L. Baum
1Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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  • For correspondence: gbaum@fas.harvard.edu
John C. Flournoy
1Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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Matthew F. Glasser
2Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
3Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Michael P. Harms
4Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Patrick Mair
1Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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Ashley Sanders
5Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Deanna M. Barch
4Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
5Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Randy L. Buckner
1Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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Susan Bookheimer
6Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Mirella Dapretto
6Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Stephen Smith
7Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, UK
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Kathleen M. Thomas
8Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Essa Yacoub
8Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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David C. Van Essen
3Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Leah H. Somerville
1Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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Abstract

Myelination influences brain connectivity during sensitive periods of development by enhancing neural signaling speed and regulating synapse formation to reduce plasticity. However, in vivo studies characterizing the maturational timing of cortical myelination during human development remain scant. Here, we take advantage of recent advances in high-resolution cortical T1w/T2w myelin mapping methods, including principled correction of B1+ transmit field effects, using data from the Human Connectome Project in Development (N=628, ages 8-21) to characterize the maturational timing of myelination from childhood through early adulthood throughout the cerebral neocortex. We apply Bayesian spline models and functional latent clustering analysis to demonstrate graded variation in the rate of cortical T1w/T2w myelin growth in neocortical areas that is strongly correlated with the sensorimotor-association (S-A) axis of cortical organization reported by others. In sensorimotor areas T1w/T2w myelin starts at high levels at early ages, increases at a fast pace, and decelerates at later ages (18-21). In intermediate multimodal areas along the S-A axis, T1w/T2w myelin tends to start at intermediate levels and increase linearly at an intermediate pace. In transmodal/paralimbic association areas high along the S-A axis, T1w/T2w myelin tends to start at low levels and increase linearly at the slowest pace. These data provide evidence for graded variation along the S-A axis in the rate of cortical myelination during adolescence, which could reflect ongoing plasticity underlying the development of complex information processing and psychological functioning.

Significance Statement Myelin is a lipid membrane that is essential to healthy brain function. Myelin wraps axons to increase neural signaling speed, enabling complex neuronal functioning underlying learning and cognition. Here we characterize the developmental timing of myelination across the cerebral cortex during adolescence using recent advances in non-invasive myelin mapping. Our results provide new evidence demonstrating graded variation across the cortex in the timing of myelination during adolescence, with rapid myelination in lower-order sensory areas and gradual myelination in higher-order association areas. This spatial pattern of microstructural brain development closely parallels the sensorimotor-to-association axis of cortical organization and plasticity during ontogeny.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted December 07, 2021.
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Graded Variation In Cortical T1w/T2w Myelination During Adolescence
Graham L. Baum, John C. Flournoy, Matthew F. Glasser, Michael P. Harms, Patrick Mair, Ashley Sanders, Deanna M. Barch, Randy L. Buckner, Susan Bookheimer, Mirella Dapretto, Stephen Smith, Kathleen M. Thomas, Essa Yacoub, David C. Van Essen, Leah H. Somerville
bioRxiv 2021.12.06.471432; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.06.471432
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Graded Variation In Cortical T1w/T2w Myelination During Adolescence
Graham L. Baum, John C. Flournoy, Matthew F. Glasser, Michael P. Harms, Patrick Mair, Ashley Sanders, Deanna M. Barch, Randy L. Buckner, Susan Bookheimer, Mirella Dapretto, Stephen Smith, Kathleen M. Thomas, Essa Yacoub, David C. Van Essen, Leah H. Somerville
bioRxiv 2021.12.06.471432; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.06.471432

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