Biology subjects

Chen, L.-Z.

Publications and source records attributed to Chen, L.-Z..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Intellectual ability and cortical homotopy development in children and adolescents

Functional homotopy, defined as the similarity between the corresponding regions of the two hemispheres, is a critical feature of interhemispheric communication and cognitive integration. Throughout development, the brain transitions from broadly connected networks in early childhood to more specialized configurations in adoles-cence, accompanied by increased hemispheric differentiation and integration. Using longitudinal data and a novel metric of functional homotopy, homotopic functional affinity (HFA), we investigated the developmental patterns of functional homotopy and its relationship with intelligence. Our findings indicate a significant decrease in HFA with age, particularly in higher-order association networks. In addition, adoles-cents demonstrate stronger, predominantly negative correlations between HFA and intelligence, in contrast to younger children. In particular, individuals with superior intellectual ability experience accelerated decreases in HFA, indicating greater neural efficiency based on advanced hemispheric specialization and differentiation. These findings provide evidence of the neural mechanisms that underlie cognitive development, emphasizing the dynamic interaction between hemispheric organization and intelligence. Our work may have implications for the design of customized educational/clinical interventions to optimize individual developmental strategies. HighlightsO_LISubstantial decreases in functional homotopy along the unimodal-transmodal axis observed from childhood to adolescence, with associative areas experiencing a more pronounced decrease. C_LIO_LIDynamic shifts in the correlation between functional homotopy and intelligence in developmental stages. C_LIO_LIIndividuals with a higher IQ demonstrate a significantly faster development of hemi- spheric specialization or differentiation. C_LIO_LIThe distinct patterns in the development of functional homotopy in different IQ- groups underscore the complex interaction between brain maturation and intelligence. C_LI

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Human Brain Mapping of Homotopic Functional Affinity

Homotopic positions are defined as the two areas with opposite but equal horizonal coordinates in the standard symmetric brain space. Characterizing similarity between two homotopic areas, brain homotopy represents a typical feature of the two hemispheres for both structure and function. Functional homotopy provides important perspectives for understanding neural correlates of cognition and behavior. Despite the decisive role of spatial geometric constraints and homophilic attachment on the human connectome, traditional practices in mapping functional homotopy only considered the temporal correlations of functional timeseries between homotopic areas, but ignored the homophily factors in generative connectivity models. Here, we proposed a novel method for functional homotopy analysis, namely Homotopic Functional Affinity (HFA). This method quantifies the homotopic affinity as the cosine distance of the full-brain functional connectivity profiles or fingerprints between the homotopic areas. HFA captures both geometric constraints (homotopic location) and homophily (affinity) simultaneously. By leveraging the resting-state fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) and the Chinese HCP (CHCP), we mapped the 700ms-2mm high spatiotemporal resolution HFA and evaluated its test-retest reliability with linear mixed models, exhibiting generally fair-to-substantial reliable measurements of individual differences in HFA. The lowest HFA observed in the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) inspired to perform an edge-detection algorithm on its surface render and derived three clearly differentiable and adjacent TPJ subregions: the anterior TPJ (TPJa), the central TPJ (TPJc), and the posterior TPJ (TPJp). We further validated the HFA for the three TPJ regions through a set of comprehensive analyses, including the delineation of their functional connectivity fingerprints, the meta-analysis of their cognitive functions, and their task-activation correlation. Finally, we linked the cortical HFA map to those multimodal brain maps of gene expression, evolution, myelination, functional hierarchy, and cognitive association. The systematic subregion analysis revealed the complex hemispheric specialization of TPJ in attention, social cognition, and language functions. In general, functional specialization of the TPJ areas was stronger in the left hemisphere. The findings from the task activation correlation were highly consistent with those of the meta-analysis. Notably, there were significant differences in social cognition relevant to the three TPJ areas between HCP and CHCP datasets. Furthermore, the correlation analysis of multimodal brain maps illustrated a close relationship between the HFA map and multimodal brain maps. The consistency of maps derived in distinct analyses demonstrated the feasibility of HFA in further understanding psychological and behavioral mechanisms on neural lateralization from the perspective of hemispheric functional integration and specialization. In summary, the proposed HFA framework provides a reliable and valid functional brain mapping tool, with broad applicability in population neuroscience.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

A resource for probing influences of perinatal factors on neurodevelopment in 3-10-years-old Chinese children

Adverse perinatal factors can disrupt the normal development of the brain, with potential long-term impacts on childrens overall development. Currently, the neuropathological mechanisms by which these factors lead to various neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) remain largely unknown. An open resource that integrate perinatal factors with brain and mental health development is essential for investigating NDD-related aetiology. In this Data Descriptor, we introduce a multicentre database containing information on perinatal factors that influence childrens brain-mind development, namely, periCBD, that combines neuroimaging and behavioural phenotypes with perinatal factors associated with a high incidence of NDDs at county/region/central district hospitals. PeriCBD was designed to establish a platform for the investigation of individual differences in brain-mind development among children aged 3-10 years are associated with perinatal factors. Ultimately, our goal was to develop an early prediction and screening model for NDDs that leverages normative data to facilitate NDD aetiology research. Herein, we provide a systematic overview of the data acquisition/cleaning/quality control/sharing, processes of periCBD and present preliminary brain-mind associations.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

A longitudinal resource for population neuroscience of school-age children and adolescents in China

During the past decade, cognitive neuroscience has been calling for population diversity to address the challenge of validity and generalizability, ushering in a new era of population neuroscience. The developing Chinese Color Nest Project (devCCNP, 2013-2022), a ten-year pilot stage of the lifespan CCNP (2013-2032), is an ongoing project focusing on brain-mind development. The project aims to create and share a large-scale, longitudinal and multimodal dataset of typically developing children and adolescents (ages 6.0-17.9 at enrolment) in the Chinese population. The devCCNP houses not only phenotypes measured by demographic, biophysical, psychological and behavioural, cognitive, affective, and ocular-tracking assessments but also neurotypes measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain morphometry, resting-state function, naturalistic viewing function and diffusion structure. This Data Descriptor introduces the first data release of devCCNP including a total of 864 visits from 479 participants. Herein, we provided details of the experimental design, sampling strategies, and technical validation of the devCCNP resource. We demonstrate and discuss the potential of a multicohort longitudinal design to depict normative brain growth curves from the perspective of developmental population neuroscience. The devCCNP resource is shared as part of the "Chinese Data-sharing Warehouse for In-vivo Imaging Brain" in the Chinese Color Nest Project (CCNP) - Lifespan Brain-Mind Development Data Community (https://www.scidb.cn/en/c/ccnp) at the Science Data Bank. Design TypesO_LIAccelerated longitudinal design C_LIO_LIBrain-mind development C_LIO_LIPopulation imaging C_LIO_LIBrain chart C_LIO_LIRepeated measure C_LI MeasurementsO_LIPsychological behaviours C_LIO_LIBiophysical and physical measures C_LIO_LIIntelligence quotient measure C_LIO_LINeuroimaging C_LI Sample Characteristic - OrganismO_LIHomo sapiens C_LI Sample Characteristic - EnvironmentO_LISchool- and community-based sample C_LI Sample Characteristic - LocationO_LIChongqing and Beijing, China C_LI DurationO_LI10 years (2013-2022) C_LI

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

Genome sequencing analysis identifies high-risk Epstein-Barr virus subtypes for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is ubiquitous worldwide and associated with multiple cancers including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The role of EBV viral genomic variation in NPC development and its striking endemicity in southern China has been poorly explored. Through large-scale genome sequencing and association study of EBV isolates from China, we identified two non-synonymous EBV variants within BALF2 strongly associated with NPC risk (conditional P value 1.75x10-6 for SNP162476_C and 3.23x10-13 for SNP163364_T), whose cumulative effects contributed to 83% of the overall risk in southern China. Phylogenetic analysis of the risk variants revealed a unique origin in southern China followed by clonal expansion. EBV BALF2 haplotype carrying the risk variants were shown to reduce viral lytic DNA replication, as a result potentially promoting viral latency. Our discovery has not only provided insight to the unique endemic pattern of NPC occurrence in southern China, but also paved the way for the identification of individuals at high risk of NPC and effective intervention program to reduce the disease burden in southern China.

genetics↗