Functional Neuroimaging in Growth Hormone Deficiency and Asthma

Functional neuroimaging has illuminated the neural substrates of both growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and asthma by revealing how hormonal dysregulation and chronic respiratory pathology reshape brain networks. In GHD, reductions in growth hormone and its mediator insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are linked to altered cortical thickness, disrupted white matter integrity and aberrant regional synchrony, which underpin deficits in working memory, inhibitory control and mood regulation. In asthma, intermittent hypoxia, systemic inflammation and comorbid anxiety or depression give rise to changes in interhemispheric coherence, sensorimotor integration and visual network efficiency. Advanced modalities such as resting-state functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging and arterial spin labelling have thus provided objective markers of cognitive and affective disturbances, offering pathways for targeted hormone replacement, cognitive therapies or tailored respiratory interventions that may restore neural function and improve quality of life.

Research from Nature Portfolio

In a resting-state study of children with GHD, regional homogeneity analysis revealed elevated synchrony in the left putamen coupled with reduced homogeneity in the right precentral gyrus and orbital parts of the superior frontal gyrus. These local synchronisation changes correlate with impairments in inhibitory control and heightened anxiety, offering one of the first functional indicators linking serum IGF-1 levels to specific network disturbances in the developing brain.

Functional Neuroimaging in Growth Hormone Deficiency and Asthma publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in functional neuroimaging in growth hormone deficiency and asthma across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI): Imaging method that assesses spontaneous neuronal activity when no explicit task is performed.

Regional homogeneity (ReHo): Measure of local synchrony of blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals across neighbouring voxels.

Functional connectivity (FC): Statistical association of temporal activity patterns between spatially distinct brain regions.

Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF): Metric quantifying the intensity of spontaneous signal oscillations in a low-frequency band.

Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC): Assessment of synchrony between geometrically corresponding voxels in opposite hemispheres.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI): Technique measuring directional water diffusion to infer white matter microstructure.

Arterial spin labelling (ASL): Noninvasive method to quantify cerebral blood flow by magnetically labelling incoming blood water.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1): Hormone that mediates many actions of growth hormone and is critical for brain development and function.

References

1. Alterations in brain structure and function associated with pediatric growth hormone deficiency: A multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging study. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2023).
2. Regional homogeneity abnormalities of resting state brain activities in children with growth hormone deficiency. Scientific Reports (2021).
3. Alterations in Cortical Thickness in Young Male Patients With Childhood-Onset Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Morphometric MRI Study. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2019).
4. Impaired Interhemispheric Synchrony in Bronchial Asthma. International Journal of General Medicine (2021).