Cortical thickness correlates of socioemotional difficulties in adults with Turner syndrome.
Turner syndrome (TS) is a non-inherited genetic disorder associated with a specific cognitive phenotype and socioemotional impairments. The present study aimed at characterizing the neuroanatomical basis of socioemotional dysfunctions in TS using the Emotional Quotient inventory (EQ-I) and cortical morphology analysis in 17 individuals with TS (45,X) and 17-age and verbal IQ matched healthy females. Individuals with TS reported significantly greater socioemotional impairment than controls. Cortical thickness analysis showed that participants with TS had an overall thicker cortex than controls, with extensive alterations in the temporal, frontal, parietal and insular regions bilaterally. Using the total EQ-I score as regressor in the cortical thickness analysis revealed a number of brain regions where the relationship between cortical thickness and EQ-I score differed between groups; these areas included brain regions critically involved in socioemotional processes, such as bilateral insula, the anterior cingulate and the orbitofrontal cortex. These results show that socioemotional dysfunctions seen in women with TS are associated with significant alterations in brain morphology.
Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Canada. Electronic address: jf.lepage@gmail.com.
Jean-François
JF
Lepage
Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
Cédric
C
Clouchoux
Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Canada; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada.
Maryse
M
Lassonde
Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
Alan C
AC
Evans
Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada.
Cheri L
CL
Deal
Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Canada; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada.
Hugo
H
Théoret
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Emotional Quotient Inventory; Sex-chromosome aneuploidy; Social cognition; Turner syndrome; X-monosomy