Subcortical brain volume, regional cortical thickness, and cortical surface area across disorders: findings from the ENIGMA ADHD, ASD, and OCD Working Groups

Objective Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders that frequently co-occur. We aimed to directly compare all three disorders. The ENIGMA consortium is ideally positioned to investigate structural brain alterations across these disorders. Methods Structural T1-weighted whole-brain MRI of controls (n=5,827) and patients with ADHD (n=2,271), ASD (n=1,777), and OCD (n=2,323) from 151 cohorts worldwide were analyzed using standardized processing protocols. We examined subcortical volume, cortical thickness and surface area differences within a mega-analytical framework, pooling measures extracted from each cohort. Analyses were performed separately for children, adolescents, and adults using linear mixed-effects models adjusting for age, sex and site (and ICV for subcortical and surface area measures). Results We found no shared alterations among all three disorders, while shared alterations between any two disorders did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Children with ADHD compared to those with OCD had smaller hippocampal volumes, possibly influenced by IQ. Children and adolescents with ADHD also had smaller ICV than controls and those with OCD or ASD. Adults with ASD showed thicker frontal cortices compared to adult controls and other clinical groups. No OCD-specific alterations across different age-groups and surface area alterations among all disorders in childhood and adulthood were observed. Conclusion Our findings suggest robust but subtle alterations across different age-groups among ADHD, ASD, and OCD. ADHD-specific ICV and hippocampal alterations in children and adolescents, and ASD-specific cortical thickness alterations in the frontal cortex in adults support previous work emphasizing neurodevelopmental alterations in these disorders

<i>Vegasaurus molyi</i>, gen. et sp. nov. (Plesiosauria, Elasmosauridae), from the Cape Lamb Member (lower maastrichtian) of the Snow Hill Island Formation, Vega Island, Antarctica, and remarks on Wedellian Elasmosauridae

<div><p>ABSTRACT—A new elasmosaurid, <i>Vegasaurus molyi</i>, gen. et sp. nov., from Vega Island, James Ross Archipelago, Antarctica, is described. The holotype and only specimen of this species (MLP 93-I-5-1) was collected from the lower Maastrichtian Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation. <i>Vegasaurus molyi</i> is the only Antarctic elasmosaurid and one of only a few Late Cretaceous elasmosaurids from the Southern Hemisphere whose postcranial anatomy is well known. <i>Vegasaurus molyi</i> is distinguished from other elasmosaurids by the following combination of characters: cervical region with 54 vertebrae with elongated centra, dumbbell-shaped articular faces and lateral ridge present in the anterior and middle parts of the neck but absent in the posterior-most cervical vertebrae; scapula with ventral ramus bearing a strong ridge in the anteromedial corner of its dorsal surface; ilium shaft with expanded distal end, divided into two parts forming an angle of 140° opening anteriorly; and humerus with anterior knee and prominent posterior projection with accessory posterior articular facet. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis places <i>V. molyi</i> within a clade that includes the Late Cretaceous Wedellian aristonectine elasmosaurids, <i>Aristonectes</i> and <i>Kaiwhekea</i>. This indicates a close relationship between Aristonectinae and non-Aristonectinae Late Cretaceous Weddellian elasmosaurids and suggests a Weddellian origin for the Aristonectinae.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1B9D10DA-0373-41B5-BFFF-E7AC25D79BF3</p><p>SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP</p></div

A new elasmosaurid from the upper Maastrichtian López de Bertodano Formation: new data on weddellonectian diversity

<p>O’Gorman, J.P., Panzeri, K.M., Fernández, M.S., Santillana, S., Moly, J.J. & Reguero, M. July.2017. A new elasmosaurid from the upper Maastrichtian López de Bertodano Formation: new data on weddellonectian diversity. <i>Alcheringa 42</i>, 575-586. ISSN 0311-5518.</p> <p>Elasmosaurids are one of the most frequently recorded marine reptiles from the Weddellian Province (Patagonia, Western Antarctica and New Zealand). Improvements in our knowledge of elasmosaurid diversity have been problematic because of their conservative postcranial morphology. However, recent studies have helped to improved our understanding of the diversity of this group. Here, a new elasmosaurid specimen from the upper Maatrichtian horizons of the López de Bertodano Formation, Antarctica, MLP 14-I-20-16, is described. MLP 14-I-20-16 is one of the youngest non-aristonectine weddellonectian elasmosaurids from Antarctica. We confirm the coexistence of aristonectine and non-aristonectine elasmosaurids in Antarctica until the end of the Cretaceous. MLP 14-I-20-16 shows distinctive short and broad posterior cervical vertebrae, a feature only shared among the weddellonectian elasmosaurids by the Maastrichtian <i>Morenosaurus stocki</i>, although the same vertebral proportions are also recorded for the giant Cenomanian elasmosaurids <i>Thalassomedon haningtoni</i>. Comparison between MLP 14-I-20-16 and other elasmosaurids from the Maastrichtian of Antarctica indicates that at least two different non-aristonectine elasmosaurids were present in Antarctica during the late Maastrichtian.</p> <p><i>José P. O’Gorman, [</i>[email protected]]<i>, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n., B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina, CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina; Karen M. Panzeri[</i>[email protected]]<i>, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n., B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina; Marta S. Fernández [</i>[email protected]]<i>, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n., B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina; CONICET, Sergio Santillana [</i>[email protected]]<i>, Instituto Antártico Argentino, 25 De Mayo 1143, San Martín Provincia De Buenos Aires, Argentina; Juan J. Moly [</i>[email protected]]<i>, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n., B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina; Marcelo Reguero[</i>[email protected]]<i>, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n., B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina; Instituto Antártico Argentino, 25 De Mayo 1143, San Martín Provincia De Buenos Aires Argentina.</i></p