Gray matter volume and structural covariance alterations in young males with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency.

Résumé

PURPOSE: This study investigated the differences in gray matter volume (GMV), structural covariance, and structural covariance networks between adults with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and healthy controls (HCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 70 right-handed male participants (32 GHD patients and 38 HCs) underwent high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Atlas-based morphometry was conducted to examine regional GMV differences. Structural covariance matrices were generated using inter-regional partial correlations, and graph-based network analyses were performed to assess global and regional network topological properties. RESULTS: The GHD group exhibited significantly reduced GMV in the bilateral pallidum and nucleus accumbens compared to HCs, while showing increased GMV in regions such as the frontal, parietal, temporal lobes, and thalamus (family wise error-corrected P