A Comparative MRI Analysis of a Juvenile Non-Human Primate and a Paediatric Human Brain: A Guide for Malaysian Neuroscientists
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Comparative neuroimaging of non-human primates (NHPs) and humans provides crucial insights into evolutionary biology and translational neuroscience. However, accessible, metric-driven structural guides tailored for emerging neuroimaging communities, such as in Malaysia, remain limited. This study presents a comparative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis of a juvenile NHP and a paediatric human brain to establish a foundational structural reference guide.
Methods: T1- and T2-weighted MRI sequences were evaluated for tissue contrast consistency. Macrostructural and microstructural metrics, including craniofacial dimensions, skull base angles, corpus callosum thickness, and deep grey matter volumes, were quantified. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and independent t-tests evaluated cross-species variations.
Results: Both species exhibited highly conserved tissue contrast patterns, characterised by grey matter hypointensity on T1-weighted images and hyperintensity on T2-weighted sequences. However, significant structural divergence was identified in specialised regions; the human brain demonstrated marked cranial base flexion (133° vs. 149° in the NHP) in addition to a profoundly expanded corpus callosum (genu: 1.05 cm vs. 0.28 cm) and a pronounced, non-uniform enlargement of higher-order frontal and temporal association cortices.
Conclusion: While fundamental tissue and structural architectures are highly conserved, the human paediatric brain displays selective, non-uniform expansion of higher-order cognitive networks rather than simple scaling. This comparative baseline validates the translational utility of NHP models while providing a practical, localised anatomical guide for Malaysian neuroscientists.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Saleem KS, Logothetis NK. A combined MRI and histology atlas of the rhesus monkey brain in stereotaxic coordinates. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press; 2006.
McLaren DG, Kosmatka KJ, Oakes TR, Kroenke CD, Kohama SG, Matochik JA, et al. A population-average MRI-based atlas collection of the rhesus macaque. Neuroimage. 2009;45(1):52–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.10.058
Frey S, Pandya DN, Chakravarty MM, Bailey L, Petrides M, Collins DL. An MRI-based average macaque monkey stereotaxic atlas and space (MNI monkey space). Neuroimage. 2011;55(4):1435–1442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.01.040
Lu Y, Cui Y, Cao L, Dong Z, Cheng L, Wu W, et al. Macaque brainnetome atlas: a multifaceted brain map with parcellation, connection, and histology. Sci Bull. 2024;69(14):2241–2259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2024.03.031
Moirano JM, Bezgin GY, Ahlers EO, Kötter R, Converse AK. Rhesus macaque brain atlas regions aligned to an MRI template. Neuroinformatics. 2019;17:295–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12021-018-9397-x
Reveley C, Gruslys A, Ye FQ, Glen D, Samaha J, Russ BE, et al. Three-dimensional digital template atlas of the macaque brain. Cereb Cortex. 2017;27(9):4463–4477. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhw248
Barkovich AJ, Raybaud C. Pediatric neuroimaging. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2019.
Knickmeyer RC, Gouttard S, Kang C, Evans D, Wilber K, Smith JK, et al. A structural MRI study of human brain development from birth to 2 years. J Neurosci. 2008;28(47):12176–12182. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3479-08.2008
Shi F, Yap PT, Wu G, Jia H, Gilmore JH, Lin W, et al. Infant brain atlases from neonates to 1- and 2-year-olds. PLoS One. 2011;6(4):e18746. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018746
LeMay M. Morphological cerebral asymmetries of modern man, fossil man, and nonhuman primate. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1976;280(1):349–366. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1976.tb25499.x
Tigges J, Gordon TP, McClure HM, Hall EC, Peters A. Survival rate and life span of rhesus monkeys at the Yerkes regional primate research center. Am J Primatol. 1988;15(3):263–273. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.1350150308
Croxson PL, Forkel SJ, Cerliani L, Thiebaut de Schotten M. Structural variability across the primate brain: a cross-species comparison. Cereb Cortex. 2017;28(11):3829–3841. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhx244
Snider RS, Lee JC. A stereotaxic atlas of the monkey brain (Macaca mulatta). Chicago: University of Chicago Press; 1961.