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Cao P, Li Y, Dong Y, Tang Y, Xu G, Si Q, Chen C, Yao Y, Li R, Sui Y. Different structural connectivity patterns in the subregions of the thalamus, hippocampus, and cingulate cortex between schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord 2024; 363:269-281. [PMID: 39053628 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.07.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Schizophrenia (SCZ) and psychotic bipolar disorder (PBD) are two major psychotic disorders with similar symptoms and tight associations on the psychopathological level, posing a clinical challenge for their differentiation. This study aimed to investigate and compare the structural connectivity patterns of the limbic system between SCZ and PBD, and to identify specific regional disruptions associated with psychiatric symptoms. METHODS Using sMRI data from 146 SCZ, 160 PBD, and 145 healthy control (HC) participants, we employed a data-driven approach to segment the hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and cingulate cortex into subregions. We then investigated the structural connectivity patterns between these subregions at the global and nodal levels. Additionally, we assessed psychotic symptoms by utilizing the subscales of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to examine correlations between symptom severity and network metrics between groups. RESULTS Patients with SCZ and PBD had decreased global efficiency (Eglob) (SCZ: adjusted P<0.001; PBD: adjusted P = 0.003), local efficiency (Eloc) (SCZ and PBD: adjusted P<0.001), and clustering coefficient (Cp) (SCZ and PBD: adjusted P<0.001), and increased path length (Lp) (SCZ: adjusted P<0.001; PBD: adjusted P = 0.004) compared to HC. Patients with SCZ showed more pronounced decreases in Eglob (adjusted P<0.001), Eloc (adjusted P<0.001), and Cp (adjusted P = 0.029), and increased Lp (adjusted P = 0.024) compared to patients with PBD. The most notable structural disruptions were observed in the hippocampus and thalamus, which correlated with different psychotic symptoms, respectively. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence of distinct structural connectivity disruptions in the limbic system of patients with SCZ and PBD. These findings might contribute to our understanding of the neuropathological basis for distinguishing SCZ and PBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyu Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuting Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Huzhou Third People's Hospital, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingbo Dong
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yilin Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guoxin Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qi Si
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Huai'an No. 3 People's Hospital, Huai'an 223001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Congxin Chen
- Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ye Yao
- Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Runda Li
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville 37240, TN, USA
| | - Yuxiu Sui
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China.
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Sheehan N, Bannai D, Silverstein SM, Lizano P. Neuroretinal Alterations in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: An Updated Meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull 2024:sbae102. [PMID: 38954839 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are characterized by major symptomatic, cognitive, and neuroanatomical changes. Recent studies have used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to investigate retinal changes in SZ and BD, but their unique and shared changes require further evaluation. Articles were identified using PubMed and Google Scholar. 39 studies met the inclusion criteria. Diagnostic groups were proband (SZ/BD combined), SZ, BD, and healthy control (HC) eyes. Meta-analyses utilized fixed and random effects models when appropriate, and publication bias was corrected using trim-and-fill analysis ("meta" package in R). Results are reported as standardized mean differences with 95% CIs. Data from 3145 patient eyes (1956 SZ, 1189 BD) and 3135 HC eyes were included. Studies identified thinning of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL, overall and in 2 subregions), m-Retina (overall and all subregions), mGCL-IPL, mIPL, and mRPE in SZ patients. BD showed thinning of the pRNFL (overall and in each subregion), pGCC, and macular Retina (in 5 subregions), but no changes in thickness or volume for the total retina. Neither SZ nor BD patients demonstrated significant changes in the fovea, mRNFL, mGCL, mGCC, mINL, mOPL, mONL, or choroid thicknesses. Moderating effects of age, illness duration, and smoking on retinal structures were identified. This meta-analysis builds upon previous literature in this field by incorporating recent OCT studies and examining both peripapillary and macular retinal regions with respect to psychotic disorders. Overall, this meta-analysis demonstrated both peripapillary and macular structural retinal abnormalities in people with SZ or BD compared with HCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Sheehan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Translational Neuroscience, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deepthi Bannai
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Translational Neuroscience, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven M Silverstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Paulo Lizano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Translational Neuroscience, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Nigri A, Stanziano M, Fedeli D, Manera U, Ferraro S, Medina Carrion JP, Palermo S, Lequio L, Denegri F, Agosta F, Spinelli EG, Filippi M, Grisoli M, Valentini MC, De Mattei F, Canosa A, Calvo A, Chiò A, Bruzzone MG, Moglia C. Distinct neural signatures of pulvinar in C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mutation carriers and noncarriers. Eur J Neurol 2024; 31:e16266. [PMID: 38469975 PMCID: PMC11235848 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Thalamic alterations have been reported as a major feature in presymptomatic and symptomatic patients carrying the C9orf72 mutation across the frontotemporal dementia-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spectrum. Specifically, the pulvinar, a high-order thalamic nucleus and timekeeper for large-scale cortical networks, has been hypothesized to be involved in C9orf72-related neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated whether pulvinar volume can be useful for differential diagnosis in ALS C9orf72 mutation carriers and noncarriers and how underlying functional connectivity changes affect this region. METHODS We studied 19 ALS C9orf72 mutation carriers (ALSC9+) accurately matched with wild-type ALS (ALSC9-) and ALS mimic (ALSmimic) patients using structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Pulvinar volume was computed using automatic segmentation. Seed-to-voxel functional connectivity analyses were performed using seeds from a pulvinar functional parcellation. RESULTS Pulvinar structural integrity had high discriminative values for ALSC9+ patients compared to ALSmimic (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.86) and ALSC9- (AUC = 0.77) patients, yielding a volume cutpoint of approximately 0.23%. Compared to ALSmimic, ALSC9- showed increased anterior, inferior, and lateral pulvinar connections with bilateral occipital-temporal-parietal regions, whereas ALSC9+ showed no differences. ALSC9+ patients when compared to ALSC9- patients showed reduced pulvinar-occipital connectivity for anterior and inferior pulvinar seeds. CONCLUSIONS Pulvinar volume could be a differential biomarker closely related to the C9orf72 mutation. A pulvinar-cortical circuit dysfunction might play a critical role in disease progression and development, in both the genetic phenotype and ALS wild-type patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nigri
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Mario Stanziano
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
- ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Umberto Manera
- ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
- Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1UTurinItaly
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
- School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | | | - Sara Palermo
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Laura Lequio
- Neuroradiology UnitCTO Hospital, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di TorinoTurinItaly
| | - Federica Denegri
- Neuroradiology UnitCTO Hospital, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di TorinoTurinItaly
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of NeuroscienceIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
- Neurology UnitIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
- Vita‐Salute San Raffaele UniversityMilanItaly
| | - Edoardo Gioele Spinelli
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of NeuroscienceIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
- Neurology UnitIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
- Neurorehabilitation UnitIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of NeuroscienceIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
- Neurology UnitIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
- Vita‐Salute San Raffaele UniversityMilanItaly
- Neurorehabilitation UnitIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
- Neurophysiology ServiceIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
| | - Marina Grisoli
- Neuroradiology UnitFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | | | - Filippo De Mattei
- ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
- Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1UTurinItaly
| | - Antonio Canosa
- ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
- Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1UTurinItaly
| | - Andrea Calvo
- ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
- Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1UTurinItaly
| | - Adriano Chiò
- ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
- Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1UTurinItaly
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and TechnologiesNational Council of ResearchRomeItaly
| | | | - Cristina Moglia
- ALS Centre, “Rita Levi Montalcini” Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
- Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1UTurinItaly
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Thalhammer M, Schulz J, Scheulen F, Oubaggi MEM, Kirschner M, Kaiser S, Schmidt A, Borgwardt S, Avram M, Brandl F, Sorg C. Distinct Volume Alterations of Thalamic Nuclei Across the Schizophrenia Spectrum. Schizophr Bull 2024:sbae037. [PMID: 38577901 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Abnormal thalamic nuclei volumes and their link to cognitive impairments have been observed in schizophrenia. However, whether and how this finding extends to the schizophrenia spectrum is unknown. We hypothesized a distinct pattern of aberrant thalamic nuclei volume across the spectrum and examined its potential associations with cognitive symptoms. STUDY DESIGN We performed a FreeSurfer-based volumetry of T1-weighted brain MRIs from 137 healthy controls, 66 at-risk mental state (ARMS) subjects, 89 first-episode psychosis (FEP) individuals, and 126 patients with schizophrenia to estimate thalamic nuclei volumes of six nuclei groups (anterior, lateral, ventral, intralaminar, medial, and pulvinar). We used linear regression models, controlling for sex, age, and estimated total intracranial volume, both to compare thalamic nuclei volumes across groups and to investigate their associations with positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. STUDY RESULTS We observed significant volume alterations in medial and lateral thalamic nuclei. Medial nuclei displayed consistently reduced volumes across the spectrum compared to controls, while lower lateral nuclei volumes were only observed in schizophrenia. Whereas positive and negative symptoms were not associated with reduced nuclei volumes across all groups, higher cognitive scores were linked to lower volumes of medial nuclei in ARMS. In FEP, cognition was not linked to nuclei volumes. In schizophrenia, lower cognitive performance was associated with lower medial volumes. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate distinct thalamic nuclei volume reductions across the schizophrenia spectrum, with lower medial nuclei volumes linked to cognitive deficits in ARMS and schizophrenia. Data suggest a distinctive trajectory of thalamic nuclei abnormalities along the course of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Thalhammer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Schulz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Felicitas Scheulen
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mohamed El Mehdi Oubaggi
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mihai Avram
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Felix Brandl
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Liang L, Li S, Huang Y, Zhou J, Xiong D, Li S, Li H, Zhu B, Li X, Ning Y, Hou X, Wu F, Wu K. Relationships among the gut microbiome, brain networks, and symptom severity in schizophrenia patients: A mediation analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 41:103567. [PMID: 38271852 PMCID: PMC10835015 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The microbiome-gut-brain axis (MGBA) plays a critical role in schizophrenia (SZ). However, the underlying mechanisms of the interactions among the gut microbiome, brain networks, and symptom severity in SZ patients remain largely unknown. Fecal samples, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores were collected from 38 SZ patients and 38 normal controls, respectively. The data of 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used to analyze the abundance of gut microbiome and the analysis of human brain networks was applied to compute the nodal properties of 90 brain regions. A total of 1,691,280 mediation models were constructed based on 261 gut bacterial, 810 nodal properties, and 4 PANSS scores in SZ patients. A strong correlation between the gut microbiome and brain networks (r = 0.89, false discovery rate (FDR) -corrected p < 0.05) was identified. Importantly, the PANSS scores were linearly correlated with both the gut microbiome (r = 0.5, FDR-corrected p < 0.05) and brain networks (r = 0.59, FDR-corrected p < 0.05). The abundance of genus Sellimonas significantly affected the PANSS negative scores of SZ patients via the betweenness centrality of white matter networks in the inferior frontal gyrus and amygdala. Moreover, 19 significant mediation models demonstrated that the nodal properties of 7 brain regions, predominately from the systems of visual, language, and control of action, showed significant mediating effects on the PANSS scores with the gut microbiome as mediators. Together, our findings indicated the tripartite relationships among the gut microbiome, brain networks, and PANSS scores and suggested their potential role in the neuropathology of SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqin Liang
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou International Campus, Guangzhou 511442, China
| | - Shijia Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou International Campus, Guangzhou 511442, China; Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yuanyuan Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Dongsheng Xiong
- School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shaochuan Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Realmeta Technology (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd, Guangzhou 510535, China
| | - Hehua Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Baoyuan Zhu
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou International Campus, Guangzhou 511442, China
| | - Xiaobo Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yuping Ning
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Xiaohui Hou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China.
| | - Fengchun Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China.
| | - Kai Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou International Campus, Guangzhou 511442, China; National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
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6
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Yang W, Niu H, Jin Y, Cui J, Li M, Qiu Y, Lu D, Li G, Li J. Altered dynamic functional connectivity of the thalamus subregions in patients with schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 167:86-92. [PMID: 37862908 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous neuroimaging studies indicated that patients with schizophrenia showed impaired thalamus and thalamo-cortical circuits. However, the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) patterns of the thalamus remain unclear. In this study, we explored the dFC of the thalamus in SZ patients and whether clinical features are correlated with altered dFC. METHODS Forty-three patients with schizophrenia and 31 healthy controls underwent 3.0 T rs-fMRI. Based on the human Brainnetome atlas, the thalamus is divided into 8 subregions. Subsequently, we performed flexible least squares method to calculate the dFC of each thalamus subregions. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia exhibited increased dFC between the thalamus and cerebellar, visual-related cortex, sensorimotor-related cortex, and frontal lobe. In addition, we found that the dFC of the thalamus and the right fusiform gyrus was negatively associated with age of onset. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that the dFC of specific thalamus sub-regions is altered in patients with schizophrenia. Our results further suggested the dysconnectivity of thalamus plays an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Yang
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Huiming Niu
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Yiqiong Jin
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Jie Cui
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Meijuan Li
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Yuying Qiu
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Duihong Lu
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Gang Li
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Jie Li
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China.
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Wagner MW, Bernhard N, Mndebele G, Vidarsson L, Ertl-Wagner BB. Volumetric differences of thalamic nuclei in children with trisomy 21. Neuroradiol J 2023; 36:581-587. [PMID: 36942548 PMCID: PMC10569191 DOI: 10.1177/19714009231166100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Histological studies have shown alterations of thalamic nuclei in patients with Down syndrome (DS). The correlation of these changes on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is unclear. Therefore, this study investigates volumetric differences of thalamic nuclei in children with DS compared to controls. METHODS Patients were retrospectively identified between 01/2000 and 10/2021. Patient inclusion criteria were: (1) 0-18 years of age, (2) diagnosis of DS, and (3) availability of a brain MRI without parenchymal injury and a non-motion-degraded volumetric T1-weighted sequence. Whole thalamus and thalamic nuclei (n = 25) volumes were analyzed bilaterally relative to the total brain volume (TBV). Two-sided t-tests were used to evaluate differences between groups. Differences were considered significant if the adjusted p-value was <0.05 after correction for multiple hypothesis testing using the Holm-Bonferroni method. RESULTS 21 children with DS (11 females, 52.4%, mean age: 8.6 ± 4.3 years) and 63 age- and sex-matched controls (32 females, 50.8%, 8.6 ± 4.3 years) were studied using automated volumetric segmentation. Significantly smaller ratios were found for nine thalamic nuclei and the whole thalamus on the right and five thalamic nuclei on the left. TBV was significantly smaller in patients with DS (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between the groups for age and sex. CONCLUSIONS In this exploratory volumetric analysis of the thalamus and thalamic nuclei, we observed statistically significant volumetric changes in children with DS. Our findings confirm prior neuroimaging and histological studies and extend the range of involved thalamic nuclei in pediatric DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias W Wagner
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nirit Bernhard
- The Hospital for Sick Children Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gopolang Mndebele
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Logi Vidarsson
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Birgit B Ertl-Wagner
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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8
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Casanova C, Chalupa LM. The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and the pulvinar as essential partners for visual cortical functions. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1258393. [PMID: 37712093 PMCID: PMC10498387 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1258393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In most neuroscience textbooks, the thalamus is presented as a structure that relays sensory signals from visual, auditory, somatosensory, and gustatory receptors to the cerebral cortex. But the function of the thalamic nuclei goes beyond the simple transfer of information. This is especially true for the second-order nuclei, but also applies to first-order nuclei. First order thalamic nuclei receive information from the periphery, like the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), which receives a direct input from the retina. In contrast, second order thalamic nuclei, like the pulvinar, receive minor or no input from the periphery, with the bulk of their input derived from cortical areas. The dLGN refines the information received from the retina by temporal decorrelation, thereby transmitting the most "relevant" signals to the visual cortex. The pulvinar is closely linked to virtually all visual cortical areas, and there is growing evidence that it is necessary for normal cortical processing and for aspects of visual cognition. In this article, we will discuss what we know and do not know about these structures and propose some thoughts based on the knowledge gained during the course of our careers. We hope that these thoughts will arouse curiosity about the visual thalamus and its important role, especially for the next generation of neuroscientists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leo M. Chalupa
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
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9
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Yang M, Liu L, Cui H, Deng C, Xiong W, Zhao G, Du S, Kosten TR, Chen H, Li Z, Zhang X. Dynamic functional thalamocortical dysconnectivity in schizophrenia correlates to antipsychotics response. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 9:40. [PMID: 37402747 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-023-00371-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Although many studies have showed abnormal thalamocortical networks in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), the dynamic functional thalamocortical connectivity of individuals with SCZ and the effect of antipsychotics on this connectivity have not been investigated. Drug-naïve first-episode individuals with SCZ and healthy controls were recruited. Patients were treated with risperidone for 12 weeks. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was acquired at baseline and week 12. We identified six functional thalamic subdivisions. The sliding window strategy was used to determine the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) of each functional thalamic subdivision. Individuals with SCZ displayed decreased or increased dFC variance in different thalamic subdivisions. The baseline dFC between ventral posterior-lateral (VPL) portions and right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (rdSFG) correlated with psychotic symptoms. The dFC variance between VPL and right medial orbital superior frontal gyrus (rmoSFG) or rdSFG decreased after 12-week risperidone treatment. The decreased dFC variance between VPL and rmoSFG correlated with the reduction of PANSS scores. Interestingly, the dFC between VPL and rmoSFG or rdSFG decreased in responders. The dFC variance change of VPL and the averaged whole brain signal correlated with the risperidone efficacy. Our study demonstrates abnormal variability in thalamocortical dFC may be implicated in psychopathological symptoms and risperidone response in individuals with schizophrenia, suggesting that thalamocortical dFC variance may be correlated to the efficacy of antipsychotic treatment.Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00435370. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00435370?term=NCT00435370&draw=2&rank=1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Yang
- The fourth people's hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, China
| | - Liju Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongmei Cui
- Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chijun Deng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weisen Xiong
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Guocheng Zhao
- The fourth people's hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, China
| | - Shulin Du
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Thomas R Kosten
- Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Epidemiology and Behavioral Science, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Huafu Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Zezhi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Wang M, Barker PB, Cascella NG, Coughlin JM, Nestadt G, Nucifora FC, Sedlak TW, Kelly A, Younes L, Geman D, Palaniyappan L, Sawa A, Yang K. Longitudinal changes in brain metabolites in healthy controls and patients with first episode psychosis: a 7-Tesla MRS study. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2018-2029. [PMID: 36732587 PMCID: PMC10394114 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01969-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Seven Tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopy (7T MRS) offers a precise measurement of metabolic levels in the human brain via a non-invasive approach. Studying longitudinal changes in brain metabolites could help evaluate the characteristics of disease over time. This approach may also shed light on how the age of study participants and duration of illness may influence these metabolites. This study used 7T MRS to investigate longitudinal patterns of brain metabolites in young adulthood in both healthy controls and patients. A four-year longitudinal cohort with 38 patients with first episode psychosis (onset within 2 years) and 48 healthy controls was used to examine 10 brain metabolites in 5 brain regions associated with the pathophysiology of psychosis in a comprehensive manner. Both patients and controls were found to have significant longitudinal reductions in glutamate in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Only patients were found to have a significant decrease over time in γ-aminobutyric acid, N-acetyl aspartate, myo-inositol, total choline, and total creatine in the ACC. Together we highlight the ACC with dynamic changes in several metabolites in early-stage psychosis, in contrast to the other 4 brain regions that also are known to play roles in psychosis. Meanwhile, glutathione was uniquely found to have a near zero annual percentage change in both patients and controls in all 5 brain regions during a four-year follow-up in young adulthood. Given that a reduction of the glutathione in the ACC has been reported as a feature of treatment-refractory psychosis, this observation further supports the potential of glutathione as a biomarker for this subset of patients with psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Russell H Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peter B Barker
- Russell H Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Nicola G Cascella
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer M Coughlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gerald Nestadt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Frederick C Nucifora
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas W Sedlak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexandra Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laurent Younes
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Donald Geman
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Robarts Research Institution, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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11
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Nigri A, Umberto M, Stanziano M, Ferraro S, Fedeli D, Medina Carrion JP, Palermo S, Lequio L, Denegri F, Agosta F, Filippi M, Valentini MC, Canosa A, Calvo A, Chiò A, Bruzzone MG, Moglia C. C9orf72 ALS mutation carriers show extensive cortical and subcortical damage compared to matched wild-type ALS patients. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103400. [PMID: 37068310 PMCID: PMC10130353 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE C9orf72 mutation carriers with different neurological phenotypes show cortical and subcortical atrophy in multiple different brain regions, even in pre-symptomatic phases. Despite there is a substantial amount of knowledge, small sample sizes, clinical heterogeneity, as well as different choices of image analysis may hide anatomical abnormalities that are unique to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with this genotype or that are indicative of the C9orf72-specific trait overlain in fronto-temporal dementia patients. METHODS Brain structural and resting state functional magnetic imaging was obtained in 24 C9orf72 positive (ALSC9+) ALS patients paired for burden disease with 24 C9orf72 negative (ALSC9-) ALS patients. A comprehensive structural evaluation of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes between ALSC9+ and ALSC9- patients was performed while a region of interest (ROI)-ROI analysis of functional connectivity was implemented to assess functional alterations among abnormal cortical and subcortical regions. Results were corrected for multiple comparisons. RESULTS Compared to ALSC9- patients, ALSC9+ patients exhibited extensive disease-specific patterns of thalamo-cortico-striatal atrophy, supported by functional alterations of the identified abnormal regions. Cortical thinning was most pronounced in posterior areas and extended to frontal regions. Bilateral atrophy of the mediodorsal and pulvinar nuclei was observed, emphasizing a focal rather than global thalamus atrophy. Volume loss in a large portion of bilateral caudate and left putamen was reported. The marked reduction of functional connectivity observed between the left posterior thalamus and almost all the atrophic cortical regions support the central role of the thalamus in the pathogenic mechanism of C9orf72-mediated disease. CONCLUSIONS These findings constitute a coherent and robust picture of ALS patients with C9orf72-mediated disease, unveiling a specific structural and functional characterization of thalamo-cortico-striatal circuit alteration. Our study introduces new evidence in the characterization of the pathogenic mechanisms of C9orf72 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nigri
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Manera Umberto
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Mario Stanziano
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Sara Palermo
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Lequio
- Neuroradiology Unit, CTO Hospital, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Denegri
- Neuroradiology Unit, CTO Hospital, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Italy; Neurology Unit, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Italy; Neurology Unit, Italy; Neurorehabilitation Unit, Italy; Neurophysiology Service, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Canosa
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Calvo
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy
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12
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Alemán-Gómez Y, Baumgartner T, Klauser P, Cleusix M, Jenni R, Hagmann P, Conus P, Do KQ, Bach Cuadra M, Baumann PS, Steullet P. Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Depicts Widespread and Subregion Specific Anomalies in the Thalamus of Early-Psychosis and Chronic Schizophrenia Patients. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:196-207. [PMID: 36065156 PMCID: PMC9810016 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Although the thalamus has a central role in schizophrenia pathophysiology, contributing to sensory, cognitive, and sleep alterations, the nature and dynamics of the alterations occurring within this structure remain largely elusive. Using a multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach, we examined whether anomalies: (1) differ across thalamic subregions/nuclei, (2) are already present in the early phase of psychosis (EP), and (3) worsen in chronic schizophrenia (SCHZ). STUDY DESIGN T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted images were analyzed to estimate gray matter concentration (GMC) and microstructural parameters obtained from the spherical mean technique (intra-neurite volume fraction [VFINTRA)], intra-neurite diffusivity [DIFFINTRA], extra-neurite mean diffusivity [MDEXTRA], extra-neurite transversal diffusivity [TDEXTRA]) within 7 thalamic subregions. RESULTS Compared to age-matched controls, the thalamus of EP patients displays previously unreported widespread microstructural alterations (VFINTRA decrease, TDEXTRA increase) that are associated with similar alterations in the whole brain white matter, suggesting altered integrity of white matter fiber tracts in the thalamus. In both patient groups, we also observed more localized and heterogenous changes (either GMC decrease, MDEXTRA increase, or DIFFINTRA decrease) in mediodorsal, posterior, and ventral anterior parts of the thalamus in both patient groups, suggesting that the nature of the alterations varies across subregions. GMC and DIFFINTRA in the whole thalamus correlate with global functioning, while DIFFINTRA in the subregion encompassing the medial pulvinar is significantly associated with negative symptoms in SCHZ. CONCLUSION Our data reveals both widespread and more localized thalamic anomalies that are already present in the early phase of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasser Alemán-Gómez
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Baumgartner
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Klauser
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martine Cleusix
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Raoul Jenni
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Patric Hagmann
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Conus
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of General Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Q Do
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Meritxell Bach Cuadra
- Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL), Centre d’Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM), Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp S Baumann
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of General Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Steullet
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
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13
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Shahcheraghi SH, Ayatollahi J, Lotfi M, Aljabali AAA, Al-Zoubi MS, Panda PK, Mishra V, Satija S, Charbe NB, Serrano-Aroca Á, Bahar B, Takayama K, Goyal R, Bhatia A, Almutary AG, Alnuqaydan AM, Mishra Y, Negi P, Courtney A, McCarron PA, Bakshi HA, Tambuwala MM. Gene Therapy for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Potential Targets and Tools. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2023; 22:51-65. [PMID: 35249508 DOI: 10.2174/1871527321666220304153719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders that affect the central nervous system cause considerable pressures on the health care system and have a substantial economic burden on modern societies. The present treatments based on available drugs are mostly ineffective and often costly. The molecular process of neuropsychiatric disorders is closely connected to modifying the genetic structures inherited or caused by damage, toxic chemicals, and some current diseases. Gene therapy is presently an experimental concept for neurological disorders. Clinical applications endeavor to alleviate the symptoms, reduce disease progression, and repair defective genes. Implementing gene therapy in inherited and acquired neurological illnesses entails the integration of several scientific disciplines, including virology, neurology, neurosurgery, molecular genetics, and immunology. Genetic manipulation has the power to minimize or cure illness by inducing genetic alterations at endogenous loci. Gene therapy that involves treating the disease by deleting, silencing, or editing defective genes and delivering genetic material to produce therapeutic molecules has excellent potential as a novel approach for treating neuropsychiatric disorders. With the recent advances in gene selection and vector design quality in targeted treatments, gene therapy could be an effective approach. This review article will investigate and report the newest and the most critical molecules and factors in neuropsychiatric disorder gene therapy. Different genome editing techniques available will be evaluated, and the review will highlight preclinical research of genome editing for neuropsychiatric disorders while also evaluating current limitations and potential strategies to overcome genome editing advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed H Shahcheraghi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Jamshid Ayatollahi
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Marzieh Lotfi
- Abortion Research Center, Reproductive Sciences Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Alaa A A Aljabali
- Department of Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Technology, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Mazhar S Al-Zoubi
- Yarmouk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Pritam K Panda
- Condensed Matter Theory Group, Materials Theory Division, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vijay Mishra
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Saurabh Satija
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Nitin B Charbe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Ángel Serrano-Aroca
- Biomaterials and Bioengineering Lab, Translational Research Centre San Alberto Magno, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, C/Guillem de Castro 94, 46001 Valencia, Spain
| | - Bojlul Bahar
- Nutrition Sciences and Applied Food Safety Studies, Research Centre for Global Development, School of Sport & Health Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK
| | - Kazuo Takayama
- Center for IPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8397, Japan
| | - Rohit Goyal
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Post Box No. 9, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173212, India
| | - Amit Bhatia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Punjab 151001, India
| | - Abdulmajeed G Almutary
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M Alnuqaydan
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yachana Mishra
- Shri Shakti Degree College, Sankhahari, Ghatampur 209206, India
| | - Poonam Negi
- Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan 173 212, India
| | - Aaron Courtney
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, County Londonderry, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A McCarron
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, County Londonderry, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Hamid A Bakshi
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, County Londonderry, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Murtaza M Tambuwala
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, County Londonderry, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
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14
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Shao T, Wang W, Hei G, Yang Y, Long Y, Wang X, Xiao J, Huang Y, Song X, Xu X, Gao S, Huang J, Wang Y, Zhao J, Wu R. Identifying and revealing different brain neural activities of cognitive subtypes in early course schizophrenia. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:983995. [PMID: 36267704 PMCID: PMC9577612 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.983995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cognitive subtypes of schizophrenia may exhibit different neurobiological characteristics. This study aimed to reveal the underlying neurobiological features between cognitive subtypes in the early course of schizophrenia (ECS). According to prior studies, we hypothesized to identify 2–4 distinct cognitive subtypes. We further hypothesized that the subtype with relatively poorer cognitive function might have lower brain spontaneous neural activity than the subtype with relatively better cognitive function. Method Cognitive function was assessed by the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning was conducted for each individual. There were 155 ECS individuals and 97 healthy controls (HCs) included in the subsequent analysis. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify the cognitive subtypes in ECS individuals, and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs) was used to measure brain spontaneous neural activity in ECS individuals and HCs. Results LPA identified two cognitive subtypes in ECS individuals, containing a severely impaired subtype (SI, n = 63) and a moderately impaired subtype (MI, n = 92). Compared to HCs, ECS individuals exhibited significantly increased ALFF in the left caudate and bilateral thalamus and decreased ALFF in the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex and bilateral posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PCu). In ECS cognitive subtypes, SI showed significantly higher ALFF in the left precentral gyrus (PreCG) and lower ALFF in the left PCC/PCu than MI. Furthermore, ALFFs of left PreCG were negatively correlated with several MCCB cognitive domains in ECS individuals, while ALFF of left PCC/PCu presented opposite correlations. Conclusion Our findings suggest that differences in the brain spontaneous neural activity of PreCG and PCC/PCu might be the potential neurobiological features of the cognitive subtypes in ECS, which may deepen our understanding of the role of PreCG and PCC/PCu in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiannan Shao
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weiyan Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Gangrui Hei
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ye Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yujun Long
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jingmei Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuyan Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xueqin Song
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xijia Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuzhan Gao
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jingping Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Renrong Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Renrong Wu
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15
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Cheng Y, Wang T, Zhang T, Yi S, Zhao S, Li N, Yang Y, Zhang F, Xu L, Shan B, Xu X, Xu J. Increased blood-brain barrier permeability of the thalamus and the correlation with symptom severity and brain volume alterations in schizophrenia patients. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1025-1034. [PMID: 35738480 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cumulative evidence of microvascular dysfunction has suggested the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in schizophrenia, while the direct in vivo evidence from patients is inadequate. In this study, using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) methods, we tried to test the hypothesis that there was increased BBB permeability in schizophrenia patients, and correlated with the clinical characters, and brain volumetric alterations. METHODS Structural MRI and DCE-MRI data from 29 schizophrenia patients and 18 age- and sex- matched controls (HC) were obtained. We calculated the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) value and compared the difference between two groups. The regions with the abnormal Ktrans value were extracted as ROIs (thalamus), and the correlation with the clinical characters and grey matter volume were analysed. RESULTS The results revealed that, compared with the HC, the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) value of the bilateral thalamus in the schizophrenia group was increased (p < 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between thalamic mean Ktrans value with disease duration (p < 0.05) and symptom severity (p < 0.001). Analysis of the thalamic subregions revealed that the BBB disruption was significant in pulvinar, especially the medial pulvinar nucleus (PuM) and lateral pulvinar nucleus (PuL) (p < 0.001). The Ktrans value of the whole brain, thalamus, and thalamic subregions was negatively correlated with their volume separately. CONCLUSION These results provided the first in vivo evidence of BBB disruption of thalamus in schizophrenia patients, and the BBB dysfunction might contribute to the pathological brain structural alterations in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032; Yunnan Clinical Research Centre for Mental Health, Kunming, China, 650032.
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Tianhao Zhang
- Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049
| | - Shu Yi
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Shilun Zhao
- Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049
| | - Na Li
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Yifan Yang
- Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Fengrui Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, China, 650223
| | - Baoci Shan
- Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049
| | - Xiufeng Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032.
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16
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Szeszko PR, Gohel S, Vaccaro DH, Chu KW, Tang CY, Goldstein KE, New AS, Siever LJ, McClure M, Perez-Rodriguez MM, Haznedar MM, Byne W, Hazlett EA. Frontotemporal thalamic connectivity in schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2022; 322:111463. [PMID: 35240516 PMCID: PMC9018622 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) resembles schizophrenia, but with attenuated brain abnormalities and the absence of psychosis. The thalamus is integral for processing and transmitting information across cortical regions and widely implicated in the neurobiology of schizophrenia. Comparing thalamic connectivity in SPD and schizophrenia could reveal an intermediate schizophrenia-spectrum phenotype to elucidate neurobiological risk and protective factors in psychosis. We used rsfMRI to investigate functional connectivity between the mediodorsal nucleus (MDN) and pulvinar, and their connectivity with frontal and temporal cortical regions, respectively in 43 healthy controls (HCs), and individuals in the schizophrenia-spectrum including 45 psychotropic drug-free individuals with SPD, and 20 individuals with schizophrenia-related disorders [(schizophrenia (n = 10), schizoaffective disorder (n = 8), schizophreniform disorder (n = 1) and psychosis NOS (n = 1)]. Individuals with SPD had greater functional connectivity between the MDN and pulvinar compared to individuals with schizophrenia. Thalamo-frontal (i.e., between the MDN and rostral middle frontal cortex) connectivity was comparable in SPD and HCs; in SPD greater connectivity was associated with less symptom severity. Individuals with schizophrenia had less thalamo-frontal connectivity and thalamo-temporal (i.e., pulvinar to the transverse temporal cortex) connectivity compared with HCs. Thalamo-frontal functional connectivity may be comparable in SPD and HCs, but abnormal in schizophrenia, and that this may be protective against psychosis in SPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip R Szeszko
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Suril Gohel
- Department of Health Informatics, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel H Vaccaro
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - King-Wai Chu
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cheuk Y Tang
- Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kim E Goldstein
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Antonia S New
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Larry J Siever
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margaret McClure
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT, USA
| | | | - M Mehmet Haznedar
- Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - William Byne
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erin A Hazlett
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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17
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Perez-Rando M, Elvira UKA, García-Martí G, Gadea M, Aguilar EJ, Escarti MJ, Ahulló-Fuster MA, Grasa E, Corripio I, Sanjuan J, Nacher J. Alterations in the volume of thalamic nuclei in patients with schizophrenia and persistent auditory hallucinations. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 35:103070. [PMID: 35667173 PMCID: PMC9168692 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of structural MRI images using a probabilistic atlas for segmentation of several nuclei of the thalamus. Comparison of chronic patients with schizophrenia, with and without auditory hallucinations and matched healthy controls. Volumetric reductions in patients with AH vs controls: Medial geniculate nucleus, anterior pulvinar nucleus and lateral and medial mediodorsal nuclei. In patients without AH we found reductions in the volume of the pulvinar and mediodorsal nuclei, but not in the medial geniculate nucleus. Found also some significant correlations between the volume of these nuclei and the total score of the PSYRATS scale.
The thalamus is a subcortical structure formed by different nuclei that relay information to the neocortex. Several reports have already described alterations of this structure in patients of schizophrenia that experience auditory hallucinations. However, to date no study has addressed whether the volumes of specific thalamic nuclei are altered in chronic patients experiencing persistent auditory hallucinations. We have processed structural MRI images using Freesurfer, and have segmented them into 25 nuclei using the probabilistic atlas developed by Iglesias and collaborators (Iglesias et al., 2018). To homogenize the sample, we have matched patients of schizophrenia, with and without persistent auditory hallucinations, with control subjects, considering sex, age and their estimated intracranial volume. This rendered a group number of 41 patients experiencing persistent auditory hallucinations, 35 patients without auditory hallucinations, and 55 healthy controls. In addition, we have also correlated the volume of the altered thalamic nuclei with the total score of the PSYRATS, a clinical scale used to evaluate the positive symptoms of this disorder. We have found alterations in the volume of 8 thalamic nuclei in both cohorts of patients with schizophrenia: The medial and lateral geniculate nuclei, the anterior, inferior, and lateral pulvinar nuclei, the lateral complex and the lateral and medial mediodorsal nuclei. We have also found some significant correlations between the volume of these nuclei in patients experiencing auditory hallucinations, and the total score of the PSYRATS scale. Altogether our results indicate that volumetric alterations of thalamic nuclei involved in audition may be related to persistent auditory hallucinations in chronic schizophrenia patients, whereas alterations in nuclei related to association cortices are evident in all patients. Future studies should explore whether the structural alterations are cause or consequence of these positive symptoms and whether they are already present in first episodes of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Perez-Rando
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain; Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Research of the Clinic Hospital from Valencia (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain.
| | - Uriel K A Elvira
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain; Institutes of Biomedical Technologies and Neuroscience, University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Gracian García-Martí
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Quironsalud Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marien Gadea
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Research of the Clinic Hospital from Valencia (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain; Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eduardo J Aguilar
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Psychiatry Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maria J Escarti
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica Alba Ahulló-Fuster
- Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy. Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Grasa
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Psiquiatría. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau (IIB-SANT PAU), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iluminada Corripio
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Psiquiatría. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau (IIB-SANT PAU), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julio Sanjuan
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Quironsalud Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain; Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Research of the Clinic Hospital from Valencia (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain.
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18
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Balamurugan VP, Chew QH, Sim K. Relationship between volume reductions of hippocampal subfields and thalamus and duration of untreated psychosis in schizophrenia. Asian J Psychiatr 2022; 71:103082. [PMID: 35299141 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Qian Hui Chew
- Institute of Mental Health, Research Division, Singapore
| | - Kang Sim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Institute of Mental Health, West Region, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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19
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Thalamic and striato-pallidal volumes in schizophrenia patients and individuals at risk for psychosis: A multi-atlas segmentation study. Schizophr Res 2022; 243:268-275. [PMID: 32448678 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite previous neuroimaging studies demonstrating morphological abnormalities of the thalamus and other subcortical structures in patients with schizophrenia, the potential role of the thalamus and its subdivisions in the pathophysiology of this illness remains elusive. It is also unclear whether similar changes of these structures occur in individuals at high risk for psychosis. In this study, magnetic resonance imaging was employed with the Multiple Automatically Generated Templates (MAGeT) brain segmentation algorithm to determine volumes of the thalamic subdivisions, the striatum (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens), and the globus pallidus in 62 patients with schizophrenia, 38 individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) [4 of whom (10.5%) subsequently developed schizophrenia], and 61 healthy subjects. Cognitive function of the patients was assessed by using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS). Thalamic volume (particularly the medial dorsal and ventral lateral nuclei) was smaller in the schizophrenia group than the ARMS and control groups, while there were no differences for the striatum and globus pallidus. In the schizophrenia group, the reduction of thalamic ventral lateral nucleus volume was significantly associated with lower BACS score. The pallidal volume was positively correlated with the dose of antipsychotic treatment in the schizophrenia group. These results suggest that patients with schizophrenia, but not those with ARMS, exhibit volume reduction in specific thalamic subdivisions, which may underlie core clinical features of this illness.
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20
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Novello L, Henriques RN, Ianuş A, Feiweier T, Shemesh N, Jovicich J. In vivo Correlation Tensor MRI reveals microscopic kurtosis in the human brain on a clinical 3T scanner. Neuroimage 2022; 254:119137. [PMID: 35339682 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (dMRI) has become one of the most important imaging modalities for noninvasively probing tissue microstructure. Diffusional Kurtosis MRI (DKI) quantifies the degree of non-gaussian diffusion, which in turn has been shown to increase sensitivity towards, e.g., disease and orientation mapping in neural tissue. However, the specificity of DKI is limited as different sources can contribute to the total intravoxel diffusional kurtosis, including: variance in diffusion tensor magnitudes (Kiso), variance due to diffusion anisotropy (Kaniso), and microscopic kurtosis (μK) related to restricted diffusion, microstructural disorder, and/or exchange. Interestingly, μK is typically ignored in diffusion MRI signal modeling as it is assumed to be negligible in neural tissues. However, recently, Correlation Tensor MRI (CTI) based on Double-Diffusion-Encoding (DDE) was introduced for kurtosis source separation, revealing non negligible μK in preclinical imaging. Here, we implemented CTI for the first time on a clinical 3T scanner and investigated the sources of total kurtosis in healthy subjects. A robust framework for kurtosis source separation in humans is introduced, followed by estimation of μK (and the other kurtosis sources) in the healthy brain. Using this clinical CTI approach, we find that μK significantly contributes to total diffusional kurtosis both in gray and white matter tissue but, as expected, not in the ventricles. The first μK maps of the human brain are presented, revealing that the spatial distribution of μK provides a unique source of contrast, appearing different from isotropic and anisotropic kurtosis counterparts. Moreover, group average templates of these kurtosis sources have been generated for the first time, which corroborated our findings at the underlying individual-level maps. We further show that the common practice of ignoring μK and assuming the multiple gaussian component approximation for kurtosis source estimation introduces significant bias in the estimation of other kurtosis sources and, perhaps even worse, compromises their interpretation. Finally, a twofold acceleration of CTI is discussed in the context of potential future clinical applications. We conclude that CTI has much potential for future in vivo microstructural characterizations in healthy and pathological tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Novello
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| | | | - Andrada Ianuş
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Noam Shemesh
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge Jovicich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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21
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Thalamic dopamine D2-receptor availability in schizophrenia: a study on antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode psychosis and a meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1233-1240. [PMID: 34759359 PMCID: PMC9054658 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01349-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological and genetic evidence support a role for an involvement of the dopamine D2-receptor (D2-R) in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Previous molecular imaging studies have suggested lower levels of D2-R in thalamus, but results are inconclusive. The objective of the present study was to use improved methodology to compare D2-R density in whole thalamus and thalamic subregions between first-episode psychosis patients and healthy controls. Differences in thalamocortical connectivity was explored based on the D2-R results. 19 antipsychotic-naive first-episode psychosis patients and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were examined using high-resolution Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and the high-affinity D2-R radioligand [11C]FLB457. The main outcome was D2-R binding potential (BPND) in thalamus, and it was predicted that patients would have lower binding. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed in a subgroup of 11 patients and 15 controls. D2-R binding in whole thalamus was lower in patients compared with controls (Cohen's dz = -0.479, p = 0.026, Bayes Factor (BF) > 4). Among subregions, lower BPND was observed in the ROI representing thalamic connectivity to the frontal cortex (Cohen's dz = -0.527, p = 0.017, BF > 6). A meta-analysis, including the sample of this study, confirmed significantly lower thalamic D2-R availability in patients. Exploratory analyses suggested that patients had lower fractional anisotropy values compared with controls (Cohen's d = -0.692, p = 0.036) in the inferior thalamic radiation. The findings support the hypothesis of a dysregulation of thalamic dopaminergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia, and it is hypothesized that this could underlie a disturbance of thalamocortical connectivity.
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22
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Cobia D, Rich C, Smith MJ, Engel Gonzalez P, Cronenwett W, Csernansky JG, Wang L. Thalamic Shape Abnormalities Differentially Relate to Cognitive Performance in Early-Onset and Adult-Onset Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:803234. [PMID: 35479490 PMCID: PMC9035552 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.803234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) shares many biological and clinical features with adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS), but may represent a unique subgroup with greater susceptibility for disease onset and worsened symptomatology and progression, which could potentially derive from exaggerated neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Neurobiological explanations of schizophrenia have emphasized the involvement of deep-brain structures, particularly alterations of the thalamus, which have been linked to core features of the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare thalamic shape abnormalities between EOS and AOS subjects and determine whether unique behavioral profiles related to these differences. It was hypothesized abnormal thalamic shape would be observed in anterior, mediodorsal and pulvinar regions in both schizophrenia groups relative to control subjects, but exacerbated in EOS. Magnetic resonance T1-weighted images were collected from adult individuals with EOS (n = 28), AOS (n = 33), and healthy control subjects (n = 60), as well as collection of clinical and cognitive measures. Large deformation high-dimensional brain mapping was used to obtain three-dimensional surfaces of the thalamus. General linear models were used to compare groups on surface shape features, and Pearson correlations were used to examine relationships between thalamic shape and behavioral measures. Results revealed both EOS and AOS groups demonstrated significant abnormal shape of anterior, lateral and pulvinar thalamic regions relative to CON (all p < 0.007). Relative to AOS, EOS exhibited exacerbated abnormalities in posterior lateral, mediodorsal and lateral geniculate thalamic regions (p = 0.003). Thalamic abnormalities related to worse episodic memory in EOS (p = 0.03) and worse working memory (p = 0.047) and executive functioning (p = 0003) in AOS. Overall, findings suggest thalamic abnormalities are a prominent feature in both early- and late-onset schizophrenia, but exaggerated in EOS and have different brain-behavior profiles for each. The persistence of these abnormalities in adult EOS patients suggests they may represent markers of disrupted neurodevelopment that uniquely relate to the clinical and cognitive aspects of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derin Cobia
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chaz Rich
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Matthew J Smith
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Pedro Engel Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Will Cronenwett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
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23
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Jiang Y, Patton MH, Zakharenko SS. A Case for Thalamic Mechanisms of Schizophrenia: Perspective From Modeling 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:769969. [PMID: 34955759 PMCID: PMC8693383 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.769969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic psychiatric disorder that devastates the lives of millions of people worldwide. The disease is characterized by a constellation of symptoms, ranging from cognitive deficits, to social withdrawal, to hallucinations. Despite decades of research, our understanding of the neurobiology of the disease, specifically the neural circuits underlying schizophrenia symptoms, is still in the early stages. Consequently, the development of therapies continues to be stagnant, and overall prognosis is poor. The main obstacle to improving the treatment of schizophrenia is its multicausal, polygenic etiology, which is difficult to model. Clinical observations and the emergence of preclinical models of rare but well-defined genomic lesions that confer substantial risk of schizophrenia (e.g., 22q11.2 microdeletion) have highlighted the role of the thalamus in the disease. Here we review the literature on the molecular, cellular, and circuitry findings in schizophrenia and discuss the leading theories in the field, which point to abnormalities within the thalamus as potential pathogenic mechanisms of schizophrenia. We posit that synaptic dysfunction and oscillatory abnormalities in neural circuits involving projections from and within the thalamus, with a focus on the thalamocortical circuits, may underlie the psychotic (and possibly other) symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stanislav S. Zakharenko
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
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Schizophrenia-associated LRRTM1 regulates cognitive behavior through controlling synaptic function in the mediodorsal thalamus. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6912-6925. [PMID: 33981006 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01146-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Reduced activity of the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and abnormal functional connectivity of the MD with the prefrontal cortex (PFC) cause cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. However, the molecular basis of MD hypofunction in schizophrenia is not known. Here, we identified leucine-rich-repeat transmembrane neuronal protein 1 (LRRTM1), a postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecule, as a key regulator of excitatory synaptic function and excitation-inhibition balance in the MD. LRRTM1 is strongly associated with schizophrenia and is highly expressed in the thalamus. Conditional deletion of Lrrtm1 in the MD in adult mice reduced excitatory synaptic function and caused a parallel reduction in the afferent synaptic activity of the PFC, which was reversed by the reintroduction of LRRTM1 in the MD. Our results indicate that chronic reduction of synaptic strength in the MD by targeted deletion of Lrrtm1 functionally disengages the MD from the PFC and may account for cognitive, social, and sensorimotor gating deficits, reminiscent of schizophrenia.
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25
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Csukly G, Szabó Á, Polgár P, Farkas K, Gyebnár G, Kozák LR, Stefanics G. Fronto-thalamic structural and effective connectivity and delusions in schizophrenia: a combined DTI/DCM study. Psychol Med 2021; 51:2083-2093. [PMID: 32329710 PMCID: PMC8426148 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720000859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex disorder characterized by a range of behavioral and cognitive symptoms as well as structural and functional alterations in multiple cortical and subcortical structures. SZ is associated with reduced functional network connectivity involving core regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the thalamus. However, little is known whether effective coupling, the directed influence of one structure over the other, is altered during rest in the ACC-thalamus network. METHODS We collected resting-state fMRI and diffusion-weighted MRI data from 18 patients and 20 healthy controls. We analyzed fronto-thalamic effective connectivity using dynamic causal modeling for cross-spectral densities in a network consisting of the ACC and the left and right medio-dorsal thalamic regions. We studied structural connectivity using fractional anisotropy (FA). RESULTS We found decreased coupling strength from the right thalamus to the ACC and from the right thalamus to the left thalamus, as well as increased inhibitory intrinsic connectivity in the right thalamus in patients relative to controls. ACC-to-left thalamus coupling strength correlated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total positive syndrome score and with delusion score. Whole-brain structural analysis revealed several tracts with reduced FA in patients, with a maximum decrease in white matter tracts containing fronto-thalamic and cingulo-thalamic fibers. CONCLUSIONS We found altered effective and structural connectivity within the ACC-thalamus network in SZ. Our results indicate that ACC-thalamus network activity at rest is characterized by reduced thalamus-to-ACC coupling. We suggest that positive symptoms may arise as a consequence of compensatory measures to imbalanced fronto-thalamic coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Csukly
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Szabó
- Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Patrícia Polgár
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Farkas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyula Gyebnár
- Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lajos R. Kozák
- Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Stefanics
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & ETH Zurich, Wilfriedstrasse 6, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
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Wu G, Palaniyappan L, Zhang M, Yang J, Xi C, Liu Z, Xue Z, Ouyang X, Tao H, Zhang J, Luo Q, Pu W. Imbalance Between Prefronto-Thalamic and Sensorimotor-Thalamic Circuitries Associated with Working Memory Deficit in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2021; 48:251-261. [PMID: 34337670 PMCID: PMC8781324 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalamocortical circuit imbalance characterized by prefronto-thalamic hypoconnectivity and sensorimotor-thalamic hyperconnectivity has been consistently documented at rest in schizophrenia (SCZ). However, this thalamocortical imbalance has not been studied during task engagement to date, limiting our understanding of its role in cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. METHODS Both n-back working memory (WM) task-fMRI and resting-state fMRI data were collected from 172 patients with SCZ and 103 healthy control subjects (HC). A replication sample with 49 SCZ and 48 HC was independently obtained. Sixteen thalamic subdivisions were employed as seeds for the analysis. RESULTS During both task-performance and rest, SCZ showed thalamic hyperconnectivity with sensorimotor cortices, but hypoconnectivity with prefrontal-cerebellar regions relative to controls. Higher sensorimotor-thalamic connectivity and lower prefronto-thalamic connectivity both relate to poorer WM performance (lower task accuracy and longer response time) and difficulties in discriminating target from nontarget (lower d' score) in n-back task. The prefronto-thalamic hypoconnectivity and sensorimotor-thalamic hyperconnectivity were anti-correlated both in SCZ and HCs; this anti-correlation was more pronounced with less cognitive demand (rest>0-back>2-back). These findings replicated well in the second sample. Finally, the hypo- and hyper-connectivity patterns during resting-state positively correlated with the hypo- and hyper-connectivity during 2-back task-state in SCZ respectively. CONCLUSIONS The thalamocortical imbalance reflected by prefronto-thalamic hypoconnectivity and sensorimotor-thalamic hyperconnectivity is present both at rest and during task engagement in SCZ and relates to working memory performance. The frontal reduction, sensorimotor enhancement pattern of thalamocortical imbalance is a state-invariant feature of SCZ that affects a core cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guowei Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Manqi Zhang
- Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Chang Xi
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Zhening Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Zhimin Xue
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Xuan Ouyang
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Haojuan Tao
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Jinqiang Zhang
- Department of Clinical Psychology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiang Luo
- MOE-Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weidan Pu
- Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China,College of Mechatronics and Automation, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders, Changsha, China,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Renmin Road, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; tel: +0731-85296219, fax: +0731-85292158, e-mail:
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Devenney EM, Tu S, Caga J, Ahmed RM, Ramsey E, Zoing M, Kwok J, Halliday GM, Piguet O, Hodges JR, Kiernan MC. Neural mechanisms of psychosis vulnerability and perceptual abnormalities in the ALS-FTD spectrum. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2021; 8:1576-1591. [PMID: 34156763 PMCID: PMC8351398 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to (i) explore psychotic experiences across the entire amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD) spectrum from a clinical and genetic perspective, (ii) determine the rate of abnormal perceptual experiences across the five sensory modalities and (iii) explore the neurobiological factors that lead to psychosis vulnerability in ALS-FTD. METHODS In a prospective case-controlled study design, 100 participants were enrolled including ALS (n = 37, 24% satisfied criteria for ALS-Plus), ALS-FTD (n = 11), bvFTD (n = 27) and healthy controls (n = 25). Psychotic experiences, perceptual abnormalities and psychosocial factors were determined by means of the clinical interview and carer and patient reports. Voxel-based morphometry analyses determined atrophy patterns in patients experiencing psychosis-like experiences and other perceptual abnormalities. RESULTS The rates of psychotic experiences and abnormalities of perception in each sensory modality were high across the entire ALS-FTD continuum. The rate was highest in those with C9orf72 expansions. Rates were also high in patients with pure ALS including psychosis measured by carer-based reports (18%) and self-report measures of psychotic-like experiences (21%). In an ENTER regression model, social anxiety and ACE-III scores were the best predictors of psychosis proneness, accounting for 44% of the score variance. Psychosis-like experiences and perceptual abnormalities were associated with a predominantly frontal and temporal pattern of atrophy that extended to the cerebellum and centred on the anterior thalamus. INTERPRETATION The model for psychosis proneness in ALS-FTD likely includes complex interactions between cognitive, social and neurobiological factors that determine vulnerability to psychosis and that may have relevance for individualised patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Devenney
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Translational Research CollectiveUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Sicong Tu
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Translational Research CollectiveUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Jashelle Caga
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Translational Research CollectiveUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Rebekah M. Ahmed
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Institute of Clinical NeurosciencesRoyal Prince Alfred HospitalSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Eleanor Ramsey
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Margie Zoing
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - John Kwok
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health School of Medical SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Glenda M. Halliday
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health School of Medical SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Olivier Piguet
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Science, School of PsychologyThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its DisordersSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - John R. Hodges
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Matthew C. Kiernan
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Translational Research CollectiveUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Institute of Clinical NeurosciencesRoyal Prince Alfred HospitalSydneyNSWAustralia
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28
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Fu Z, Iraji A, Sui J, Calhoun VD. Whole-Brain Functional Network Connectivity Abnormalities in Affective and Non-Affective Early Phase Psychosis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:682110. [PMID: 34220438 PMCID: PMC8250435 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.682110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychosis disorders share overlapping symptoms and are characterized by a wide-spread breakdown in functional brain integration. Although neuroimaging studies have identified numerous connectivity abnormalities in affective and non-affective psychoses, whether they have specific or unique connectivity abnormalities, especially within the early stage is still poorly understood. The early phase of psychosis is a critical period with fewer chronic confounds and when treatment intervention may be most effective. In this work, we examined whole-brain functional network connectivity (FNC) from both static and dynamic perspectives in patients with affective psychosis (PAP) or with non-affective psychosis (PnAP) and healthy controls (HCs). A fully automated independent component analysis (ICA) pipeline called "Neuromark" was applied to high-quality functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data with 113 early-phase psychosis patients (32 PAP and 81 PnAP) and 52 HCs. Relative to the HCs, both psychosis groups showed common abnormalities in static FNC (sFNC) between the thalamus and sensorimotor domain, and between subcortical regions and the cerebellum. PAP had specifically decreased sFNC between the superior temporal gyrus and the paracentral lobule, and between the cerebellum and the middle temporal gyrus/inferior parietal lobule. On the other hand, PnAP showed increased sFNC between the fusiform gyrus and the superior medial frontal gyrus. Dynamic FNC (dFNC) was investigated using a combination of a sliding window approach, clustering analysis, and graph analysis. Three reoccurring brain states were identified, among which both psychosis groups had fewer occurrences in one antagonism state (state 2) and showed decreased network efficiency within an intermediate state (state 1). Compared with HCs and PnAP, PAP also showed a significantly increased number of state transitions, indicating more unstable brain connections in affective psychosis. We further found that the identified connectivity features were associated with the overall positive and negative syndrome scale, an assessment instrument for general psychopathology and positive symptoms. Our findings support the view that subcortical-cortical information processing is disrupted within five years of the initial onset of psychosis and provide new evidence that abnormalities in both static and dynamic connectivity consist of shared and unique features for the early affective and non-affective psychoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zening Fu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Armin Iraji
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jing Sui
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychology and Computer Science, Neuroscience Institute and Physics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
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29
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Homman-Ludiye J, Mundinano IC, Kwan WC, Bourne JA. Extensive Connectivity Between the Medial Pulvinar and the Cortex Revealed in the Marmoset Monkey. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1797-1812. [PMID: 31711181 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial pulvinar (PM) is a multimodal associative thalamic nucleus, recently evolved in primates. PM participates in integrative and modulatory functions, including directed attention, and consistently exhibits alterations in disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. Despite essential cognitive functions, the cortical inputs to the PM have not been systematically investigated. To date, less than 20 cortices have been demonstrated to project to PM. The goal of this study was to establish a comprehensive map of the cortical afferents to PM in the marmoset monkey. Using a magnetic resonance imaging-guided injection approach, we reveal 62 discrete cortices projecting to the adult marmoset PM. We confirmed previously reported connections and identified further projections from discrete cortices across the temporal, parietal, retrosplenial-cingulate, prefrontal, and orbital lobes. These regions encompass areas recipient of PM efferents, demonstrating the reciprocity of the PM-cortical connectivity. Moreover, our results indicate that PM neurones projecting to distinct cortices are intermingled and form multimodal cell clusters. This microunit organization, believed to facilitate cross-modal integration, contrasts with the large functional subdivisions usually observed in thalamic nuclei. Altogether, we provide the first comprehensive map of PM cortical afferents, an essential stepping stone in expanding our knowledge of PM and its function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihane Homman-Ludiye
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Inaki Carril Mundinano
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - William C Kwan
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - James A Bourne
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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30
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de Souza BOF, Cortes N, Casanova C. Pulvinar Modulates Contrast Responses in the Visual Cortex as a Function of Cortical Hierarchy. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1068-1086. [PMID: 31408095 PMCID: PMC7132966 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The pulvinar is the largest extrageniculate visual nucleus in mammals. Given its extensive reciprocal connectivity with the visual cortex, it allows the cortico-thalamocortical transfer of visual information. Nonetheless, knowledge of the nature of the pulvinar inputs to the cortex remains elusive. We investigated the impact of silencing the pulvinar on the contrast response function of neurons in 2 distinct hierarchical cortical areas in the cat (areas 17 and 21a). Pulvinar inactivation altered the response gain in both areas, but with larger changes observed in area 21a. A theoretical model was proposed, simulating the pulvinar contribution to cortical contrast responses by modifying the excitation-inhibition balanced state of neurons across the cortical hierarchy. Our experimental and theoretical data showed that the pulvinar exerts a greater modulatory influence on neuronal activity in area 21a than in the primary visual cortex, indicating that the pulvinar impact on cortical visual neurons varies along the cortical hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nelson Cortes
- School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Quebec, CP 6128 Canada
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Statistical and Machine Learning Link Selection Methods for Brain Functional Networks: Review and Comparison. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060735. [PMID: 34073098 PMCID: PMC8227272 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Network-based representations have introduced a revolution in neuroscience, expanding the understanding of the brain from the activity of individual regions to the interactions between them. This augmented network view comes at the cost of high dimensionality, which hinders both our capacity of deciphering the main mechanisms behind pathologies, and the significance of any statistical and/or machine learning task used in processing this data. A link selection method, allowing to remove irrelevant connections in a given scenario, is an obvious solution that provides improved utilization of these network representations. In this contribution we review a large set of statistical and machine learning link selection methods and evaluate them on real brain functional networks. Results indicate that most methods perform in a qualitatively similar way, with NBS (Network Based Statistics) winning in terms of quantity of retained information, AnovaNet in terms of stability and ExT (Extra Trees) in terms of lower computational cost. While machine learning methods are conceptually more complex than statistical ones, they do not yield a clear advantage. At the same time, the high heterogeneity in the set of links retained by each method suggests that they are offering complementary views to the data. The implications of these results in neuroscience tasks are finally discussed.
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32
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Perez SM, Lodge DJ. Orexin Modulation of VTA Dopamine Neuron Activity: Relevance to Schizophrenia. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:344-353. [PMID: 33587746 PMCID: PMC8059491 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hippocampus is a region consistently implicated in schizophrenia and has been advanced as a therapeutic target for positive, negative, and cognitive deficits associated with the disease. Recently, we reported that the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) works in concert with the ventral hippocampus to regulate dopamine system function; however, the PVT has yet to be investigated as target for the treatment of the disease. Given the dense expression of orexin receptors in the thalamus, we believe these to be a possible target for pharmacological regulation of PVT activity. METHODS Here we used the methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) rodent model, which displays pathological alterations consistent with schizophrenia to determine whether orexin receptor blockade can restore ventral tegmental area dopamine system function. We measured dopamine neuron population activity, using in vivo electrophysiology, following administration of the dual orexin antagonist, TCS 1102 (both intraperitoneal and intracranial into the PVT in MAM- and saline-treated rats), and orexin A and B peptides (intracranial into the PVT in naïve rats). RESULTS Aberrant dopamine system function in MAM-treated rats was normalized by the systemic administration of TCS 1102. To investigate the potential site of action, the orexin peptides A and B were administered directly into the PVT, where they significantly increased ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron population activity in control rats. In addition, the direct administration of TCS 1102 into the PVT reproduced the beneficial effects seen with the systemic administration in MAM-treated rats. CONCLUSION Taken together, these data suggest the orexin system may represent a novel site of therapeutic intervention for psychosis via an action in the PVT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, USA
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Lin X, Li W, Dong G, Wang Q, Sun H, Shi J, Fan Y, Li P, Lu L. Characteristics of Multimodal Brain Connectomics in Patients With Schizophrenia and the Unaffected First-Degree Relatives. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:631864. [PMID: 33718367 PMCID: PMC7947240 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.631864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Increasing pieces of evidence suggest that abnormal brain connectivity plays an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. As an essential strategy in psychiatric neuroscience, the research of brain connectivity-based neuroimaging biomarkers has gained increasing attention. Most of previous studies focused on a single modality of the brain connectomics. Multimodal evidence will not only depict the full profile of the brain abnormalities of patients but also contribute to our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of this disease. METHODS In the current study, 99 schizophrenia patients, 69 sex- and education-matched healthy controls, and 42 unaffected first-degree relatives of patients were recruited and scanned. The brain was parcellated into 246 regions and multimodal network analyses were used to construct brain connectivity networks for each participant. RESULTS Using the brain connectomics from three modalities as the features, the multi-kernel support vector machine method yielded high discrimination accuracies for schizophrenia patients (94.86%) and for the first-degree relatives (95.33%) from healthy controls. Using an independent sample (49 patients and 122 healthy controls), we tested the model and achieved a classification accuracy of 64.57%. The convergent pattern within the basal ganglia and thalamus-cortex circuit exhibited high discriminative power during classification. Furthermore, substantial overlaps of the brain connectivity abnormality between patients and the unaffected first-degree relatives were observed compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSION The current findings demonstrate that decreased functional communications between the basal ganglia, thalamus, and the prefrontal cortex could serve as biomarkers and endophenotypes for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Lin
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - WeiKai Li
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangheng Dong
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiandong Wang
- Department of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongqiang Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Shi
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory on Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Fan
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Peng Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Lu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University, Beijing, China
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory on Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Gallos IK, Gkiatis K, Matsopoulos GK, Siettos C. ISOMAP and machine learning algorithms for the construction of embedded functional connectivity networks of anatomically separated brain regions from resting state fMRI data of patients with Schizophrenia. AIMS Neurosci 2021; 8:295-321. [PMID: 33709030 PMCID: PMC7940114 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2021016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We construct Functional Connectivity Networks (FCN) from resting state fMRI (rsfMRI) recordings towards the classification of brain activity between healthy and schizophrenic subjects using a publicly available dataset (the COBRE dataset) of 145 subjects (74 healthy controls and 71 schizophrenic subjects). First, we match the anatomy of the brain of each individual to the Desikan-Killiany brain atlas. Then, we use the conventional approach of correlating the parcellated time series to construct FCN and ISOMAP, a nonlinear manifold learning algorithm to produce low-dimensional embeddings of the correlation matrices. For the classification analysis, we computed five key local graph-theoretic measures of the FCN and used the LASSO and Random Forest (RF) algorithms for feature selection. For the classification we used standard linear Support Vector Machines. The classification performance is tested by a double cross-validation scheme (consisting of an outer and an inner loop of "Leave one out" cross-validation (LOOCV)). The standard cross-correlation methodology produced a classification rate of 73.1%, while ISOMAP resulted in 79.3%, thus providing a simpler model with a smaller number of features as chosen from LASSO and RF, namely the participation coefficient of the right thalamus and the strength of the right lingual gyrus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis K Gallos
- School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
| | - Kostakis Gkiatis
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
| | - George K Matsopoulos
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
| | - Constantinos Siettos
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Applicazioni “Renato Caccioppoli”, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy
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Zhou K, Zhu L, Hou G, Chen X, Chen B, Yang C, Zhu Y. The Contribution of Thalamic Nuclei in Salience Processing. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:634618. [PMID: 33664657 PMCID: PMC7920982 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain continuously receives diverse information about the external environment and changes in the homeostatic state. The attribution of salience determines which stimuli capture attention and, therefore, plays an essential role in regulating emotions and guiding behaviors. Although the thalamus is included in the salience network, the neural mechanism of how the thalamus contributes to salience processing remains elusive. In this mini-review, we will focus on recent advances in understanding the specific roles of distinct thalamic nuclei in salience processing. We will summarize the functional connections between thalamus nuclei and other key nodes in the salience network. We will highlight the convergence of neural circuits involved in reward and pain processing, arousal, and attention control in thalamic structures. We will discuss how thalamic activities represent salience information in associative learning and how thalamic neurons modulate adaptive behaviors. Lastly, we will review recent studies which investigate the contribution of thalamic dysfunction to aberrant salience processing in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as drug addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia. Based on emerging evidence from both human and rodent research, we propose that the thalamus, different from previous studies that as an information relay, has a broader role in coordinating the cognitive process and regulating emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuikui Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guoqiang Hou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xueyu Chen
- Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chuanzhong Yang
- Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
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P K, F S, A D, P A. High schizotypy traits are associated with reduced hippocampal resting state functional connectivity. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 307:111215. [PMID: 33168329 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Altered hippocampal functioning is proposed to play a critical role in the development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Previous resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) studies report disrupted hippocampal connectivity in patients with psychosis and in individuals with clinical high risk, yet hippocampal connectivity has not been investigated in people with high schizotypy traits. Here we used rs-fMRI to examine hippocampal connectivity in healthy people with low (LS, n = 23) and high levels (HS, n = 22) of schizotypal traits assessed using the Schizotypy Personality Questionnaire. Using a bilateral hippocampal seed region, we examined resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) between hippocampus and striatal, thalamic and prefrontal cortex regions of interest. Compared to LS, HS participants showed lower RSFC between hippocampus and striatum and between hippocampus and thalamus. Whilst the group effect of reduced hippocampal RSFC in striatal and thalamic regions was driven by total schizotypy scores, positive schizotypy subfactor scores were significantly positively correlated with hippocampus-caudate/thalamus RSFC. Group differences in RSFC were not observed between hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These results demonstrate that subclinical schizotypal traits are associated with altered hippocampal connectivity in striatal and thalamic regions and provide further support that hippocampal dysconnectivity confers risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kozhuharova P
- Centre for Cognition, Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, United Kingdom.
| | - Saviola F
- Centre for Cognition, Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, United Kingdom; Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto (Trento), Italy
| | - Diaconescu A
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain and Therapeutics, Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, CAMH
| | - Allen P
- Centre for Cognition, Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, United Kingdom; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Liloia D, Brasso C, Cauda F, Mancuso L, Nani A, Manuello J, Costa T, Duca S, Rocca P. Updating and characterizing neuroanatomical markers in high-risk subjects, recently diagnosed and chronic patients with schizophrenia: A revised coordinate-based meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 123:83-103. [PMID: 33497790 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing neuroanatomical markers of different stages of schizophrenia (SZ) to assess pathophysiological models of how the disorder develops is an important target for the clinical practice. We performed a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies of genetic and clinical high-risk subjects (g-/c-HR), recently diagnosed (RDSZ) and chronic SZ patients (ChSZ). We quantified gray matter (GM) changes associated with these four conditions and compared them with contrast and conjunctional data. We performed the behavioral analysis and networks decomposition of alterations to obtain their functional characterization. Results reveal a cortical-subcortical, left-to-right homotopic progression of GM loss. The right anterior cingulate is the only altered region found altered among c-HR, RDSZ and ChSZ. Contrast analyses show left-lateralized insular, amygdalar and parahippocampal GM reduction in RDSZ, which appears bilateral in ChSZ. Functional decomposition shows involvement of the salience network, with an enlargement of the sensorimotor network in RDSZ and the thalamus-basal nuclei network in ChSZ. These findings support the current neuroprogressive models of SZ and integrate this deterioration with the clinical evolution of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Liloia
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Claudio Brasso
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Franco Cauda
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Mancuso
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Andrea Nani
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Jordi Manuello
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Tommaso Costa
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Sergio Duca
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Paola Rocca
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
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Steullet P. Thalamus-related anomalies as candidate mechanism-based biomarkers for psychosis. Schizophr Res 2020; 226:147-157. [PMID: 31147286 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Identification of reliable biomarkers of prognosis in subjects with high risk to psychosis is an essential step to improve care and treatment of this population of help-seekers. Longitudinal studies highlight some clinical criteria, cognitive deficits, patterns of gray matter alterations and profiles of blood metabolites that provide some levels of prediction regarding the conversion to psychosis. Further effort is warranted to validate these results and implement these types of approaches in clinical settings. Such biomarkers may however fall short in entangling the biological mechanisms underlying the disease progression, an essential step in the development of novel therapies. Circuit-based approaches, which map on well-identified cerebral functions, could meet these needs. Converging evidence indicates that thalamus abnormalities are central to schizophrenia pathophysiology, contributing to clinical symptoms, cognitive and sensory deficits. This review highlights the various thalamus-related anomalies reported in individuals with genetic risks and in the different phases of the disorder, from prodromal to chronic stages. Several anomalies are potent endophenotypes, while others exist in clinical high-risk subjects and worsen in those who convert to full psychosis. Aberrant functional coupling between thalamus and cortex, low glutamate content and readouts from resting EEG carry predictive values for transition to psychosis or functional outcome. In this context, thalamus-related anomalies represent a valuable entry point to tackle circuit-based alterations associated with the emergence of psychosis. This review also proposes that longitudinal surveys of neuroimaging, EEG readouts associated with circuits encompassing the mediodorsal, pulvinar in high-risk individuals could unveil biological mechanisms contributing to this psychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Steullet
- Center of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Site de Cery, 1008 Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Alemán-Gómez Y, Najdenovska E, Roine T, Fartaria MJ, Canales-Rodríguez EJ, Rovó Z, Hagmann P, Conus P, Do KQ, Klauser P, Steullet P, Baumann PS, Bach Cuadra M. Partial-volume modeling reveals reduced gray matter in specific thalamic nuclei early in the time course of psychosis and chronic schizophrenia. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4041-4061. [PMID: 33448519 PMCID: PMC7469814 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural complexity of the thalamus, due to its mixed composition of gray and white matter, make it challenging to disjoint and quantify each tissue contribution to the thalamic anatomy. This work promotes the use of partial‐volume‐based over probabilistic‐based tissue segmentation approaches to better capture thalamic gray matter differences between patients at different stages of psychosis (early and chronic) and healthy controls. The study was performed on a cohort of 23 patients with schizophrenia, 41 with early psychosis and 69 age and sex‐matched healthy subjects. Six tissue segmentation approaches were employed to obtain the gray matter concentration/probability images. The statistical tests were applied at three different anatomical scales: whole thalamus, thalamic subregions and voxel‐wise. The results suggest that the partial volume model estimation of gray matter is more sensitive to detect atrophies within the thalamus of patients with psychosis. However all the methods detected gray matter deficit in the pulvinar, particularly in early stages of psychosis. This study demonstrates also that the gray matter decrease varies nonlinearly with age and between nuclei. While a gray matter loss was found in the pulvinar of patients in both stages of psychosis, reduced gray matter in the mediodorsal was only observed in early psychosis subjects. Finally, our analyses point to alterations in a sub‐region comprising the lateral posterior and ventral posterior nuclei. The obtained results reinforce the hypothesis that thalamic gray matter assessment is more reliable when the tissues segmentation method takes into account the partial volume effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasser Alemán-Gómez
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL), Centre d'Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM), Switzerland
| | - Elena Najdenovska
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL), Centre d'Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM), Switzerland.,Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Timo Roine
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL), Centre d'Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM), Switzerland
| | - Mário João Fartaria
- Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL), Centre d'Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM), Switzerland.,Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, Siemens Healthcare AG, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Erick J Canales-Rodríguez
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zita Rovó
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patric Hagmann
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Conus
- Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Q Do
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Klauser
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Steullet
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp S Baumann
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Meritxell Bach Cuadra
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL), Centre d'Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM), Switzerland.,Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Di Carlo P, Pergola G, Antonucci LA, Bonvino A, Mancini M, Quarto T, Rampino A, Popolizio T, Bertolino A, Blasi G. Multivariate patterns of gray matter volume in thalamic nuclei are associated with positive schizotypy in healthy individuals. Psychol Med 2020; 50:1501-1509. [PMID: 31358071 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719001430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous models suggest biological and behavioral continua among healthy individuals (HC), at-risk condition, and full-blown schizophrenia (SCZ). Part of these continua may be captured by schizotypy, which shares subclinical traits and biological phenotypes with SCZ, including thalamic structural abnormalities. In this regard, previous findings have suggested that multivariate volumetric patterns of individual thalamic nuclei discriminate HC from SCZ. These results were obtained using machine learning, which allows case-control classification at the single-subject level. However, machine learning accuracy is usually unsatisfactory possibly due to phenotype heterogeneity. Indeed, a source of misclassification may be related to thalamic structural characteristics of those HC with high schizotypy, which may resemble structural abnormalities of SCZ. We hypothesized that thalamic structural heterogeneity is related to schizotypy, such that high schizotypal burden would implicate misclassification of those HC whose thalamic patterns resemble SCZ abnormalities. METHODS Following a previous report, we used Random Forests to predict diagnosis in a case-control sample (SCZ = 131, HC = 255) based on thalamic nuclei gray matter volumes estimates. Then, we investigated whether the likelihood to be classified as SCZ (π-SCZ) was associated with schizotypy in 174 HC, evaluated with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. RESULTS Prediction accuracy was 72.5%. Misclassified HC had higher positive schizotypy scores, which were correlated with π-SCZ. Results were specific to thalamic rather than whole-brain structural features. CONCLUSIONS These findings strengthen the relevance of thalamic structural abnormalities to SCZ and suggest that multivariate thalamic patterns are correlates of the continuum between schizotypy in HC and the full-blown disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Di Carlo
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus - Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Giulio Pergola
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus - Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Linda A Antonucci
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy - Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Aurora Bonvino
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- IRCCS 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza', San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Marina Mancini
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Tiziana Quarto
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Rampino
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Teresa Popolizio
- IRCCS 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza', San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Consorziale Policlinico, Bari, Italy
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41
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Bai Y, Pascal Z, Calhoun V, Wang YP. Optimized Combination of Multiple Graphs With Application to the Integration of Brain Imaging and (epi)Genomics Data. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2020; 39:1801-1811. [PMID: 31825864 PMCID: PMC7394342 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2019.2958256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid development of high-throughput technologies, a growing amount of multi-omics data are collected, giving rise to a great demand for combining such data for biomedical discovery. Due to the cost and time to label the data manually, the number of labelled samples is limited. This motivated the need for semi-supervised learning algorithms. In this work, we applied a graph-based semi-supervised learning (GSSL) to classify a severe chronic mental disorder, schizophrenia (SZ). An advantage of GSSL is that it can simultaneously analyse more than two types of data, while many existing models focus on pairwise data analysis. In particular, we applied GSSL to the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and DNA methylation data, which accounts for genetics, brain imaging (endophenotypes), and environmental factors (epigenomics) respectively. While parameter selection has been an open challenge for most models, another key contribution of this work is that we explored the parameter space to interpret their meaning and established practical guidelines. Based on the practical significance of each hyper-parameter, a relatively small range of candidate values can be determined in a data-driven way to both optimize and speed up the parameter tuning process. We validated the model through both synthetic data and a real SZ dataset of 184 subjects from the Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery (MIND) Clinical Imaging Consortium. In comparison to several existing approaches, our algorithm achieved better performance in terms of classification accuracy. We also confirmed the significance of several brain regions associated with SZ.
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Neuroanatomical alterations in higher-order thalamic nuclei of fetuses with Down syndrome. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2020; 194:105870. [PMID: 32480293 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2020.105870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic condition characterized by cognitive disability starting from infancy. Children with DS exhibit deficits in several cognitive domains, including executive function, i.e., a set of cognitive processes that heavily depend on higher-order thalamic nuclei. The goal of this study was to establish whether executive function-related thalamic nuclei of fetuses with DS exhibit neuroanatomical alterations that may contribute to the defects in higher-order control processes seen in children with DS. PATIENTS AND METHODS In brain sections from fetuses with DS and control fetuses (gestational week 17-22), we evaluated the cellularity in the mediodorsal nucleus (MD), the centromedian nucleus (CM), and the parafascicular nucleus (PF) of the thalamus and the density of proliferating cells in the third ventricle. RESULTS We found that all three nuclei had a notably reduced cell density. This defect was associated with a reduced density of proliferating cells in the third ventricle, suggesting that the reduced cellularity in the MD, CM, and PF of fetuses with DS was due to neurogenesis impairment. The separate evaluation of projection neurons and interneurons in the MD, CM, and PF showed that in fetuses with DS the density of projection neurons was reduced, with no changes in interneuron density. CONCLUSION This study provides novel evidence for DS-linked cellularity alterations in the MD, CM, and PF and suggests that altered signal processing in these nuclei may be involved in the impairment in higher-order control processes observed in individuals with DS starting from infancy.
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43
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Lee J, Choi JH, Rah JC. Frequency-dependent gating of feedforward inhibition in thalamofrontal synapses. Mol Brain 2020; 13:68. [PMID: 32375833 PMCID: PMC7201790 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00608-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalamic recruitment of feedforward inhibition is known to enhance the fidelity of the receptive field by limiting the temporal window during which cortical neurons integrate excitatory inputs. Feedforward inhibition driven by the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MD) has been previously observed, but its physiological function and regulation remain unknown. Accumulating evidence suggests that elevated neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex is required for the short-term storage of information. Furthermore, the elevated neuronal activity is supported by the reciprocal connectivity between the MD and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Therefore, detailed knowledge about the synaptic connections during high-frequency activity is critical for understanding the mechanism of short-term memory. In this study, we examined how feedforward inhibition of thalamofrontal connectivity is modulated by activity frequency. We observed greater short-term synaptic depression during disynaptic inhibition than in thalamic excitatory synapses during high-frequency activities. The strength of feedforward inhibition became weaker as the stimulation continued, which, in turn, enhanced the range of firing jitter in a frequency-dependent manner. We postulated that this phenomenon was primarily due to the increased failure rate of evoking action potentials in parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons. These findings suggest that the MD-mPFC pathway is dynamically regulated by an excitatory-inhibitory balance in an activity-dependent manner. During low-frequency activities, excessive excitations are inhibited, and firing is restricted to a limited temporal range by the strong feedforward inhibition. However, during high-frequency activities, such as during short-term memory, the activity can be transferred in a broader temporal range due to the decreased feedforward inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungmin Lee
- Korea Brain Research Institute, 61 Cheomdan-ro, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Ho Choi
- Korea Brain Research Institute, 61 Cheomdan-ro, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Cheol Rah
- Korea Brain Research Institute, 61 Cheomdan-ro, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea.
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44
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Duan X, Hu M, Huang X, Dong X, Zong X, He C, Xiao J, Tang J, Chen X, Chen H. Effects of risperidone monotherapy on the default-mode network in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia: Posteromedial cortex heterogeneity and relationship with the symptom improvements. Schizophr Res 2020; 218:201-208. [PMID: 31954611 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) has been consistently detected abnormally in schizophrenia. However, the effects of antipsychotics on this network are still under debate, and inconsistent findings may be due to the functional heterogeneity within the DMN, especially in the component regions of the posteromedial cortex (PMC). Here, we conducted a longitudinal research on the resting-state functional connectivity of the PMC subdivisions on 33 treatment-naive first-episode patients with schizophrenia at baseline and after 8 weeks of risperidone treatment through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. At baseline, the patients demonstrated decreased connectivity of the three PMC seeds with several brain regions (target regions) compared with healthy controls. We then tested the effect of antipsychotic treatment on the functional connectivity between the three seeds and the target regions. We found that, one of the three seeds encompassed in PMC, namely, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), was observed to have increased functional connectivity with the bilateral thalamus and the left lingual gyrus (LG). On the contrary, the functional connectivity between the target regions and the two remaining seeds, namely, the retrosplenial cortex and precuneus, was unaffected by risperidone treatment. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between longitudinal change of PCC-LG connectivity and symptom improvement. These findings indicated the heterogeneity of the PMC in response to antipsychotic treatment and suggested the role of PCC as a treatment biomarker for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujun Duan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Maolin Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xinyue Huang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Xia Dong
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Xiaofen Zong
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Changchun He
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Jinming Xiao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Jinsong Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China.
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45
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Chen MH, Chang WC, Bai YM, Huang KL, Tu PC, Su TP, Li CT, Lin WC, Tsai SJ, Hsu JW. Cortico-thalamic dysconnection in early-stage schizophrenia: a functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 270:351-358. [PMID: 30953128 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-019-01003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Studies have indicated thalamus-related network dysfunction in schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. However, whether thalamus-related functional connectivity (FC) contributes to the psychopathology and cognitive deficits of early-stage schizophrenia requires further investigation. A total of 34 patients with early-stage schizophrenia (illness duration = 1.62 ± 1.16 years; age = 26.00 ± 6.34 years) and 34 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in our study and underwent comprehensive assessments of the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia, working memory tasks, and resting-state FC magnetic resonance imaging. The patients with early-stage schizophrenia had increased FC of the thalamus with the bilateral postcentral and temporal gyri, inferior occipital cortex, and temporal pole and decreased FC of the thalamus with the vestibulocerebellum and frontal pole compared with the controls. Furthermore, increased FC between the thalamus and temporal pole was positively correlated with positive scores of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS) and negatively correlated with performance on working memory tasks in early-stage schizophrenia. Increased FC of the thalamus with the inferior occipital cortex was positively associated with negative PANSS scores and negatively correlated with Personal and Social Performance Scale scores in early-stage schizophrenia. Our results supported the vital role of thalamus-related network dysfunction in the psychopathology and cognitive deficits of early-stage schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu-Hong Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Chen Chang
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Mei Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Lin Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Chi Tu
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Institute of Philosophy of Mind and Cognition, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Tung-Ping Su
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, General Cheng Hsin Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ta Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chen Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ju-Wei Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Jorge J, Gretsch F, Najdenovska E, Tuleasca C, Levivier M, Maeder P, Gallichan D, Marques JP, Bach Cuadra M. Improved susceptibility-weighted imaging for high contrast and resolution thalamic nuclei mapping at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:1218-1234. [PMID: 32052486 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The thalamus is an important brain structure and neurosurgical target, but its constituting nuclei are challenging to image non-invasively. Recently, susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) at ultra-high field has shown promising capabilities for thalamic nuclei mapping. In this work, several methodological improvements were explored to enhance SWI quality and contrast, and specifically its ability for thalamic imaging. METHODS High-resolution SWI was performed at 7T in healthy participants, and the following techniques were applied: (a) monitoring and retrospective correction of head motion and B0 perturbations using integrated MR navigators, (b) segmentation and removal of venous vessels on the SWI data using vessel enhancement filtering, and (c) contrast enhancement by tuning the parameters of the SWI phase-magnitude combination. The resulting improvements were evaluated with quantitative metrics of image quality, and by comparison to anatomo-histological thalamic atlases. RESULTS Even with sub-millimeter motion and natural breathing, motion and field correction produced clear improvements in both magnitude and phase data quality (76% and 41%, respectively). The improvements were stronger in cases of larger motion/field deviations, mitigating the dependence of image quality on subject performance. Optimizing the SWI phase-magnitude combination yielded substantial improvements in image contrast, particularly in the thalamus, well beyond previously reported SWI results. The atlas comparisons provided compelling evidence of anatomical correspondence between SWI features and several thalamic nuclei, for example, the ventral intermediate nucleus. Vein detection performed favorably inside the thalamus, and vein removal further improved visualization. CONCLUSION Altogether, the proposed developments substantially improve high-resolution SWI, particularly for thalamic nuclei imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Jorge
- Medical Image Analysis Laboratory, Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Gretsch
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elena Najdenovska
- Medical Image Analysis Laboratory, Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Constantin Tuleasca
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Neurosurgery Service and Gamma Knife Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marc Levivier
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Neurosurgery Service and Gamma Knife Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Maeder
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Gallichan
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - José P Marques
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Meritxell Bach Cuadra
- Medical Image Analysis Laboratory, Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS5), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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47
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Two Thalamic Regions Screened Using Laser Capture Microdissection with Whole Human Genome Microarray in Schizophrenia Postmortem Samples. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2020; 2020:5176834. [PMID: 32566292 PMCID: PMC7285254 DOI: 10.1155/2020/5176834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We used whole human genome microarray screening of highly enriched neuronal populations from two thalamic regions in postmortem samples from subjects with schizophrenia and controls to identify brain region-specific gene expression changes and possible transcriptional targets. The thalamic anterior nucleus is reciprocally connected to anterior cingulate, a schizophrenia-affected cortical region, and is also thought to be schizophrenia affected; the other thalamic region is not. Using two regions in the same subject to identify disease-relevant gene expression differences was novel and reduced intersubject heterogeneity of findings. We found gene expression differences related to miRNA-137 and other SZ-associated microRNAs, ELAVL1, BDNF, DISC-1, MECP2 and YWHAG associated findings, synapses, and receptors. Manual curation of our data may support transcription repression.
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Li J, Tang Y, Womer F, Fan G, Zhou Q, Sun W, Xu K, Wang F. Two patterns of anterior insular cortex functional connectivity in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. World J Biol Psychiatry 2019; 19:S115-S123. [PMID: 28112029 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2016.1274051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) share structural abnormalities in the anterior insula cortex (AIC). The AIC appears to have a crucial role in emotional processing and regulation and cognitive control in BD and SZ. METHODS Forty-six participants with BD, 68 with SZ and 66 healthy controls (HC) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) from AIC subregions (ventral and dorsal) was compared among the three groups. RESULTS Compared to HC group, both BD and SZ groups exhibited increased rsFC from the ventral AIC (vAIC) and dorsal AIC (dAIC) to bilateral frontal pole and thalamus, the left middle frontal gyrus and the hippocampus. Meanwhile, the BD group demonstrated increased rsFC from the vAIC to the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex, the SZ group presented increased rsFC from the vAIC and dAIC to the right caudate. Compared with the BD group, the SZ group showed significantly increased rsFC from the vAIC and dAIC to the left middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS The shared AIC rsFC abnormalities in both BD and SZ support the importance of the AIC in the common pathophysiology of BD and SZ. There were also disorder-specific features of AIC rsFC, which might implicate potential avenues for differentiating during the early stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- a Department of Radiology , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China
| | - Yanqing Tang
- b Department of Psychiatry , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China
| | - Fay Womer
- c Department of Psychiatry , Washington University School of Medicine , St Louis , MO , USA
| | - Guoguang Fan
- a Department of Radiology , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China
| | - Qian Zhou
- b Department of Psychiatry , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China
| | - Wenge Sun
- a Department of Radiology , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China
| | - Ke Xu
- a Department of Radiology , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China
| | - Fei Wang
- a Department of Radiology , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China.,b Department of Psychiatry , The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , Liaoning , PR China
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49
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Jacobs GR, Ameis SH, Ji JL, Viviano JD, Dickie EW, Wheeler AL, Stojanovski S, Anticevic A, Voineskos AN. Developmentally divergent sexual dimorphism in the cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical psychosis risk pathway. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1649-1658. [PMID: 31060043 PMCID: PMC6785143 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0408-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Structural and functional cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical (CSTC) circuit abnormalities have been observed in schizophrenia and the clinical high-risk state. However, this circuit is sexually dimorphic and changes across neurodevelopment. We examined effects of sex and age on structural and functional properties of the CSTC circuit in a large sample of youth with and without psychosis spectrum symptoms (PSS) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. T1-weighted and resting-state functional MRI scans were collected on a 3T Siemens scanner, in addition to participants' cognitive and psychopathology data. After quality control, the total sample (aged 11-21) was n = 1095 (males = 485, females = 610). Structural subdivisions of the striatum and thalamus were identified using the MAGeT Brain segmentation tool. Functional seeds were segmented based on brain network connectivity. Interaction effects among PSS group, sex, and age on striatum, thalamus, and subdivision volumes were examined. A similar model was used to test effects on functional connectivity of the CSTC circuit. A sex by PSS group interaction was identified, whereby PSS males had higher volumes and PSS females had lower volumes in striatal and thalamic subdivisions. Reduced functional striato-cortical connectivity was found in PSS youth, primarily driven by males, whereby younger male PSS youth also exhibited thalamo-cortical hypo-connectivity (compared to non-PSS youth), vs. striato-cortical hyper-connectivity in older male PSS youth (compared to non-PSS youth). Youth with PSS demonstrate sex and age-dependent differences in striatal and thalamic subdivision structure and functional connectivity. Further efforts at biomarker discovery and early therapeutic intervention targeting the CSTC circuit in psychosis should consider effects of sex and age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace R. Jacobs
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Kimel Family Translational Imaging Genetics Research Laboratory, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephanie H. Ameis
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0004 0473 9646grid.42327.30Centre for Brain and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jie Lisa Ji
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Joseph D. Viviano
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Kimel Family Translational Imaging Genetics Research Laboratory, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Erin W. Dickie
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Kimel Family Translational Imaging Genetics Research Laboratory, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anne L. Wheeler
- 0000 0004 0473 9646grid.42327.30Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sonja Stojanovski
- 0000 0004 0473 9646grid.42327.30Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alan Anticevic
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Aristotle N. Voineskos
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Kimel Family Translational Imaging Genetics Research Laboratory, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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50
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Lei W, Kirkpatrick B, Wang Q, Deng W, Li M, Guo W, Liang S, Li Y, Zhang C, Li X, Zhang P, Li Z, Xiang B, Chen J, Hu X, Zhang N, Li T. Progressive brain structural changes after the first year of treatment in first-episode treatment-naive patients with deficit or nondeficit schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 288:12-20. [PMID: 31059954 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Progressive brain volume atrophy has been reported in patients with schizophrenia. However, whether this progress differs between patients with primary negative symptoms (deficit schizophrenia; DS) and those without such symptoms (nondeficit schizophrenia; NDS) is unknown. Here, we examined grey matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) changes over 12 months in 34 first-episode treatment-naive patients with schizophrenia (14 DS and 20 NDS) and 32 healthy controls (HCs) using structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry. At baseline, compared to HCs, patients with DS but not NDS had less WMV in bilateral posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) and cerebellar tonsil (P < 0.05, FDR corrected) and smaller GMV in the cerebellar culmen (P < 0.05, FWE corrected). At follow-up, NDS group showed WMV reduction in bilateral PLIC (P < 0.05, FDR corrected), while DS group showed no progressive WMV changes. While both patient groups exhibited GMV reduction in the hippocampus and insular cortex, patients with NDS showed additional GMV loss in the frontal and cingulate cortex and a selective increase in GMV in the left thalamus (P < 0.05 FWE corrected). Our study revealed double dissociations in developmental brain volume changes in the first year after clinical contact for psychosis in DS versus NDS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lei
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China; Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China
| | - Brian Kirkpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Qiang Wang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Deng
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingli Li
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sugai Liang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yinfei Li
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chengcheng Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Pingping Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhe Li
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Xiang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xun Hu
- Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Biobank, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Nanyin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Tao Li
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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