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Svancer P, Capek V, Skoch A, Kopecek M, Vochoskova K, Fialova M, Furstova P, Jakob L, Bakstein E, Kolenic M, Hlinka J, Knytl P, Spaniel F. Longitudinal assessment of ventricular volume trajectories in early-stage schizophrenia: evidence of both enlargement and shrinkage. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:309. [PMID: 38658884 PMCID: PMC11040899 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05749-5] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lateral ventricular enlargement represents a canonical morphometric finding in chronic patients with schizophrenia; however, longitudinal studies elucidating complex dynamic trajectories of ventricular volume change during critical early disease stages are sparse. METHODS We measured lateral ventricular volumes in 113 first-episode schizophrenia patients (FES) at baseline visit (11.7 months after illness onset, SD = 12.3) and 128 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) using 3T MRI. MRI was then repeated in both FES and HC one year later. RESULTS Compared to controls, ventricular enlargement was identified in 18.6% of patients with FES (14.1% annual ventricular volume (VV) increase; 95%CI: 5.4; 33.1). The ventricular expansion correlated with the severity of PANSS-negative symptoms at one-year follow-up (p = 0.0078). Nevertheless, 16.8% of FES showed an opposite pattern of statistically significant ventricular shrinkage during ≈ one-year follow-up (-9.5% annual VV decrease; 95%CI: -23.7; -2.4). There were no differences in sex, illness duration, age of onset, duration of untreated psychosis, body mass index, the incidence of Schneiderian symptoms, or cumulative antipsychotic dose among the patient groups exhibiting ventricular enlargement, shrinkage, or no change in VV. CONCLUSION Both enlargement and ventricular shrinkage are equally present in the early stages of schizophrenia. The newly discovered early reduction of VV in a subgroup of patients emphasizes the need for further research to understand its mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Svancer
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Capek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Antonin Skoch
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miloslav Kopecek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kristyna Vochoskova
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Fialova
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Furstova
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Lea Jakob
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eduard Bakstein
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Department of Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marian Kolenic
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Hlinka
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Knytl
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Spaniel
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic.
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Iliuta FP, Manea MC, Budisteanu M, Andrei E, Linca F, Rad F, Cergan R, Ciobanu AM. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain anomalies in adult and pediatric schizophrenia patients: Experience of a Romanian tertiary hospital. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:1098. [PMID: 34504552 PMCID: PMC8383773 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10532] [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: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness with a significant impact on the life of both the patient and the patient's family. Magnetic resonance imaging has proven a useful tool for studying structural changes of the brain in schizophrenia. However, interpreting the published literature presents several challenges. Despite thorough research in recent years, which has included anatomopathological, imaging, electrophysiological, and genetic studies, the intimate pathophysiological mechanisms of this disease are not yet fully elucidated. The present study included patients with schizophrenia diagnosed in the psychiatric clinics from the ‘Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia’ Clinical Psychiatry Hospital between September 2019 and December 2020. Three Tesla magnetic resonance neuroimaging studies were performed. In a significant number of cases, the neuroimaging studies showed association of cerebral modifications such as enlargement of the Virchow spaces, lesions of the white matter with demyelinating appearance, and inflammatory sinus reactions. Cortical atrophy and hemosiderotic spots were present in a statistically significant proportion in the patient group with an age range of 29-61 years. MRI is indicated as a useful technique in the follow-up process of schizophrenia patients. However, whether the anomalies revealed in this disorder can be utilised as diagnostic biomarkers is still being debated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris Petru Iliuta
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 010221 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihnea Costin Manea
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 010221 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Magdalena Budisteanu
- Psychiatry Research Laboratory, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics, 'Victor Babes' National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, 'Titu Maiorescu' University, 031593 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Emanuela Andrei
- Psychiatry Research Laboratory, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florentina Linca
- Psychiatry Research Laboratory, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florina Rad
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Romica Cergan
- Department of Anatomy, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Radiology and Imaging, Clinical Hospital of Orthopedics, Traumatology and Osteoarticular TB, 030167 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adela Magdalena Ciobanu
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Discipline of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
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3
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Iliuta FP, Manea MC, Budisteanu M, Ciobanu AM, Manea M. Magnetic resonance imaging in schizophrenia: Luxury or necessity? (Review). Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:765. [PMID: 34055064 PMCID: PMC8145262 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia, one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with a worldwide annual incidence rate of approximately 0.3-0.7%, known to affect the population below 25 years of age, is persistent throughout lifetime and includes people from all layers of society. With recent technological progress that allows better imaging techniques, such as the ones provided by computed tomography and particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), research on schizophrenia imaging has grown considerably. The purpose of this review is to establish the importance of using imaging techniques in the early detection of brain abnormalities in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. We reviewed all articles which reported on MRI imaging in schizophrenia. In order to do this, we used the PubMed database, using as search words ‘MRI’ and ‘schizophrenia’. MRI studies of first episode patients and chronic patients, suggest reduction of the whole brain volume. Enlargement of lateral ventricles was described as positive in 15 studies out of 19 and was similar to findings in chronic patients. Moreover, for the first episode patients, all data collected point to important changes in medial temporal lobe structures, diminished hippocampal volume, the whole frontal lobe, asymmetry in prefrontal cortex, diminished volume in cingulate, corpus callosum, and cavum septum pellucidum reported abnormalities. MRI is recommended as an important tool in the follow-up process of patients with schizophrenia. Yet, it is still under debate whether the abnormalities described in this condition are able to be used as diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris Petru Iliuta
- Psychiatry Research Laboratory, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 010221 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihnea Costin Manea
- Psychiatry Research Laboratory, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 010221 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Magdalena Budisteanu
- Psychiatry Research Laboratory, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics, 'Victor Babes' National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania.,Medical Genetics Department, Faculty of Medicine, 'Titu Maiorescu' University, 031593 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adela Magdalena Ciobanu
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, Faculty of General Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mirela Manea
- Psychiatry Research Laboratory, 'Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 010221 Bucharest, Romania
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Palaniyappan L, Sukumar N. Reconsidering brain tissue changes as a mechanistic focus for early intervention in psychiatry. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2020; 45. [PMID: 33119489 PMCID: PMC7595740 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.200172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Palaniyappan
- From the Robarts Research Institute, Western University (Palaniyappan); the Department of Psychiatry, Western University (Palaniyappan, Sukumar); the Lawson Health Research Institute, Imaging Division (Palaniyappan); and the Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University (Palaniyappan), London, Ont., Canada
| | - Niron Sukumar
- From the Robarts Research Institute, Western University (Palaniyappan); the Department of Psychiatry, Western University (Palaniyappan, Sukumar); the Lawson Health Research Institute, Imaging Division (Palaniyappan); and the Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University (Palaniyappan), London, Ont., Canada
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Mourot A, d'Amato T, Rochet T, Marie-Cardine M, Artéaga C, Martin JP, Dalery J. Cerebral investigation of healthy siblings of schizophrenics. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 12:273-8. [DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(97)84785-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/1996] [Accepted: 02/01/1997] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
SummaryComputed tomography (CT) studies have demonstrated that lateral ventricular size measured by ventricular brain ratio (VBR), as well as third ventricle width, is statistically enlarged in schizophrenics. Moreover, these cerebral abnormalities differ according to symptomatology evaluated with a positive and negative symptom scale. The aim of this study was to investigate, using CT scans, healthy siblings of schizophrenics, and relate the results to their ill siblings. Nineteen healthy siblings of 12 previously studied schizophrenics underwent CT scans, which were compared to those of their related schizophrenic sibling and to 17 unrelated control subjects. The results showed that in ten of 12 families, schizophrenics have larger ventricles (lateral and third ventricles) than their healthy siblings. Ventricular enlargement of healthy siblings was correlated with severity of negative symptoms of their ill sibling. Implications of a familial contribution for ventricular size and negative symptoms are discussed.
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Abstract
Psychotic disorders are severe, debilitating, and even fatal. The development of targeted and effective interventions for psychosis depends upon on clear understanding of the timing and nature of disease progression to target processes amenable to intervention. Strong evidence suggests early and ongoing neuroprogressive changes, but timing and inflection points remain unclear and likely differ across cognitive, clinical, and brain measures. Additionally, granular evidence across modalities is particularly sparse in the "bridging years" between first episode and established illness-years that may be especially critical for improving outcomes and during which interventions may be maximally effective. Our objective is the systematic, multimodal characterization of neuroprogression through the early course of illness in a cross-diagnostic sample of patients with psychosis. We aim to (1) interrogate neurocognition, structural brain measures, and network connectivity at multiple assessments over the first eight years of illness to map neuroprogressive trajectories, and (2) examine trajectories as predictors of clinical and functional outcomes. We will recruit 192 patients with psychosis and 36 healthy controls. Assessments will occur at baseline and 8- and 16-month follow ups using clinical, cognitive, and imaging measures. We will employ an accelerated longitudinal design (ALD), which permits ascertainment of data across a longer timeframe and at more frequent intervals than would be possible in a single cohort longitudinal study. Results from this study are expected to hasten identification of actionable treatment targets that are closely associated with clinical outcomes, and identify subgroups who share common neuroprogressive trajectories toward the development of individualized treatments.
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Progressive cortical reorganisation: A framework for investigating structural changes in schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 79:1-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Blokland GAM, Mesholam-Gately RI, Toulopoulou T, del Re EC, Lam M, DeLisi LE, Donohoe G, Walters JTR, Seidman LJ, Petryshen TL. Heritability of Neuropsychological Measures in Schizophrenia and Nonpsychiatric Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull 2017; 43:788-800. [PMID: 27872257 PMCID: PMC5472145 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is characterized by neuropsychological deficits across many cognitive domains. Cognitive phenotypes with high heritability and genetic overlap with schizophrenia liability can help elucidate the mechanisms leading from genes to psychopathology. We performed a meta-analysis of 170 published twin and family heritability studies of >800 000 nonpsychiatric and schizophrenia subjects to accurately estimate heritability across many neuropsychological tests and cognitive domains. The proportion of total variance of each phenotype due to additive genetic effects (A), shared environment (C), and unshared environment and error (E), was calculated by averaging A, C, and E estimates across studies and weighting by sample size. Heritability ranged across phenotypes, likely due to differences in genetic and environmental effects, with the highest heritability for General Cognitive Ability (32%-67%), Verbal Ability (43%-72%), Visuospatial Ability (20%-80%), and Attention/Processing Speed (28%-74%), while the lowest heritability was observed for Executive Function (20%-40%). These results confirm that many cognitive phenotypes are under strong genetic influences. Heritability estimates were comparable in nonpsychiatric and schizophrenia samples, suggesting that environmental factors and illness-related moderators (eg, medication) do not substantially decrease heritability in schizophrenia samples, and that genetic studies in schizophrenia samples are informative for elucidating the genetic basis of cognitive deficits. Substantial genetic overlap between cognitive phenotypes and schizophrenia liability (average rg = -.58) in twin studies supports partially shared genetic etiology. It will be important to conduct comparative studies in well-powered samples to determine whether the same or different genes and genetic variants influence cognition in schizophrenia patients and the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriëlla A. M. Blokland
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA;,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Raquelle I. Mesholam-Gately
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Commonwealth Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Massachusetts Mental Health Center Public Psychiatry Division of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
| | - Timothea Toulopoulou
- Psychology Department, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey;,Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong;,Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Elisabetta C. del Re
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, MA
| | - Max Lam
- Institute of Mental Health, Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore
| | - Lynn E. DeLisi
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, MA
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland;,Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - James T. R. Walters
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Larry J. Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Commonwealth Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Massachusetts Mental Health Center Public Psychiatry Division of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
| | - Tracey L. Petryshen
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA;,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;,Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
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Bartholomeusz CF, Cropley VL, Wannan C, Di Biase M, McGorry PD, Pantelis C. Structural neuroimaging across early-stage psychosis: Aberrations in neurobiological trajectories and implications for the staging model. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2017; 51:455-476. [PMID: 27733710 DOI: 10.1177/0004867416670522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This review critically examines the structural neuroimaging evidence in psychotic illness, with a focus on longitudinal imaging across the first-episode psychosis and ultra-high-risk of psychosis illness stages. METHODS A thorough search of the literature involving specifically longitudinal neuroimaging in early illness stages of psychosis was conducted. The evidence supporting abnormalities in brain morphology and altered neurodevelopmental trajectories is discussed in the context of a clinical staging model. RESULTS In general, grey matter (and, to a lesser extent, white matter) declines across multiple frontal, temporal (especially superior regions), insular and parietal regions during the first episode of psychosis, which has a steeper trajectory than that of age-matched healthy counterparts. Although the ultra-high-risk of psychosis literature is considerably mixed, evidence indicates that certain volumetric structural aberrations predate psychotic illness onset (e.g. prefrontal cortex thinning), while other abnormalities present in ultra-high-risk of psychosis populations are potentially non-psychosis-specific (e.g. hippocampal volume reductions). CONCLUSION We highlight the advantages of longitudinal designs, discuss the implications such studies have on clinical staging and provide directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cali F Bartholomeusz
- 1 Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 2 Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Vanessa L Cropley
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Cassandra Wannan
- 1 Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 2 Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Maria Di Biase
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Patrick D McGorry
- 1 Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- 2 Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- 3 Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
- 4 Centre for Neural Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Carlton South, VIC, Australia
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Progressive disability and prefrontal shrinkage in schizophrenia patients with poor outcome: A 3-year longitudinal study. Schizophr Res 2017; 179:104-111. [PMID: 27624681 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia is a severe disabling disorder with heterogeneous illness courses. In this longitudinal study we characterized schizophrenia patients with poor and good outcome (POS, GOS), using functional and imaging metrics. Patients were defined in accordance to Keefe's criteria (i.e. Kraepelinian and non-Kraepelinian patients). METHODS 35 POS patients, 35 GOS patients and 76 healthy controls (H) underwent clinical, functioning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments twice over three years of follow-up. Information on psychopathology, treatment, disability (using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale II, WHO-DAS-2) and prefrontal morphology was collected. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were manually traced. RESULTS At baseline, subjects with POS showed significantly decreased right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) white matter volumes (WM) compared to healthy controls and GOS patients (POS VS HC, p<0.001; POS vs GOS, p=0.03), with shrinkage of left DLPFC WM volumes at follow up (t=2.66, p=0.01). Also, POS patients had higher disability in respect to GOS subjects both at baseline and after 3years at the WHO-DAS-2 (p<0.05). DISCUSSION Our study supports the hypothesis that POS is characterized by progressive deficits in brain structure and in "real-life" functioning. These are particularly notable in the DLPFC.
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Neuropeptide Y, social function and long-term outcome in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2014; 156:223-7. [PMID: 24799298 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
There is a lack of biomarkers in schizophrenia and the mechanisms underlying the observed deficits in social functioning are poorly understood. This cohort study aimed to explore whether neurotransmitter neuropeptide Y (NPY) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with schizophrenia is correlated to social function and clinical variables. A further aim was to determine whether baseline levels of NPY were associated with subsequent 3-year outcome. Fifty-six consecutively admitted patients with schizophrenia were included and underwent lumbar puncture and symptom ratings before antipsychotic treatment. NPY levels in CSF were determined by radioimmunoassay. Social function (Social Competence and Social Interest) was assessed by Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation while psychiatric symptoms were rated using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale. Three-year outcome was assessed with the Strauss-Carpenter Outcome Scale. Cross-sectional analysis showed a correlation between level of NPY and Social Competence at index admission (r(s)=0.37, p<0.05). The longitudinal analysis (i.e., at the 3-year follow-up) indicated that, for each standard deviation increase in baseline NPY, there was an increased risk of being unemployed (odds ratio [OR] 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-3.82), having moderate or severe symptoms (OR 3.09, CI 1.30-7.32) or being hospitalized at least 6 months the previous year (OR 3.24, CI 1.09-9.64). However, NPY was not correlated to Social Interest or clinical variables at index admission. In conclusion, NPY levels in CSF are correlated to Social Competence and seem to predict some aspects of longitudinal outcome in schizophrenia.
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McClure R, Styner M, Maltbie E, Lieberman J, Gouttard S, Gerig G, Shi X, Zhu H. Localized differences in caudate and hippocampal shape are associated with schizophrenia but not antipsychotic type. Psychiatry Res 2013; 211:1-10. [PMID: 23142194 PMCID: PMC3557605 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Revised: 06/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Caudate and hippocampal volume differences in patients with schizophrenia are associated with disease and antipsychotic treatment, but local shape alterations have not been thoroughly examined. Schizophrenia patients randomly assigned to haloperidol and olanzapine treatment underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3, 6, and 12 months. The caudate and hippocampus were represented as medial representations (M-reps); mesh structures derived from automatic segmentations of high resolution MRIs. Two quantitative shape measures were examined: local width and local deformation. A novel nonparametric statistical method, adjusted exponentially tilted (ET) likelihood, was used to compare the shape measures across the three groups while controlling for covariates. Longitudinal shape change was not observed in the hippocampus or caudate when the treatment groups and controls were examined in a global analysis, nor when the three groups were examined individually. Both baseline and repeated measures analysis showed differences in local caudate and hippocampal size between patients and controls, while no consistent differences were shown between treatment groups. Regionally specific differences in local hippocampal and caudate shape are present in schizophrenic patients. Treatment-related related longitudinal shape change was not observed within the studied timeframe. Our results provide additional evidence for disrupted cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuits in schizophrenia. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION This longitudinal study was conducted from March 1, 1997 to July 31, 2001 at 14 academic medical centers (11 in the United States, one in Canada, one in the Netherlands, and one in England). This study was performed prior to the establishment of centralized registries of federally and privately supported clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert McClure
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Corresponding Author: Martin Styner, University of North Carolina, CB 7160, Department of Psychiatry, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, Telephone: (919) 843-1092, Fax: (919) 966- 7225,
| | - Eric Maltbie
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Jeffrey Lieberman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sylvain Gouttard
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Guido Gerig
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Xiaoyan Shi
- Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Hongtu Zhu
- Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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13
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Vita A, De Peri L, Deste G, Sacchetti E. Progressive loss of cortical gray matter in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis and meta-regression of longitudinal MRI studies. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e190. [PMID: 23168990 PMCID: PMC3565772 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical gray matter deficits have been found in patients with schizophrenia, with evidence of progression over time. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of progressive cortical gray matter volume changes over time in schizophrenia, their site and time of occurrence, and the role of potential moderators of brain changes. English language articles published between 1 January 1983 and 31 March 2012 in the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched. Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies comparing changes in cortical gray matter volume over time between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls were included. Hedges g was calculated for each study. Analyses were performed using fixed- and random-effects models. A subgroup analysis was run to explore the pattern of brain changes in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. A meta-regression statistic was adopted to investigate the role of potential moderators of the effect sizes (ESs). A total of 19 studies, analyzing 813 patients with schizophrenia and 718 healthy controls, were included. Over time, patients with schizophrenia showed a significantly higher volume loss of total cortical gray matter, left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left anterior STG, left Heschl gyrus, left planum temporale and posterior STG bilaterally. Meta-analysis of first-episode schizophrenic patients showed a more significant pattern of progressive loss of whole cerebral gray matter volume involving the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, and left Heschl gyrus compared with healthy controls. Clinical, pharmacologic and neuroradiological variables were found to be significant moderators of brain volume changes in patients with schizophrenia. The meta-analysis demonstrates that progressive cortical gray matter changes in schizophrenia occur with regional and temporal specificity. The underlying pathological process appears to be especially active in the first stages of the disease, affects the left hemisphere and the superior temporal structures more and is at least partly moderated by the type of pharmacological treatment received.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vita
- School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - L De Peri
- School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - G Deste
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - E Sacchetti
- School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy,Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy,Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders and EULO, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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14
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Schuster C, Schuller AM, Paulos C, Namer I, Pull C, Danion JM, Foucher JR. Gray matter volume decreases in elderly patients with schizophrenia: a voxel-based morphometry study. Schizophr Bull 2012; 38:796-802. [PMID: 21205677 PMCID: PMC3406517 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbq150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aged patients (>50 years old) with residual schizophrenic symptoms differ from young patients. They represent a subpopulation with a more unfavorable Kraepelinian course and have an increased risk (up to 30%) for dementia of unknown origin. However, our current understanding of age-related brain changes in schizophrenia is derived from studies that included less than 17% of patients who were older than 50 years of age. This study investigated the anatomical distribution of gray matter (GM) brain deficits in aged patients with ongoing schizophrenia. METHODS Voxel-based morphometry was applied to 3D-T1 magnetic resonance images obtained from 27 aged patients with schizophrenia (mean age of 60 years) and 40 age-matched normal controls. RESULTS Older patients with schizophrenia showed a bilateral reduction of GM volume in the thalamus, the prefrontal cortex, and in a large posterior region centered on the occipito-temporo-parietal junction. Only the latter region showed accelerated GM volume loss with increasing age. None of these results could be accounted for by institutionalization, antipsychotic medication, or cognitive scores. CONCLUSIONS This study replicated most common findings in patients with schizophrenia with regard to thalamic and frontal GM deficits. However, it uncovered an unexpected large region of GM atrophy in the posterior tertiary cortices. The latter observation may be specific to this aged and chronically symptomatic subpopulation, as atrophy in this region is rarely reported in younger patients and is accelerated with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Schuster
- INSERM U666 – Physiopathologie et psychopathologie cognitive de la Schizophrénie, Strasbourg, France,Clinique Psychiatrique, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Marie Schuller
- , Department of Public Health, Public Research Centre for Health, Luxembourg
| | | | - Izzie Namer
- Clinique Psychiatrique, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,Faculté de Médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Charles Pull
- , Department of Public Health, Public Research Centre for Health, Luxembourg
| | - Jean Marie Danion
- INSERM U666 – Physiopathologie et psychopathologie cognitive de la Schizophrénie, Strasbourg, France,Clinique Psychiatrique, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,Faculté de Médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jack René Foucher
- INSERM U666 – Physiopathologie et psychopathologie cognitive de la Schizophrénie, Strasbourg, France,Clinique Psychiatrique, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,Faculté de Médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Clinique Psychiatrique, Hospices Civiles de Strasbourg, 1 Place de l'Hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France; tel: +33(0)3-88-11-62-34, fax: +33(0)3-88-11-54-22, e-mail:
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15
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Xin Y, O'Donnell AH, Ge Y, Chanrion B, Milekic M, Rosoklija G, Stankov A, Arango V, Dwork AJ, Gingrich JA, Haghighi FG. Role of CpG context and content in evolutionary signatures of brain DNA methylation. Epigenetics 2011; 6:1308-18. [PMID: 22048252 DOI: 10.4161/epi.6.11.17876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is essential in brain function and behavior; therefore, understanding the role of DNA methylation in brain-based disorders begins with the study of DNA methylation profiles in normal brain. Determining the patterns and scale of methylation conservation and alteration in an evolutionary context enables the design of focused but effective methylation studies of disease states. We applied an enzymatic-based approach, Methylation Mapping Analysis by Paired-end Sequencing (Methyl-MAPS), which utilizes second-generation sequencing technology to provide an unbiased representation of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of human and mouse brains. In this large-scale study, we assayed CpG methylation in cerebral cortex of neurologically and psychiatrically normal human postmortem specimens, as well as mouse forebrain specimens. Cross-species human-mouse DNA methylation conservation analysis shows that DNA methylation is not correlated with sequence conservation. Instead, greater DNA methylation conservation is correlated with increasing CpG density. In addition to CpG density, these data show that genomic context is a critical factor in DNA methylation conservation and alteration signatures throughout mammalian brain evolution. We identify key genomic features that can be targeted for identification of epigenetic loci that may be developmentally and evolutionarily conserved and wherein aberrations in DNA methylation patterns can confer risk for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Xin
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and The New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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16
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Hedman AM, van Haren NEM, Schnack HG, Kahn RS, Hulshoff Pol HE. Human brain changes across the life span: a review of 56 longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies. Hum Brain Mapp 2011; 33:1987-2002. [PMID: 21915942 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Revised: 03/10/2011] [Accepted: 03/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is consistent evidence that brain volume changes in early and late life. Most longitudinal studies usually only span a few years and include a limited number of participants. In this review, we integrate findings from 56 longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on whole brain volume change in healthy individuals. The individual longitudinal MRI studies describe only the development in a limited age range. In total, 2,211 participants were included. Age at first measurement varied between 4 and 88 years of age. The studies included in this review were performed using a large range of methods (e.g., different scanner protocols and different acquisition parameters). We applied a weighted regression analysis to estimate the age dependency of the rate of relative annual brain volume change across studies. The results indicate that whole brain volume changes throughout the life span. A wave of growth occurs during childhood/adolescence, where around 9 years of age a 1% annual brain growth is found which levels off until at age 13 a gradual volume decrease sets in. During young adulthood, between ∼18 and 35 years of age, possibly another wave of growth occurs or at least a period of no brain tissue loss. After age 35 years, a steady volume loss is found of 0.2% per year, which accelerates gradually to an annual brain volume loss of 0.5% at age 60. The brains of people over 60 years of age show a steady volume loss of more than 0.5%. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these plastic brain changes may contribute to distinguishing progressive brain changes in psychiatric and neurological diseases from healthy aging processes. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Hedman
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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17
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Longitudinal imaging studies in schizophrenia: the relationship between brain morphology and outcome measures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s1121189x00001123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractImaging studies have tried to identify morphological outcome measures of schizophrenia in the last two decades. In particular, longitudinal studies have reported a correlation between larger ventricles, decreased prefrontal volumes and worse outcome. This would potentially allow to isolate subtypes of schizophrenia patients with a worse prognosis and more evident biological impairments, ultimately helping in designing specific rehabilitation interventions.
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18
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Andreasen NC. The lifetime trajectory of schizophrenia and the concept of neurodevelopment. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2010. [PMID: 20954434 PMCID: PMC3181981 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2010.12.3/nandreasen] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Defining the lifetime trajectory of schizophrenia and the mechanisms that drive it is one of the major challenges of schizophrenia research. Kraepelin assumed that the mechanisms were neurodegenerative (“dementia praecox”), and the early imaging work using computerized tomography seemed to support this model. Prominent ventricular enlargement and increased cerebrospinal fluid on the brain surface suggested that the brain had atrophied. In the 1980s, however, both neuropathological findings and evidence from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provided evidence suggesting that neurodevelopmental mechanisms might be a better explanation. This model is supported by both clinical and MRI evidence, particularly the fact that brain abnormalities are already present in first-episode patients. However, longitudinal studies of these patients have found evidence that brain tissue is also lost during the years after onset. The most parsimonious explanation of these findings is that neurodevelopment is a process that is ongoing throughout life, and that schizophrenia occurs as a consequence of aberrations in neurodevelopmental processes that could occur at various stages of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy C Andreasen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City, USA.
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19
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Meduri M, Bramanti P, Ielitro G, Favaloro A, Milardi D, Cutroneo G, Muscatello MRA, Bruno A, Micò U, Pandolfo G, La Torre D, Vaccarino G, Anastasi G. Morphometrical and morphological analysis of lateral ventricles in schizophrenia patients versus healthy controls. Psychiatry Res 2010; 183:52-8. [PMID: 20538436 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2008] [Revised: 09/08/2009] [Accepted: 01/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this report was to highlight lateral ventricle morphology and volume differences between schizophrenia patients and matched controls. Subjects identified as suitable for analysis comprised 15 schizophrenia patients and 15 healthy subjects. The method applied is three-dimensional (3D) volume rendering starting from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of selected ventricular regions. Differences between groups relative to the global ventricular system and its subdivisions were found. Total lateral ventricle volume, right ventricle volume and left ventricle volume were all higher in schizophrenia patients than in controls; unilateral differences between the two groups were also outlined (right ventricle volume>left ventricle volume in schizophrenia patients vs. healthy subjects). Furthermore, occipital and frontal horn enlargement was found in schizophrenia patients compared with normal controls, but the difference in the temporal horn was not statistically significant. A substantial difference was noted in lateral ventricle morphology between the two groups. Our findings were consistent with the literature and may shed light on some of the discrepancies in previous reports on differences in lateral ventricle volume enlargement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Meduri
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, University of Messina, Italy
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20
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Kempton MJ, Stahl D, Williams SCR, DeLisi LE. Progressive lateral ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of longitudinal MRI studies. Schizophr Res 2010; 120:54-62. [PMID: 20537866 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2010.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2010] [Accepted: 03/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lateral ventricular enlargement is one of the most consistent findings in patients with schizophrenia; however whether progressive ventricular dilation occurs during the course of the illness has been controversial. To clarify this we conducted a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies measuring the lateral ventricles in patients with schizophrenia and a control group. METHODS The MEDLINE database was searched from 1980 to 2009 for longitudinal MRI studies of patients with schizophrenia. We identified 13 studies that measured the lateral ventricles in both patients and controls and these were included in a random effects meta-analysis. The effect of various clinical variables was investigated in a meta-regression analysis. RESULTS Patients showed evidence of progressive ventricular enlargement after illness onset greater than that seen in controls (effect size=0.45, 95%CI 0.19-0.71, p=0.0006). A sub-analysis of chronic patients with schizophrenia with a mean duration of illness of 7.6 years at baseline scan also showed progressive ventricular enlargement (p=0.002). The results were robust to inclusion criteria, and no significant effect of age of onset, duration of illness, or age at baseline scan, was found in the meta-regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS The meta-analysis shows progressive changes in ventricular volume a number of years after illness onset and challenges an exclusively neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Kempton
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.
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21
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22
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Brain surface contraction mapped in first-episode schizophrenia: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study. Mol Psychiatry 2009; 14:976-86. [PMID: 18607377 PMCID: PMC2773126 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2008.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with structural brain abnormalities, but the timing of onset and course of these changes remains unclear. Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have demonstrated progressive brain volume decreases in patients around and after the onset of illness, although considerable discrepancies exist regarding which brain regions are affected. The anatomical pattern of these progressive changes in schizophrenia is largely unknown. In this study, MRI scans were acquired repeatedly from 16 schizophrenia patients approximately 2 years apart following their first episode of illness, and also from 14 age-matched healthy subjects. Cortical Pattern Matching, in combination with Structural Image Evaluation, using Normalisation, of Atrophy, was applied to compare the rates of cortical surface contraction between patients and controls. Surface contraction in the dorsal surfaces of the frontal lobe was significantly greater in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FESZ) compared with healthy controls. Overall, brain surface contraction in patients and healthy controls showed similar anatomical patterns, with that of the former group exaggerated in magnitude across the entire brain surface. That the pattern of structural change in the early course of schizophrenia corresponds so closely to that associated with normal development is consistent with the hypothesis that a schizophrenia-related factor interacts with normal adolescent brain developmental processes in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The exaggerated progressive changes seen in patients with schizophrenia may reflect an increased rate of synaptic pruning, resulting in excessive loss of neuronal connectivity, as predicted by the late neurodevelopmental hypothesis of the illness.
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23
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Borgwardt SJ, Dickey C, Hulshoff Pol H, Whitford TJ, DeLisi LE. Workshop on defining the significance of progressive brain change in schizophrenia: December 12, 2008 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) all-day satellite, Scottsdale, Arizona. The rapporteurs' report. Schizophr Res 2009; 112:32-45. [PMID: 19477100 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2009.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2009] [Revised: 04/19/2009] [Accepted: 04/21/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In 1990 a satellite session of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Annual Meeting was held that focused on the question of whether progressive changes in brain structure occur in schizophrenia and this session raised considerable controversy. Eighteen years later, on December 12, 2008, after much data have since accumulated on this topic, a group of approximately 45 researchers gathered after the annual ACNP meeting to participate in a similar workshop on several unresolved questions still remaining: (1) How strong and consistent is the evidence? (2) Is there anatomic specificity to changes and is it disease specific or subject specific? (3) What is the time course? (4) What is the underlying pathophysiology (i.e. is it central to the disease process or is it due to neuroleptic treatment or other epiphenomena? (5) What is its clinical significance? and (6) Are there treatment implications? The day was chaired by Lynn E. DeLisi and co-chaired by Stephen J. Wood. Christos Pantelis and Jeffrey A. Lieberman extensively helped with its planning. The ACNP assisted in its organization as an official satellite of its annual meeting and several pharmaceutical companies provided support with unrestricted educational grants. The following is a summary of the sessions as recounted by rapporteurs whose job was to record as closely as possible the outcome of discussions on the above outlined questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan J Borgwardt
- University Hospital Basel, Psychiatric Outpatient Department, Petersgraben 4, Basel, Switzerland
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24
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Reig S, Moreno C, Moreno D, Burdalo M, Janssen J, Parellada M, Zabala A, Desco M, Arango C. Progression of brain volume changes in adolescent-onset psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2009; 35:233-43. [PMID: 18222929 PMCID: PMC2643965 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbm160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the changes that take place in the adolescent brain over the first few years following the onset of psychosis. The present longitudinal study builds on an earlier cross-sectional report demonstrating brain abnormalities in adolescent-onset psychosis patients with a recent-onset first episode of psychosis. Magnetic resonance imaging studies were obtained at baseline and 2 years later from 21 adolescents with psychosis and 34 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and years of education. Whole-brain volumes and gray matter (GM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes of the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes were measured at baseline and at 2-year follow-up. In the frontal lobe, the rate of GM volume loss was significantly higher in male patients (2.9% and 2.0%, respectively, for left and right) than in controls (1.2% and 0.7%, respectively, for left and right). In the left frontal lobe, male patients showed a significantly higher rate of CSF volume increase than controls (8.6% vs 6.4%). These differences in rates of volume change were observed in male and female patients, although only males showed significant time x diagnosis interactions. This negative finding in females should be interpreted with caution as the study was underpowered to detect change in women due to limited sample size. An exploratory analysis revealed that schizophrenia and nonschizophrenia psychotic disorders showed similar volume change patterns relative to controls. Change in clinical status was not correlated with longitudinal brain changes. Our results support progression of frontal lobe changes in males with adolescent-onset psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen Moreno
- Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolores Moreno
- Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maite Burdalo
- Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joost Janssen
- Department of Experimental Medicine,Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Arantzazu Zabala
- Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Celso Arango
- Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Adolescent Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Dr Esquerdo 46, Madrid 28007, Spain; tel: 34-914265057, fax: 34-914265108, e-mail:
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Mattsson M, Topor A, Cullberg J, Forsell Y. Association between financial strain, social network and five-year recovery from first episode psychosis. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2008; 43:947-52. [PMID: 18604620 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-008-0392-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2008] [Accepted: 06/03/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite much effort to positively affect long-term outcome in psychosis and schizophrenia many patients are still facing a poor outcome with persistent psychotic symptoms and decline in social functioning. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between financial strain and social network and five-year outcome of first episode psychosis (FEP). FEP patients were divided into recovered (n = 52) and non-recovered (n = 19). Each person was matched according to age and gender with four persons (n = 284) from a longitudinal population-based study. All persons had answered an extensive questionnaire including social network, quantitative and qualitative, financial strain and mental health. Linear regression analysis showed that both financial strain and social network were associated, and had a unique contribution, to outcome. The results indicate that FEP patients might benefit from interventions that reduce financial strain thus facilitating daily life and cultural and social activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mattsson
- Dept of Psychiatry, R & D Section, The Parachute Project, Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
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26
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Fujiwara H, Shimizu M, Hirao K, Miyata J, Namiki C, Sawamoto N, Fukuyama H, Hayashi T, Murai T. Female specific anterior cingulate abnormality and its association with empathic disability in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008; 32:1728-34. [PMID: 18694798 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2008] [Revised: 07/13/2008] [Accepted: 07/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that impairments of empathy are present in schizophrenia and that such deficits lead to social dysfunction. However, the relationship between brain morphological abnormalities of the disorder and empathic disabilities has not been fully investigated. As the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is one of the critical structures for empathy processing, the pathology of this structure might be a major source of social dysfunction, including interpersonal miscommunication in schizophrenia. In addition, as recent studies suggest that different facets of empathic ability depend on different subdivisions of the ACC, pathology of each subdivision would affect the empathic disability of schizophrenia differentially. Structural MRI data were acquired at 3.0 T from 24 schizophrenic patients and 20 healthy participants, and the volumes of ventral and dorsal ACC were measured and compared between the groups. Subjects' empathic abilities were evaluated using a multidimensional questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The relationships of structural abnormalities with empathic disabilities were investigated, by correlating ACC subdivisional volumes with each IRI subscale score. Female schizophrenic patients exhibited volume reductions in the ventral ACC bilaterally and in the left dorsal ACC compared with healthy subjects. Schizophrenic patients performed poorly on fantasy and personal distress subscales of the IRI. Furthermore, volumes of the left dorsal ACC were inversely correlated with personal distress subscale scores within female patients with schizophrenia. These results suggest that pathology of specific ACC subdivisions would have an impact on specific empathic disabilities in schizophrenia, with potential gender specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironobu Fujiwara
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Few studies have examined prediction of schizophrenia outcome in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging measures. In this study, remission status at the time of discharge was examined in relation to admission cortical thickness for childhood-onset schizophrenia probands. We hypothesized that total, frontal, temporal, and parietal gray matter thickness would be greater in patients who subsequently remit. METHOD The relation between admission cortical brain thickness on magnetic resonance imaging and remission status at the time of discharge an average of 3 months later was examined for 56 individuals (32 males) ages 6 to 19 diagnosed with childhood-onset schizophrenia. Cortical thickness was measured across the cerebral hemispheres at admission. Discharge remission criteria were adapted from the 2005 Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group criteria. RESULTS Patients remitted at discharge (n = 16 [29%]) had thicker regional cortex in left orbitofrontal, left superior, and middle temporal gyri and bilateral postcentral and angular gyri (p < or = .008). CONCLUSIONS Our results provide neuroanatomic correlates of clinical remission in schizophrenia and evidence that response to treatment may be mediated by these cortical brain regions.
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28
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DeLisi LE. The concept of progressive brain change in schizophrenia: implications for understanding schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2008; 34:312-21. [PMID: 18263882 PMCID: PMC2632405 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbm164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Kraepelin originally defined dementia praecox as a progressive brain disease, although this concept has received various degrees of acceptance and rejection over the years since his famous published textbooks appeared. This article places an historical perspective on the current renewal of Kraepelin's concept in brain imaging literature that supports progressive brain change in schizophrenia from its earliest stages through its chronic course. It is concluded that a great deal of future research is needed focusing on the longitudinal course of change, the extent to the regions of change within each individual and the underlying mechanism and implications of brain change through functional and neurochemical imaging, combined with structural studies in the same individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn E DeLisi
- New York University School of Medicine, 650 First Avenue, New York, NY 1006, USA.
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29
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van Haren NEM, Hulshoff Pol HE, Schnack HG, Cahn W, Brans R, Carati I, Rais M, Kahn RS. Progressive brain volume loss in schizophrenia over the course of the illness: evidence of maturational abnormalities in early adulthood. Biol Psychiatry 2008; 63:106-13. [PMID: 17599810 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2006] [Revised: 12/23/2006] [Accepted: 01/08/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considering the magnitude of the reported changes in brain volume over time in first-episode patients it is unlikely that these changes are constant over the life-span of the schizophrenic illness. Thus, one would expect the progression in brain volume change in schizophrenia to follow a more complex trajectory over time. METHODS Two magnetic resonance imaging brain scans were obtained over a 5-year interval of 96 schizophrenia patients and 113 healthy subjects between ages 16 to 56. RESULTS The trajectory of brain volume change differed between patients with schizophrenia and healthy individuals. Before the age of 45 years cerebral and gray matter loss and lateral ventricle increase were excessive in patients relative to controls, representing approximately the first 20 years of illness. Patients showed an excessive third ventricle volume increase over time. In addition, poor outcome patients showed more brain tissue loss during the follow-up interval than good outcome patients. CONCLUSIONS Cerebral (gray) matter volume loss in the patients was mainly characterized by the absence of the normal curved trajectory of volume change with age that was present in healthy subjects. Later in life, the degree of volume change in patients is similar to that observed with normal aging. Independently of age, larger brain volume changes appear clinically relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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McClure RK, Carew K, Greeter S, Maushauer E, Steen G, Weinberger DR. Absence of regional brain volume change in schizophrenia associated with short-term atypical antipsychotic treatment. Schizophr Res 2008; 98:29-39. [PMID: 17976957 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2007.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2007] [Revised: 05/07/2007] [Accepted: 05/11/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The first aim of this pilot study was to determine if longitudinal change in caudate volume could be detected in chronic schizophrenic patients after 12 weeks of atypical antipsychotic treatment. A sub-aim of the first aim was to determine if similar results could be obtained from an operator-assisted segmentation tool for volumetric imaging (ITK-SNAP) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) methods in the caudate. The second aim was to determine if frontal and temporal lobe grey matter, white matter, ventricular and sulcal cerebrospinal fluid volume change could be detected after 12 weeks of atypical antipsychotic treatment with VBM. Ten chronic schizophrenic inpatients, with illness duration averaging 10.6 years, underwent two MRI scans. The first scan was obtained after a mean of 39.4 days of antipsychotic withdrawal. The second MRI was obtained following twelve weeks of atypical antipsychotic treatment. Caudate volume change was first measured with ITK-SNAP. Then the location of grey matter volume change in the caudate was identified with VBM. Finally, the location of frontal and temporal lobe grey matter, white matter, ventricular and sulcal cerebrospinal fluid volume changes were identified with VBM. No longitudinal change in caudate volume or grey matter volume was observed after brief periods of atypical antipsychotic treatment. ITK-SNAP and VBM methods showed very similar results in the caudate. No statistically significant change was identified in the volume of frontal or temporal lobe grey matter, white matter, and lateral, third, or fourth ventricular cerebrospinal fluid. Although the results do not directly show that brief periods of atypical antipsychotic treatment are associated with basal ganglia and cortical volume change, there is much evidence to suggest that such an association exists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McClure
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Psychiatry, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27510-7160, United States.
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Abstract
In spite of significant advances in treatment of patients with schizophrenia and continued efforts towards their deinstitutionalization, a considerable group of patients remain chronically hospitalized or otherwise dependent on others for basic necessities of life. It has been proposed that these patients belong to a distinct etiopathological subgroup, termed Kraepelinian, whose course of illness may be progressive and resistant to treatment. Indeed, longitudinal studies appear to show that elderly Kraepelinian patients follow a course of rapid cognitive and functional deterioration, commensurate with a dementing process, and that their poor functional status is closely correlated with the cognitive deterioration. Recent neuroimaging studies described a pattern of posteriorization of grey and white matter deficits with poor outcome in schizophrenia, and produced a constellation of findings implicating primary processing of visual and auditory information as central to the impaired functional status in this patient group. These studies are summarized in detail in this review and future directions for neuroimaging assessment of very poor outcome patients with schizophrenia are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge A Mitelman
- Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Mitelman SA, Brickman AM, Shihabuddin L, Newmark RE, Hazlett EA, Haznedar MM, Buchsbaum MS. A comprehensive assessment of gray and white matter volumes and their relationship to outcome and severity in schizophrenia. Neuroimage 2007; 37:449-62. [PMID: 17587598 PMCID: PMC1994089 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.04.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2006] [Revised: 04/17/2007] [Accepted: 04/30/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Preliminary data suggest an association of posterior cortical gray matter reduction with poor outcome in schizophrenia. We made a systematic MRI assessment of regional gray and white matter volumes, parcellated into 40 Brodmann's areas, in 104 patients with schizophrenia (51 with good outcomes, 53 with poor outcomes) and 41 normal comparison subjects, and investigated correlations of regional morphometry with outcome and severity of the illness. Schizophrenia patients displayed differential reductions in frontal and to a lesser degree temporal gray matter volumes in both hemispheres, most pronounced in the frontal pole and lateral temporal cortex. White matter volumes in schizophrenia patients were bilaterally increased, primarily in the frontal, parietal, and isolated temporal regions, with volume reductions confined to anterior cingulate gyrus. In patients with schizophrenia as a group, higher illness severity was associated with reduced temporal gray matter volumes and expanded frontal white matter volumes in both hemispheres. In comparison to good-outcome group, patients with poor outcomes had lower temporal, occipital, and to a lesser degree parietal gray matter volumes in both hemispheres and temporal, parietal, occipital, and posterior cingulate white matter volumes in the right hemisphere. While gray matter deficits in the granular cortex were observed in all schizophrenia patients, agranular cortical deficits in the left hemisphere were peculiar to patients with poor outcomes. These results provide support for frontotemporal gray matter reduction and frontoparietal white matter expansion in schizophrenia. Poor outcome is associated with more posterior distribution (posteriorization) of both gray and white matter changes, and with preferential impairment in the unimodal visual and paralimbic cortical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge A Mitelman
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Positron Emission Tomography Laboratory, Box 1505, Mount Sinai Medical Center, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Osuji IJ, McGarrahan A, Mihalakos P, Garver D, Kingsbury S, Cullum CM. Neuropsychological functioning in MRI-derived subgroups of schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2007; 92:189-96. [PMID: 17363218 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2006] [Revised: 12/02/2006] [Accepted: 12/07/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study examined neuropsychological functioning in two subgroups of patients with familial schizophrenia. Those who showed evidence of progressive ventricular enlargement observed across serial MRI scans (n=6) were compared with subjects whose ventricular volume remained static (n=10) over an average of 28 months. No differences were found in terms of age, education, ethnicity, level of psychotic symptomatology, DSM-IV subtype, age of onset, or duration of illness. Neurocognitively, the static ventricle group was impaired across more cognitive domains and had a larger percentage of subjects falling into the impaired range on a majority of measures, with the greatest differences on measures of attention (p<0.02) and nonverbal memory (p<0.07). These results suggest that clinically meaningful differences between these two MRI-derived subgroups of patients with schizophrenia may exist, and further underscore the heterogeneity of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- I J Osuji
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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McClure RK, Phillips I, Jazayerli R, Barnett A, Coppola R, Weinberger DR. Regional change in brain morphometry in schizophrenia associated with antipsychotic treatment. Psychiatry Res 2006; 148:121-32. [PMID: 17097276 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2006] [Revised: 04/16/2006] [Accepted: 04/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to: (1) determine if regional brain volume change occurs in schizophrenia patients during very short periods of withdrawal from, or stable treatment with, antipsychotics, and; (2) compare results of region-of-interest (ROI) to voxel-based morphometry (VBM) methods. In two small groups of schizophrenic inpatients, magnetic resonance imaging was performed before and after antipsychotic withdrawal, and at two time points during stable chronic antipsychotic treatment. Regional brain volumes were measured using ROI methods. Grey matter volume was measured with VBM. The medication withdrawal group showed no effect of treatment state or antipsychotic type on regional brain volumes with ROI analysis, but effects of both treatment state and antipsychotic type on grey matter volume were observed with VBM in right middle frontal, right medial frontal, right and left superior frontal, right cingulate, and right superior temporal gyrii as well as in the right and left hippocampal gyrii. The chronic stable treatment group showed an effect of time on right caudate, left hippocampal, and total cerebrospinal fluid volumes with ROI analysis, while effects of both time and antipsychotic type were observed with VBM on grey matter volume in the left superior temporal lobe. No findings survived correction for multiple comparisons. A positive correlation between regional volume change and emerging psychopathology was demonstrated using ROI methods in the medication withdrawal group. Treatment state and emergent symptoms in schizophrenia patients were associated with regional volume change over very short time periods. Longitudinal regional brain volume change in schizophrenia patients is likely physiologic and therefore potentially reversible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McClure
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Psychiatry, Chapel Hill, NC 27510-7160, USA.
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35
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Price G, Cercignani M, Bagary MS, Barnes TRE, Barker GJ, Joyce EM, Ron MA. A volumetric MRI and magnetization transfer imaging follow-up study of patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2006; 87:100-8. [PMID: 16843641 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2006] [Revised: 05/17/2006] [Accepted: 06/09/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Conventional MRI studies have not provided definitive evidence of progressive loss of brain volume in the early stages of schizophrenia, although more subtle changes may have gone undetected. We have looked for such subtle changes using volumetric MRI and magnetization transfer imaging (MTI), an advanced MRI technique sensitive to subtle neuropathological abnormalities. Magnetization transfer images and high-resolution volumetric T1-weighted images were acquired from 16 patients with first-episode schizophrenia at the start of the study and 3.7 years later. A group of 12 healthy controls were also scanned on two occasions. Images were processed using a voxel-based approach that allows whole-brain analysis. There was a group difference with a significant volume loss in the patients' white matter adjacent to the lateral ventricles in the right and left temporal lobes, in medial temporal gyrus, and in the white matter in and around the right middle frontal gyrus. No cortical differences were detected between the groups using MTI or volumetric MRI. The absence of any time-by-group interaction suggests that these abnormalities do not progress in the early stages of the disease. The results of the study need to be interpreted in the light of the small sample size and of the limitations of current image analysis methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Price
- Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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Phillips LJ, McGorry PD, Garner B, Thompson KN, Pantelis C, Wood SJ, Berger G. Stress, the hippocampus and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: implications for the development of psychotic disorders. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2006; 40:725-41. [PMID: 16911747 DOI: 10.1080/j.1440-1614.2006.01877.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The experience of stress is commonly implicated in models of the onset of psychotic disorders. However, prospective studies investigating associations between biological markers of stress and the emergence of psychotic disorders are limited and inconclusive. One biological system proposed as the link between the psychological experience of stress and the development of psychosis is the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. This paper summarizes and discusses evidence supporting a role for HPA-axis dysfunction in the early phase of schizophrenia and related disorders. METHOD A selective review of psychiatric and psychological research on stress, coping, HPA-axis, the hippocampus and psychotic disorders was performed, with a particular focus on the relationship between HPA-axis dysfunction and the onset of psychotic disorders. RESULTS Individual strands of past research have suggested that the HPA-axis is dysfunctional in at least some individuals with established psychotic disorders; that the hippocampus is an area of the brain that appears to be implicated in the onset and maintenance of psychotic disorders; and that an increase in the experience of stress precedes the onset of a psychotic episode in some individuals. Models of the onset and maintenance of psychotic disorders that link these individual strands of research and strategies for examining these models are proposed in this paper. CONCLUSIONS The current literature provides some evidence that the onset of psychotic disorders may be associated with a higher rate of stress and changes to the hippocampus. It is suggested that future research should investigate whether a relationship exists between psychological stress, HPA-axis functioning and the hippocampus in the onset of these disorders. Longitudinal assessment of these factors in young people at 'ultra' high risk of psychosis and first-episode psychosis cohorts may enhance understanding of the possible interaction between them in the early phases of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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DeLisi LE, Szulc KU, Bertisch HC, Majcher M, Brown K. Understanding structural brain changes in schizophrenia. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2006. [PMID: 16640116 PMCID: PMC3181763 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2006.8.1/ldelisi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic progressive disorder that has at its origin structural brain changes in both white and gray matter. It is likely that these changes begin prior to the onset of clinical symptoms in cortical regions, particularly those concerned with language processing. Later, they can be detected by progressive ventricular enlargement. Current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology can provide a valuable tool for detecting early changes in cortical atrophy and anomalous language processing, which may be predictive of who will develop schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn E DeLisi
- New York University, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, New York, NY 10962, USA.
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Steen RG, Mull C, McClure R, Hamer RM, Lieberman JA. Brain volume in first-episode schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging studies. Br J Psychiatry 2006; 188:510-8. [PMID: 16738340 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.188.6.510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 544] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of people with schizophrenia assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) usually include patients with first-episode and chronic disease, yet brain abnormalities may be limited to those with chronic schizophrenia. AIMS To determine whether patients with a first episode of schizophrenia have characteristic brain abnormalities. METHOD Systematic review and meta-analysis of 66 papers comparing brain volume in patients with a first psychotic episode with volume in healthy controls. RESULTS A total of 52 cross-sectional studies included 1424 patients with a first psychotic episode; 16 longitudinal studies included 465 such patients. Meta-analysis suggests that whole brain and hippocampal volume are reduced (both P<0.0001) and that ventricular volume is increased (P<0.0001) in these patients relative to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS Average volumetric changes are close to the limit of detection by MRI methods. It remains to be determined whether schizophrenia is a neurodegenerative process that begins at about the time of symptom onset, or whether it is better characterised as a neurodevelopmental process that produces abnormal brain volumes at an early age.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Grant Steen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7160, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7160, USA.
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Whitford TJ, Grieve SM, Farrow TFD, Gomes L, Brennan J, Harris AWF, Gordon E, Williams LM. Progressive grey matter atrophy over the first 2-3 years of illness in first-episode schizophrenia: a tensor-based morphometry study. Neuroimage 2006; 32:511-9. [PMID: 16677830 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2006] [Revised: 03/20/2006] [Accepted: 03/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the structural brain changes that occur over the first few years of schizophrenia, or how these changes differ from those associated with healthy brain development in adolescence and early adulthood. In this study, we aimed to identify regional differences in grey matter (GM) volume between patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and matched healthy controls, both at the time of the patients' first psychotic episode (baseline condition) and 2-3 years subsequently (follow-up condition). Forty-one patients with FES and 47 matched healthy controls underwent a T1-weighted structural MRI scan. Of these participants, 25 FES patients and 26 controls returned 2-3 years later for a follow-up scan. Voxel-based morphometry in SPM2 was used to identify the regions of GM difference between the groups in the baseline condition, while tensor-based morphometry was used to identify the longitudinal change within subject over the follow-up interval. The FES patients exhibited widespread GM reductions in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices and cerebellum in the baseline condition, as well as more circumscribed regions of GM increase, particularly in the occipital lobe. Furthermore, the FES subjects were observed to lose considerably more GM over the follow-up interval than the controls, especially in the parietal and temporal cortices. We argue that the progressive GM atrophy we have found to be associated with the onset of schizophrenia arises from a dysfunction in the dramatic period of healthy brain development typically associated with adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Whitford
- The Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute and University of Sydney, Acacia House, Westmead Hospital, NSW 2145, Australia.
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Vita A, De Peri L, Silenzi C, Dieci M. Brain morphology in first-episode schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging studies. Schizophr Res 2006; 82:75-88. [PMID: 16377156 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2005.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2005] [Revised: 11/01/2005] [Accepted: 11/05/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A number of meta-analytic reviews of structural brain imaging studies have shown that multiple subtle brain abnormalities are consistently found in schizophrenia. However, quantitative reviews till now published have included mainly studies performed on chronic schizophrenic patients but have failed to provide clear information on specific, possibly different, findings in first-episode schizophrenia. METHODS We performed a systematic search for MRI studies that reported quantitative measurements of volumes of brain regions in first-episode schizophrenic patients and in healthy controls. Twelve meta-analyses were performed for 6 cerebral regions. RESULTS Twenty-one studies were identified as suitable for analysis. Significant overall effect sizes were demonstrated for lateral and third ventricular volume increase, and for volume reduction of whole brain and hippocampus, but not for temporal lobe, amygdala and total intracranial volumes. CONCLUSIONS The available literature data strongly indicate that some brain abnormalities are already present in first-episode schizophrenic patients. However, unlike the results of published meta-analyses conducted primarily on samples of chronic schizophrenic patients, the present study did not confirm a significant reduction of temporal lobe or amygdala volumes in first-episode schizophrenia. These findings support the hypothesis of different patterns of involvement of various cerebral areas over the time course of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vita
- Department of Mental Health, University of Brescia, Italy.
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Whitworth AB, Kemmler G, Honeder M, Kremser C, Felber S, Hausmann A, Walch T, Wanko C, Weiss EM, Stuppaeck CH, Fleischhacker WW. Longitudinal volumetric MRI study in first- and multiple-episode male schizophrenia patients. Psychiatry Res 2005; 140:225-37. [PMID: 16275040 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2005.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2005] [Revised: 06/20/2005] [Accepted: 07/20/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this longitudinal study we compared brain volume changes in first- and multiple-episode patients with schizophrenia to normal aging changes observed in healthy control subjects scanned at comparable times. Two to four years after an initial examination including MRI volumetry, we followed up 21 first episode patients, 17 patients after multiple episodes of schizophrenia, and 20 healthy controls. Volumetric measurements of left and right hemispheres, total brain volume, lateral ventricles, hippocampus and amygdala as well as a clinical evaluation were performed. Patients with schizophrenia showed significant ventricular enlargement and volume reduction of the hippocampus-amygdala complex compared with healthy control subjects both at baseline and follow-up. While there were no differences between patients and controls with respect to mean annual volume changes in the measured regions, patients with schizophrenia showed higher between-subject variability in ventricular volume change. These data are consistent with cross-sectional studies demonstrating ventricular enlargement and hippocampal volume deficits in schizophrenia. However, we were not able to demonstrate a difference in the rate of volume changes over time that distinguished patients with schizophrenia from healthy controls for any of the brain structures measured. Drawbacks of the study are that the follow-up was done after a relatively short interval and that there was a difference in time to follow-up and age between patients and controls. Our results do not support the hypothesis that schizophrenia leads to progressive volume reduction in these areas, although there may be a subset of patients with morphologically visible disease progression.
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DeLisi LE, Hoff AL. Failure to find progressive temporal lobe volume decreases 10 years subsequent to a first episode of schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2005; 138:265-8. [PMID: 15854794 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2005.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2004] [Revised: 01/26/2005] [Accepted: 02/16/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The present study used magnetic resonance imaging to examine the volumes of the temporal lobe and the superior temporal gyrus in a 10-year follow-up study of 27 patients with schizophrenia and 10 controls. No change over time was observed in these structures when patients were compared with controls. These results do not support the notion that progressive temporal lobe deterioration occurs in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn E DeLisi
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University, Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Dubb A, Xie Z, Gur R, Gur R, Gee J. Characterization of brain plasticity in schizophrenia using template deformation. Acad Radiol 2005; 12:3-9. [PMID: 15691720 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2004.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2004] [Accepted: 06/22/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE Abnormal neurodevelopment may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. We used deformation-based morphometry to examine voxel-wise age-related changes in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy brains. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used a set of skull-stripped brains from an image database of cranial magnetic resonance images. We then deformed a template brain to the rest of the brains creating a set of deformation fields. Using the Jacobian values of these deformation fields, we calculated the voxel-wise t-score for comparison of controls with patients. We also calculated the voxel-wise Pearson correlation of Jacobian with age for both controls and patients. RESULTS By examining the volume renderings of these statistical fields, we found that healthy people undergo age-related expansion of the ventricles, the surrounding periventricular white matter, and a corresponding decline in the frontal lobes and cingulate gyrus. In contrast, patients show much less of this age-related expansion of the ventricles and less atrophy in the cerebral cortex. In addition, patients have larger ventricles and reduced volume in the frontal/parietal lobes. CONCLUSION These constellations of findings suggest that otherwise normal age-related ventricular enlargement and cortical loss occurs in schizophrenia patients, albeit at an earlier age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Dubb
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Gogtay N, Giedd JN, Lusk L, Hayashi KM, Greenstein D, Vaituzis AC, Nugent TF, Herman DH, Clasen LS, Toga AW, Rapoport JL, Thompson PM. Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during childhood through early adulthood. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:8174-9. [PMID: 15148381 PMCID: PMC419576 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0402680101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3558] [Impact Index Per Article: 177.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the dynamic anatomical sequence of human cortical gray matter development between the age of 4-21 years using quantitative four-dimensional maps and time-lapse sequences. Thirteen healthy children for whom anatomic brain MRI scans were obtained every 2 years, for 8-10 years, were studied. By using models of the cortical surface and sulcal landmarks and a statistical model for gray matter density, human cortical development could be visualized across the age range in a spatiotemporally detailed time-lapse sequence. The resulting time-lapse "movies" reveal that (i) higher-order association cortices mature only after lower-order somatosensory and visual cortices, the functions of which they integrate, are developed, and (ii) phylogenetically older brain areas mature earlier than newer ones. Direct comparison with normal cortical development may help understanding of some neurodevelopmental disorders such as childhood-onset schizophrenia or autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Gogtay
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Wei J, Hemmings GP. TNXB locus may be a candidate gene predisposing to schizophrenia. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2004; 125B:43-9. [PMID: 14755442 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.20093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
We report here on the detection of nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near to the NOTCH4 locus in the search for schizophrenia susceptibility genes in the class III region of the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC). We totally analyzed 122 family trios recruited in the UK. The TDT analysis demonstrated that of the nine SNPs, three were associated with schizophrenia, including rs1009382 (P = 0.00047), rs204887 (P = 0.007), and rs8283 (P = 0.015). Both rs1009382 and rs204887 are present in the TNXB locus. The rs1009382 is a non-synonymous SNP located in exon 23 of the gene and its A to G base change causes a Glu2578Gly substitution. The goodness-of-fit test showed that genotypic distribution of rs1009382 was deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium due to homozygote excess in the patient group (P = 0.01), suggesting that a double dose of a genetic risk may be involved. Possibly, rs1009382 is a candidate SNP predisposing to a schizophrenic illness. Moreover, the test for linkage disequilibrium (LD) between paired SNPs showed that the nine SNPs studied may be in the same LD block with an unexpected pattern as the strength of LD was not correlated with the distance between paired SNPs. The haplotype analysis suggested that there might be more than one disease-related allele located in the class III region of the MHC, and that these alleles possibly confer either susceptibility or resistance to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Wei
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain, Bangor, United Kingdom.
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van Haren NEM, Cahn W, Hulshoff Pol HE, Schnack HG, Caspers E, Lemstra A, Sitskoorn MM, Wiersma D, van den Bosch RJ, Dingemans PM, Schene AH, Kahn RS. Brain volumes as predictor of outcome in recent-onset schizophrenia: a multi-center MRI study. Schizophr Res 2003; 64:41-52. [PMID: 14511800 DOI: 10.1016/s0920-9964(03)00018-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Gray matter brain volume decreases have been found in patients with schizophrenia as compared to healthy control subjects measured by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). An association has been suggested between decreased gray matter volume and poor outcome in chronically ill patients with schizophrenia. The present longitudinal multi-center study investigated whether gray matter volume at illness onset can predict poor outcome in recent-onset schizophrenia after a follow-up of approximately 2 years. An MRI calibration study was performed since scans of patients with recent-onset psychosis were conducted at three sites with 1.5 T MR scanners from two different manufacturers. Applying a linear scaling procedure on the histogram improved comparability between volume measurements acquired from images from the different scanners. Brain scans were obtained from 109 patients with recent-onset schizophrenia. Volumes of intracranium, total brain, cerebral gray and white matter, third and lateral ventricles, and cerebellum were measured. After a mean follow-up period of approximately 2 years, measurements of symptoms, functioning, need for care, and illness history variables were assessed. No significant correlations were found between the brain volume measures and any of these measures. Gray matter volume at illness onset does not predict outcome after 2 years in recent-onset schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Psychiatry A.01.126, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Chua SE, Lam IWS, Tai KS, Cheung C, Tang WN, Chen EYH, Lee PWH, Chan FL, Lieh-Mak F, McKenna PJ. Brain morphological abnormality in schizophrenia is independent of country of origin. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2003; 108:269-75. [PMID: 12956827 DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0447.2003.00134.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The disorder schizophrenia has a worldwide prevalence of 1% and is generally associated with lateral cerebral ventricular enlargement. Whether there is a relationship between these two findings is unclear but has aetiological relevance. METHOD Consecutively admitted Chinese patients (n = 19) with first episode of schizophrenia and healthy community volunteers (n = 29) underwent magnetic resonance imaging brain scan. The groups were balanced for age, sex, best social class and handedness. These patients were similar on clinical and socio-demographic indices to those who declined participation (n = 15). Semi-automated volumetric analysis of whole brain volume, cortical grey matter, cerebrospinal fluid, sulci and lateral ventricles was performed. RESULTS Chinese patients in their first episode of schizophrenia have significant enlargement of lateral ventricles. CONCLUSION Brain morphological abnormality in schizophrenia is present regardless of the country of origin. The importance of genes in driving normal brain development and stable prevalence suggests that aetiology may favour genes over environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Chua
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
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Milev P, Ho BC, Arndt S, Nopoulos P, Andreasen NC. Initial magnetic resonance imaging volumetric brain measurements and outcome in schizophrenia: a prospective longitudinal study with 5-year follow-up. Biol Psychiatry 2003; 54:608-15. [PMID: 13129655 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(03)00293-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several demographic and phenomenological variables have been identified as predictors of outcome in schizophrenia. Far fewer studies have examined the relationships between brain morphology assessed at illness onset and subsequent outcome, and their results have been contradictory. METHODS The relationships between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) regional brain volumes at illness onset and outcome five years later were studied in 123 schizophrenia patients using regression and correlation analysis. Outcome measures included psychosocial functioning, weeks per year receiving inpatient treatment, and persistence of severe psychotic, disorganized and negative symptoms. RESULTS Temporal lobe tissue volume at onset was predictive of outcome. Smaller temporal lobe gray matter volume (both left and right) was associated with persistence of hallucinations during follow-up. There were no significant associations between hallucinations and temporal white matter, or between delusions and temporal white or gray matter volumes. None of the other volumetric brain measures were predictive of outcome. CONCLUSIONS The association between initial temporal lobe gray matter volume and subsequent persistent hallucinations may help identify individuals who are at higher risk for poor outcome and help guide their treatment planning. However, regional brain volumes assessed near illness onset, in general, do not appear to be indicative of subsequent outcome in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Milev
- Mental Health Clinical Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1057, USA
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Abstract
The aim of this review is to find data about the outcome of schizophreniform disorder. As different definitions of schizophreniform disorder were found in the literature, it was not surprising that data on its outcome, and on the relationship of schizophreniform disorder to schizophrenia and to mood disorders (as this relationship is linked to outcome), were often different and opposite. Its classic description of an acute onset psychotic episode with mood instability and a relatively brief duration should be the focus of future studies. Current studies, apart from a small number, lump together different (and probably distinct) subtypes of schizophreniform disorder (one with good prognostic features, and one without good prognostic features, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition). Studies of mixed samples led to different results, probably depending on the relative prevalence of one subtype over the other one. The few studies on schizophreniform disorder with good prognostic features found more often an episodic, recurrent course, and a family history of mood disorders. These features link this schizophreniform disorder subtype more to mood disorders than to schizophrenia. If confirmed by future studies, these preliminary findings can have very important treatment implications, given the very different treatment strategies in mood disorders compared with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franco Benazzi
- Department of Psychiatry, National Health Service, Via Pozzetto 17, 48015 Castiglione di Cervia RA, Italy.
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Bartzokis G, Nuechterlein KH, Lu PH, Gitlin M, Rogers S, Mintz J. Dysregulated brain development in adult men with schizophrenia: a magnetic resonance imaging study. Biol Psychiatry 2003; 53:412-21. [PMID: 12614994 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3223(02)01835-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent imaging evidence suggests that normal brain development/maturation of the frontal lobes and association areas is a well-regulated process consisting of continued myelination and expansion of white matter volumes into the late 40s accompanied by complementary reductions in gray matter volumes. The possibility that a dysregulation of this process may contribute to the syndrome of schizophrenia was investigated using magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS Fifty-two normal adult males and 35 males with schizophrenia underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Coronal images were acquired using pulse sequences that maximized myelin signal. The age-related change in the gray to white matter ratio was used as a measure of developmental dysregulation in the schizophrenic subjects and contrasted to the age-related changes of the normal control group. RESULTS Regression analyses on frontal and temporal gray to white matter ratio yielded highly significant interactions of diagnosis and age for both regions (p =.0003 and p =.01, respectively). In the normal group, both frontal and temporal gray to white matter ratios decreased significantly and linearly across the age range. In contrast, neither ratio showed meaningful age-related change in the schizophrenia group. Thus, differences in gray to white matter ratio between the groups increased markedly with age, driven primarily by the absence of a white matter volume expansion in the patient group. CONCLUSIONS The absence of the normal complementary volume changes in the gray and white matter with age in the schizophrenic sample suggests that this dynamic developmental process is dysregulated in adult schizophrenic subjects. The importance of myelination to the continued maturation and normal functioning of the brain has implications for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Bartzokis
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90095-1769, USA
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