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Cai J, Xie M, Liang S, Gong J, Deng W, Guo W, Ma X, Sham PC, Wang Q, Li T. Dysfunction of thalamocortical circuits in early-onset schizophrenia. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae313. [PMID: 39106176 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that the thalamus is involved in multiple functional circuits in participants with schizophrenia. However, less is known about the thalamocortical circuit in the rare subtype of early-onset schizophrenia. A total of 110 participants with early-onset schizophrenia (47 antipsychotic-naive patients) and 70 matched healthy controls were recruited and underwent resting-state functional and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans. A data-driven parcellation method that combined the high spatial resolution of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and the high sensitivity of functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to divide the thalamus. Next, the functional connectivity between each thalamic subdivision and the cortex/cerebellum was investigated. Compared to healthy controls, individuals with early-onset schizophrenia exhibited hypoconnectivity between subdivisions of the thalamus and the frontoparietal network, visual network, ventral attention network, somatomotor network and cerebellum, and hyperconnectivity between subdivisions of thalamus and the parahippocampal and temporal gyrus, which were included in limbic network. The functional connectivity between the right posterior cingulate cortex and 1 subdivision of the thalamus (region of interest 1) was positively correlated with the general psychopathology scale score. This study showed that the specific thalamocortical dysconnection in individuals with early-onset schizophrenia involves the prefrontal, auditory and visual cortices, and cerebellum. This study identified thalamocortical connectivity as a potential biomarker and treatment target for early-onset schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Cai
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 28th Dianxin Nan Str. Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Min Xie
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 28th Dianxin Nan Str. Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Sugai Liang
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 305th Tianmushan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Jinnan Gong
- School of Computer Science, Chengdu University of Information Technology, No. 2006th, Xiyuan Road, Pidu District, Chengdu, Sichuan 611700, China
| | - Wei Deng
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 305th Tianmushan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 305th Tianmushan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Xiaohong Ma
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 28th Dianxin Nan Str. Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Pak C Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Central and Western District, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 999077, China
- Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Central and Western District, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 999077, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Central and Western District, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, 999077, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 28th Dianxin Nan Str. Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Tao Li
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 305th Tianmushan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
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Thalhammer M, Schulz J, Scheulen F, Oubaggi MEM, Kirschner M, Kaiser S, Schmidt A, Borgwardt S, Avram M, Brandl F, Sorg C. Distinct Volume Alterations of Thalamic Nuclei Across the Schizophrenia Spectrum. Schizophr Bull 2024:sbae037. [PMID: 38577901 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Abnormal thalamic nuclei volumes and their link to cognitive impairments have been observed in schizophrenia. However, whether and how this finding extends to the schizophrenia spectrum is unknown. We hypothesized a distinct pattern of aberrant thalamic nuclei volume across the spectrum and examined its potential associations with cognitive symptoms. STUDY DESIGN We performed a FreeSurfer-based volumetry of T1-weighted brain MRIs from 137 healthy controls, 66 at-risk mental state (ARMS) subjects, 89 first-episode psychosis (FEP) individuals, and 126 patients with schizophrenia to estimate thalamic nuclei volumes of six nuclei groups (anterior, lateral, ventral, intralaminar, medial, and pulvinar). We used linear regression models, controlling for sex, age, and estimated total intracranial volume, both to compare thalamic nuclei volumes across groups and to investigate their associations with positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. STUDY RESULTS We observed significant volume alterations in medial and lateral thalamic nuclei. Medial nuclei displayed consistently reduced volumes across the spectrum compared to controls, while lower lateral nuclei volumes were only observed in schizophrenia. Whereas positive and negative symptoms were not associated with reduced nuclei volumes across all groups, higher cognitive scores were linked to lower volumes of medial nuclei in ARMS. In FEP, cognition was not linked to nuclei volumes. In schizophrenia, lower cognitive performance was associated with lower medial volumes. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate distinct thalamic nuclei volume reductions across the schizophrenia spectrum, with lower medial nuclei volumes linked to cognitive deficits in ARMS and schizophrenia. Data suggest a distinctive trajectory of thalamic nuclei abnormalities along the course of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Thalhammer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Schulz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Felicitas Scheulen
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mohamed El Mehdi Oubaggi
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mihai Avram
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Felix Brandl
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Schleifer CH, O'Hora KP, Jalbrzikowski M, Bondy E, Kushan-Wells L, Lin A, Uddin LQ, Bearden CE. Longitudinal Development of Thalamocortical Functional Connectivity in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:156-163. [PMID: 37709253 PMCID: PMC10956688 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDel) is a genetic copy number variant that strongly increases risk for schizophrenia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Disrupted functional connectivity between the thalamus and the somatomotor/frontoparietal cortex has been implicated in cross-sectional studies of 22qDel, idiopathic schizophrenia, and youths at clinical high risk for psychosis. Here, we used a novel functional atlas approach to investigate longitudinal age-related changes in network-specific thalamocortical functional connectivity (TCC) in participants with 22qDel and typically developing (TD) control participants. METHODS TCC was calculated for 9 functional networks derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans collected from 65 participants with 22qDel (63.1% female) and 69 demographically matched TD control participants (49.3% female) ages 6 to 23 years. Analyses included 86 longitudinal follow-up scans. Nonlinear age trajectories were characterized with generalized additive mixed models. RESULTS In participants with 22qDel, TCC in the frontoparietal network increased until approximately age 13, while somatomotor TCC and cingulo-opercular TCC decreased from age 6 to 23. In contrast, no significant relationships between TCC and age were found in TD control participants. Somatomotor connectivity was significantly higher in participants with 22qDel than in TD control participants in childhood, but lower in late adolescence. Frontoparietal TCC showed the opposite pattern. CONCLUSIONS 22qDel is associated with aberrant development of functional network connectivity between the thalamus and cortex. Younger individuals with 22qDel have lower frontoparietal connectivity and higher somatomotor connectivity than control individuals, but this phenotype may normalize or partially reverse by early adulthood. Altered maturation of this circuitry may underlie elevated neuropsychiatric disease risk in this syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles H Schleifer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Kathleen P O'Hora
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Maria Jalbrzikowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth Bondy
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Leila Kushan-Wells
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Amy Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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Howes OD, Bukala BR, Beck K. Schizophrenia: from neurochemistry to circuits, symptoms and treatments. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:22-35. [PMID: 38110704 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00904-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a leading cause of global disability. Current pharmacotherapy for the disease predominantly uses one mechanism - dopamine D2 receptor blockade - but often shows limited efficacy and poor tolerability. These limitations highlight the need to better understand the aetiology of the disease to aid the development of alternative therapeutic approaches. Here, we review the latest meta-analyses and other findings on the neurobiology of prodromal, first-episode and chronic schizophrenia, and the link to psychotic symptoms, focusing on imaging evidence from people with the disorder. This evidence demonstrates regionally specific neurotransmitter alterations, including higher glutamate and dopamine measures in the basal ganglia, and lower glutamate, dopamine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in cortical regions, particularly the frontal cortex, relative to healthy individuals. We consider how dysfunction in cortico-thalamo-striatal-midbrain circuits might alter brain information processing to underlie psychotic symptoms. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for developing new, mechanistically based treatments and precision medicine for psychotic symptoms, as well as negative and cognitive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Bernard R Bukala
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Katherine Beck
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Waddington JL. From operational diagnostic to dimensional-continuum concepts of psychotic and non-psychotic illness: Embracing catatonia across psychopathology and intrinsic movement disorder in neural network dysfunction. Schizophr Res 2024; 263:99-108. [PMID: 36244867 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.10.001] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatry is currently negotiating several challenges that are typified by (but are not unique to) schizophrenia: do periodic refinements in operational diagnostic algorithms (a) resolve intricacies and subtleties within and between psychotic and non-psychotic disorders that are authentic and impactful, or (b) constitute arbitrary and porous boundaries that should be complemented, or even replaced, by dimensional-continuum concepts of abnormality and dysfunction. Critically, these issues relate not only to apparent boundaries between diagnoses but also to those between 'health' and 'illness'. This article considers catatonia within evolving dimensional-continuum approaches to the description of impairment and dysfunction among psychotic and non-psychotic disorders. It begins by considering the definition and assessment of catatonia vis-à-vis other disorders, followed by its long-standing conjunction with schizophrenia, relationship with antipsychotic drug treatment, transdiagnostic perspectives and relationships, and pathobiological processes. These appear to involve dysfunction across elements in overlapping neural networks that result in a confluence of psychopathology and intrinsic hypo- and hyperkinetic motor dysfunction. It has been argued that while current diagnostic approaches can have utility in defining groups of cases that are closely related, contemporary evidence indicates categorical diagnoses to be arbitrary divisions of what is essentially a continuous landscape. Psychotic and non-psychotic diagnoses, including catatonia, may reflect arbitrary areas around points of intersection between orthogonal dimensions of psychopathology and intrinsic movement disorder in a poly-dimensional space that characterises this continuous landscape of mental health and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Waddington
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research & Therapy for Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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Harikumar A, Solovyeva KP, Misiura M, Iraji A, Plis SM, Pearlson GD, Turner JA, Calhoun VD. Revisiting Functional Dysconnectivity: a Review of Three Model Frameworks in Schizophrenia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2023; 23:937-946. [PMID: 37999830 PMCID: PMC11126894 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-023-01325-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Over the last decade, evidence suggests that a combination of behavioral and neuroimaging findings can help illuminate changes in functional dysconnectivity in schizophrenia. We review the recent connectivity literature considering several vital models, considering connectivity findings, and relationships with clinical symptoms. We reviewed resting state fMRI studies from 2017 to 2023. We summarized the role of two sets of brain networks (cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTCC) and the triple network set) across three hypothesized models of schizophrenia etiology (neurodevelopmental, vulnerability-stress, and neurotransmitter hypotheses). RECENT FINDINGS The neurotransmitter and neurodevelopmental models best explained CTCC-subcortical dysfunction, which was consistently connected to symptom severity and motor symptoms. Triple network dysconnectivity was linked to deficits in executive functioning, and the salience network (SN)-default mode network dysconnectivity was tied to disordered thought and attentional deficits. This paper links behavioral symptoms of schizophrenia (symptom severity, motor, executive functioning, and attentional deficits) to various hypothesized mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amritha Harikumar
- The Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Kseniya P Solovyeva
- The Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Maria Misiura
- The Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Armin Iraji
- The Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Sergey M Plis
- The Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Godfrey D Pearlson
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jessica A Turner
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- The Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
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Yang K, Ayala-Grosso C, Bhattarai JP, Sheriff A, Takahashi T, Cristino AS, Zelano C, Ma M. Unraveling the Link between Olfactory Deficits and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7501-7510. [PMID: 37940584 PMCID: PMC10634556 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1380-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Smell loss has caught public attention during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Research on olfactory function in health and disease gains new momentum. Smell deficits have long been recognized as an early clinical sign associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we review research on the associations between olfactory deficits and neuropathological conditions, focusing on recent progress in four areas: (1) human clinical studies of the correlations between smell deficits and neuropsychiatric disorders; (2) development of olfactory mucosa-derived tissue and cell models for studying the molecular pathologic mechanisms; (3) recent findings in brain imaging studies of structural and functional connectivity changes in olfactory pathways in neuropsychiatric disorders; and (4) application of preclinical animal models to validate and extend the findings from human subjects. Together, these studies have provided strong evidence of the link between the olfactory system and neuropsychiatric disorders, highlighting the relevance of deepening our understanding of the role of the olfactory system in pathophysiological processes. Following the lead of studies reviewed here, future research in this field may open the door to the early detection of neuropsychiatric disorders, personalized treatment approaches, and potential therapeutic interventions through nasal administration techniques, such as nasal brush or nasal spray.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Carlos Ayala-Grosso
- Unit of Cellular Therapy, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, 1020-A, Venezuela
- Unit of Advanced Therapies, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, Bogotá, Colombia 111-611
| | - Janardhan P Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Andrew Sheriff
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Tsutomu Takahashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Alexandre S Cristino
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Christina Zelano
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
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Zhuo C, Tian H, Zhu J, Fang T, Ping J, Wang L, Sun Y, Cheng L, Chen C, Chen G. Low-dose lithium adjunct to quetiapine improves cognitive task performance in mice with MK801-induced long-term cognitive impairment: Evidence from a pilot study. J Affect Disord 2023; 340:42-52. [PMID: 37506773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-dose lithium (LD-Li) has been shown to rescue cognitive impairment in mouse models of short-term mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and schizophrenia. However, few studies have characterized the effects of LD-Li, alone or in conjunction with anti-psychotics, in the mouse model of MK801-induced long term cognitive impairment. METHODS The present study used in vivo Ca2+ imaging and a battery of cognitive function assessments to investigate the long-term effects of LD-Li on cognition in mice exposed to repeated injections of MK801. Prefrontal Ca2+ activity was visualized to estimate alterations in neural activity in the model mice. Pre-pulse inhibition (PPI), novel object recognition (NOR), Morris water maze (MWM), and fear conditioning (FC) tasks were used to characterize cognitive performance; open field activity (OFA) testing was used to observe psychotic symptoms. Two treatment strategies were tested: LD-Li [250 mg/d human equivalent dose (HED)] adjunct to quetiapine (QTP; 600 mg/d HED); and QTP-monotherapy (mt; 600 mg/d HED). RESULTS Compared to the QTP-mt group, the LD-Li + QTP group showed greatly improved cognitive performance on all measures between experimental days 29 and 85. QTP-mt improved behavioral measures compared to untreated controls, but the effects persisted only from day 29 to day 43. These data suggest that LD-Li + QTP is superior to QTP-mt for improving long-term cognitive impairments in the MK801 mouse model. LIMITATIONS There is no medical consensus regarding lithium use in patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION More pre-clinical and clinical studies are needed to further investigate effective treatment strategies for patients with long-term cognitive impairments, such as chronic schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanjun Zhuo
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAC_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin 300140, China; Animal Imaging Center (AIC), Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou 325000, China; Laboratory of Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetic and Co-morbidity (PNGC_Lab), Tianjn Anding Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin 300222, China.
| | - Hongjun Tian
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAC_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin 300140, China
| | - Jingjing Zhu
- Animal Imaging Center (AIC), Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Tao Fang
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAC_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin 300140, China
| | - Jing Ping
- Animal Imaging Center (AIC), Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Laboratory of Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetic and Co-morbidity (PNGC_Lab), Tianjn Anding Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin 300222, China
| | - Yun Sun
- Laboratory of Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetic and Co-morbidity (PNGC_Lab), Tianjn Anding Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin 300222, China
| | - Langlang Cheng
- Animal Imaging Center (AIC), Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Chunmian Chen
- Animal Imaging Center (AIC), Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Guangdong Chen
- Animal Imaging Center (AIC), Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou 325000, China
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Yang W, Niu H, Jin Y, Cui J, Li M, Qiu Y, Lu D, Li G, Li J. Altered dynamic functional connectivity of the thalamus subregions in patients with schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 167:86-92. [PMID: 37862908 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous neuroimaging studies indicated that patients with schizophrenia showed impaired thalamus and thalamo-cortical circuits. However, the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) patterns of the thalamus remain unclear. In this study, we explored the dFC of the thalamus in SZ patients and whether clinical features are correlated with altered dFC. METHODS Forty-three patients with schizophrenia and 31 healthy controls underwent 3.0 T rs-fMRI. Based on the human Brainnetome atlas, the thalamus is divided into 8 subregions. Subsequently, we performed flexible least squares method to calculate the dFC of each thalamus subregions. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia exhibited increased dFC between the thalamus and cerebellar, visual-related cortex, sensorimotor-related cortex, and frontal lobe. In addition, we found that the dFC of the thalamus and the right fusiform gyrus was negatively associated with age of onset. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that the dFC of specific thalamus sub-regions is altered in patients with schizophrenia. Our results further suggested the dysconnectivity of thalamus plays an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Yang
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Huiming Niu
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Yiqiong Jin
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Jie Cui
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Meijuan Li
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Yuying Qiu
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Duihong Lu
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Gang Li
- The Third People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui, 741000, China
| | - Jie Li
- Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China.
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Qin Y, Ahmadlou M, Suhai S, Neering P, de Kraker L, Heimel JA, Levelt CN. Thalamic regulation of ocular dominance plasticity in adult visual cortex. eLife 2023; 12:RP88124. [PMID: 37796249 PMCID: PMC10554735 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent plasticity in the adult visual system is generally thought of as a cortical process. However, several recent studies have shown that perceptual learning or monocular deprivation can also induce plasticity in the adult dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus. How plasticity in the thalamus and cortex interact in the adult visual system is ill-understood. To assess the influence of thalamic plasticity on plasticity in primary visual cortex (V1), we made use of our previous finding that during the critical period ocular dominance (OD) plasticity occurs in dLGN and requires thalamic synaptic inhibition. Using multielectrode recordings we find that this is also true in adult mice, and that in the absence of thalamic inhibition and plasticity, OD plasticity in adult V1 is absent. To study the influence of V1 on thalamic plasticity, we silenced V1 and show that during the critical period, but not in adulthood, the OD shift in dLGN is partially caused by feedback from V1. We conclude that during adulthood the thalamus plays an unexpectedly dominant role in experience-dependent plasticity in V1. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the thalamus as a potential source of plasticity in learning events that are typically thought of as cortical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Qin
- Molecular Visual Plasticity Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamNetherlands
- University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Mehran Ahmadlou
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Samuel Suhai
- Molecular Visual Plasticity Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Paul Neering
- Molecular Visual Plasticity Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Leander de Kraker
- Molecular Visual Plasticity Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - J Alexander Heimel
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Christiaan N Levelt
- Molecular Visual Plasticity Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamNetherlands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
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Using Nonhuman Primate Models to Reverse-Engineer Prefrontal Circuit Failure Underlying Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 63:315-362. [PMID: 36607528 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In this chapter, I review studies in nonhuman primates that emulate the circuit failure in prefrontal cortex responsible for working memory and cognitive control deficits in schizophrenia. These studies have characterized how synaptic malfunction, typically induced by blockade of NMDAR, disrupts neural function and computation in prefrontal networks to explain errors in cognitive tasks that are seen in schizophrenia. This work is finding causal relationships between pathogenic events of relevance to schizophrenia at vastly different levels of scale, from synapses, to neurons, local, circuits, distributed networks, computation, and behavior. Pharmacological manipulation, the dominant approach in primate models, has limited construct validity for schizophrenia pathogenesis, as the disease results from a complex interplay between environmental, developmental, and genetic factors. Genetic manipulation replicating schizophrenia risk is more advanced in rodent models. Nonetheless, gene manipulation in nonhuman primates is rapidly advancing, and primate developmental models have been established. Integration of large scale neural recording, genetic manipulation, and computational modeling in nonhuman primates holds considerable potential to provide a crucial schizophrenia model moving forward. Data generated by this approach is likely to fill several crucial gaps in our understanding of the causal sequence leading to schizophrenia in humans. This causal chain presents a vexing problem largely because it requires understanding how events at very different levels of scale relate to one another, from genes to circuits to cognition to social interactions. Nonhuman primate models excel here. They optimally enable discovery of causal relationships across levels of scale in the brain that are relevant to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The mechanistic understanding of prefrontal circuit failure they promise to provide may point the way to more effective therapeutic interventions to restore function to prefrontal networks in the disease.
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Chafee MV, Averbeck BB. Unmasking Schizophrenia: Synaptic Pruning in Adolescence Reveals a Latent Physiological Vulnerability in Prefrontal Recurrent Networks. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:436-439. [PMID: 36008035 PMCID: PMC9870034 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew V Chafee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Zhuo C, Chen G, Chen J, Yang L, Zhang Q, Li Q, Wang L, Ma X, Sun Y, Jia F, Tian H, Jiang D. Baseline global brain structural and functional alterations at the time of symptom onset can predict subsequent cognitive deterioration in drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients: Evidence from a follow-up study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1012428. [PMID: 36311504 PMCID: PMC9615917 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1012428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the global brain gray matter volume (gGMV) and global functional connectivity density (gFCD) play a pivotal role in the cognitive impairment and further deterioration in schizophrenia. This study aimed to assess the correlation between alterations in the gGMV and gFCD at baseline (ΔgGMV and ΔgFCD), and the subsequent alterations of cognitive function in schizophrenia patients after 2-year antipsychotic treatment. Global-brain magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 877 drug-naïve, first-episode schizophrenia patients at baseline and after two years of antipsychotic treatment with adequate dosage and duration, and 200 healthy controls. According to ΔgGMV at baseline, schizophrenia patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe alteration groups. The MATRICS consensus cognitive battery and Global Deficit Score (GDS) were used to assess cognitive impairment. We found that ΔgGMV and ΔgFCD at baseline were significantly correlated with the severity of the cognitive deterioration (ΔGDS). The correlation coefficient indicated a significant positive correlation between baseline ΔgFCD and subsequent cognitive deterioration, with a relatively stronger relation in the mild alteration group (r = 0.31). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between baseline ΔgGMV and subsequent cognitive deterioration, with a stronger relation in the moderate and severe alteration groups (r = 0.303; r = 0.302, respectively). Our results showed that ΔgGMV and ΔgFCD are correlated with the severity of cognitive deterioration after completion of a 2-year antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia patients. These findings suggest that baseline alterations in gGMV and gFCD hold potential for predicting subsequent cognitive decline in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanjun Zhuo
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAS_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated of Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou, China.,Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Guangdong Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiayue Chen
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAS_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated of Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAS_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated of Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiuyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAS_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated of Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Qianchen Li
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAS_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated of Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yun Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongjun Tian
- Key Laboratory of Sensory Information Processing Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (SIPAS_Lab), Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin Medical University Affiliated of Tianjin Fourth Center Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Deguo Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou, China
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