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Sahay S, Hamoud AR, Osman M, Pulvender P, McCullumsmith RE. Expression of WNT Signaling Genes in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia. Brain Sci 2024; 14:649. [PMID: 39061390 PMCID: PMC11274838 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene expression alterations in postmortem schizophrenia tissue are well-documented and are influenced by genetic, medication, and epigenetic factors. The Wingless/Integrated (WNT) signaling pathway, critical for cell growth and development, is involved in various cellular processes including neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. Despite its importance, WNT signaling remains understudied in schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by metabolic and bioenergetic defects in cortical regions. In this study, we examined the gene expression of 10 key WNT signaling pathway transcripts: IQGAP1, CTNNβ1, GSK3β, FOXO1, LRP6, MGEA5, TCF4, βTRC, PPP1Cβ, and DVL2 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using postmortem tissue from schizophrenia subjects (n = 20, 10 males, 10 females) compared to age, pH, and postmortem interval (PMI)-matched controls (n = 20, 10 males, 10 females). Employing the R-shiny application Kaleidoscope, we conducted in silico "lookup" studies from published transcriptomic datasets to examine cell- and region-level expression of these WNT genes. In addition, we investigated the impact of antipsychotics on the mRNA expression of the WNT genes of interest in rodent brain transcriptomic datasets. Our findings revealed no significant changes in region-level WNT transcript expression; however, analyses of previously published cell-level datasets indicated alterations in WNT transcript expression and antipsychotic-specific modulation of certain genes. These results suggest that WNT signaling transcripts may be variably expressed at the cellular level and influenced by antipsychotic treatment, providing novel insights into the role of WNT signaling in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smita Sahay
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (S.S.); (A.-r.H.); (P.P.)
| | - Abdul-rizaq Hamoud
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (S.S.); (A.-r.H.); (P.P.)
| | - Mahasin Osman
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA;
| | - Priyanka Pulvender
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (S.S.); (A.-r.H.); (P.P.)
| | - Robert E. McCullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (S.S.); (A.-r.H.); (P.P.)
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
- Neurosciences Institute, Promedica, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
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Oliveira ÍAF, Guimarães TM, Souza RM, Dos Santos AC, Machado-de-Sousa JP, Hallak JEC, Leoni RF. Brain functional and perfusional alterations in schizophrenia: an arterial spin labeling study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 272:71-78. [PMID: 29229240 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that affects the anatomy and function of the brain, with an impact on one's thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The purpose of the study was to investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and brain connectivity in a group of patients with schizophrenia. Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) images were acquired from 28 patients in treatment and 28 age-matched healthy controls. Mean CBF and connectivity patterns were assessed. Schizophrenia patients had decreased CBF in the bilateral frontal pole and superior frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, triangular and opercular parts of the inferior frontal gyrus, posterior division of the left supramarginal gyrus, superior and inferior divisions of the left lateral occipital cortex, and bilateral occipital pole. Moreover, through different methods to assess connectivity, our results showed abnormal connectivity patterns in regions involved in motor, sensorial, and cognitive functions. Using pCASL, a non-invasive technique, we found CBF deficits and altered functional organization of the brain in schizophrenia patients that are associated with the symptoms and characteristics of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ícaro A F Oliveira
- Inbrain Lab, Department of Physics, FFCLRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Tiago M Guimarães
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, FMRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Roberto M Souza
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, FMRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Antônio C Dos Santos
- Department of Medical Clinic, FMRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - João Paulo Machado-de-Sousa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, FMRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology - Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil
| | - Jaime E C Hallak
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, FMRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology - Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil
| | - Renata F Leoni
- Inbrain Lab, Department of Physics, FFCLRP, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
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Jing R, Huang J, Jiang D, Lin X, Ma X, Tian H, Li J, Zhuo C. Distinct pattern of cerebral blood flow alterations specific to schizophrenics experiencing auditory verbal hallucinations with and without insight: a pilot study. Oncotarget 2018; 9:6763-6770. [PMID: 29467926 PMCID: PMC5805512 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with widespread and complex cerebral blood flow (CBF) disturbance. Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) and insight are the core symptoms of schizophrenia. However, to the best of our knowledge, very few studies have assessed the CBF characteristics of the AVH suffered by schizophrenic patients with and without insight. Based on our previous findings, Using a 3D pseudo-continuous ASL (pcASL) technique, we investigated the differences in AVH-related CBF alterations in schizophrenia patients with and without insight. We used statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) and statistical non-parametric mapping (SnPM13) to perform the fMRI analysis. We found that AVH-schizophrenia patients without insight showed an increased CBF in the left temporal pole and a decreased CBF in the right middle frontal gyrus when compared to AVH-schizophrenia patients with insight. Our novel findings suggest that AVH-schizophrenia patients without insight possess a more complex CBF disturbance. Simultaneously, our findings also incline to support the idea that the CBF aberrant in some specific brain regions may be the common neural basis of insight and AVH. Our findings support the mostly current hypotheses regarding AVH to some extent. Although our findings come from a small sample, it provide the evidence that indicate us to conduct a larger study to thoroughly explore the mechanisms of schizophrenia, especially the core symptoms of AVHs and insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rixing Jing
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangjie Huang
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Deguo Jiang
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiaodong Lin
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiaolei Ma
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Tianjin Anning Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongjun Tian
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Tianjin Anning Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Psychiatric Neuroimaging Laboratory, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center, Teaching Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chuanjun Zhuo
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,Department of Psychiatric Neuroimaging Laboratory, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center, Teaching Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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Zhu J, Zhuo C, Xu L, Liu F, Qin W, Yu C. Altered Coupling Between Resting-State Cerebral Blood Flow and Functional Connectivity in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2017; 43:1363-1374. [PMID: 28521048 PMCID: PMC5737873 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Respective changes in resting-state cerebral blood flow (CBF) and functional connectivity in schizophrenia have been reported. However, their coupling alterations in schizophrenia remain largely unknown. METHODS 89 schizophrenia patients and 90 sex- and age-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional MRI to calculate functional connectivity strength (FCS) and arterial spin labeling imaging to compute CBF. The CBF-FCS coupling of the whole gray matter and the CBF/FCS ratio (the amount of blood supply per unit of connectivity strength) of each voxel were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS Whole gray matter CBF-FCS coupling was decreased in schizophrenia patients relative to healthy controls. In schizophrenia patients, the decreased CBF/FCS ratio was predominantly located in cognitive- and emotional-related brain regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, hippocampus and thalamus, whereas an increased CBF/FCS ratio was mainly identified in the sensorimotor regions, including the putamen, and sensorimotor, mid-cingulate and visual cortices. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the neurovascular decoupling in the brain may be a possible neuropathological mechanism of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Zhu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chuanjun Zhuo
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China,Department of Psychiatry Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Tianjin Mental Health Center, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China,Tianjin Anning Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lixue Xu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunshui Yu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China; tel: +86-22-63062026, fax: +86-22-63062290, e-mail:
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5
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Zhu J, Zhuo C, Qin W, Xu Y, Xu L, Liu X, Yu C. Altered resting-state cerebral blood flow and its connectivity in schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 63:28-35. [PMID: 25812945 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Small sample sizes and large inter-subject variations result in inconsistent findings in resting-state cerebral blood flow (CBF) in schizophrenia. The CBF connectivity alterations in schizophrenia remain unclear. Recently, three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pcASL) imaging was performed to measure the resting-state CBF in 100 schizophrenia patients and 94 healthy comparison subjects. The normalized CBF was used to reduce the inter-subject variations. Both group comparisons in the CBF and correlations between the CBF alterations and clinical parameters were assessed. The CBF connectivity of the brain regions with regional CBF differences was also compared between the groups. Compared with the healthy controls, the schizophrenia patients exhibited increased CBF in the bilateral inferior temporal gyri, thalami and putamen and decreased CBF in the left insula and middle frontal gyrus and the bilateral anterior cingulate cortices and middle occipital gyri. In the schizophrenia patients, significant correlations were identified between the CBF and clinical parameters. Importantly, the schizophrenia patients exhibited CBF disconnections between the left thalamus and right medial superior frontal gyrus and between the left insula and left postcentral gyrus. Our results suggest that schizophrenia patients may exhibit both regional CBF abnormalities and deficits in CBF connectivity, which may underlie the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Zhu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chuanjun Zhuo
- Tianjin Anning Hospital, Tianjin 300300, China; Department of Psychiatry Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Tianjin Mental Health Center, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yongjie Xu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Lixue Xu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Xingyun Liu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chunshui Yu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
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Chaves C, Marque CR, Maia-de-Oliveira JP, Wichert-Ana L, Ferrari TB, Santos AC, Araújo D, Machado-de-Sousa JP, Bressan RA, Elkis H, Crippa JA, Guimarães FS, Zuardi AW, Baker GB, Dursun SM, Hallak JEC. Effects of minocycline add-on treatment on brain morphometry and cerebral perfusion in recent-onset schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2015; 161:439-45. [PMID: 25497439 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the tetracycline antibiotic minocycline has neuroprotective effects and is a potential treatment for schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms of action of minocycline in the CNS remain elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of minocycline on brain morphology and cerebral perfusion in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia after 12months of a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of minocycline add-on treatment. This study included 24 outpatients with recent-onset schizophrenia randomized for 12months of adjuvant treatment with minocycline (200mg/d) or placebo. MRI (1.5T) and [(99m)Tc]-ECD SPECT brain scans were performed at the end of the 12-month of trial. Between-condition comparisons of SPECT and MRI brain images were performed using statistical parametric mapping and analyzed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Minocycline adjuvant treatment significantly reduced positive and negative symptoms when compared with placebo. The VBM analysis of MRI scans showed that the patients in the placebo group had significant lower gray matter volumes in the midposterior cingulate cortex and in the precentral gyrus in comparison with the patients in the minocycline group. In addition, a decreased ECD uptake in the minocycline condition was observed in fronto-temporal areas. These results suggest that minocycline may protect against gray matter loss and modulate fronto-temporal areas involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Furthermore, minocycline add-on treatment may be a potential treatment in the early stages of schizophrenia and may ameliorate clinical deterioration and brain alterations observed in this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Chaves
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil.
| | - Cristiane R Marque
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil
| | - João P Maia-de-Oliveira
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil; Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Lauro Wichert-Ana
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago B Ferrari
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil
| | - Antonio C Santos
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Radiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - David Araújo
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Canada
| | - João P Machado-de-Sousa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A Bressan
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences (LINC), Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helio Elkis
- Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José A Crippa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil
| | - Francisco S Guimarães
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antônio W Zuardi
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil
| | - Glen B Baker
- National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil; Neurochemical Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Serdar M Dursun
- National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil; Neurochemical Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Jaime E C Hallak
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil; National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil
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Santra A, Kumar R. Brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography in major psychiatric disorders: From basics to clinical practice. Indian J Nucl Med 2014; 29:210-21. [PMID: 25400359 PMCID: PMC4228583 DOI: 10.4103/0972-3919.142622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a well-established and reliable method to assess brain function through measurement of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). It can be used to define a patient's pathophysiological status when neurological or psychiatric symptoms cannot be explained by anatomical neuroimaging findings. Though there is ample evidence validating brain SPECT as a technique to track human behavior and correlating psychiatric disorders with dysfunction of specific brain regions, only few psychiatrists have adopted brain SPECT in routine clinical practice. It can be utilized to evaluate the involvement of brain regions in a particular patient, to individualize treatment on basis of SPECT findings, to monitor the treatment response and modify treatment, if necessary. In this article, we have reviewed the available studies in this regard from existing literature and tried to present the evidence for establishing the clinical role of brain SPECT in major psychiatric illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amburanjan Santra
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Brain imaging Centre, Dakshi Diagnostics, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Ota M, Ishikawa M, Sato N, Okazaki M, Maikusa N, Hori H, Hattori K, Teraishi T, Ito K, Kunugi H. Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling MRI study of schizophrenic patients. Schizophr Res 2014; 154:113-8. [PMID: 24581548 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a novel noninvasive technique that can measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). To our knowledge, few studies have examined rCBF in patients with schizophrenia by ASL-MRI. Here we used pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) to examine the structural and functional imaging data in schizophrenic patients, taking the regional cerebral gray matter volume into account. The subjects were 36 patients with schizophrenia and 42 healthy volunteers who underwent 3-tesla MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and pCASL. We evaluated the gray matter volume imaging, DTI, and pCASL imaging data in a voxel-by-voxel statistical analysis. The schizophrenia patients showed reduced rCBF in the left prefrontal and bilateral occipital cortices compared to the healthy volunteers. There was a significant reduction of gray matter volume in the left inferior frontal cortex in the schizophrenia patients. With respect to the fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the DTI, there were significant FA reductions in the left superior temporal, left external capsule, and left inferior prefrontal regions in the patients compared to the controls. CONCLUSION Our pCASL study with partial volume effect correction together with volumetry and DTI data demonstrated hypoactivity in the left prefrontal area beyond structural abnormalities in schizophrenia patients. There were also hypofunction areas in bilateral occipital cortices, although structural abnormalities were not apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Ota
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
| | - Masanori Ishikawa
- Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Noriko Sato
- Department of Radiology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Mitsutoshi Okazaki
- Department of Psychiatry, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Norihide Maikusa
- Department of Imaging Neuroinformatics, Integrative Brain Imaging Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Hori
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Kotaro Hattori
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Toshiya Teraishi
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Kimiteru Ito
- Department of Radiology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kunugi
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
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9
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Orbitofrontal cortex abnormality and deficit schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2013; 143:246-52. [PMID: 23228712 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Revised: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Deficit syndrome, which is characterized by primary and enduring negative symptoms, is a homogeneous subtype within schizophrenia. Negative symptoms in schizophrenia are currently considered to be closely linked with frontal lobe impairment. However, the etiology in the frontal lobe of people with deficit syndrome is not fully understood. We measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 33 patients with deficit syndrome, 40 patients with nondeficit syndrome, and 45 healthy controls, and we compared groups using the voxel-wise method. Schizophrenia combined group, the deficit syndrome and the nondeficit syndrome presented hypoperfusion in mainly the medial and lateral prefrontal cortices. The deficit syndrome group showed a significant decrease in rCBF in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) compared to the nondeficit group. These results demonstrated that at-rest hypofrontality was a common feature within the disease group and suggested that the OFC might play an important role in the development of severe negative symptoms in people with deficit syndrome.
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Liu J, Qiu M, Constable RT, Wexler BE. Does baseline cerebral blood flow affect task-related blood oxygenation level dependent response in schizophrenia? Schizophr Res 2012; 140:143-8. [PMID: 22789669 PMCID: PMC3423495 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Experimental changes in resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) affect task-related blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses. Since patients with schizophrenia have been shown to have abnormal resting CBF, we sought to determine whether differences between patients and healthy controls in resting CBF contribute to group differences in BOLD response. METHODS BOLD images were acquired in nineteen patients and twenty healthy controls looking at photographs of faces, and resting CBF was measured by arterial spinning labeling. Resting CBF was then used to adjust group differences in task-related BOLD signal increases in linear models. RESULTS Patients had different resting CBF from healthy controls in right basal ganglion and bilateral thalami. Associations between resting CBF and delta BOLD were evident in bilateral prefrontal areas, visual processing areas and right fusiform gyrus. Other areas showed significant three-way interactions among group, delta BOLD and resting CBF. Incorporating resting CBF when modeling group differences in BOLD responses identified areas of group differences in task-related delta BOLD response that were not evident in simple group contrasts. These were in right inferior frontal cortex, left insula, left middle frontal cortex and bilateral frontal poles. CONCLUSION Adjusting for inter-group differences in resting CBF altered inter-group differences in task-related BOLD response in some areas, suggesting that assessing resting CBF in task-related BOLD studies could increase sensitivity and validity. In multiple regions, the relationship between resting CBF and task-related signal increases in BOLD differed between patients and controls, providing new evidence of possible metabolic and/or vascular pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Maolin Qiu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - R. Todd Constable
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Bruce E. Wexler
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519,Corresponding Author: Bruce E. Wexler, Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 34 Park St. CMHC 526, New Haven, CT 06519, USA, Office: 1-203-974-7339, Fax: 1-203-974-7881,
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Cerebellar and lobar blood flow in schizophrenia: a perfusion weighted imaging study. Psychiatry Res 2011; 193:46-52. [PMID: 21600740 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2010] [Revised: 10/05/2010] [Accepted: 12/13/2010] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
It is still not clear whether brain hemodynamics plays a role in the functional and structural alterations in schizophrenia, since prior imaging studies showed conflicting findings. In this study we non-invasively explored cerebral and cerebellar lobe perfusion in the largest population of participants with schizophrenia thus far studied with perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI). Forty-seven participants affected by schizophrenia and 29 normal controls were recruited. PWI images were acquired following the intravenous injection of a paramagnetic contrast agent. Regional cerebral blood volume (CBV), blood flow (rCBF), and mean transit time (MTT) were obtained with the block-Circulant Singular Value Decomposition (cSVD) for frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, and cerebellar lobes, bilaterally. Perfusion parameters were separately obtained for both gray and white matter in each lobe. Subjects with schizophrenia showed no significant differences in perfusion parameters when compared with controls. Interestingly, inverse correlations between age at onset and occipital, frontal and cerebellar MTT and between length of illness and frontal CBV were found. Preserved cerebral and cerebellar perfusion in our chronic population may in part be due to the effects of antipsychotic treatment which may have normalized blood volume and flow. Hypoperfusion in relation to chronicity, particularly in the frontal lobe, has been observed in accordance with earlier studies using positron emission tomography.
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Age-related increase in the number of oligodendrocytes is dysregulated in schizophrenia and mood disorders. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2011; 2011:174689. [PMID: 22937261 PMCID: PMC3420648 DOI: 10.1155/2011/174689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2011] [Accepted: 04/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The postnatal maturation of the human prefrontal cortex is associated with substantial increase of number of oligodendrocytes. Previously, we reported decreased numerical density of oligodendrocytes in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia and mood disorders. To gain further understanding of the role oligodendrocytes in pathogenesis of schizophrenia and mood disorders, we examined the effect of the age on the number of oligodendrocytes in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. We revealed the age-related increase in numerical density of oligodendrocytes in layer VI and adjacent white matter of BA10 and BA 9 in normal controls but not in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. The absence of normal increase in the number of oligodendrocytes in gray and white matter with age in schizophrenia and mood disorders suggests that age-related process of oligodendrocyte increase is dysregulated in schizophrenia and mood disorders.
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Knott VJ, Fisher DJ, Millar AM. Differential effects of nicotine on P50 amplitude, its gating, and their neural sources in low and high suppressors. Neuroscience 2010; 170:816-26. [PMID: 20643194 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2010] [Revised: 07/05/2010] [Accepted: 07/06/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Sensory gating impairment in schizophrenia has been documented in the form of aberrant middle latency P50 event-related brain potential responses to S(1) and/or S(2) stimuli in a paired (S(1)-S(2)) auditory stimulus paradigm. Evidenced by a failure to suppress S(2) P50 or by attenuated S(1) P50s, these sensory deficits have been associated with increased smoking behaviour in this disorder, and may be related to the putative ameliorating effects of smoke-inhaled nicotine on neural mechanisms regulating gating. Comparison of healthy controls with low versus high gating efficiency has been forwarded as a model for investigating the actions of antipsychotic agents on aberrant gating functions. In the current study, the effect of a single dose (6 mg) of nicotine gum on P50, gating indices, and their cortical sources indexed with sLORETA (standardized low resolution electromagnetic tomography), was examined in healthy non-smokers (n=24) stratified for low and high gating levels. Scalp surface recordings revealed nicotine modulation of P50 and its gating to be differentially exhibited in high (decreasing gating) and low (increasing gating) suppressors while the underlying cortical sources influenced by nicotine (middle frontal gyrus, inferior/superior parietal lobules, pre- and post-central gyri) were seen only in low suppressors. These findings suggest that nicotine impacts sensory gating in healthy volunteers and as the gating enhancing effects were dependent on low baseline gating efficiency, nicotinic receptor agonists may be associated with unique P50 modulating actions in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- V J Knott
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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