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Prasad KM, Muldoon B, Theis N, Iyengar S, Keshavan MS. Multipronged investigation of morphometry and connectivity of hippocampal network in relation to risk for psychosis using ultrahigh field MRI. Schizophr Res 2023; 256:88-97. [PMID: 37196534 PMCID: PMC10363272 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal abnormalities are associated with psychosis-risk states. Given the complexity of hippocampal anatomy, we conducted a multipronged examination of morphometry of regions connected with hippocampus, and structural covariance network (SCN) and diffusion-weighted circuitry among 27 familial high-risk (FHR) individuals who were past the highest risk for conversion to psychoses and 41 healthy controls using ultrahigh-field high-resolution 7 Tesla (7T) structural and diffusion MRI data. We obtained fractional anisotropy and diffusion streams of white matter connections and examined correspondence of diffusion streams with SCN edges. Nearly 89 % of the FHR group had an axis-I disorder including 5 with schizophrenia. Therefore, we compared the entire FHR group regardless of the diagnosis (All_FHR = 27) and FHR-without-schizophrenia (n = 22) with 41 controls in this integrative multimodal analysis. We found striking volume loss in bilateral hippocampus, particularly the head, bilateral thalamus, caudate, and prefrontal regions. All_FHR and FHR-without-SZ SCNs showed significantly lower assortativity and transitivity but higher diameter compared to controls, but FHR-without-SZ SCN differed on every graph metric compared to All_FHR suggesting disarrayed network with no hippocampal hubs. Fractional anisotropy and diffusion streams were lower in FHR suggesting white matter network impairment. White matter edges showed significantly higher correspondence with SCN edges in FHR compared to controls. These differences correlated with psychopathology and cognitive measures. Our data suggest that hippocampus may be a "neural hub" contributing to psychosis risk. Higher correspondence of white matter tracts with SCN edges suggest that shared volume loss may be more coordinated among regions within the hippocampal white matter circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konasale M Prasad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.
| | - Brendan Muldoon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Theis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Satish Iyengar
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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Nestor PG, Levin LK, Stone WS, Giuliano AJ, Seidman LJ, Levitt JJ. Brain structural abnormalities of the associative striatum in adolescents and young adults at genetic high-risk of schizophrenia: Implications for illness endophenotypes. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 155:355-362. [PMID: 36179416 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dysfunction in cortico-striatal circuitry represents a core component of the pathophysiology in schizophrenia (SZ) but its potential as a candidate endophenotype of the illness is often confounded by neuroleptic medication. METHODS Accordingly, 26 adolescent and young adult participants at genetic high-risk for schizophrenia, but who were asymptomatic and neuroleptic naïve, and 28 age-matched controls underwent 1.5T structural magnetic resonance imaging of the striatum, manually parcellated into limbic (LST), associative (AST), and sensorimotor (SMST) functional subregions. RESULTS In relation to their age peers, participants at genetic high-risk for schizophrenia showed overall lower striatal gray matter volume with their most pronounced loss, bilaterally in the AST, but not the LST or SMST. Neuropsychological testing revealed reduced executive functioning for genetically at-risk participants, although the groups did not differ significantly in overall intelligence or oral reading. For controls but not for at-genetic high-risk participants, stronger executive functioning correlated with increased bilateral AST volume. CONCLUSIONS Reduced bilateral AST volume in genetic high-risk adolescents and young adults, accompanied by heritable loss of higher cognitive brain-behavior relationships, might serve as a useful endophenotype of SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul G Nestor
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA; Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA, 02301, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Laura K Levin
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - William S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anthony J Giuliano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Larry J Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - James J Levitt
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA, 02301, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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Guimond S, Mothi SS, Makowski C, Chakravarty MM, Keshavan MS. Altered amygdala shape trajectories and emotion recognition in youth at familial high risk of schizophrenia who develop psychosis. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:202. [PMID: 35562339 PMCID: PMC9106712 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01957-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Relatives of individuals with schizophrenia have a higher risk of developing the illness compared to the general population. Thus, youth at familial high risk (FHR) offer a unique opportunity to identify neuroimaging-based endophenotypes of psychosis. Previous studies have identified lower amygdalo-hippocampal volume in FHR, as well as lower verbal memory and emotion recognition. However, whether these phenotypes increase the risk of transition to psychosis remains unclear. To determine if individuals who develop psychosis have abnormal neurodevelopmental trajectories of the amygdala and hippocampus, we investigated longitudinal changes of these structures in a unique cohort of 82 youth FHR and 56 healthy controls during a 3-year period. Ten individuals from the FHR group converted to psychosis. Longitudinal changes were compared using linear mixed-effects models. Group differences in verbal memory and emotion recognition performance at baseline were also analyzed. Surface-based morphometry measures revealed variation in amygdalar shape (concave shape of the right dorsomedial region) in those who converted to psychosis. Significantly lower emotion recognition performance at baseline was observed in converters. Percent trial-to-trial transfer on the verbal learning task was also significantly impaired in FHR, independently of the conversion status. Our results identify abnormal shape development trajectories in the dorsomedial amygdala and lower emotion recognition abilities as phenotypes of transition to psychosis. Our findings illustrate potential markers for early identification of psychosis, aiding prevention efforts in youth at risk of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Synthia Guimond
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Department of Psychiatry, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON Canada ,grid.265705.30000 0001 2112 1125Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, University of Quebec in Outaouais, Gatineau, QC Canada
| | - Suraj S. Mothi
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Carolina Makowski
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.416102.00000 0004 0646 3639McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - M. Mallar Chakravarty
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Departments of Psychiatry and Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Matcheri S. Keshavan
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
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Cuesta MJ, Lecumberri P, Moreno-Izco L, López-Ilundain JM, Ribeiro M, Cabada T, Lorente-Omeñaca R, de Erausquin G, García-Martí G, Sanjuan J, Sánchez-Torres AM, Gómez M, Peralta V. Motor abnormalities and basal ganglia in first-episode psychosis (FEP). Psychol Med 2021; 51:1625-1636. [PMID: 32114994 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720000343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motor abnormalities (MAs) are the primary manifestations of schizophrenia. However, the extent to which MAs are related to alterations of subcortical structures remains understudied. METHODS We aimed to investigate the associations of MAs and basal ganglia abnormalities in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy controls. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 48 right-handed FEP and 23 age-, gender-, handedness-, and educational attainment-matched controls, to obtain basal ganglia shape analysis, diffusion tensor imaging techniques (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity), and relaxometry (R2*) to estimate iron load. A comprehensive motor battery was applied including the assessment of parkinsonism, catatonic signs, and neurological soft signs (NSS). A fully automated model-based segmentation algorithm on 1.5T MRI anatomical images and accurate corregistration of diffusion and T2* volumes and R2* was used. RESULTS FEP patients showed significant local atrophic changes in left globus pallidus nucleus regarding controls. Hypertrophic changes in left-side caudate were associated with higher scores in sensory integration, and in right accumbens with tremor subscale. FEP patients showed lower fractional anisotropy measures than controls but no significant differences regarding mean diffusivity and iron load of basal ganglia. However, iron load in left basal ganglia and right accumbens correlated significantly with higher extrapyramidal and motor coordination signs in FEP patients. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, iron load in left basal ganglia may have a role in the emergence of extrapyramidal signs and NSS of FEP patients and in consequence in the pathophysiology of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel J Cuesta
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pablo Lecumberri
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Movalsys S. L., NavarraBiomed, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Lucia Moreno-Izco
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jose M López-Ilundain
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Ribeiro
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Teresa Cabada
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Neuroradiology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ruth Lorente-Omeñaca
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gabriel de Erausquin
- Zachry Foundation, The Glenn Biggs Institute of Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Disorders, UT Heath San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Gracian García-Martí
- Radiology Department, CIBERSAM, Valencia, España, Quirón Salud Hospital, Valencia, España
| | - Julio Sanjuan
- Research Institute of Clinic University Hospital of Valencia (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatric, University of Valencia School of Medicine, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana M Sánchez-Torres
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Marisol Gómez
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Movalsys S. L., NavarraBiomed, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Mathematics, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Victor Peralta
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Mental Health Department, Servicio Navarro de Salud, Pamplona, Spain
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Hoang D, Lizano P, Lutz O, Zeng V, Raymond N, Miewald J, Montrose D, Keshavan M. Thalamic, Amygdalar, and hippocampal nuclei morphology and their trajectories in first episode psychosis: A preliminary longitudinal study ✰. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 309:111249. [PMID: 33484937 PMCID: PMC7904670 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus play important pathophysiologic roles in psychosis. Few studies have prospectively examined subcortical nuclei in relation to predicting clinical outcomes after a first-episode of psychosis (FEP). Here, we examined volumetric differences and trajectories among subcortical nuclei in FEP patients and their associations with illness severity. Clinical and brain volume measures were collected using a 1.5T MRI scanner and processed using FreeSurfer 6.0 from a prospective study of antipsychotic-naïve FEP patients of FEP-schizophrenia (FEP-SZ) (baseline, n = 38; follow-up, n = 17), FEP non-schizophrenia (FEP-NSZ) (baseline, n = 23; follow-up, n = 13), and healthy controls (HCs) (baseline, n = 47; follow-up, n = 29). Compared to FEP-NSZ and HCs, FEP-SZ had significantly smaller thalamic anterior nuclei volume at baseline. Longitudinally, FEP-SZ showed a positive rate of change in the amygdala compared to controls or FEP-NSZ, as well as in the basal, central and accessory basal nuclei compared to FEP-NSZ. Enlargement in the thalamic anterior nuclei predicted a worsening in overall psychosis symptoms. Baseline thalamic anterior nuclei alterations further specify key subcortical regions associated with FEP-SZ pathophysiology. Longitudinally, anterior nuclei volume enlargement may signal symptomatic worsening. The amygdala and thalamus structures may show diagnostic differences between schizophrenia and non-schizophrenia psychoses, while the thalamus changes may reflect disease or treatment related changes in clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dung Hoang
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Paulo Lizano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Olivia Lutz
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Victor Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nicolas Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jean Miewald
- Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Deborah Montrose
- Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Mancini V, Sandini C, Padula MC, Zöller D, Schneider M, Schaer M, Eliez S. Positive psychotic symptoms are associated with divergent developmental trajectories of hippocampal volume during late adolescence in patients with 22q11DS. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2844-2859. [PMID: 31164700 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0443-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Low hippocampal volume is a consistent finding in schizophrenia and across the psychosis spectrum. However, there is a lack of studies investigating longitudinal hippocampal development and its relationship with psychotic symptoms. The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) has proven to be a remarkable model for the prospective study of individuals at high risk of schizophrenia to unravel the pathophysiological processes predating the onset of psychosis. Repeated cerebral MRIs were acquired from 140 patients with 22q11DS (53 experiencing moderate-to-severe psychotic symptoms) and 135 healthy controls aged from 6 to 35 years and with up to 5 time points per participant. Hippocampal subfield analysis was conducted using FreeSurfer-v.6 and FIRST-FSL. Then, whole hippocampal and subfield volumes were compared across the groups. Relative to controls, patients with 22q11DS showed a remarkably lower volume of all subfields except for CA2/3. No divergent trajectories in hippocampal development were found. When comparing patients with 22q11DS exhibiting psychotic symptoms to those without psychosis, we detected a volume decrease during late adolescence, starting in CA1 and spreading to other subfields. Our findings suggested that hippocampal volume is consistently smaller in patients with 22q11DS. Moreover, we have demonstrated that patients with 22q11DS and psychotic symptoms undergo a further decrease in volume during adolescence, a vulnerable period for the emergence of psychosis. Interestingly, CA2/3, despite being affected in patients with psychotic symptoms, was the only area not reduced in patients with 22q11DS relative to controls, thus suggesting that its atrophy exclusively correlates with the presence of positive psychotic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Mancini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria C Padula
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.,Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Zöller
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Neuroscience, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Research Group Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marie Schaer
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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Derome M, Zöller D, Modinos G, Schaer M, Eliez S, Debbané M. Developmental trajectories of subcortical structures in relation to dimensional schizotypy expression along adolescence. Schizophr Res 2020; 218:76-84. [PMID: 32081537 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Morphological abnormalities of subcortical structures have been consistently reported along the schizophrenia clinical spectrum, and they may play an important role in the pathophysiology of psychosis. However, the question arises whether these subcortical features are consequences of medication and illness chronicity, or if they contribute to the vulnerability to develop schizophrenia spectrum disorders. If some of the subcortical abnormalities could be evidenced in community adolescents expressing higher schizotypal traits (psychometric schizotypy), they could potentially shed light on vulnerability markers. To date, very few studies have examined the link between psychometric schizotypy and volumes of subcortical regions, and none of them have used a longitudinal design. This study sets out to investigate developmental trajectories of subcortical volumes in 110 community adolescents (12 to 20 years old), for whom MRI-scans were acquired over a period of 5 years, reaching a total of 297 scans. Analyses were conducted using Freesurfer, and schizotypal traits were measured with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). Using mixed model regression analyses following a region-of-interest approach, we observed differential linear developmental trajectories in four subcortical structures when comparing higher versus lower scorers on the disorganized schizotypy dimension (bilateral hippocampus, left-lateral ventricle and left-pallidum) and the negative schizotypy dimension (bilateral pallidum, and right-thalamus). All results survived a threshold of p < .05 (FDR-corrected) while covarying for the effect of other psychological problems (externalized and internalized psychopathology). These results indicate that expression of higher levels of negative and disorganized schizotypy during adolescence was associated with neural markers linking schizotypy personality features to schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélodie Derome
- Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Daniela Zöller
- Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Medical Image Processing Lab, Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Gemma Modinos
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Marie Schaer
- Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, School of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Martin Debbané
- Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Research Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, United Kingdom.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The clinical phenotype of gambling disorder (GD) is suggestive of changes in brain regions involved in reward and impulse suppression, notably the striatum. Studies have yet to characterize striatal morphology (shape) in GD and whether this may be a vulnerability marker. AIMS To characterize the morphology of the striatum in those with disordered gambling (at-risk gambling and GD) versus controls. METHOD Individuals aged 18-29 years were classified a priori into those with some degree of GD symptoms (at-risk gambling and GD) or controls. Exclusion criteria were a current mental disorder (apart from GD), history of brain injury, or taking psychoactive medication within 6 weeks of enrollment. History of any substance use disorder was exclusionary. Participants completed an impulsivity questionnaire and structural brain scan. Group differences in volumes and morphology were characterized in subcortical regions of interest, focusing on the striatum. RESULTS Thirty-two people with GD symptoms (14 at-risk and 18 GD participants) and 22 controls completed the study. GD symptoms were significantly associated with higher impulsivity and morphological alterations in the bilateral pallidum and left putamen. Localized contraction in the right pallidum strongly correlated with trait impulsivity in those with GD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Morphologic abnormalities of the striatum appear to exist early in the disease trajectory from subsyndromal gambling to GD and thus constitute candidate biological vulnerability markers, which may reflect differences in brain development associated with trait impulsivity. Striatal morphology and associated impulsivity might predispose to a range of problematic repetitive behaviors.
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