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Gaus R, Popal M, Heinsen H, Schmitt A, Falkai P, Hof PR, Schmitz C, Vollhardt A. Reduced cortical neuron number and neuron density in schizophrenia with focus on area 24: a post-mortem case-control study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 273:1209-1223. [PMID: 36350376 PMCID: PMC10449727 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01513-6] [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: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Structural and functional abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) have frequently been identified in schizophrenia. Alterations of von Economo neurons (VENs), a class of specialized projection neurons, have been found in different neuropsychiatric disorders and are also suspected in schizophrenia. To date, however, no definitive conclusions can be drawn about quantitative histologic changes in the ACC in schizophrenia because of a lack of rigorous, design-based stereologic studies. In the present study, the volume, total neuron number and total number of VENs in layer V of area 24 were determined in both hemispheres of postmortem brains from 12 male patients with schizophrenia and 11 age-matched male controls. To distinguish global from local effects, volume and total neuron number were also determined in the whole area 24 and whole cortical gray matter (CGM). Measurements were adjusted for hemisphere, age, postmortem interval and fixation time using an ANCOVA model. Compared to controls, patients with schizophrenia showed alterations, with lower mean total neuron number in CGM (- 14.9%, P = 0.007) and in layer V of area 24 (- 21.1%, P = 0.002), and lower mean total number of VENs (- 28.3%, P = 0.027). These data provide evidence for ACC involvement in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and complement neuroimaging findings of impaired ACC connectivity in schizophrenia. Furthermore, these results support the hypothesis that the clinical presentation of schizophrenia, particularly deficits in social cognition, is associated with pathology of VENs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Gaus
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 11, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Popal
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 11, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Heinsen
- Morphological Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Christoph Schmitz
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 11, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Alisa Vollhardt
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 11, 80336 Munich, Germany
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Schmitt A, Tatsch L, Vollhardt A, Schneider-Axmann T, Raabe FJ, Roell L, Heinsen H, Hof PR, Falkai P, Schmitz C. Decreased Oligodendrocyte Number in Hippocampal Subfield CA4 in Schizophrenia: A Replication Study. Cells 2022; 11:cells11203242. [PMID: 36291109 PMCID: PMC9600243 DOI: 10.3390/cells11203242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippocampus-related cognitive deficits in working and verbal memory are frequent in schizophrenia, and hippocampal volume loss, particularly in the cornu ammonis (CA) subregions, was shown by magnetic resonance imaging studies. However, the underlying cellular alterations remain elusive. By using unbiased design-based stereology, we reported a reduction in oligodendrocyte number in CA4 in schizophrenia and of granular neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG). Here, we aimed to replicate these findings in an independent sample. We used a stereological approach to investigate the numbers and densities of neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes in CA4 and of granular neurons in the DG of left and right hemispheres in 11 brains from men with schizophrenia and 11 brains from age- and sex-matched healthy controls. In schizophrenia, a decreased number and density of oligodendrocytes was detected in the left and right CA4, whereas mean volumes of CA4 and the DG and the numbers and density of neurons, astrocytes, and granular neurons were not different in patients and controls, even after adjustment of variables because of positive correlations with postmortem interval and age. Our results replicate the previously described decrease in oligodendrocytes bilaterally in CA4 in schizophrenia and point to a deficit in oligodendrocyte maturation or a loss of mature oligodendrocytes. These changes result in impaired myelination and neuronal decoupling, both of which are linked to altered functional connectivity and subsequent cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-903, Brazil
- Correspondence:
| | - Laura Tatsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Alisa Vollhardt
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Schneider-Axmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Florian J. Raabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Lukas Roell
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Heinsen
- Morphological Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of Forensic Pathology, University of Würzburg, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph Schmitz
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
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Page SC, Hamersky GR, Gallo RA, Rannals MD, Calcaterra NE, Campbell MN, Mayfield B, Briley A, Phan BN, Jaffe AE, Maher BJ. The schizophrenia- and autism-associated gene, transcription factor 4 regulates the columnar distribution of layer 2/3 prefrontal pyramidal neurons in an activity-dependent manner. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:304-315. [PMID: 28289282 PMCID: PMC5599320 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Disruption of the laminar and columnar organization of the brain is implicated in several psychiatric disorders. Here, we show in utero gain-of-function of the psychiatric risk gene transcription factor 4 (TCF4) severely disrupts the columnar organization of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in a transcription- and activity-dependent manner. This morphological phenotype was rescued by co-expression of TCF4 plus calmodulin in a calcium-dependent manner and by dampening neuronal excitability through co-expression of an inwardly rectifying potassium channel (Kir2.1). For we believe the first time, we show that N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent Ca2+ transients are instructive to minicolumn organization because Crispr/Cas9-mediated mutation of NMDA receptors rescued TCF4-dependent morphological phenotypes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the transcriptional regulation by the psychiatric risk gene TCF4 enhances NMDA receptor-dependent early network oscillations. Our novel findings indicate that TCF4-dependent transcription directs the proper formation of prefrontal cortical minicolumns by regulating the expression of genes involved in early spontaneous neuronal activity, and thus our results provides insights into potential pathophysiological mechanisms of TCF4-associated psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory R. Hamersky
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ryan A. Gallo
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD
| | - Matthew D. Rannals
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Morganne N. Campbell
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD
| | - Brent Mayfield
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD
| | - Aaron Briley
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD
| | - BaDoi N. Phan
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD
| | - Andrew E. Jaffe
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD,Department of Biostatistics and Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Brady J. Maher
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD,To Whom Correspondence Should Be Addressed: Brady J. Maher, Ph. D., Lieber Institute for Brain Development, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21205, Telephone: 410-955-0865, Fax: 410-955-1044,
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Tatti R, Haley MS, Swanson O, Tselha T, Maffei A. Neurophysiology and Regulation of the Balance Between Excitation and Inhibition in Neocortical Circuits. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:821-831. [PMID: 27865453 PMCID: PMC5374043 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Brain function relies on the ability of neural networks to maintain stable levels of activity, while experiences sculpt them. In the neocortex, the balance between activity and stability relies on the coregulation of excitatory and inhibitory inputs onto principal neurons. Shifts of excitation or inhibition result in altered excitability impaired processing of incoming information. In many neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, the excitability of local circuits is altered, suggesting that their pathophysiology may involve shifts in synaptic excitation, inhibition, or both. Most studies focused on identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling network excitability to assess whether they may be altered in animal models of disease. The impact of changes in excitation/inhibition balance on local circuit and network computations is not clear. Here we report findings on the integration of excitatory and inhibitory inputs in healthy cortical circuits and discuss how shifts in excitation/inhibition balance may relate to pathological phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Tatti
- Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Melissa S. Haley
- Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Olivia Swanson
- Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Tenzin Tselha
- Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Arianna Maffei
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, The State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York.
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5
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Haring L, Müürsepp A, Mõttus R, Ilves P, Koch K, Uppin K, Tarnovskaja J, Maron E, Zharkovsky A, Vasar E, Vasar V. Cortical thickness and surface area correlates with cognitive dysfunction among first-episode psychosis patients. Psychol Med 2016; 46:2145-2155. [PMID: 27269478 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716000684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), some have reported specific brain structure-function relationships among first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, but findings are inconsistent. We aimed to localize the brain regions where cortical thickness (CTh) and surface area (cortical area; CA) relate to neurocognition, by performing an MRI on participants and measuring their neurocognitive performance using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), in order to investigate any significant differences between FEP patients and control subjects (CS). METHOD Exploration of potential correlations between specific cognitive functions and brain structure was performed using CANTAB computer-based neurocognitive testing and a vertex-by-vertex whole-brain MRI analysis of 63 FEP patients and 30 CS. RESULTS Significant correlations were found between cortical parameters in the frontal, temporal, cingular and occipital brain regions and performance in set-shifting, working memory manipulation, strategy usage and sustained attention tests. These correlations were significantly dissimilar between FEP patients and CS. CONCLUSIONS Significant correlations between CTh and CA with neurocognitive performance were localized in brain areas known to be involved in cognition. The results also suggested a disrupted structure-function relationship in FEP patients compared with CS.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Haring
- Psychiatry Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
| | - A Müürsepp
- Radiology Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
| | - R Mõttus
- Department of Psychology,University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK
| | - P Ilves
- Radiology Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
| | - K Koch
- Psychiatry Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
| | - K Uppin
- Psychiatry Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
| | - J Tarnovskaja
- Psychiatry Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
| | - E Maron
- Psychiatry Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
| | - A Zharkovsky
- Department of Pharmacology and Translational Medicine,University of Tartu,Tartu,Estonia
| | - E Vasar
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Medicine,University of Tartu,Tartu,Estonia
| | - V Vasar
- Psychiatry Clinic of Tartu University Hospital,Tartu,Estonia
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6
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Rafati AH, Safavimanesh F, Dorph-Petersen KA, Rasmussen JG, Møller J, Nyengaard JR. Detection and spatial characterization of minicolumnarity in the human cerebral cortex. J Microsc 2016; 261:115-26. [PMID: 26575198 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spatial characterization of vertical organization of neurons in human cerebral cortex, cortical columnarity or minicolumns, and its possible association with various psychiatric and neurological diseases has been investigated for many years. NEW METHOD In this study, we obtained 3D coordinates of disector sampled cells from layer III of Brodmann area 4 of the human cerebral cortex using light microscopy and 140-μm-thick glycolmethacrylate sections. A new analytical tool called cylindrical K-function was applied for spatial point pattern analysis of 3D datasets to see whether there is a spatially organized columnar structure. In order to demonstrate the behaviour of the cylindrical K-function, the result from brain tissues was compared with two models: A homogeneous Poisson process exhibiting complete spatial randomness, and a Poisson line cluster point process. The latter is a point process model in 3D space, which exhibits spatial structure of points similar to minicolumns. RESULTS The data show in three out of four samples nonrandom patterns in the 3D neuronal positions with the direction of minicolumns perpendicular to the pial surface of the brain - without a priori assuming the existence of minicolumns. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Studies on columnarity are difficult and have mainly been based on two-dimensional images analysis of thin sections of the cerebral cortex with the a priori assumption that minicolumns existed. CONCLUSIONS A clear difference from complete spatial randomness in the data could be detected with the new tool, the cylindrical K-function, although classical functional summary statistics are less useful in this connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Rafati
- Stereology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging (CSGB), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Risskov, Denmark
| | - F Safavimanesh
- Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging (CSGB), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - K-A Dorph-Petersen
- Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging (CSGB), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Risskov, Denmark.,Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A
| | - J G Rasmussen
- Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging (CSGB), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - J Møller
- Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging (CSGB), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - J R Nyengaard
- Stereology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging (CSGB), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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7
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Höistad M, Heinsen H, Wicinski B, Schmitz C, Hof PR. Stereological assessment of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia: absence of changes in neuronal and glial densities. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2013; 39:348-61. [PMID: 22860626 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.2012.01296.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices are implicated in schizophrenia, and many studies have assessed volume, cortical thickness, and neuronal densities or numbers in these regions. Available data, however, are rather conflicting and no clear cortical alteration pattern has been established. Changes in oligodendrocytes and white matter have been observed in schizophrenia, introducing a hypothesis about a myelin deficit as a key event in disease development. METHODS We investigated the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in 13 men with schizophrenia and 13 age- and gender-matched controls. We assessed stereologically the dACC volume, neuronal and glial densities, total neurone and glial numbers, and glia/neurone index (GNI) in both layers II-III and V-VI. RESULTS We observed no differences in neuronal or glial densities. No changes were observed in dACC cortical volume, total neurone numbers, and total glial numbers in schizophrenia. This contrasts with previous findings and suggests that the dACC may not undergo as severe changes in schizophrenia as is generally believed. However, we observed higher glial densities in layers V-VI than in layers II-III in both controls and patients with schizophrenia, pointing to possible layer-specific effects on oligodendrocyte distribution during development. CONCLUSIONS Using rigorous stereological methods, we demonstrate a seemingly normal cortical organization in an important neocortical area for schizophrenia, emphasizing the importance of such morphometric approaches in quantitative neuropathology. We discuss the significance of subregion- and layer-specific alterations in the development of schizophrenia, and the discrepancies between post mortem histopathological studies and in vivo brain imaging findings in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Höistad
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Smiley JF, Rosoklija G, Mancevski B, Pergolizzi D, Figarsky K, Bleiwas C, Duma A, Mann JJ, Javitt DC, Dwork AJ. Hemispheric comparisons of neuron density in the planum temporale of schizophrenia and nonpsychiatric brains. Psychiatry Res 2011; 192:1-11. [PMID: 21377842 PMCID: PMC3071586 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2010] [Revised: 11/04/2010] [Accepted: 11/17/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Postmortem and in vivo studies of schizophrenia frequently reveal reduced cortical volume, but the underlying cellular abnormalities are incompletely defined. One influential hypothesis, especially investigated in Brodmann's area 9 of prefrontal cortex, is that the number of neurons is normal, and the volume change is caused by reduction of the surrounding neuropil. However, studies have differed on whether the cortex has the increased neuron density that is predicted by this hypothesis. In a recent study of bilateral planum temporale (PT), we reported smaller volume and width of the outer cortex (layers I-III), especially in the left hemisphere, among subjects with schizophrenia. In the present study, we measured neuron density and size in the same PT samples, and also in prefrontal area 9 of the same brains. In the PT, separate stereological measurements were made in layers II, IIIc, and VI, whereas area 9 was sampled in layer IIIb-c. In both cortical regions, there was no significant effect of schizophrenia on neuronal density or size. There was, nevertheless, a trend-level right>left hemispheric asymmetry of neuron density in the PT, which may partially explain the previously reported left>right asymmetry of cortical width. In schizophrenia, our findings suggest that closer packing of neurons may not always explain reduced cortical volume, and subtly decreased neuron number may be a contributing factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Smiley
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
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9
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TRP Channels and Psychiatric Disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2011; 704:987-1009. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-0265-3_51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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10
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Roiz-Santiáñez R, Pérez-Iglesias R, Quintero C, Tordesillas-Gutiérrez D, Mata I, Ayesa R, Sánchez JMR, Gutiérrez A, Sanchez E, Vázquez-Barquero JL, Crespo-Facorro B. Insular cortex thinning in first episode schizophrenia patients. Psychiatry Res 2010; 182:216-22. [PMID: 20488679 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2009] [Revised: 01/11/2010] [Accepted: 03/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Overall and regional cortical thinning has been observed at the first break of schizophrenia. Due to the fact that structural abnormalities in the insular cortex have been described in schizophrenia, we investigated insular thickness anomalies in first episode schizophrenia. Participants comprised 118 schizophrenia patients and 83 healthy subjects. Magnetic resonance imaging brain scans (1.5T) were obtained, and images were analyzed by using BRAINS2. The contribution of sociodemographic, cognitive and clinical characterictics was controlled. Schizophrenia patients demonstrated a significant right insular thinning, and a significant group by gender interaction was found for left insular thickness. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that male schizophrenia patients had a significant left insular thinning compared with healthy male subjects. There were no significant associations between insular thickness, the severity of symptoms at baseline and cognitive measurements and premorbid variables. The fact that insular thinning is already present at early phases of the illness and is independent of intervening variables offers evidence for the potential of these changes to be a biological marker of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Roiz-Santiáñez
- University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, IFIMAV, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
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11
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Casanova MF. Cortical organization: a description and interpretation of anatomical findings based on systems theory. Transl Neurosci 2010; 1:62-71. [PMID: 22754693 PMCID: PMC3384515 DOI: 10.2478/v10134-010-0002-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of the cortex can be understood as a complex system comprised of interconnected modules called minicolumns. Comparative anatomical studies suggest that evolution has prompted a scale free world network of connectivity within the white matter while simultaneously increasing the complexity of minicolumnar composition. It is this author's opinion that this complex system is poised to collapse under the weight of environmental exigencies. Some mental disorders may be the manifestations of this collapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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12
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Raghanti MA, Spocter MA, Butti C, Hof PR, Sherwood CC. A comparative perspective on minicolumns and inhibitory GABAergic interneurons in the neocortex. Front Neuroanat 2010; 4:3. [PMID: 20161991 PMCID: PMC2820381 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.05.003.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2009] [Accepted: 01/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical columns are functional and morphological units whose architecture may have been under selective evolutionary pressure in different mammalian lineages in response to encephalization and specializations of cognitive abilities. Inhibitory interneurons make a substantial contribution to the morphology and distribution of minicolumns within the cortex. In this context, we review differences in minicolumns and GABAergic interneurons among species and discuss possible implications for signaling among and within minicolumns. Furthermore, we discuss how abnormalities of both minicolumn disposition and inhibitory interneurons might be associated with neuropathological processes, such as Alzheimer's disease, autism, and schizophrenia. Specifically, we explore the possibility that phylogenetic variability in calcium-binding protein-expressing interneuron subtypes is directly related to differences in minicolumn morphology among species and might contribute to neuropathological susceptibility in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ann Raghanti
- Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University Kent, OH, USA
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13
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Axer H, Bernstein HG, Keiner S, Heronimus P, Sauer H, Witte OW, Bogerts B, Bär KJ. Increased neuronal cell number in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in schizophrenia. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2010; 22:26-34. [PMID: 25384954 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-5215.2009.00434.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Axer H, Bernstein H-G, Keiner S, Heronimus P, Sauer H, Witte OW, Bogerts B, Bär K-J. Increased neuronal cell number in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE Recently, a reduction in efferent vagal regulation has been found in schizophrenic patients. METHODS Therefore, the brainstems of nine schizophrenic patients and nine normal controls were stereologically analysed. The number of neurons using the optical fractionator method and nuclear volumes applying the Cavalieri principle was estimated in Nissl stained sections of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) and the hypoglossal nucleus. RESULTS The neurons in the right DMNV were significantly increased in the schizophrenic group compared to normal controls (p = 0.047), while the volumes of the DMNV did not differ. In contrast, no such differences were found in the hypoglossal nucleus. CONCLUSION Although this pilot study is limited by its small sample size, the analysis of the solitarius-ambiguus-vagus system in schizophrenic patients is an interesting target in schizophrenia research. The most reasonable background for increased neuron numbers in the DMNV could be a system-specific neurodevelopmental disturbance in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubertus Axer
- 1Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Hans-Gert Bernstein
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Silke Keiner
- 1Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Polina Heronimus
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Heinrich Sauer
- 3Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 3, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Otto W Witte
- 1Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- 3Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 3, D-07747 Jena, Germany
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14
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Diffusion tensor anisotropy in the cingulate gyrus in schizophrenia. Neuroimage 2010; 50:357-65. [PMID: 20045072 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.12.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2009] [Revised: 12/09/2009] [Accepted: 12/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that schizophrenia results partly from altered brain connectivity. The anterior cingulate cortex in particular has been demonstrated to be affected in schizophrenia, with studies reporting reduced volume, altered neuronal arrangement, decreased anisotropy in diffusion tensor images, and hypometabolism. We used a 3T Siemens scanner to acquire structural and diffusion tensor imaging in age-and sex-matched groups of 41 adults with chronic schizophrenia, 6 adults with recent-onset schizophrenia, and 38 healthy control subjects. We manually traced the anterior and posterior cingulate gyri on all subjects and then compared the volume and anisotropy across groups for the left and right anterior and posterior cingulate gyri. The anterior cingulate gyrus was divided axially into six equal segments, and the posterior cingulate gyrus into two segments. Volume was calculated for the anterior and posterior gyri, and average anisotropy was then calculated for each individual segment, looking separately at gray and white matter. We found decreased overall relative left and right gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate gyrus in persons with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. Additionally, in both gray and white matter of the cingulate, we found that recent-onset patients had the highest anisotropy, chronic patients had the lowest, and controls were intermediate. These results provide additional evidence for the presence of both white and gray matter abnormalities in the cingulate gyrus, which has been implicated in schizophrenia.
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15
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Höistad M, Segal D, Takahashi N, Sakurai T, Buxbaum JD, Hof PR. Linking white and grey matter in schizophrenia: oligodendrocyte and neuron pathology in the prefrontal cortex. Front Neuroanat 2009; 3:9. [PMID: 19636386 PMCID: PMC2713751 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.05.009.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2009] [Accepted: 06/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal circuitry relies to a large extent on the presence of functional myelin produced in the brain by oligodendrocytes. Schizophrenia has been proposed to arise partly from altered brain connectivity. Brain imaging and neuropathologic studies have revealed changes in white matter and reduction in myelin content in patients with schizophrenia. In particular, alterations in the directionality and alignment of axons have been documented in schizophrenia. Moreover, the expression levels of several myelin-related genes are decreased in postmortem brains obtained from patients with schizophrenia. These findings have led to the formulation of the oligodendrocyte/myelin dysfunction hypothesis of schizophrenia. In this review, we present a brief overview of the neuropathologic findings obtained on white matter and oligodendrocyte status observed in schizophrenia patients, and relate these changes to the processes of brain maturation and myelination. We also review recent data on oligodendrocyte/myelin genes, and present some recent mouse models of myelin deficiencies. The use of transgenic and mutant animal models offers a unique opportunity to analyze oligodendrocyte and neuronal changes that may have a clinical impact. Lastly, we present some recent morphological findings supporting possible causal involvement of white and grey matter abnormalities, in the aim of determining the morphologic characteristics of the circuits whose alteration leads to the cortical dysfunction that possibly underlies the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin Höistad
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of MedicineNew York, NY, USA
| | - Devorah Segal
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of MedicineNew York, NY, USA
| | - Nagahide Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of MedicineNew York, NY, USA
| | - Takeshi Sakurai
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of MedicineNew York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph D. Buxbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of MedicineNew York, NY, USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of MedicineNew York, NY, USA
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16
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Reduced neuron density, enlarged minicolumn spacing and altered ageing effects in fusiform cortex in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2009; 166:102-15. [PMID: 19250686 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2008.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2007] [Revised: 03/29/2008] [Accepted: 04/01/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Structural and functional MRI studies report reduced volume and activation of the fusiform gyrus in schizophrenia. The fusiform cortex is involved in object naming and face recognition. Neuron cell size, shape and density, glial cell density and minicolumn spacing in layers III and V of the fusiform cortex were assessed following systematic random sampling from 13 controls and 11 schizophrenic patients. Pyramidal cell density was reduced in schizophrenia. Non-pyramidal cell density was reduced in layer III of the left hemisphere in schizophrenia, mostly in females. Non-pyramidal cells were larger in schizophrenia. Glial cell density was unaltered. Fusiform minicolumn spacing was asymmetrically wider in the right hemisphere of normal control subjects. Minicolumns were less dense in schizophrenia, particularly in the left hemisphere of females and the right hemisphere of males. Reduced neuron density in the fusiform cortex in schizophrenia contributes to evidence of functional-anatomical abnormalities from neuroimaging and neuropathology studies. Anatomical sex differences in schizophrenia may relate to anatomical and cognitive sex differences associated with fusiform cortex in the normal population. Wider minicolumn spacing is consistent with reduced cell density and is linked to altered ageing in schizophrenia.
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17
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Kreczmanski P, Heinsen H, Mantua V, Woltersdorf F, Masson T, Ulfig N, Schmidt-Kastner R, Korr H, Steinbusch HWM, Hof PR, Schmitz C. Microvessel length density, total length, and length per neuron in five subcortical regions in schizophrenia. Acta Neuropathol 2009; 117:409-21. [PMID: 19198859 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-009-0482-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2008] [Revised: 01/03/2009] [Accepted: 01/03/2009] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies (Prabakaran et al. in Mol Psychiat 9:684-697, 2004; Hanson and Gottesman in BMC Med Genet 6:7, 2005; Harris et al. in PLoS ONE 3:e3964, 2008) have suggested that microvascular abnormalities occur in the brains of patients with schizophrenia. To assess the integrity of the microvasculature in subcortical brain regions in schizophrenia, we investigated the microvessel length density, total microvessel length, and microvessel length per neuron using design-based stereologic methods in the caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, and lateral nucleus of the amygdala in both hemispheres of 13 postmortem brains from male patients with schizophrenia and 13 age-matched male controls. A general linear model multivariate analysis of variance with diagnosis and hemisphere as fixed factors and illness duration (patients with schizophrenia) or age (controls), postmortem interval and fixation time as covariates showed no statistically significant differences in the brains from the patients with schizophrenia compared to the controls. These data extend our earlier findings in prefrontal cortex area 9 and anterior cingulate cortex area 24 from the same brains (Kreczmanski et al. in Acta Neuropathol 109:510-518, 2005), that alterations in microvessel length density, total length, and particularly length per neuron cannot be considered characteristic features of schizophrenia. As such, compromised brain metabolism and occurrence of oxidative stress in the brains of patients with schizophrenia are likely caused by other mechanisms such as functional disruption in the coupling of cerebral blood flow to neuronal metabolic needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Kreczmanski
- Division of Cellular Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neurosciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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18
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Chance SA, Casanova MF, Switala AE, Crow TJ. Auditory cortex asymmetry, altered minicolumn spacing and absence of ageing effects in schizophrenia. Brain 2008; 131:3178-92. [PMID: 18819990 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awn211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The superior temporal gyrus, which contains the auditory cortex, including the planum temporale, is the most consistently altered neocortical structure in schizophrenia (Shenton ME, Dickey CC, Frumin M, McCarley RW. A review of MRI findings in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2001; 49: 1-52). Auditory hallucinations are associated with abnormalities in this region and activation in Heschl's gyrus. Our review of 34 MRI and 5 post-mortem studies of planum temporale reveals that half of those measuring region size reported a change in schizophrenia, usually consistent with a reduction in the left hemisphere and a relative increase in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, female subjects are under-represented in the literature and insight from sex differences may be lost. Here we present evidence from post-mortem brain (N = 21 patients, compared with 17 previously reported controls) that normal age-associated changes in planum temporale are not found in schizophrenia. These age-associated differences are reported in an adult population (age range 29-90 years) and were not found in the primary auditory cortex of Heschl's gyrus, indicating that they are selective to the more plastic regions of association cortex involved in cognition. Areas and volumes of Heschl's gyrus and planum temporale and the separation of the minicolumns that are held to be the structural units of the cerebral cortex were assessed in patients. Minicolumn distribution in planum temporale and Heschl's gyrus was assessed on Nissl-stained sections by semi-automated microscope image analysis. The cortical surface area of planum temporale in the left hemisphere (usually asymmetrically larger) was positively correlated with its constituent minicolumn spacing in patients and controls. Surface area asymmetry of planum temporale was reduced in patients with schizophrenia by a reduction in the left hemisphere (F = 7.7, df 1,32, P < 0.01). The relationship between cortical asymmetry and the connecting, interhemispheric callosal white matter was also investigated; minicolumn asymmetry of both Heschl's gyrus and planum temporale was correlated with axon number in the wrong subregions of the corpus callosum in patients. The spacing of minicolumns was altered in a sex-dependent manner due to the absence of age-related minicolumn thinning in schizophrenia. This is interpreted as a failure of adult neuroplasticity that maintains neuropil space. The arrested capacity to absorb anomalous events and cognitive demands may confer vulnerability to schizophrenic symptoms when adult neuroplastic demands are not met.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Chance
- Neuropathology, Level 1, West Wing, John Radcliff Hospital, Headington, Oxford, UK.
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19
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Neuronal distribution in the neocortex of schizophrenic patients. Psychiatry Res 2008; 158:267-77. [PMID: 18280583 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2006.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2006] [Revised: 08/25/2006] [Accepted: 12/06/2006] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It has been postulated that the prefrontal cortices of schizophrenic patients have significant alterations in their neuropil space. However, previous results have been contradictory and inconclusive, reporting both decreases and increases in the prefrontal neuropil. The present study re-examines these findings based on measurements of cell density, and inter-cellular distances within and between cell minicolumns. The results indicate alterations in the neuropil of schizophrenic patients according to both the lamina and cortical area examined. Alterations were present in all cortical areas studied. The findings suggest an alteration in the modulatory systems innervating the cell minicolumn. Furthermore, the lack of variation in core columnarity parameters argues in favor of a defect post-dating the formation of the cell minicolumn.
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20
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Casanova MF, Tillquist CR. Encephalization, emergent properties, and psychiatry: a minicolumnar perspective. Neuroscientist 2007; 14:101-18. [PMID: 17971507 DOI: 10.1177/1073858407309091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The focus of the authors' attention is the consequence of brain growth understood in terms of the development of networks of cortical cell minicolumns, the elemental information-processing units of the brain. The authors view cortical growth, encephalization, and the emergence of higher cognitive functions in humans as the consequence of an increase in the number of minicolumns and their connections. Encephalization has proceeded via weak linkages of canonical circuits, which facilitate the emergence of novel cortical functions. In addition to reframing the evolution of mind, this perspective provides a conceptual framework for a better understanding of the origin and maladaptive nature of certain psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
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21
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Casanova MF. Schizophrenia seen as a deficit in the modulation of cortical minicolumns by monoaminergic systems. Int Rev Psychiatry 2007; 19:361-72. [PMID: 17671869 DOI: 10.1080/09540260701486738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The highly evolved architecture of the cerebral cortex is organized across hierarchical levels that maximize functional repertoires (emergent properties) and expedite information processing. Minicolumns are nested within this multiscale architecture as the smallest module capable of processing information. Signals are transmitted within minicolumns through massive ion-gated connections and modulated through slower onset second messenger systems. The terminal zones of the modulatory second messenger systems comprise the laminae of the cortex. A comprehensive review of the literature suggests that schizophrenia results from widely distributed changes at the level of the cerebral cortex and little, if any, neuronal somatic changes: (Esiri & Crow, 2002). Concordant with this observation recent studies indicate that schizophrenic patients have an alteration of neuronal connectivity according to both lamina and brain region examined. One possible explanation for this deficit is an alteration in the modulatory system of cortical minicolumns. This ontogenetic deficit propitiates a cascade of neurochemical changes resulting in varying abnormalities relating information processing to behavioural states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, USA.
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22
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Chahl LA. TRP's: links to schizophrenia? Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2007; 1772:968-77. [PMID: 17587552 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2007.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2007] [Revised: 05/15/2007] [Accepted: 05/15/2007] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder the cause of which is unknown. It is considered to be a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from an interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Direct evidence for links between schizophrenia and TRP channels is lacking. However, several aspects of the pathophysiology of the disorder point to a possible involvement of TRP channels. In this review evidence for links between TRP channels and schizophrenia with respect to neurodevelopment, dopaminergic and cannabinoid systems, thermoregulation, and sensory processes, is discussed. Investigation of these links holds the prospect of a new understanding of schizophrenia with resultant therapeutic advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loris A Chahl
- Centre for Mental Health Studies and Schizophrenia Research Institute, James Fletcher Hospital, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, 2308 Australia.
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23
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Kreczmanski P, Heinsen H, Mantua V, Woltersdorf F, Masson T, Ulfig N, Schmidt-Kastner R, Korr H, Steinbusch HWM, Hof PR, Schmitz C. Volume, neuron density and total neuron number in five subcortical regions in schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 130:678-92. [PMID: 17303593 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awl386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have pointed to alterations in mean volumes, neuron densities and total neuron numbers in the caudate nucleus (CN), putamen, nucleus accumbens (NA), mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MDNT) and lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LNA) in schizophrenia. However, the results of these studies are conflicting and no clear pattern of alterations has yet been established in these subcortical regions, possibly due to differences in quantitative histological methods used as well as differences in the investigated case series. The present study investigates these subcortical regions in both hemispheres of the same post-mortem brains for volume, neuron density and total neuron number with high-precision design-based stereology. The analysed case series consisted of 13 post-mortem brains from male schizophrenic patients [age range: 22-64 years; mean age 51.5 +/- 3.3 years (mean +/- SEM)] and 13 age-matched male controls (age range: 25-65 years; mean age 51.9 +/- 3.1 years). A general linear model multivariate analysis of variance with diagnosis and hemisphere as fixed factors and illness duration (schizophrenic patients) or age (controls), post-mortem interval and fixation time as covariates showed a number of statistically significant alterations in the brains from schizophrenic patients compared with the controls. There was a reduced mean volume of the putamen [-5.0% on the left side (l) and -4.1% on the right side (r)] and the LNA (l: -12.1%, r: -17.6%), and a reduced mean total neuron number in the CN (l: -10.4%, r: -10.2%), putamen (l: -8.1%, r: -11.6%) and the LNA (l: -15.9%, r: -16.2%). These data show a previously unreported, distinct pattern of alterations in mean total neuron numbers in identified subcortical brain regions in a carefully selected sample of brains from schizophrenic patients. The rigorous quantitative analysis of several regions in brains from schizophrenic patients and matched controls is crucial to provide reliable information on the neuropathology of schizophrenia as well as insights about its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Kreczmanski
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Division of Cellular Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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24
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Newson P, Lynch-Frame A, Roach R, Bennett S, Carr V, Chahl LA. Intrinsic sensory deprivation induced by neonatal capsaicin treatment induces changes in rat brain and behaviour of possible relevance to schizophrenia. Br J Pharmacol 2006; 146:408-18. [PMID: 16041396 PMCID: PMC1576292 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is considered to be a neurodevelopmental disorder with origins in the prenatal or neonatal period. Brains from subjects with schizophrenia have enlarged ventricles, reduced cortical thickness (CT) and increased neuronal density in the prefrontal cortex compared with those from normal subjects. Subjects with schizophrenia have reduced pain sensitivity and niacin skin flare responses, suggesting that capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent neurons might be abnormal in schizophrenia. This study tested the hypothesis that intrinsic somatosensory deprivation, induced by neonatal capsaicin treatment, causes changes in the brains of rats similar to those found in schizophrenia. Wistar rats were treated with capsaicin, 50 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously, or vehicle (control) at 24-36 h of life. At 5-7 weeks behavioural observations were made, and brains removed, fixed and sectioned. The mean body weight of capsaicin-treated rats was not significantly different from control, but the mean brain weight of male, but not female, rats, was significantly lower than control. Capsaicin-treated rats were hyperactive compared with controls. The hyperactivity was abolished by haloperidol. Coronal brain sections of capsaicin-treated rats had smaller cross-sectional areas, reduced CT, larger ventricles and aqueduct, smaller hippocampal area and reduced corpus callosum thickness, than brain sections from control rats. Neuronal density was increased in several cortical areas and the caudate putamen, but not in the visual cortex. It is concluded that neonatal capsaicin treatment of rats produces brain changes that are similar to those found in brains of subjects with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny Newson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Ann Lynch-Frame
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Rebecca Roach
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Sarah Bennett
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Vaughan Carr
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Loris A Chahl
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Author for correspondence:
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