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Katagiri N, Tagata H, Uchino T, Arai Y, Saito J, Kamiya K, Hori M, Mizuno M, Nemoto T. Investigating changes in the premotor cortex-derived frontal-striatal-thalamic subcircuit in attenuated psychosis syndrome. Brain Imaging Behav 2024:10.1007/s11682-024-00906-6. [PMID: 39196522 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00906-6] [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] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Frontal-striatal-thalamic circuit impairment is presumed to underlie schizophrenia. Individuals with attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) show longitudinal volume reduction of the putamen in the striatum, which has a neural connection with the premotor cortex through the frontal-striatal-thalamic subcircuit. However, comprehensive investigations into the biological changes in the frontal-striatal-thalamic subcircuit originating from the premotor cortex in APS are lacking. We investigated differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values between the striatum and premotor cortex (ST-PREM) and between the thalamus and premotor cortex (T-PREM) in individuals with APS and healthy controls, using a novel method TractSeg. Our study comprised 36 individuals with APS and 38 healthy controls. There was a significant difference between the control and APS groups in the right T-PREM (odds ratio = 1.76, p = 0.02). Other factors, such as age, sex, other values of FA, and antipsychotic medication, were not associated with differences between groups. However, while FA value reduction of ST-PREM and T-PREM in schizophrenia has been previously reported, in the present study on APS, the alteration of the FA value was limited to T-PREM in APS. This finding suggests that ST-PREM impairment is not predominant in APS but emerges in schizophrenia. Impairment of the neural network originating from the premotor cortex can lead to catatonia and aberrant mirror neuron networks that are presumed to provoke various psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. Our findings highlight the potential role of changes in a segment of the frontal-thalamic pathway derived from the premotor cortex as a biological basis of APS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoyuki Katagiri
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
| | - Hiromi Tagata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Takashi Uchino
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry and Implementation Science, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Yu Arai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Junichi Saito
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Kouhei Kamiya
- Department of Radiology, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Masaaki Hori
- Department of Radiology, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Masafumi Mizuno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
- Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, 2-1-1 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-0057, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nemoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry and Implementation Science, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
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Thalhammer M, Schulz J, Scheulen F, Oubaggi MEM, Kirschner M, Kaiser S, Schmidt A, Borgwardt S, Avram M, Brandl F, Sorg C. Distinct Volume Alterations of Thalamic Nuclei Across the Schizophrenia Spectrum. Schizophr Bull 2024; 50:1208-1222. [PMID: 38577901 PMCID: PMC11349018 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae037] [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] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Abnormal thalamic nuclei volumes and their link to cognitive impairments have been observed in schizophrenia. However, whether and how this finding extends to the schizophrenia spectrum is unknown. We hypothesized a distinct pattern of aberrant thalamic nuclei volume across the spectrum and examined its potential associations with cognitive symptoms. STUDY DESIGN We performed a FreeSurfer-based volumetry of T1-weighted brain MRIs from 137 healthy controls, 66 at-risk mental state (ARMS) subjects, 89 first-episode psychosis (FEP) individuals, and 126 patients with schizophrenia to estimate thalamic nuclei volumes of six nuclei groups (anterior, lateral, ventral, intralaminar, medial, and pulvinar). We used linear regression models, controlling for sex, age, and estimated total intracranial volume, both to compare thalamic nuclei volumes across groups and to investigate their associations with positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. STUDY RESULTS We observed significant volume alterations in medial and lateral thalamic nuclei. Medial nuclei displayed consistently reduced volumes across the spectrum compared to controls, while lower lateral nuclei volumes were only observed in schizophrenia. Whereas positive and negative symptoms were not associated with reduced nuclei volumes across all groups, higher cognitive scores were linked to lower volumes of medial nuclei in ARMS. In FEP, cognition was not linked to nuclei volumes. In schizophrenia, lower cognitive performance was associated with lower medial volumes. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate distinct thalamic nuclei volume reductions across the schizophrenia spectrum, with lower medial nuclei volumes linked to cognitive deficits in ARMS and schizophrenia. Data suggest a distinctive trajectory of thalamic nuclei abnormalities along the course of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Thalhammer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Schulz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Felicitas Scheulen
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mohamed El Mehdi Oubaggi
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mihai Avram
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Felix Brandl
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Young TR, Kumar VJ, Saranathan M. Normative Modeling of Thalamic Nuclear Volumes and Characterization of Lateralized Volume Alterations in Alzheimer's Disease Versus Schizophrenia. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00241-6. [PMID: 39182722 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalamic nuclei facilitate a wide range of complex behaviors, emotions, and cognition and have been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia. The aim of this work was to establish novel normative models of thalamic nuclear volumes and their laterality indices and investigate their changes in schizophrenia and AD. METHODS Volumes of bilateral whole thalami and 10 thalamic nuclei were generated from T1 MRI data using a state-of-the-art novel segmentation method in healthy control subjects (n=2374) and early mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=211), late MCI (n=113), AD (n=88), and schizophrenia (n=168). Normative models for each nucleus were generated from healthy control subjects while controlling for sex, intracranial volume, and site. Extreme z-score deviations (|z|>1.96) and z-score distributions were compared across phenotypes. Z-scores were associated with clinical descriptors. RESULTS Increased infranormal and decreased supranormal z-scores were observed in schizophrenia and AD. Z-score shifts representing reduced volumes were observed in most nuclei in schizophrenia and AD with strong overlap in the bilateral pulvinar, medial dorsal, and centromedian nuclei. Shifts were larger in AD with evidence of a left-sided preference in early MCI while a predilection for right thalamic nuclei was observed in schizophrenia. The right medial dorsal nucleus was associated with disorganized thought and daily auditory verbal hallucinations. CONCLUSION In AD, thalamic nuclei are more severely and symmetrically affected while in schizophrenia, the right thalamic nuclei are more affected. We highlight the right medial dorsal nucleus, which may mediate multiple symptoms of schizophrenia and is affected early in the disease course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA; Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA.
| | | | - Manojkumar Saranathan
- Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
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Dwyer GE, Johnsen E, Hugdahl K. NMDAR dysfunction and the regulation of dopaminergic transmission in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2024; 271:19-27. [PMID: 39002526 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
A substantial body of evidence implicates dysfunction in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This article illustrates how NMDAR dysfunction may give rise to many of the neurobiological phenomena frequently associated with schizophrenia with a particular focus on how NMDAR dysfunction affects the thalamic reticular nucleus (nRT) and pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg). Furthermore, this article presents a model for schizophrenia illustrating how dysfunction in the nRT may interrupt prefrontal regulation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, and how dysfunction in the PPTg may drive increased, irregular burst firing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Eric Dwyer
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; NORMENT Centre of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Erik Johnsen
- NORMENT Centre of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kenneth Hugdahl
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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Pei H, Jiang S, Liu M, Ye G, Qin Y, Liu Y, Duan M, Yao D, Luo C. Simultaneous EEG-fMRI Investigation of Rhythm-Dependent Thalamo-Cortical Circuits Alteration in Schizophrenia. Int J Neural Syst 2024; 34:2450031. [PMID: 38623649 DOI: 10.1142/s012906572450031x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is accompanied by aberrant interactions of intrinsic brain networks. However, the modulatory effect of electroencephalography (EEG) rhythms on the functional connectivity (FC) in schizophrenia remains unclear. This study aims to provide new insight into network communication in schizophrenia by integrating FC and EEG rhythm information. After collecting simultaneous resting-state EEG-functional magnetic resonance imaging data, the effect of rhythm modulations on FC was explored using what we term "dynamic rhythm information." We also investigated the synergistic relationships among three networks under rhythm modulation conditions, where this relationship presents the coupling between two brain networks with other networks as the center by the rhythm modulation. This study found FC between the thalamus and cortical network regions was rhythm-specific. Further, the effects of the thalamus on the default mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN) were less similar under alpha rhythm modulation in schizophrenia patients than in controls ([Formula: see text]). However, the similarity between the effects of the central executive network (CEN) on the DMN and SN under gamma modulation was greater ([Formula: see text]), and the degree of coupling was negatively correlated with the duration of disease ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). Moreover, schizophrenia patients exhibited less coupling with the thalamus as the center and greater coupling with the CEN as the center. These results indicate that modulations in dynamic rhythms might contribute to the disordered functional interactions seen in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Pei
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Sisi Jiang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Mei Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Guofeng Ye
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Yun Qin
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Yayun Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Mingjun Duan
- Department of Psychiatry, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P. R. China
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
- Research Unit of NeuroInformation Chinese, Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Luo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P. R. China
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P. R. China
- Research Unit of NeuroInformation Chinese, Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035, Chengdu, P. R. China
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Mana L, Schwartz-Pallejà M, Vila-Vidal M, Deco G. Overview on cognitive impairment in psychotic disorders: From impaired microcircuits to dysconnectivity. Schizophr Res 2024; 269:132-143. [PMID: 38788432 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia's cognitive deficits, often overshadowed by positive symptoms, significantly contribute to the disorder's morbidity. Increasing attention highlights these deficits as reflections of neural circuit dysfunction across various cortical regions. Numerous connectivity alterations linked to cognitive symptoms in psychotic disorders have been reported, both at the macroscopic and microscopic level, emphasizing the potential role of plasticity and microcircuits impairment during development and later stages. However, the heterogeneous clinical presentation of cognitive impairment and diverse connectivity findings pose challenges in summarizing them into a cohesive picture. This review aims to synthesize major cognitive alterations, recent insights into network structural and functional connectivity changes and proposed mechanisms and microcircuit alterations underpinning these symptoms, particularly focusing on neurodevelopmental impairment, E/I balance, and sleep disturbances. Finally, we will also comment on some of the most recent and promising therapeutic approaches that aim to target these mechanisms to address cognitive symptoms. Through this comprehensive exploration, we strive to provide an updated and nuanced overview of the multiscale connectivity impairment underlying cognitive impairment in psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Mana
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, Barcelona 08018, Spain.
| | - M Schwartz-Pallejà
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, Barcelona 08018, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Science, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, Barcelona 08018, Spain; Eurecat, Technology Center of Catalonia, Multimedia Technologies, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - M Vila-Vidal
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, Barcelona 08018, Spain; Computational Biology and Complex Systems Group, Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - G Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, Barcelona 08018, Spain; Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain.
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Ghamri KA. Mutual effects of gestational diabetes and schizophrenia: how can one promote the other?: A review. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38677. [PMID: 38905391 PMCID: PMC11191934 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the physical complications of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are well known, emerging evidence suggests a significant link with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia (SCZ). This review aimed to explore the extent, nature, and implications of the association between GDM and SCZ, exploring how the 2 conditions may reciprocally influence each other. We conducted a comprehensive literature review and, analyzed clinical and mechanistic evidence supporting the mutual effects of GDM and SCZ. This review examined factors such as neurodevelopment and the impact of antipsychotics. The study found that Maternal GDM increases the risk of SCZ in offspring. Conversely, women with SCZ were more prone to hyperglycemic pregnancies. The research highlights significant regional variations in GDM prevalence, with the highest rate in the Middle East, North Africa, and South-East Asia regions. These regional variations may have an impact on the epidemiology of SCZ. Furthermore, this review identifies the potential biological and environmental mechanisms underlying these associations. There is a bidirectional relationship between GDM and SCZ, with each disorder potentially exacerbating the others. This relationship has significant implications for maternal and offspring health, particularly in regions with high GDM prevalence. These findings underline the need for integrated care approaches for women with SCZ during pregnancy and the importance of monitoring and managing GDM to mitigate the risk of SCZ in the offspring. Notably, this study recognizes the need for further research to fully understand these complex interactions and their implications for healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kholoud A. Ghamri
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Arai Y, Katagiri N, Tagata H, Uchino T, Saito J, Shido Y, Kamiya K, Hori M, Mizuno M, Nemoto T. Exploring the impact of biological alterations in the superior thalamic radiations on exploratory eye movements in attenuated psychosis syndrome. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1323786. [PMID: 38938465 PMCID: PMC11210316 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1323786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aberrant fixation and scan paths in visual searches have been repeatedly reported in schizophrenia. The frontal eye fields (FEF) and thalamus may be responsible for fixation and scan paths. These two regions are connected by superior thalamic radiation (STR) in humans. Studies have reported reduced fixation numbers and shortened scan path lengths in individuals with attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) and schizophrenia. In this study, we hypothesized that STRs in the white matter fiber bundles of impairments underlie abnormalities in fixation and scan path length in individuals with APS. Methods Twenty-one individuals with APS and 30 healthy controls participated in this study. All participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging, and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the left and right STR were analyzed using the novel method TractSeg. The number of eye fixations (NEF), total eye scanning length (TESL), and mean eye scanning length (MESL), derived using the exploratory eye movement (EEM) test, were adopted to evaluate the fixation and scan path length. We compared the FA values of the bilateral STR and EEM parameters between the APS and healthy control groups. We investigated the correlation between bilateral STR and EEM parameters in the APS and healthy control groups. Results NEF, TESL, MESL, and the FA values of the left STR were significantly reduced in individuals with APS compared to healthy controls. The left STR FA value in the APS group was significantly positively correlated with the MESL (r = 0.567, p = 0.007). In addition, the right STR FA value of the APS group was significantly correlated with the TESL (r = 0.587, p = 0.005) and MESL (r = 0.756, p = 0.7×10-4). Discussion These results demonstrate that biological changes in the STR, which connects the thalamus and FEF, underlie abnormalities in fixation and scanning. Recently, aberrations in the thalamus-frontal connection have been shown to underlie the emergence of psychotic symptoms. STR impairment may be a part of the biological basis of APS in individuals with subthreshold psychotic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Arai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Saiseikai Yokohamashi Tobu Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Katagiri
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromi Tagata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Uchino
- Department of Psychiatry and Implementation Science, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junichi Saito
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Shido
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kouhei Kamiya
- Department of Radiology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaaki Hori
- Department of Radiology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masafumi Mizuno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nemoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry and Implementation Science, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Wang LN, Lin S, Tian L, Wu H, Jin WQ, Wang W, Pan WG, Yang CL, Ren YP, Ma X, Tang YL. Subregional thalamic functional connectivity abnormalities and cognitive impairments in first-episode schizophrenia. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 96:104042. [PMID: 38615577 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have documented thalamic functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities in schizophrenia, typically examining the thalamus as a whole. The specific link between subregional thalamic FC and cognitive deficits in first-episode schizophrenia (FES) remains unexplored. METHODS Using data from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we compared whole-brain FC with thalamic subregions between patients and HCs, and analyzed FC changes in drug-naïve patients separately. We then examined correlations between FC abnormalities with both cognitive impairment and clinical symptoms. RESULTS A total of 33 FES patients (20 drug-naïve) and 32 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. Compared to HCs, FES patients exhibited increased FC between specific thalamic subregions and cortical regions, particularly bilateral middle temporal lobe and cuneus gyrus, left medial superior frontal gyrus, and right inferior/superior occipital gyrus. Decreased FC was observed between certain thalamic subregions and the left inferior frontal triangle. These findings were largely consistent in drug-naïve patients. Notably, deficits in social cognition and visual learning in FES patients correlated with increased FC between certain thalamic subregions and cortical regions involving the right superior occipital gyrus and cuneus gyrus. The severity of negative symptoms was associated with increased FC between a thalamic subregion and the left middle temporal gyrus. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest FC abnormalities between thalamic subregions and cortical areas in FES patients. Increased FC correlated with cognitive deficits and negative symptoms, highlighting the importance of thalamo-cortical connectivity in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Na Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Lin
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Tian
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Han Wu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Qing Jin
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Gang Pan
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Lin Yang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yan-Ping Ren
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Xin Ma
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yi-Lang Tang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Mental Health Service Line, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA
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Garakh Z, Larionova E, Shmukler A, Horáček J, Zaytseva Y. EEG alpha reactivity on eyes opening discriminates patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 161:211-221. [PMID: 38522267 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alpha activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG) is typically dominant during rest with closed eyes but suppressed by visual stimulation. Previous research has shown that alpha-blockade is less pronounced in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy individuals, but no studies have examined it in schizoaffective disorder. METHODS A resting state EEG was used for the analysis of the alpha-reactivity between the eyes closed and the eyes opened conditions in overall (8 - 13 Hz), low (8 - 10 Hz) and high (10 - 13 Hz) alpha bands in three groups: schizophrenia patients (SC, n = 30), schizoaffective disorder (SA, n = 30), and healthy controls (HC, n = 36). All patients had their first psychotic episode and were receiving antipsychotic therapy. RESULTS A significant decrease in alpha power was noted across all subjects from the eyes-closed to eyes-open condition, spanning all regions. Alpha reactivity over the posterior regions was lower in SC compared to HC within overall and high alpha. SA showed a trend towards reduced alpha reactivity compared to HC, especially evident over the left posterior region within the overall alpha. Alpha reactivity was more pronounced over the middle and right posterior regions of SA as compared to SC, particularly in the high alpha. Alpha reactivity in SC and SA patients was associated with various negative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings imply distinct alterations in arousal mechanisms in SC and SA and their relation to negative symptomatology. Arousal is more preserved in SA. SIGNIFICANCE This study is the first to compare the EEG features of arousal in SC and SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanna Garakh
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Larionova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Shmukler
- National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology named after V. Serbsky , Moscow, Russia
| | - Jiří Horáček
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Yuliya Zaytseva
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czechia; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czechia; Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
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11
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Kammerer MK, Bott A, Strakeljahn F, Lincoln TM. Sleep spindle activity and psychotic experiences: Examining the mediating roles of attentional performance and perceptual distortions in a daytime nap study. Sleep Med 2024; 116:43-50. [PMID: 38422784 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2024.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Decreased sleep spindle activity in individuals with psychotic disorders is well studied, but its contribution to psychotic symptom formation is not well understood. This study explored potential underlying mechanisms explaining the association between decreased sleep spindle activity and psychotic symptoms. To this end, we analysed the links between sleep spindle activity and psychotic experiences and probed for the mediating roles of attentional performance and perceptual distortions in a community sample of young adults (N = 70; 26.33 ± 4.84 years). Polysomnography was recorded during a 90-min daytime nap and duration, amplitude, and density from slow (10-13 Hz) and fast (13-16 Hz) spindles were extracted. Attentional performance was assessed via a test battery and with an antisaccadic eye movement task. Psychotic experiences (i.e., paranoid thoughts; hallucinatory experiences) and perceptual distortions (i.e., anomalous perceptions; sensory gating deficits) were assessed via self-report questionnaires. We conducted sequential mediation analyses with spindle activity as predictor, psychotic experiences as dependent variable, and attentional performance and perceptual distortions as mediators. We found reduced right central spindle amplitude to be associated with paranoid thoughts. Increased antisaccadic error rate was associated with anomalous perceptions and perceptual distortions were associated with psychotic experiences. We did not find significant mediation effects. The findings support the notion that reduced sleep spindle activity is involved in the formation of paranoid thoughts and that decreased antisaccadic performance is indicative of perceptual distortions as potential precursors for psychotic experiences. However, further research is needed to corroborate the proposed mediation hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias K Kammerer
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Movement Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Antonia Bott
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Movement Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Germany
| | - Felix Strakeljahn
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Movement Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tania M Lincoln
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Movement Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Germany
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Delavari F, Sandini C, Kojovic N, Saccaro LF, Eliez S, Van De Ville D, Bolton TAW. Thalamic contributions to psychosis susceptibility: Evidence from co-activation patterns accounting for intra-seed spatial variability (μCAPs). Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26649. [PMID: 38520364 PMCID: PMC10960557 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The temporal variability of the thalamus in functional networks may provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. To address the complexity of the role of the thalamic nuclei in psychosis, we introduced micro-co-activation patterns (μCAPs) and employed this method on the human genetic model of schizophrenia 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). Participants underwent resting-state functional MRI and a data-driven iterative process resulting in the identification of six whole-brain μCAPs with specific activity patterns within the thalamus. Unlike conventional methods, μCAPs extract dynamic spatial patterns that reveal partially overlapping and non-mutually exclusive functional subparts. Thus, the μCAPs method detects finer foci of activity within the initial seed region, retaining valuable and clinically relevant temporal and spatial information. We found that a μCAP showing co-activation of the mediodorsal thalamus with brain-wide cortical regions was expressed significantly less frequently in patients with 22q11.2DS, and its occurrence negatively correlated with the severity of positive psychotic symptoms. Additionally, activity within the auditory-visual cortex and their respective geniculate nuclei was expressed in two different μCAPs. One of these auditory-visual μCAPs co-activated with salience areas, while the other co-activated with the default mode network (DMN). A significant shift of occurrence from the salience+visuo-auditory-thalamus to the DMN + visuo-auditory-thalamus μCAP was observed in patients with 22q11.2DS. Thus, our findings support existing research on the gatekeeping role of the thalamus for sensory information in the pathophysiology of psychosis and revisit the evidence of geniculate nuclei hyperconnectivity with the audio-visual cortex in 22q11.2DS in the context of dynamic functional connectivity, seen here as the specific hyper-occurrence of these circuits with the task-negative brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Delavari
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology LaboratoryUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
- Neuro‐X InstituteÉcole Polytechnique FÉdÉrale de LausanneGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology LaboratoryUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Nada Kojovic
- Autism Brain and Behavior Lab, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Luigi F. Saccaro
- Faculty of Medicine, Psychiatry DepartmentUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Psychiatry DepartmentGeneva University HospitalGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology LaboratoryUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Genetic Medicine and DevelopmentUniversity of Geneva School of MedicineGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Neuro‐X InstituteÉcole Polytechnique FÉdÉrale de LausanneGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical InformaticsUniversity of Geneva (UNIGE)GenevaSwitzerland
| | - Thomas A. W. Bolton
- Neuro‐X InstituteÉcole Polytechnique FÉdÉrale de LausanneGenevaSwitzerland
- Connectomics Laboratory, Department of RadiologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV)LausanneSwitzerland
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13
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Herrera CG, Tarokh L. A Thalamocortical Perspective on Sleep Spindle Alterations in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. CURRENT SLEEP MEDICINE REPORTS 2024; 10:103-118. [PMID: 38764858 PMCID: PMC11096120 DOI: 10.1007/s40675-024-00284-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of conditions that affect the development and function of the nervous system, typically arising early in life. These disorders can have various genetic, environmental, and/or neural underpinnings, which can impact the thalamocortical system. Sleep spindles, brief bursts of oscillatory activity that occur during NREM sleep, provide a unique in vivo measure of the thalamocortical system. In this manuscript, we review the development of the thalamocortical system and sleep spindles in rodent models and humans. We then utilize this as a foundation to discuss alterations in sleep spindle activity in four of the most pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders-intellectual disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and schizophrenia. Recent Findings Recent work in humans has shown alterations in sleep spindles across several neurodevelopmental disorders. Simultaneously, rodent models have elucidated the mechanisms which may underlie these deficits in spindle activity. This review merges recent findings from these two separate lines of research to draw conclusions about the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. Summary We speculate that deficits in the thalamocortical system associated with neurodevelopmental disorders are exquisitely reflected in sleep spindle activity. We propose that sleep spindles may represent a promising biomarker for drug discovery, risk stratification, and treatment monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Gutierrez Herrera
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Rosenbühlgasse 25, Bern, Switzerland
- Center for Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Rosenbühlgasse 17, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 24 CH-3008 Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Leila Tarokh
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, Haus A, 3000, Bern, Switzerland
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, Haus A, 3000, Bern, Switzerland
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Dönmezler S, Sönmez D, Yılbaş B, Öztürk Hİ, İskender G, Kurt İ. Thalamic nuclei volume differences in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls using probabilistic mapping: A comparative analysis. Schizophr Res 2024; 264:266-271. [PMID: 38198878 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
AIM We aimed to investigate potential discrepancies in the volume of thalamic nuclei between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. METHODS The imaging data for this study were obtained from the MCICShare data repository within SchizConnect. We employed probabilistic mapping technique developed by Iglesias et al. (2018). The analytical component entailed volumetric segmentation of the thalamus using the FreeSurfer image analysis suite. Our analysis focused on evaluating the differences in the volumes of various thalamic nuclei groups within the thalami, specifically the anterior, intralaminar, medial, posterior, lateral, and ventral groups in both the right and left thalami, between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. We employed MANCOVA to analyse these dependent variables (volumes of 12 distinct thalamic nuclei groups), with diagnosis (SCZ vs. HCs) as the main explanatory variable, while controlling for covariates such as eTIV and age. RESULTS The assumptions of MANCOVA, including the homogeneity of covariance matrices, were met. Specific univariate tests for the right thalamus revealed significant differences in the medial (F[1, 200] = 26.360, p < 0.001), and the ventral groups (F[1, 200] = 4.793, p = 0.030). For the left thalamus, the medial (F[1, 200] = 22.527, p < 0.001); posterior (F[1, 200] = 8.227, p = 0.005), lateral (F[1, 200] = 7.004, p = 0.009), and ventral groups (F[1, 200] = 9.309, p = 0.003) showed significant differences. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that particular thalamic nuclei groups in both the right and left thalami may be most affected in schizophrenia, with more pronounced differences observed in the left thalamic nuclei. FUNDINGS The authors received no financial support for the research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Süleyman Dönmezler
- Sanko University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep, Turkey.
| | - Doğuş Sönmez
- Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Barış Yılbaş
- Sanko University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Halil İbrahim Öztürk
- Sanko University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Gizem İskender
- Istanbul Prof. Dr. Cemil Tascioglu City Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - İmren Kurt
- Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul, Turkey
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15
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Mukherjee A, Halassa MM. The Associative Thalamus: A Switchboard for Cortical Operations and a Promising Target for Schizophrenia. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:132-147. [PMID: 38279699 PMCID: PMC10822032 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221112861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that profoundly perturbs cognitive processing. Despite the success in treating many of its symptoms, the field lacks effective methods to measure and address its impact on reasoning, inference, and decision making. Prefrontal cortical abnormalities have been well documented in schizophrenia, but additional dysfunction in the interactions between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus have recently been described. This dysfunction may be interpreted in light of parallel advances in neural circuit research based on nonhuman animals, which show critical thalamic roles in maintaining and switching prefrontal activity patterns in various cognitive tasks. Here, we review this basic literature and connect it to emerging innovations in clinical research. We highlight the value of focusing on associative thalamic structures not only to better understand the very nature of cognitive processing but also to leverage these circuits for diagnostic and therapeutic development in schizophrenia. We suggest that the time is right for building close bridges between basic thalamic research and its clinical translation, particularly in the domain of cognition and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghya Mukherjee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Halassa
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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16
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Chan YLE, Tsai SJ, Chern Y, Yang AC. Exploring the role of hub and network dysfunction in brain connectomes of schizophrenia using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1305359. [PMID: 38260783 PMCID: PMC10800602 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1305359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pathophysiological etiology of schizophrenia remains unclear due to the heterogeneous nature of its biological and clinical manifestations. Dysfunctional communication among large-scale brain networks and hub nodes have been reported. In this study, an exploratory approach was adopted to evaluate the dysfunctional connectome of brain in schizophrenia. Methods Two hundred adult individuals with schizophrenia and 200 healthy controls were recruited from Taipei Veterans General Hospital. All subjects received functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Functional connectivity (FC) between parcellated brain regions were obtained. Pair-wise brain regions with significantly different functional connectivity among the two groups were identified and further analyzed for their concurrent ratio of connectomic differences with another solitary brain region (single-FC dysfunction) or dynamically interconnected brain network (network-FC dysfunction). Results The right thalamus had the highest number of significantly different pair-wise functional connectivity between schizophrenia and control groups, followed by the left thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus. For individual brain regions, dysfunctional single-FCs and network-FCs could be found concurrently. Dysfunctional single-FCs distributed extensively in the whole brain of schizophrenia patients, but overlapped in similar groups of brain nodes. A dysfunctional module could be formed, with thalamus being the key dysfunctional hub. Discussion The thalamus can be a critical hub in the brain that its dysfunctional connectome with other brain regions is significant in schizophrenia patients. Interconnections between dysfunctional FCs for individual brain regions may provide future guide to identify critical brain pathology associated with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Lam E. Chan
- Doctoral Degree Program of Translational Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yijuang Chern
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Albert C. Yang
- Institute of Brain Science/Digital Medicine Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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17
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Boeken OJ, Cieslik EC, Langner R, Markett S. Characterizing functional modules in the human thalamus: coactivation-based parcellation and systems-level functional decoding. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1811-1834. [PMID: 36547707 PMCID: PMC10516793 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02603-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The human thalamus relays sensory signals to the cortex and facilitates brain-wide communication. The thalamus is also more directly involved in sensorimotor and various cognitive functions but a full characterization of its functional repertoire, particularly in regard to its internal anatomical structure, is still outstanding. As a putative hub in the human connectome, the thalamus might reveal its functional profile only in conjunction with interconnected brain areas. We therefore developed a novel systems-level Bayesian reverse inference decoding that complements the traditional neuroinformatics approach towards a network account of thalamic function. The systems-level decoding considers the functional repertoire (i.e., the terms associated with a brain region) of all regions showing co-activations with a predefined seed region in a brain-wide fashion. Here, we used task-constrained meta-analytic connectivity-based parcellation (MACM-CBP) to identify thalamic subregions as seed regions and applied the systems-level decoding to these subregions in conjunction with functionally connected cortical regions. Our results confirm thalamic structure-function relationships known from animal and clinical studies and revealed further associations with language, memory, and locomotion that have not been detailed in the cognitive neuroscience literature before. The systems-level decoding further uncovered large systems engaged in autobiographical memory and nociception. We propose this novel decoding approach as a useful tool to detect previously unknown structure-function relationships at the brain network level, and to build viable starting points for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole J Boeken
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Edna C Cieslik
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Robert Langner
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Ramsay IS, Mueller B, Ma Y, Shen C, Sponheim SR. Thalamocortical connectivity and its relationship with symptoms and cognition across the psychosis continuum. Psychol Med 2023; 53:5582-5591. [PMID: 36047043 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722002793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coordination between the thalamus and cortex is necessary for efficient processing of sensory information and appears disrupted in schizophrenia. The significance of this disrupted coordination (i.e. thalamocortical dysconnectivity) to the symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia is unclear. It is also unknown whether similar dysconnectivity is observed in other forms of psychotic psychopathology and associated with familial risk for psychosis. Here we examine the relevance of thalamocortical connectivity to the clinical symptoms and cognition of patients with psychotic psychopathology, their first-degree biological relatives, and a group of healthy controls. METHOD Patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis (N = 100) or bipolar disorder with a history of psychosis (N = 33), their first-degree relatives (N = 73), and a group of healthy controls (N = 43) underwent resting functional MRI in addition to clinical and cognitive assessments as part of the Psychosis Human Connectome Project. A bilateral mediodorsal thalamus seed-based analysis was used to measure thalamocortical connectivity and test for group differences, as well as associations with symptomatology and cognition. RESULTS Reduced connectivity from mediodorsal thalamus to insular, orbitofrontal, and cerebellar regions was seen in schizophrenia. Across groups, greater symptomatology was related to less thalamocortical connectivity to the left middle frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate, right insula, and cerebellum. Poorer cognition was related to less thalamocortical connectivity to bilateral insula. Analyses revealed similar patterns of dysconnectivity across patient groups and their relatives. CONCLUSIONS Reduced thalamo-prefrontal-cerebellar and thalamo-insular connectivity may contribute to clinical symptomatology and cognitive deficits in patients with psychosis as well as individuals with familial risk for psychotic psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Ramsay
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bryon Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Yizhou Ma
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Catonsville, MD, USA
| | - Chen Shen
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Scott R Sponheim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Zhang Y, Lu Z, Sun Y, Zhang X, Li Q, Li M, Liao Y, Kang Z, Feng X, Zhao G, Sun J, Yang Y, Yan H, Zhang D, Yue W. Predictive role of pulvinar in social functional outcome of schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2023; 327:115419. [PMID: 37598626 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Identifying objective biological subtypes that predict long-term functional outcomes is crucial for understanding neurobiological mechanisms and identifying potential targets. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 178 patients and 70 controls, we explored social function patterns using latent profile analysis. Long-term outcomes were compared among the biological subtypes using K-means clustering. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to identify gene expression profiles associated with alterations in activity by leveraging transcriptional data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. In patients with more functional impairment, left medial pulvinar (PM) exhibited significantly lower regional homogeneity of brain activity (ReHo, [95% CI (0.06-0.27), P = 0.002), a finding validated in the independent cohort. Functional connectivity between PM and secondary visual cortex displayed a suggestive decrease. Patients belonging to "higher pulvinar ReHo - better information processing" demonstrated better long-term outcomes and acute treatment response [95% CI (11.2-34.4), P < 0.001]. The PLSR component of imaging-transcriptomic associations partly explained the ReHo differences among patients with varying levels of functional impairment. It revealed enrichment of genes in the synaptic signaling pathway. Pathological changes in the pulvinar may affect social functioning. Higher pulvinar ReHo and better information processing, two objective biomarkers, have a predictive value for better long-term functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyanan Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhe Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yaoyao Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Mingzhu Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yundan Liao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhewei Kang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiaoyang Feng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Guorui Zhao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Junyuan Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yang Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Hao Yan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Weihua Yue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing 100191, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Research Unit of Diagnosis and Treatment of Mood Cognitive Disorder (2018RU006), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100191, China.
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Cao Y, Ji S, Chen Y, Zhang X, Ding G, Tang F. Association between autoimmune diseases of the nervous system and schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Compr Psychiatry 2023; 122:152370. [PMID: 36709559 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Numerous studies have found an association between autoimmune diseases of the nervous system (ADNS) and schizophrenia (SCZ), but the findings remain controversial. We conducted the first meta-analysis to summarize the current evidence from cohort studies that evaluated the association between ADNS and SCZ. METHODS PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were comprehensively searched until May 30, 2022 for articles on the association between ADNS and SCZ. Every included study was reported effect size with 95% CIs for the association between ADNS and SCZ. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were used to assess the heterogeneity. RESULTS A total of 8 cohort studies with 12 cohorts were included in the meta-analysis. We observed a significant association between ADNS and SCZ (RR = 1.42; 95%CI, 1.18-1.72). Subgroup analysis showed that the risk of SCZ was significantly increased when ADNS were used as exposure factors (RR = 1.48; 95%CI, 1.15-1.89), whereas with SCZ did not observe an increased risk of subsequent ADNS (RR = 1.33; 95%CI, 0.92-1.92); multiple sclerosis (MS) was positively associated with SCZ (RR = 1.36; 95%CI, 1.12-1.66), but no significant association was found between Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and SCZ (RR = 1.90; 95%CI, 0.87-4.17). Meanwhile, we found location was the source of heterogeneity. LIMITATIONS High heterogeneity was observed (I2 = 92.0%), and only English literature was included in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS We found a positive association between ADNS and SCZ, and the association was different across the different types of ADNS. The results of the study are helpful for clinicians to carry out targeted preventive measures for ADNS and SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Cao
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Institute of Neuroimmunology, Jinan, China
| | - Shuang Ji
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Institute of Neuroimmunology, Jinan, China
| | - Yujiao Chen
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Institute of Neuroimmunology, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoshuai Zhang
- School of Statistics and Mathematics, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China
| | - Guoyong Ding
- School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Fang Tang
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Institute of Neuroimmunology, Jinan, China; Center for Big Data Research in Health and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China; Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
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21
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Saiz-Masvidal C, Contreras F, Soriano-Mas C, Mezquida G, Díaz-Caneja CM, Vieta E, Amoretti S, Lobo A, González-Pinto A, Janssen J, Sagué-Vilavella M, Castro-Fornieles J, Bergé D, Bioque M, Lois NG, Parellada M, Bernardo M. Structural covariance predictors of clinical improvement at 2-year follow-up in first-episode psychosis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 120:110645. [PMID: 36181960 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between structural brain alterations and prediction of clinical improvement in first-episode psychosis (FEP) has been scarcely studied. We investigated whether structural covariance, a well-established approach to identify abnormal patterns of volumetric correlation across distant brain regions, which allows incorporating network-level information to structural assessments, is associated with longitudinal clinical course. We assessed a sample of 74 individuals from a multicenter study. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired at baseline, and clinical assessments at baseline and at a 2-year follow-up. Participants were split in two groups as a function of their clinical improvement after 2 years (i.e., ≥ < 40% reduction in psychotic symptom severity, (n = 29, n = 45)). We performed a seed-based approach and focused our analyses on 3 cortical and 4 subcortical regions of interest to identify alterations in cortical and cortico-subcortical networks. Improvers presented an increased correlation between the volumes of the right posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the left precentral gyrus, and between the left PCC and the left middle occipital gyrus. They also showed an increased correlation between right posterior hippocampus and left angular gyrus volumes. Our study provides a novel mean to identify structural correlates of clinical improvement in FEP, describing clinically-relevant anatomical differences in terms of large-scale brain networks, which is better aligned with prevailing neurobiological models of psychosis. The results involve brain regions considered to participate in the multisensory processing of bodily signals and the construction of bodily self-consciousness, which resonates with recent theoretical accounts in psychosis research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Saiz-Masvidal
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Contreras
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gisela Mezquida
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Foundations, Pharmacology Unit, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Covadonga M Díaz-Caneja
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón and School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Clinical Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Amoretti
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Clinical Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Lobo
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana González-Pinto
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Bioaraba (BIOARABA), Vitoria, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario de Alava, Vitoria, Spain; Universidad del País Vasco/ Euskal Harriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), País Vasco, Spain
| | - Joost Janssen
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón and School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Sagué-Vilavella
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Clinical Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, 2017SGR881, Institut Clínic de Neurociències, Hospital Clínic Universitari, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Bergé
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Bioque
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Noemi G Lois
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón and School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón and School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Bernardo
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Foundations, Pharmacology Unit, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Casquero-Veiga M, Lamanna-Rama N, Romero-Miguel D, Rojas-Marquez H, Alcaide J, Beltran M, Nacher J, Desco M, Soto-Montenegro ML. The Poly I:C maternal immune stimulation model shows unique patterns of brain metabolism, morphometry, and plasticity in female rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1022622. [PMID: 36733452 PMCID: PMC9888250 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1022622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Prenatal infections are associated with an increased risk of the onset of schizophrenia. Rodent models of maternal immune stimulation (MIS) have been extensively used in preclinical studies. However, many of these studies only include males, omitting pathophysiological features unique to females. The aim of this study is to characterize the MIS model in female rats using positron emission tomography (PET), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MR), and neuroplasticiy studies. Methods: In gestational day 15, Poly I:C (or Saline) was injected into pregnant Wistar rats to induce the MIS model. Imaging studies: [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-PET scans of female-offspring were acquired at post-natal day (PND) 35 and PND100. Furthermore, T2-MR brain images were acquired in adulthood. Differences in FDG uptake and morphometry between groups were assessed with SPM12 and Regions of Interest (ROI) analyses. Ex vivo study: The density of parvalbumin expressing interneurons (PV), perineuronal nets (PNN), and parvalbumin expressing interneurons surrounded by perineuronal nets (PV-PNN) were evaluated in the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala using confocal microscopy. ROIs and neuroplasticity data were analyzed by 2-sample T-test and 2-way-ANOVA analyses, respectively. Results: A significant increase in brain metabolism was found in all animals at adulthood compared to adolescence. MIS hardly modified brain glucose metabolism in females, highlighting a significant hypometabolism in the thalamus at adulthood. In addition, MIS induced gray matter (GM) enlargements in the pituitary, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and cingulate cortex, and GM shrinkages in some thalamic nuclei, cerebelar areas, and brainstem. Moreover, MIS induced white matter shrinkages in the cerebellum, brainstem and corpus callosum, along with cerebrospinal fluid enlargements in the lateral and 4th ventricles. Finally, MIS reduced the density of PV, PNN, and PV-PNN in the basolateral amygdala. Conclusion: Our work showed in vivo the differential pattern of functional and morphometric affectation in the MIS model in females, as well as the deficits caused at the synaptic level according to sex. The differences obtained highlight the relevance of including both sexes in psychiatric research in order to consider their pathophysiological particularities and successfully extend the benefits obtained to the entire patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Casquero-Veiga
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Cardiovascular Imaging and Population Studies, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicolás Lamanna-Rama
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Romero-Miguel
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Henar Rojas-Marquez
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain,Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Julia Alcaide
- Neurobiology Unit, Cell Biology Departament, BIOTECMED Institute, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marc Beltran
- Neurobiology Unit, Cell Biology Departament, BIOTECMED Institute, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, Cell Biology Departament, BIOTECMED Institute, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Advanced Imaging Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Campus de Getafe, Madrid, Spain,*Correspondence: Manuel Desco Maria Luisa Soto-Montenegro
| | - Maria Luisa Soto-Montenegro
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,High Performance Research Group in Physiopathology and Pharmacology of the Digestive System (NeuGut), University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Alcorcón, Spain,*Correspondence: Manuel Desco Maria Luisa Soto-Montenegro
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23
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Alemán-Gómez Y, Baumgartner T, Klauser P, Cleusix M, Jenni R, Hagmann P, Conus P, Do KQ, Bach Cuadra M, Baumann PS, Steullet P. Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Depicts Widespread and Subregion Specific Anomalies in the Thalamus of Early-Psychosis and Chronic Schizophrenia Patients. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:196-207. [PMID: 36065156 PMCID: PMC9810016 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Although the thalamus has a central role in schizophrenia pathophysiology, contributing to sensory, cognitive, and sleep alterations, the nature and dynamics of the alterations occurring within this structure remain largely elusive. Using a multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach, we examined whether anomalies: (1) differ across thalamic subregions/nuclei, (2) are already present in the early phase of psychosis (EP), and (3) worsen in chronic schizophrenia (SCHZ). STUDY DESIGN T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted images were analyzed to estimate gray matter concentration (GMC) and microstructural parameters obtained from the spherical mean technique (intra-neurite volume fraction [VFINTRA)], intra-neurite diffusivity [DIFFINTRA], extra-neurite mean diffusivity [MDEXTRA], extra-neurite transversal diffusivity [TDEXTRA]) within 7 thalamic subregions. RESULTS Compared to age-matched controls, the thalamus of EP patients displays previously unreported widespread microstructural alterations (VFINTRA decrease, TDEXTRA increase) that are associated with similar alterations in the whole brain white matter, suggesting altered integrity of white matter fiber tracts in the thalamus. In both patient groups, we also observed more localized and heterogenous changes (either GMC decrease, MDEXTRA increase, or DIFFINTRA decrease) in mediodorsal, posterior, and ventral anterior parts of the thalamus in both patient groups, suggesting that the nature of the alterations varies across subregions. GMC and DIFFINTRA in the whole thalamus correlate with global functioning, while DIFFINTRA in the subregion encompassing the medial pulvinar is significantly associated with negative symptoms in SCHZ. CONCLUSION Our data reveals both widespread and more localized thalamic anomalies that are already present in the early phase of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasser Alemán-Gómez
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Baumgartner
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Klauser
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martine Cleusix
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Raoul Jenni
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Patric Hagmann
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Conus
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of General Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Q Do
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Meritxell Bach Cuadra
- Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL), Centre d’Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM), Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp S Baumann
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of General Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Steullet
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Prilly, Switzerland
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24
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Anticevic A, Halassa MM. The thalamus in psychosis spectrum disorder. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1163600. [PMID: 37123374 PMCID: PMC10133512 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1163600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychosis spectrum disorder (PSD) affects 1% of the world population and results in a lifetime of chronic disability, causing devastating personal and economic consequences. Developing new treatments for PSD remains a challenge, particularly those that target its core cognitive deficits. A key barrier to progress is the tenuous link between the basic neurobiological understanding of PSD and its clinical phenomenology. In this perspective, we focus on a key opportunity that combines innovations in non-invasive human neuroimaging with basic insights into thalamic regulation of functional cortical connectivity. The thalamus is an evolutionary conserved region that forms forebrain-wide functional loops critical for the transmission of external inputs as well as the construction and update of internal models. We discuss our perspective across four lines of evidence: First, we articulate how PSD symptomatology may arise from a faulty network organization at the macroscopic circuit level with the thalamus playing a central coordinating role. Second, we discuss how recent animal work has mechanistically clarified the properties of thalamic circuits relevant to regulating cortical dynamics and cognitive function more generally. Third, we present human neuroimaging evidence in support of thalamic alterations in PSD, and propose that a similar "thalamocortical dysconnectivity" seen in pharmacological imaging (under ketamine, LSD and THC) in healthy individuals may link this circuit phenotype to the common set of symptoms in idiopathic and drug-induced psychosis. Lastly, we synthesize animal and human work, and lay out a translational path for biomarker and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Anticevic
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Alan Anticevic,
| | - Michael M. Halassa
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Michael M. Halassa,
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25
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Govek KW, Chen S, Sgourdou P, Yao Y, Woodhouse S, Chen T, Fuccillo MV, Epstein DJ, Camara PG. Developmental trajectories of thalamic progenitors revealed by single-cell transcriptome profiling and Shh perturbation. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111768. [PMID: 36476860 PMCID: PMC9880597 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is the principal information hub of the vertebrate brain, with essential roles in sensory and motor information processing, attention, and memory. The complex array of thalamic nuclei develops from a restricted pool of neural progenitors. We apply longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing and regional abrogation of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) to map the developmental trajectories of thalamic progenitors, intermediate progenitors, and post-mitotic neurons as they coalesce into distinct thalamic nuclei. These data reveal that the complex architecture of the thalamus is established early during embryonic brain development through the coordinated action of four cell differentiation lineages derived from Shh-dependent and -independent progenitors. We systematically characterize the gene expression programs that define these thalamic lineages across time and demonstrate how their disruption upon Shh depletion causes pronounced locomotor impairment resembling infantile Parkinson's disease. These results reveal key principles of thalamic development and provide mechanistic insights into neurodevelopmental disorders resulting from thalamic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiya W. Govek
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Sixing Chen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Paraskevi Sgourdou
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yao Yao
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 425 River Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Steven Woodhouse
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tingfang Chen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marc V. Fuccillo
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Douglas J. Epstein
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Correspondence: (D.J.E.), (P.G.C.)
| | - Pablo G. Camara
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Lead contact,Correspondence: (D.J.E.), (P.G.C.)
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26
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Kim WS, Heo DW, Shen J, Tsogt U, Odkhuu S, Lee J, Kang E, Kim SW, Suk HI, Chung YC. Altered functional connectivity in psychotic disorder not otherwise specified. Psychiatry Res 2022; 317:114871. [PMID: 36209668 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated functional connectivity (FC) in patients with psychotic disorder not otherwise specified (PNOS). We sought to identify distinct FC differentiating PNOS from schizophrenia (SZ). METHODS In total, 49 patients with PNOS, 42 with SZ, and 55 healthy controls (HC) matched for age, sex, and education underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans and clinical evaluation. Using six functional networks consisting of 40 regions of interest (ROIs), we conducted ROI to ROI and intra- and inter-network FC analyses using resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data. Correlations of altered FC with symptomatology were explored. RESULTS We found common brain connectomics in PNOS and SZ including thalamo-cortical (especially superior temporal gyrus) hyperconnectivity, thalamo-cerebellar hypoconnectivity, and reduced within-thalamic connectivity compared to HC. Additionally, features differentiating the two patient groups included hyperconnectivity between the thalamic subregion and anterior cingulate cortex in PNOS compared to SZ and hyperconnectivity of the thalamic subregions with the posterior cingulate cortex and precentral gyrus in SZ compared to PNOS. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that PNOS and SZ exhibit both common and differentiating changes in neuronal connectivity. Furthermore, they may support the hypothesis that PNOS should be treated as a separate clinical syndrome with distinct neural connectomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo-Sung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Medical School, Jeonju, Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Da-Woon Heo
- Machine Intelligence Laboratory, Department of Artificial Intelligence, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Medical School, Jeonju, Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Uyanga Tsogt
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Medical School, Jeonju, Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Soyolsaikhan Odkhuu
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Medical School, Jeonju, Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Jaein Lee
- Machine Intelligence Laboratory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eunsong Kang
- Machine Intelligence Laboratory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Wan Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Heung-Il Suk
- Machine Intelligence Laboratory, Department of Artificial Intelligence, Korea University, Seoul, Korea; Machine Intelligence Laboratory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Young-Chul Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Medical School, Jeonju, Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
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Dourron HM, Strauss C, Hendricks PS. Self-Entropic Broadening Theory: Toward a New Understanding of Self and Behavior Change Informed by Psychedelics and Psychosis. Pharmacol Rev 2022; 74:982-1027. [DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Alden EC, Smith MJ, Reilly JL, Wang L, Csernansky JG, Cobia DJ. Shape features of working memory-related deep-brain regions differentiate high and low community functioning in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res Cogn 2022; 29:100250. [PMID: 35368990 PMCID: PMC8968669 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2022.100250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that schizophrenia (SCZ) participants with high community functioning demonstrate better verbal working memory (vWM) performance relative to those with low community functioning. In the present study, we investigated whether neuroanatomical differences in regions supporting vWM also exist between schizophrenia groups that vary on community functioning. Utilizing magnetic resonance imaging, shape features of deep-brain nuclei known to be involved in vWM were calculated in samples of high functioning (HF-SCZ, n = 23) and low functioning schizophrenia participants (LF-SCZ, n = 18), as well as in a group of healthy control participants (CON, n = 45). Large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping was employed to characterize surface anatomy of the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, hippocampus, and thalamus. Statistical analyses involved linear mixed-effects models and vertex-wise contrast mapping to assess between-group differences in structural shape features, and Pearson correlations to evaluate relationships between shape metrics and vWM performance. We found significant between-group main effects in deep-brain surface anatomy across all structures. Post-hoc comparisons revealed HF-SCZ and LF-SCZ groups significantly differed on both caudate and hippocampal shape, however, significant correlations with vWM were only observed in hippocampal shape for both SCZ groups. Specifically, more abnormal hippocampal deformation was associated with lower vWM suggesting hippocampal shape is both a neural substrate for vWM deficits and a potential biomarker to predict or monitor the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation. These findings add to a growing body of literature related to functional outcomes in schizophrenia by demonstrating unique shape patterns across the spectrum of community functioning in SCZ. Deep-brain abnormalities are present in patients regardless of functional severity. Caudate and hippocampal shape differ between community functioning-based groups. Verbal working memory relates to hippocampal shape in both patient groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Alden
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.,Division of Neurocognitive Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55904, USA
| | - Matthew J Smith
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 1080 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - James L Reilly
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - John G Csernansky
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Derin J Cobia
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
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29
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Liu S, Guo Z, Cao H, Li H, Hu X, Cheng L, Li J, Liu R, Xu Y, Cui Y. Altered asymmetries of resting‐state MRI in the left thalamus of first‐episode schizophrenia. Chronic Dis Transl Med 2022; 8:207-217. [PMID: 36161199 PMCID: PMC9481880 DOI: 10.1002/cdt3.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder associated with widespread alterations in the subcortical brain structure. Hemispheric asymmetries are a fundamental organizational principle of the human brain and relate to human psychological and behavioral characteristics. We aimed to explore the state of thalamic lateralization of SCZ. Methods We used voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) analysis, whole‐brain analysis of low‐frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and resting‐state seed‐based functional connectivity (FC) analysis to investigate brain structural and functional deficits in SCZ. Also, we applied Pearson's correlation analysis to validate the correlation between Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) scores and them. Results Compared with healthy controls, SCZ showed increased gray matter volume (GMV) of the left thalamus (t = 2.214, p = 0.029), which positively correlated with general psychosis (r = 0.423, p = 0.010). SCZ also showed increased ALFF in the putamen, the caudate nucleus, the thalamus, fALFF in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and the caudate nucleus, and decreased fALFF in the precuneus. The left thalamus showed significantly weaker resting‐state FC with the amygdala and insula in SCZ. PANSS negative symptom scores were negatively correlated with the resting‐state FC between the thalamus and the insula (r = −0.414, p = 0.025). Conclusions Collectively, these results suggest the possibility of aberrant laterality in the left thalamus and its FC with other related brain regions involved in the limbic system. Experiments to explore the lateralization state of the left thalamus in schizophrenia. The thalamus is structurally and functionally impaired in schizophrenia. The limbic system may be linked to altered brain asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Liu
- Department of Psychiatry First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
| | - Zhenglong Guo
- Department of Psychiatry First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
| | - Hongbao Cao
- School of Systems Biology George Mason University Manassas Virginia USA
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Psychiatry First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
| | - Xiaodong Hu
- Department of Psychiatry First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
| | - Long Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
| | - Jianying Li
- Department of Psychiatry First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
| | - Ruize Liu
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - Yong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
- Department of Mental Health Shanxi Medical University Taiyuan Shanxi China
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30
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Avery SN, Huang AS, Sheffield JM, Rogers BP, Vandekar S, Anticevic A, Woodward ND. Development of Thalamocortical Structural Connectivity in Typically Developing and Psychosis Spectrum Youths. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:782-792. [PMID: 34655804 PMCID: PMC9008075 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalamocortical white matter connectivity is disrupted in psychosis and is hypothesized to play a role in its etiology and associated cognitive impairment. Attenuated cognitive symptoms often begin in adolescence, during a critical phase of white matter and cognitive development. However, little is known about the development of thalamocortical white matter connectivity and its association with cognition. METHODS This study characterized effects of age, sex, psychosis symptomatology, and cognition in thalamocortical networks in a large sample of youths (N = 1144, ages 8-22 years, 46% male) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, which included 316 typically developing youths, 330 youths on the psychosis spectrum, and 498 youths with other psychopathology. Probabilistic tractography was used to quantify percent total connectivity between the thalamus and six cortical regions and assess microstructural properties (i.e., fractional anisotropy) of thalamocortical white matter tracts. RESULTS Overall, percent total connectivity of the thalamus was weakly associated with age and was not associated with psychopathology or cognition. In contrast, fractional anisotropy of all thalamocortical tracts increased significantly with age, was generally higher in males than females, and was lowest in youths on the psychosis spectrum. Fractional anisotropy of tracts linking the thalamus to prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices was related to better cognitive function across subjects. CONCLUSIONS By characterizing the pattern of typical development and alterations in those at risk for psychotic disorders, this study provides a foundation for further conceptualization of thalamocortical white matter microstructure as a marker of neurodevelopment supporting cognition and an important risk marker for psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne N Avery
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
| | - Anna S Huang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Julia M Sheffield
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Baxter P Rogers
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Simon Vandekar
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Neil D Woodward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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31
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Cheng Y, Wang T, Zhang T, Yi S, Zhao S, Li N, Yang Y, Zhang F, Xu L, Shan B, Xu X, Xu J. Increased blood-brain barrier permeability of the thalamus and the correlation with symptom severity and brain volume alterations in schizophrenia patients. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1025-1034. [PMID: 35738480 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cumulative evidence of microvascular dysfunction has suggested the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in schizophrenia, while the direct in vivo evidence from patients is inadequate. In this study, using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) methods, we tried to test the hypothesis that there was increased BBB permeability in schizophrenia patients, and correlated with the clinical characters, and brain volumetric alterations. METHODS Structural MRI and DCE-MRI data from 29 schizophrenia patients and 18 age- and sex- matched controls (HC) were obtained. We calculated the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) value and compared the difference between two groups. The regions with the abnormal Ktrans value were extracted as ROIs (thalamus), and the correlation with the clinical characters and grey matter volume were analysed. RESULTS The results revealed that, compared with the HC, the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) value of the bilateral thalamus in the schizophrenia group was increased (p < 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between thalamic mean Ktrans value with disease duration (p < 0.05) and symptom severity (p < 0.001). Analysis of the thalamic subregions revealed that the BBB disruption was significant in pulvinar, especially the medial pulvinar nucleus (PuM) and lateral pulvinar nucleus (PuL) (p < 0.001). The Ktrans value of the whole brain, thalamus, and thalamic subregions was negatively correlated with their volume separately. CONCLUSION These results provided the first in vivo evidence of BBB disruption of thalamus in schizophrenia patients, and the BBB dysfunction might contribute to the pathological brain structural alterations in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032; Yunnan Clinical Research Centre for Mental Health, Kunming, China, 650032.
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Tianhao Zhang
- Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049
| | - Shu Yi
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Shilun Zhao
- Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049
| | - Na Li
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Yifan Yang
- Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Fengrui Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, China, 650223
| | - Baoci Shan
- Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049
| | - Xiufeng Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China, 650032.
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Kim WS, Shen J, Tsogt U, Odkhuu S, Chung YC. Altered thalamic subregion functional networks in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. World J Psychiatry 2022; 12:693-707. [PMID: 35663295 PMCID: PMC9150031 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i5.693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The thalamus plays a key role in filtering information and has extensive interconnectivity with other brain regions. A large body of evidence points to impaired functional connectivity (FC) of the thalamocortical pathway in schizophrenia. However, the functional network of the thalamic subregions has not been investigated in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS).
AIM To identify the neural mechanisms underlying TRS, we investigated FC of thalamic sub-regions with cortical networks and voxels, and the associations of this FC with clinical symptoms. We hypothesized that the FC of thalamic sub-regions with cortical networks and voxels would differ between TRS patients and HCs.
METHODS In total, 50 patients with TRS and 61 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age, sex, and education underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical evaluation. Based on the rs-fMRI data, we conducted a FC analysis between thalamic subregions and cortical functional networks and voxels, and within thalamic subregions and cortical functional networks, in the patients with TRS. A functional parcellation atlas was used to segment the thalamus into nine subregions. Correlations between altered FC and TRS symptoms were explored.
RESULTS We found differences in FC within thalamic subregions and cortical functional networks between patients with TRS and HCs. In addition, increased FC was observed between thalamic subregions and the sensorimotor cortex, frontal medial cortex, and lingual gyrus. These abnormalities were associated with the pathophysiology of TRS.
CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that disrupted FC within thalamic subregions and cortical functional networks, and within the thalamocortical pathway, has potential as a marker for TRS. Our findings also improve our understanding of the relationship between the thalamocortical pathway and TRS symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo-Sung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeon-ju 54907, South Korea
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeon-ju 54907, South Korea
| | - Uyanga Tsogt
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeon-ju 54907, South Korea
| | - Soyolsaikhan Odkhuu
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeon-ju 54907, South Korea
| | - Young-Chul Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeon-ju 54907, South Korea
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33
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Subcortical control of the default mode network: Role of the basal forebrain and implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Brain Res Bull 2022; 185:129-139. [PMID: 35562013 PMCID: PMC9290753 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.05.005] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The precise interplay between large-scale functional neural systems throughout the brain is essential for performance of cognitive processes. In this review we focus on the default mode network (DMN), one such functional network that is active during periods of quiet wakefulness and believed to be involved in introspection and planning. Abnormalities in DMN functional connectivity and activation appear across many neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Recent evidence suggests subcortical regions including the basal forebrain are functionally and structurally important for regulation of DMN activity. Within the basal forebrain, subregions like the ventral pallidum may influence DMN activity and the nucleus basalis of Meynert can inhibit switching between brain networks. Interactions between DMN and other functional networks including the medial frontoparietal network (default), lateral frontoparietal network (control), midcingulo-insular network (salience), and dorsal frontoparietal network (attention) are also discussed in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders. Several subtypes of basal forebrain neurons have been identified including basal forebrain parvalbumin-containing or somatostatin-containing neurons which can regulate cortical gamma band oscillations and DMN-like behaviors, and basal forebrain cholinergic neurons which might gate access to sensory information during reinforcement learning. In this review, we explore this evidence, discuss the clinical implications on neuropsychiatric disorders, and compare neuroanatomy in the human vs rodent DMN. Finally, we address technological advancements which could help provide a more complete understanding of modulation of DMN function and describe newly identified BF therapeutic targets that could potentially help restore DMN-associated functional deficits in patients with a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Mathematical Model Insights into EEG Origin under Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in the Context of Psychosis. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11071845. [PMID: 35407453 PMCID: PMC8999473 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11071845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disease that develops progressively over years with a transition from prodromal to psychotic state associated with a disruption in brain activity. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), known to alleviate pharmaco-resistant symptoms in patients suffering from schizophrenia, promises to prevent such a psychotic transition. To understand better how tDCS affects brain activity, we propose a neural cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuit model involving the Ascending Reticular Arousal System (ARAS) that permits to describe major impact features of tDCS, such as excitability for short-duration stimulation and electroencephalography (EEG) power modulation for long-duration stimulation. To this end, the mathematical model relates stimulus duration and Long-Term Plasticity (LTP) effect, in addition to describing the temporal LTP decay after stimulus offset. This new relation promises to optimize future stimulation protocols. Moreover, we reproduce successfully EEG-power modulation under tDCS in a ketamine-induced psychosis model and confirm the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction hypothesis in the etiopathophysiology of schizophrenia. The model description points to an important role of the ARAS and the δ-rhythm synchronicity in CTC circuit in early-stage psychosis.
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35
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Chan SY, Brady RO, Lewandowski KE, Higgins A, Öngür D, Hall MH. Dynamic and progressive changes in thalamic functional connectivity over the first five years of psychosis. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1177-1183. [PMID: 34697450 PMCID: PMC9035477 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01319-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The early stage of psychosis (ESP) is a critical period where effective intervention has the most favorable impact on outcomes. Thalamic connectivity abnormalities have been consistently found in psychosis, and are associated with clinical symptoms and cognitive deficits. However, most studies consider ESP patients as a homogeneous population and fail to take the duration of illness into account. In this study, we aimed to capture the progression of thalamic connectivity changes over the first five years of psychosis. Resting-state functional MRI scans were collected from 156 ESP patients (44 with longitudinal data) and 82 healthy controls (24 with longitudinal data). We first performed a case-control analysis comparing thalamic connectivity with 13 networks in the cortex and cerebellum. Next, we modelled the shape (flat, linear, curvilinear) of thalamic connectivity trajectories by comparing flexible non-linear versus linear models. We then tested the significance of the duration of illness and diagnosis in trajectories that changed over time. Connectivity changed over the ESP period between the thalamus and default mode network (DMN) and fronto-parietal network (FPN) nodes in both the cortex and cerebellum. Three models followed a curvilinear trajectory (early increase followed by a subsequent decrease), while thalamo-cerebellar FPN connectivity followed a linear trajectory of steady reductions over time, indicating different rates of change. Finally, diagnosis significantly predicted thalamic connectivity. Thalamo-cortical and thalamo-cerebellar connectivity change in a dynamic fashion during the ESP period. A better understanding of these changes may provide insights into the compensatory and progressive changes in functional connectivity in the early stages of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Yu Chan
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Roscoe O Brady
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn E Lewandowski
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amy Higgins
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Dost Öngür
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mei-Hua Hall
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Psychosis Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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36
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Fekih-Romdhane F, Hallit S, Cheour M, Jahrami H. The nature, consequences, mechanisms, and management of sleep disturbances in individuals at-risk for psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1011963. [PMID: 36203842 PMCID: PMC9530454 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1011963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
There is strong evidence that sleep disturbances are commonly experienced by people with psychosis. Evidence has also shown that sleep disturbances are present since the very early stages of the disease, even during the pre-diagnostic phase. More recently, research involving young individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis documented frequent occurrence of sleep disturbances in this group. The very early onset of sleep disturbances in the course of psychosis has drawn attention to the possible links between sleep parameters and the risk of psychosis. To date, the nature of sleep disturbances characterizing the UHR stage remains unclear, with available studies having yielded mixed findings. In this regard, we performed this review to update the body of literature on the nature of sleep disturbances, their underlying mechanisms, their clinical and functional consequences, the prevention and intervention strategies in the at-risk for psychosis population. Our findings provided further support to the presence of disturbed sleep in UHR individuals as evidenced by subjective and objective sleep measures such as polysomnography, sleep electroencephalograms, and actigraphy. Reviewing the possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between sleep and psychosis emphasized its complex and multifactorial nature which is yet to be determined and understood. Further research is warranted to determine which facets of sleep disturbances are most detrimental to this specific population, and to what extent they can be causal factors or markers of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feten Fekih-Romdhane
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry Ibn Omrane, Razi Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Souheil Hallit
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon.,Psychology Department, College of Humanities, Effat University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon
| | - Majda Cheour
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry Ibn Omrane, Razi Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Haitham Jahrami
- College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain.,Department of Psychiatry, Ministry of Health, Manama, Bahrain
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37
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Cobia D, Rich C, Smith MJ, Engel Gonzalez P, Cronenwett W, Csernansky JG, Wang L. Thalamic Shape Abnormalities Differentially Relate to Cognitive Performance in Early-Onset and Adult-Onset Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:803234. [PMID: 35479490 PMCID: PMC9035552 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.803234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) shares many biological and clinical features with adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS), but may represent a unique subgroup with greater susceptibility for disease onset and worsened symptomatology and progression, which could potentially derive from exaggerated neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Neurobiological explanations of schizophrenia have emphasized the involvement of deep-brain structures, particularly alterations of the thalamus, which have been linked to core features of the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare thalamic shape abnormalities between EOS and AOS subjects and determine whether unique behavioral profiles related to these differences. It was hypothesized abnormal thalamic shape would be observed in anterior, mediodorsal and pulvinar regions in both schizophrenia groups relative to control subjects, but exacerbated in EOS. Magnetic resonance T1-weighted images were collected from adult individuals with EOS (n = 28), AOS (n = 33), and healthy control subjects (n = 60), as well as collection of clinical and cognitive measures. Large deformation high-dimensional brain mapping was used to obtain three-dimensional surfaces of the thalamus. General linear models were used to compare groups on surface shape features, and Pearson correlations were used to examine relationships between thalamic shape and behavioral measures. Results revealed both EOS and AOS groups demonstrated significant abnormal shape of anterior, lateral and pulvinar thalamic regions relative to CON (all p < 0.007). Relative to AOS, EOS exhibited exacerbated abnormalities in posterior lateral, mediodorsal and lateral geniculate thalamic regions (p = 0.003). Thalamic abnormalities related to worse episodic memory in EOS (p = 0.03) and worse working memory (p = 0.047) and executive functioning (p = 0003) in AOS. Overall, findings suggest thalamic abnormalities are a prominent feature in both early- and late-onset schizophrenia, but exaggerated in EOS and have different brain-behavior profiles for each. The persistence of these abnormalities in adult EOS patients suggests they may represent markers of disrupted neurodevelopment that uniquely relate to the clinical and cognitive aspects of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derin Cobia
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chaz Rich
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Matthew J Smith
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Pedro Engel Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Will Cronenwett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
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Jiang Y, Patton MH, Zakharenko SS. A Case for Thalamic Mechanisms of Schizophrenia: Perspective From Modeling 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:769969. [PMID: 34955759 PMCID: PMC8693383 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.769969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic psychiatric disorder that devastates the lives of millions of people worldwide. The disease is characterized by a constellation of symptoms, ranging from cognitive deficits, to social withdrawal, to hallucinations. Despite decades of research, our understanding of the neurobiology of the disease, specifically the neural circuits underlying schizophrenia symptoms, is still in the early stages. Consequently, the development of therapies continues to be stagnant, and overall prognosis is poor. The main obstacle to improving the treatment of schizophrenia is its multicausal, polygenic etiology, which is difficult to model. Clinical observations and the emergence of preclinical models of rare but well-defined genomic lesions that confer substantial risk of schizophrenia (e.g., 22q11.2 microdeletion) have highlighted the role of the thalamus in the disease. Here we review the literature on the molecular, cellular, and circuitry findings in schizophrenia and discuss the leading theories in the field, which point to abnormalities within the thalamus as potential pathogenic mechanisms of schizophrenia. We posit that synaptic dysfunction and oscillatory abnormalities in neural circuits involving projections from and within the thalamus, with a focus on the thalamocortical circuits, may underlie the psychotic (and possibly other) symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stanislav S. Zakharenko
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
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Thalamic reticular nucleus impairments and abnormal prefrontal control of dopamine system in a developmental model of schizophrenia: prevention by N-acetylcysteine. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7679-7689. [PMID: 34193975 PMCID: PMC8716611 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence showed thalamic abnormalities in schizophrenia involving disruptions to the parvalbumin neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). However, their functional consequences, as well as a potential linkage to oxidative stress, are unclear. The TRN is posited to gate prefrontal control of dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Thus, we hypothesized that schizophrenia-related TRN abnormalities might contribute to dopamine dysregulation, a well-known feature of the disorder. To test this, in adult rats exposed prenatally to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM rats), oxidative impairments to the parvalbumin neurons in the anterior TRN were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we investigated whether inactivation of the prefrontal cortex would produce differential effects on VTA dopamine neurons in MAM rats. We show that MAM rats displayed reduced markers of parvalbumin and wisteria floribunda agglutinin-labeled perineuronal nets, correlating with increased markers of oxidative stress (8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-20-deoxyguanosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine). Moreover, MAM rats displayed heightened baseline and abnormal prefrontal control of VTA dopamine neuron activity, as tetrodotoxin-induced inactivation of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex decreased the dopamine population activity, contrary to the normal increase in controls. Such dopamine neuron dysregulation was recapitulated by enzymatic perineuronal net digestion in the TRN of normal rats. Furthermore, juvenile (postnatal day 11-25) antioxidant treatment (N-acetyl-cysteine, 900 mg/L drinking water) prevented all these impairments in MAM rats. Our findings suggest that early accumulation of oxidative stress in the TRN may shape the later onset of schizophrenia pathophysiology, highlighting redox regulation as a potential target for early intervention.
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Lunsford-Avery JR, Damme KSF, Vargas T, Sweitzer MM, Mittal VA. Psychotic-Like Experiences Associated with Sleep Disturbance and Brain Volumes in Youth: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. JCPP ADVANCES 2021; 1:e12055. [PMID: 36339462 PMCID: PMC9635573 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sleep disturbance is characteristic of schizophrenia and at-risk populations, suggesting a possible etiological role in psychosis. Biological mechanisms underlying associations between sleep and psychosis vulnerability are unclear, although reduced sleep-regulatory brain structure volumes are a proposed contributor. This study is the first to examine relationships between psychotic-like experiences (PLEs; subclinical symptoms reflecting psychosis vulnerability/risk), sleep, and brain volumes in youth. Methods Brain volumes of five sleep-related structures were examined in relation to PLEs and difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS) in 9260 9-11 year-olds participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Analytic models examined relationships between DIMS, PLEs, and brain volumes, as well as DIMS as a mediator of brain volume-PLEs relationships. Although sleep regulation structures (i.e., thalamus, basal forebrain, hypothalamus) were of primary interest, other potentially-relevant structures to sleep-related functioning and psychosis (i.e., hippocampus, amygdala) were also examined. Results PLEs were associated with increased DIMS as well as reduced volume in some, but not all, brain structures, including the thalamus and basal forebrain in children. DIMS was also associated with reduced left thalamus volume in youth. Increased DIMS partially, statistically mediated the relationship between left thalamic volume and PLEs, although the effect was relatively small. Conclusions Results highlight left thalamic volume as a potential neural mechanism underlying sleep disturbances and PLEs in childhood. Future studies should assess causal relationships between sleep, PLEs, and brain structure across adolescent development, interactions with other psychosis risk factors, and the role of sleep interventions in prevention of psychosis and a range of psychiatric conditions across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R. Lunsford-Avery
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katherine S. F. Damme
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston and Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Teresa Vargas
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston and Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maggie M. Sweitzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Vijay A. Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA,Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston and Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL USA,Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA,Institute for Policy Research (IPR), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Mapping thalamocortical functional connectivity with large-scale brain networks in patients with first-episode psychosis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19815. [PMID: 34615924 PMCID: PMC8494789 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99170-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal thalamocortical networks involving specific thalamic nuclei have been implicated in schizophrenia pathophysiology. While comparable topography of anatomical and functional connectivity abnormalities has been reported in patients across illness stages, previous functional studies have been confined to anatomical pathways of thalamocortical networks. To address this issue, we incorporated large-scale brain network dynamics into examining thalamocortical functional connectivity. Forty patients with first-episode psychosis and forty healthy controls underwent T1-weighted and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Independent component analysis of voxelwise thalamic functional connectivity maps parcellated the cortex into thalamus-related networks, and thalamic subdivisions associated with these networks were delineated. Functional connectivity of (1) networks with the thalamus and (2) thalamic subdivision seeds were examined. In patients, functional connectivity of the salience network with the thalamus was decreased and localized to the ventrolateral (VL) and ventroposterior (VP) thalamus, while that of a network comprising the cerebellum, temporal and parietal regions was increased and localized to the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus. In patients, thalamic subdivision encompassing the VL and VP thalamus demonstrated hypoconnectivity and that encompassing the MD and pulvinar regions demonstrated hyperconnectivity. Our results extend the implications of disrupted thalamocortical networks involving specific thalamic nuclei to dysfunctional large-scale brain network dynamics in schizophrenia pathophysiology.
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Thalamic connectivity system across psychiatric disorders: Current status and clinical implications. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 2:332-340. [PMID: 36324665 PMCID: PMC9616255 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamic connectivity system, with the thalamus as the central node, enables transmission of the brain’s neural computations via extensive connections to cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions. Emerging reports suggest deficits in this system across multiple psychiatric disorders, making it a unique network of high translational and transdiagnostic utility in mapping neural alterations that potentially contribute to symptoms and disturbances in psychiatric patients. However, despite considerable research effort, it is still debated how this system contributes to psychiatric disorders. This review characterizes current knowledge regarding thalamic connectivity system deficits in psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and autism spectrum disorder, across multiple levels of the system. We identify the presence of common and distinct patterns of deficits in the thalamic connectivity system in major psychiatric disorders and assess their nature and characteristics. Specifically, this review assembles evidence for the hypotheses of 1) thalamic microstructure, particularly in the mediodorsal nucleus, as a state marker of psychosis; 2) thalamo-prefrontal connectivity as a trait marker of psychosis; and 3) thalamo-somatosensory/parietal connectivity as a possible marker of general psychiatric illness. Furthermore, possible mechanisms contributing to thalamocortical dysconnectivity are explored. We discuss current views on the contributions of cerebellar-thalamic connectivity to the thalamic connectivity system and propose future studies to examine its effects at multiple levels, from the molecular (e.g., glutamatergic) to the behavioral (e.g., cognition), to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the disturbances observed in psychiatric disorders.
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Scullen T, Teja N, Song SH, Couldwell M, Carr C, Mathkour M, Lee DJ, Tubbs RS, Dallapiazza RF. Use of stereoelectroencephalography beyond epilepsy: a systematic review. World Neurosurg 2021; 155:96-108. [PMID: 34217862 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.06.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Scullen
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Nikhil Teja
- Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Seo Ho Song
- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Mitchell Couldwell
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Chris Carr
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Mansour Mathkour
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Darrin J Lee
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - R Shane Tubbs
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Department of Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, Grenada
| | - Robert F Dallapiazza
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
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44
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Quiñones GM, Mayeli A, Yushmanov VE, Hetherington HP, Ferrarelli F. Reduced GABA/glutamate in the thalamus of individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1133-1139. [PMID: 33273706 PMCID: PMC8115482 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00920-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Youth at clinical high risk (CHR) are a unique population enriched for precursors of major psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia (SCZ). Recent neuroimaging findings point to abnormalities in the thalamus of patients with SCZ, including chronic and early course patients, as well as in CHR individuals relative to healthy comparison groups, thus suggesting that thalamic dysfunctions are present even before illness onset. Furthermore, modeling data indicate that alteration between excitatory and inhibitory control, as reflected by alteration in GABAergic and glutamatergic balance (i.e., GABA/Glu), may underlie thalamic deficits linked to the risk and development of psychosis. There is, however, a lack of in vivo evidence of GABA/Glu thalamic abnormalities in the CHR state. Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) 7 Tesla (7 T) provides enhanced resolution to quantify GABA and Glu levels in the thalamus of CHR individuals. In this study, we performed 7 T MRSI in 15 CHR and 20 healthy control (HC) participants. We found that GABA/Glu was significantly reduced in the right medial anterior and right medial posterior thalamus of CHR relative to HC groups. The GABA/Glu reduction was negatively correlated with general symptoms in the right medial anterior thalamus, as well as with disorganization symptoms in the right medial posterior thalamus. Altogether, these findings indicate that GABA/Glu abnormalities are present in the thalamus before the onset of full-blown psychosis and are associated with symptom severity, thus providing putative molecular and neuronal targets for early interventions in youth at CHR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo M. Quiñones
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Ahmad Mayeli
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Victor E. Yushmanov
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Hoby P. Hetherington
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Fabio Ferrarelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Abstract
Basal ganglia, which include the striatum and thalamus, have key roles in motivation, emotion, motor function, also contribute to higher-order cognitive function. Previous researches have documented structural and functional alterations in basal ganglia in schizophrenia. While few studies have assessed asymmetries of these characters in basal ganglia of schizophrenia. The current study investigated this issue by using diffusion tensor imaging, anatomic T1-weight image and resting-state functional data from 88 chronic schizophrenic subjects and 92 healthy controls. The structural characteristic, including fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity (MD) and volume, were extracted and quantified from the subregions of basal ganglia, including caudate, putamen, pallidum and thalamus, through automated atlas-based method. The resting-state functional maps of these regions were also calculated through seed-based functional connectivity. Then, the laterality indexes of structural and functional features were calculated. Compared with healthy controls, schizophrenic subjects showed increased left laterality of volume in striatum and reduced left laterality of volume in thalamus. Furthermore, the difference of laterality of subregions in thalamus is compensatory in schizophrenic subjects. Importantly, the severity of patients' positive symptom was negative corelated with reduced left laterality of volume in thalamus. Our findings provide preliminary evidence demonstrating that the possibility of aberrant laterality in neural pathways and connectivity patterns related to the basal ganglia in schizophrenia.
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46
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Cover KK, Mathur BN. Rostral Intralaminar Thalamus Engagement in Cognition and Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:652764. [PMID: 33935663 PMCID: PMC8082140 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.652764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamic rostral intralaminar nuclei (rILN) are a contiguous band of neurons that include the central medial, paracentral, and central lateral nuclei. The rILN differ from both thalamic relay nuclei, such as the lateral geniculate nucleus, and caudal intralaminar nuclei, such as the parafascicular nucleus, in afferent and efferent connectivity as well as physiological and synaptic properties. rILN activity is associated with a range of neural functions and behaviors, including arousal, pain, executive function, and action control. Here, we review this evidence supporting a role for the rILN in integrating arousal, executive and motor feedback information. In light of rILN projections out to the striatum, amygdala, and sensory as well as executive cortices, we propose that such a function enables the rILN to modulate cognitive and motor resources to meet task-dependent behavioral engagement demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara K Cover
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Brian N Mathur
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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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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Avram M, Rogg H, Korda A, Andreou C, Müller F, Borgwardt S. Bridging the Gap? Altered Thalamocortical Connectivity in Psychotic and Psychedelic States. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:706017. [PMID: 34721097 PMCID: PMC8548726 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.706017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatry has a well-established tradition of comparing drug-induced experiences to psychotic symptoms, based on shared phenomena such as altered perceptions. The present review focuses on experiences induced by classic psychedelics, which are substances capable of eliciting powerful psychoactive effects, characterized by distortions/alterations of several neurocognitive processes (e.g., hallucinations). Herein we refer to such experiences as psychedelic states. Psychosis is a clinical syndrome defined by impaired reality testing, also characterized by impaired neurocognitive processes (e.g., hallucinations and delusions). In this review we refer to acute phases of psychotic disorders as psychotic states. Neuropharmacological investigations have begun to characterize the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning the shared and distinct neurophysiological changes observed in psychedelic and psychotic states. Mounting evidence indicates changes in thalamic filtering, along with disturbances in cortico-striato-pallido-thalamo-cortical (CSPTC)-circuitry, in both altered states. Notably, alterations in thalamocortical functional connectivity were reported by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Thalamocortical dysconnectivity and its clinical relevance are well-characterized in psychotic states, particularly in schizophrenia research. Specifically, studies report hyperconnectivity between the thalamus and sensorimotor cortices and hypoconnectivity between the thalamus and prefrontal cortices, associated with patients' psychotic symptoms and cognitive disturbances, respectively. Intriguingly, studies also report hyperconnectivity between the thalamus and sensorimotor cortices in psychedelic states, correlating with altered visual and auditory perceptions. Taken together, the two altered states appear to share clinically and functionally relevant dysconnectivity patterns. In this review we discuss recent findings of thalamocortical dysconnectivity, its putative extension to CSPTC circuitry, along with its clinical implications and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Avram
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schleswig Holstein University Hospital, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Helena Rogg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schleswig Holstein University Hospital, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Alexandra Korda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schleswig Holstein University Hospital, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Christina Andreou
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schleswig Holstein University Hospital, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Felix Müller
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schleswig Holstein University Hospital, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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49
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Huang AS, Rogers BP, Sheffield JM, Jalbrzikowski ME, Anticevic A, Blackford JU, Heckers S, Woodward ND. Thalamic Nuclei Volumes in Psychotic Disorders and in Youths With Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:1159-1167. [PMID: 32911995 PMCID: PMC7708443 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19101099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Thalamus models of psychosis implicate association nuclei in the pathogenesis of psychosis and mechanisms of cognitive impairment. Studies to date have provided conflicting findings for structural deficits specific to these nuclei. The authors sought to characterize thalamic structural abnormalities in psychosis and a neurodevelopmental cohort, and to determine whether nuclear volumes were associated with cognitive function. METHODS Thalamic nuclei volumes were tested in a cross-sectional sample of 472 adults (293 with psychosis) and the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC), consisting of 1,393 youths (398 with psychosis spectrum symptoms and 609 with other psychopathologies), using a recently developed, validated method for segmenting thalamic nuclei and complementary voxel-based morphometry. Cognitive function was measured with the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry in the psychosis cohort and the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery in the PNC. RESULTS The psychosis group had smaller pulvinar, mediodorsal, and, to a lesser extent, ventrolateral nuclei volumes compared with the healthy control group. Youths with psychosis spectrum symptoms also had smaller pulvinar volumes, compared with both typically developing youths and youths with other psychopathologies. Pulvinar volumes were positively correlated with general cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS The study findings demonstrate that smaller thalamic association nuclei represent a neurodevelopmental abnormality associated with psychosis, risk for psychosis in youths, and cognitive impairment. Identifying specific thalamic nuclei abnormalities in psychosis has implications for early detection of psychosis risk and treatment of cognitive impairment in psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S. Huang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | | | - Julia M. Sheffield
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | | | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Jennifer Urbano Blackford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Research Health Scientist, Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Stephan Heckers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Neil D. Woodward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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Akudjedu TN, Tronchin G, McInerney S, Scanlon C, Kenney JPM, McFarland J, Barker GJ, McCarthy P, Cannon DM, McDonald C, Hallahan B. Progression of neuroanatomical abnormalities after first-episode of psychosis: A 3-year longitudinal sMRI study. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 130:137-151. [PMID: 32818662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The location, extent and progression of longitudinal morphometric changes after first-episode of psychosis (FEP) remains unclear. We investigated ventricular and cortico-subcortical regions over a 3-year period in FEP patients compared with healthy controls. High resolution 1.5T T1-weighted MR images were obtained at baseline from 28 FEP patients at presentation and 28 controls, and again after 3-years. The longitudinal FreeSurfer pipeline (v.5.3.0) was used for regional volumetric and cortical reconstruction image analyses. Repeated-measures ANCOVA and vertex-wise linear regression analyses compared progressive changes between groups in subcortical structures and cortical thickness respectively. Compared with controls, patients displayed progressively reduced volume of the caudate [F (1,51)=5.86, p=0.02, Hedges' g=0.66], putamen [F (1,51)=6.06, p=0.02, g=0.67], thalamus [F (1,51)=6.99, p=0.01, g=0.72] and increased right lateral ventricular volume [F (1, 51)=4.03, p=0.05], and significantly increased rate of cortical thinning [F (1,52)=5.11, p=0.028)] at a mean difference of 0.84% [95% CI (0.10, 1.59)] in the left lateral orbitofrontal region over the 3-year period. In patients, greater reduction in putamen volume over time was associated with lower cumulative antipsychotic medication dose (r=0.49, p=0.01), and increasing lateral ventricular volume over time was associated with worsening negative symptoms (r=0.41, p=0.04) and poorer global functioning (r= -0.41, p=0.04). This study demonstrates localised progressive structural abnormalities in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit after the onset of psychosis, with increasing ventricular volume noted as a neuroanatomical marker of poorer clinical and functional outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theophilus N Akudjedu
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland; Institute of Medical Imaging & Visualisation, Department of Medical Science and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK.
| | - Giulia Tronchin
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Shane McInerney
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, Canada
| | - Cathy Scanlon
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Joanne P M Kenney
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John McFarland
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Gareth J Barker
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Neuroimaging, London, UK
| | - Peter McCarthy
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Dara M Cannon
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Colm McDonald
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Brian Hallahan
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91TK33, Galway, Ireland
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