1
|
Parsaei M, Sanjari Moghaddam H, Aarabi MH. Sex differences in brain structures throughout the lifetime. AGING BRAIN 2023; 4:100098. [PMID: 37809276 PMCID: PMC10550774 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2023.100098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hossein Sanjari Moghaddam
- Psychiatry and Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Aarabi
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Buck G, Makowski C, Chakravarty MM, Misic B, Joober R, Malla A, Lepage M, Lavigne KM. Sex-specific associations in verbal memory brain circuitry in early psychosis. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 151:411-418. [PMID: 35594601 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal circuitry and related cortical connections are altered in first episode psychosis (FEP) and are associated with verbal memory deficits, as well as positive and negative symptoms. There are robust sex differences in the clinical presentation of psychosis, including poorer verbal memory in male patients. Consideration of sex differences in hippocampal-cortical circuitry and their associations with different behavioral dimensions may be useful for understanding the underlying pathophysiology of verbal memory deficits and related symptomatology in psychosis. Here, we use a data-driven approach to simultaneously capture the complex links between sex, verbal memory, symptoms, and cortical-hippocampal brain metrics in FEP. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral data were acquired from 100 FEP patients (75 males, 25 females) and 87 controls (55 males, 32 females). Multivariate brain-behavior associations were examined in FEP using partial least squares to map sociodemographic, verbal memory, and clinical data onto brain morphometry. The analysis identified two sex-dependent patterns of verbal memory, symptoms, and brain structure. In male patients, verbal memory deficits and core psychotic symptoms were associated with both increased and decreased frontal and temporal cortical thickness and reductions in CA2/3 hippocampal subfield and fornix volumes. In female patients, fewer negative/depressive symptoms were associated with a more attenuated cortical thickness pattern and more diffuse reductions in hippocampal white matter regions. Taken together, the results contribute towards better understanding the underlying pathophysiology of psychosis by highlighting the unique contribution of specific hippocampal subfields and surrounding white matter and their connections with broader cortical networks in a sex-dependent manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Buck
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Carolina Makowski
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada; Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Ridha Joober
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ashok Malla
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Lepage
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Katie M Lavigne
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
The role of MRI and CT of the brain in first episodes of psychosis and behavioural abnormality. Clin Radiol 2021; 76:712.e9-712.e13. [PMID: 34099260 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
AIM To investigate whether computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain imaging is associated with detection of structural causes of a first episode of psychosis (FEP) or first episode of behavioural abnormality (FEB) in the paediatric population, as this has not been previously documented in the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS Individuals with FEP/FEB but no neurological signs referred to a tertiary children's centre for cerebral MRI or CT were reviewed retrospectively. Individuals were evaluated independently with one technique (CT or MRI) only. RESULTS Thirty-four consecutive cerebral MRI and six consecutive CT examinations were identified between 2017 and 2020. No patients were identified as having an organic cause for the psychosis at MRI or CT. Four patients (9%) had incidental findings on MRI, unrelated to the psychosis, such as prominent perivascular spaces, hypoplastic transverse sinus, and sinonasal mucosal wall thickening. No abnormal findings were seen on CT. There was therefore no obvious difference between MRI and CT imaging in detecting organic disease potentially responsible for FEP. CONCLUSION Routine structural MRI or CT of the brain is unlikely to reveal disease leading to a significant change in management. MRI demonstrated only a few incidental findings, unrelated to the child's clinical history. Therefore, routine brain structural imaging of FEP/FEB in paediatric patients without focal neurology may not be routinely required. If imaging is requested, then there is no significant difference between CT and MRI in detecting clinically significant lesions.
Collapse
|
4
|
Characteristics of gray matter alterations in never-treated and treated chronic schizophrenia patients. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:136. [PMID: 32398765 PMCID: PMC7217843 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0828-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Though gray matter deficits have been consistently revealed in chronic treated schizophrenia, it is still not clear whether there are different brain alterations between chronic never treated and treated patients. To explore the different patterns of gray matter alterations among chronic never treated patients and those treated with monotherapy, we recruited 35 never-treated chronic schizophrenia patients with illness durations ranging from 5 to 48 years, 20 illness duration-matched risperidone monotherapy and 20 clozapine monotherapy patients, and 55 healthy controls. GM (surface area, cortical thickness, and cortical volume) measures were extracted and compared using ANCOVA across the four groups followed by post hoc tests. Relative to controls, both treated and never-treated chronic schizophrenia patients showed reduced GM mainly involving the bilateral medial and rostral middle frontal, left banks superior temporal sulcus, left fusiform, and left pericalcarine cortex and increased in the left cuneus. Compared with the untreated patient group, the two treated groups showed reductions mainly in the bilateral prefrontal, temporal, and left inferior parietal lobules. The clozapine monotherapy patients demonstrated more severe decreases in the bilateral prefrontal cortex and left cuneus and less severe decreases in the left ventral temporal lobe than risperidone monotherapy patients. These findings provide new insights into the long-term effects of antipsychotic treatment on gray matter alterations in schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, the characteristic findings of reductions in the inferior parietal lobule might be specific for long-term antipsychotic treatment, which could be a possible target for medication development in the future.
Collapse
|
5
|
Driver DI, Thomas S, Gogtay N, Rapoport JL. Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia and Early-onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: An Update. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2020; 29:71-90. [PMID: 31708054 DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2019.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The clinical severity, impact on development, and poor prognosis of childhood-onset schizophrenia may represent a more homogeneous group. Positive symptoms in children are necessary for the diagnosis, and hallucinations are more often multimodal. In healthy children and children with a variety of other psychiatric illnesses, hallucinations are not uncommon and diagnosis should not be based on these alone. Childhood-onset schizophrenia is an extraordinarily rare illness that is poorly understood but seems continuous with the adult-onset disorder. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, aggressive medication treatment combined with family education and individual counseling may prevent further deterioration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David I Driver
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes Health (NIH), Building 10, Room 4N313C, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Shari Thomas
- Healthy Foundations Group, 4350 East West Highway, Suite 200, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Nitin Gogtay
- National Institutes Health (NIH), NSC Building, Room 6104, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Judith L Rapoport
- National Institutes Health (NIH), Building 10-CRC, Room 6-5332, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Effects of ketamine on prepubertal Wistar rats: Implications on behavioral parameters for Childhood‐Onset Schizophrenia. Int J Dev Neurosci 2019; 79:49-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2019.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
|
7
|
Kaczkurkin AN, Raznahan A, Satterthwaite TD. Sex differences in the developing brain: insights from multimodal neuroimaging. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:71-85. [PMID: 29930385 PMCID: PMC6235840 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0111-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Youth (including both childhood and adolescence) is a period when the brain undergoes dramatic remodeling and is also a time when neuropsychiatric conditions often emerge. Many of these illnesses have substantial sex differences in prevalence, suggesting that sex differences in brain development may underlie differential risk for psychiatric symptoms between males and females. Substantial evidence documents sex differences in brain structure and function in adults, and accumulating data suggests that these sex differences may be present or emerge during development. Here we review the evidence for sex differences in brain structure, white matter organization, and perfusion during development. We then use these normative differences as a framework to understand sex differences in brain development associated with psychopathology. In particular, we focus on sex differences in the brain as they relate to anxiety, depression, psychosis, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms. Finally, we highlight existing limitations, gaps in knowledge, and fertile avenues for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonia N Kaczkurkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ordóñez AE, Loeb FF, Zhou X, Shora L, Berman RA, Broadnax DD, Gochman P, Liu S, Rapoport JL. Lack of Gender-Related Differences in Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2016; 55:792-9. [PMID: 27566120 PMCID: PMC5040446 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Gender differences, including younger age of onset and greater premorbid deficits in men, have been reported in adult-onset schizophrenia. This study comprehensively evaluated gender differences in childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS), a rare variant of the disorder. METHOD Demographic, premorbid, clinical, familial, and cognitive characteristics, presence of chromosomal abnormalities, and brain magnetic resonance imaging cortical volumes were evaluated in 133 patients with COS. Cortical analyses included age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (n = 124). RESULTS Males with COS (n = 72) had a slightly but significantly younger age of onset than females with COS (mean age 9.51 ± 2.28 versus 10.29 ± 1.63 years, t131 = 2.21, p = .03), higher verbal IQ scores (83.00 ± 15.97 versus 75.58 ± 15.10, t89 = 2.24, p = .03), and higher rates of comorbid pervasive developmental disorder (28.17% versus 6.90%, χ(2)1 = 9.54, p < .01) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (43.86% versus 21.43%, χ(2)1 = 5.40, p = .02). There were no significant gender differences across other demographic, IQ, or clinical measurements, frequency of chromosomal abnormalities, family clinical measurements, premorbid functioning, or in gender-by-disorder interactions for magnetic resonance imaging brain measurements. CONCLUSION The present comprehensive examination found few remarkable gender differences in COS. Although less striking than that seen in adult-onset schizophrenia, males with COS had a younger age of onset. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and pervasive developmental disorder rates were high in COS overall, suggesting greater neurodevelopmental vulnerability in COS. However, the gender ratios of these comorbidities in COS mirror those of the general populations, indicating that these gender differences might be unrelated to COS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Ordóñez
- Child Psychiatry Branch at the time of the study and currently is with the Office of Clinical Research, NIMH, NIH.
| | - Frances F Loeb
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Xueping Zhou
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Lorie Shora
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Rebecca A Berman
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Diane D Broadnax
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Peter Gochman
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Judith L Rapoport
- Child Psychiatry Branch research group at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Neuroimaging findings from childhood onset schizophrenia patients and their non-psychotic siblings. Schizophr Res 2016; 173:124-131. [PMID: 25819937 PMCID: PMC4583796 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Childhood onset schizophrenia (COS), with onset of psychosis before age 13, is a rare form of schizophrenia that represents a more severe and chronic form of the adult onset illness. In this review we examine structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of COS and non-psychotic siblings of COS patients in the context of studies of schizophrenia as a whole. Studies of COS to date reveal progressive loss of gray matter volume and cortical thinning, ventricular enlargement, progressive decline in cerebellar volume and a significant but fixed deficit in hippocampal volume. COS is also associated with a slower rate of white matter growth and disrupted local connectivity strength. Sibling studies indicate that non-psychotic siblings of COS patients share many of these brain abnormalities, including decreased cortical thickness and disrupted white matter growth, yet these abnormalities normalize with age. Cross-sectional and longitudinal neuroimaging studies remain some of the few methods for assessing human brain function and play a pivotal role in the quest for understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia as well as other psychiatric disorders. Parallel studies in non-psychotic siblings provide a unique opportunity to understand both risk and resilience in schizophrenia.
Collapse
|
10
|
Rapado-Castro M, Bartholomeusz CF, Castro-Fornieles J, González-Pinto A, Otero S, Baeza I, Moreno C, Graell M, Janssen J, Bargalló N, Pantelis C, Desco M, Arango C. Gender effects on brain changes in early-onset psychosis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2015; 24:1193-205. [PMID: 25589436 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-014-0669-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Progressive loss of cortical gray matter (GM) and increase of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been reported in early-onset psychosis (EOP). EOP typically begins during adolescence, a time when developmental brain trajectories differ by gender. This study aimed to determine gender differences in progression of brain changes in this population. A sample of 61 (21 females) adolescents with a first psychotic episode and a matched sample of 70 (23 females) controls underwent both baseline and 2-year follow-up anatomical brain imaging assessments. Regional GM and CSF volumes were obtained using automated methods based on the Talairach's proportional grid system. At baseline, only male patients showed a clear pattern of alterations in the frontal lobe relative to controls (smaller GM and larger CSF volumes). However, parallel longitudinal changes for male and female patients relative to controls were observed, resulting in a common pattern of brain changes across both genders: rate of left frontal lobe GM volume loss was larger in male (-3.8%) and female patients (-4.2%) than in controls (-0.7% males; -0.4% females). The reverse was found for the CSF volume in the left frontal lobe. While the GM and CSF volumes of females with EOP appear to be within the normal range at initial illness onset, our results point to a similar trajectory of increased/accelerated brain changes in both male and female patients with EOP. The pattern of progression of brain changes in psychosis appears to be independent of gender or structural alterations on appearance of psychotic symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Rapado-Castro
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry Street, Carlton South, VIC, 3053, Australia.
| | - Cali F Bartholomeusz
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry Street, Carlton South, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Child Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Neurosciences Institute, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, SGR-1119, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana González-Pinto
- Hospital Santiago Apóstol de Vitoria, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Kronikgune, EHU-UPV, Vitoria, Spain
| | - Soraya Otero
- Child Psychiatry Unit, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Santander, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Baeza
- Child Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Neurosciences Institute, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, SGR-1119, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Moreno
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Montserrat Graell
- Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joost Janssen
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Bargalló
- Image Diagnostic Center, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, 161 Barry Street, Carlton South, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Manuel Desco
- Department of Bioengineering and Aerospatial Engineering, University Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Childhood-onset schizophrenia is a rare pediatric onset psychiatric disorder continuous with and typically more severe than its adult counterpart. Neuroimaging research conducted on this population has revealed similarly severe neural abnormalities. When taken as a whole, neuroimaging research in this population shows generally decreased cortical gray matter coupled with white matter connectivity abnormalities, suggesting an anatomical basis for deficits in executive function. Subcortical abnormalities are pronounced in limbic structures, where volumetric deficits are likely related to social skill deficits, and cerebellar deficits that have been correlated to cognitive abnormalities. Structures relevant to motor processing also show a significant alteration, with volumetric increase in basal ganglia structures likely due to antipsychotic administration. Neuroimaging of this disorder shows an important clinical image of exaggerated cortical loss, altered white matter connectivity, and differences in structural development of subcortical areas during the course of development and provides important background to the disease state.
Collapse
|
12
|
David CN, Rapoport JL, Gogtay N. Treatments in context: transcranial direct current brain stimulation as a potential treatment in pediatric psychosis. Expert Rev Neurother 2013; 13:447-58. [PMID: 23545058 PMCID: PMC4063712 DOI: 10.1586/ern.13.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Childhood-onset schizophrenia is a chronic, severe form of schizophrenia, and is typically treatment resistant. Even after optimized pharmacotherapy, a majority (over 70%) of these pediatric patients present lasting psychotic symptoms and impaired cognition, necessitating the need for novel treatment modalities. Recent work in transcranial magnetic stimulation suggests moderate efficacy in symptom reduction in adult patients with schizophrenia; however, the transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment is cumbersome for this severely ill population. Transcranial direct current stimulation may provide a safe and effective adjuvant treatment for continued residual symptoms of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher N David
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Building 10, Room 3N202, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20890, USA
| | - Judith L Rapoport
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Building 10, Room 3N202, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20890, USA
| | - Nitin Gogtay
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Building 10, Room 3N202, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20890, USA
| |
Collapse
|