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Ferreira R, Bastos-Leite AJ. Arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging and perfusion patterns in neurocognitive and other mental disorders: a systematic review. Neuroradiology 2024; 66:1065-1081. [PMID: 38536448 PMCID: PMC11150205 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-024-03323-0] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
We reviewed 33 original research studies assessing brain perfusion, using consensus guidelines from a "white paper" issued by the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Perfusion Study Group and the European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action BM1103 ("Arterial Spin Labelling Initiative in Dementia"; https://www.cost.eu/actions/BM1103/ ). The studies were published between 2011 and 2023 and included participants with subjective cognitive decline plus; neurocognitive disorders, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI); as well as schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar and major depressive disorders, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, panic disorder and alcohol use disorder. Hypoperfusion associated with cognitive impairment was the major finding across the spectrum of cognitive decline. Regional hyperperfusion also was reported in MCI, AD, frontotemporal dementia phenocopy syndrome and VCI. Hypoperfused structures found to aid in diagnosing AD included the precunei and adjacent posterior cingulate cortices. Hypoperfused structures found to better diagnose patients with FTLD were the anterior cingulate cortices and frontal regions. Hypoperfusion in patients with DLB was found to relatively spare the temporal lobes, even after correction for partial volume effects. Hyperperfusion in the temporal cortices and hypoperfusion in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices were found in patients with schizophrenia, most of whom were on medication and at the chronic stage of illness. Infratentorial structures were found to be abnormally perfused in patients with bipolar or major depressive disorders. Brain perfusion abnormalities were helpful in diagnosing most neurocognitive disorders. Abnormalities reported in VCI and the remaining mental disorders were heterogeneous and not generalisable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ferreira
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Salehi MA, Zafari R, Mohammadi S, Shahrabi Farahani M, Dolatshahi M, Harandi H, Poopak A, Dager SR. Brain-based sex differences in schizophrenia: A systematic review of fMRI studies. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26664. [PMID: 38520370 PMCID: PMC10960555 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26664] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder with characteristic symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, lack of motivation, and paucity of thought. Recent evidence suggests that the symptoms of schizophrenia, negative symptoms in particular, vary widely between the sexes and that symptom onset is earlier in males. A better understanding of sex-based differences in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of schizophrenia may provide a key to understanding sex-based symptom differences. This study aimed to summarize sex-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) differences in brain activity of patients with schizophrenia. We searched PubMed and Scopus to find fMRI studies that assessed sex-based differences in the brain activity of patients with schizophrenia. We excluded studies that did not evaluate brain activity using fMRI, did not evaluate sex differences, and were nonhuman or in vitro studies. We found 12 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the current systematic review. Compared to females with schizophrenia, males with schizophrenia showed more blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activation in the cerebellum, the temporal gyrus, and the right precuneus cortex. Male patients also had greater occurrence of low-frequency fluctuations in cerebral blood flow in frontal and parietal lobes and the insular cortex, while female patients had greater occurrence of low-frequency fluctuations in the hippocampus, parahippocampus, and lentiform nucleus. The current study summarizes fMRI studies that evaluated sex-based fMRI brain differences in schizophrenia that may help to shed light on the underlying pathophysiology and further understanding of sex-based differences in the clinical presentation and course of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rasa Zafari
- School of MedicineTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Soheil Mohammadi
- School of MedicineTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | | | - Mahsa Dolatshahi
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Division of NeuroradiologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Hamid Harandi
- School of MedicineTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | | | - Stephen R. Dager
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
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Percie du Sert O, Unrau J, Gauthier CJ, Chakravarty M, Malla A, Lepage M, Raucher-Chéné D. Cerebral blood flow in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of MRI-based studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 121:110669. [PMID: 36341843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) represent one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and are usually underpinned by neurodevelopmental brain abnormalities observed on a structural and functional level. Nuclear medicine imaging studies of cerebral blood flow (CBF) have already provided insights into the pathophysiology of these disorders. Recent developments in non-invasive MRI techniques such as arterial spin labeling (ASL) have allowed broader examination of CBF across SSD prompting us to conduct an updated literature review of MRI-based perfusion studies. In addition, we conducted a focused meta-analysis of whole brain studies to provide a complete picture of the literature on the topic. METHODS A systematic OVID search was performed in Embase, MEDLINEOvid, and PsycINFO. Studies eligible for inclusion in the review involved: 1) individuals with SSD, first-episode psychosis or clinical-high risk for psychosis, or; 2) had healthy controls for comparison; 3) involved MRI-based perfusion imaging methods; and 4) reported CBF findings. No time span was specified for the database queries (last search: 08/2022). Information related to participants, MRI techniques, CBF analyses, and results were systematically extracted. Whole-brain studies were then selected for the meta-analysis procedure. The methodological quality of each included studies was assessed. RESULTS For the systematic review, the initial Ovid search yielded 648 publications of which 42 articles were included, representing 3480 SSD patients and controls. The most consistent finding was that negative symptoms were linked to cortical fronto-limbic hypoperfusion while positive symptoms seemed to be associated with hyperperfusion, notably in subcortical structures. The meta-analysis integrated results from 13 whole-brain studies, across 426 patients and 401 controls, and confirmed the robustness of the hypoperfusion in the left superior and middle frontal gyri and right middle occipital gyrus while hyperperfusion was found in the left putamen. CONCLUSION This updated review of the literature supports the implication of hemodynamic correlates in the pathophysiology of psychosis symptoms and disorders. A more systematic exploration of brain perfusion could complete the search of a multimodal biomarker of SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Percie du Sert
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Joshua Unrau
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Claudine J Gauthier
- Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mallar Chakravarty
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ashok Malla
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Lepage
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Delphine Raucher-Chéné
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada; University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Cognition, Health, and Society Laboratory (EA 6291), Reims, France; Academic Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Reims, EPSM Marne, Reims, France
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Dion-Albert L, Bandeira Binder L, Daigle B, Hong-Minh A, Lebel M, Menard C. Sex differences in the blood-brain barrier: Implications for mental health. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 65:100989. [PMID: 35271863 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.100989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prevalence of mental disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are increasing at alarming rates in our societies. Growing evidence points toward major sex differences in these conditions, and high rates of treatment resistance support the need to consider novel biological mechanisms outside of neuronal function to gain mechanistic insights that could lead to innovative therapies. Blood-brain barrier alterations have been reported in MDD, BD and SZ. Here, we provide an overview of sex-specific immune, endocrine, vascular and transcriptional-mediated changes that could affect neurovascular integrity and possibly contribute to the pathogenesis of mental disorders. We also identify pitfalls in current literature and highlight promising vascular biomarkers. Better understanding of how these adaptations can contribute to mental health status is essential not only in the context of MDD, BD and SZ but also cardiovascular diseases and stroke which are associated with higher prevalence of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Dion-Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Luisa Bandeira Binder
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Beatrice Daigle
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Amandine Hong-Minh
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Lincoln Place Gate, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Manon Lebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Caroline Menard
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada.
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Gong J, Wang J, Luo X, Chen G, Huang H, Huang R, Huang L, Wang Y. Abnormalities of intrinsic regional brain activity in first-episode and chronic schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of resting-state functional MRI. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2020; 45:55-68. [PMID: 31580042 PMCID: PMC6919918 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.180245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) studies have provided much evidence for abnormal intrinsic brain activity in schizophrenia, but results have been inconsistent. METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis of whole-brain, resting-state fMRI studies that explored differences in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) between people with schizophrenia (including first episode and chronic) and healthy controls. RESULTS A systematic literature search identified 24 studies comparing a total of 1249 people with schizophrenia and 1179 healthy controls. Overall, patients with schizophrenia displayed decreased ALFF in the bilateral postcentral gyrus, bilateral precuneus, left inferior parietal gyri and right occipital lobe, and increased ALFF in the right putamen, right inferior frontal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus and right anterior cingulate cortex. In the subgroup analysis, patients with first-episode schizophrenia demonstrated decreased ALFF in the bilateral inferior parietal gyri, right precuneus and left medial prefrontal cortex, and increased ALFF in the bilateral putamen and bilateral occipital gyrus. Patients with chronic schizophrenia showed decreased ALFF in the bilateral postcentral gyrus, left precuneus and right occipital gyrus, and increased ALFF in the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, left amygdala, left inferior temporal gyrus, right anterior cingulate cortex and left insula. LIMITATIONS The small sample size of our subgroup analysis, predominantly Asian samples, processing steps and publication bias could have limited the accuracy of the results. CONCLUSION Our comprehensive meta-analysis suggests that findings of aberrant regional intrinsic brain activity during the initial stages of schizophrenia, and much more widespread damage with the progression of disease, may contribute to our understanding of the progressive pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Gong
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
| | - Junjing Wang
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
| | - Xiaomei Luo
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
| | - Guanmao Chen
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
| | - Huiyuan Huang
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
| | - Li Huang
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
| | - Ying Wang
- From the Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou China (Gong, Luo, Chen, Huang, Wang); the Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (Gong); the Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China (Wang); the School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for the Study of Applied Psychology & MRI Center, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou China (Huang, Huang)
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Common increased hippocampal volume but specific changes in functional connectivity in schizophrenia patients in remission and non-remission following electroconvulsive therapy: A preliminary study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:102081. [PMID: 31734526 PMCID: PMC6861644 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered a treatment option in patients with drug-resistant schizophrenia (SZ). However, approximately one-third of patients do not benefit from ECT in the clinic. Thus, it is critical to investigate differences between ECT responders and non-responders. Accumulated evidence has indicated that one region of ECT action is the hippocampus, which also plays an important role in SZ pathophysiology. To date, no studies have investigated differences in ECT effects in the hippocampus between treatment responders and non-responders. This study recruited twenty-one SZ patients treated for four weeks with ECT (MSZ, n = 21) and twenty-one SZ patients who received pharmaceutical therapy (DSZ, n = 21). The MSZ group was further categorized into responders (MSR, n = 10) or non-responders (MNR, n = 11) based on treatment outcomes by the criterion of a 50% reduction in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total scores. Using structural and resting-state functional MRI, we measured the hippocampal volume and functional connectivity (FC) in all SZ patients (before and after treatment) and 23 healthy controls. In contrast to pharmaceutical therapy, ECT induced bilateral hippocampal volume increases in the MSZ. Both the MSR and MNR exhibited hippocampal expansion after ECT, whereas a lower baseline volume in one of hippocampal subfield (hippocampus-amygdala transition area) was found in the MNR. After ECT, increased FC between the hippocampus and brain networks associated with cognitive function was only observed in the MSR. The mechanism of action of ECT in schizophrenia is complex. A combination of baseline impairment level, ECT-introduced morphological changes and post-ECT FC increases in the hippocampus may jointly contribute to the post-ECT symptom improvements in patients with SZ.
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Zhang YN, Huo JW, Huang YR, Hao Y, Chen ZY. Altered amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and regional cerebral blood flow in females with primary dysmenorrhea: a resting-state fMRI and arterial spin labeling study. J Pain Res 2019; 12:1243-1250. [PMID: 31114306 PMCID: PMC6489567 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s177502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: The current study aimed to explore the central mechanism of primary dysmenorrhea (PD) by investigating the alterations in resting state amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) between PD patients and healthy controls (HCs). Patients and methods: A total of 34 female subjects including 20 PD patients and 14 HCs underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and arterial spin labeling technique (ASL) MRI during menstrual phase. Subsequently, the differences in ALFF and CBF were compared in the two groups. The visual analog scores for pain (VAS-P) and for anxiety (VAS-A) were applied to assess cramping pain and related symptoms in PD patients. Finally, Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to analyze relationships between the neuroimaging findings and clinical characteristics. Results: Compared to HCs, PD patients had decreased ALFF in the right cerebellum posterior lobe, right middle temporal gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus, right hippocampus, right brainstem and left parietal lobe. In addition, elevated CBF values were observed in the right inferior frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and right superior temporal gyrus. There was no significant correlation between ALFF, CBF values and clinical characteristics including onset age of dysmenorrhea, VAS-A, and VAS-P in PD patients. Conclusion: The preliminary alterations of ALFF and CBF values in PD patients were observed in different pain-related brain regions, which were involved in multiple dimensions of pain and pain modulation. The combination of rs-fMRI and ASL MRI might provide complementary information for a better understanding of the central mechanism in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing100010, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian-Wei Huo
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing100010, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ran Huang
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion & Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Hao
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing100871, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zi-Yue Chen
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yanshan Hospital, Beijing102500, People’s Republic of China
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Drazanova E, Ruda-Kucerova J, Kratka L, Horska K, Demlova R, Starcuk Z, Kasparek T. Poly(I:C) model of schizophrenia in rats induces sex-dependent functional brain changes detected by MRI that are not reversed by aripiprazole treatment. Brain Res Bull 2017; 137:146-155. [PMID: 29155259 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE One of the hallmarks of schizophrenia is altered brain structure, potentially due to antipsychotic treatment, the disorder itself or both. It was proposed that functional changes may precede the structural ones. In order to understand and potentially prevent this unwanted process, brain function assessment should be validated as a diagnostic tool. METHODS We used Arterial Spin Labelling MRI technique for the evaluation of brain perfusion in several brain regions in a neurodevelopmental poly(I:C) model of schizophrenia (8mg/kg on a gestational day 15) in rats taking into account sex-dependent effects and chronic treatment with aripiprazole (30days), an atypical antipsychotic acting as a partial agonist on dopaminergic receptors. RESULTS We found the sex of the animal to have a highly significant effect in all regions of interest, with females showing lower blood perfusion than males. However, both males and females treated prenatally with poly(I:C) showed enlargement of the lateral ventricles. Furthermore, we detected increased perfusion in the circle of Willis, hippocampus, and sensorimotor cortex, which was not influenced by chronic atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole treatment in male poly(I:C) rats. CONCLUSION We hypothesize that perfusion alterations may be caused by the hyperdopaminergic activity in the poly(I:C) model, and the absence of aripiprazole effect on perfusion in brain regions related to schizophrenia may be due to its partial agonistic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Drazanova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Scientific Instruments, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Ruda-Kucerova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Lucie Kratka
- Institute of Scientific Instruments, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Horska
- Department of Human Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Regina Demlova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zenon Starcuk
- Institute of Scientific Instruments, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Kasparek
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Liu P, Jing Y, Collie ND, Dean B, Bilkey DK, Zhang H. Altered brain arginine metabolism in schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e871. [PMID: 27529679 PMCID: PMC5022089 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research implicates altered metabolism of l-arginine, a versatile amino acid with a number of bioactive metabolites, in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The present study, for we believe the first time, systematically compared the metabolic profile of l-arginine in the frontal cortex (Brodmann's area 8) obtained post-mortem from schizophrenic individuals and age- and gender-matched non-psychiatric controls (n=20 per group). The enzyme assays revealed no change in total nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, but significantly increased arginase activity in the schizophrenia group. Western blot showed reduced endothelial NOS protein expression and increased arginase II protein level in the disease group. High-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric assays confirmed significantly reduced levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), but increased agmatine concentration and glutamate/GABA ratio in the schizophrenia cases. Regression analysis indicated positive correlations between arginase activity and the age of disease onset and between l-ornithine level and the duration of illness. Moreover, cluster analyses revealed that l-arginine and its main metabolites l-citrulline, l-ornithine and agmatine formed distinct groups, which were altered in the schizophrenia group. The present study provides further evidence of altered brain arginine metabolism in schizophrenia, which enhances our understanding of the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and may lead to the future development of novel preventions and/or therapeutics for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand,Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand,Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Lindo Ferguson Building, 270 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand. E-mail:
| | - Y Jing
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand,Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - N D Collie
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand,Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - B Dean
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - D K Bilkey
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand,Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - H Zhang
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand,School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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