Correlations between cortical gyrification and schizophrenia symptoms with and without comorbid hostility symptoms

INTRODUCTION

Interest in identifying the clinical implications of the neuropathophysiological background of schizophrenia is rising, including changes in cortical gyrification that may be due to neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Inpatients with schizophrenia can show abnormal gyrification of cortical regions correlated with the symptom severity.

METHODS

Our study included 36 patients that suffered an acute episode of schizophrenia and have undergone structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to calculate the local gyrification index (LGI).

RESULTS

In the whole sample, the severity of symptoms significantly correlated with higher LGI in different cortical areas, including bilateral frontal, cingulate, parietal, temporal cortices, and right occipital cortex. Among these areas, patients with low hostility symptoms (LHS) compared to patients with high hostility symptoms (HHS) showed significantly lower LGI related to the severity of symptoms in bilateral frontal and temporal lobes.

DISCUSSION

The severity of psychopathology correlated with higher LGI in large portions of the cerebral cortex, possibly expressing abnormal neural development in schizophrenia. These findings could pave the way for further studies and future tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Cerebral cortical thickness and gyrification changes in first-episode psychoses and multi-episode schizophrenia

Cortical thickness (CT) and local gyrification index (LGI) in psychotic disorders may show modifications that relate to clinical course. This observational study aimed to analyse such variables in patients with schizophrenia, compared to healthy controls (HCs). We compared CT and LGI of 18 patients with first-episode psychosis with that of 21 with multi-episode schizophrenia and 16 HCs. CT corrected for false-positive cases (Family-Wise Error Rate) showed a reduction in the multi-episode group compared to HCs in left temporal and parietal, and right temporal, parietal, occipital, and hippocampal cortices. Family-wise corrected LGI was increased in the left inferior and middle frontal cortices, and in the right fusiform gyrus, cingulate, lingual, and parahippocampal gyri in first onset patients compared to HCs. Increased LGI was absent from later stages of psychosis, suggesting that specific CT and LGI alterations may underlie different stages of illness.