Association of white matter deficits with clinical symptoms in antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenia: an optimized VBM study using 3T

Imaging Biomarker Studies of Antipsychotic-Naïve First-Episode Schizophrenia in China: Progress and Future Directions

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

Identifying biomarkers at onset and specifying the progression over the early course of schizophrenia is critical for better understanding of illness pathophysiology and providing novel information relevant to illness prognosis and treatment selection. Studies of antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia in China are making contributions to this goal.

STUDY DESIGN

A review was conducted for how antipsychotic-naïve first-episode patients were identified and studied, the investigated biological measures, with a focus on neuroimaging, and how they extend the understanding of schizophrenia regarding the illness-related brain abnormality, treatment effect characterization and outcome prediction, and subtype discovery and patient stratification, in comparison to findings from western populations. Finally, how biomarker studies should be conducted in the future was also discussed.

STUDY RESULTS

Gray matter reduction has been most robust within temporo-frontal regions and cerebellum, whereas altered brain function has been most pronounced in cerebello-cortical connections and default mode network, each might be related to long-standing illness alterations and acute physiological alterations at measurement. By studying untreated patients, the progressive alterations in temporal and frontal regions and enlargements in bilateral putamen were found more likely effects of illness, not just treatment. Some of these changes were found with potential to predict clinical outcomes and differentiate biologically patient subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Mostly with data-driven approaches, the studies from China are helping identify candidate imaging biomarkers in schizophrenia that are related to early-stage illness, treatment effects, and biological subgroup differentiation. Future work is needed to translate these biomarkers for clinical application.

The neurobiology of duration of untreated psychosis: a comprehensive review

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is defined as the time from the onset of psychotic symptoms until the first treatment. Studies have shown that longer DUP is associated with poorer response rates to antipsychotic medications and impaired cognition, yet the neurobiologic correlates of DUP are poorly understood. Moreover, it has been hypothesized that untreated psychosis may be neurotoxic. Here, we conducted a comprehensive review of studies that have examined the neurobiology of DUP. Specifically, we included studies that evaluated DUP using a range of neurobiologic and imaging techniques and identified 83 articles that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, 27 out of the total 83 studies (32.5%) reported a significant neurobiological correlate with DUP. These results provide evidence against the notion of psychosis as structurally or functionally neurotoxic on a global scale and suggest that specific regions of the brain, such as temporal regions, may be more vulnerable to the effects of DUP. It is also possible that current methodologies lack the resolution needed to more accurately examine the effects of DUP on the brain, such as effects on synaptic density. Newer methodologies, such as MR scanners with stronger magnets, PET imaging with newer ligands capable of measuring subcellular structures (e.g., the PET ligand [11C]UCB-J) may be better able to capture these limited neuropathologic processes. Lastly, to ensure robust and replicable results, future studies of DUP should be adequately powered and specifically designed to test for the effects of DUP on localized brain structure and function with careful attention paid to potential confounds and methodological issues.

Disruptions in White Matter Maturation and Mediation of Cognitive Development in Youths on the Psychosis Spectrum

BACKGROUND

Psychosis onset typically occurs in adolescence, and subclinical psychotic experiences peak in adolescence. Adolescence is also a time of critical neural and cognitive maturation. Using cross-sectional data from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, we examined whether regional white matter (WM) development is disrupted in youths with psychosis spectrum (PS) features and whether WM maturation mediates the relationship between age and cognition in typically developing (TD) youths and youths with PS features.

METHODS

We examined WM microstructure, as assessed via diffusion tensor imaging, in 670 individuals (age 10-22 years; 499 TD group, 171 PS group) by using tract-based spatial statistics. Multiple regressions were used to evaluate age × group interactions on regional WM indices. Mediation analyses were conducted on four cognitive domains-executive control, complex cognition, episodic memory, and social cognition-using a bootstrapping approach.

RESULTS

There were age × group interactions on fractional anisotropy (FA) in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and retrolenticular internal capsule. Follow-up analyses revealed these effects were significant in both hemispheres. Bilateral SLF FA mediated the relationship between age and complex cognition in the TD group, but not the PS group. Regional FA did not mediate the age-associated increase in any of the other cognitive domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed aberrant age-related effects in SLF and retrolenticular internal capsule FA in youths with PS features. SLF development supports emergence of specific higher-order cognitive functions in TD youths, but not in youths with PS features. Future mechanistic explanations for these relationships could facilitate development of earlier and refined targets for therapeutic interventions.

Abnormalities of fronto-subcortical pathways in schizophrenia and the differential impacts of antipsychotic treatment: a DTI-based tractography study

The fronto-striato-thalamic circuitry is a key network in patients with schizophrenia (SZPs). We use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the integrity of white matter (WM) pathways involved in this network in SZPs relative to healthy controls (HCs). We also evaluate the differential impact of chronic exposure to clozapine as well as other atypical and typical antipsychotics. 63 HCs and 41 SZPs were included. Of the SZPs, 16 were treated with clozapine (SZPsC), 17 with atypical antipsychotics (SZPsA), and 8 with typical antipsychotics (SZPsT). Three tracts were reconstructed in the left hemisphere using tractography: one fronto-subcortical tract, one prefronto-subcortical tract, and one prefronto-frontal tract. Diffusion parameters were individually extracted in each tract. SZPs exhibited lower integrity in both the fronto-subcortical and prefronto-subcortical tracts relative to HCs, and SZPsT showed altered integrity compared to SZPsC. There were no WM integrity differences in the prefronto-frontal tract between SZP groups or between SZPs and HCs. SZPs exhibit structural connectivity abnormalities in the prefronto-fronto-subcortical network that are specifically and differentially impacted by the type of antipsychotic treatment. Additional studies are needed to separate the contributions of clozapine-mediated neuroprotection, neurotoxicity related to typical antipsychotics, and the illness itself to observed differences.

White matter and schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging studies

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are the most implemented methodologies to detect alterations of both gray and white matter (WM). However, the role of WM in mental disorders is still not well defined. We aimed at clarifying the role of WM disruption in schizophrenia and at identifying the most frequently involved brain networks. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify VBM and DTI studies focusing on WM alterations in patients with schizophrenia compared to control subjects. We selected studies reporting the coordinates of WM reductions and we performed the anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE). Moreover, we labeled the WM bundles with an anatomical atlas and compared VBM and DTI ALE-scores of each significant WM tract. A total of 59 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. WM alterations were reported in 31 and 34 foci with VBM and DTI methods, respectively. The most occurred WM bundles in both VBM and DTI studies and largely involved in schizophrenia were long projection fibers, callosal and commissural fibers, part of motor descending fibers, and fronto-temporal-limbic pathways. The meta-analysis showed a widespread WM disruption in schizophrenia involving specific cerebral circuits instead of well-defined regions.

Hemispheric lateralization abnormalities of the white matter microstructure in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Hemispheric lateralization of the brain occurs during development and underpins specialized functions. It is posited that aberrant neurodevelopment leads to abnormal brain lateralization in individuals with psychotic illnesses. Here, we sought to examine whether white matter hemispheric lateralization is abnormal in individuals with the psychotic spectrum disorders of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

METHODS

We examined the white matter microstructure lateralization in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder with psychotic features and healthy controls by measuring the laterality indices of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). We also correlated the laterality indices with clinical measures.

RESULTS

We included 150 patients with schizophrenia, 35 with bipolar disorder and 77 healthy controls in our analyses. Shared FA lateralization abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were found in the cerebral peduncle and posterior limb of internal capsule, with more extensive abnormalities in patients with bipolar disorder than in those with schizophrenia. The shared MD lateralization abnormalities were more widespread, extending to the subcortical, frontal-occipital, limbic and callosal tracts, with patients with bipolar disorder showing greater abnormalities than patients with schizophrenia. While lateralization was decreased in patients with schizophrenia, the lateralization was reversed in those with bipolar disorder, underpinned by the more pronounced microstructural abnormalities in the right hemisphere. The loss of FA lateralization in patients with schizophrenia was associated with lower quality of life and psychosocial functioning.

LIMITATIONS

Owing to the cross-sectional study design, we cannot confirm whether the lateralization abnormalities are neurodevelopmental or a consequence of psychosis onset or chronicity.

CONCLUSION

Shared and distinct white matter lateralization abnormalities were found in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In distinct regions of abnormalities, the lateralization was attenuated in patients with schizophrenia and reversed in those with bipolar disorder.

Whole brain volume changes and its correlation with clinical symptom severity in patients with schizophrenia: A DARTEL-based VBM study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume alterations in whole-brain structures in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and further to assess the correlation between GM and WM volume variations and symptom severity in schizophrenia. A total of 22 patients with schizophrenia and 22 age-matched healthy controls participated. Magnetic resonance image data were processed using SPM8 software with diffeomorphic anatomical registration via an exponentiated Lie algebra (DARTEL) algorithm. Patients with schizophrenia exhibited significantly decreased GM volumes of the insula, superior temporal gyrus (STG), gyrus rectus, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) compared with healthy controls. The GM volumes of the STG and gyrus rectus were negatively correlated with the positive scales on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and those of the STG and ACC were negatively correlated with the negative scales. The durations of illness in schizophrenia were negatively correlated with the GM volumes of the insula, STG, and ACC. Patients with schizophrenia exhibited significantly decreased WM volumes of the superior frontal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, and STG. The WM volumes of the STG were negatively correlated with the duration of illness. Our findings suggest that GM and WM volume abnormalities in the STG are associated with the psychopathology of schizophrenia.

Myelination of parvalbumin interneurons: a parsimonious locus of pathophysiological convergence in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Despite more than a century of research, the neurobiological mechanism underlying schizophrenia remains elusive. White matter abnormalities and interneuron dysfunction are the most widely replicated cellular neuropathological alterations in patients with schizophrenia. However, a unifying model incorporating these findings has not yet been established. Here, we propose that myelination of fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) interneurons could be an important locus of pathophysiological convergence in schizophrenia. Myelination of interneurons has been demonstrated across a wide diversity of brain regions and appears highly specific for the PV interneuron subclass. Given the critical influence of fast-spiking PV interneurons for mediating oscillations in the gamma frequency range (~30-120 Hz), PV myelination is well positioned to optimize action potential fidelity and metabolic homeostasis. We discuss this hypothesis with consideration of data from human postmortem studies, in vivo brain imaging and electrophysiology, and molecular genetics, as well as fundamental and translational studies in rodent models. Together, the parvalbumin interneuron myelination hypothesis provides a falsifiable model for guiding future studies of schizophrenia pathophysiology.

White matter volume change and its correlation with symptom severity in patients with schizophrenia: a VBM-DARTEL study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the white matter (WM) volume change and its correlation with symptom severity in patients with schizophrenia using voxel-based morphometry. A total of 20 patients with schizophrenia and 20 age-matched healthy controls participated in this study. MR image data were processed using SPM8 software with diffeomorphic anatomical registration through an exponentiated Lie algebra (DARTEL) algorithm. The patients with schizophrenia showed significant decreases (P=0.042) in the WM volumes of the temporal lobe and superior frontal gyrus compared with the healthy controls. The WM volumes of the middle temporal gyrus were negatively correlated with the scores of both the Positive Subscale (Pearson's ρ=-0.68, P=0.001) and the Negative Subscale (ρ=-0.71, P=0.0005) in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. In addition, the scores of the General Psychopathology Subscale were negatively correlated with the WM volumes of the superior frontal gyrus (ρ=-0.68, P=0.0009). This study evaluated the WM volume of patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls using DARTEI-based voxel-based morphometry and also assessed the correlation of the localized WM volume changes with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. These findings will be useful to understand the neuropathology associated with WM abnormality in schizophrenia.

Primary and secondary alterations of white matter connectivity in schizophrenia: A study on first-episode and chronic patients using whole-brain tractography-based analysis

Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder that is associated with an impaired connection of cerebral white matter. Studies on patients with chronic and first-episode schizophrenia have found widespread white matter abnormalities. However, it is unclear whether the altered connections are inherent in or secondary to the disease. Here, we sought to identify white matter tracts with altered connections and to distinguish primary or secondary alterations among 74 fiber tracts across the whole brain using an automatic tractography-based analysis method. Thirty-one chronic, 25 first-episode patients with schizophrenia and 31 healthy controls were recruited to receive diffusion spectrum magnetic resonance imaging at 3T. Seven tracts were found to exhibit significant differences between the groups; they included the right arcuate fasciculus, bilateral fornices, left superior longitudinal fasciculus I, and fibers of the corpus callosum to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC), bilateral temporal poles, and bilateral hippocampi. Post-hoc between-group analyses revealed that the connection of the callosal fibers to the bilateral DLPFC was significantly decreased in chronic patients but not in first-episode patients. In a stepwise regression analysis, the decline of the tract connection was significantly predicted by the duration of illness. In contrast, the remaining six tracts showed significant alterations in both first-episode and chronic patients and did not associate with clinical variables. In conclusion, reduced white matter connectivity of the callosal fibers to the bilateral DLPFC may be a secondary change that degrades progressively in the chronic stage, whereas alterations in the other six tracts may be inherent in the disease.

White matter alterations in first episode treatment-naïve patients with deficit schizophrenia: a combined VBM and DTI study

Categorizing ‘deficit schizophrenia’ (DS) as distinct from ‘non-deficit’ schizophrenia (NDS) may help reduce heterogeneity within schizophrenia. However, it is unknown if DS has a discrete white matter signature. Here we used MRI to compare white matter volume (voxel-based morphometry) and microstructural integrity (fractional anisotropy, FA) in first-episode treatment-naïve patients with DS and NDS and their unaffected relatives to control groups of similar age. We found that white matter disruption was prominent in DS compared to controls; the DS group had lower volumes in the cerebellum, bilateral extra-nuclear and bilateral frontoparietal regions, and lower FA in the body of corpus callosum, posterior superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus. The DS group also had lower volume in bilateral extra-nuclear regions compared to NDS, and the volume of these clusters was negatively correlated with deficit symptom ratings. NDS patients however, had no significant volume alterations and limited disruption of microstructural integrity compared to controls. Finally, first-degree relatives of those with DS shared volume abnormalities in right extra-nuclear white matter. Thus, white matter pathology in schizophrenia is most evident in the deficit condition, and lower extra-nuclear white matter volumes in both DS patients and their relatives may represent a brain structural ‘endophenotype’ for DS.

White matter alterations in first episode treatment-naïve patients with deficit schizophrenia: a combined VBM and DTI study

Categorizing 'deficit schizophrenia' (DS) as distinct from 'non-deficit' schizophrenia (NDS) may help reduce heterogeneity within schizophrenia. However, it is unknown if DS has a discrete white matter signature. Here we used MRI to compare white matter volume (voxel-based morphometry) and microstructural integrity (fractional anisotropy, FA) in first-episode treatment-naïve patients with DS and NDS and their unaffected relatives to control groups of similar age. We found that white matter disruption was prominent in DS compared to controls; the DS group had lower volumes in the cerebellum, bilateral extra-nuclear and bilateral frontoparietal regions, and lower FA in the body of corpus callosum, posterior superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus. The DS group also had lower volume in bilateral extra-nuclear regions compared to NDS, and the volume of these clusters was negatively correlated with deficit symptom ratings. NDS patients however, had no significant volume alterations and limited disruption of microstructural integrity compared to controls. Finally, first-degree relatives of those with DS shared volume abnormalities in right extra-nuclear white matter. Thus, white matter pathology in schizophrenia is most evident in the deficit condition, and lower extra-nuclear white matter volumes in both DS patients and their relatives may represent a brain structural 'endophenotype' for DS.

A selective review of structural connectivity abnormalities of schizophrenic patients at different stages of the disease

Schizophrenia has long been hypothesized to result from a disconnection syndrome due to a disruption of the association fibers of the brain. However, only with the advent of in vivo neuroimaging, a formal disconnectivity hypothesis for schizophrenia has been developed. Diffusion tensor MRI, a non-invasive technique which is sensitive to features of tissue microstructure and to the anatomy of the white matter fibers, has gained a crucial role in the field. Here, we provide a state-of-the-art review of structural connectivity abnormalities detected in schizophrenia and discuss the most relevant findings at preclinical, first episode drug-naïve, and chronic stages. Imaging studies showed white matter alterations from the preclinical to the chronic stage of the disease, which involve the corticospinal tracts, interhemispheric connections, long association white matter tracts, cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit, and limbic system. Such abnormalities were found to be associated with the psychiatric and cognitive manifestations of the disease and to predict, at least partially, the patient clinical evolution and response to treatment.

Imaging neuroinflammation in gray and white matter in schizophrenia: an in-vivo PET study with [18F]-FEPPA

Neuroinflammation and abnormal immune responses have been implicated in schizophrenia (SCZ). Past studies using positron emission tomography (PET) that examined neuroinflammation in patients with SCZ in vivo using the translocator protein 18kDa (TSPO) target were limited by the insensitivity of the first-generation imaging agent [(11)C]-PK11195, scanners used, and the small sample sizes studied. Present study uses a novel second-generation TSPO PET radioligand N-acetyl-N-(2-[(18)F]fluoroethoxybenzyl)-2-phenoxy-5-pyridinamine ([(18)F]-FEPPA) to evaluate whether there is increased neuroinflammation in patients with SCZ. A cross-sectional study was performed using [(18)F]-FEPPA and a high-resolution research tomograph (HRRT). Eighteen patients with SCZ with ongoing psychotic symptoms and 27 healthy volunteers (HV) were recruited from a tertiary psychiatric clinical setting and the community, respectively. All participants underwent [(18)F]-FEPPA PET and magnetic resonance imaging, and PET data were analyzed to obtain [(18)F]-FEPPA total volume of distribution (VT) using a 2-tissue compartment model with an arterial plasma input function, as previously validated. All subjects were classified as high-, medium- or low-affinity [(18)F]-FEPPA binders on the basis of rs6971 polymorphism, and genotype information was incorporated into the analyses of imaging outcomes. No significant differences in neuroinflammation indexed as [(18)F]-FEPPA VT were observed between groups in either gray (F(1,39) = 0.179, P = .674) or white matter regions (F(1,38) = 0.597, P = .445). The lack of significant difference in neuroinflammation in treated patients with SCZ in the midst of a psychotic episode and HV suggests that neuroinflammatory processes may take place early in disease progression or are affected by antipsychotic treatment.